What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 143 The Empress Personally Attends the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at the Restaurant
After seeing Zhang Xuzu off.

Su Mo was somewhat excited.

I wanted to find Master Qianhu to hit a double base to celebrate making a lot of money, but the gongs were ringing in the street at midnight!
I can only give up.

Not feeling sleepy at all, I simply opened the booklet and copied a poem!
The study was a forbidden area of ​​the Su residence, and even the beautiful maid Jiang Lan, who served him in bed, was not allowed to enter.

A good memory is not as good as a bad writing.

It's more reliable to write down bursts of inspiration, inventions of various machines, etc.

Even if I don't need it myself, it will be a family heirloom of the Su family in the future, ensuring that the Su family will not decline for a thousand years!

For example, a few days ago, Su Mo rode in a four-wheeled carriage, which was very bumpy and difficult to turn, so he thought of the carriage's steering system and shock absorption system!
Another lucrative business opportunity!
Moreover, it doesn't have the many restrictions that distilled spirits and soaps do.

After copying the poem, Su Mo suddenly had a burst of inspiration.

The reconstructed image of the Eight-Ox Crossbow seems to have some modifications!
After achieving the Realm of Observing Oneself, Su Mo's memory improved significantly. He could clearly recall things he had seen by chance in his previous life, or videos he had watched.

Later generations attempted to replicate the Eight-Ox Crossbow using the ancient method, but it failed to achieve the power described in the records.

However, using materials from later generations to create some key components would definitely greatly enhance the power of the Eight-Ox Crossbow.

Su Mo wanted the Eight-Ox Crossbow's practical combat performance, not its restoration for archaeological research.

Unfortunately, many of the metal components needed, especially the crucial spring steel, remain only on paper.

Su Mo knew that spring steel was high-carbon steel and that tempering could be used to enhance its toughness.

But how exactly it was made is really unclear.

However, with this idea in mind and knowing how to increase the furnace temperature, spring steel is only a matter of time.

It's just a matter of trying it a few more times.

Once Ding Bashi has manufactured the spring steel, following these blueprints, he will definitely be able to truly reproduce the power of the Eight-Ox Crossbow!

After completing the Eight-Ox Crossbow, I closed the book and put it back on the shelf.

Su Mo simply resumed cultivating the Yangtian Technique, planning to discuss the matter with Lord Qianhu the next day.

He is to take up his post as the registrar of Tianchang County within the month.

We need to hurry up and get things done at the restaurant.

……

Shenjing, the Imperial Palace!
As an empress, Leng Liuxi was extremely diligent in her duties, working harder than an ox, sleeping later than a dog, and waking up earlier than a rooster.

Su Moshu's letter to Yin Rou has reached the Empress.

The Empress frowned as she looked at Su Mo's scribbles, and subconsciously cursed under her breath.

Then his eyes narrowed suddenly: "There's actually a share of eight hundred taels of silver?"

The secret report that came last time indicated that the two markets in Changping, east and west, had a surplus of 1,100 taels.

In just one month, the amount increased by seven hundred taels?

Su Mo really wasn't... bragging!
This way of making a living and this art of generating wealth are truly remarkable!
The two markets alone can bring in tens of thousands of taels of silver annually for the Imperial Treasury!

The income subject to a fixed tax of one-two-thousandth of the total income!
The key point is that these are imperial funds, which the Empress can use as she pleases. When rewarding ministers, she wouldn't be so stingy as to only give them ten or eight taels!

But Leng Liuxi became increasingly angry the more she thought about it.

Doesn't Su Mo also earn ten thousand taels a year?

Giving him three large sums of money would be more than enough!
However, he had made so many contributions and even contributed to national policy, and I had also gained a lot from his booklet.

Leng Liuxi naturally agreed to this small request.

She snorted and said to Xin Hanxiang, the chief censor, "Issue my decree!"

"Liu Siyun, a slave from Changping County, has rendered meritorious service to the country. Her status as a free person shall be restored, and the Fu family of Yong'an shall return her indenture!"

Such a trivial matter does not require an imperial edict.

The message can be relayed by a eunuch.

After putting away Su Mo's letter, the Empress turned her attention back to the memorials, preparing to review them before going to the Taiji Hall to hold court.

Suddenly, Leng Ao, the commander of Fengming Division, came to report.

"Your Majesty, the Phoenix Cry Division has crafted the Divine Arm Bow and requests Your Majesty's inspection!"

Leng Liuxi narrowed her eyes slightly: "Present it!"

Xin Hanxiang stepped forward, took the two heavy divine bows from the commander of Fengming Division, and placed them on the Empress's desk.

Leng Liuxi examined the two bows and noticed that they were exquisitely crafted and equipped with foot rings for easy loading of arrows, indicating that they were quite powerful.

After carefully examining the two bows, he asked, "What are the differences between these two bows?"

Fengming Division Commander Qianhu quickly replied, "Your Majesty!"

"These two bows each weigh ten catties. One is made of ordinary materials and can be used by ordinary archers. It can penetrate armor at two hundred paces!"

"The other bow is crafted from fine materials and enhanced by advanced weapon-forging techniques, making it even more powerful. It can pierce heavy armor from three hundred paces away, and it is difficult for anyone but those with great strength to wield it!"

"Very well!" the Empress commanded. "Come with me to the Imperial Garden to test our archery skills!"

We arrived at the Imperial Garden.

He ordered the eunuchs to deploy iron armor at a distance of two hundred and three hundred paces!
He then dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids.

The Empress herself took to the field to test the power of the Divine Arm Bow.

The divine bow, which required the foot to step on the string, was easily drawn by the Empress with a gentle pull.

With a pull of the trigger, the arrow whistled through the air and struck the armored figure two hundred paces away.

The arrow fletched and trembled, and more than half of the shaft pierced the iron armor!

The Great Wu armor is far superior to that of the Northern Di and Western Rong!
If even iron armor couldn't withstand it, then the leather armor of the Northern Di and Western Rong tribes would be no match for it!

Leng Liuxi was overjoyed!
This divine crossbow is absolutely a powerful weapon against the cavalry of the Northern Di and Western Rong tribes!
She took a slight breath.

Replace it with the enhanced version of the Divine Arm Bow.

As expected, the force required to draw the bowstring increased significantly; it took the strength of three stones to draw the string, making it difficult for ordinary archers to use.

However, there are many strong men in the army, as well as elites who practice martial arts, so using this enhanced divine arm bow should not be a problem.

This time.

The arrows were even faster, making a whooshing sound as they cut through the air.

Heavy armor can be pierced directly from 300 paces away!
Such power even slightly surprised Leng Liuxi!
Such power comes from a single reinforced divine bow.

If dozens or even hundreds of bows were fired simultaneously, a Grand Sorcerer at the Divine Realm would certainly not escape unscathed! Even a Sorcerer at the Returning Aperture Realm could be severely injured!

The Empress's face darkened as she looked at the commander of the Phoenix Cry Division: "How much did this bow cost? How long did it take to make?"

Fengming Division Commander: "Making one of these bows will cost one hundred taels of silver. If we make more, I estimate it will cost around eighty taels! It will take ten days to complete."

The empress frowned.

It cost a full hundred taels of silver; the construction cost was too high!
Her gaze fell on the ordinary divine bow: "And what about this bow?"

Fengming Division Commander immediately said, "This bow costs ten taels of silver. If the materials are complete and a skilled craftsman is available, it can be completed within three days."

The Empress frowned again.

It's still a bit expensive, but the manufacturing time is acceptable.

After all, it takes several days to manufacture a qualified hard bow.

In fact, Leng Liuxi had already anticipated this; such a powerful crossbow would certainly not be cheap to manufacture.

Ultimately, it's because the country doesn't have enough money!

I wonder how much revenue Su Mo's policy of opening up regulations will bring to the national treasury!

She pondered for a moment, then said, "Go to the inner treasury and collect ten thousand taels of silver to make five hundred ordinary divine arm bows and fifty enhanced divine arm bows!"

"Strengthen the Divine Arm Bow, keep it strictly confidential, and send the completed bow to the inner treasury for storage."

"The craftsmen shall be placed in a separate battalion, guarded by a member of the Beijing Garrison. Anyone who spyes on them shall be killed without exception!"

Fengming Si Qianhu felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

Such a deadly weapon, capable of killing immortal sorcerers, is secretly stored in the inner treasury...

She dared not ask anything and was about to accept the order and leave!

The Empress suddenly called out to her again: "How is the Eight-Ox Crossbow being made?"

The commander of the Fengming Division hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Your Majesty, the Eight-Ox Crossbow... has been manufactured according to the blueprints."

"However, its power is far from what Your Majesty described... and it is still far from it."

"Even if it were crafted using weapon-making techniques, it would be difficult to achieve any real power."

She gritted her teeth and added, "I will certainly urge the craftsmen to make the real eight-ox crossbow as soon as possible!"

The Empress's expression darkened slightly.

According to Su Mo's booklet, the Eight-Ox Crossbow is powerful enough to break through city walls.

The craftsmen of Fengming Division are undoubtedly the most skilled, and there are even sorcerers and artisans who are proficient in weapon crafting.

Even the Phoenix Cry Division couldn't make it, so could the Eight-Ox Crossbow be fake?
The problem is, she personally sneaked into the Su residence and copied it from the booklet!
It wasn't until the third time that Su Mo finally provided the complete blueprints!
Since the Divine Arm Bow is genuine, the Eight Ox Crossbow should also be genuine.

Su Mo was unaware that the blueprints had been seen, and it was impossible for him to have deliberately misled her with incorrect blueprints.

The only possibility is that the guy has other secret methods or components that weren't written in the book!

Hmm, should we go see Su Mo again?
By the way... how about I mooch a meal?
After eating Su Mo's sea cucumber last time, the Empress returned to the palace and, faced with the unchanging imperial cuisine, lost her appetite for several days and lost three pounds.

The Empress is starting to miss Su Mo's sea cucumbers!
But this time.

The Empress was very busy, dealing with the suppression of the Heavenly Mother Sect's headquarters, matters concerning the immortal sects, the year-end examinations for officials, the Northern Di's strategy of cannibalism, debates with court officials, and the degree of openness in merchant regulations, among other things.

She hadn't seen Su Mo for quite some time.

The Empress glanced at Commander Fengming Si and suddenly asked, "How is Su Mo doing?"

"That restaurant isn't open yet?"

Fengming Division Commander was taken aback, not expecting the Empress to suddenly inquire about the situation of the captain, and was naturally surprised and suspicious.

Su Mo is definitely on the Emperor's mind!
She quickly replied, "Your Majesty, the two restaurants owned by Commander Su are scheduled to open today at 9:00 AM, and there will be an opening ceremony called... ribbon-cutting."

"Commander Su also sent me an invitation from the Fengming Division Captain, inviting me to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony."

The Empress was taken aback: "A ribbon-cutting ceremony? What is a ribbon-cutting ceremony?"

Commander of the Fengming Division: "I also do not know."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "The day before yesterday, Zhang Xuzu, the eldest son of the Duke of Ning, along with the sons of the Marquis of Dingbian and the Marquis of Anyang, had their guards smash up the Misty Rain Pavilion, and were arrested by the Left Guard."

The Empress's face suddenly darkened: "These sons of noble families are truly outrageous!"

"How will things turn out?"

Fengming Division Commander immediately said, "Zhang Xuzu and his two companions, led by iron cavalry guards, have arrived at the Su residence."

He left in extreme anger and resentment.

The Empress nodded: "That's certainly true!"

“These nobles are arrogant and domineering. How could they let this humiliation go unpunished by a mere minor officer!”

Fengming Si Qianhu's pretty face turned slightly strange: "When the three of them arrived, the Emperor's decree just arrived."

"A short while later, Zhang Xuzu and the other two left the Su residence, but... their expressions were very joyful."

The Empress was immediately taken aback.

It's understandable that Zhang Xuzu and the others would be wary of Su Mo, seeing that he could receive their imperial decree.

What's with that delighted look on his face?

Even the intelligent Empress Ren could not understand the reason behind it.

She looked at Commander Fengming with suspicion: "What's going on?"

The commander of the Fengming Division shook his head: "I do not know either!"

"His Majesty ordered that no one should monitor the affairs of the Su residence, so I had no way of knowing."

She hesitated for a moment: "If we use the Ning Duke's Mansion's insider information, we might be able to find out the cause."

Leng Liuxi waved her hand: "Let's not investigate for now!"

He paused, then continued, "The Baiyujing Palace opens at 9:00 AM, just as the court assembly concludes."

"Get ready to come with me to see the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Uh, let's also see if he's exaggerating, daring to claim his restaurant earns ten thousand taels a year!"

He then added, "Remember, I am Leng Xixi, a centurion of the Fengming Division. Don't let it slip, or you won't be spared!"

The aloof commander was immediately dumbfounded!
Is the Empress going to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Su Mo Restaurant?
Even if Jian were in the Emperor's heart, it wouldn't be like this, would it?

If others find out, that would be terrible!

(End of this chapter)