Chapter 201 A Batch of Gunpowder
Shen Yuexi finally understood how effective the title of emperor was.
An imperial decree crowned Xiao Zhuo as King Zhao. Without hesitation, Zhao Mu, the commander of the border crossing, handed over 50,000 troops to Xiao Zhuo. General Wei Liang was in charge of the food and fodder supply.
She suddenly became Princess Zhao.
This is what it means to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Xiao Zhuo now had his own army, with the Xiliang army under Mei Pu's command. This formed a combined force of over 80,000 men, strong enough to confront the 200,000-strong Jingzhou army to the south.
Three days later, when Su Mo and the envoy arrived, Xiao Zhuo had already led his army north to attack Nanping City, while the Xiliang army remained in Leshan.
In the words of Xiao Zhuo: "Speed is of the essence in war. While the Western Rong are still concentrating their forces, we should first seize Nanping City."
"My husband led the troops to attack Nanping." Shen Yuexi said to Su Mo.
It is not easy to capture a city. It may take ten days or half a month.
Su Mo brought news of Xiao Beiheng, saying that Xiao Beiheng was willing to share the pressure with Xiao Zhuo and help him resist the Western Rong. Currently, the Dingbei Army was heading towards the outskirts of Nanping City.
Shen Yuexi couldn't figure out why Xiao Beiheng's attitude had taken such a sudden turn, or perhaps it was because she didn't have time to figure it out. Su Mo had discussed hot air ballooning with her last time, but it hadn't gotten off the ground. She took this opportunity to visit Shen Yuexi.
Since she couldn't follow Xiao Zhuo to attack Nanping anyway, Shen Yuexi studied the hot air balloon with Su Mo.
The hot air balloon is not big and is made of thin bamboo and paper.
Su Mo really liked these novel things, and they had something in common. She still had a good impression of Su Mo, but she didn't understand why she could get along with someone as cruel as Xiao Beiheng. She asked indirectly.
Su Mo carefully applied glue to the seam of the hot air balloon and said, "Of course I don't want Bei Heng to act like this. But we women can't interfere in men's affairs."
Shen Yuexi disagreed and said, "What if one day your husband goes too far?"
Su Mo said: "Bei Heng is very thoughtful in his work. I think he will achieve his goal."
"What's the goal?" Shen Yuexi asked.
Su Mo just smiled, lowered her head and concentrated on fiddling with her hot air balloon, saying: "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. I think Bei Heng is already very good."
Seeing that she didn't say much, Shen Yuexi didn't ask any more questions. She said to Su Mo, "Don't put too much on. The more you put on, the heavier the hot air balloon will sink."
She had asked Big Bear to make a hot air balloon before. If she made it herself, if the seams weren't properly connected, the balloon would leak and the balloon wouldn't fly.
Su Mo obeyed her words, put down the glue, held up the hot air balloon with both hands, and said, "Princess, let's go to the yard and try it together."
As the two were walking towards the door, it was suddenly pushed open and Li Wan rushed in.
"Princess, Prince..." Li Wan only said half of the words. Looking at the deflated hot air balloon in Su Mo's hand, she said to Su Mo with an apologetic look, "Princess, I didn't know you were at the door."
Su Mo wasn't angry at all. She just sighed and said to Shen Yuexi, "I still have to stay here for two days anyway. I'll make a new one another day."
Shen Yuexi asked, "Miss Li, what are you so anxious about?"
"Ah, it's my cousin," Li Wan's eyes lit up, "My cousin has taken Nanping."
Shen Yuexi and Su Mo both thought Li Wan was joking. It had only been three days, and even if the cavalry had gone, they would probably have just arrived. They had taken Nanping without even attacking it?
The house they were in was reserved for female family members. Shen Yuexi planned to go out and ask Qiu Liming, so she asked Li Wan to chat with Su Mo.
As they passed through the courtyard, Madam Li was cheerfully instructing her servants to decorate her room. "Everyone, keep an eye on this. His Majesty has already rehabilitated my nephew... That old man drove us away. He'll regret it soon."
Xiao Zhuo's enthronement even shook his aunt. She had the servants furnish her house like the Marquis of Pingyang's, except that Leshan City didn't have as much furniture as the capital.
Arriving at the front yard, Shen Yuexi asked Qiang Lin to call Qiu Liming. When Qiu Liming arrived, he said to her, "Miss Li is right. The scouts report that the lord has already captured Nanping."
"How did you fight?"
"The lord had sent a hundred soldiers disguised as ordinary civilians to infiltrate Nanping. He then led his cavalry to Nanping at full speed, pretending to attack the city. The Western Rong people, fearing him, climbed the city walls to defend. The hundred soldiers took advantage of the opportunity to open the city gates. Nanping was captured without a fight."
Shen Yuexi raised her thumbs and said, "You are indeed my husband."
Qiu Liming also exclaimed in admiration: "If it were us military commanders, we would definitely attack the city step by step. I didn't expect the lord to be so good at using strategies."
"By the way, Madam, there's one more thing," Qiu Liming continued. "The Lord discovered a batch of gunpowder in the Nanping warehouse. It was originally used to make fireworks, but the Xirong people didn't know how to use it, so they just left it there untouched. The Lord said you might need it, so he's had it shipped back to Leshan."
"Gunpowder?" Shen Yuexi asked, "It's almost Chinese New Year, so I guess you want me to make some fireworks?"
Qiu Liming also felt the same way and said, "Maybe it's for the New Year?"
Shen Yuexi interrupted the thought midway. This was too petty-bourgeois thinking.
Wouldn't it be a waste of talent to use something as powerful as gunpowder to make fireworks? She wanted to help her husband conquer the world, so what was the point of making fireworks?
Leshan was short of iron, but Xiaogang Village had iron ore, and this batch of gunpowder could be shipped there. Then the cannon she had always dreamed of could be made. Even if she could make the cannon barrel, without the gunpowder, it was just a decoration.
It’s better to be prepared, just in case it comes in handy someday.
A week later, the gunpowder was finally delivered to Leshan, and Shen Yuexi ordered people to transport the gunpowder to Xiaogang Village.
At this time, Xiao Beiheng's Dingbei Army had already arrived outside Nanping City. According to Mei Pu's request, Nanping was Xiliang's territory. Since Xiao Beiheng was helping Xiliang fight Xirong, he could not cross Nanping.
With Xiao Beiheng's army blocking the Western Rong army for Xiao Zhuo, Xiao Zhuo led his army back to Leshan and prepared to attack the Jingzhou army.
Shen Yuexi worried that Xiao Beiheng might suddenly turn against them and attack Nanping. Xiao Zhuo smiled and said, "I've already transferred Meng Yue to Xiaogang Village. He, Qiu Liming, and Song Zhen will lead 10,000 troops to defend Nanping. Xiao Beiheng can't capture it. Now that the Western Rong have been stopped by Xiao Beiheng, I will lead my army south with Mei Pu. The Mei family has a deep hatred for Jingzhou, and my father has asked me to pacify Jingzhou."
"The other side has an army of 200,000." Shen Yuexi reminded.
Xiao Zhuo said: "Quality is more important than quantity in an army."
Shen Yuexi noticed that Xiao Zhuo had shaken off the past gloom and was now filled with confidence. Come to think of it, once Jingzhou was conquered, he would regain his position as Crown Prince. All that had been lost was recovered.
She said, "It seems the Jingzhou Army is waiting to send troops after the New Year. Why don't we stay in Leshan after the New Year before sending troops?"
Xiao Zhuo said, "After this hasty attack on Nanping, the soldiers of the three armies really need a rest. Rest in Leshan and send out the troops after the New Year."
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