After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

"I never expected that General Fu's pillow would arrive just as I was dozing off," Xiang An said with a smile. "I was just thinking about where to find a martial arts master to practice with, and you've given me such a big surprise."

Fu Qingbai's smile deepened: "It seems that the princess and I are of one mind."

Xiang An: "Really? Then tell me what I'm thinking right now?"

Fu Qingbai's face stiffened.

Xiang An retorted, "Isn't General Fu supposed to be on the same wavelength as me? Don't you even know that?"

"Princess, I was wrong," Fu Qingbai pleaded. "I need to practice more."

“I was thinking about this.” Xiang An let him off the hook, then reached out to Diao Xi and took a crossbow that wasn’t loaded with arrows. “I hastily made a rough one last night, and I brought it here for you to see if there’s anything that needs to be changed.”

Fu Qingbai examined the object closely, secretly comparing it with the one he had seen on the way to the marriage alliance. He thought to himself, "Except for some details that haven't been finished yet, it's basically the same. Even looking at it a second time, I still can't help but be amazed by it."

"That's amazing!" Fu Qingbai could no longer contain his admiration, his eyes brimming with surprise. "It's simply a masterpiece!"

"The ingenious craftsmanship was done by someone else; I am merely a successor," Xiang An said. In normal history, crossbows had already existed, and later generations had copied them many times, but it was unclear why the original country did not have them.

“Even if you’re not a princess, you did a great job.” Fu Qingbai’s admiration didn’t diminish in the slightest. “The person who created it for the first time was amazing, and you’re amazing for being able to learn it so perfectly.”

"Stop, stop." Even Xiang An, with his thick skin, couldn't take it anymore and pulled out the blueprints he had already drawn. "Making it is simple, the difficult part is the arrowhead."

The arrowheads were made of iron, and iron was always strictly controlled by the imperial court. She forgot that the arrows she used during her marriage alliance were all the arrows she had stored in the princess's residence for many years, which she had modified before using them. That small stock was enough for one person, but mass production was not an option.

The more confident Xiang An had been in promising to provide the weapons, the more embarrassed he became now.

“Princess, there’s no need to feel guilty. I knew that all along.” Fu Qingbai glanced at the blueprints and then carefully put them away. “Even if the princess has a large number of arrows and can make them, I cannot put them in the military camp for the soldiers to use. All matters concerning the soldiers’ food, drink, lodging, and transportation must be reported to the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War will then write a report to His Majesty. Only after His Majesty has reviewed it and issued an imperial decree can the soldiers be allowed to use it.”

In fact, Fu Qing's claim of innocence is a simplified explanation. A more complex situation might be that while the emperor granted permission, the civil and military officials in the court disagreed, especially the Ministry of Revenue. The creation and use of a new weapon meant spending a large amount of money.

Every year, when allocating funds to repair a bridge or road, the Ministry of Revenue would drag its feet for ten days to half a month before finally disbursing a small amount of silver. Any more than that would be like plucking feathers from a tightwad. Not to mention the manufacture of such sophisticated weapons, designed only for personal use; the Ministry of Revenue would never agree to equip everyone with them. In the end, it was estimated that only a small portion of the Imperial Guards and the Military Command would use them.

Fu Qingbai did not want to use the funds in these two places, nor did he want to strengthen the defenses of the capital. Otherwise, wouldn't it be difficult for the princess to assassinate the emperor in the future?

"This is so complicated." Xiang An had never been in a military camp and had no idea how much trouble this involved.

Fu Qingbai: "I want it for my bodyguard."

Fu Qing confessed frankly, but Xiang An was startled by him, "This is something you should keep to yourself, why are you telling me?"

Fu Qingbai let out a soft "Ah" in surprise, then smiled and said, "I let it slip. Princess, could you please pretend you didn't hear me?"

Xiang An: "…………"

Xiang An took a sip of tea, suppressing the complex emotions rising in her heart, and pulled off the white crane pouch hanging at her waist. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."

Fu Qingbai opened the pouch in a daze. Inside was a small wooden sword, about the size of a palm, carved from a piece of wood. The sword was engraved with the words "Peace" and was smooth and delicate to the touch, with a faint scent of peach blossoms: "A peach wood sword?"

"Yes, it's an apology."

"What misunderstanding did the princess have that warrants an apology?"

"I was too impulsive that day. I shouldn't have mistakenly thought that the medicine was given to me because you liked me, and ignored the fact that it was because it delayed your crossbow making."

“If the princess gave it to me for this reason, then the princess has truly misunderstood.” Fu Qingbai stuffed the purse into her bosom. “I gave the princess medicine simply because you are you, and it has nothing to do with any other reason. I really like the gift and I don’t want to return it to the princess. I hope that the princess will give me a gift next time because she wants to give me a gift, and not for any other reason.”

There was silence between the two sides for a long time.

Xiang An lowered her eyelids, avoiding Fu Qingbai's burning gaze, and said coldly, "You can get lost now."

"To avoid any further misunderstandings, Princess, let me make this clear from the beginning: anything I give you from now on will be given to you with all my heart, without any other ulterior motives." Fu Qingbai bowed and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

The door opened and closed again. Diao Xi took a step closer and said, "Princess, it's getting late. Would you like to have breakfast?" Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Guest, your breakfast is here," the waiter said. "I'm coming in."

All sorts of dishes were brought in one by one, filling the table to the brim.

"Wait a minute." Xiang An called out to the waiter who was about to leave, "Did the one surnamed Fu order this?"

"Yes, yes, it was Young Master Fu. He gave me a hundred-tael silver note and ordered all the breakfast items available in the shop. Would you like anything else, Miss?" The waiter bowed and scraped obsequiously.

“This is my meal money.” Xiang An took out a hundred-tael silver note and placed it on the table. “Return his silver note.”

"Ah? Small, small."

Xiang An: "If you don't understand, go ask the new owner of Piaoxianglou."

"Yes, yes, yes." The waiter accepted the money tremblingly and backed away.

"Sit down and have something to eat." Xiang An picked up the chopsticks on the table.

Diao Xi hesitated, for in the Yuan Kingdom, servants could not eat at the same table as their masters. Xiang An Kong lightly tapped the table with his index finger: "Sit down, you'll have to move things later."

"If I'm not going to sit, I'll eat standing up." Diao Xi casually picked up two steamed buns from the table, and without even looking up at An, let him have his way.

On the third floor of Piaoxianglou, there are long corridors with tightly closed doors on both sides. If you listen carefully, you can hear snoring. These are rooms prepared for guests who get drunk in the restaurant at night.

Diao Xi followed closely behind Xiang An, his entire focus on the doors on both sides, not daring to relax for a moment, for fear that one of the guests staying in the room might suddenly open the door and disturb Xiang An, revealing something that a woman should not see.

Soon, the two reached the end of the corridor. It was quiet all around. Diao Xi thought they were going to have to go back the way they came, but Xiang An moved the flower stand in the corner, revealing a door locked with a rusty padlock.

In fact, if it weren't for the lock on the door, Diao Xi would never have noticed that there was a door hidden here, and the color of the door was the same as the color of the wall.