My daughter was sold, I want to divorce her and go back to my parents' home to escape the famin

Gu Jinxuan's sincere and clear words were like a huge rock hitting the water, causing ripples in the already quiet hall.

As soon as the words fell, the entire hall was once again shrouded in a brief silence, as if time had frozen at this moment. Everyone looked at each other, secretly pondering the interests involved.

The emperor, high above, sat on the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power, with his eyes slightly narrowed. His gaze was as deep as the abyss, making it difficult to glimpse into his true inner thoughts.

However, those who knew him well knew that the emperor was carefully weighing the pros and cons in his mind at this moment.

After all, this matter was of great importance. If one was not careful, it could lead to unpredictable consequences. Just when everyone was still immersed in their own thoughts, the emperor finally broke the silence.

He spoke slowly, his voice low but filled with unquestionable authority: "What the Prince Protector of the Country says is quite reasonable. After careful consideration, I have made up my mind. This is feasible! From today on, the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Industry will be established, specifically responsible for the production and improvement of bombs. As for the position of Supervisor of this Firearms Department..."

The emperor paused briefly, then his gaze fell on Gu Jinyu standing beside him. He continued, "Let Gu Jinyu take charge! I hope you can live up to everyone's expectations and maximize the power of this bomb. At the same time, you must ensure its absolute safety during use."

After a pause, the emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced slowly at all the dignitaries present.

Everyone held their breath, not daring to slack off even a little. Finally, the emperor's majestic and profound gaze slowly descended, resting on Lin Qingxue's delicate figure.

The emperor's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. His tone was gentle, yet filled with unquestionable authority as he spoke: "Princess Protector of the State, I have heard many things about you from Jinxuan. Back then, you worked together with your brothers to protect your entire family, young and old, and all the members of your clan on this long journey, arriving safely in this imperial city. It was truly not easy! Furthermore, your marriage to Prince Jinxuan was personally granted by my decree. You have played an indispensable role in ensuring this successful marriage! So, why not tell me what reward you desire?"

When the emperor's words came, it was like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's ears, causing everyone present to instantly show an expression of extreme shock on their faces.

Their eyes widened and their mouths slightly opened, as if they couldn't believe what they heard.

Because no one had expected that the current emperor would be so gentle in his attitude towards Lin Qingxue. This was really beyond everyone's imagination.

Lin Qingxue was seen kneeling respectfully on the ground. Her posture was graceful yet dignified and steady. Her head was slightly lowered, and her eyes were sincere and firm.

Then, she slowly raised her head, facing the almighty Emperor, and spoke in a clear, pleasant, and sincere voice, "Your Majesty, since I married into the Gu family, I have had no worries about food and clothing, and a prosperous life. My parents-in-law have treated me with great care, treating me like their own daughter. My sisters-in-law get along harmoniously and are as close as sisters. My children are well-behaved, sensible, filial, and obedient. Moreover, my brothers and sisters on my mother's side are also well-off and have no worries about making a living. Therefore, I have no other wishes now, but to contribute to the happiness and peace of myself and my family in some small way to the Great Zhao State. I sincerely hope that the people in every city within the Great Zhao State will have enough food and clothing, live and work in peace, and no longer suffer from the hardships of war and live in constant fear and anxiety."

After saying this, Lin Qingxue leaned forward and kowtowed again to show her sincerity. The seriousness and earnestness in her tone made it impossible for people to have any doubt.

After hearing this, the emperor's eyes flashed with a subtle admiration. He nodded slightly and said slowly, "How rare! You have such a broad mind. You are truly worthy of being the Crown Prince's Consort, the one I personally granted you a marriage contract with."

After he finished speaking, he raised his hand slightly and waved it casually a few times.

He then said, "Since that's the case, I will give the generous gift I was going to give you to your children! Although your two daughters are not of the Gu family, they have already married into the Gu Mansion with you, becoming the direct granddaughters of Princess Anyang. As a result, they are now considered members of the royal family of our Great Zhao State. Immediately convey my decree to confer the rank of princess on the three daughters of the Prince of the Protectorate. Among them, the eldest daughter, Gu Xiaoya, will be named Princess Zhaoya, the second daughter, Gu Huaining, Princess Zhaoning, and the youngest daughter, Gu Xiaowan, Princess Zhaowan. Furthermore, the Prince of the Protectorate's wife, Lin Qingxue, is not only kind-hearted and intelligent, but also gentle and virtuous, with a refined and elegant character. I hereby grant you one hundred taels of gold, some fine cloth, and an exquisite phoenix hairpin. I hope you and your husband can work together to do more for the benefit of our Great Zhao Dynasty and its people."

When Lin Qingxue heard the emperor's decree, her delicate body trembled, and her beautiful eyes were instantly filled with emotion and surprise.

She couldn't believe this sudden gift and was a little dazed, but she quickly came to her senses, hurriedly leaned down again, knelt on her knees, and banged her head hard on the ground with all her strength.

Overwhelmed with emotion, her voice trembled and choked slightly as she spoke, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace! My husband and I will surely remember your Majesty's earnest teachings and will never let you down. From now on, no matter what difficulties or obstacles we encounter, we will do our utmost to contribute our insignificant strength to the prosperity of Great Zhao."

Gu Jinxuan, who was standing aside, quietly gazed at his beloved wife who was kneeling in front of him to express her gratitude. She had a graceful figure and a respectful yet resolute expression. At this moment, his heart was filled with pride and relief.

Without hesitation, he took a step forward, then knelt on one knee, clasped his hands above his head, and spoke to the emperor in a loud and respectful voice, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful, and I deeply admire you! I am grateful for your love and trust, and I will be willing to sacrifice my life for you. The establishment of the Firearms Bureau is a blessing for the country and the people. My younger brother, Jinyu, is intelligent and capable, and will certainly not let your Majesty down. I am willing to work together with my wife to assist Jinyu and ensure that all matters of the Firearms Bureau are handled in an orderly manner and that nothing goes wrong."

The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne and nodded slightly. His deep and majestic eyes slowly swept over Gu Jinxuan, and finally stopped on his handsome and resolute face.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile of satisfaction. "Prince Protector of the State, you have always been loyal to the court and dedicated to your duties. I have no doubt about you. The Firearms Department is a vital institution that affects the stability and future development of the Great Zhao. You must not take it lightly or slack off in the slightest. I hope that you three brothers can work closely together and do your best to enable the Firearms Department to play its due role as soon as possible and build a powerful and invincible elite division for the Great Zhao."

At this moment, in the originally quiet and solemn hall, an old minister with gray hair and a weathered face suddenly walked out with a unsteady gait.

He respectfully bowed to the almighty Emperor with a standard bow, then slowly spoke, "Your Majesty, regarding the establishment of this Firearms Department, while the starting point may be good, it is, after all, a brand new thing! To truly establish it and grow it, it will inevitably require a massive investment of manpower, material resources, and financial resources! Therefore, I implore Your Majesty to carefully consider this matter and think twice before acting!"

After hearing the old minister's words, the emperor's originally calm and gentle expression suddenly darkened slightly, and a hint of obvious displeasure quickly appeared on his face.

Then, the emperor responded with a slightly dissatisfied tone, "My dear minister, what you said is not quite right! The situation in today's world is extremely volatile and unpredictable. The countries around us are all eyeing our great Zhao Kingdom covetously! If we cannot effectively and promptly improve our overall strength, how can we maintain a firm foothold in this chaotic world? As for the tremendous power of the bomb that the Prince of the Protectorate just mentioned, I believe that all the ministers present have heard about it today! If we can skillfully use it and give full play to its role, then this bomb will surely become a powerful weapon to protect the security of our great Zhao territory! As for the human, material, and financial resources required, I naturally know them well and will make the most appropriate and reasonable arrangements and dispatches. My dear minister, there is no need for you to worry too much about this matter!"

Seeing the emperor's wrath, the old minister trembled with fear and quickly lowered his head again, saying repeatedly in an extremely anxious tone, "Your Majesty is wise! It is all due to this old minister's momentary confusion and short-sightedness that he said such foolish words. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, it's perfectly normal for this gentleman to have such concerns, but I have to step forward and clear up the confusion. The bomb-making process is not only complicated and tedious, but the raw materials are simple, but each one must undergo multiple processing steps. The dosage of each processed material is also different, and more or less multiple comparisons and experiments are required. Currently, the bomb I've given you is the most suitable and the safest. Of course, when I say safe, I mean safe for the user. The bomb must be protected from moisture, and its storage requires careful attention. In my opinion, we can find a few deaf-mute people to be responsible for making the bombs. We don't need a large number of people to avoid leaking the formula. Also, we can make them when needed, and usually make six to ten for easy use."

Just when everyone was still immersed in amazement at the emperor's generosity, Lin Qingxue stepped forward resolutely.

She walked gently to the front of the emperor, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Your Majesty is wise and magnanimous. I dare to offer a few humble opinions here. I hope Your Majesty will not mind."

In fact, the reason why Lin Qingxue was so proactive was, firstly, because she knew very well that this matter was of great importance. If she could lend a helping hand, it would not only win glory for her family; secondly, it was because the person in charge of handling this matter was Gu Jinxuan's half-brother, Gu Jinyu.

Lin Qingxue knew very well that if there was any mistake in this matter, the entire Gu family would be the one to suffer in the end.

Therefore, even if she can only do her bit, she will definitely try her best!

Lin Qingxue's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears, causing a trembling wave of shock in the hearts of everyone present! Who could have predicted this?

Lin Qingxue, who seems ordinary and comes from an ordinary background, actually possesses such unfathomable knowledge and vision!

She is like a pearl hidden in the world, and at this moment she finally blooms with dazzling light, making it impossible to ignore her existence.

"What you said makes perfect sense, Jinxuan! When we return to the mansion, be sure to convey every word your wife said to Jinyu."

The emperor smiled, his eyes gently fixed on Jin Xuan, and he gave him a serious and earnest instruction. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene, and for a moment no one dared to respond.

After all, the emperor has spoken, who would dare to disobey his will?

What's more, the atmosphere at this moment was extremely solemn, as if even the air had solidified.

It was a long time before some people came to their senses and echoed the emperor's words, expressing their agreement and support.

However, more people chose to remain silent, just standing aside quietly, secretly speculating about the emperor's true intentions behind this move.

Just as everyone was still pondering this, Lord Li, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward, his expression respectful yet tinged with worry. "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess's description of the bomb-making and preservation methods is indeed ingenious. However, while this deaf-mute person can ensure the formula remains secret, how will they be recruited and managed? Furthermore, if only a small number of bombs are produced, will they be sufficient for use in wartime?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingxue bowed calmly again and responded clearly, "Your Excellency is absolutely right. To recruit deaf-mute people, local governments can assist by posting notices among the people. As long as the treatment is good, I believe people will respond. As for management, a special supervision team can be set up within the Firearms Department, with trustworthy and careful people in charge. They will teach them the production process and precautions on a daily basis to ensure smooth production. As for the number of bombs in wartime, we can start by producing a small number to gain experience. Once the technology matures and the process is perfected, and we have developed a proper storage method, we can produce large quantities. The method of making bombs is very simple. If a war breaks out in the future, we can recruit some people to work day and night. In just seven days, we can make over ten thousand bombs. Isn't that enough?"

Lin Qingxue spoke methodically, her words so logical and well-reasoned that everyone present could not help but admire her. Lord Li, the Minister of Rites, nodded slightly, his eyes full of approval, and retreated to the queue.