On the tenth day of the lunar month, the atmosphere in the capital began to become weird.

Wang Chengen, the head of the inner court, was placed under house arrest.

Above the court, all the ministers seemed to have said yes, and they would impeach Wang Zezhi in unison.

In Wang Chengen's mansion, he looked up to the sky and sighed, recalling what happened to him after he left Naturalization City.

The second day of the lunar month.

Since Wang Chengen left Guihua City, he has been constantly encountering robberies and killings.

On the grassland, masked people dressed in herdsmen's clothes rushed one after another.

Although Wang Chengen brought hundreds of brocade guards, he couldn't bear too many people.

If it weren't for Wang Zezhi's steel-armored heavy cavalry on the road, it would be a question of whether their group of people would be able to return to the mouth of the tiger alive.

When Wang Chengen saw the lethality of the steel armor heavy horse, he was a little moved, if the emperor could have such a team, what would he be afraid of.

However, he only thought about it, because he knew that it all needed silver.

What the Ming Dynasty lacks most now is silver.

After they arrived at the mouth of the tiger, Wang Zezhi's command, a thousand light cavalry responsible for suppressing bandits in Datong Mansion accompanied them to continue their advance.

Even so, the road in Datong Province is not smooth.

Every day, thieves block the road and rob and kill.

The bandit brigade is suspicious, they have obviously suppressed this area, why are there thieves so quickly.

Only Wang Chengen knew that these people were not thieves at all, but assassins sent by the ministers of the court.

It was only when they were sent to the border of Datong Province that they stopped.

As soon as Wang Chengen arrived in Beizhili, he began to reorganize his manpower and summoned all the nearby Jinyi guards.

Even so, he didn't feel at ease, he summoned all the Jinyi guards who could be summoned along the way.

Because he knows that the closer he gets to the capital, the more dangerous it becomes.

The fact is just as he thought, even if they have seen the walls of the capital, they have also suffered a robbery.

The Jinyi guard under his command suffered heavy losses, and in addition, he also lost more than 100,000 taels of silver.

He knew it was done deliberately by the killers.

Because the ministers of the court could not let people know that these people were the assassins they had sent out.

When the time comes, if Chongzhen blames him, they will be fooled by thieves and looting goods.

The ninth day of the lunar month.

Wang Chengen, who had died for nine years, returned to the capital with a team of embarrassed brocade guards and 760,000 taels of silver.

In the capital, the study.

After listening to Wang Chengen's story, Chongzhen opened the box and picked up a letter, and after a few glances, he trembled and threw the letter in his hand.

"How can this be justified, how can it be justified?

These people... These people, I... I'm going to kill them with my own hands. Chongzhen was extremely angry, drew out the sword of the Son of Heaven, and prepared to call Jinyiwei to arrest people.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you... You haven't had tea yet. Wang Chengen was shocked, he knew that Chongzhen was angry and angry, and his eyes were red.

Wang Chengen was afraid that Chongzhen would make some irrational decision, so he immediately picked up a cup of tea and handed it over.

Chongzhen drank it casually, and the whole person calmed down a lot.

"I... I will keep their heads first, and I will keep their letters, and spur them to serve the kingdom..."

As soon as Chongzhen's hand was released, the sword of the Son of Heaven in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

He sat limply in his chair.

Because Chongzhen knew that he still had to rely on these ministers to govern the country, and he couldn't do anything with them at all.

Wang Chengen picked up the sword of the Son of Heaven that fell to the ground and carefully returned it to the scabbard.

"What's the matter with these 760,000 taels of silver?"

Chongzhen thought of the 760,000 taels of silver that Wang Chengen brought back, and asked puzzledly.

Wang Chengen told him what Wang Zezhi said to him, and after finishing speaking, he quietly waited for Chongzhen to speak.

"So, Wang Zezhi is still loyal to me?" Chongzhen asked suspiciously. 123 Kanshu.com

"Your Majesty, the minister guarantees his life, and General Soldier Wang is loyal to you."

"Hehe... I didn't see the wrong person. Chongzhen said this, a little complacent.

"What does the iron stove look like, bring it in and show me."

"Yes."

Wang Chengen ordered the iron stove to be brought up.

Then he explained in detail, and when he opened the lid of the furnace, he found that there were installation and use instructions inside.

Chongzhen took out the paper in the stove and looked at it with interest.

"Iron stoves have existed since ancient times, but the design is so ingenious, and there are few briquettes, so it can be seen that they are still attentive."

The era when iron tools began to be used in China can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

After the middle of the Warring States period, iron tools were applied to all aspects of social production and life, and occupied a major position in agriculture and handicraft sectors.

Iron tools from the Warring States period were also introduced to Japan via Korea.

During the Western Han Dynasty, the area of iron tools was more vast, the types and quantities of tools increased significantly, and the quality was improved.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, iron eventually replaced bronze.

That's why Chongzhen said this.

After Chongzhen read it, he commented, which showed that he was still quite satisfied with this iron furnace.

He rolled up the installation and use instructions, and called the eunuch in the palace to order someone to send it to Queen Zhou to be installed.

He watched as the iron stove was carried away, and he walked around with his hands behind his back, glancing at Wang Chengen from time to time.

Wang Chengen felt bad, he knew that Chongzhen's suspicion was committed again.

Chongzhen's suspicious character is unknown to others, but Wang Chengen, who has accompanied him since childhood, knows.

Chongzhen lost his mother at an early age and his father when he was young, and he did not enjoy the warmth of his family for a day.

He is like a weed, stubbornly growing up on himself, and this kind of psychological trauma is a lingering nightmare in his life, which is not understandable to others.

So he naturally developed a withdrawn, suspicious, and unconfident character, and he also witnessed his mother die under his father's stick, and Zhu Youzhen, who had no sense of security, of course no one believed it.

But he is not like his elder brother Zhu Youxiao, there is also a grandmaster-level teacher on the side to guide, he is completely crossing the river by feeling the stones, exploring how he should be an emperor and be a good emperor.

Therefore, he trusts the literati very much, and he can't wait to dig out his heart, and only hopes that people can treat him sincerely.

It's just that who knows that the party struggle of Donglin and the party has shattered the perfect dream in his heart, as the so-called greater expectations, greater disappointments.

As a result, he no longer easily trusted any minister, whether it was a civil servant or a military general.

"Wang Chengen."

"The minister is here."

"You're so daring."

Wang Chengen didn't know what he had done wrong, so he knelt on the ground in fright and didn't dare to squeak.

"The iron furnace must be made of iron, but where does this king get the iron?

Wang Zezhi not only has iron, but also steel.

I've heard that he has an invincible and invincible steel-armored heavy cavalry.

Why did you help him hide it? ”

Wang Chengen's heart was turbulent, and his henchmen had investigated.

Chongzhen secretly cultivated a group of people outside of Jinyiwei and Dongchang to supervise hundreds of officials for him, including Wang Chengen's mansion under Chongzhi's surveillance.

When he heard about it before, he executed the henchman without saying a word.

Because he knew that since Chongzhen had established this group of people without concealing everything, the emperor didn't want anyone to know about their existence.

He didn't expect that he was the first to be investigated by these people.

"Minister... Minister, there is nothing to say. ”

Wang Chengen thought for a while, he knew that with Chongzhen's temperament, the more you explain, the faster you will die.

Because in Chongzhen's view, explanation is a cover-up, which is the way to death.

It's better to admit than to explain.