Li Banghua breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that Emperor Chongzhen was not going to blame him, and he began to consider the problem in earnest.
The Capital held the largest stock of firearms and gunpowder in the entire country. In his capacity as Minister of War and Senior Grand Secretary, he could at most divert twenty percent of these supplies, and even then, he would need to find someone to stage a fake receipt for them.
While twenty percent might not sound like much, it was a significant quantity. The only uncertainty lay with the merchant caravans. Although the merchants he recruited would be instructed to keep the matter strictly confidential, these merchants had many subordinates with loose tongues; there was no guarantee the news wouldn't leak. To maintain secrecy, he would need the Brocade Guard agents embedded within the caravans to get involved.
Chapter 137