Chapter 10
Three or two Kongming lanterns rose into the sky, slowly soaring higher. Liu Ju clasped his hands together devoutly, closed his eyes, and made a wish. The others stared, not blinking.
As the Kongming lantern flew higher and higher, and farther and farther away, Liu Che turned around and asked, "Can you see anything?"
Liu Ju raised his hand enthusiastically: "I know. During the day, the sunlight is strong and the light of the Kongming lanterns is completely obscured. At night, when it's pitch black, the Kongming lanterns shine brightly in the sky. If there are many of them, they complement each other and look even better!"
"Am I asking about the difference between day and night? Why are you joining in the fun?" Liu Che glared, his expression serious and a warning. Liu Ju shrank his neck and shut up wisely.
Liu Che retracted his gaze and spoke again: "What do you think, Zhongqing?"
Zhongqing was Wei Qing's pen name. He thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask, how far can this lantern fly?"
Considering that Liu Che had previously said that this thing was made by Liu Ju, Wei Qing turned his gaze to Liu Ju.
Liu Ju was confused: "Father asks you, why are you looking at me? Is the answer written on my face? I don't know!"
Liu Che's mouth twitched and he called out the technician beside him.
The technician bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, General. Through numerous trials and improvements, our current Kongming lanterns won't crash mid-flight unless the fuel runs out. Combined with the wind direction, they can reach over a hundred miles. If the wind is strong and persistent, they can go even further."
"Not to mention farther, even if it's more than a hundred miles, it's enough to fly from one city to another." Huo Qubing was very surprised.
Wei Qing frowned and continued to ask, "Could the direction of ascent and the time of descent be controlled manually?"
The technician shook his head. "It's not completely as you wish, but we can use the wind direction to determine the direction, and then use the amount of fuel and other factors to calculate the time and location of the fall. It may not be 100% accurate, but it can probably be around 70% or 80% accurate."
Even if it's only seven or eight points, it's enough to shock people.
Liu Che, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing's pupils contracted almost simultaneously. Liu Che glanced at the technician, who then stepped back.
Wei Qing took a deep breath and bowed to Liu Che: "Your Majesty, I believe that the Kongming lantern is a magical object with great uses. It can fly into the sky and can be used to monitor high-altitude wind direction;
"If we combine this with wind direction and calculate and set the right fuel, we can travel between the garrison camp and the city to deliver intelligence, which could potentially play a decisive role in the outcome of the battle."
Wind direction is crucial in warfare, especially when marching across deserts or using fire attacks. The latter is even more important, such as during a siege.
If the entire city is trapped and unable to break out, this item can be used as a way to call for help. If used properly, it may be possible to cooperate with the reinforcements outside the city and fight a beautiful coordinated battle. Of course, there are many other uses.
Wei Qing took two steps and picked up a Kongming lantern that hadn't been released yet. He examined it and said, "It looks like it's made of ordinary materials and has a simple structure. It doesn't seem difficult to make."
The materials used are ordinary, which means that as long as you are not in an overly harsh situation, you can get any materials you want; the structure is simple and the production is not difficult, which means that even if there is a temporary emergency, you can make a few on the spot and it will not take too much time.
Wei Qing looked up at the soaring Kongming lanterns: "The lanterns can be painted with bright colors and patterns, and they emit flames. Moreover, they are high in the sky, so you can see them by looking up. You can see them day and night, and the exact number can be easily discerned."
Huo Qubing understood immediately after hearing this: "Uncle, you mean we can agree in advance on what the quantity refers to?
"For example, one lamp represents an enemy army of 30,000 at the gates of the city; two lamps represent 50,000; three lamps represent 100,000 and 150,000, and so on.
"This makes it easier and more efficient to transmit some simple information."
Liu Ju:!!!
“It’s actually still possible!”
Huo Qubing laughed: "Didn't they say you made this thing? Don't you know?"
Liu Ju really didn't know. He bit his lip secretly and reasonably suspected that the two minutes of video freezes and flickers mentioned not only the origin of the name of the Kongming lantern, but also these uses.
Damn, this system is a jerk, it only picks out the key missing parts!
Although his rationale told him that the missing part was probably random and not something the system could determine, and that not all information was missing such an important part, this did not stop Liu Ju from cursing and venting his emotions.
He'd previously thought that while barrage comments were abominable, the messages themselves were still "cute." Now it seemed there were pitfalls. He'd have to think twice before encountering this kind of situation.
Liu Ju squatted down and carefully studied the Kongming lantern. He found a problem and asked Huo Qubing suspiciously, "If simple information can be like this, what about complex information?"
"Write it on a Kongming lantern, use the wind to deliver it, and wait for it to fall? Wouldn't that accidentally fall into the hands of his enemies and leak the secret?"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Huo Qubing opened his mouth but hadn't replied yet, when Liu Ju suddenly clapped his hands and said, "I know, use code words!"
Huo Qubing paused, his eyebrows raised: "You also know the code words?"
"Of course." Liu Ju felt that he had finally found a place to use his skills, and instantly perked up. "We can prepare a code book in advance."
Huo Qubing was confused: "Code book?"
"Yes. For example, books like Gongyang Zhuan, Guliang Zhuan, and Zuo Zhuan are commonly used by scholars. Because they are commonly used, they don't attract much attention.
"First, a certain book will be designated as the code book. The bamboo slips held by everyone must have the same writing arrangement. Then, groups of five numbers will be used as the code.
The first number represents the volume, the second and third numbers represent the line, and the fourth and fifth numbers represent the character in that line. For example, 10917 represents the seventeenth character on the ninth line of the first volume.
"This way, only our own people know the code book and can compare it with the decrypted content. The enemy doesn't know it, and even if they see it or even get a Kongming lantern, it will be useless."
Everyone:!!!
This is such a novel and unprecedented approach!
Wei Qing, Huo Qubing and Liu Che were all stunned.
The three of them were silent for a while before Huo Qubing spoke slowly, "Your idea is excellent. Using it solely on Kongming lanterns is a bit of a waste. It has many more uses."
Liu Ju tilted his head, not quite understanding what was meant, but Liu Che and Wei Qing already knew what was meant. Huo Qubing was referring to the spy.
If this method existed, they could try sending more spies out, making the transmission of intelligence more convenient and more secretive, avoiding many risks of exposure. Perhaps the spies would actually bring back some valuable information.
Huo Qubing tapped Liu Ju's forehead and said, "I haven't seen you for three months. How did you learn so many things? You even know the secret codes for the Kongming Lantern Festival. You've become smarter."
Liu Ju's eyes darted around. This was actually true. He realized he had indeed become smarter recently. Not only was his memory better, reading and memorizing became easier, but his observation and analytical skills also seemed to have improved.
Is it because of the system?
Liu Ju didn't know, but he understood that the Kongming lanterns and secret codes should have little to do with this.
He simply copied these two things.
The Kongming lantern was from a tutorial video. As for the codeword, in the detective drama he just watched, a cunning assassin organization used this method to transmit information under the protagonist's nose.
But he was a little confused, because the books used by the characters in the play were not made of bamboo slips, but paper, and they were different from the hemp paper they had now, and were much whiter and more delicate.
How did he do that? Was it in the information he had absorbed? Was it not there, or had he simply not been able to find it?
It’s okay, don’t worry, just write it down first.
Liu Ju put the matter aside for the time being, raised his head, and could not reveal the truth. He could only pretend to be powerful, slapped Huo Qubing's hand away, and said with a frown: "What do you mean by becoming smart? I was smart to begin with!"
His cheeks were puffed up, he looked angry and fierce.
Huo Qubing couldn't help but reach out and pinch it, but he quickly pulled it back before Liu Ju could jump up and down, laughing loudly: "Okay, okay, you are smart. The smartest one in the world."
This may seem like a compliment, but it sounds strange. The comments also seem to mention "great intelligence," but it's definitely not a compliment.
Liu Ju became even angrier, his eyes widened, and he put his hands on his hips and stomped his feet.
Unexpectedly, this made Huo Qubing laugh even more wildly, and even Wei Qing couldn't help laughing. Liu Che also had a smile on his face, but inexplicably a trace of doubt arose in his heart.
Ruer has always been smart and quick-witted. It is true that he is "smart by nature", but his recent performance is really shocking. He seems to be smarter than before?
Is it that as we grow older, we learn more, understand more, and have more ideas?
Liu Che shook his head slightly, suppressing the strange thoughts in his heart. After all, his son was smart, which was a good thing.
After finishing their work, the group set off back to the palace.
Liu Ju was still galloping with Huo Qubing, having a lot of fun. When he came to his senses, he found that they were already a long distance away from the main force. Fearing that they were getting further and further away, Huo Qubing slowed down and asked about Liu Ju's recent injury.
Although he was away on a military expedition, he had heard of such a big event, but he didn't know the details.
After Liu Chuan finished speaking, Huo Qubing immediately realized something was wrong, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Whoever dared to attack you is very brave. Just wait, your cousin will help you get revenge! No matter who it is, if I catch him, he will never come back."
Liu Ju tilted his head: "Revenge? Isn't Ah Yu already dead?"
The culprit is gone, so there is no hatred left.
Huo Qubing sneered and disagreed. Considering that Liu Ju was young, he did not tell him the strange thing and instead talked about his own interesting experiences on the battlefield.
Liu Ju's attention was instantly diverted, and he listened with great interest, throwing away his original doubts. However, he still remembered the incident of Li Guang getting lost and committing suicide mentioned in the barrage.
Under what circumstances would getting lost lead to suicide?
Liu Ju thought for a long time, and combined with the context of "in the desert" in the barrage, he vaguely guessed that he might have gotten lost and walked into an enemy ambush. Although he fought to the death, he was still defeated and did not want to be captured and humiliated.
Or perhaps he was entrusted with an important mission but lost his way and delayed military operations, causing serious losses to our army, and he didn't want to lose his integrity and be tried in court. Either way, it's not a good thing.
He took the opportunity to ask Huo Qubing: "Is it difficult to identify the direction in the desert?"
"It's certainly not easy. The grasslands and deserts are vast and sparsely populated, with few towns and no iconic buildings. The desert is especially prone to wind and sand.
"The wind and sand make it even harder to discern the direction. Let alone marching, even when Marquis Bowang led his guides on mission to the Western Regions, they got lost many times."
Liu Ju pursed his lips and said, "Marquis Bowang never told me this."
Huo Qubing laughed and said, "You only like to hear the strange stories he encountered along the way, so naturally he will only tell you what you like to hear."
Liu Ju nodded. He understood the art of catering to one's own preferences. Many officials in the court acted according to his father's preferences, so it was no surprise that Zhang Qian singled out those he favored.
He thought for a moment and then asked, "Don't we have Si Nan?"
"Si Nan? There are two kinds of Si Nan we use nowadays: the Si Nan Cart and the Si Nan Spoon. Have you ever seen either?"
Liu Ju shook his head, knowing nothing.
Huo Qubing gestured to him and explained, "The Sinan Cart is shaped like a horse-drawn cart, slightly smaller than that one, but not much smaller. It is bulky and difficult to operate.
"The Sinan spoon is a square plate with a spoon attached to it. The two are separated. When using it, the spoon is placed on the square plate, with the handle pointing south. However, this also has its drawbacks.
“First, the bottom of the spoon and the center of the square plate must be polished very smoothly. Any dents or bumps will affect the use;
"Secondly, it must be placed absolutely level and stable. Furthermore, the plate and spoon are separated, so they could easily collide during the march, leading to loss or damage."
Is that really the case? So the compass mentioned in the comments is still very necessary.
He had seen videos on how to make a compass in his mind and could call it up, but this was not like making a Kongming lantern, which was very simple to make.
As for the compass guide, to be honest, Liu Ju felt that it was a bit difficult for him at the moment.
Liu Ju thought for a moment and then continued to ask Huo Qubing: "Cousin, do you know anyone from the Mo family?"
The comments mentioned that the Mohist mechanical arts were renowned throughout the world, and he had heard of this as well. With their help, he would surely be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Huo Qubing was suspicious: "Why are you looking for the Mo family?"
"I heard that the inksmiths are very skilled, I want them to make something for me."
Huo Qubing did not ask any further questions. His understanding of Liu Ju still remained before the expedition.
Even if there were Kongming lanterns, they were first made by Liu Ju for fun and used for praying. As for the subsequent development, it was all led by Liu Che and had little to do with Liu Ju.
Therefore, I didn't think that what he called making things was a serious matter, and just regarded it as a child's toy.
"The Mohist school gradually declined since the late Spring and Autumn Period when Qin conquered the six states, and was forced to disband in the last years of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Although some members still exist, they are like a pile of scattered sand, difficult to unite.
"In our own dynasty, which has passed through seven emperors, not a single one has taken their ideas seriously. With no hope of restoration, their followers have dwindled, and decline is inevitable.
"Although ink artisans are different from ink scholars and knights, and many of them specialize in craftsmanship without engaging in political advocacy, they all belong to the Mohist school. Prosper together, and perish together. So, if you want to find an ink artisan now, I'm afraid it won't be easy."
Liu Ju said "Oh" and his face gradually became disappointed.
Huo Qubing's lips curled up, and he changed the subject: "However, there are people with superb skills that are as good as the Mohists. If you just want to find a skilled craftsman, you don't necessarily have to find them. I'll show you a way. There are already some right next to you."
Liu Ju:? Ready-made? Around?
Huo Qubing chuckled: "Do you know the last name of the technician today?"
Liu Ju shook his head. Huo Qubing blinked: "His surname is Ji, and his clan name is Gongshu."
Liu Ju immediately understood: "Descendants of Gongshu Ban?"
“That’s right!”
Liu Ju: Oh, this is a sure thing!
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