jdhmnovel Chapter 508 Hidden Dangers of Black Fire
Chapter 508 Hidden Dangers of Black Fire
The second prince received the news in the palace the next day, which was already quite fast.
After all, the Third Prince was outside the palace, and he had just learned that his cargo ship had been seized by the Water Transport Bureau.
All the personnel responsible for escorting the goods were taken back by the Water Transport Bureau. The Third Prince was furious, but no one knew who to vent his anger on.
After all, the person in charge of this matter was Yang Guozhong, the Earl of Chengen, who had long since died in the Dali Temple prison.
Why was something that was supposed to be very confidential leaked?
Only Yang Guozhong, himself, and the man in the black robe knew about the black powder entering Beijing.
The man in the black robe would not betray him, and he would never tell anyone.
The prime suspect is still Yang Guozhong. Good, good, he's dead and still trying to frame people!
The Third Prince now wishes he could grind Yang Guozhong to dust.
The last time, the gunpowder caused him to lose tens of thousands of taels of silver, and this time it was even more, in greater quantities, and he lost over a hundred thousand taels of silver again!
He does have a lot of supporters, but he doesn't actually own any profitable businesses.
Over the years, he has converted almost all the items bestowed upon him by the treasury and the palace into silver. After all, it takes money to support his subordinates and to win people over.
The money he had saved up to buy gunpowder was already a hard-won sum; he wouldn't have any more to buy it if he did it again!
No, those people from the Water Transport Bureau have to make him spit it out!
So what if it's gunpowder? Can't I start a fireworks business myself?
He actually opened a fireworks shop in the capital, using some of the black powder to make fireworks for sale, and using the rest for other purposes.
The Third Prince has already devised a plan and intends to personally visit the Water Transport Bureau.
"Hahahaha, they've all been detained, good, good, serves them right! Let's see if they have any good intentions. Did they think all that illegal firewood they were transporting into the capital was just for setting off fireworks? Only a fool would reply!"
Today happened to be the day of the lecture, and when the Second Prince heard Jiang Xiaoqi recount what happened last night, he burst into laughter.
Firstly, he was happy that the third brother had suffered a setback, and secondly, he was happy that his own ships had successfully unloaded their cargo.
This is truly killing two birds with one stone; my luck is just too good!
No, no, no, it should be thanks to Jiang Qing that I was able to get those people from the Water Transport Bureau to come.
"Haha, now the third brother is going to be very anxious. He probably wishes he could grow wings and fly to the Water Transport Bureau to retrieve his goods."
However, the people at the Water Transport Bureau aren't incompetent; they won't give it to him so easily, and there will likely be some wrangling involved.
"Actually, regardless of whether the Third Prince can get the Black Fire out of the Water Transport Department, he has already lost the initiative."
"Oh? How do you say it?"
The second prince's eyes lit up.
"His original intention was to send Hei Huo to the capital without anyone noticing, and Hei Huo's whereabouts would remain a mystery afterward."
However, that's no longer possible; what was done in secret has now become an open affair.
The moment he stepped into the Water Transport Bureau, the entire capital would know that the Third Prince had transported a large quantity of gunpowder into the capital.
The amount of gunpowder used was enough to raze the entire capital to the ground. From now on, if anything happens in the capital, the Third Prince will be the first to be suspected.
Or worse, if someone else also secretly possesses gunpowder, they could easily set off an explosion and frame the Third Prince.
The second prince's eyes widened as he thought about Jiang Xiaoqi's words, and they made perfect sense!
However, bombing the capital city would be too inhumane; the common people would definitely be affected.
"This is surely against the natural order. No matter where you choose, the capital is densely populated, and it will be difficult for ordinary people to avoid it."
Jiang Xiaoqi nodded secretly. The Second Prince's heart was indeed not black. He had accepted all the personal opinions she had smuggled into her lectures. She could rest assured now.
"Your Highness, I believe you would not do such a thing, but what about the Fifth Prince?"
The second prince stood up from behind the desk and paced back and forth.
"No, we have to find a way to stop the fifth brother. As long as this matter affects the third brother, the fifth brother will not let it go."
But who knows if Lao Wu has any gunpowder, and if he does, when will he choose to do it?
"The Fifth Prince will not do this for the time being, since the Third Prince's gunpowder is still at the Water Transport Office. We will have to wait until the Third Prince retrieves the items."
However, Jiang Xiaoqi had already planned it out in his mind. He would keep the gunpowder for the Third Prince for the time being, and he could exchange it for something else for him, ensuring that the weight was consistent and that he would not cheat the young or old.
However, he did not tell the Second Prince about this matter. The problem with the space was inexplicable, and the way he switched the gunpowder was also inexplicable.
That's the Water Transport Bureau. With three ships' worth of cargo, who could switch the goods in an instant without being detected?
That's just wishful thinking!
"Then keep an eye on the fifth and third brothers. When the third brother goes to get the gunpowder, we'll also have someone keep an eye on his whereabouts."
"It would be best if we could snatch them; if not, we'll try to figure out how to destroy them all."
The second prince said, a hint of worry in his eyes, as he was unsure if he could really prevent the tragedy from happening.
Jiang Xiaoqi nodded, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will make the arrangements."
"Does the gentleman have any capable subordinates?" The Second Prince wanted to assign his own men to Jiang Xiaoqi.
"There are two, both quite skilled. One is a former classmate and friend, and the other is a bodyguard who has been with me for many years. These two can be trusted completely."
Jiang Xiaoqi was referring to Lin Qi and Li Mo, who are now very skilled at both tracking and surveillance.
Even if any unexpected event occurs, they have enough force to protect themselves and escape unscathed.
Jiang Xiaoqi wasn't distrustful of the Second Prince's people, but they weren't familiar with them, and it involved things she needed to do later that she couldn't let the Second Prince know.
Therefore, it's more appropriate to use our own people. Even if Li Mo and Lin Qi notice something is wrong, they won't spread it around.
"Alright, then thank you for your help, sir. Your friends and guards will be rewarded after the deed is done!"
With the support of the Tan family, the Second Prince was not short of money. He ate, drank, and lived in the palace, and had few expenses.
Moreover, he was allocated a sum of money to build the prince's residence, but he didn't need to build it for the time being.
Because neither the emperor nor the empress would allow a "mentally challenged" child to live alone.
However, the money still arrived, and the Second Prince could use it for whatever he wanted.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The money was for Lin Qi and Li Mo, so Jiang Xiaoqi naturally wouldn't refuse it on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the Third Prince was rushing to the Water Transport Office.
The Third Prince had a firm grasp on the strategy of "courtesy first, then force." After a round of verbal negotiations failed, the Third Prince decided to resort to force.
With so many skilled martial artists under his command, how could he not handle a mere water transport office?
The entire Water Transport Bureau has no more than a hundred people; how can they possibly fight him?!