This made Li Shimin anxious, and he wanted to trade one for one with me.

Li Shimin pointed to the memorials on the table and said:

"The people who impeached you have written it on their memorials; you can see for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun looked down at the memorial in front of him.

The memorial was very thick, about two fingers wide, and it was clear at a glance that it contained a lot of information.

Cheng Jun picked up the memorial, and as soon as he opened it, unsurprisingly, he saw a string of names.

Xiao Yu, Qian Jiulong, Han Zhongliang, Liu Ji, Yu Zhining, Yan Shigu.

Cheng Jun looked up and asked, "So many people are impeaching me?"

Li Shimin said, "Six people is indeed a lot."

After saying that, he introduced Cheng Jun to him:

"Xiao Yu is the Duke of Song, Qian Jiulong is the Duke of Xun, Han Zhongliang is the Duke of Yingchuan County, Yu Zhining is the Duke of Liyang County, Liu Ji is the Baron of Qingyuan County, and Yan Shigu is the Baron of Langya County."

"Among these people, some were granted titles, some were historians, some were generals with outstanding military achievements, and some were talents of extraordinary ability."

Li Shimin said in a deep voice, "The fact that they jointly impeached you shows the weight of this memorial."

Cheng Jun thought for a moment and asked, "Who started it?"

Li Shimin glanced at him and said, "Does it matter who led the impeachment against you?"

Yes, I need to find out which fool dared to incite so many people to provoke me...

Cheng Jun was thinking to himself when he heard Li Shimin's voice:

"Take a look at the contents of the memorial first."

Cheng Jun lowered his head and carefully read the memorial.

First came Xiao Yu's memorial to the throne.

In his memorial to the throne, Xiao Yu stated: "Where the Tang army's might leads, all the surrounding barbarians submit; there is no need to immediately invest money in developing gunpowder."

Xiao Yu also gave the reason why he said that:

"The Tang Dynasty is currently in dire need of reconstruction. What the court needs is to allow the people to recuperate and rebuild. Gunpowder is not the key to warfare. Using it in war is more of an experiment. Since it is an experiment, there is no need to rush. Limited financial, human, and material resources should be used in more appropriate ways."

Cheng Jun continued reading. The second person to submit a memorial was Qian Jiulong, who wrote in his memorial:

"Throughout history, there are no records of gunpowder being used. If gunpowder were such a superior weapon, why would successive dynasties have abandoned it? Was it that the rulers and ministers of each dynasty did not want to use it?"

Your Majesty, I, Qian Jiulong, believe that the reason why emperors and ministers throughout history have abandoned the use of gunpowder is that it is not a good tool. Your Majesty should learn from history and also refrain from using it, lest you waste your efforts and gain nothing.

Cheng Jun continued reading. Han Zhongliang's memorial stated: "During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Former Han Dynasty, the court was in dire straits, and the people were filled with resentment. This was all due to Emperor Wu's aggressive military campaigns and fondness for warfare. Your Majesty should cultivate benevolence and virtue to subdue the four barbarian tribes, and they will submit. To subdue them with gunpowder weapons will only result in their resentment and submission, which is not the way of a benevolent ruler."

Next was Liu Ji, who stated in his memorial: 'The armies of the realm are taken from the people, and only by using the people can one acquire the land of the realm; this is what is meant by prioritizing the people.'

"Gunpowder, like swords and arrows, is a weapon of death. Swords and arrows have already been developed to a point where they are quite advanced. Throughout history, rulers have gained power using swords and arrows; these are sufficient. Why waste the people's wealth to develop gunpowder?"

"Your Majesty should learn from history and prioritize the people. Rather than wasting public funds on developing firearms, it would be better to incentivize the people and the army with funds. With funds, the people will fight bravely, and the soldiers will be willing to die for their country."

Later, it was Yu Zhining who submitted the memorial, in which he stated:

"The city walls are as solid as mountains; gunpowder cannot breach them. The soldiers' armor is thick and strong; small amounts of gunpowder cannot harm them, while large amounts are easily dodged. Yet, this thing only excites children upon hearing its sound! I believe gunpowder is nothing but a strange and ingenious trick!"

Cheng Jun continued reading expressionlessly. The person presenting the memorial next was Yan Shigu, who wrote:

"Gunpowder was obtained by Cheng Jun from the marketplace, showing how easily it can be acquired. If bandits obtain it, the people will suffer; if rebels obtain it, they will endanger our Great Tang. Possessing such a weapon naturally breeds murderous intent. Your Majesty must be on guard!"

Cheng Jun read the memorial carefully, word for word, before finally putting it down.

Seeing that he had put down the memorial, Li Shimin asked, "Have you finished reading it?"

Cheng Jun nodded and said, "I've finished watching it. Would you like me to share my thoughts?"

"..."

Li Shimin's lips twitched a few times, pretending not to hear anything, picked up the memorial, opened it, and said as he read:

"Not long after the explosion outside Ganlu Hall yesterday, these six people submitted a memorial impeaching you."

"These six people spoke with absolute certainty, criticizing gunpowder from every angle."

"Admittedly, some of the things said in the memorial were taken for granted, but others were not without reason."

"However, I do not agree with these principles."

Li Shimin closed the memorial, threw it on the imperial desk, and said with a stern face:

"I have witnessed the power of gunpowder with my own eyes. Just a jar of gunpowder has such power. What if the jar were larger?"

"If it gets big enough, could it destroy a city?"

"You've got quite the imagination, even thinking about nuclear bombs..." Cheng Jun thought to himself in surprise.

Li Shimin continued, "As for the emperors and ministers of past dynasties, they did not use gunpowder. I have read history books and have never seen any dynasty use gunpowder on the battlefield! It is clear that it is not that emperors of past dynasties did not use this substance, but that it did not exist! If it did not exist, how can there be any claim that it was abandoned?"

"Liu Ji's statement is not worth refuting. Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the weapons used by soldiers of various countries have been constantly changing. Chariots were inferior to cavalry and were eliminated. With the advent of gunpowder, it is hard to say that cavalry would not be eliminated."

Li Shimin snorted coldly: "The Tao says, 'One begets two, two begets three, three begets all things. Things are constantly developing, yet they want me to stop progressing. How can I agree to that?"

"I am very displeased with Yan Shigu's words. What he said is no different from throwing the baby out with the bathwater!"

Li Shimin slammed the memorial a few times, then looked at Cheng Jun and said:

"After reading the memorial yesterday, I issued an imperial decree to hold a palace banquet today. I had hoped to praise you in front of them and thus silence these voices, but you have botched it."

"I dare not even imagine how strong the voices against gunpowder will be at tomorrow's morning court!"

Li Shimin sighed, "Cheng Jun, you must understand, although they seem to be against gunpowder, in reality, they are against you!"

"I told you before not to make too many enemies in the court. Now look what's happened, so many people have jumped out to oppose you. Tell me, what am I supposed to do?"

“I understand that these people are short-sighted. I originally wanted to explain for you, but then I thought it was useless. After all, no matter how much you say, it cannot become a reality. It is just a castle in the air and will only invite ridicule.”

Li Shimin stared at Cheng Jun, his expression turning serious, and said:

"I have decided to send you to the Ministry of War. I hope you will do your utmost to unleash the power of gunpowder and eliminate those who are hindering it."

"Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble? Just deal with the person who raised the question, isn't that enough?" Cheng Jun thought to himself.