Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 884: Chapter 29: There’s No Difference Between Seizing the Throne Proactively or Passively

Before the Lantern Festival, Zhao Yao blew up several alchemy furnaces. Fortunately, he was blessed with great fortune and only suffered minor injuries in the explosions, avoiding death.

Through these explosions, Zhao Yao had accurately grasped the formula for Black Fire. He planned to go to North Mountain to create Black Fire Weapons after the Lantern Festival.

At first, He Lianfang thought Zhao Yao was just fooling around with the alchemy furnace explosions, never imagining he was actually attempting to make Black Fire Weapons. He had heard Zhao Yao speak of firearms before and had seen a simple version made by Zheng Cheng. Zhao Yao mentioned that a true firearm must have Black Fire; without it, a firearm is no different from a crossbow. However, a firearm with Black Fire possessed thousands of times the power.

Although Zhao Yao had not yet ventured to North Mountain to create Black Fire Weapons, He Lianfang had witnessed Zhao Yao previously blow up a massive alchemy furnace five or six meters high. The explosion shattered the furnace into pieces, damaging many things in the backyard. Notably, the backyard’s rockery was split in two by the furnace’s fragments, demonstrating its power.

Zhao Yao told He Lianfang that the ratio of Black Fire could be continuously increased, and its explosive power would also rise accordingly. Black Fire could easily flatten a large mountain or effortlessly destroy a city, leaving it in ruins.

He Lianfang was frightened by Zhao Yao’s description, yet he remained skeptical, having not seen its power firsthand.

Zhao Yao was not angered by He Lianfang’s disbelief. After the Lantern Festival, he planned to have his uncle witness the power of Black Fire once the weapons were made.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, Zhao Yao invited the ministers of his small court to a banquet in a newly constructed grand hotel.

This hotel was located near the dock of Swamp Prefecture and was built luxuriously. Zhao Yao constructed it to the standards of a five-star hotel from the dream world of his namesake Zhao Yao.

The hotel consisted of four buildings: East, West, South, and North. The East and West buildings at the front were generally for ordinary people and merchants. The South and North buildings at the back were reserved for prestigious guests.

Currently, only the East building was completed. The West, South, and North buildings had yet to be constructed.

The East building was meant for regular guests but was also elegantly decorated.

Each building had six floors divided into two levels: Heaven Rooms and Earth Rooms. Heaven Rooms were on the fifth and sixth floors, with a combined total of ten rooms. The third and fourth floors were Earth Rooms, with each floor having twenty rooms. The first and second floors were dining areas, featuring a large hall and private rooms.

No membership was required for the East and West buildings, but membership was necessary for the South and North buildings.

Members had to recharge their membership but enjoyed supreme services.

Each building’s chefs could prepare a variety of cuisines, fulfilling guests’ culinary desires.

This was the first time the East building entertained guests since its completion. Zhao Yao had the chefs prepare Sichuan dishes, allowing the ministers to taste the flavors. Whether they could handle the spiciness was not his concern.

The ministers enjoyed the Lantern Festival lunch immensely, though many returned home with upset stomachs. Rumor has it, several had diarrhea after the meal.

Zhao Yao also set up a stage in the plaza in front of the East building for performances such as opera, acrobatics, and dance to ensure the residents of Swamp Prefecture enjoyed a lively and joyous Lantern Festival.

Besides erecting the stage, Zhao Yao organized a bustling street fair. Similar to New Year’s celebrations, the streets were lined with vendors selling food, toys, drinks, clothing, and various goods.

As it was the Lantern Festival, Zhao Yao arranged a riddle-solving activity where participants could win prizes for correctly guessing lantern riddles. The prizes included various lanterns, which were beautifully crafted and unlike anything seen before by Swamp Prefecture’s residents, especially the glass lanterns. The public eagerly participated in solving riddles, drawn by the allure of the lanterns.

The streets were already bustling during the day, and by night, they were beautifully illuminated, creating a magnificent scene.

Zhao Yao pushed He Lianfang through the bustling streets, enjoying the excitement and festivity of the Lantern Festival.

Seeing the smiles on people’s faces filled Zhao Yao with happiness and a sense of accomplishment. When he first arrived at Swamp Prefecture, the faces of the common people bore no smiles, only expressions of despair or pain. Yet, in just a few months, the blank expressions had vanished, replaced by joy, and the empty eyes now glimmered with hope.