Chapter 98: Should We Blow It Up?

Qian Jiangjun stood firm: "Give up on that idea; even if I die, I will not join you."

Yan Ning then said with a smile: "Qian Jiangjun, you may as well stay here."

Qian Jiangjun sighed in his heart, but his expression remained one of unwavering resolve.

Yan Ning did not pay him any more mind, instead going to check on the newly joined soldiers.

Zhuo Heng patted a soldier on the shoulder: "The First Prince is kind-hearted and will not let his soldiers go to their deaths. You all just wait a while; once the armor is finished, you will be able to head to the battlefield."

Yan Ning added: "I say 'head to the battlefield,' but in all likelihood, it won't be necessary. One toss of an Explosive Package and it can blow up a whole area."

One of the new recruits, Wang Kai, asked: "Is the power of this explosive truly that great?"

He had only seen a few trees blown over and truly did not know how fierce it was at blowing up people.

Zhuo Heng said with a beaming smile: "Five thousand Japanese pirates, and we only tossed seven Explosive Packages before their entire army was wiped out."

The new recruits gathered around gasped in unison.

Is it really that fierce?

Wang Kai continued to ask: "Then, do we still have many Explosive Packages?"

Zhuo Heng said with a smile: "Plenty. The few of us who take turns guarding the Watchtower each have two Explosive Packages on hand. With two hundred Explosive Packages, let alone five thousand troops, we would have the strength to fight even an army of fifty thousand."

The jaws of the few newcomers could not close; their faces were full of astonishment.

The power was actually this great.

At this moment, Wu Jiangjun had slaughtered another sheep and said loudly: "Don't worry anymore. We are very strong and don't fear a frontal assault from others. Everyone, eat some meat first."

Eunuch Li was locked in the room and saw this scene from outside the window; his heart was filled with a rage that found no one to vent upon.

When Yan Ning passed the small wooden hut to go find her father, she heard the voice of the Eunuch inside:

"You have such great audacity! This is treason!"

Yan Ning sneered: "So what if we are committing treason? Is there a problem?"

Eunuch Li was choked up by her words and could not speak.

Yan Ning stood before the small wooden hut, lost in thought.

At this time, Yan Ze came out and asked her: "What are you standing here for?"

Yan Ning said with a smile: "Why not let him take a letter to the Capital?"

Saying this, Yan Ning went to the study and wrote on a page of paper with crooked handwriting:

【Unless absolutely necessary, we will not take the initiative to attack soldiers, but we have hundreds and thousands of Explosive Packages. Next time, don't waste your efforts; you cannot defeat us.】

Arrogant.

Truly arrogant!

When Eunuch Li saw this letter, he was so angry his teeth itched.

But he dared not say anything.

After all, he was currently still a prisoner.

Yan Ze said: "Tomorrow, you will take this letter back to the Capital. You must ensure this letter is delivered back in its entirety."

Eunuch Li endured the humiliation: "Fine."

But a young Eunuch behind him said with dissatisfaction: "Are you really letting this little girl provoke the Emperor's divine majesty? If the Emperor is angered into leading the imperial expedition himself, watch out, all your lives will be finished!"

Yan Ning raised an eyebrow, "Are you threatening me?"

That young Eunuch continued: "No, it is just a suggestion that you hand over the method for making the Gunpowder; perhaps the Emperor will not attack you."

Yan Ning sneered: "Are you blind? Is the Emperor's attacking of any use? Are you pig-brained, asking us to hand over our trump card?"

Yan Ning was also speechless; even if they went mad, they would never hand over the formula for the explosives.

She also didn't know if this Gou Huangdi had something wrong with his brain.

Yan Ning couldn't be bothered to listen to these few fools talk and directly interrupted them: "If you say one more word, don't even think about returning to the Capital."

The three of them immediately shut their mouths.

Early the next morning, the Eunuchs were already prepared to return to the Capital.

It was just that although they had a horse, they were currently penniless, as everything had been confiscated.

By the time Eunuch Li reached Haicheng, he was so hungry his chest was sticking to his back.

The three could think of no other way, so Eunuch Li said: "We will go find the Lu Prefect, Lu Wanshun."

Lu Wanshun was somewhat silent upon learning of the Eunuch's request.

What Eunuch Li asked for was for him to provide one hundred taels of Silver Note and, while he was at it, find a troop of soldiers to escort them to the Capital.

One hundred taels in Silver Note was easy to handle, but where was he to find guards?

Lu Wanshun reported truthfully: "My Lord, it is truly impossible to find guards, but there are escort agencies here that go to the Capital. How about I arrange for you to have an escort agency take you to the Capital?"

Lu Wanshun busied himself back and forth before finally sending this "great Buddha" away.

He was still somewhat surprised; Yan Ze looked like such a mild-mannered person, yet his courage was actually this great.

But these were not things for a Prefect with a monthly salary of three thousand taels to consider.

Chaoyang Village.

Qian Jiangjun saw a big figure who surprised him somewhat.

He saw him drilling troops and instructing them on how to use the Crossbow.

Qian Jiangjun rubbed his eyes, his face full of disbelief: "This, is this General Xie?"

"No, this is absolutely impossible. How could General Xie defect to the First Prince?!"

On the Watchtower, Zhuo Heng heard this sentence and said with a smile: "Qian Daren, you are unaware; besides Xie Daren, there is also Grand Tutor Chen, Prime Minister Ji, and the Minister of Personnel all here with us."

Qian Jiangjun was shocked: "How is that possible! They have perfectly good positions as officials in the Capital, why would they run to Lingnan to defect to you?"

Qian Jiangjun felt a bit of doubt about his life.

Xie Luyan happened to hear Qian Jiangjun's words, so he walked a few steps closer and said, "We were all exiled here, so naturally we must side with the First Prince."

Qian Jiangjun doubted reality even more: "You, how could you all have been exiled?"

Xie Luyan: "Heh, at least ten thousand officials in the Court have been exiled, all because they spoke up for the First Prince, and were directly exiled."

Qian Jiangjun was stunned, "This, this is impossible..."

Xie Luyan sneered, "How is it impossible? The Emperor is muddled; why don't you also come and side with the First Prince?"

Qian Jiangjun immediately refused: "No, I will not be a traitor."

Although the Emperor had refreshed his bottom line, he truly could not defect.

Qian Jiangjun's mentality finally collapsed.

Thinking back to how Yan Ning had gone to deliver the Glazed Glass with her father two days ago, he felt somewhat displeased.

Qian Jiangjun did not intend to waste time with them and prepared to go back to think of a countermeasure.

It was just that Yan Ning had made a harsh threat: if he dared to leave, she would set off Explosive Packages to blow them to death.

Qian Jiangjun gritted his teeth and retreated with all his troops.

Zhuo Heng asked Yan Ning below: "Should we blow them up?"

Yan Ning shook her head, "Forget it, don't blow them up."

It was just that going to Haicheng and Shawan County in the future would be a bit dangerous.

But it was not a big problem; if she wanted to go, she could naturally go.

The people escorting Eunuch Li only set off two days later; Eunuch Li came out of the inn and happened to see Qian Jiangjun and those soldiers.

Eunuch Li frowned: "Why have you returned! Useless trash, you actually let half the troops surrender."

Qian Jiangjun was also displeased in his heart, but he said: "It is not that we did not fight, it is that the Explosive Packages in their hands are too powerful; we must discuss how to attack."

The Eunuch snorted coldly: "I don't care, in any case, you must quickly deal with Yan Ze's family."

Qian Jiangjun: "..."

Forget it, why bicker with a eunuch.

Qian Jiangjun said: "We will think of a way."