Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 345 No Punishment for Any Party! Showcasing Penicillin Research Results?

When the agents of the Eastern Depot arrived at the scene, the Annamese were almost unrecognizable as human beings.

Although Annam was plagued by war for many years, which of these envoys who came to the Ming Dynasty did not live a life of luxury?

Although they were all royalty, the Tibetans were completely different. Even though they were lamas, the envoys were all incredibly strong and skilled.

Given such a disparity in strength, this struggle could only be a one-sided massacre.

"Waaaah~ Don't you dare pull me away, just let me die! You treacherous dogs! You treacherous dogs!"

Ruan Wenzhong was dragged out of the crowd like a dead dog, but he threw a tantrum on the ground like a wronged child.

The Eastern Depot agents wouldn't tolerate him. This man had spoken disrespectfully to the Wanli Emperor and was already resented by all the agents. The head agent stepped forward and slapped him, glaring at him as he spoke.

"You dog, behave yourself and stop wailing here!"

After being slapped again, Ruan Wenzhong finally gave up, curling up into a ball, looking utterly helpless.

Once the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had stabilized the situation, Emperor Wanli hurriedly arrived from outside.

He glanced over and saw the miserable state of the Annamese, and couldn't help but gasp.

Ruan Wenzhong was in the worst condition, his body covered in bruises and he was almost unrecognizable. His already low nose had sunken in, and his face was swollen like a pig's head, to the point that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him. Emperor Wanli could only vaguely recognize him by his official robes.

The remaining Annamese were all wounded, their eyes sometimes filled with anger, and at other times filled with fear when they saw the Tibetans.

In contrast, the Tibetans appeared quite normal. Almost all of them had blood on their faces, but none of them had fallen and they still looked energetic.

The Eastern Depot agents took control of the Tibetans, but they tacitly refrained from making things difficult for them, because they clearly spotted familiar faces from the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the crowd.

The truth of what happened today is clear to anyone with eyes to see.

Ruan Wenzhong was speechless, but his deputy, Ruan Wenzhong's cousin, was still alive.

Seeing his brother in such a miserable state, and with his own leg broken, Ruan Wenyuan was overcome with grief and shouted loudly at the Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming! This was a premeditated assassination! Our Annamese envoys were attacked in the Ming Dynasty! These traitors are far too rampant! We demand justice! We demand a petition to the Emperor!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to escalate the situation.

Emperor Wanli, speaking in a high-pitched voice, was about to give a proper speech when he caught sight of Ruan Wenzhong and nearly burst out laughing.

Ruan Wenzhong lay helplessly on the ground, looking like a dead dog. His pants had a large hole in the back, revealing his bloody and mangled buttocks. It was a truly disgusting sight!
But Wanli was still the emperor after all, and he had to maintain the decorum expected of an emperor. He certainly couldn't laugh out loud on such a occasion.

He coughed twice and said very seriously.

"Envoy Ruan, this matter has come so suddenly that I was quite startled. Please calm down. I will arrange for doctors to treat you. Once the matter is investigated, I will give you an explanation."

Emperor Wanli naturally had a clear conscience. When the explosion just now occurred, he appeared "panicked," which clearly had nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty!

He had a very serious look on his chubby face.

"How dare they attempt an assassination on the territory of my Great Ming! That is a disrespect to me! If they are caught, they will be severely punished!"

Ruan Wenyuan looked aggrieved, but he clearly understood that while the other party's words sounded nice, whether they could actually uphold "justice" for them was another matter entirely.

So he immediately seized the opportunity and turned his attention to the Tibetans.

Nguyen Van Nguyen gritted his teeth and said, "Our Annam has never had any grudges against Tibet. We have been attacked innocently this time. We beg the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to give us an explanation. Those Tibetans must not get away with it! They should be dealt with according to the law!"

In the chaos just now, it was impossible to tell who had done the poisoning, but the Tibetan attire was conspicuous and most people could recognize it.

Even if we can't seek justice from the Ming Dynasty, these Tibetans will definitely not escape.

The Annamese envoys all wailed and cried, as if they were truly innocent victims.

Emperor Wanli stroked his chin, pondering a solution, glancing at the crowd from time to time.

At this point, the Tibetans understood the accusations made by the Annamese envoy, but they did not react with righteous indignation.

Na Yeli stepped forward in a few steps, respectfully bowed and knelt before Emperor Wanli, and said...

"Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, please allow me to report! We Tibetans have always been kind to others and friendly to all countries. We have never resorted to violence or injuring anyone."

However, this Annamese is a shameless scoundrel who dared to publicly slander our Buddhist teachings. We Tibetans repeatedly showed him courtesy, but the Annamese were aggressive and domineering.

This action has touched a raw nerve in Tibet. If this were in Tibet, such a person would surely be torn to pieces.

We implore Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!

After saying all this, he bowed three times and kowtowed nine times, and continued to add to the story.

"If we have inadvertently offended His Majesty the Emperor's entourage, we beg His Majesty to punish us for this offense!"

Yeli's answer was reasonable and well-founded, and he performed the etiquette perfectly. The surrounding envoys saw the devout appearance of these monks, which was a world of difference compared to the aggressive and petty behavior of the Annamite people. Naturally, they also became biased towards them.

Upon seeing this, the Annamese envoys all wailed and howled, as if a group of demons were dancing wildly.

Ruan Wenyuan shouted, "Nonsense! Nonsense! My brother was merely making a couple of jokes, and the Tibetans beat him like this. Where is justice? If His Majesty the Emperor cannot uphold justice, how can he gain the trust of the officials of all nations?"

Zhang Jing, standing to the side, also found it a bit noisy and glared at him, saying.

"quiet!"

The Annamese envoys then quieted down, their faces filled with anger.

The Wanli Emperor observed the group's reactions, looking thoughtful, and then asked the Ming Dynasty officials.

"What do you all think?"

Yu Youding, the Minister of Rites, naturally had no choice but to take responsibility for this matter. He stepped forward, bowed to the Wanli Emperor, and said...

“Your Majesty, this matter is complicated. It is a great crime for Ü-Tsang to commit violence in front of the Emperor. However, what the envoy from Yeli said also makes sense. Ü-Tsang is a Buddhist country, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are the rulers and fathers of the people of Ü-Tsang.”

The Annamese envoy, Nguyen Van Trung, spoke rudely and disrespectfully of the Buddha, which was tantamount to insulting his sovereign and father.

As a subject, how can one remain indifferent when outsiders insult one's ruler or father?

Everyone nodded in agreement with Yu Youding's words. Some officials had initially spoken up for the Annamese, but Nguyen Van Trung's actions immediately disgusted most of them.

The civil officials of the Ming Dynasty, who usually schemed against each other, suddenly became united in their hatred of the enemy when it came to this matter, especially to a small country like Annam that was being used as bait.

“What you say makes sense, my dear minister.”

The Wanli Emperor pretended to be thinking and nodded repeatedly.

He then turned his attention to Zhang Juzheng, whose opinion was naturally of utmost importance as the Grand Secretary.

"What does Mr. Yuanfu think?"

Surprisingly, Zhang Juzheng's eyes darted around as if searching for someone. It took him a while to realize what was happening before he bowed to the Wanli Emperor and spoke.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, this matter should be handled with caution and leniency. Although the Tibetan envoy has made a mistake, since the Tibetans have come from afar, our Great Ming should treat them with benevolence and righteousness."

Furthermore, this Annamese envoy had spoken rudely and acted disrespectfully before the emperor, so he was certainly at fault.

At this juncture, the most appropriate course of action is to send the envoys to Renmin Medical Center for treatment, ensuring their lives are not in danger.

Zhang Juzheng's words were the most pragmatic, and everyone then turned their attention to Ruan Wenzhong on the ground, who was on his deathbed and about to pass away.

Rather than discussing who is right and who is wrong, it is clearly the most appropriate course of action to send these people to the hospital for treatment.

"What you say, Mr. Yuanfu, is quite appropriate."

The Wanli Emperor nodded slightly and said with a smile.

"Since both parties are at fault, neither will be punished."

After these words from the Ming emperor and his ministers, the incident of the attack on the Annamese envoy was instantly downplayed, and no one even remembered that it was an assassination attempt that caused the chaos.

Whether the Annamese envoy insulted the Buddha is unclear. What everyone remembers is that the Annamese envoy spoke rudely, and the Tibetans, unable to tolerate it any longer, accidentally clashed with him amidst the chaos.

The Annamese envoy, Nguyen Van Nguyen, looked incredulous. Why were they not punished?
I'm the one who's hurt!
What happened to the Annamese?

The Tibetans were standing perfectly fine, so how did it become that the Annamese were also at fault?

“This is…” Ruan Wenyuan had the same bad habit as his brother and wanted to continue arguing.

Emperor Wanli gave him no chance at all, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and said to Zhang Jing.

"Zhang Banban, Ambassador Ruan's injuries are serious. Quickly arrange for someone to take him to the hospital. Don't let Ambassador Ruan's life be in danger. Send all of them to the hospital!"

"According to the order!"

Zhang Jing, newly appointed to his post, acted swiftly and decisively, immediately leading a group of Eastern Depot agents to escort the Annamese out like prisoners.

The situation was completely different when they arrived in Tibet. Most of the Tibetans had suffered minor injuries and seemed unwilling to travel with the Annamese. Led by agents from the Eastern Depot, they descended the mountain from another direction.

"It's unfair! It's so unfair!"

"Waaaaah~ Ahhh~"

Amidst the wailing and howling of the brothers Nguyen Van Nguyen and Nguyen Van Trung, the farce finally returned to calm.

The mountain peak of Xishan Academy fell silent once more.

At some point, Zhang Yunxiu emerged from the crowd, now dressed in a different set of clothes, and reported to the Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged in the laboratory. We invite you, the envoys, to come in and have a look."

Emperor Wanli paused for a moment before smiling and speaking.

"Very good. Please take a look."

Once the crowd had entered the laboratory in an orderly fashion, Zhang Yunxiu was about to follow when he caught a glimpse of someone standing at the door waiting for him.

Zhang Yunxiu was caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. He could only brace himself, put on an innocent and charming smile, and go to greet his father, Zhang Juzheng.

He smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Father, were you frightened just now? I'll have the academy bring you some tea later to calm your nerves."

"Oh dear, this Annamese envoy is really making a mess! He's caused such a huge disturbance, but thankfully it's all over without serious harm."

Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes, put his hands behind his back, and examined his youngest son as he spoke.

"Where did you go just now? Why weren't you by His Majesty's side?"

Zhang Yunxiu's face immediately stiffened: "This... I was just preparing for the laboratory so that the envoys could visit. Why do you say that, Father?"

"Then why did you change your clothes so many times?"

Zhang Juzheng's piercing gaze.

"The shouts just now sounded very familiar. That explosion must have been from a specially made grenade, right? If it were an accident at a gunpowder factory, the sound would be much louder and there wouldn't be as much smoke."

besides"

He paused for a moment.

"But there wasn't time to change the shoes; they're still stained with blood. Should I go and find the agents from the Eastern Depot to investigate them thoroughly?"

Zhang Yunxiu's lips twitched. Was his cheapskate father some Song Ci, the Chief Judge of the Song Dynasty? How could he notice such details?

He had no intention of hiding anything, and helplessly spread his hands as he spoke.

"The Annamese are too arrogant and domineering. We can't force them, but we can't just swallow this insult. If we just blindly accept this, which country will be willing to submit to our Great Ming in the future?"

In summary, Zhang Yunxiu's unconventional approach was the best solution.

Not only did it teach the Annamese a lesson, but it also muddied the waters of today's mess. When the news spreads, the focus will no longer be on whether the Ming Dynasty's policy of sending "students abroad" was reasonable or not.

All eyes will be drawn to the explosive news that the Annamese and Tibetan envoys have gotten into a fight.

It both saved face for the Ming emperor and his officials and pushed things forward; it can be said that this matter was handled very well.

But the only problem is that these methods are really a bit...
Zhang Juzheng looked rather helpless: "Even if that Annamese envoy is arrogant and domineering, you can't take advantage of the chaos to beat him up like that. The court has its own methods for handling matters. If things are handled recklessly like this, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"

For traditional scholar-officials, Zhang Yunxiu's actions were not only risky, but also a violation of the existing rules of the court.

But ironically, the matter was indeed resolved perfectly, leaving Zhang Juzheng feeling like he wanted to vent his anger but had nowhere to vent it.

Zhang Yunxiu reiterated his previous statement.

"Father, the Ming Dynasty is no longer the Ming Dynasty of the past."

After leaving those words, Zhang Yunxiu fled in panic before Zhang Juzheng could react.

As Zhang Juzheng watched his youngest son's increasingly tall figure grow, the veins on his face would sometimes bulge and sometimes sag, and between these ups and downs, he seemed to feel a sense of powerlessness.

After walking through the corridor, everyone changed into a pristine white lab coat, and even wore shoe covers and masks.

"You look so pretty in all that white and clean clothes."

Hosokawa Iya looked at his outfit with great curiosity and actually liked it.

However, Hosokawa Yusai looked at him with disgust, and he shuddered, feeling uncomfortable all over.

"This garment resembles prison clothing. What is the meaning behind this by the Ming emperor and his officials?"

Hosokawa Iya immediately explained, "Father, you are mistaken. This is a protective suit. We bring many bacteria and germs from outside, and wearing this protective suit will prevent it from affecting the laboratory environment. Also, there are some culture dishes containing germs in this laboratory, and wearing the protective suit will protect us from harm."

Hosokawa Yusai narrowed his eyes and said, "You also learned these things from that Wanli Xinbao newspaper?"

“All the scientific methods are in the Wanli Xinbao,” Hosokawa Ito said with a sigh. “I don’t know how that Lord Shiyuan could be so magnanimous. Such wonderful methods would definitely be kept secret in other countries, but he published them publicly in the newspaper.”

Or is it that, given the strength of the Ming Dynasty, it is simply not afraid of others stealing its techniques?

Hosokawa Yusai couldn't help but become wary: "Iya! You must remember your responsibilities! Never let your emotions get the better of you!"

Hosokawa Iya said with a respectful expression, "Please rest assured, Father."

She said it, but it's unclear whether she truly took it to heart.

Just then, Zhang Yunxiu came out from inside with a young man who looked somewhat haggard.

The young man was the first to bow to the Wanli Emperor and speak.

"Student Yuan Zongdao greets Your Majesty!"

Emperor Wanli looked at the other party with a very appreciative look: "You must be Yuan Zongdao? I have heard that you are the most capable person in this medical school. You have made great contributions to the improvement of allicin and the research and development of a number of drugs. I will remember them all."

Yuan Zongdao's lab coat was worn out and even had several holes. Although he was only twenty-two years old, he already had very deep eye bags.

Upon hearing Emperor Wanli's words, Yuan Zongdao trembled violently and prostrated himself on his knees.

"Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Emperor Wanli smiled warmly. These students from the medical and mechanical engineering schools were much simpler than the corrupt officials in the court, each with their own ulterior motives.

"No need for formalities." Emperor Wanli seemed to be in a good mood. "Today, envoys from various countries are present. You must not disgrace the Great Ming Dynasty. Show them the most advanced research technology of the Great Ming Dynasty!"

Yuan Zongdao was already prepared, and he bowed again and said.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, our Great Ming Medical College has made significant progress in its research recently, mainly in the area of ​​penicillin."

He licked his lips, looking slightly excited.

"There has been some progress in the production of penicillin!"

(End of this chapter)