Zhao Yingzhu was quick-witted; she immediately bowed and said, "It was my fault, Your Highness, please forgive me."
Linlin said coldly, "You should go back to your country."
"I..."
"I won't hold you accountable for what you did in Goryeo under my name," the Linlin voice said, "But I won't tolerate you trying to lay a finger on me."
Zhao Yingzhu dared not say another word.
She did indeed do some underhanded things behind Linlin's back, deliberately exaggerating her "unspeakable" relationship with Linlin within Goryeo, making people speculate and feel wary.
She had repeatedly tasted success from this, thinking she had kept it a secret, unaware that Linlin had known all along but was simply too lazy to expose her.
No, it's because she still has some use.
A chaotic Goryeo was clearly better for him than a powerful Goryeo.
Zhao Yingzhu is anxious because she is worried that the Oirat People will first take over the ports she has painstakingly built up, far away from the Goryeo mainland.
Those ports, though small, were an important part of her future plans.
Goryeo's territory is too small; it will surely expand outwards in the future!
We can't afford to offend the Central Plains right now, but we might be able to take advantage of the chaos later.
Moreover, there are vast tracts of land outside this region!
Zhao Yingzhu is an ambitious person.
She vehemently argued that the Oirat were far more formidable than the Tatars of the previous year, and that their strength should not be diminished simply because they had recently annexed the dying Tatars.
The truth is quite the opposite; the Oirat People are now in high spirits, and their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious.
Therefore, everything she said is true.
However, there was also a selfish motive in using the Central Plains as a shield.
It now seems that His Highness the Crown Prince has seen through everything...
Zhao Yingzhu left looking dejected.
At the door, she ran into Lang Xuan and immediately felt incredibly awkward.
The young girl, with fair and rosy skin, clear and bright eyes, and vibrant energy, was a sight to behold even if she stood there Jingjing, without smiling or speaking.
Zhao Yingzhu curtsied and said, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Lang Xuan nodded and silently returned the half-bow.
She didn't want to give Zhao Yingzhu a friendly look.
Zhao Yingzhu definitely liked Yuwen Duo and also harbored thoughts of seduction; she was certain of that.
She wanted to tell Zhao Yingzhu, "Don't misunderstand, the one you were having an affair with wasn't Yuwen Duo, it was Wei Zihan!"
If you're looking for him, go find him.
Aren't you two getting along really well?
I haven't seen Wei Zihan lately...
Zhao Mingzhu was preoccupied and didn't care about Lang Xuan's opinion. After bowing, she left in a hurry.
Lang Xuan then went inside.
However, when he learned that Lang Xuan was going to find Yanran, he stopped her.
Qu Nian, Cui Xiaoqiu, and many others were already there, so Lang Xuan wasn't really missing.
"Come and help me."
How can I help you?
She's so stupid, what can she do to help him? She'll probably only make things worse.
"Help me investigate the case."
"Investigate a case?" Lang Xuan asked, her eyes full of confusion.
When will she be able to investigate the case? How come I didn't know?
"Help me find out how the gunpowder formula was leaked."
Lang Xuan was shocked. "Has it really been leaked this time?"
Last time I thought it had been leaked, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
But hearing what Yuwen Duo said, it seems this time it's confirmed.
Linlin said, "There's been improvement; this time you didn't try to take the blame upon yourself."
Lang Xuan was a little embarrassed, but still whispered, "I'm trying to grow up."
You can't always be so foolish, otherwise how can you be worthy of him?
She ran with all her might, never daring to stop for a moment, like Kuafu chasing the sun, tirelessly pursuing her ideal day and night.
Linlin was pleased and gestured for her to sit down in the seat opposite her. She then carefully explained the whole story to her.
"I've investigated everything I could, but I haven't found any possibility of a leak."
Because the gunpowder formula was extremely valuable and a top secret.
Therefore, the people he could come into contact with were all his confidants, and they could be counted on one hand.
No one is a suspect.
"... So help me think of somewhere else where the problem might be."
After hearing him name a few people, Lang Xuan nodded and said, "I think you're right. These are all reliable people, and I trust them."
She paused, then asked somewhat uncertainly, "Do I talk in my sleep?"
Seeing her cautious manner, Linlin couldn't help but chuckle, "No."
"That's good, it shouldn't have been me anyway."
So the question is, who else could it be?
"Let me think about it slowly..."
"No rush, think about it. I'll go check the military defenses."
Although he disliked Zhao Yingzhu, her words were not an exaggeration.
The Oirat People, this year, are very likely to take advantage of their victory over the Tatars and continue their westward and southward advance.
"Good."
So, Linlin stared at the map, occasionally stroking his chin in deep thought, and sometimes picking up a pen to write and draw.
Lang Xuan sat obediently opposite him, her back straight, watching him intently as she meticulously analyzed the situation...
The gunpowder recipe was something she had heard Yuwen Duo mention in her previous life, which is why she memorized it.
Thinking about this made her feel stupid.
If Yuwen Duo didn't like her in her past life, why would he tell her something so important and be so unguarded with her?
How utterly stupid!
She shook her head, forcing herself not to recall those unpleasant things, and continued to think.
That recipe was chosen by the Empress herself.
In this life, however, it wasn't provided by her, the "plagiarist."
Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress has also remembered the recipe, and then someone else has learned it?
Besides the Empress, who else could possibly know the recipe?
Ren Yingying!
She was closest to the Empress, and their relationship was rather strange; it seemed like they had some prior connection.
What the Empress can think of, she might also be able to think of.
Lang Xuan told Linlin what she had thought, "Should we ask the Empress and the Heir to the Prince of Min's Consort? Do they know the recipe?"
Although the words were somewhat cryptic, Linlin understood.
He said, "My mother definitely doesn't know. I'll go ask Aunt Ren."
As it turned out, Ren Yingying remembered that she had mentioned gunpowder when she discussed demolition with Lei Qun.
And coincidentally, she happened to remember the gunpowder ratio she learned in junior high school.
But that happened a long time ago.
However, after studying it for so long, the White Lotus Sect probably figured out the trick and succeeded.
Ren Yingying felt somewhat guilty.
Lang Xuan comforted her, "You didn't know Lei Qun's identity before; you only respected him as a craftsman and chatted with him a bit. Ignorance is no excuse, and if they wanted to do evil, they would have other ways even without gunpowder."
"My biggest worry right now is," Ren Yingying said, "That this formula will fall into the hands of our enemies again."
What if the Oirat People find out?
"Control sulfur," Lin Lin said Linlin.
Without raw materials, even the most skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice.