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Chapter 823 The Bourne Supremacy 4
Although he was not a minister on duty, nor a eunuch or a palace maid, Wang Gui still relied on Jin Shanggong's waist badge to enter the harem through a side door at night. From this point of view, the dog shit girl had much more power than the Queen of Ming Dynasty, which meant that she could cover the sky with one hand.

"My humble servant Wang Gui greets the Shang Gong!"

Unlike the meeting with the Queen Dowager in the West Palace, Jin Gui was brought by a palace maid to a solitary room. There were no gauze curtains inside, but the candlelight was dim, so the face of the person sitting in the room could not be seen clearly.

"Thank you for your hard work, Shopkeeper Wang. Is there any urgent matter that requires you to come to the palace so late?"

After Wang Gui finished his greeting, the figure slowly spoke. It was hard to tell her age from her voice, which was slightly hoarse but not deep. It was hard to describe. If Hong Tao was present, he would definitely say that she was quite magnetic and sexy.

"It was just getting dark when I got off the boat. I went to the West Palace first to take care of some mundane matters. It took me some time. Please forgive me, Lady Shanggong." But Jin Gui didn't think it was nice at all. Instead, he felt a little disgusted.

He had seen the real face of Jin Shanggong more than once. She had a round face, narrow eyes, fair skin, and a rather thick waist. She looked like an ordinary woman. He really couldn't understand why she could fascinate Li Hun so much.

"The Queen Dowager is the Lord's biological mother. Even though she lives in seclusion in the West Palace, you should still show filial respect to her as usual. You did nothing wrong. Tell me, why did you enter the palace?" Kim Sang-Gong raised the corner of her mouth slightly. Before this, the people from the Uiginfu had already reported Wang Gui's whereabouts. Asking this question was just to test whether the other party was hiding something.

"I have completed half of the task entrusted by the Imperial Concubine, but I am afraid that I will miss something important, so I report this to you overnight."

"Half? How much is half?" Upon hearing this, the figure under the candlelight moved, as if he wanted to get up, but sat back down, but the rhythm of his voice changed in a way that was difficult to hide.

"The common people have already bought the muskets and cannons used by the Ming army and navy, but we haven't yet negotiated with the craftsmen who are proficient in manufacturing them. I'm afraid we'll have to wait for some time."

Although Jin Gyu half lowered his head, he noticed all the other person's subtle movements with his peripheral vision, and when he replied, he still used an uncertain and slightly fearful tone.

"Where are you now?!" Jin Shanggong in the shadows finally couldn't sit still anymore. She stood up and walked to the front, her single eyelids almost turning into double eyelids.

The idea of ​​entrusting Manager Wang of the Han-Korean Chamber of Commerce to obtain Ming guns and cannons was just mentioned casually. So many Korean ministers, including the Jurchens, had spent several years trying to get it but failed. Who would pin their hopes on a profit-seeking businessman, even if he did have some connections?

If the blind cat really catches a dead mouse, then her position in the king's mind will be more solid, and she will not have to be afraid of Princess Liu's faction headed by Prime Minister Park Seung-jong.

"It's still on the ship... In order to conceal my identity, I hid the goods at the bottom of the ship without telling anyone. First, I wanted to avoid being checked by the Ming Navy, and second, I was afraid that the crew would find out. If someone spread the news, it would not only ruin the reputation of the palace lady, but also put me in danger."

Facing the eager-looking Lady Kim, Kim Kyu did not dodge or evade, but lowered his head slightly and calmly explained the method of hiding the guns and cannons. But the calmer he was, the more unfathomable and experienced he seemed, which made people feel relieved.

"The bottom of the boat... is submerged in the sea?" After a long sigh of relief, Jin Shanggong was worried again. If such a valuable thing was damaged by the sea water, it would be troublesome.

"The Palace Lady is extremely clever. I have placed iron hooks on the bottom of the boat and hung fishing nets on them. If the Ming customs are too strict in their inspections, the goods can be placed in the net bags on the bottom of the boat. Guns and cannons are made of steel, so it doesn't matter if they are soaked for a few days." At a time like this, Jin Gui did not forget to find an opportunity to flatter the Empress, which can be regarded as him doing his job conscientiously.

"...You go wait outside first. After I change my clothes, we will go to the dock together and deliver the goods to the palace overnight for safe placement!" Being praised for being smart is very fatal to a woman who is not known for her beauty. But Jin Shanggong did not enjoy it too much. She took two deep breaths and made a decision immediately. There is no time to waste. The longer the night, the more dreams there are!

"Uh..." Jin Gyu didn't say no, but he didn't say it either. His body didn't move at all, as if he had something to hide.

"...How much benefit did Huang give you to make you run around for him like this?" Jin Shanggong was slightly stunned, but soon understood the meaning, and there was a bad taste in her tone.

"To be honest, although Huang Canpan is a shareholder of the Han-Korean Chamber of Commerce, he is not indispensable. With the support of the Shang Gong, the Han-Korean Chamber of Commerce can be safe without anyone. But Huang Canpan is friends with my uncle, and this matter is entrusted by my uncle, so I have to do it."

People have a habit of swearing to be open and honest, and most of what they say is a lie. Jin Gui was just like a person who was making up stories, saying that something that didn't exist at all was a foregone conclusion, and there was no place to verify it for a while.

"...Okay, very good... Let's go to the dock first, finish our business, and then pick up Huang Shi at daybreak."

Queen Jin had already investigated why Manager Wang of the Han-Korean Chamber of Commerce was able to obtain many scarce materials and even banned commodities from the Ming Dynasty. She came to only one conclusion: he had a deep background in the Ming Dynasty court.

Rumors also indirectly confirmed the results of the investigation. It was said that Wang had an uncle who was in a high position and had great power. But it was impossible to ask him directly who it was, and it was hard to say whether it was his uncle.

This kind of situation of going outside to do things for big families also happens in North Korea. Everyone is tacitly aware of it. It would be meaningless if the fig leaf is torn off. It would make both parties very embarrassed and would not benefit anyone.

With the personal presence of the Queen, there was nothing that could not be accomplished in Seoul, no, in North Korea. Before anyone arrived, the dock was completely blocked by the Yijinbu and the Imperial Guards, and no one was allowed to enter or leave.

After about an hour of hard work, several objects wrapped tightly in linen were fished out from the bottom of the boat, loaded onto a carriage and followed behind Kim Sang Gung's carriage, slowly returning to Changdeok Palace.

"This clock is the latest product of the Daming Time Workshop. Every time the hour strikes, a tiger will come out of its cage. I heard that the emperor's birthday is coming soon, so I specially selected it as a gift. I hope the palace lady will present it on my behalf."

In addition to two cannons and several muskets, the carriage also brought back a white bronze clock that was more than one meter tall. Without asking where it came from, one could tell it was of extraordinary value just by looking at the exquisite patterns and shapes.

"You guys go get someone to carry the clock to the emperor's bedroom, and don't forget to check it carefully. Manager Wang, on the emperor's birthday, I will send someone to summon you to the palace to celebrate the emperor's birthday in person!"

With the muskets and cannons, Queen Kim was already very satisfied. She did not have many thoughts when faced with the exquisite and magnificent clock. She immediately asked people to carry it away. At the same time, she also gave a reward, which was that Jin Gui could attend the birthday banquet of the King of Joseon and even have a name!
"It's better not to live to see that day. It's much more honorable to be killed by a bomb than to be killed by a mob of soldiers!" After leaving the palace, Jin Gui muttered softly as he looked at the palace illuminated by torches and lanterns.

The base of the clock not only contains ANFO, but also a mechanism similar to a clock, called a timer. At this time, the timer has been turned on and will cause an explosion in the middle of the night two days later.

To be fair, Jin Gui hoped that Jin Gou Shit would be blown up together with him. This woman was kind to him. People are all made of flesh and blood. Even if she was an enemy, he didn't want to see her die miserably. But it was just a hope. He had no say in the end.

(End of this chapter)