Chapter 132 The Age of Hot Weapons
"How would I know? I can't figure out the Master's mind. Anyway, I'll do whatever she tells me to do. But I don't think there will be a war. The Master values his life very much and will never resort to force when he can resolve it with his brain. As the saying goes, the best strategy is to attack the Master's plans, the next best is to attack his alliances, the next best is to attack his troops, and the worst is to attack his cities. Using force is the worst option."
Xu Yinxi was stunned for a moment and looked at Feng'er in surprise. She was surprised at Feng'er's rapid change in one day, and also surprised at Xu Qingying's ability to train her subordinates.
Feng'er is only a few days old, but she can speak such profound truths.
No wonder there are always people in the team rushing to help Xu Qingying. Working with her for a few days can make you progress faster than studying for a year!
"Good girl, did you come up with this last sentence yourself or did you read it in a book?"
"Haha, how would I know that? I just remembered it from what the young master said today. What she meant was that a general who wins every battle is not a famous general; the one who can make the enemy surrender without fighting is the most brilliant. I thought about it and realized that this is exactly the same logic. That's why I said that the young master probably won't use brute force to attack the city, but will most likely use clever tactics to conquer it."
"Outsmart, how do we outsmart them?" Xu Yinxi sighed, "Why don't I have the brains of Sixth Sister?"
Feng Er also said, "I just hope that we can take Lan County without sacrificing a single soldier this time, and then find Zhao Di as soon as possible... I dreamed of her last night... I'm really afraid it's too late..."
When talking about Li Zhaodi who came to the city, Xu Yinxi fell silent. She remembered that her father had agreed to her marriage with Huang Yazi without hesitation. She felt sad. Her fate was so similar to Li Zhaodi's. Both of them sacrificed themselves for others, but no one ever asked them if they were willing!
Is Li Zhaodi willing?
She definitely doesn't want to.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have left in such a hurry without even saying goodbye.
She must have expected that Xu Qingying would not agree to let her enter the city and did not want to implicate Xu Qingying, so she chose to leave without saying goodbye.
Soon, the first group of women who had gone shopping came back.
According to Xu Qingying's instructions, bring back the food and pots and pans first.
The leading woman was from Lao Liao's team, but she was now loyal to Xu Qingying. The reason was that as soon as they entered the city, Miao allowed them to eat first, saying that only after eating would they have the strength to work.
Miao also said that this rule applies to everyone who works for Xu Zhenying.
They each ate ten large, thin-skinned, thick-fleshed buns, hiding a few in their pockets. Miao, however, pretended not to notice and simply paid without a word, saying that it had been difficult for everyone.
Several people immediately burst into tears of gratitude, wishing they could sell their lives to Xu Qingying, and they didn't even remember Lao Liao at all.
Xu Qingying smiled secretly when she heard this. Ever since she made money from selling soap, Miao had finally become generous and no longer cared about trivial matters.
Father and elder brother often taught Miao that they were now doing big things, and that they should be lenient with their subordinates when necessary and strict when necessary. If you were reluctant to spend money, no one would be willing to work for you.
It's rare that Miao finally listened to his family's opinions this time.
However, Xu Qingying also expected that Miao was feeling the pain at this moment.
The leading woman immediately relayed the city's intelligence to Xu Qingying. "Master Xu, everything in Lan County remains the same, but prices have increased several times, and there are many more patrols. Oh, and I had several women buy kitchen knives and hide them in their underwear, so the guards didn't check on us."
Xu Qingying gave her a thumbs up, and then instructed Feng'er and the others to organize people to cook porridge.
Once the blame was raised, everyone finally saw hope and began to get restless.
Feng Er first gathered a few trustworthy young men to guard the food, then gathered the others and emphasized word by word: "I have already told everyone the rules. In order to avoid those who come later waiting for a long time, we will not start cooking until all the food is back. Everyone, please remember your numbers. We will sort by these numbers later, with those with smaller numbers going first and those with larger numbers going last. Each person will only have one bowl, and everyone must finish drinking in front of us before they can leave and move on to the next one. If anyone dares to take it away, cause trouble, receive it twice, or break the rules, then I'm sorry, you will be the only one who won't have food tomorrow!"
The refugees, who had clearly agreed to this earlier, were now complaining: "Why do we have to finish the drink in front of you before we can leave? Can't we just take it home and drink it slowly?"
Feng'er banged the rim of the pot with a spatula and angrily said to the man, "You still want to take it back? We only bought so many bowls. What will happen to the others if you take them away?! You can take it away, but you have to pay for the bowls! Besides, there are so many girls in this square. If you meet someone who favors boys over girls, what will happen if I save the porridge for my daughter and give it to my son?"
Some people were embarrassed when their thoughts were hit upon.
Xu Yinxi watched Feng'er gradually becoming more adept among the refugees, and she felt a strong sense of crisis in her heart.
She used to think that she was no match for Xu Qingying, but now she even feels that she is no match for the people under Xu Qingying.
No, I still have to be brave.
Everything has a first time. Once there is a first time, you won’t be afraid of anything.
Xu Yinxi added, "Since you're eating Master Xu's food, you have to follow Master Xu's rules. If you don't follow the rules, please leave now!"
Feng Er winked at her, "You're too gentle! To deal with people like this, you have to be like a shrew. Learn more from me."
Xu Yinxi suppressed her laughter and asked, "Where did you learn that, girl?"
"Back when I was helping the young master with his soap business, I had to settle accounts. Those ladies would argue with me for an entire afternoon over a few copper coins. Naturally, I developed this ability to throw tantrums and argue. Sister Yinxi, let me tell you, don't think being shrewd is bad. The young master said that people of their status should behave according to their character. When you were a young lady in Bianjing, you naturally had to be dignified and virtuous. Now that we've fallen on hard times and become refugees, we have to be bold and daring. Otherwise, look at these people, they're staring at you like a tiger, and if you show any weakness, they'll pounce on you and tear you to pieces."
Xu Yinxi also felt that this made sense.
"The master also said that face belongs to others, and substance belongs to oneself. Just because of one or two comments from others about you, if someone says you are virtuous, you have to endure all kinds of grievances. If someone praises you for your chastity, you have to die for the family's reputation. It's simply..." Feng'er couldn't find an adjective for a moment, "It's simply...ah, bah..."
Xu Yinxi was amused by her, but later she felt that these words were extremely wonderful.
That’s right, why.
Xu Yinxi felt refreshed, and even her mind became more open. "You're right. We are reborn as women, and life is already full of dangers. If we confine ourselves to a prison, living for the chastity and loyalty that those stinky men talk about, it's really boring. It's better to just let go and do whatever we want, say whatever we want. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"
Xu Qingying didn't know yet that at this moment, Xu Yinxi's thoughts had undergone a drastic change.
She was now recalling the process of making black powder.
Soon, Lian and Miao came back with baskets on their backs. The people in front of the city gate cheered. Feng'er and Xu Yinxi immediately arranged for people to start cooking porridge. There was a joyous atmosphere in front of the city gate.
Everyone gathered around and completely forgot about queuing. Fortunately, Feng'er got angry for a while and pointed at the noses of those who didn't queue and scolded them, and then the crowd quieted down for a while.
Xu Qingying knew that stampedes and fights would easily occur when there were too many people, so she asked Lao Liao's people to maintain order.
He then called over a few trusted aides to discuss the matter of making black gunpowder.
Xu Qingying chose a location relatively far away from the crowd, firstly for safety reasons and secondly for confidentiality reasons. If soap is the first step in lighting up the technology tree, then this black powder is the second step.
The Great Zhou Dynasty didn't even have fireworks, let alone arms.
Then she, Xu Zhenying, produced the first batch of gunpowder in the history of the Zhou Dynasty.
She is about to change the course of the entire Zhou Dynasty!
Xu Zhenying was still a little excited, so he chose the accompanying location and personnel again and again, and finally selected Xu Huiming, Xu Degui, Lian, Zhao, Xu Anping, Xu Yinxi, Feng'er and others.
The people in front of the city gate were cheering and celebrating because of a bowl of porridge.
At this moment, she was surveying the terrain on a distant hillside.
Very good, this is the place. It is far enough from the city gate, with a wide view and no one will peek.
Xu Huiming had been following behind Xu Qingying. Seeing her turning the soil, measuring the distance, and mumbling from time to time, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Sister, what are you doing?"
Xu Qingying remained completely open with Xu Huiming. She smiled faintly, a dark glint flickering in her eyes, "I want to make a weapon."
Xu Huiming was stunned. "What weapon?"
He looked around and pointed at the soil soaked with chicken manure. "Use this thing?"
Xu Huiming is really hard to imagine.
"Don't worry. Let's talk about it after we call someone tonight."
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Miao brought out some steamed buns and even some dried meat that could be kept for several days. "Alas, these people in the city are too cruel. They sell a bun for ten coins, which can buy five in Bianjing. Don't you know? The women who came into the city today couldn't walk once they entered. Why? They were hungry!"
Lian also laughed: "It's hard for my third sister-in-law. She's worried that these people will want to stay in the city and not go back, so she's so generous and doesn't even blink when giving them money. She's just afraid that it will ruin your business."
Xu Qingying also smiled: "Mom is very generous this time. Our family is rich. We must not let money delay things at this critical moment."
Xu Huiming also hurriedly praised Miao: "Mother is now a person who can do great things. She has more than 20 women under her. She did a great job today!"
Miao glared at her, half angry, half angrily saying, "Do you think your mother can't distinguish priorities? Your sister even spent so much money to buy food just for the ingredients of that recipe. How could I be so confused at this critical moment?"
"Then we really underestimated our mother!" Xu Huiming quickly said with a smile, "She deserves a beating."
Miao held the buns in her hand, and for some reason, her eyes were red again. "I was just thinking, we have to make the recipe quickly, and then leave Lan County to pick up Mei Xiao. I don't know what the situation is like in Ye County, and whether they have food to eat. It's so cold, and they are old and young, and I don't know how much they will suffer."
Miao's words made everyone look worried.
After all, the Huang family, the second and third wives, and their younger children are still trapped in Ye County.
Xu Qingying said, "I've sent Zhao Bantou and the others to deliver some food. Perhaps they can hold out for a few days. I've also sent a message to Ye County. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be joining us in Lan County in the next few days."
Finally there was some good news, and everyone's expressions eased a little.
Xu Degui was curious: "Zhenying, what are you planning to make with that recipe?"
Everyone in the Xu family looked at her curiously.
No one even cares where the recipe comes from.
In their opinion, Xu Qingying is capable, so it is not surprising that she can come up with many prescriptions.
You ask where it came from? It was given to her by her maternal grandfather.
Xu Qingying slowly finished the last bun, then stood up and wiped her hands. "Since we're already talking about this, we might as well get going now. Everyone, hurry up and finish eating, we have important things to do tonight!"
What Xu Qingying was going to do tonight was very important, so she sent out almost all her men.
Soon, everyone in front of the city gate knew that Xu Qingying's team was doing something sneaky on the hillside not far away.
Everyone in the exile team was mobilized, including the outer circle, the innermost circle, and the core circle.
Under the heavy siege, the few selected people held their breath and dared not make a sound.
Especially those who missed the express train of soap business last time, at this moment, could not hide their excitement.
Xu Qingying made tens of thousands of taels of silver just from selling one soap recipe. This second recipe must be sold for at least hundreds of thousands of taels.
The faces of the people in the first room turned red with excitement.
Huang Cui'e was excited, as this immense wealth had finally come to their family.
Xu Qingying laid out all the raw materials on the ground and began directing everyone to work. "Uncle, aunt, take these two buckets of soil with chicken manure. First, use water to filter out the saltpeter from the soil. Add about one-third of plant ash to the saltpeter soil and boil it. After boiling, filter it, and boil again. Wait until most of the water in the pot has evaporated and the water inside appears to be gossamer-like."
"Second Aunt, when the water cools down, something white and transparent will precipitate from the bottom. Collect it and keep it safe."
"Dad, Mom, you're responsible for twisting the cotton thread by hand, then putting it in the boiling water to dry, and then igniting it with fire. If it catches fire, it's a success. Make a few more as a backup."
"Uncle and Aunt, grind the sulfur and charcoal into fine powder, the finer the better. Once you've made these four things—cotton thread, sulfur powder, charcoal powder, and saltpeter powder—pack them separately on brown paper and hand them over to me."
Huang Cui'e immediately asked: "Zhenying, what are we doing? Tell us about it so we can have a better understanding."
Lian said, "No matter what he does, just follow what Liuya...Zhenying says."
Feng Er said, "Miss, what should I do then?"
"Don't panic, of course you have something to do." Xu Qingying smiled, took her hand and walked to the side, "I have sent Dazhuang and Jiang Yongkang to guard the outside, but there is no guarantee that there will be no troublemakers snooping. This prescription is very important. Bring a few capable or strong women with you, and lead the team to patrol this area. Oh, that guy under Lao Liao this morning, called... called..."
Feng Er immediately interjected, "That woman's surname is Feng. We all call her Sister Feng. She has three sons and one daughter. She's incredibly capable. She managed to escape with all four children by herself, and not one of them starved to death, nor did any of them get lost. She's quite capable."
As a good boss, praising subordinates is a must-learn skill.
But Xu Qingying also sincerely praised: "You can actually remember the identities and backgrounds of these people, which shows that you are serious and meticulous in your work. Feng'er, tonight's security work is handed over to you. I will also give you Dazhuang and Jiang Yongkang. They will listen to your orders!"
Feng'er suddenly became excited, sighed, and excitedly went to form a team for patrol.
Xu Qingying arranged these things in an orderly manner, and then she had nothing to do. It wasn't that she had nothing to do, but it was all mental work.
She found a good place to sit down, looking at the waning moon hanging high in the sky, thinking of Li Zhaodi in the city, Xu Meixiao and her grandmother in Ye County, and Zhao Bantou and the others who had left for several days. She wondered what the situation was like now. She felt that she still had a long way to go.
She could only calm down and think over and over again about what she needed to do in the next few days, possible situations, and how to deal with emergencies.
She is determined to win Lan County.
They needed a city to shelter themselves, and they also needed a city to clear their identities as exiled prisoners.
As troubled times were about to break out, she felt like a floating duckweed, helpless and adrift, not even knowing how long she would live.
Not only her, the Xu family, but also the people in the exile team, they all need this city to rest and relocate.
At the same time, this place provides shelter from the wind and rain, and can be used for both attack and defense. In troubled times, she must take Lan County.
On the second day, Xu Qingying followed the same method and personally rolled four balls of black gunpowder. She then ordered trusted people to bury them in front of the four city gates in the east, south, west and north of Lan County.
There were many people digging the soil and picking vegetables every day. They mixed in with them, and the guard at the city gate thought they were also here to dig wild vegetables, so he didn't pay much attention. But at noon on the third day, a man walked slowly under the main gate wall, and then took out a fire starter in front of everyone on the city wall.
There was a loud bang, and the whole world shook, as if the wind and clouds had changed color. Dust suddenly flew up, and a huge black cloud rose in the sky. Those on the city wall were shaken and fell to the ground. In the chaos, someone shouted, "The earth dragon is turning over! The earth dragon is turning over! Everyone, hide quickly!"
As the first people to witness the power of gunpowder, if they were asked to describe the scene they saw, they would only say that they saw a huge black cloud and heard deafening explosions in their ears, and nothing else.
The shock waves continue.
The five thousand refugees at the city gate were frightened and ran around in panic, with screams ringing in the ears.
The people in the city were so frightened that they ran away, shouting "Earth dragon turn over" and looking for a safe place to hide.
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