Chapter 100 Seeking Grace from Your Majesty
"Your Highness, I am innocent. Why are you arresting me? I refuse to obey..."
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince is innocent. What are you doing..."
The Jinyiweis all cried out for justice, but the guards of the Eastern Palace didn't care. With a command from the prince, all the Jinyiweis present were captured.
Following that, several East Palace guards rushed into the banknote workshop, and soon they were followed by a group of dusty craftsmen who took out all the raw materials for banknotes one by one.
"Brother, please come here. I'll show you a good show!" Zhu Chong called the guards of the Eastern Palace and escorted Zhu Biao to a distant place. He ignored the Jinyiwei who were kneeling near the door of the banknote workshop and asked Zhang Quan for a fire starter.
Zhu Chong threw the lit fire stick directly into the open banknote workshop.
"boom……"
With a loud bang, like thunder coming out of nowhere, screams rang out one after another.
The Jinyiwei who were kneeling in front of the banknote workshop were the first to be hit. They all fell to the ground, their bodies covered with debris, and many of them were injured.
The banknote paper workshop that just stood behind the Jinyiwei has disappeared, leaving only a pile of ruins.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao and the guards of the Eastern Palace were so frightened that their smiling faces turned pale. Who could have imagined that the power of a fire stick could be so terrifying?
After a long while, Zhu Biao came back to his senses and looked at Zhu Chong who was sitting at ease beside him. "Second brother, how did you do this?"
"Brother, why are you focusing on something so strange? The banknote paper workshop is in such a dangerous situation every day, and you don't care at all. What on earth are you thinking of throwing me into this damn place?"
"I..." Zhu Biao was at a loss for words when answering Zhu Chong. However, he wanted to argue but didn't know where to start.
Indeed, the facts were right in front of him. Even though Zhu Chong explained to him that the banknote paper workshop was full of flammable dust that could explode with just a rise in temperature or a tiny spark, Zhu Biao still couldn't understand.
However, Zhu Biao finally understood that the Baochao Tizhusi was very dangerous, and not just ordinary dangerous. If Zhu Chong had not used such an extreme method to make him understand, something big would have happened in the future!
"Then what do you think we should do?" Crown Prince Zhu Biao was convinced by Zhu Chong and did not hesitate to ask questions.
"It's simple. Clean it regularly every day. No sawdust is allowed in the workshop. But the best way is to open the doors and windows for ventilation!"
"Wouldn't this completely expose the banknote papermaking process? What if the secret was leaked..." Zhu Biao actually had such concerns.
In his opinion, the raw materials of banknote paper are secret. If they are known by someone with ulterior motives, the secret of the treasure banknotes will be lost. If someone succeeds in imitating them, wouldn't that ruin his father's plan?
How could he know that the treasure notes that Zhu Chong was going to make next would be unmatched in terms of anti-counterfeiting, and he was not worried at all about the raw materials for making the banknotes being leaked, because for Zhu Chong, the only thing that could be kept secret about the treasure notes was definitely not the raw materials for making them!
"But you saw it too, brother." Zhu Chong did not intend to explain the details to Zhu Biao. He directly pointed to the ruins not far away and the Jinyiwei lying on the ground and wailing.
"The Banknote Bureau only has one workshop where they make banknotes. If something unexpected happens, production will have to stop. Given the force of the explosion just now, I'm afraid not a single craftsman inside would survive. So, what do you think is more important?"
"I..." When debating in front of Zhu Chong, Zhu Biao was just a younger brother, and even if he had a few more mouths, he could not defeat Zhu Chong.
"Now that I'm here, big brother, please trust me this time. I'll hand over the Treasure Banknote Administration to me. As long as I have your support, I guarantee that you will be the only one to receive the reward for your meritorious service!"
"Forget about meritorious service. How are we going to clean up this mess now?" Zhu Biao was troubled by Zhu Chong's words. He pointed at the Jinyiwei lying on the ground not far away and said, "Those are all my father's men. Even I wouldn't dare to do this, and you really dare!"
"Brother, you saw it too. They just disobeyed my orders. Before you came, not only did they despise me as their superior, but they also kept saying that they wanted to arrest me and charge me with treason..." Zhu Chong took the opportunity to clear his name.
"What?" Sure enough, when Zhu Biao heard Zhu Chong's complaint, his face changed immediately. He didn't even need to interrogate him to determine that what Zhu Chong said was true.
There was no need for Zhu Chong to wrongly accuse the Jinyiwei. Since he said so, it must be true. In this case, these Jinyiwei deserved it. Letting them suffer a little bit first was just like collecting interest.
Zhu Biao was serious about protecting his subordinates. He immediately summoned the head of his Eastern Palace guards. After some instructions, the Eastern Palace guards immediately dragged the Jinyiwei away.
"I will help you with the matter of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but a man must be strong enough to forge iron. Second brother, are you sure you can do a good job as the Director of the Imperial Treasure Banknote Administration Office for father?" Zhu Biao was still a little worried about Zhu Chong.
"Don't worry, big brother. I already have a plan in mind. If you don't believe me, let's go to the palace to see our father now."
When Zhu Chong saw that Zhu Biao was willing to help him, he immediately smiled and made a request. It was not easy for him to meet Zhu Biao now. Even though he was a fifth-rank official, he no longer had the title of prince. If he wanted to enter the palace to see the emperor at any time, he could only go through the prince.
"You want to see the emperor? What for?" Zhu Biao looked suspicious. He didn't believe that Zhu Chong already had a comprehensive plan.
But he could not defeat Zhu Chong. Zhu Chong, who had already made up his mind, dragged the prince, who had just arrived, all the way into the imperial city and blocked Zhu Chong's way in the imperial study where he was reviewing memorials.
"Why are you two here together?" Old Zhu asked with a gleam in his eyes when he saw Zhu Chong and Zhu Biao coming in, but his face was expressionless.
"Your Majesty, I went to the Baochao Tizhusi today to check and unexpectedly discovered something." Zhu Biao stepped forward and told his father everything that happened to him in the Baochao Tizhusi.
This is also what Zhu Chong told Zhu Biao what he could say when he came.
After listening to Zhu Biao's statement, Old Zhu was not angry at all, as if he already knew everything Zhu Biao said.
"Zhu Tiju, we've only had you at the Baochao Tijusi for one day, and you're not worried about how you're going to relieve us, but you've caused so much trouble and now you're the first to complain to us?"
Old Zhu was like this. Although he was pragmatic, he also protected his own son Zhu Chong. However, when facing his own son Zhu Chong, even if he wanted to stand up for the Jinyiwei, he could only grit his teeth and endure it.
It was also because the Jinyiwei themselves were not up to the task, which allowed Zhu Chong to find their weak spot. Zhu could only act like a strict father and emperor in front of Zhu Chong and scold him.
"Your Majesty, I have come here to ask for your grace!"
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