Early the next morning, while Wei Dongling was still lying in bed sleeping in, Cui Huan dragged her up, saying that the paper - making manufacturer had sent over samples of paper cups for Miss Wei to inspect.
Hearing this, Wei Dongling quickly washed up, got dressed, and went out to take a look.
In the main hall, the steward of the paper mill bowed to her and took out the finished products for Wei Dongling to examine. The paper cups made of thick oil - paper had much better hardness and supporting capacity than the samples she had seen last time. They were quite similar to disposable paper cups.
Wei Dongling was overjoyed. She immediately asked Cui Huan to bring boiling water for a test. After the time it took to burn two sticks of incense, the bearing capacity of the test paper cups remained quite stable. Wei Dongling nodded in satisfaction and immediately paid the deposit to request mass production.
In the afternoon, the young prince, Murong Xuan, unexpectedly came to visit.
Wei Dongling served him good tea and they sat chatting for a while. Then she took Murong Xuan to the back yard to see Xiaohong. The two of them chatted while feeding the horse.
"I interrogated the suspect all night last night. It wasn't until midnight that the suspect finally confessed," Murong Xuan said.
Seeing that Murong Xuan looked a bit displeased, Wei Dongling lowered her eyes and smiled. "I didn't expect the young prince to be so hard - working, still investigating the truth in the middle of the night."
Murong Xuan waved his hand. "Such a thing happened in the racecourse of the Rui Prince's Mansion. It's my duty to find out the truth. It's just that the process of investigating the case is a bit unpleasant."
"Oh? Why does the young prince say so?"
Murong Xuan smiled bitterly. "The suspect was poisoned and about to be silenced. We stopped it in time. It wasn't until midnight that he finally woke up and was willing to confess."
Wei Dongling stroked Xiaohong's mane and laughed. "It seems that the County Mistress Rong'an is acting in desperation."
A flash of annoyance crossed Murong Xuan's eyes. He muttered, "This matter is detrimental to the royal family's reputation, so it can't be publicized. She did such a despicable thing, but we can't do anything to her. It really makes me feel uncomfortable."
This result was well within Wei Dongling's expectations, so she wasn't very surprised. She smiled at Murong Xuan. "You're a man of honor. You surely wouldn't stoop to fighting with a woman like her. The young prince needn't take this to heart."
Seeing her magnanimity, Murong Xuan felt a bit petty. He laughed at himself and replied, "Miss Wei is right. I'm just worried that she will secretly cause trouble for you in the future."
Wei Dongling waved her hand. "Let her come!"
Did only He Yao know how to play dirty tricks? That woman had provoked her again and again, and Wei Dongling could no longer bear it. If she did it again, she would surely beat her to a pulp.
Murong Xuan recalled the time when Wei Dongling rode Xiaohong and rammed into He Yao, causing her to fall off the horse. He knew very well that Wei Dongling wasn't the kind of person who would endure silently. She would avenge any wrong on the spot. This trait quite suited his taste.
Murong Xuan took out the small crossbow that the suspect had used yesterday and handed it to Wei Dongling, smiling gently. "This thing is quite ingenious. Miss Wei, take it and have some fun!"
Wei Dongling took the small crossbow and looked at it again and again. She found it very novel.
The small crossbow was very cleverly designed. It had a spring - buckle device and could shoot five silver needles at a time, with a relatively long range. The only drawback was that after each use, one had to refill it manually by loading the silver needles and making sure they were in place. However, it was much easier to use than other long - range hidden weapons. Moreover, it was not easy to detect when it was fired.
This was really wonderful! Wei Dongling held the small crossbow in her hands, reluctant to let it go. She nodded repeatedly to thank Murong Xuan.
Murong Xuan waved his hand and laughed. "Such a trivial matter is not worth mentioning, Miss Wei! I just found it novel and brought it out for you to play with."
They chatted for quite a while before Murong Xuan got up to leave. Wei Dongling stuffed several cans of good tea into his hands as a token of gratitude and watched the young prince ride away on his horse.
Wei Dongling thought that Uncle Li and the others were quite interested in mechanisms and gadgets. Maybe she could show it to him and see if it could be improved. If not, she could ask them to make a few more for self - defense.
So, Wei Dongling excitedly carried the small crossbow to find Uncle Li. Just as she stepped into the north courtyard, she saw Lord Shen talking in a low voice with Old Man Su.
Huh? When did Lord Shen come?
Just as Wei Dongling was about to step forward to say hello, she saw Lord Shen looking very serious. He bowed to Old Man Su and asked in a deep voice, "I was sent here by someone to ask you, Miss Wei... Is she really the daughter of Concubine Chen?"
What?
Lord Shen's words were like a thunderbolt out of the blue, stunning Wei Dongling on the spot. She stood still, not daring to take another step forward.
Old Man Su stood with his hands behind his back. His skinny fingers trembled violently behind him. His eyes were clear as he answered firmly, "No. Dongling is the daughter of my guest, Wei Jiang! Back then, he and I were as close as father and son. Now that the deceased has passed away, leaving only this orphan girl by my side, Dongling is the granddaughter of the Su family. She has nothing to do with Concubine Chen. I hope Lord Shen will report this truthfully."
Hearing this, Wei Dongling's trembling heart finally calmed down a bit.
Lord Shen was silent for a moment and then sighed. "Please forgive my bluntness. Last time Miss Wei visited my humble abode, my wife privately told me that she thought Miss Wei looked exactly like Concubine Chen back then!"
Wei Dongling's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered that when Old Man Su regained his eyesight, the first thing he saw was her, and he called out Concubine Chen's boudoir name. Could it be that, as Lord Shen said, she really looked very much like Concubine Chen?
There were a thousand thoughts in Old Man Su's eyes. After a long time, he lowered his head and said in a trembling voice, "Miss Wei has a straight and unyielding figure. Even her facial features are very much like my Aru. But my poor Aru... She was buried in the fire thirteen years ago... Along with my three - year - old granddaughter, they were forever left in the Jingyang Palace..." The cause of his daughter's death was deliberately revealed to Old Man Su by someone from the Zhao Mansion who came to visit him in prison many years ago! It was after hearing this tragic news that his eyes became blind from crying every night!
Wei Dongling was panicked. Grandpa Su had a three - year - old granddaughter? If that girl had grown up smoothly, she would be about the same age as her now!
There was a hazy glimmer in Old Man Su's eyes. Tears trickled down his face as he choked with sobs, "It's my fault that I caused Aru's death... If I had ignored worldly affairs and left earlier, taking her back to our hometown in retirement... My poor Aru wouldn't have ended up like this... Now, it's too late to regret..." Overwhelmed by grief, Old Man Su burst into tears.
Wei Dongling felt extremely sorry for him. She was about to step forward to comfort Old Man Su. When she looked up, she saw Uncle Li striding over from afar. Wei Dongling paused in her steps and silently took two steps back.
Uncle Li supported Old Man Su and said loudly to Lord Shen, "Master Su is in poor health, and his condition has been quite unstable. He has been taking medicine for a long time to recuperate. The doctor said that his illness is closely related to his emotional fluctuations. Of course, we will do our best to accompany Master Su for a few more years. I hope Lord Shen will not mention the sad things of the past again."
Lord Shen quickly bowed. "It was my rudeness. I hope Master Su will take good care of his health!"