When the Crown Prince was reviewing the Tiance Guards, an artillery accident occurred and the barrel exploded.
Because the chief conductor of the play at that time, Prince of Han Zhu Zhanhe, was worried that the artillery fire would stain the crown prince's robe, he temporarily extended the length of the artillery fuse by three times.
At the moment of the explosion, since everyone was far away from the artillery, they were only injured and no one died.
Zhu Zhanhe, who was fully armed, reacted quickly, hugged the Crown Prince, and used his body as a shield to protect his eldest cousin. As a result, the Crown Prince was slightly injured. His arm was scratched by several bloody cuts from the fragments of the blown-off cannon barrel, but no vital parts were injured.
The one who was seriously injured was Zhu Zhanhe, who was protecting his brother with his own body. He was fully armed, and the armor on his body weighed nearly 40 kilograms. When the barrel exploded, gunpowder flew everywhere, and iron sheets and wood on the gun carriage were blown away. The armor protected his body, but the high temperature burned the skin on his back and buttocks. When the doctor took off his armor, his back and buttocks were already unsightly, and the doctor hurriedly ordered people to repeatedly rinse the skin surface with ice water.
Show your sincerity at the critical moment. Although the King of Han always looks disgusted with his son Shuipu, and compares him with other people's children Zhu Zhanji, wishing to compare his son Shuipu to the mud, but at the moment of the explosion, everyone fled for their lives. The King of Han, who was far away, went upstream, and despite the warnings from people around him that there might be assassins, he still risked running over to see his son first.
Zhu Zhanhe's back was almost like a spicy crayfish, but he still said to his father, the King of Han, with great pain: "I'm fine, go and see the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince is in trouble, our Han Palace will face a catastrophe."
The King of Han suddenly came back to his senses. Oh, yes, there is also the Crown Prince!
It was he who invited the Crown Prince to the military review! The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. If the heir to the throne dies here, he will be guilty of regicide!
The King of Han hurried to see the Crown Prince, but the guards around the Crown Prince drew their weapons one by one, and quickly escorted Zhu Zhanji to retreat, shouting "There are assassins! Protect the emperor!"
Even when the King of Han ran over to see his nephew's injuries, the guards drew their swords and looked at him with defensive eyes, refusing to give way.
The King of Han shouted, "Everyone, get out of my way! Open your dog eyes and see clearly who I am! I am the King of Han of the Ming Dynasty! How is the Crown Prince's injury?"
No one stepped aside, and the cold blades and the black muzzles of guns were pointed at the King of Han.
Eunuch Wang Zhen walked out from the guard formation and saluted. His face was blackened by the artillery fire, his hat had fallen off in a panic and was nowhere to be found. His clothes were charred and he looked as disheveled as a beggar on the street.
At this moment, Wang Zhen was still able to remain calm and said politely, "The attendants who already know medical skills are applying medicine to the Crown Prince. The situation is chaotic now, and the Crown Prince cannot stay here. He has been ordered to return to the palace immediately."
At this time, the imperial grandson's carriage had already arrived at the scene and took him away. The King of Han was anxious and stopped the carriage, "I want to greet the imperial grandson."
Wang Zhen refused to let the Prince of Han get close to the carriage, saying, "Please ask the Prince of Han to leave immediately, control the situation, and find out the truth. Your Highness is blocking here now. If it delays the recovery of the Crown Prince, how will Your Highness explain to the Emperor?"
In any case, if the Crown Prince obstructs the imperial physician from treating the Prince of Han when he is in trouble, then the Prince of Han will not be able to explain himself even if he jumps into the Yellow River.
The King of Han had no choice but to let them go. He ordered his confidants, "Seal off this place. Except for the Crown Prince's carriage and his entourage, not even an ant can be allowed to escape. Also, arrest all the people and records of the □□ factory. This is a good new artillery. It was working fine during the exercise, but how come it exploded when it fell into the hands of the Crown Prince!"
Due to technical reasons, in that era when the quality of ironware and guns was questionable, it was common for cannons and guns to explode during firing.
However, thanks to the efforts of three generations of Ming emperors, this kind of unexpected event gradually changed from a common occurrence to an accidental event.
Since the Hongwu Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty had a forward-looking vision and realized that the Chinese would eventually become the overlord of the battlefield and the era of cold weapons would be over. Therefore, the military has always paid attention to the development and upgrading of firearms. There are two Chinese armor factories in Nanjing, which have invested a lot of money and manpower. To the outside world, this state-owned enterprise with high-tech facilities has the sign of an armor factory, but it has never produced armor. It is a typical case of selling dog meat under the guise of selling mutton.
Even during the short-lived Jianwen reign, Emperor Jianwen, who messed up almost everything, attached great importance to the research and development of new weapons at the □□ Factory. During his tenure, the □□ Factory invented landmines, which were immediately sent to the battlefield of the Jingnan Campaign. Emperor Yongle once almost died from a landmine and escaped from the minefield with a narrow escape.
During the Yongle reign, Emperor Yongle, who had conquered the world through civil war, became even more fond of firearms. He formed the Shenji Camp and equipped it with all kinds of the latest firearms. Whenever Zheng He sailed to the West, he would bring back samples of the latest firearms from overseas. He sent them to the □□ factory to disassemble them for research, copy them, mass-produce them, and put them into use.
These new weapons played an important role in quelling the Jiaozhi Rebellion in the south and Emperor Yongle's personal expedition to the north. Last year, Emperor Yongle used them to fight against the Oirat Mongols in the north.
The artillery array blasted open the Wala cavalry formation, dispersed the enemy in one fell swoop, and returned triumphantly.
The stability of □□ has been improved through repeated tests and actual battlefield operations. The artillery used in the siege performance by Tiancewei this time are all newly developed by □□ Factory. The thickness of the barrel is about the same as the palm, and it is cast with iron liquid and formed in one go, which is much stronger than before.
Generally speaking, a gun barrel bursts because the residual gunpowder in the barrel is not wiped clean, causing the shell to explode in the barrel without being fired.
But at that time, the Crown Prince came down from the stands and personally inspected the Tian Ce Guards. The artillerymen of the Tian Ce Guards had already cleaned the barrel inside and out so thoroughly that a fly would slip if it stood on it. How could the barrel explode
Someone must have tampered with the gun while it was being cleaned.
So the King of Han focused on investigating the artillery, digging three feet underground, and arresting all the relatives within five degrees of mourning, as well as neighbors, friends, and so on for interrogation.
Just when the interrogation was halfway through, the staff rushed over and said, "Your Highness! It's bad! Lord Ji, the commander of the Jinyiwei, has surrounded the Prince of Han's Palace with his men! No one is allowed to enter or leave. All the officials of the palace have been taken away by Lord Ji. It is said that they will be imprisoned for interrogation!"
Impossible! What is the relationship between me and Lao Ji? Hasn't Lao Ji always stood by me
The King of Han had no choice but to put down what he was doing and go out to meet Ji Gang.
As soon as he walked out, he saw his wife, Princess Han, running towards him crying, "My Lord! The Jinyiwei people carried He'er away! He is covered in wounds, how could he withstand such torture!"
Upon hearing that his eldest son was taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the King of Han was furious and ran to find Ji Gang to argue. Ji Gang was directing his men to load the stretcher carrying Zhu Zhanhe onto the carriage.
Because Zhu Zhanhe was severely burned, he was shaking with pain. In order to relieve the pain, the doctor gave him anesthetic. At this moment, Zhu Zhanhe fell asleep and was unaware of the tense situation outside.
The King of Han shouted, "What do you want, Lord Ji?"
Ji Gang bowed and said, "In compliance with the Emperor's order, we are thoroughly investigating the case of the Tiance Guards' artillery burst during a drill. This case is already an imperial case and will be handed over to the Jinyi Guards for trial. I would also like to ask Your Highness the Prince of Han to hand over the Tiance Guards' artillerymen and their families to the Jinyi Guards for interrogation. I will not bother Your Highness the Prince of Han any more."
"In addition, the emperor is concerned about the injury of the prince of Han, and ordered me to carry the prince to the palace for a consultation with the imperial hospital."
In front of everyone, Ji Gang acted as if he was doing his job as usual, without any favoritism. However, Ji Gang gave the King of Han a wink.
The King of Han understood and said, "The imperial physician's medical skills are definitely better than those of the doctors in my palace. You should quickly send the prince to the palace for treatment. Lord Ji, please come to the palace and have a cup of tea before leaving."
There were only two people in the guest hall. The King of Han changed his calm appearance and grabbed Ji Gang's hand. "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? You actually doubt me? I do want to get the throne, but I am not so stupid as to do it in my own territory."
Ji Gang said, "I believe Your Highness is innocent, but the wound on the crown prince's arm is so deep that the bone is visible. He has lost too much blood and his face is as white as paper. The prince cried like a tearful man in front of the sickbed and lost his appetite. He fainted when he was helped up by two eunuchs. Both the crown prince and the crown prince are sick. What do you think the emperor will think?"
The prince has type 2 diabetes. He cannot eat too much or not eat at all. His blood sugar is unstable. If he skips a meal, he is prone to hypoglycemia, dizziness, and even cardiac arrest and sudden death.
The King of Han was worried. "The Crown Prince slandered me to the Emperor, saying that I harmed the Crown Prince?"
"No." Ji Gang shook his head. "The prince didn't say a word the whole time. He just cried, refused to eat or drink, and then fainted from crying."
The eldest grandson and eldest son, the two crown princes, fell ill one after another. Emperor Yongle could not sit idly by and watched. He asked Ji Gang to take charge of the case and no one, including the King of Han, was allowed to interfere with the investigation.
Even the seriously injured Zhu Zhanhe was carried to the harem on the pretext of medical treatment, in order to prevent the Prince of Han and his son from colluding with each other. In this way, the Prince of Han became the first suspect in the chest explosion case.
There were no outsiders here, and the King of Han was so angry that he pounded the table, "Prince, you might as well just say that I harmed the Crown Prince! Everyone in the court and the country, as well as Emperor Gaozu, all said that he was honest and loyal, but they couldn't see through him! Great wisdom appears clumsy, great honesty appears crooked, great eloquence appears silent, great meetings appear foolish, the Crown Prince is the most thoughtful person!"
Ji Gang advised, "The Crown Prince was invited by Your Highness to review the troops, and something happened on Your Highness's territory. It would be strange if outsiders did not suspect that the emperor was in a melon field and plum field. If the emperor allows Your Highness to investigate, won't he be accused of favoritism? The emperor sent me to investigate this case because he wanted to find the real culprit as soon as possible and clear the name of the King of Han. The King of Han and the Crown Prince are brothers, so don't let this alienate them."
It would be better if you could leave early!
The King of Han was so angry that he almost exploded. "I'm not, I didn't, they're talking nonsense! I've been a soldier for half my life, I would never resort to such low-level tricks, committing crimes in public and throwing dirty water on myself! Even if I succeed, the Crown Prince will be blown to death on the spot, the Crown Prince will die of grief, and the throne will not be mine. Father hates fratricide the most, and he will definitely demote me to a commoner. Anyway, the royal family still has my third brother and a bunch of grandchildren, how could it be my turn! I've been busy taking the blame, but in the end I've done the work for others and let others take the throne. Am I that stupid?"
Ji Gang's eyes rolled, "King Han means... the explosion was an accident?"
Upon hearing this, the King of Han felt as if he had grasped a life-saving straw. "Yes, it must have been an accident. I just interrogated the artillerymen who cleaned the cannons, and they said they were innocent. When the □□ factory delivered the cannons, they were repeatedly reminded to be careful. The new cannons cannot completely avoid bursting. Be careful when using them. Don't be too bothered to refuse to wear armor and other protective gear. Run away, hold your head and squat on the ground. Safety first."
Ji Gang nodded. "I will tell the emperor the King of Han's opinion, and I will also interrogate the people from the □□ factory. It's best if this is an accident, otherwise the King of Han's mansion will suffer."
"However, during this period of time, I have to inconvenience His Royal Highness the Prince of Han. No one in the Prince of Han's mansion is allowed to go out. All vegetables will be delivered by the Jinyiwei. Once the matter is investigated, the ban will be lifted."
This is equivalent to imprisoning the King of Han in his palace.
The King of Han sighed, "I understand. I will control the people in the palace. We have been friends for more than ten years. I will not make things difficult for you. I am at ease with you investigating the case. It is better than letting it fall into the hands of others."
"The King of Han is so cooperative with the Jinyiwei, I am very grateful to you. In this case..." Ji Gang stretched out his right hand, "Your Highness, please give me the Tiance Guard Talisman for the time being."
The King of Han was shocked. "The Tiance Guards are the guards of my Palace of the King of Han. They were given to me by my father."
"The Han Palace is now protected by our Jinyiwei. No one will dare to break in. Your Highness must have confidence in our Jinyiwei." Ji Gang said:
"Besides, the Tiance Guard was originally a branch of the Imperial Guard, and its military pay has been paid from the Imperial Guard's account. If something goes wrong during the Tiance Guard exercise, the entire guard station will have to lay down their arms and accept investigation. It will be useless for Your Highness to hold the military token. Giving it to me can also show that Your Highness is cooperating with the Jinyi Guard and that you have an open mind and have no selfish motives."
The King of Han had no choice but to hand over the military command to Ji Gang.
Watching Ji Gang's departing figure, the King of Han felt a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart: in the face of the absolute power of the emperor, the so-called power he had painstakingly cultivated for many years was just a paper tiger, which looked majestic but was actually vulnerable! If the emperor said to give, he would give, and if the emperor said not to give, he would not even dare to fart and would obediently hand over the power.
I need to secretly train a team of private soldiers who are loyal to myself, and spend my own money to support them and buy them equipment. Only in this way can I last long, otherwise everything is in vain.
I must! The King of Han clenched his fist.
The Crown Prince's Palace.
Eunuch Wang Zhen brought the medicine cup and said, "Your Highness, it's time to take the medicine."
Zhu Zhanji, whose face was as pale as paper, drank it all in one gulp. The medicine was bitter, but he did not even frown, as if he was drinking plain water.
Wang Zhen held up the box of candied fruit.
Zhu Zhanji waved his hand and said, "Just give me a glass of water to rinse your mouth."
Wang Zhen helped Zhu Zhanji rinse his mouth. When he was about to leave, Zhu Zhanji called him, "Wang Zhen."
Wang Zhen: "What do you want, Your Highness?"
Zhu Zhanji: "Come here."
Wang Zhen walked closer and leaned against the bed.
Zhu Zhanji: "Come closer."
There was no way to get any closer, so Wang Zhen had to stretch his neck and put his ear close.
Zhu Zhanji whispered in Wang Zhen's ear, "You are the prince's man, right?"
Wang Zhen shuddered, his body stiffened, and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.
harem.
The Crown Prince and the Crown Prince both fell ill, and Zhu Zhanhe was carried in. Hu Shanwei immediately became busy and sent someone to Hu's house to tell Mu Chun and A Lei that she would stay in the palace tonight and would not go home.
At dusk, Shen Qionglian from the Imperial Ceremony Bureau said, "Mrs. Hu, your sister has come to the palace to look for you."
When A Lei entered the palace, Hu Shanwei knew who she was doing it for, "You are not a doctor, it is useless to come to see the Crown Prince and the Prince of Han."
A Lei was very anxious and said, "People are saying all kinds of things, some even say they are going to die. They are my friends who grew up together. I am so nervous at home that I can't even repair the watch. Hearing is not believing, seeing is believing. I want to see them with my own eyes. Can I?"
Seeing A Lei's pleading eyes, Hu Shanwei sighed and spoke to his daughter in private, "You can look, but you must be careful when speaking, especially don't ask what happened at the time. Just ask about your health and condition, and don't ask anything else."
Arei nodded and said, "Don't worry, I know my limits."
Hu Shanwei was still worried and asked, "What do you know about limits?"
A Lei said: "My sister often said that we don't need to care about the disturbances. If we want to find out the truth, we must find out who is the beneficiary. I thought about it on the way. I can't think too much about this matter. The more I think about it, the more chilled I feel. Almost everyone is a suspect except Brother Shuikeng."
The author has something to say: The truth will be revealed tomorrow o(n_n)o Haha! Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: Yingluo, 33600993 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
Qingqing 40 bottles; Ayanyan., pipiq 20 bottles; Vivien 5 bottles; Deep Forest Tree Spirit, Dimple, 33600993 3 bottles; Qingshan Baishou, wendyyyyy, Qianqianmm, 35439436 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!