King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

Of course, Chu Mu did nothing wrong this time. Qingzhu was the original owner's fault, and he must take responsibility.

If she dares to continue to bully the palace people, wouldn't that be a slap in Zhu Youtang's face?
After washing up, Liu Jin tiptoed over, bowed to him at a 90-degree angle, and whispered, "Sir, someone in the laundry room accidentally drowned in a large vat."

Zhu Tan's lips twitched, and he thought that Liu Jin must have been shot in the back several times before committing suicide. But it's actually quite good that Liu Jin is so well behaved.

Thinking that Liu Jin was also a big shot in the palace, Zhu Tan wanted to ask more about Concubine Shao.

"That Concubine Shao, Liu Jin, what do you know?"

Liu Jin did not expect Zhu Tan to ask such a question. He thought for a moment and replied, "When Concubine Shao was young, her family was very poor. She married seven people, but all of them died before they got married. Her father, Shao Lin, sold Concubine Shao to a small eunuch in Hangzhou Town. Only then was Concubine Shao able to enter the palace. She was beautiful, well-educated, and deeply loved by the late emperor."

Zhu Tan nodded. When Shao was fifteen years old, she gave birth to Jiajing's father Zhu Youlang. Later, she gave birth to two princes in succession. It can be said that she was "highly productive"!

It is not a lie to say that he dotes on her.

Although Shao was later named imperial consort, she was second only to Consort Wan in favor.

Zhu Tan thought that Shao's appearance was indeed better than that of Queen Mother Wang.

Thinking of this, Zhu Tan asked again: "Why didn't the late emperor show any favor to Queen Mother Wang?"

Liu Jin was surprised. How did he know such a confidential matter?
She sighed, "The late emperor doted on Concubine Wan, and the two queens didn't have a good relationship with her, so the late emperor didn't like her. Queen Mother Wang was also a taciturn person, and the late emperor didn't like her either."

Zhu Tan went in and out of Qingning Palace twice and indeed discovered that Zhou and the Empress Dowager Shao were very close.

The Queen Mother, on the other hand, doesn't talk much on weekdays and doesn't attract other people's attention.

"Liu Jin, send someone to investigate and find out what this Concubine Shao is doing in Qingning Palace."

However, Liu Jin also knew that Zhu Tan and Shao Xi had already had a fight, and seeing that Concubine Shao's actions were reasonable, he quickly agreed.

"Don't worry, sir. I will keep an eye on you."

Not long after, Zhang Yong came to report that Zhu Da and Du Cheng were imprisoned in Shuntian Prison and suffocated to death, and the people in Shuntian Prison were also sentenced to death.

Zhu Tan shook his head. These two brothers were really rough at work!

"Tomorrow is when His Majesty will review the ministers. Everyone, please cheer up and take good care of His Majesty. Be sure to pay attention to safety. Okay, it's time to go to bed!"

Zhu Tan couldn't fall asleep. As soon as he closed his eyes, he would think of the uncontrollable feeling in his hands.

Sure enough, once a taboo is violated, things will get out of control.

He secretly warned himself not to let anything happen between himself and the Queen Mother. This was no joke and he must not lose his life for his own selfish reasons.

Early in the morning, Zhu Houzhao woke up Zhu Tan.

This kid was probably too excited, as if he had ADHD, he put on the "skin", put on the helmet, and started cosplaying.

Zhu Tan quickly packed up. Fortunately, the uncle and nephew arrived not late, so they followed Zhu Youtang to the martial arts field.

There were only a few hundred nobles in the martial arts arena, including children of nobles and second or third generation children of aristocratic families.

They were dressed in gorgeous clothes and their armor was shining. Under the shining sun, they reflected the dazzling light and looked very beautiful.

Xungui’s invigilator was Zhang Mao from Britain, and his assistant was Yu Shen.

Zhu Tan also joined in the fun and put on armor, looking curious, wanting to see the military training scene of the Ming Dynasty.

Ma Cong followed Zhu Tan and couldn't help but sigh when he saw these princes and nobles.

"What are you sighing for?"

Ma Cong was startled, then his face changed and he said, "I was thinking, the Ming Dynasty back then was the Yongle Reconstruction. At that time, the Ming Dynasty had strong soldiers and horses and the military was at its peak. I really hope I can come back soon to see how powerful they are."

Zhu Tan's heart moved. He learned from Ma Cong that the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di once held a large-scale parade with a number of 10 people.

At that time, the three battalions were the top forces in the Ming Dynasty.

People on the Internet expressed that they regretted missing the head-on confrontation between Ming Dynasty and Timur Khan.

However, Ma Cong also said that Timur the Great had also sent an envoy to Yongle, and the Timur envoy himself said: "Timur the Great had died in battle during the expedition."

Otherwise, Timur would never be a match for the Ming Dynasty.

"It's a pity that the most powerful army of the Ming Dynasty was destroyed in a coup. Look at those princes and nobles. They don't have any fighting spirit at all!"

Zhu Tan deeply agrees with this. This is why the Ming Dynasty is the most pitiful dynasty.

A game of chess, a game of chess.

It is really touching that Zhu Yuanzhang went from a beggar to an emperor. Only the Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty were the most orthodox. The rest of the emperors either relied on their own power or their family power to usurp the throne. They all started from a very high point.

Besides, there is a rule in the Ming Dynasty: the emperor is away, the king is away, and the country is away.

Even the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty was the same. He used a rope to restore the Ming Dynasty to its former glory.

Moreover, they did not cede any land and there was no peace treaty.

These three policies trampled almost all dynasties under their feet.

Zhu Tan thought of himself again. He was the most unstable person in the Ming Empire.

A small finger as small as a butterfly may affect the fate of a country. Suddenly, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders.

Zhu Tan was mentally prepared, and Zhang Mao's speech was almost coming to an end, and the martial arts performance test was about to begin.

When Zhu Tan saw Xu Guangzuo, the big fool who was at the front of the team and had given Zhang Mao an ingot of silver before, he wondered if he could get the first place in the exam this time.

The first thing is the formation. No matter what they think, there must at least be a certain foundation.

Infantry and horsemanship are both compulsory courses for aristocratic families, which is definitely more than that of the princes and nobles in the Ming Dynasty.

Next came the coordination between mounted archery, charge, encirclement, infantry and cavalry, all of which were done very well, or at least looked okay.

Finally, it was the Shenjiying's turn to perform, and the boys were more inclined to play with hot weapons.

Today's firearms have made great progress compared to the late Ming Dynasty.

There are muskets, three-barreled muskets, muskets specially prepared for knights, and disassembled field artillery specifically used to deal with snipers.

Jingle, clang, and smoke, it is so beautiful.

Zhu Tan slapped himself hard on the leg. He was a person who traveled through time. It would be too embarrassing if he didn't even have a hot weapon!

What's more, he also knows how to improve thermal weapons, at least the ammunition!
But Zhu Tan did not show up in person, but instead asked his nephew Zhu Houzhao to perform well.

He whispered a few words to Zhu Houzhao. Zhu Houzhao was now very knowledgeable about chemistry. No matter what it was, it was inseparable from chemistry, so he quickly understood.

Zhu Houzhao was a man who liked to be in the limelight. At Chu Mu's reminder, he immediately summoned Liu Jin, Zhang Yong and others and asked them to carry out his orders. What he had to do now was to create a kind of explosive similar to modern explosives.

After more than an hour, the noisy group performance finally ended, followed by the self-examination of the children of the major families.

Zhu Tan paid the most attention to Xu Guangzuo, who was wearing a suit of armor and looked like a giant walking pumpkin.

There were good and bad performances by the nobles and their solo performances. Zhu Tan should not have given the money to the British Duke because there was nothing good to see.

When Xu Guangzuo walked onto the stage, he knew it was going to be a wonderful performance.

Xu Guangzuo first demonstrated his horsemanship. With his burly body, he was able to perform such difficult postures on horseback.

Zhu Tan even doubted whether that person really had a substitute singer.

When Xu Guangzuo used his archery skills, he actually shot three arrows. This was an amazing thing, and Zhu Youtang praised him highly.

When he heard that Xu Guangzuo was the son of Duke Dingguo, he couldn't help but nod repeatedly.

The more Zhu Tan looked at him, the more surprised he was. It was unbelievable. Was this still his silly elder brother?
What the hell is going on? He absolutely didn't believe that Xu Guangzuo could do this.

After more than half an hour, Xu Guangzuo finally won the championship.

Zhu Youtang was in a good mood. With a wave of his hand, he handed a golden belt to Xu Guangzuo, which made Chu Xian nod repeatedly.

He estimated that his brother-in-law would never have thought that Xu Guangzuo's gold belt was so valuable.

Xu Guangzuo was also a great actor. He thanked the emperor with tears in his eyes and said something that moved Zhu Youtang.

Xu Guangzuo interceded for his father Xu Yongning, who was exiled here and had received salary for more than ten years.

Zhu Youtang had heard of it because his father, Emperor Xianzong, destroyed an imperial edict in order to punish him.

Immediately, Xu Yongning was pardoned and sent to the Zongzhengfu to take up a post.

Zhu Youtang was very happy about today's martial arts competition. He was also a smart man and naturally understood that it was impossible for these princes and nobles to go to the battlefield.

However, they are, after all, descendants of those who followed their fathers and grandfathers to fight on the battlefield, so it is already very good that they can remember their own surnames.

Just when the inspection was completed and Zhu Youtang was about to order his troops to return to the palace, Zhu Houzhao walked in from outside.

"Reporting to my father, when I was watching the performance just now, I felt that our Ming Dynasty's firearms were still a little lacking in quality. It just so happens that I can think of some ways to improve them. I hope my father will take a look."

Zhu Youtang only had this son, and he knew very well that this son was very spiritual and many times more capable than he was when he was young.

However, in this case, trying to improve explosives is a bit like playing house for children.

However, Zhu Houzhao was named the crown prince when he was only two years old. His father Zhu Youtang naturally had to protect him. It was impossible for him to pretend that he knew nothing, not to mention that there were so many princes and nobles waiting for him!
"How did the prince improve the explosives? Do you have anything here?"

Zhu Houzhao immediately asked Liu Jin and others to bring the explosives he had made on the spot.

"Father, these are all my improved ones. Why don't you ask someone to compare them with the ones we have now and see which one is better?"

Zhu Youtang didn’t know either. This time, he was serious. Let him wait and see!

No matter if there is any progress or not, it's all fun anyway.

Zhu Houzhao got Zhu Tan's hint and immediately said, "Father, the improved gunpowder is quite powerful. You must be careful when using it. Father, don't get close to it."

Zhu Youtang was also very happy to see his son's filial piety.

However, Zhu Tan was not careless at all. He personally went on the scene to help Zhu Houzhao.

When he discovered that the explosives made by Zhu Houzhao were all in the form of small balls, he nodded repeatedly and was full of admiration for his nephew.

In order to compare the firepower of explosives, Zhu Tan ordered his men to separate the explosives used by the Ming army and the explosives made by Zhu Houzhao, and bundle them into explosive bags.

It is tightly wrapped with oil paper and cotton, and a long fuse is inserted into it.

First, he used an ancient type of explosive.

It exploded with a bang, just like the fireworks Zhu Tan made in his previous life.

The explosion of the explosives made by Zhu Houzhao was more than ten times louder than before.

Zhu Youtang was caught off guard, his ears were buzzing and his vision was blurry.

The princes, nobles and soldiers were dizzy by the loud noise.

There are people among the nobles who know what is good, and this contrast is really too obvious.

The explosives made by Zhu Houzhao were not only improved, but their power was also completely different from what they knew!
Zhu Houzhao was a little unreliable, so Zhu Tan helped him tie up a bag of explosives, but the rest of the explosives were placed in a jar, and the lid of the jar was not completely tightened.

The flames splashed and fell right into the spout of the pot.

Zhu Tan reacted very quickly and pounced towards Zhu Houzhao.

In the past, explosives were made of paper and cotton.

Moreover, once the explosives exploded, the power of the porcelain fragments would greatly increase, and there was a high possibility that they would fall on Zhu Houzhao who was not far away.

Zhu Tan also shouted at the same time: "Protect the emperor, protect the emperor, protect the emperor..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a loud bang and the barrel of explosives exploded.

This time the sound was even louder. An invisible air wave blew the porcelain fragments everywhere, making a sharp whistling sound.

The loud noise was like a thunderclap out of nowhere, and it made everyone's heart stop beating.

Zhu Tan pushed Zhu Houzhao to the ground and immediately felt a burning pain in his back.

Zhu Youtang and other princes and nobles were also shaken by this wave of air and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The worst suffered by all was Liu Jin. This guy was flattering one second ago, and the next second he ran over and ignited the detonator, and he was the one closest to the explosive pack.

After the explosion, his body flew backwards.

Zhu Youtang stared blankly at the scene in front of him. If the distance had not been too close, he would have crawled into the gap under the carriage.

The nobles were suddenly thrown into disarray. They might not be able to fight on the battlefield, but they still had at least the basics.

Although no one was injured, they were all terrified.

When the smoke and dust settled, Zhu Youtang's eyes narrowed and he saw Zhu Tan and Zhu Houzhao, one was his brother-in-law and the other was his child, and his heart tightened.

And a huge pit appeared at the location of the explosives.

Zhu Youtang suddenly jumped up from his seat, pointed his finger at Chu Tianxian, trembling all over, unable to utter a word. (End of this chapter)