Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 238 You Accuse Me of Treason, I'll Smear You with a Toilet! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Once the gunpowder paste in the pot was cooked, Zhao Ji used a gourd ladle to scoop it into a basin to cool, which further increased its viscosity and allowed the gunpowder powder to adhere better to the cotton thread.

While waiting for the temperature to drop, Zhao Ji washed his face, took off his Taoist robe, changed into a worker's short tunic, and shook out the cotton thread that the Imperial Armory had sorted out.

Before long, the gunpowder paste cooled down. He pressed the cotton thread into the paste to soak, then pulled out the end of the thread and wrapped it at intervals around a fixed wooden frame.

The cotton thread, now stained with gunpowder paste, was noticeably thicker, several times thicker.

Drying the fuse while it's taut will make it burn more evenly and the burning speed more stable.

After all the cotton threads were dried, Emperor Huizong ordered wax oil to be prepared. Once the threads were completely dry, they were dipped in hot wax oil to coat the surface with a layer of wax, which would prevent moisture and water from entering the water and allow them to be preserved for many days.

Next, Zhao Ji wrote the topic of his next research on a blackened wooden board next to him:

[Friction-ignition fuse]

This technology was already in its rudimentary form during the Southern Song Dynasty, but it was not formalized in history. Now that I see it described in "The Evolution of Gunpowder," Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) intends to study it in detail.

Once a stable friction-ignition fuse can be made, weapons such as explosive charges, grenades, and landmines can be manufactured.

Even artillery shells could be upgraded to delayed-fuze exploding shells, with some iron filings or shrapnel added inside, which should result in a decent kill radius.

After all, the Western Xia people wouldn't lie down to avoid the bombs if they suddenly saw this thing; it would be terrifying if it exploded.

If the iron filings were replaced with white phosphorus, the effect would probably be even better.

While Zhao Ji was researching the art of explosion in the guise of Nobel, Zhou Yi came to the Sanqing Hall in the Hunyuan Palace and used the Bagua abacus to deduce that Ding Zhenhua's relative had been invaded by Yin energy.

As for the prosperity of wealth in one's birth chart, it seems that this has also been affected.

You'll still make money, but the money will end up in someone else's pocket.

He told Ding Zhenhua the result:

"Have your relative come to Hunyuan Palace soon, I want to see what's wrong with him."

Now is a crucial time to accumulate merit, and Master Zhou will not miss any opportunity to earn merit... Moreover, good and evil cannot coexist, and when he sees traces of evil spirits, he must take action when necessary.

Ding Zhenhua lost interest in chatting. After the workers finished unloading the truck, he went to the God of Wealth Temple to donate 20,000 yuan, then drove away to visit his distant relative.

Zhou Yi checked the quantity of flour delivered, printed out the tax invoices based on the price, and said to Wu Meiniang:

"Take the flour from the entrance of the Great Buddha Hall with you next time you leave. Consider it a reward for Li Mingda to work hard at farming. But tell her not to focus on these things. She should try to learn the elementary school courses on her own as much as possible."

"Rest assured, Immortal Master, I will supervise her studies."

The next morning, the two drove to the Dragon King Temple to participate in the temple's beam-raising ceremony.

Meanwhile, in the world of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty, after resting for a night at the Shili Pavilion post station, Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang finally received the imperial edict to enter the capital and meet the emperor.

Before receiving the imperial edict, the two were not allowed to enter Chang'an or return home; they could only handle their private affairs after meeting the emperor.

Before entering Chang'an, Chen Tang ordered his entourage to settle the remaining women at the post station. They had no home and no relatives or friends to rely on. After finishing his official business, Chen Tang would prepare for a matchmaking event and, as their family members, arrange for them to marry the soldiers in the army.

On the way to Beijing, Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang's families all came to visit.

The imperial court only stipulated that one could not go home, but did not stipulate that one could not see family members on the way to the capital.

Gan Yanshou's large family was quite a sight, with nearly ten horse-drawn carriages, while Chen Tang's family was very poor, consisting only of his wife and a two-year-old child named Chen Feng, who had walked all the way from the city.

Upon seeing his son, Chen Tang immediately picked him up on the horse. Just as the little guy was about to cry, he stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth and then slipped a bag of money into his wife's hand.
"Take Feng'er home. I'll go back after I finish my business. If anyone brings anything home, just leave it in the yard. Don't worry about anything else, I'll take care of everything."

Chen Tang's wife discovered there were several strings of cash involved and said worriedly:

"Husband, whose money did you borrow? Won't they come knocking on our door again, demanding repayment?"

Chen Tang blushed:
"Don't mention it. Let's go home first, buy some meat, and you and Feng'er can nourish yourselves."

This scene filled Gan Yanshou with sorrow, and he instructed his family:
“Make room for a carriage to take Zigong’s family home. Prepare everything that his family needs, and leave the best carriage at Zigong’s house for them to use.”

When Gan Yanshou set off for the Western Regions, he actually looked down on Chen Tang a bit, because this guy had sold everything he owned and gave gifts everywhere to get the position of deputy commander of the Western Regions, while Gan Yanshou was a genuine military general with real merit.

One rose through the ranks step by step, while the other obtained his official position by giving gifts; they were inherently at odds.

But after the expedition against Zhizhi Chanyu, he not only recognized Chen Tang's talent, but also felt very sad... Talented people need to flatter and fawn to get the opportunity to show their talents. What kind of world is this?
After both families left, Gan Yanshou asked Chen Tang:
"You've sent things to Chang'an several times, why didn't you send some money to your family?"

Chen Tang chewed on the wheat cakes his wife had brought, watching his family's departing figures, and said:
“My wife is too honest, and the child is too young. It’s easy for others to covet the money I bring… But it’s alright now. I, Chen Tang, am back. The good day I promised her when we got married will soon come true!” Upon entering Chang’an, the people greeted the two of them as they rode tall horses, and some even tried to force food from their homes onto the horses.

Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang bowed in gratitude, and the deep bond between the army and the people was vividly demonstrated at that moment.

Upon arriving at the palace, the two dismounted, handed over their weapons, and, carrying the heads of Zhizhi Chanyu's entire family, swaggered into Weiyang Palace.

Upon entering, he handed over the official seal to verify his identity.

The eunuchs performed each procedure very strictly, clearly under the instructions of Shi Xian, the Grand Secretary.

Chen Tang said with a grin:

“Let this castrated dog jump around for another day, no, let’s say an hour. If he can still stand and talk after an hour, I’ll take his surname from now on.”

Upon hearing this, the eunuchs who were searching Chen Tang's body immediately stopped and diligently wiped the stains off Chen Tang's armor with their sleeves... perfectly demonstrating the idiom "arrogant at first, obsequious at second".

At this moment, the grand court assembly was in progress. The two men took off their shoes and came in, each carrying several human heads. It was a pity that they were not Manchu heads, otherwise they could have played with yo-yos.

Emperor Yuan, Liu Shi, sat on the dragon throne and, upon seeing so many heads that were pickled to a grotesque state, almost vomited.

"You two generals have brought honor to our great Han Dynasty and traveled a long way. You must be very tired."

Gan Yanshou, representing the duo, made a polite remark. Just as he was about to steer the conversation toward the calamity posed by foreign tribes, the official at the front, who was over fifty years old, stood up abruptly:

"Your Majesty, I impeach Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang for bringing the severed heads into the palace, attempting to defile the imperial city with secret methods, and for plotting rebellion."

This official was none other than Prime Minister Kuang Heng, who constantly talked about benevolence and morality.

Gan Yanshou and Chen Tang are now prominent figures in Chang'an. Ordinary impeachments cannot touch them at all, so the only option is to accuse them of treason.

Yesterday, Kuang Heng spent the whole day preparing his memorial, starting with the fact that the corpse of the barbarian Chanyu had defiled the palace, and then going on and on about how it affected the fate of the nation. He also listed a series of recent abnormal events to prove that after Chen Tang killed Zhizhi Chanyu, the Han Dynasty suffered retribution, and even His Majesty's recent illness was related to this.

If Emperor Yuan is willing to listen, these two people will definitely not have a good outcome.

In order to succeed, Kuang Heng notified everyone he could win over, and was just waiting for the day when the two of them would bring the severed heads to the court for an audience.

Right General Wang Shang frowned, feeling that Kuang Heng was making baseless accusations. He was about to step forward when Chen Tang suddenly waved the head of Zhizhi Chanyu in front of Kuang Heng:
"The Prime Minister must be very saddened to see this head, right?"

Kuang Heng answered loudly:

"Indeed, Zhizhi Chanyu is the ruler of a country. Now that you are holding him in your hands like this, any virtuous and righteous person would be saddened to see this."

Chen Tang chuckled:
"This can't be true, can it? Before he killed Zhizhi Chanyu, he told me a story. He said that in his youth he had captured a scholar from Donghai County. The scholar was fair-skinned and tender, and he loved to pleasuring himself between Zhizhi's legs. A few years later, the scholar left, but before leaving, he recognized Zhizhi Chanyu as his adoptive father. Later, he studied diligently and actually became the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty... Before he died, Zhizhi Chanyu was still lamenting that he had never heard the Prime Minister call him 'father,' which was a real regret!"

These words made Kuang Heng so angry that he vomited blood:

"You're making baseless accusations! I... I've never known Zhizhi Chanyu!"

Yesterday, while writing his memorial at home, he deduced all of Chen Tang's possible reactions and made targeted arrangements.

But who could have imagined that Chen Tang would pull a dirty trick, implicating me in treason, and then claiming I was Zhizhi Chanyu's adopted son and that we had that kind of relationship.

Throughout history, gossip has always garnered more clicks than serious news, and the Han Dynasty is no exception.

Before the story of Chen Tang's steel whip was even finished, some of the ministers covered their mouths and laughed, some lowered their heads and shook their shoulders, and some whispered to the people next to them... In short, everyone listened attentively.

Kuang Heng realized that all the tactics he had prepared had failed, and what he needed to do now was to quickly deny his relationship with Zhizhi Chanyu.

But Chen Tang, that guy, was practically waving his head in front of him:
"Prime Minister, do you dare to watch Zhizhi Chanyu repeat what he just said?"

Kuang Heng immediately cowered. Zhizhi Chanyu's dried pig head was truly hideous and terrifying, and he dared not look at it for long... But doing so would make him appear guilty, thus confirming this tabloid news.

At the crucial moment, Emperor Yuan stepped in to smooth things over:
"Chen Zigong, stop talking nonsense and tell me the whole story of how Zhizhi Chanyu was killed."

Chen Tang put down the severed head, bowed, and said:
"Your Majesty, I impeach the Prime Minister for deliberately using incorrect maps to demarcate fiefdoms, misappropriating tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, and secretly altering the figures."

Kuang Heng panicked and immediately retorted:

"Your Majesty, I did not. I divided the area entirely according to the map."

Chen Tang calmly took out the Hunyuan Palace token from his robes:

"Really? Do you dare swear?"

(End of this chapter)