Several guards quickly carried Wei Zheng to a well-ventilated spot.
Fortunately, such large-scale official gatherings usually had imperial physicians in attendance.
This was precisely to prevent any unforeseen accidents and ensure timely treatment.
Watching Wei Zheng being taken away,
Fang Er looked at the others.
"Who else has an opinion? Speak up. This young one is not talented, but willing to debate with all of you."
Li Shimin was very pleased.
Although he himself did not understand the question,
Seeing Wei Zheng, who was always stubborn in front of him, being so provoked that he vomited blood and fainted,
He felt inexplicably refreshed!
It had always been Wei Zheng who argued with others.
Except for Cheng Yaojin, that brute, who could intimidate him with his sandbag-sized fists.
Now, there was another one, Fang Anzhi.
It seemed his life would be much easier from now on.
The other officials looked at each other.
Wei Zheng's fate was clear: if you don't understand something, it's best not to blabber randomly,
Lest you be targeted by this "Fang Cannon."
Yet, there were still those who were not afraid of death.
Duke Lu, Hou Junji, parted the crowd and walked out.
"Your Majesty, this subject has something to say."
Li Shimin raised his chin.
"Duke Lu, just speak your mind. If it concerns this train and these tracks, speak directly to the Marquis of Liaodong.
These are his creations, and he has the most say."
Hou Junji first bowed deeply to Li Shimin.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Then he turned and looked at Fang Er.
"Marquis of Liaodong, this duke does not know how you created this train.
But in my opinion, you must have obtained the demonic Lu Ban's Book!
Only with Lu Ban's demonic book could one possess the method to create such wonders.
It runs on its own without horses or oxen to pull it.
Including your so-called pickup trucks and troop transport vehicles before, they must also have been made using methods from that demonic book.
That is a demonic art that brings disaster to the country and its people, and has been so since ancient times. Those who obtained Lu Ban's book have never had a good end.
Not only that, but it also brings misfortune to others.
After saying this, he turned to Li Shimin again.
"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Liaodong is the Marquis of Liaodong of the Great Tang.
If the wrath of heaven is invoked due to Lu Ban's book, and the nation is cursed by heaven, it may affect the destiny of the Great Tang.
I implore Your Majesty to issue a decree to search Fang Family Village, find Lu Ban's book, and destroy it!"
As soon as Hou Junji finished speaking,
The entire place fell silent!
Before, others looked at Fang Er with admiration, suspicion, disdain, and even hostility.
But now.
After Hou Junji finished speaking,
The way others looked at Fang Er changed!
It was as if they had seen something terrifying.
Fang Er was stunned!
What was this "Lu Ban's Book" he was talking about?
Why was it so terrifying?
He scanned the crowd, looking for Chai Shao and Cheng Yaojin, wanting them to explain.
He searched for a long time but found no trace of them.
These two were truly unreliable!
After thinking about it, he realized he had nothing to worry about and began to speak.
"I do not know what this so-called Lu Ban's demonic book that Duke Lu speaks of is.
This subordinate has never seen it.
As for how this train moves, this subordinate can give Your Majesty and all the lords a demonstration."
After speaking, he asked Zhao Gang to fetch a small stove and a kettle.
Li Shimin was full of curiosity.
He was also very curious about the reason for the train's movement.
As for the matter of Lu Ban's book that Hou Junji mentioned, he did not care at all.
He believed that in terms of techniques, whether they were used for good or evil depended on the user.
"I am the Emperor!
The true Son of Heaven, with the imperial mandate, full of righteousness, impervious to all evil!"
He was just that awesome!
Fang Er directed Zhao Gang to light the stove.
Then he placed the kettle filled with water on it.
Time passed slowly.
White steam began to escape from the gaps of the kettle lid and the spout.
The water temperature inside the kettle gradually increased.
When it boiled, the steam pressure reached its maximum,
Causing the kettle lid to jiggle erratically.
Thinking for a moment, Fang Er picked up a leaf from the ground.
He said to everyone.
"This steam is the reason this train can move.
This small kettle of water can make the lid jump around.
Now, everyone look at this leaf."
He placed the leaf on the spout of the kettle.
As soon as he released his hand, the leaf was instantly blown away by the steam.
This is the power of steam.
The reason the train can move is because on the train, there is a furnace hundreds or even thousands of times larger than this kettle!
The furnace is constantly boiling water, and it is the steam that pushes the train forward.
"Duke Lu, can this explanation convince you?
Or perhaps, because you were punished by the Emperor and not allowed to eat chicken last time you felt carsick, you hold a grudge against this subordinate for building the vehicles?"
Fang Er's last sentence struck Hou Junji to the core.
That was indeed the reason!
The first time, regarding gunpowder, Fang Er was promoted by Li Shimin, which made him uncomfortable, believing Fang Er had gained favor through flattery.
The second time, during the test firing of cannons, it happened that his cannon had a problem.
The fire spewing from the tail of the barrel directly singed off all the hair on his little monkey, and the little monkey itself was almost burned.
Not only that, but he also lost an opportunity to gain credit.
The third time was a few days ago when he rode in the vehicle, which caused him great embarrassment.
Therefore, this time he resorted to specious reasoning, attributing the train to Lu Ban's demonic book.
However, Fang Er's demonstration made it difficult for him to say anything to the contrary.
Seeing that Hou Junji had no response,
Fang Er retorted again.
"Duke Lu, the Great Tang flourishes, and you are a military man by origin, having killed countless people. According to Taoist beliefs, you are a figure who has formed a 'gang' of malevolent energy!
Yet you constantly speak of demonic arts. Could it be that instead of malevolent energy, you possess vengeful energy upon yourself?
Also! The Great Tang's destiny is currently at its peak. What evil spirits would dare to cause trouble?
Could it be that, like Duke Wei, you are colluding with enemy nations and cannot bear to see the Great Tang acquire a new divine artifact?
Answer me!"
With this last sentence, Fang Er shouted directly into Hou Junji's ear with all his might.
Hou Junji was already somewhat unsettled by Fang Er's continuous questioning.
Then, this sudden shout startled him, and he sat down on the ground with a plop.
At this point, even Li Shimin lost face.
This was a Duke of the court, a man forged in battle.
Yet he was being questioned by a teenager in his early teens to this extent.
It was simply a great joke in the world!
So he waved to the guards standing at the periphery.
"Send Duke Lu back. He is unwell and should recuperate at home for a few months."
Hou Junji was finally overwhelmed by the successive blows.
Just like Wei Zheng.
With a "poof!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood,
And then fainted.
Of course, who knows if he was truly unconscious or just pretending.
The other officials, in their hearts, felt both contempt and gratitude towards Hou Junji and Wei Zheng.
Gratitude for these two paving the way and taking the brunt of the attack for them!
As expected, the unbeatable "Mouth Cannon" Fang Anzhi was not just a nickname!