New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

Outside the command post, Xiao Qi, who was pacing back and forth, saw Tang Qian rushing over and immediately went to greet him: "Young Master, is your plan going smoothly?"

Tang Qian gave a wry smile, but did not stop. Instead, he urged Xiao Qi to hurry up: "We can't stay here any longer. Let's go back first."

The iron charcoal stoves used in later generations were commonly used heating devices before the realization of centralized heating. Tang Qian thought that with this unique invention, he could improve the lives of the Jin people and make his current situation a little more optimistic. However, he did not expect that iron ore is now a very precious and rare resource, and it is all under the control of the state. His idea was tantamount to courting death.

He had originally intended to offer this new thing to make friends with the other party, but unexpectedly, he ended up taking a step towards the guillotine. It was a foolish move that led him to his death.

In an era where you can lose your head with the slightest mistake, it's really not easy to survive.

Tang Qian sighed inwardly, but dared not slacken his pace in the slightest. Seeing his young master in such a state, Xiao Qi, who was following closely behind, could naturally guess the outcome: "If all else fails, we'll follow our previous agreement and wait for the weather to warm up before finding an opportunity. I'll escort the young master out of here. Once we're out of Youzhou, we'll have a way to survive."

As she spoke, Xiao Qi subconsciously felt a long, hard object inside her right boot. It was a dagger that the young master had painstakingly crafted over half a year in Tokyo, a dagger that could cut through iron like mud.

“This is a very bad idea and should not be used lightly.” Tang Shu considered for a moment and then rejected Xiao Qi’s suggestion. “Let’s not even talk about whether we can really escape. My whole family is in Tokyo. If the Jin Kingdom takes its anger out on us, I will become a sinner against my family.”

If he were alone, Tang Qian would naturally have no worries, but he couldn't let all thirty-six members of the Tang family be implicated because of this.

"Besides, there are other heating devices besides charcoal stoves; it's just that this is the easiest thing to build." He'll go back and do some research, and it's not impossible for him to develop underfloor heating.

The master and servant hurried along the streets of Youzhou City, eager to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible. Just as they were about to pass through the city gate and return to the post station, a voice called out from behind them: "Tang envoy, please wait. My master invites you in."

The newcomer sat upright on horseback. Although his tone was calm, the condescending attitude made Tang Qian curse inwardly. On the surface, he dared not show the slightest change in expression and cupped his hands in greeting to the newcomer: "May I ask what your master is..."

The newcomer raised his riding whip impatiently, interrupting Tang Qian's question: "Just follow me when I tell you to go see him. Why all this nonsense?"

He dismounted and tossed the reins to a soldier guarding the city: "Someone will come and take it away in a moment." Then he beckoned to Tang Qian, "Come with me."

Even though he was unwilling to be ordered around, Tang Qian didn't dare to have any thoughts of resistance. He could only exchange a glance with Xiao Qi and follow the person who came from back to the direction they came from. The three of them circled the city, one in front and two behind, and returned to the command post where Wanyan Xun was.

Just as Tang Qian was pondering how to deal with the situation, the visitor did not enter through the main gate, but instead led the two through an alley to a side gate, from where they entered another quiet courtyard.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I will go and fetch my master. By the way, I would like to offer you a piece of advice: answer any questions asked, and I am sure you know what you should and should not do.

What appeared to be a suggestion was actually a warning. Tang Qian dared not speak out against such an attitude, since Youzhou City was now Jin territory.

After receiving an affirmative answer, the burly Jin man snorted and turned to leave, leaving Tang Qian and his servant, who were filled with unease, completely unable to guess what tricks the other party was up to.

Soon, a slight noise came from around the corner. Tang Qian and Xiao Qi immediately stood up straight, only to see two women walking out of the outer corridor and stopping in front of Tang Qian.

No wonder that big man gave such instructions before leaving. A person who could command Jin soldiers in Youzhou City must have an extraordinary status. However, it was rare for women to show their faces in public these days. At least in the Northern Song Dynasty, where the traditions of the Tang Dynasty had been abandoned and the status of women had declined rapidly, this was against etiquette.

The two women who arrived were both sixteen or seventeen years old. Their makeup and attire were quite different from the Central Plains women Tang Qian had seen before. However, they lived up to a later saying about this place: the girls from the Northeast are indeed beautiful. Tang Qian only glanced at them before quickly lowering his head. He couldn't help but sigh that these two girls had actually increased his goodwill towards the Jin Kingdom by a few points.

He had no idea who the other person was. He wanted to bow and pay his respects, but he didn't know how to start the conversation. This awkward situation made the two people opposite him chuckle.

Sensing Tang Qian looking up at her, the girl at the head of the group coughed lightly, suppressing her smile. She put her hands behind her back, adopting a mature demeanor for her age, and tilted her head to look at Tang Qian: "Do you know why I had you called back?"

"You speak the language of the Song Dynasty?" The other party spoke fluent Mandarin, which made Tang Qian feel a sense of familiarity. He then realized that his behavior was inappropriate and immediately took a step back and lowered his head again.

When you're living under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head.

"Please enlighten me, Miss."

Tang Qian's head was completely blank, but the girl wasn't angry. Instead, she stared intently at Tang Qian, her eyes filled with an unusual light: "Is what you just said to Wanyan Xun true? Is there really something that can replace the charcoal brazier for heating?"

"Yes, there is, but Commander Wanyan just made it very clear that iron ore is a military resource, and unauthorized use is punishable by death. Even if I had a thousand lives, I wouldn't dare mention this matter again..."

Before Tang Qian could finish speaking, the girl suddenly waved her hand, abruptly stopping his narration: "I don't care about any of that, I just want to know if you can create it?"

"As long as there is a skilled blacksmith and enough materials, you can succeed by following my method. Moreover, I can guarantee that the charcoal stove is absolutely safe to use compared to the charcoal brazier. There will be no risk of water leaks or suffocation. In addition to being more effective at heating than the charcoal brazier, it also has other uses. It is no exaggeration to call it a winter wonder for the frigid northern regions."

“Very good.” Upon receiving Tang Qian’s affirmative reply, the girl didn’t waste any more words. She took out a black waist token from her waist and handed it to the maid behind her. “Xiao Li, take my token and take this young master to the military supply depot in Youzhou. There you will find what he wants and the craftsmen. Whatever his request is, fulfill it.”

Then, the girl turned to Tang Qian and said, "If you have any ulterior motives while building the charcoal stove, or if you can't even make what I want, I don't need to say more about the consequences."

Tang Qian immediately bowed and clasped his hands, saying he dared not.

Xiao Li, who was behind her, took the waist token, performed a Jurchen salute to the girl, and then waved to Tang Qian and the other person: "Come with me."

Led by the maid Xiao Li, the second walking session began again, with one person in front and two behind. Tang Qian followed the instructions of the Jin Dynasty man, and although he was curious, he did not utter a single word that was inappropriate for his status. He simply kept his head down and followed the girl forward.

The three of them quickly crossed the backyard they had come from. This time, Miss Xiao Li did not lead them in circles, but went straight out of the north gate of Youzhou and headed towards the Jin army camp. In no time, the three of them stood outside the camp gate.

Unsurprisingly, the sentry at the gate immediately drew his halberd to his chest upon seeing the three, his expression becoming extremely serious. However, before they could speak, Miss Xiao Li flashed the token with a golden tassel in her hand at the sentry. As Tang Qian spoke a completely incomprehensible Khitan phrase, the sentry immediately lowered his weapon and stood respectfully to the side, thus opening the gate of the camp to the three.