Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1054 - 110: Deeper Meaning (Part 2)

The craftsmen’s excitement skyrocketed upon learning of the rewards.

Enhancements to the pistols progressed steadily alongside the cannons. Furthermore, while rubber experiments remained unsuccessful, they had advanced notably from previous efforts.

Progress at the North Mountain Laboratory thrilled Zhao Yao across all fronts.

Having toured the lab, Zhao Yao headed next to the Divine Machine Camp.

First order upon reaching the Divine Machine Camp was inspecting the soldiers’ recent training achievements. The camp still numbered just two hundred troops. With firearm production ramping up, expansion loomed possible, yet Zhao Yao prioritized elite quality and held off for now. Growth would come later, without doubt.

Monthly shooting contests marked the Divine Machine Camp’s routine. Top three finishers claimed prizes, the lowest faced penalties. Extreme underperformers—like missing the bullseye entirely—got booted back to the Imperial Guard Camp. None had flunked out thus far.

Not every soldier qualified as a sharpshooter, but all boasted superb marksmanship in the Divine Machine Camp. Even their poorest daily training shots hit at least a "seven-ring".

Soldiers of the Divine Machine Camp knew they outshone the Imperial Guard; they were Zhao Yao’s elite force. Their prestige surpassed the Guard’s, their deployments more crucial. Above all, their perks dwarfed those of ordinary troops—daily feasts featured three meats like pork, chicken, duck, goose, lamb, and assorted fish, plus fresh fruit. High monthly pay sustained them and their kin, freeing focus for relentless training.

Beyond monthly shootouts, bi-monthly hunts sent Divine Machine Camp soldiers into the wilds. True mastery demanded nailing live, moving prey beyond static targets—hunting honed that edge.

Training alone fell short without battle tests, so pirate raids triggered Divine Machine Camp deployments. Dropping a pirate netted a hundred-coin bounty.

Divine Machine Camp troops yearned for daily pirate sightings, craving both bonus pay and live-fire practice. Alas, such foes rarely obliged.

Prince Han’s arrival electrified the Divine Machine Camp soldiers. They revered him as a living "god". Firearms, grenades, pistols, cannons—these marvels stemmed from him, defying mortal ingenuity in their eyes; only divine hands could forge such devastating arms.

Zhao Yao pitted his shooting prowess against the Divine Machine Camp troops, effortlessly topping them all once more. Though he skipped daily camp drills, Han Prince Mansion saw his private practice without fail.

Watching Prince Han’s "miraculous" marksmanship anew fired up the soldiers to redouble their efforts.

Post-shooting duel, Zhao Yao sought out Chu Huan for a talk, revealing his future princess hailed from commoner roots—a revelation that stunned Chu Huan.

"What do you think the old man is up to?" Chu Huan ranked as Zhao Yao’s most trusted confidant, privy to all weighty issues. He’d heard of the emperor and He Lianfang’s covert emperor plot for Zhao Yao too. "Does the old man not want me to become emperor?"

"Your Highness, didn’t you not want that throne? The Emperor’s moves match your desires." Chu Huan had taken the emperor and He Lianfang’s scheme calmly upon first word, but Zhao Yao’s sharing touched him deeply, proof of unshakeable trust. Zhao Yao shunning the crown held no shock either.

For Chu Huan, Zhao Yao’s emperorship mattered little. He’d back an imperial bid fiercely; or trail a leisurely Lingnan prince forever if that was the path.

"If the old man truly abandoned pushing me onto that seat, I’d rejoice fully." Zhao Yao frowned, nibbling a grass blade. "The issue is, has he really let go?"

Chu Huan pondered deeply. "I reckon the emperor clings to that plan for you." Over a decade of scheming with General He wouldn’t vanish lightly.

"Thus, some scheme lurks behind it, I suspect."

"Your Highness, perhaps the emperor picked a commoner princess to curb foreign clan influence?" Chu Huan ventured.

Zhao Yao hadn’t considered that angle, but Chu Huan’s insight rang true now.

"Quite plausible. A commoner empress lacks mighty kin to stir court chaos."

"The emperor’s long distrusted noble houses. Likely that’s why he chose your commoner bride," Chu Huan broke it down. "No family meddling in state affairs or dynasty-threatening grabs for her clan’s gain."

Chu Huan’s analysis clicked for Zhao Yao, sparking a cascade of realizations.

He smacked his forehead, lamenting, "I got too wrapped up to see it. Now it’s clear—the old man’s ploy runs deeper." That sly father had schemed hard for his commoner princess match.