In the gloomy and majestic Ying Mansion, there was a sudden crisp sound of "pop", and a teacup was smashed on the ground and shattered. Several sturdy soldiers kneeling on the ground, armed in civilian clothes and with gray faces, trembled in response, lay on the ground trembling, did not dare to raise their heads, and shouted again and again:

"Spare your life, Lord Ying! I beg you to spare your life! ”

Ying Chengzhao was furious, raised his hand and threw the teapot in front of these people, and the hot water in the teapot splashed on the heads of these people, and several people were shocked and frightened. The two whiskers on Ying Chengzhao's mouth were also turned into his face in anger, and he shouted loudly:

"Spare your life?! Touch your head on your neck! I can't be slashed tonight! It's not the medicine mountain that you blew up, what you blew up is the old life that I should promise! You really have the ability, the northwest is so remote, this explosion of the entire Ding'an City, the entire Dayin, everyone knows, no one knows! By the way, and Taya! Taya is just to the north, and I'm sure I've heard this loud bang too! You, you're going to kill me! ”

Several people cried and cried their heads again and again, and at Ying Chengzhao's feet, pulled his trouser legs, and cried: "My lord! It can't all be thanks to us, it was the soldier who guarded the flame and nitrate who accidentally dropped the torch on the flame and nitrate pile, and it blew up the entire medicine mountain! In the past seven years, our brothers have worked hard without merit! Now only a few of us are lucky not to be killed, please help, sir! ”

Ying Chengzhao kicked them away and roared angrily: "How much effort did it take me to get these firearms into the medicine mountain with rich minerals and hidden terrain? For seven years, God was cut off by you without knowing it! Now it's good, the secret of firearms has long been missing, and the only batch of firearms has been crushed in the ruins! If you ask me to save my life, I will ask you who will save my life. ”

Among the kneeling people, one of them had the courage to raise his head and replied, "Great, great! The firearms are still there, and the hole where we are guarding the firearms has only been shaken down with some rubble, and it's all fine inside......"

Ying Chengzhao was stunned at first, his mouth was so shocked that he couldn't close it, calmed down a little, and said slowly: "What are you?" You tell me again, are all these firearms intact now? ”

Several people were busy kowtowing, and the bold one said: "My lord, all of them are intact and undamaged!" My lord, do you want to move somewhere else? Several of our brothers are most familiar with firearms, so please let us make ....... for our crimes."

Ying Chengzhao glanced at this person with his eyes that rose to cold light, this person was busy lying on the ground and trembling, not daring to say more than half a word, Ying Chengzhao smacked hard, and said in a cruel voice: "Phew! You useless bastards! If it was so easy to transfer such a large number of firearms, why did I bother so much seven years ago! Now that the medicine mountain has been exposed, I can only seal the hole where the firearms are stored with gravel first, and you go back and keep a close watch on me! No one is allowed to approach without my permission! No matter who it is, if you get closer, you can't be killed! Even a few of the emperor's brothers are the same-" Ying Chengzhao raised his hand and made a gesture of cutting it in two on his neck.

Several people were so frightened that they couldn't stop turning their heads, and when they heard that their lives were saved, they shouted gratefully: "We will defend firearms to the death!" ”

Ying Chengzhao sneered: "Hmph! Swearing? Your life, since the moment you stepped into the medicine mountain, has been 'there is no tomorrow'! The first emperor had already set an iron law for the Great Yin: the Yin State was not allowed to cast firearms for eternity, and violators were punished with a thousand cuts Ling Chi to death! Remember, you are not doing things for me, you are fighting for your own lives! Get out of here! ”

A few people retreated, Ying Chengzhao fell into the chair physically and mentally exhausted, the old housekeeper walked out of the back hall, Ying Chengzhao asked, "The long plane hasn't come back yet?" ”

The old housekeeper nodded, Ying Chengzhao rubbed his tightly locked brows, sighed heavily, and said, "In your opinion, how loyal is the long machine to me?" ”

"The reason why Changji recognized the master back then was precisely because he was in harmony with the master's ambitions, and then he did his best to do things for the master, and he was decisive in killing. It's just ......" The old butler suddenly hesitated and stopped going down.

Ying Chengzhao picked up his shrewd triangular eyes, glanced at the old butler, and answered in a deep voice: "Hmph, it's just that he was indecisive as soon as he met that blind fellow doorman." However, since I have taken a fancy to his loyalty and ability, I have to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. ”

The old butler nodded knowingly and said with a smile: "It seems that the master is planning to entrust the long plane with a heavy responsibility." ”

Ying Chengzhao's gaze became deeper and deeper, and he said quietly: "The medicine mountain has been destroyed, and it will definitely become the target of everyone." That batch of firearms had to be transferred, and I can only rest assured that this matter can only be handled by a long time. What about the palace? Something so big happened, what news is there in the palace? ”

The old housekeeper had already inquired, and replied in a low voice: "This is the 'Falling Star Falling West', the princes have been urgently announced to enter the palace, and at this moment they are discussing with the emperor how to appease the people and stabilize the court situation in the mourning hall." ”

Ying Chengzhao's eyes rolled slightly, nodded thoughtfully, and said in a deep voice: "The emperor is in such a hurry to announce that the princes have entered the palace, but it is just for that person. However, that person may not believe it. ”

The old housekeeper had been following Ying Chengzhao's side, knowing what he meant by this, and replied unhurriedly: "Coincidentally, just this morning, all the roosters in Ding'an City who reported the dawn suddenly stopped their throats together, and did not chirp to report the dawn. ”

Ying Chengzhao listened, although he had doubts about this, he didn't know why, he was also a little relieved, and nodded slightly: "I hope." After thinking for a moment, he instructed the housekeeper: "Another day, you arrange for Ze'er to inspect the two elite soldiers I fancie, both of them are new recruits, strong and hot-headed, easy to control and manipulate, and also prepare for the transfer of firearms." ”

The old housekeeper was a little stunned, and then he remembered something, and asked: "Master, those two teams of soldiers are stationed in the capital, does the old man want to transfer the firearms to ......" The old housekeeper seemed to be frightened by the place he thought of, and did not dare to go down.

Ying Chengzhao twitched the corners of his mouth, his eyes were sharp and treacherous, and he said slowly: "The most dangerous place is the safest place." Seven years ago, after the place was encircled and seized for casting firearms, it was desolate. Who would have thought that seven years later, firearms would be quietly transferred there? ”

The old housekeeper exclaimed yes, Ying Chengzhao hesitated again, and added: "By the way, remind Ze'er, take out the posture of a new general, and order troops in the military camp is the most prestigious time." Sooner or later, I will hand over the matter of firearms to him, but the situation is uncertain at the moment, and I cannot let him know. I hope that he can establish himself in the army early, and in that case, if the matter is revealed, I will not affect him. You, Ze'er, this kid, the more you grow up, the more you have to deal with me, I only know that the love in the barracks is a thousand things, and the life is still so black and white, for example, the last time the painting thirteen, it was clear that getting rid of him was beneficial to us and harmless, but Ze'er was let go so confused. ”

The old butler replied with a smile: "The eldest prince is young and vigorous after all. Although the lord blames the eldest prince for treating you indifferently and alienated, he is somewhat glad in his heart. First, because after the eldest prince knew about the firearm, he might not be willing to take his father's life; The second reason is that the master wants to leave a way back for the eldest son in case of the East Window incident one day. ”

Ying Chengzhao glanced at the old butler with a deep smile and did not respond, but in his heart, there was a burst of loneliness, and he raised his dark and uncertain gaze and looked in the direction of the palace from afar.

At this moment, within the palace wall, located in the mourning hall behind the main hall, the heat diffused from the smoke cage for heating is swirling, through the deep hidden Ming and yellow dark embroidered cotton curtains, in the warm pavilion, on the rosewood bed covered with a large group of flowers and bronzed red kang carpet, the emperor of the Great Yin State - Yin Yuanxun sits. He was wearing a python robe embroidered with dragon patterns on a black background, and a white pearl purple and gold crown on his head.

There are three noble and elegant Huanghuali circle chairs on the left and right sides of the bed, and the three princes of Da Yin sit one by one: the second king Xuan, the third Mu king, and the fourth Hongwang, all with graceful expressions, eyes lowered, and quietly listening to the emperor's speech.

The emperor's voice was as deep as thunder, and he said: "Regarding the matter of Yaoshan, I have already told you the news from the northwest in detail, and the state in the northwest will present the meteorite to the capital in a few days." You are my siblings and the pillars of the royal family, so shake the great Yin national line, stabilize the people's hearts, you must start from the beginning, understand? ”

The three princes who had their own hearts and minds, but they all bowed their heads silently and said, "Obey the will of the imperial brother."

The emperor nodded with dignity, only to hear Si Tianjian, who was kneeling on the ground, holding a cloth and calmly saying:

"Your Majesty, I have something to say about the meteorite micro-minister! Recently, the minister watched the sky at night, and recently it was the time when the fire was flowing in October and the big stars were moving westward. Sure enough, at dawn today, the rooster did not return to the morning, and at noon, the meteor fell in the west and smashed on the back mountain of the former criminal minister Yao Shiqing. This is God's praise for His Majesty's punishment of Zang No, in line with the principles of heaven, the four seas are peaceful, and the world returns to the heart! The rooster does not crow and the red sun rises, and the stele is not strangled and the holy is self-revealed. Since the founding of the Great Yin, there has never been such an auspicious celestial phenomenon in the world, Your Majesty is blessed, and it is really the blessing of the Great Yin! ”

The emperor's dim eyes did not look at Si Tianjian who was dancing with a flying color, but stared intently at the prince in green shirts who had not spoken a word since he entered the mourning hall, as if he was thinking about something and worrying about something. After Si Tianjian finished speaking, the emperor tilted his head to the female official who was standing aside and writing straight.

The female official was wearing a sandalwood brocade palace skirt, with green silk on her head curled into a chic and neat cloud-chasing bun, hairpins with a little emerald flowing clouds, a little light makeup, skin like fat snow, a stubborn arrogance and a tranquil temperament that does not touch red dust, which makes people not blasphemy.

The emperor politely asked her, "Master Guan, have you written it down?"

The woman bowed slightly, but there was a kind of perseverance comparable to that of a man in her calm eyes, and she read aloud unhurriedly to the history book in her hand where the ink had not dried:

"In the tenth year of filial piety, in late October, in the city of Ding'an, the rooster did not report in the morning, and at noon, there was a thunderclap in the heavens and the earth, which was a big star, falling in the northwest medicine mountain, and the whole mountain collapsed. Si Tianjian said that this is a rare auspicious omen. ”