Chapter 478: The Duke of Qin’s generous piece of work (2/2)

Han Yunxi seemed to realize something and tried to turn around, but a warm voice drifted past her ear.

“It should be a beautiful sight. Be good and watch.”

As Long Feiye finished speaking, a boom sounded in the air. The next thing Han Yunxi knew, a series of sparks rose up in the darkness like a red lotus blooming in the night!

The gunpowder had burst through the wine cellar!

Very soon, the explosions grew nonstop, sending endless fireworks into the air. Everyone was too busy fleeing from the terrific explosions to pay them any mind, but Han Yunxi enjoyed the show with her hands over her ears as a certain man held her close! Long Feiye was right. Leaving aside the terror of the explosions, those fireworks really were quite beautiful from this high up.

Han Yunxi was dazzled by the sight!

Meanwhile, the explosions had jolted Gu Qi Sha from his nap. He nearly fell off his tree before he grabbed a lucky branch. By now, the memory of his dream had long left his head, along with the man who had lovingly called him ‘Qi’er.’ He mumbled, “Damn, did Long Feiye do that? He sure plays big.”

That’s right, Long Feiye had orchestrated this explosion. By estimating the quantity of gunpowder in the basement, then the amount of wine stored overhead, he calculated their explosive properties and told Wu Shu to spread the news that the gunpowder was going to blow, then evacuate all people from the site. There weren’t many people in the black markets to begin with, so it was easy to spread the news. After everyone had escaped, Wu Shu set off the gunpowder. Everything happened so suddenly that Zhangsun Zelin was probably still trying to figure out what had happened!

As the explosions grew more and more frequent, the fireworks grew more and more intense. Soon enough, all that was left was a raging inferno! The area around the restaurant had all been ruined by the explosions into a sea of fire. Before long, the flames had spread across the entire street. Now it wasn’t just the eastern district, but the western district that was in danger as well. Leaving aside the flames, the thick smoke was enough to kill countless victims!

Soon enough, the Sky Domain Association made an appearance and opened up sealed pathways to allow more people to flee, then ordered its guards in to maintain order. Long Feiye and Han Yunxi witnessed everything from their vantage point on the roof. An astonished Han Yunxi couldn’t help but laught. “Your Highness, you…you actually…”

“Was it pretty?” Long Feiye asked.

Han Yunxi still nodded in the end. “Indeed, it was.”

Could this count as the first fireworks show they’d seen together? Such a grand and hair-raising sight! Every time he surprises me, it’s always such a generous piece of work. And so unforgettable!

Of course, Han Yunxi turned sober after her shock died down. “Your Highness, you ruined the evidence! What are we supposed to use to negotiate with Zhangsun Zelin?”

“That man has a large sum of silver in your lordship’s private banks. What else do you think we should use against him?” Long Feiye asked back.

Han Yunxi was alarmed. “Your Highness, you…you’ve long been acquainted with Zhangsun Zelin?” That’s when she recalled how Long Feiye hadn’t had much reaction once Ouyang Ningnuo brought up Zhangsun Zelin’s name. All he did was ask who was in charge of one half of the black market.

“Your lordship did know him for a long time, but I didn’t realize he headed half the black market until recently,” Long Feiye replied.

Han Yunxi’s idea had been wonderful, but it wasn’t as perfect as blowing up the black market. Firstly, such a large explosion would definitely send tremors to the surrounding land and even minor earthquakes. The imperial palace would quickly get wind of such news, and Emperor Tianhui would definitely be antsy enough to send over investigators immediately. Once he found the signs of gunpowder, things would turn serious. Emperor Tianhui was so paranoid that he’d be more suspicious if Long Feiye went to give him a report instead. He might even suspect Long Feiye of trying to target the Chu Clan on purpose. However, if Emperor Tianhui was attracted by news of the black market explosion instead, he’d have different thoughts. Emperor Tianhui wasn’t an idiot. The quantity of the gunpowder in the black market would eventually lead him to suspect the Chu Clan.

Moreover, the explosion here had ruin Zhangzun Zelin’s most profitable business in the black markets. As long as Long Feiye silently exposed the news that he was one of the black market’s heads, the imperial court would focus its attention on him. Even if they didn’t have any proof, they would put him on a list of suspicious persons. Then his assets in Tianning would be frozen—including the ones in Long Feiye’s own hands. For a successful merchant, there was no fate worse than this. What else did they value more than their money? Long Feiye didn’t threaten Zhangsun Zelin with knowledge of the gunpowder or his own life, but his money.

Finally, the black market explosion would ruin the gunpowder stock, leaving both the Chu Clan and Emperor Tianhui empty-handed. It also weakened the power of the black market itself, creating less opponents for Long Feiye’s hold over the capital city. After listening to Long Feiye explain all this, Han Yunxi didn’t know what to say anymore. She couldn’t help but admire and adore him!

The flames were spreading towards them now, but there were still explosions going off in the background. It looked like it’d be impossible to salvage anything from the wreckage. Long Feiye took Han Yunxi and left. When Gu Qi Sha saw their retreating forms, he couldn’t help but sigh with regret.

“Ouyang Ningnuo…in the end, what’s the use of your written contract?”