Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 113: Iron Hull Ship
As soon as Xia Qingqing spoke, the lively atmosphere of discussion came to an abrupt halt; looking at Xia Qingqing, whose face was tinged with anger, everyone felt a moment of awkwardness!
In their eagerness to discuss and think about how to showcase their strengths, they had forgotten that there was still a princess present!
It had been several days since Xia Qingqing had performed so well that everyone had unconsciously forgotten she was still the princess of the Great Xia Kingdom!
Finally, Xu Ren chuckled and said, “Ahem, my lady, we are not discussing the division of the Great Xia Kingdom; we are safeguarding the Great Xia Kingdom.
You see, Zhongshan County and Luliang County are in utter disarray. We have ordered the governors of both counties to come to the capital to meet with the Emperor, but they have ignored our summons.
His Majesty has granted the young master the title of Eastern Commander of the Great Xia Kingdom, and we must uphold His Majesty’s trust!”
When Xu Ren spoke, the word “my lady” was emphasized—though you are a princess, the one who truly has authority here is Li Xian!
Xia Qingqing looked at Xu Ren, then turned to glance at everyone before suddenly turning and leaving.
At that moment, Xia Qingqing’s feelings were complex. The Great Xia Kingdom was finished; everyone understood it, including herself. However, as a princess, it was difficult to accept—even if she understood it deep down.
What was even more absurd was that she, as a princess, was discussing with a group of people how to divide the Great Xia Kingdom!!!
Although Xu Ren spoke eloquently, it was just that—words!
After seeing the excitement and anticipation in everyone’s eyes, Xia Qingqing suddenly realized that the Great Xia Kingdom was truly finished. In the hearts of these people, they had lost even the most basic respect for the Great Xia Kingdom! The way they spoke of it was merely a facade, using the skin of a tiger as a flag.
Once back in her room, Xia Qingqing sat silently in front of her dressing table.
Behind her, a small maid cautiously massaged Xia Qingqing’s shoulders, not daring to speak.
Xia Qingqing looked at the maid in the mirror, “Xiaotao, can you tell me what you think of the Great Xia Kingdom?”
Xia Qingqing felt a sense of expectation; Xiaotao was a maid brought from the palace.
However, reality was often cruel. Xiaotao bit her lip and replied, “My lady, I do not like the Great Xia Kingdom. My father was once a soldier of the Great Xia Kingdom, but after he died in battle, our family only received a small amount of silver. My mother was burdened by life; she only managed to reach the third level of Qi training and eventually fell ill from overwork, unable to afford treatment.
Because of this, I could only sell myself to the palace to cover my mother’s medical expenses.”
Xia Qingqing was momentarily stunned; the answer she had anticipated did not come, but instead, she received a suffocating story. A soldier who died in battle could only receive a meager compensation of a few taels of silver?!
Was it anger? Disappointment? Or shame? Xia Qingqing couldn’t discern her emotions. After a long silence, she waved her hand without a word, “You can go out and play; I want to be alone for a while.”
Xiaotao puffed up her cheeks, seemingly gathering her courage. “My lady, I… I want to go home and see my mother…”
Xia Qingqing opened her drawer and took out 50 taels of gold. “Xiaotao, take this. Apologize to your mother for me; the Great Xia Kingdom has wronged her.”
“Princess…” Xiaotao finally changed how she addressed her.
“Go ahead. Also, tell Mr. Xu to arrange for a few people to protect you. It’s not safe for a young girl to travel alone.”
Perhaps Xia Qingqing’s kindness had encouraged Xiaotao to speak freely. Xiaotao cautiously said, “Princess, there’s something I want to say…”
“Go ahead.”
“Princess, actually… actually… the current Great Xia Kingdom is already… beyond saving; the Emperor and the Empress are no different from caged birds. Wouldn’t it be better for them not to be Emperor and Empress and enjoy a good life in Anyang instead?”
Xia Qingqing waved her hand, asking Xiaotao to leave, and sat there for a long time, “Even a young girl knows the Great Xia Kingdom is beyond salvation. Indeed, if the Great Xia Kingdom cannot be saved, why not bring my parents out and leave that cage-like Wuyang City?”
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the hall felt somewhat heavy. After Xia Qingqing suddenly left, everyone awkwardly realized— they had been too happy and had lost their composure! It wasn’t until Xiaotao approached and asked Xu Ren for protection to go home that everyone realized Xiaotao could actually engage in ideological discussions!
“Xiaotao did well.” Xu Ren praised her heartily, then instructed Zhang Hongtao to lead a small team of 20 people to escort Xiaotao home. Xiaotao’s home was in Wuyang County, and the journey was still quite far.
Once Xiaotao left, Xu Ren laughed heartily, “That little girl has helped us a lot.”
Yan Zean also chuckled, “That little girl really dares to speak her mind. Mr. Xu, let’s invite the princess out together; since the young master is not here, we’ll have to trouble you, my lady.”
This time, Xia Qingqing did not throw a tantrum because she had already figured it out: the Great Xia Kingdom, although it spoke sweetly, was practically non-existent, and to put it directly, it was already finished—local factions had formed and were disobedient. It was no longer a complete empire but a fragmented corpse! It was just that it had not yet taken its last breath, that was all!
Under Xia Qingqing’s observation, everyone quickly confirmed the strategic guidelines. Then, Xu Ren proposed that they all go and take a look at the first iron-hulled ship that was about to undergo water testing.
On the way, Xia Qingqing seized the opportunity to ask Xu Ren, “Sir, my husband has the destiny of the ‘Tai Chang Yin Guang Xing Jun,’ but now in Anyang, it seems…”
Xu Ren smiled slightly, “If destiny were fixed, there would be no cultivation in the world. Besides, the young master’s ideal is a commercial kingdom, not a typical empire. As for what a commercial kingdom entails, we’re not entirely sure at the moment; but it is certainly different from an ordinary empire.
However, one thing is certain: the young master also needs a stable foundation. And Anyang is too small; it’s not enough!”
Xia Qingqing fell silent as the group rode in a carriage, swaying along to the seaside.
At the seaside, the dock for trading with the sea tribe had been expanded and further expanded, with a grand complex occupying an area of ten acres appearing behind it. Compared to the dazzling buildings of the Brilliant Stars Group, the structures here were particularly rugged and grand, as if everything had been magnified several times.
Behind this complex, there was another addition—a railway! To transport materials from Qingyun Valley faster and better, the first set of tracks had been laid—a double track.
At this moment, simple locomotives were slowly traversing the tracks. The locomotives were not very fast, but they were transporting a lot of goods; soldiers patrolled around the tracks, and any unrelated individuals were expelled. If they did not heed the warnings, they would be caught and interrogated.
Looking at the scene before him, Xu Ren suddenly felt something: “Technology is responsible for climbing, industry is responsible for production. This is the power of industry; it indeed has many unique aspects.”
As Xu Ren and his group entered the factory, they were immediately drawn to a colossal object with particularly prominent angles! That was—the iron-hulled ship! The ship was entirely painted white! This was the most important plan of Li Xian, and the development of Anyang had been affected because of this iron-hulled ship plan.
Steel and concrete buildings had almost all been invested here; half of the steel production had also been allocated to this project.
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