Chapter 53: Interrogation

Zhuo Heng asked again, "Miss, there are two survivors. May I have Doctor Qian come over to help look at their wounds? We should be able to get quite a bit of information out of them."

At this moment, Qian Ruofang had already walked over and said to him, "No problem, as long as they have a breath left, I can save them."

After waiting for half an hour, Zhuo Heng finally came to find Yan Ning.

The body parts and fragments had already been cleared away and all taken to be cremated; of the three remaining survivors, one had a broken arm and one had a broken lower leg.

Seeing how bloody it was, Yan Ze hurriedly pushed Yan Ning into the room.

He couldn't let the child see these things, for fear she would have nightmares at night.

Yan Ning went inside.

She happened to run into the Nanyang Prince's family, who were preparing to come out.

Xiao Chengtian asked, "Ningning, what is going on outside? It's so noisy, did something happen?"

Yan Ning scratched her head, "It doesn't count as something happening. Two groups of assassins came to cause trouble together, so my people used two Explosive Packages on them. Only three survivors are left, don't worry, it's all a small matter."

Xiao Chengtian was shocked, "So many assassins, gone in an instant?"

Yan Ning nodded, "Yes."

The three were just about to walk outside when Yan Ning grabbed the Princess Consort with one hand and Xiao Huaijin with the other, "Don't go, it's a bit bloody."

Outside, Yan Ze held a pack of Silver Needles, pricked one of the survivors, and asked, "Who sent you?"

The three turned their heads away in unison, not really wanting to pay attention to this person.

Yan Ze held the acupuncture needle and poked again, "You're not talking, are you? Let's see if I don't prick you to death."

Xiao Chengtian, who had rushed over from behind, looked at the sky speechlessly.

The First Prince's family was truly too kind; even interrogating prisoners was so gentle.

Xiao Chengtian said, "You won't get anything out of them like this."

Yan Ze sighed.

He had transmigrated from a peaceful era, had never been on a battlefield, and had never suffered any great hardships; let alone interrogating people, he couldn't even stand watching others being tortured.

Yan Ze was helpless, "Forget it, if it's not the Third Prince, then it's the Crown Prince. As for where their hideout is, it doesn't matter if we can't ask; we'll meet force with force and water with earth."

Yan Ze gave up on the interrogation in a very Buddhist manner.

Xiao Chengtian said, "You should be able to pry some things out of their mouths. Is there a room no one is using? I will help you interrogate them."

Yan Ze had people move the three of them to the two rows of houses behind his home.

Seeing that Yan Ze had no intention of leaving, Xiao Chengtian said, "Your Highness, you should go back first, I can handle the interrogation myself."

Yan Ze nodded, "Then I'll go first."

To tell the truth, those people's faces were a bloody mess, and there was a stench of blood all over; Yan Ze didn't really want to look either.

Yan Ze didn't walk very far before he heard shrill wails.

Yan Ze shivered.

He had been transmigrated for five years, but he still wasn't quite used to it.

Seeing her father's poor complexion when he returned, Yan Ning handed him a piece of malt candy, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Yan Ze's face was pale, "It's nothing, just a bit worried."

It wasn't that Yan Ze was bragging, but he felt that his two younger brothers, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, were both inferior to him.

The only thing was the word "ruthless"—he couldn't beat those two brothers.

Yan Ze patted Yan Ning's head; he had to adapt to the survival rules of the ancient world and do his best to protect his wife and daughter.

Guessing that her father was uncomfortable after seeing the bloody scene, Yan Ning pulled him to watch a TV series together.

You shouldn't sleep immediately after seeing bloody scenes, or the memory will be deeply engraved in your mind; you have to calm down before sleeping.

Thus, Yan Ze followed his daughter and watched a few episodes of a palace intrigue drama.

Seeing that everything was fine outside, the Princess Consort took Xiao Huaijin to rest.

In the middle of the night, Yan Ning and Yan Ze were both hungry and prepared to go to the kitchen to find something to eat, when they saw Xiao Chengtian, covered in blood, coming out.

Yan Ze asked hurriedly, "Did you find out?"

Xiao Chengtian raised the corners of his mouth, "It's all been found out."

"These people said they didn't know who it was, they only heard them shout 'Master Wan'. I suspect it's that old scoundrel Wan Hongzhe."

Yan Ning complained, "The Third Prince is really... even more trash than the Crown Prince. If he had any use at all, he wouldn't be coming to kill my dad right now."

Xiao Chengtian continued, "Also, I suspect that this time the people were all from the Third Prince's side; the Crown Prince is effectively finished."

Yan Ning's eyes lit up, "The Crown Prince is finished?"

Xiao Chengtian told them about what happened in the Capital, "The Crown Prince not only colluded with enemy nations but also had an illicit affair with An Guiren in the palace. He has been locked in Tianlao. Both pieces of news were spread by the Third Prince's side. All the energy of the Second Prince's faction has been spent on dealing with the Third Prince."

Yan Ning sneered, "Wan Hongzhe is truly burning bridges after crossing the river. My dad even gave him this news, yet he's being so disgusting."

His own grandson is finished, so why blame the person who gave him the news?

Yan Ze wasn't sleepy anymore; he immediately went to make Gunpowder Bags. No matter how many people the man surnamed Wan sent, he would kill them all. When he had time, he would go to Suicheng himself and take his head off.

Yan Ning said fiercely, "Then I'm going to find Doctor Qian to help me make poison, to poison him to death!"

After speaking, Yan Ning yawned, returned to her room, and said to her father, "Dad, go to sleep early. Staying up all night will make your hair fall out."

Yan Ze touched his own thick hair.

Very good, no need to worry about hair loss.

Yan Ze then prepared to make gunpowder.

Xiao Chengtian was very interested and asked, "Can I watch from the side? I'm just a bit curious, what kind of thing can have such great power."

Yan Ze took him to a room, which contained many blueprints and wood shavings; it was a mess inside. Yan Ze said, "This room is a bit messy, there are many things that are hard to clean up."

Seeing that Yan Ze didn't mind, Xiao Chengtian began to walk around in this room full of wood shavings and even saw many weapon blueprints.

Finally, he looked at where Yan Ze was, only to see him using a colorless, transparent crystal and throwing a black powder of unknown origin into it to stir together.

Finally, add some White Sugar into it.

These materials are not easy to gather, so the quantity Yan Ze made is not large.

Potassium Nitrate and sulfur are only available in Haicheng; actually, he could make them himself, but it requires fermentation with animal feces, which is truly too heavy-handed, so he went to Haicheng to buy them.

White Sugar is also rare, and the amount is not much.

Yan Ze began to consider letting the villagers make Potassium Nitrate to sell to him; he remembered that the "Traveler's Handbook" video series taught in detail how to make black Gunpowder, including the methods for Potassium Nitrate and sulfur.

Xiao Chengtian watched as he mixed several things together, wrapped them in linen cloth, and tied the Gunpowder tightly with sturdy rope.

Xiao Chengtian was incredulous: "This, by just adding a few things so simply, one can create Gunpowder with such great power?!"

The corners of Yan Ze's mouth lifted, "Yes, it is just that simple and crude."

Xiao Chengtian recalled the explosion sound from the evening, and the corpse fragments scattered all over the ground...

He blurted out: "If this were taken to the Capital, and one Gunpowder Bag were thrown in, what would become of the Emperor?"