After Shangguan Yunting left, Shen Rou took out a piece of paper from the space and said, "Your Majesty, this is a gift from your servant to you."

Eunuch Chen quickly took the paper with both hands and presented it to the emperor. The emperor looked at the bomb formula written on the paper and immediately smiled with satisfaction.

The emperor kept Shen Rou here to test her feelings towards Shangguan Yunting, and also to indirectly inquire about the formula of the bomb.

Even though the guards had already presented the bomb formula to the emperor, the emperor still wanted to get the formula and attitude from Shen Rou. After all, it was developed by her. If she had ulterior motives, the consequences would be disastrous. Unexpectedly, Shen Rou took the initiative to present the bomb formula, which made the emperor feel much more at ease.

"Princess Furong, I admire your deep sense of justice, but bombs are very important to a country. If we have bombs, our army will be even more powerful. If the outside world has bombs, it will also threaten the security of our people and territory."

Shen Rou instantly understood what the emperor meant and quickly said, "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. I understand the dangers of the bomb and will never reveal it to anyone, including my family. The bomb was originally developed in the Youzhou military camp, and the people involved in its development were shadow guards and imperial guards, so they would never reveal it to anyone."

The emperor showed satisfaction, "Princess Furong has thought it through. I am very pleased."

"Does Princess Furong know how to play chess?"

"I know a thing or two."

"Play a few games with me."

"My daughter obeys the order."

Eunuch Chen quickly placed the chessboard, with cakes and tea on the side.

"Princess Furong, have some cakes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, do you play white or black?"

"Princess Furong, you choose first."

"Then I will not be polite. I will play the white piece."

"I play the black piece."

The two men engaged in a fierce competition on the chessboard, and the chess pieces jumped on the board, as if telling their thoughts.

The Emperor looked at Shen Rou, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. She played chess with grace and composure, each move carefully considered.

Shen Rou also felt the emperor's gaze, but she did not panic and remained focused on the chess game.

As the game progressed, the number of chess pieces on both sides gradually decreased and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

The emperor was thinking about the next step with every step he took.

Shen Rou remained calm, her eyes were clear and she showed no fear, nor did she show any flattery to the emperor. Her intelligence and her attitude of neither arrogance nor servility made the emperor look at her with admiration.

If she was a daughter of an official family, she would definitely be submissive and cautious when she saw me, and the look in her eyes would be full of flattery and fawning.

The emperor quietly observed Shen Rou while playing chess, secretly admiring Lao Jiu's good vision.

Although Princess Furong is of humble status, she is extremely intelligent, courageous, and decisive. It is not unreasonable that her pure temperament and the way she conducts herself make her stand out from the crowd.

Status is not the only criterion for measuring a person, and Shen Rou's own conditions are enough to make her worthy of the noble King Mu.

The two of them exchanged blows, and the game gradually became intense. Shen Rou played calmly and calmly, each move concealing a hidden mystery, while the emperor responded calmly, seemingly calm, but in fact, every step was carefully planned.

As the last piece fell, the emperor chuckled and said, "I didn't expect Princess Furong to be such a skilled chess player."

Shen Rou smiled slightly, "Your Majesty, your chess skills are so strategic and decisive. Every move is full of wisdom and strategy. I am convinced of my defeat."

The Emperor waved his hand. "Chess, like life, is not about winning or losing; what matters is enjoying the game. However, I can see Princess Furong's wisdom and character from this game. I cannot help but admire her courage and insight, as a woman. It's truly rare."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I am humbled to present you with my humble attitude."

"Princess Furong is too modest. When she marries Old Nine, she will become his best wife."

The emperor instantly recalled that not long after he ascended the throne, several princes were eyeing the throne covetously, and old ministers were relying on their seniority to control the government, which made him angry and he had to rack his brains to mediate with them.

At this time, Youzhou suffered a sudden and fierce attack from Northern Yan. Several generals were either seriously injured or killed, and it seemed that Youzhou City was about to be lost.

There were no generals available in the court, and he was at a loss as to what to do. The ministers in the court advised the two countries to negotiate. It was the fourteen-year-old Lao Jiu who stepped forward and led the soldiers to defend the Youzhou military camp.

Both armies suffered heavy casualties that time, and Lao Jiu also came back alive from the pile of corpses. Later, he became famous in one battle and was honored as the God of War.

The emperor felt that he owed Shangguan Yunting. As a prince, he could live a life of luxury and debauchery in the capital, but for the sake of the territory of Da Qi and to allow himself to sit in the palace with peace of mind, he chose the most difficult and arduous way to stand behind him.

He stayed in the freezing cold and lived through the most dangerous years. It was because of him at the border that he could focus on handling state affairs, deal with the old ministers in the court who were relying on their seniority, and regain the imperial power.

The Emperor sighed, "Princess Furong, after you get married, I hope you will treat Lao Jiu well. He joined the army at the age of fourteen and has made it this far. It's not easy."

"Back then, he led 20,000 men in an enemy ambush and was completely annihilated. Although I didn't witness the scene myself, I can imagine how desolate and tragic the battlefield was."

"That time, he was stabbed several times, but he killed all the enemies with his own willpower, and he himself collapsed in a pool of blood. When the guards found him, he was only breathing his last breath. The military doctor treated him for several hours before bringing him back from the brink of death."

After Shen Rou heard what the emperor said, tears of heartache welled up in her eyes. She thought about how painful and desperate he must have been at that time. How great it would have been if she had been by his side.

"In all the time we've known each other, he's never mentioned that battle to me."

"Maybe he doesn't want to talk about the sad past, and he doesn't want you to look at him with sympathy. He is the type of person who only reports good news and not bad news. When he encounters difficulties, he grits his teeth and perseveres, and doesn't want others to see it. Besides, how could he tell you such a thing in front of the girl he likes?"

"When I was little, I heard the elders in my family talk about how King Mu became famous in one battle and was revered by the people as the God of War. It turns out that behind the God of War was always teetering on the brink of life and death."

Shen Rou bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and secretly made up her mind to be nice to Shangguan Yunting in the future.

She looked up at the emperor and said in a firm tone, "Your Majesty, I will stand by your side forever and protect the sovereignty of our dynasty together with you."

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction and said loudly, "Well done! Princess Furong has the world in her heart and is as capable as any man. She is a role model for women in our dynasty. I admire her."

The emperor handed the imperial edict he had just written to Shen Rou, and his test of Shen Rou came to a successful end.

"Princess Furong, I have met my match. Please play a few more games with me."

"My daughter obeys the order."

Shen Rou took the imperial edict, thanked the emperor for his grace, and continued playing chess with the emperor.

She is an excellent chess player and can evenly match the emperor in winning.

Shen Rou knew that the emperor had passed this test, but she wondered how the empress dowager was doing.

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