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

Chapter 59 The Emperor's Personal Visit to "Renmin Pharmaceutical Factory No. 1"

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu was wearing a white, flowing robe.

Its design is similar to the flying fish robe. This type of clothing originated from the Zhisun robe of the Yuan Dynasty. It was originally used as military uniform. After the Ming Dynasty, it was integrated with Hanfu and formed a clothing category called Yesa.

Zhang Jianxiu looked strong and powerful in this outfit.

However, perhaps due to spending too much time in the workshop, the once elegant long robe has now become wrinkled and yellowed, covered with all sorts of stains.

But he was seen using the same intensity he used to train his subordinates in the Imperial Guard, lurking menacingly in the workshop.

If anyone makes a mistake, they will definitely come forward to check and scold them, and then they will take over and complete the process very carefully themselves.

Of course, Zhang Jianxiu also understood the principle of using both kindness and severity, and turned to speak to the more than one hundred people in the workshop.

"Get to work quickly and make sure there are no mistakes. Follow the workshop's procedures. If you do a good job, I, the assistant director, will reward you handsomely!"

In an instant, the workshop's workers, servants, and imperial guards seemed to gain energy and shouted towards the sky.

"No~"

They had no choice but to work hard, as the wages here were more than three times that outside!
Watching his subordinates working hard, Zhang Jianxiu stood with his hands on his hips, looking quite pleased with himself.

But as soon as he turned his head, he saw Zhang Yunxiu's figure. Anger gradually rose on his face, and he stepped forward to question him.

"Zhang Shiyuan, you little brat, you still know how to come!"

At first, he didn't think much of it, but when Zhang Jianxiu turned his head, Zhang Yunxiu almost couldn't help but laugh.

It looked rather comical.

He was only covering his mouth and nose with a tattered cloth, his face was as red as a monkey's bottom, and his eyes were swollen like an inflated pufferfish.

"How did Fourth Brother become like this?"

Zhang Yunxiu was startled, but still laughed heartlessly.

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu glared angrily.

"Isn't it all because of your garlic extract?! I've been in the workshop all day, the smell of garlic is so pungent, it makes my eyes water, and in just a few days I've become like this!"

Zhang Yunxiu exclaimed with emotion, "Fourth Brother has truly made great contributions!"

"Don't mention that! Do you really think your allicin will work?" Zhang Jianxiu said in a fit of frustration.

He has been staying in the workshop for the past few days, leading a group of workers to pound garlic. What he wants is to make money with this so-called "miracle drug".
Zhang Yunxiu provided a complete procedure, including every step in the production of allicin, but Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu still had doubts in his heart: could this little garlic really cure diseases?

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu gritted his teeth and grabbed his younger brother by the neck as he spoke.

"Brother, my life and fortune are all in this. If this garlic extract doesn't work, I'll kill you with one blow, then commit suicide. We'll both be dead!"

Zhang Yunxiu was as slippery as an eel, impossible for him to catch.

After escaping the clutches of evil, Zhang Yunxiu decided to wear soft armor from now on. If he were really taken away by this fool, where would he go to seek justice?

He quickly explained to his fourth brother, who had lost his temper.

"Fourth Brother, don't be anxious. We are brothers from the same mother. Don't bring up anything that might hurt our brotherly relationship. I have some good news for you. His Majesty has appreciated allicin and will be here today to see it. You should prepare yourself."

"Stinky boy!"

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu's chest heaved, but when he heard the word "Your Majesty," his expression froze for a moment.

"Trying to trick me again? How could His Majesty leave the palace? Such jokes are not to be made lightly."

Zhang Jianxiu was afraid that his younger brother would become so outrageous that he would even dare to make jokes about the emperor.

But at that moment, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside.

"You bought garlic again? The yard is already overflowing!" Zhang Jianxiu looked at his younger brother suspiciously.

Zhang Yunxiu felt helpless, as if he had lost the basic trust between people in front of his fourth brother.

It's truly disheartening!

He thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps His Majesty has arrived."

Yesterday, Zhang Yunxiu finally managed to trick the emperor into leaving the palace after much pleading and persuasion. However, it is never easy for the emperor to leave the palace, let alone avoid the palace's spies.

Sure enough, just as the two were about to go out to investigate, a young servant in blue robes ran in. He looked like a eunuch.

"Young Master Zhang, His Majesty Zhu has arrived! Go quickly to greet him!"

Upon entering the workshop, the young eunuch was immediately blinded by the allicin, and his speech became somewhat incoherent.

Zhang Jianxiu had a keen eye and recognized him at a glance as the personal eunuch of the Wanli Emperor.

"Damn it, His Majesty actually came!"

For a moment, he was flustered and confused. Looking at his dirty clothes, he felt they were not suitable for welcoming the emperor.
But just as he hesitated, when he looked down and then up again, Zhang Yunxiu had already disappeared.

Zhang Jianxiu cursed angrily, "You bastard!"

Emperor Wanli rarely rode in a carriage, and this nearly made him feel dizzy and disoriented.

But they couldn't go without a carriage; bringing a sedan chair to the workshop would be far too conspicuous.

Zhang Cheng, watching from the side, felt distressed and quickly comforted him, saying, "Your Majesty, why do you do this? Zhang Shiyuan, too, could have simply presented that miraculous medicine to the palace; why make Your Majesty go through all this trouble? Oh, my heart is heavy."

"Alright." Emperor Wanli found Zhang Cheng's chatter annoying. "Zhang Shiyuan has been with me since childhood. Do you think I don't know his temperament? He may be a bit eccentric, but he's never confused on crucial matters. If it really is that miraculous medicine that can cure all people, what does it matter if I suffer a little?"

"Your Majesty is holy."

"Get out of the car."

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Zhang Cheng quickly got off and placed a dragon-patterned brocade cushion under the emperor's feet.

At this moment, Zhang Yunxiu was already standing at the gate to greet them.

But upon seeing the dragon-patterned brocade cushion, one is speechless.

Zhang Cheng is also incompetent. The emperor is traveling incognito out of the palace, and you use a brocade cushion with a dragon pattern, as if you're afraid others won't know your identity?

The emperor hadn't left the palace in a long time, and everything seemed new and exciting to him. Even though the journey was a bit bumpy, he was in a great mood.

Upon seeing Zhang Yunxiu, he beamed with joy and pointed to the plaque above.

"Shiyuan! The name of your workshop is quite novel, it's called 'Renmin Pharmaceutical Factory No. 1', I've never heard of such a name before."

The emperor's incessant chatter throughout the journey clearly indicated he had been feeling stifled in the palace.

However, Zhang Yunxiu's attention was not on the emperor's words. He noticed that the Wanli Emperor, who was walking over, seemed to have a problem with his walking posture.

In the past, when the emperor was in the palace, he rarely moved around and mostly rode in a palanquin. Today, after getting off the carriage and taking a few steps, the signs of his newfound power became apparent.

Zhang Yunxiu knew that the Wanli Emperor in history suffered from a serious leg ailment that made it difficult for him to move around, and some even believed that the emperor's absence from court was related to his leg problem.

It seems that this leg ailment had been present since his youth?
Zhang Yunxiu's mind was racing, and many ideas immediately came to mind.

But the Wanli Emperor had already arrived in front of him, and seeing Zhang Yunxiu in a daze, he couldn't help but feel a little strange.

"What's wrong? Have you been possessed by an evil spirit today?"

The Wanli Emperor squinted his eyes and said.

"You wouldn't be deceiving me, would you? There's no such thing as a miracle drug! Zhang Shiyuan, this is a crime of deceiving the emperor!"

An ordinary person would be terrified upon hearing this, but Zhang Yunxiu was completely unafraid and said defiantly, "Your Majesty has found out! I deserve to die a thousand deaths. I beg Your Majesty to first behead my father as a warning to others!"

As expected, Zhang Yunxiu had a firm grasp on the emperor's mindset.

Emperor Wanli was about to reprimand the other party, but upon hearing these words, his chubby face twitched.

Punish Zhang Juzheng? That's obviously a pipe dream. At least for now, Wanli still needs Zhang Juzheng to govern the country. Without Zhang Juzheng, how could he continue to shirk his responsibilities?

Suddenly, he felt a pang of sympathy for Prime Minister Zhang. What kind of rebellious son had he given birth to? Always threatening to chop off his father's head?

He coughed, and the Wanli Emperor's expression turned serious.

"Don't joke around. My time is limited. Go and see your so-called 'miracle drug'."

"According to the order."

Zhang Yunxiu led the Wanli Emperor and several disguised eunuchs straight into the workshop.

On the way, Emperor Wanli said with some doubt.

"Zhang Shiyuan, what new weird thing are you wearing on your face this time?"

As soon as he entered, he noticed that Zhang Yunxiu had a white cloth covering his mouth and nose, and he was also wearing a glass blindfold.

Emperor Wanli had certainly seen the glass mirror before, but he still found it strange.

"Your Majesty, these are goggles and a mask. The smell of garlic is strong and may irritate your eyes, nose, and mouth, so it's best to wear them when entering the workshop. I'll go get them for you..."

But no sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Cheng spoke up from the front.

"Your Majesty, this is the workshop. Please open the door for me."

Having received praise last time, Zhang Cheng was even more eager to impress the emperor.

Zhang Yunxiu quickly reached out to stop him.

"Eunuch Zhang, wait a minute!"

But it was too late. The workshop door was suddenly pushed open by Zhang Cheng, and without warning, a strong, spicy smell rushed out!

Standing at the very front, Zhang Cheng suddenly felt as if a fire had struck his face. In an instant, his eyes turned red, his nose burned, and his head buzzed.

Zhang Cheng was startled and sensed something was wrong. He turned around and glared at Zhang Yunxiu.

But as soon as he turned his head, he felt weak and fell backward.

He fell heavily to the ground, almost fainting from the fumes.

As he fell to the ground, Zhang Cheng seemed to realize something and loyally shouted a greeting to Wanli.

"Your Majesty! Run! This is poisonous miasma! There's an ambush! The Zhang family has rebelled!"

(End of this chapter)