Chapter 87: The Arms Depot Explodes

"So what I'm saying is that there's something wrong with the Ordnance Inspectorate."

Li Yueyao nodded after hearing this.

"Then follow this clue and investigate the Armoury."

"Yes."

Then, the two exchanged information they had collected this afternoon.

The veins on the Duke of Zhenguo's forehead jumped when he heard this. He slapped the table with his palm, and the table was shattered into pieces in an instant.

"Damn it, these guys are too arrogant. They dared to use the Eight Oxen Crossbow on the palace and even wanted to blow up the firearms depot."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Li Yueyao and said, "Your Highness, would you like me to send someone to support the Right Prime Minister?"

“No, you were ordered by the Emperor to investigate the assassination, and now you are not sure whether the mastermind behind these things is the same person.

Therefore, we should treat the two matters as two unrelated things and investigate them separately.

You and Gan Qing just need to follow the assassination incident and track down the Ordnance Inspectorate.

As for the theft at the Treasury Department and the bombing of the firearms depot, these matters are left to Fan Qing and the Right Prime Minister to investigate."

The Duke of Zhenguo nodded in agreement after hearing this.

After the Duke of Zhenguo left, Li Yueyao continued to stand at the door of the study waiting for news.

Nanny Qin walked forward and put a cloak on Li Yueyao:

"Your Highness, it's cold outside. Please wait inside."

Li Yueyao didn't say anything, walked into the study, picked up a book at random, opened it, her eyes were empty, and she couldn't concentrate at all.

He muttered to himself, “The Ministry of War’s Treasury Department, the Military Equipment Supervisory Office, and the Firearms Depot are all top-of-mind and top-secret locations.

Why were they able to infiltrate so smoothly?"

Qian Lou stood at the door for a while before saying, "I'm afraid there are important figures in the court collaborating with him."

"Big shot? Gao Hongchen?" Li Yueyao looked up and asked.

"At the moment, Gao Xiang seems to be the more likely suspect."

The two were talking when someone came in to tell them something. Nanny Qin came in and reported:

"Your Highness, another Eight Oxen Crossbow is set up near the Prince of Qin's Palace."

Li Yueyao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "Yes, I understand. Fortunately, the three Eight Ox Crossbows have been found. This is good news."

Then he turned and asked, "Is there still no news from the Right Prime Minister?"

As soon as Li Yueyao asked the question, she heard an earth-shaking explosion.

The tables and chairs in the room were shaking, and everyone's heart trembled.

Li Yueyao stood up hurriedly, ran out and stood at the door looking to the west, only to see a red light rising into the sky somewhere in the night sky.

"Did the arsenal explode?" Li Yueyao asked in a trembling voice.

Qian Lou calmed himself down and said, "I will go and get the information right away."

As for the Duke of Zhenguo, he had just arrived at the Ordnance Inspectorate and was about to start investigating when he suddenly heard a loud noise.

He looked up and saw flames rising to the sky in the west, and immediately thought something was wrong, thinking there might be something wrong with the weapons depot.

Then he turned to his personal guard and said, "Go out and investigate to see what happened."

Another person nearby suggested, "It sounds like there was an explosion somewhere. It's quite close to us. Why don't we go check it out?"

The Duke of Zhenguo remembered Li Yueyao's previous instructions and said:

“Even if there really was an explosion, it would be the business of the Jinwu Guards and Jingzhao Prefecture.

We are responsible for investigating the assassination of His Majesty, and other matters have nothing to do with us."

When the people around heard this, they responded in unison and continued to investigate.

Fan Yong and Huan Zi'an also followed the clues and found their way to Anyefang.

"This Anyefang is full of high-ranking officials' residences. The man in black lured us here..."

Before Huan Zian could finish his words, he heard an explosion.

Fan Yong looked at the direction of the fire and immediately determined that the arms depot had exploded.

Suddenly, he became extremely anxious and turned to Huan Zian and said:

"It sounds like something happened in the weapons depot. I'll be leaving first. I'll trouble Shaoqing Huan here."

When Huan Zian heard that there was a problem with the firearms depot, he quickly said to Fan Yong:

"Then go quickly. I'm here, don't worry."

Half an hour later, Qian Lou returned and said, "Your Highness, the Right Prime Minister arrived just in time and evacuated everyone nearby.

He then led people to catch the thieves in the armory and successfully arrested several people who were causing trouble and adding fuel to the fire.

But at the last moment, a clerk in the weapons depot suddenly took out a thunder bomb and blew up the small depot on the east side.

The important materials in the arsenal were hidden underground and were not greatly affected.

However, the warehouse contained a lot of items, and the fire was quite large. The Jinwu Guards have already gone to put out the fire."

Li Yueyao quickly asked, "Is anyone injured?"

“The right minister is unobstructed.

However, in order to protect the Right Prime Minister, Yu Zhan and Chen Yue were knocked over by the air wave. Now both of them are in a coma and have been sent back with the servants.

Dr. Zhao is treating two patients right now."

When Li Yueyao heard that she and the two capable men around Feng Shenyu were injured, she said:

"Lead the way, I'll go take a look."

When Li Yueyao went over, Zhao Yuanzheng had already finished reading it.

"How are they?"

Old Man Zhao replied respectfully, "Your Highness, the man in black has two broken ribs and a bump on his head.

The man in blue has a broken leg.

The rest are minor abrasions.”

The one in black is Yu Zhan, and the one in blue is Chen Yue.

"However, fortunately, the two are in good health. As long as they wake up, the others can just rest and recuperate."

Li Yueyao looked at the two people lying on the couch, with only their chests rising and falling, showing no sign of life, and nodded.

Li Yueyao and the emperor shared all the news today.

At this moment, the emperor was also very restless in the Taiji Palace. After hearing the news, he smashed the tea cups and porcelain bottles in the Taiji Palace to pieces in anger.

"This gang of traitors is so rampant. It's really outrageous."

The virtuous concubine stood by and watched the emperor's rage, her face flushed, afraid that she would make the emperor hurt.

He stepped forward and gave the emperor a heart-protecting pill, and also helped him to calm down.

"Your Majesty, even if they have all sorts of schemes, our losses are not great, and the Right Prime Minister and my aunt are safe and sound."

The emperor paused for a moment before continuing, "If it weren't for my aunt and the Right Prime Minister, who knows what chaos this capital would have been in."

Then he lowered his head and said, "It seems that there are really many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the capital of our Great Jin.

My aunt hurried back to the palace after her ancestors appeared in her dreams and warned her that the country was in danger.

Then my father and grandfather appeared in my dreams, saying that the country would be destroyed in my hands. At first I didn’t understand, but now it seems to be true.”

This was the first time that Concubine Xian had heard of these things, so she slowly spoke:

"Your Majesty, with my aunt and the Right Prime Minister outside the palace, we still need to tighten the restrictions inside.

Since ancient times, if there hadn't been a mutiny, how could the Eight Ox Crossbow have appeared in the palace? It's simply unheard of."

The emperor listened and said, "Okay, you and Concubine Shu will discuss this, and Feng Qing will join you in going through the palace carefully.

Kill those who deserve to be killed, without mercy."

"Yes." The virtuous concubine agreed.

This night was destined to be a sleepless night. Everyone in Beijing stayed awake all night because of the explosion.

The next morning, Li Yueyao went to court without makeup, and she looked much more haggard.

The emperor sat at the top with a very ugly look on his face.

In contrast, Gao Hongchen had a calm and peaceful expression, bright eyes, and looked energetic.

The emperor was so upset when he saw this that the first thing he said was:

"Send the Right Prime Minister to the palace."

Gao Hongchen came out immediately to stop it after hearing this.

"Your Majesty, the impeachment of the Right Prime Minister has not yet been fully investigated..."

The Minister of Justice immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Tell me." The emperor said in a deep voice.

"Regarding the impeachment of the Right Prime Minister, I have already verified that it is completely false.

This is a detailed report, please review it, Your Majesty."

The emperor looked at the memorial presented and nodded, saying:

"Well, in that case, then summon the Right Prime Minister to court. I heard he was at the scene last night."

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the Imperial Censor Yuan Zhiying stepped out and said:

"I impeach the Right Prime Minister Feng Shenyu for disobeying the imperial order and the emperor has ordered him to remain at home and await questioning.

But he disobeyed orders and left the house, and appeared at the explosion site last night.

I implore Your Majesty to punish him for the grave crime of disobeying the imperial order and to throw him immediately into the Heavenly Prison."