As dawn broke, the Grand Commandant's residence was already bustling with activity.

As soon as Zhang Erhe opened the gate, he saw Xiang Lihe and several Mohist disciples rushing over, each carefully protecting the wooden box in their arms.

"Is the Grand Commandant here? We worked through the night to make new homemade bombs, which are an improvement over yesterday's batch!" Xiang Lihe was beaming with excitement, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"He's in the study. I'll go inform him now." Zhang Erhe led them through the courtyard. A series of hurried footsteps echoed on the still-dampened flagstones.

The wicked man was preparing to go to court when he saw Xiangli He and his entourage arrive. He quickly put down the bamboo slips he was holding. Upon seeing the neatly arranged homemade bombs in the wooden box, he burst out laughing: "Perfect! Just what we need to show the King and all the officials!"

"This time, Zizhen and I improved the fuse structure." Xianglihe took out a homemade bomb and pointed to the details, explaining, "We used a special fuse, which makes the burning more even and the burning time easier to control. The outer shell also has a new clay ratio, making it both sturdy and easy to break."

The wicked man meticulously inspected every detail, nodding in satisfaction. "Well done. You've worked hard these past few days." He gently stroked the smooth surface of the pottery jar, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. "Come, follow me to the palace, let them see what's what!"

"A live demonstration?" Xiang Lihe asked nervously. "Shouldn't we try it out first?"

"No problem." The wicked man said confidently. "Yesterday's test proved it was feasible. Today I have my own plan." He instructed Zhang Erhe to prepare a carriage and then carefully checked the fuse and sealant of each homemade bomb.

The group set off by carriage towards the palace. The early winter morning breeze still carried a chill, and there were few pedestrians on the streets.

Upon arriving at the palace gates, the guards, seeing that it was the Grand Commandant himself, quickly allowed them to pass. The wicked man led Xiangli He and the others in a large swaying entourage. Along the way, officials they encountered bowed to them, but also cast curious glances at the wooden box in their hands.

Upon entering the main hall, all the civil and military officials were already present. The generals stood on the left, each exuding heroic spirit; the civil officials stood on the right, their expressions solemn. In the hall, Ying Zheng was reviewing memorials.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!" The wicked man stepped forward and bowed.

Ying Zheng raised his eyes, his gaze immediately drawn to the wooden box in his husband's hand: "What has the Grand Commandant brought into the palace?"

"Your Majesty, this is the new weapon you've been waiting for!!" the wicked man proclaimed loudly. "If Your Majesty is interested, why not move to the training ground and allow me to demonstrate it to you?"

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials turned to look. New weapons? What has the Grand Commandant been busy with these days?

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up: "Excellent! I've been wanting to see what the Grand Commandant has been up to these past few days." He rose and walked towards the palace gates. "My beloved guards, come with me."

The large procession arrived at the training ground. The wicked man had already ordered his men to prepare various targets: sturdy wooden stakes, heavy iron armor, and rows of strong shields. He also ordered his men to set up cover at a distance to prevent injury from flying debris.

"Please step back, everyone," the wicked man shouted, "This thing is extremely powerful; please be careful."

"Grand Commandant, what exactly is this?" Meng Ao couldn't contain his curiosity and stepped forward to ask. The other generals also craned their necks to look, eager to see what it was.

The wicked man solemnly took a homemade bomb from the wooden box and held it high above his head: "This is called a homemade bomb; it is made using the power of gunpowder. Look, everyone—"

He personally placed the improvised explosive device near the target, deftly lit the fuse, and then quickly retreated. Everyone held their breath, wondering what would happen next.

"boom!"

The sudden, deafening explosion made people's eardrums ache. After the blinding flash of light, the smoke and dust dissipated, revealing that the thick wooden stake had been blasted to pieces, and the armored vehicle had been overturned and twisted on the ground.

The flying debris struck the shield, creating a series of loud thuds.

"Hiss—" The entire court of civil and military officials gasped in unison. Even the generals who were used to grand occasions showed expressions of disbelief.

Before anyone could react, the wicked man produced a second one: "Look again, everyone—"

"Boom!" Another deafening explosion. The heavy shield was instantly blasted into pieces, with fragments flying everywhere. Smoke and dust filled the air, and the pungent smell of gunpowder lingered for a long time.

After several explosions, the training ground was a complete mess.

The wooden stakes were leaning haphazardly, the armor was tattered and broken, and the ground was riddled with bullet holes of varying depths. Even the usually composed Han Fei couldn't help but exclaim, "What formidable firearms!"

Ying Zheng was extremely excited. He strode over to his wicked husband and grabbed his hand: "Grand Commandant, is this truly the thing you spoke of that day?"

"Your Majesty," the wicked man replied, "it's just the most basic application, with very low power. We've been experimenting and improving it repeatedly these past few days, and we've finally made some progress. The manufacturing method isn't complicated; the key lies in the gunpowder ratio and the outer casing craftsmanship."

"Excellent! Excellent!" Ying Zheng praised repeatedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "If this were used on the battlefield, wouldn't it be invincible? Conquering cities and seizing territories would be twice as effective with half the effort!"

Generals like Wang Jian also gathered around, bombarding them with questions:

How do I use this?

Is there any danger?

"Can it be mass-produced?"

Even the usually silent veterans couldn't contain their curiosity and crowded around to look at the unused homemade bombs.

"Please be patient, everyone." The wicked man gestured for Xiang Lihe to step forward. "Once the workshop has started mass production, it will be distributed to each department for trial use. However, this item is dangerous, so please use it with extreme caution. If you are not careful, you may injure yourself."

"The Grand Commandant is right," Han Fei stepped forward to advise, "While such a powerful weapon is excellent, safety must be ensured. It would be better to conduct a small-scale trial first, and then promote its use once we have fully mastered it. Furthermore, storage and transportation are also major issues that require careful consideration."

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