Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 160 Want to blow me up? Self-righteous!
After being scolded by Zhu Houzhao, Minister of Works Zeng Jian realized that he was sick and in great pain. He should have been weak and powerless, but he jumped off the sedan chair because he was afraid of being killed by the explosion.

Zeng Jian was extremely embarrassed for a moment, and cold sweat broke out on his back: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty is cured! It's cured!"

Zhu Houzhao snorted and waved his sleeves: "Now that you have recovered from your illness, you must go to the Armory and lead the way for me. You go in first, Xia Yan, what do you want to report?"

Zeng Jian felt even more embarrassed when he saw Zhu Houzhao wanted to let him go into the Armoury Bureau. He knelt down unwillingly, holding his mouth, as if he was about to cry for mercy, but he seemed to be very excited. He waved his hands and banged his head on the ground: "Your Majesty! I beg Your Majesty, can you please not let me in? I know my crime, I really know my crime!"

"I don't understand what crime you have committed, my dear Zeng, you just claimed to be ill and didn't attend court. It's not a crime. Who doesn't get sick 365 days a year? Besides, you are an old minister. But it is precisely because you are an old minister that I have to rely on you even more! So, now that you have recovered, you can continue to manage the Ministry of Works for me. You go in first, and I will come back later!"

Zhu Houzhao thought to himself, I want to see how long Zeng Jian will continue to act. You didn't want to join the Ordnance Bureau, but I let you go there anyway. I want to see what conspiracy you have set up in the Ordnance Bureau.

Zhu Houzhao continued to ask Xia Yan: "Tell me, what do you want to report?"

Then, Zhu Houzhao saw that the Minister of Works Zeng Jian was still kneeling on the ground, refusing to move, and he could not help but drink:

"Why, you still don't want to go in! Are you turning a deaf ear to my words?! You are also a veteran official of the Ming Dynasty, not my servant. Why are you kneeling on the ground for no reason? Did I ask you to kneel? Can an official of the Ming Dynasty kneel casually? I am only asking you to enter the Armaments Bureau first, let me in! Didn't you hear me?!"

Minister of Industry Zeng Jian began to tremble all over and pointed at the Ordnance Bureau: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this, this..."

At this time, without Zeng Jian saying anything himself, and without Zhu Houzhao asking again, Xia Yan had guessed the situation and directly bowed and said, "Your Majesty! I impeach the Minister of Works Zeng Jian for plotting rebellion and regicide!"

"You bullshit!"

Minister of Works Zeng Jian instinctively denied it and pointed at Xia Yan: "You are just a small scholar who is observing politics. What qualifications do you have to slander me?"

"Your Majesty! I impeach Xia Yan for slandering important officials!" Zeng Jian said in a stern but cowardly manner.

"Your Majesty! I am not slandering you. There is a large amount of gunpowder stored in the Guangji Warehouse, not sulfur and saltpeter. I have real evidence here. I got this gunpowder from the Guangji Warehouse, and I have the registration certificate!"

As Xia Yan spoke, he took out the certificate, a pack of gunpowder and the certificate.

Zhu Houzhao guessed the secret after hearing what Xia Yan said. He thought, "No wonder Zeng Jian refused to join the Ordnance Bureau. It turns out he wanted to blow himself up. How cruel!"

"Xia Yan! Can you estimate how much gunpowder is stored in the Ordnance Bureau's warehouses and how powerful the explosive power can be?" Zhu Houzhao asked solemnly.

"Your Majesty, there is no problem in blowing up the entire Guangji Warehouse and the Arsenal," Xia Yan replied.

"Guo Rong! Pass the order down, the Jinyiwei retreat 100 steps, and surround the Ordnance Bureau 100 steps away! No one inside is allowed to come out! In addition, Xia Yan, you lead the team to Wanggongchang to check the amount of gunpowder and see if the reduced number matches the gunpowder stock in Guangjiku!"

Zhu Houzhao rode away from the Ordnance Bureau as he spoke, but he did not go far. After confirming that it would be safe even if an explosion occurred in the Ordnance Bureau, he asked the Minister of Works Zeng Jian who was brought along with him: "Zeng Jian, what do you have to say now?" "Your Majesty, I really didn't know there was gunpowder in the Guangji warehouse. I have been recuperating at home these days, so I really didn't know!" Zeng Jian still denied it, because he also knew that once he admitted to the crime of regicide, his entire clan would be implicated!

"Then why don't you dare to enter the Armament Bureau? You are so stubborn! Don't think I can't pry your mouth open!" Zhu Houzhao scolded, and then asked: "Do you really want to blow me to death and smash me to pieces?"

"I dare not. I really dare not, Your Majesty!" Zeng Jian knelt down again.

"You still say you dare not, but you have already done it! Ma Wensheng said you are mature and loyal, and I almost believed it," Zhu Houzhao said and asked:
"You civil officials really want me to die, don't you? You wish I could die, but unfortunately, it didn't go as you wished! Also, do you think you are very smart and that you can clear yourself by claiming to be sick? You are not smart, you are stupid. You really think I am a three-year-old child. As soon as you claim to be sick, there are murders one after another, and they directly point to the new policy of abolishing the craftsman system. Anyone can suspect that this is related to the people in the Ministry of Works and the Armory Bureau, but it is impossible for you, the Minister of Works, to be at home recuperating from illness. But you are wrong. This shows that you are the most likely person!

Also, even if you are pretending to be sick, can you have some common sense? Don't just recite the Four Books and Five Classics all day long. Read more medical books. Stone stranguria is caused by stones in the kidneys. Why do you keep touching the front of your right abdomen? You are also touching the upper right abdomen. That's the stomach! Are you uneducated or do you think I am uneducated?"

Zhu Houzhao shouted loudly and then smiled faintly. He said nothing more. He just took the copper monocular glass telescope from the attendant official and continued to observe the direction of the Ordnance Bureau:

"If I'm not mistaken, your people are waiting for me to enter the Ordnance Bureau so that the Ordnance Bureau can explode."

At this time, Zeng Jian, the Minister of Works, did not say a word. He was already shaking all over. He did not expect that he would make such a big mistake! He did not expect that Zhu Houzhao, an emperor who grew up in the deep palace, actually knew medical knowledge. He acted so well but could not escape the eyes of the emperor?! He did not expect that this emperor could be so cunning!

The Minister of Works Zeng Jian was terrified, with cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He didn't know what to do.

At this time, Guo Rong came to report: "Your Majesty, the Armory has been surrounded, and the archers are ready. The people inside can't escape now!"

Then, Xia Yan also reported: "Your Majesty, there is indeed a batch of gunpowder missing from Wanggongchang. According to records, it was Guanglu, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works, who was ordered by Zeng Jian, the Minister of Works, to transfer it to Guangjiku! The reason is that Your Majesty wants to watch the fireworks."

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but sneer after hearing this, pointing at the Minister of Works Zeng Jian: "Can you think of a better reason? Do you want to blow me up and frame me, accusing me of being cynical and wanting to watch fireworks, which caused the explosion in the Ordnance Bureau? What a vicious idea!"

Minister of Works Zeng Jian did not refute.

"Xia Yan, do you think there are still many officials who wish I were dead?" Zhu Houzhao suddenly asked Xia Yan at this time.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there are certainly selfish ministers who harbor dissatisfaction. After all, Your Majesty's new policies are for the common people, not for the gentry and scholars." Xia Yan had spent two years at the Imperial University of Peking and was deeply "poisoned" by Zhu Houzhao's new ideas, so he spoke bluntly.

Zhu Houzhao just smiled and looked at Zeng Jian: "Zeng Jian, are you willing to atone for your sins and reduce your punishment?"

When he heard that he could redeem himself with merit, the Minister of Works Zeng Jian kowtowed and said, "I am willing, I am willing, Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)