Chapter 154 is dawn, the first light of day in the twilight that has not yet fully descended...
Being confined to his home and unable to leave the house gave Yu Nie ample time to continue his gunpowder research.
During this month when she couldn't leave her house, she also had to quickly draw up a sketch of the gunpowder factory.
He also dispatched men at top speed to Jinzhou to deliver the blueprints to Huan Xun, instructing him to establish a factory not far from the battlefield.
According to Huan Xun's plan, after launching a surprise attack on Nan Yin, he would return to the heart of the battlefield, Jinzhou, by waterway.
This will be his headquarters for commanding the battlefield.
The reason for this proactive approach—establishing a military factory before everything is settled—is out of necessity. If they waited until gunpowder was invented to build the factory, it might be too late.
It took Yu Nie five whole days to draw the factory sketch.
During those five days, she worked tirelessly, searching through books and revising repeatedly. Based on the design of government-run workshops, she made further improvements and finally drew a sketch of a gunpowder military factory.
To avoid attracting attention, she changed the name to Leiyaofang and claimed that it was built to manufacture weapons.
The establishment of large-scale weapons factories generally requires approval from the imperial court. However, Huan Xun held immense power at the front, and no one dared to disobey his orders; they had to be carried out.
This reduces many steps in the process.
After sending out the sketches, Yu Nie hadn't rested for a long time, and often experienced visions of darkness. Her eyes had been injured when she was young, and with her recklessly overworking herself, her eyes certainly couldn't take it.
Aunt Liu and Song Ai talked until their lips were sore, but it was all in vain.
To seize the time, one must work tirelessly, enduring hardship and physical toil.
She doesn't consider herself a genius and believes she needs to put in more effort to have any chance of achieving her goals.
At night, the only sounds in the courtyard were the whistling wind and the rhythmic grinding of the stone mortar in her hands.
Yu Nie's gaze remained fixed on the dark gray powder inside the mortar. After several previous experiments, the color of the gunpowder was very close to the color of modern standard gunpowder in her memory.
However, the final line of defense often becomes an insurmountable barrier.
She revised the ingredient ratio several times. Although the medicine she made earlier could produce a sound, it was never satisfactory. Two or three out of ten times, it would either produce a dull thud or just smoke without any explosion, resulting in failure.
As for the saltpeter, Huan Xun had personally dispatched people to transport it from Longxi, so she no longer needed to worry.
However, even the saltpeter from Longxi contains salt, which makes it very easy to absorb moisture and become damp, affecting its ignition and explosion effects.
She then set up a large pot to boil saltpeter water. After it boiled, she filtered out the impurities, dried the clear saltpeter water in the sun, and precipitated out even whiter crystals. She repeated this process many times until the saltpeter was truly purified and could be used as gunpowder.
Sulfur has a pungent, acidic odor, so she slowly boils it in fresh milk, using the milk's properties to absorb impurities and remove the odor. This method works because sulfur contains acidic oxides that react with alkaline substances in milk to form soluble arsenite.
In addition, the proteins and fats in milk have excellent adsorption capacity. Other trace amounts of sulfurous impurities that have an off-odor or are corrosive can be adsorbed and encapsulated by the colloidal particles of milk during this process, and thus removed.
Sulfur treated in this way becomes purer.
This will improve the purity and combustion efficiency of gunpowder, and reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion and explosion caused by acidic impurities corroding containers or uncontrollable side reactions during storage and transportation.
The previous combustion and explosions were unstable, which was very likely related to impurities in the sulfur, so she made further changes based on the original design.
She also made several improvements using charcoal.
Initially, dry grinding made it difficult to mix the three ingredients evenly. Later, we tried wet grinding with water, but then faced the problem of slow drying.
Ultimately, she came up with the idea of using her own brewed alcohol to blend and grind the powder. The alcohol evaporates quickly, which prevents the powder from clumping and allows the three ingredients to blend perfectly.
The color of gunpowder has changed from yellowish-brown at the beginning to dark gray, and now to pure black.
At this moment, the powder in the mortar is enough to prove that the three ingredients are completely and evenly mixed.
She stretched out her fingertips and rubbed them together, the powder in her hand feeling grainy.
This is the standard configuration for good gunpowder. Gunpowder powder that is too fine cannot be used as a weapon.
"Princess, is the gunpowder ready at this point?" Cuiwei asked curiously, looking at the shiny black powder in her hand.
“We’ll have to wait and see the effects of the combustion and explosion.” Yu Nie turned her head and said, “Go and get the fuse and bamboo tube I made.”
Testing gunpowder with bamboo tubes was a practice she often used.
Gunpowder is stuffed into a bamboo tube, then a fuse is inserted, and the tube is sealed with a wooden stopper. If the stopper can be launched powerfully and at high speed, with a long distance and a loud sound, then it is a success.
Conversely, it is a failure.
Yu Nie was already very familiar with the method of shooting with bamboo tubes.
This is the most direct and efficient testing method she has figured out, which can quickly determine whether the gunpowder she has mixed has the potential to become a weapon.
The recent series of muffled failures have confirmed the instability issue; the vibrations are inconsistent and completely out of control.
To this end, she relentlessly pursued the purity of raw materials, purifying saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal to the extreme, and tirelessly adjusted the proportions, all in an effort to overcome the difficulties.
This time, she was filled with hope that her wish would come true.
Before long, Cuiwei brought out the prepared bamboo tube and fuse.
Yu Nie deliberately selected three bamboo tubes of exactly the same specifications. If the three tubes can produce the same power and sound this time, it means that the stability of the gunpowder has completely met the standard, and there is no need to worry anymore.
She skillfully filled the bamboo tube with gunpowder, inserted the fuse, and then packed it tightly with layers of wooden plugs.
According to her calculations, as long as the formula is correct, the cork will be pushed out at high speed at the moment of detonation, producing a popping sound.
Reaching this level proves her success.
"Princess, will you be conducting the experiment on the lake in the courtyard again this time?" Song Ai asked softly while she was focused on measuring the weight of the gunpowder.
Without looking up, Yu Nie continued to carefully adjust the weight: "Hmm. Have someone set up a wooden frame on the rocks in the middle of the lake, and prepare everything according to the old rules."
"This servant will give the order immediately." Song Ai responded and withdrew.
Soon, the sounds of servants bustling about could be heard from the courtyard.
Yu Nie remained focused, meticulously packing the prepared gunpowder into the remaining two bamboo tubes one by one, ensuring the gunpowder was firmly packed down, allowing no room for distraction or oversight.
Just as she picked up the fuse, preparing to insert it into the pre-drilled hole in the bamboo tube, a series of slightly hurried footsteps approached from afar.
Sui En hurried into the courtyard and said cautiously, "Your Highness, someone outside the mansion requests an audience."
At this hour, the sun had already set, and the sky was gradually darkening, shrouding the entire residence, which had been renamed Princess Shunhe's Mansion yesterday, in a hazy veil.
Unless it's an extremely urgent matter or someone of very special status, no one would dare to visit at this inconvenient time.
But Yu Nie was busy filling the bamboo tube with gunpowder, and only asked, "Who's here?" She asked, her eyes fixed on the bamboo tube in her hand.
When asked, Sui En glanced around, stepped forward, and whispered two words in her ear in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie tightened his grip on the fuse and hurriedly told Sui En to bring the person in.
Just as Sui En was about to leave after receiving the order, she called him back and instructed him, "Bring the person in through the side gate, so that suspicious people won't notice our presence."
"Understood, Princess." Sui En didn't dare to delay for a moment and immediately walked towards the door.
Yu Nie picked up the last remaining bamboo tube and fuse from the table and packed the remaining gunpowder.
"Cuiwei." After finishing all this, she called out to Cuiwei.
Cuiwei, who had been waiting patiently, stepped forward and curtsied: "Princess."
Yu Nie handed over the gunpowder he had prepared: "Give it to Song Juling and tell her to set it up in the middle of the lake. I'll finish dealing with the matters at hand and then continue with the experiments."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Cuiwei took the bamboo tube with both hands, carefully protecting it, and jogged towards the half-embankment lake.
Without further delay, Yu Nie turned and entered the bedroom, waiting for the person to arrive.
Not long after, footsteps approached.
Sui En, who had returned, was followed by a figure.
The newcomer was dressed in a drab, coarse cloth outfit, looking like an old servant who did odd jobs in the mansion. He was originally very tall, but he was hunched over and walked with a somewhat timid demeanor. His face was covered with deep and shallow wrinkles, and he looked like he was old and frail, with nothing remarkable about him.
As the figure entered, Yu Nie glanced at the palace maids standing in the hall: "There is no need to serve here. You all retreat to the outside of the hall and wait. Without my summons, you are not allowed to enter."
"Yes." All the palace maids bowed and filed out.
Sui En brushed past the palace maids who were leaving. After everyone had left, he came in and reported, "Your Highness, the person has been brought."
Yu Nie looked up at the "old servant" in front of him.
His hunched body straightened, and under her gaze, he raised his hand to touch his cheek. Following his movement, the wrinkled skin was peeled off, revealing a resolute face beneath the mask, completely different from his previous aged appearance, exuding a chilling aura.
Removing the mask, the person stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Yu Nie, and said in a deep and powerful voice, "Han Jie greets Princess Shunhe."
Since Gu Xiangzhi went to look for someone a few days ago but failed to find him, some of his actions aroused Shen Tu Zheng's vigilance. In addition, the city has become more strictly controlled, so he can't go back to Lady Qu's house. He can only hide everywhere and take the opportunity to come to her place to inquire about Xiao Chengyan's whereabouts.
Upon learning of his purpose, Yu Nie told him in detail about Xiao Chengyan's departure and the plan to send him out of the city together that day.
Hearing that Xiao Chengyan had escaped safely was the best news for Han Jie. As for whether he himself would leave or live or die, he didn't care.
His brows relaxed slightly, and the tense, fierce look between his brows dissipated.
Although his expression remained as calm as iron, he could not hide his sense of relief.
For him, the safety of the Lord was of paramount importance; his own life, death, honor, and disgrace were of little concern.
He cupped his hands again, deliberately maintaining a distance: "Thank you, Princess Shunhe, for informing me of the truth and helping my lord leave Beiye. I, Han Jie, will never forget this and will always remember it."
These words of thanks were sincere, but lacked any warmth; they were more like a statement of adhering to etiquette.
“Now that my lord is at peace and my wish has been fulfilled, it is not appropriate for me to stay here any longer.” He slightly bowed, indicating that he was taking his leave.
Hearing his cold and distant words, Yu Nie knew the reason behind it.
She recalled the news Gu Xiangzhi had brought that morning: the Wang family was now conducting a city-wide manhunt for the murderer, and with the search for Xiao Chengyan's Imperial Horse Stables, the net within the city was becoming increasingly tight.
For Han Jie, Jian'an City at this moment was no different from a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, with danger lurking at every turn.
Thinking of this, she called out to him, "Attendant Han, the situation in the city is dangerous, as you surely know. Where do you intend to go?"
Han Jie's reply was concise: "Return to Nan Yin."
His gaze was piercing as he looked directly at Yu Nie: "Princess, you should know that war between Nan Yin and Bei Ye is imminent. As a native of Nan Yin, Han Jie should return to his homeland and serve on the battlefield when his country is in peril."
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie tried to keep him from taking the risk: "I have always admired Han Jinshi's loyalty and righteousness. Precisely because of this admiration, I am even more unwilling to see you, Jinshi, throw yourself into bloody battle. The struggle for royal power does not necessarily have to be written with the blood and bones of thousands of soldiers. Between two countries, besides fighting, there is another path..."
“Princess, there’s no need to say any more!” He guessed what she was going to say and abruptly interrupted her: “Beiye has already deployed its troops on the banks of the Yangtze River, and Huan Xun has also gone south. Now, our Nan Yin has no chance of survival but to fight.”
"The peace talks the princess speaks of are nothing but the wishful thinking of the weak who are afraid to fight, and the delaying tactic of the strong to annex. My sword only believes in the principles of the battlefield."
"Besides, to live a life of ignominy is not the way of a man. Every day I stay in Beiye is an ordeal for me. With the country and its people at the forefront, every man has a responsibility. How can Han Jie shrink back because of his own safety?"
His gaze was sharp, and his words were firm: "Furthermore, there is something I must tell the princess now. If we are destined to meet on the battlefield in the future, Han Jie, as a general of Nan Yin, will not show any mercy because of today's information. I urge the princess to make preparations in advance."
The decisiveness in his words clearly told her that his mind was made up and could not be swayed.
"Attendant Han." She still didn't want to give up: "I know what you mean, but have you ever thought about how many families are torn apart and how many common people pay the price of being separated from their loved ones behind every battle? Are the interests of Nan Yin and the territory of Bei Ye not as important as the lives of the common people?"
Han Jie stood still, his expression unchanged.
The devastation she described failed to stir any emotion in him.
After she finished speaking, he calmly said, "Your Highness is compassionate, and Han Jie admires that."
"However, has the princess ever looked down upon this map of the world? Throughout history, the world has always been divided and then united, which is the will of Heaven. Today, the world is divided and wars are frequent. The suffering of the people is precisely because there is no powerful dynasty to unify the world and end the chaos."
"Only by unifying the world can war be stopped. And to achieve this lasting peace, we must endure growing pains. If the blood of one generation can bring peace to hundreds of generations to come, then this price, though tragic, is necessary. If we make peace today out of momentary compassion, we are merely prolonging our lives and leaving the scourge of war to our descendants. They may shed even more blood then."
"This battle is the foundation for lasting peace. I do not disregard the lives of the common people that the princess spoke of. That is why I must return to help my lord eradicate the root of the problem, rule the world, and completely end this endless cycle of chaos."
After Han Jie finished speaking, the hall returned to silence.
Sui En glanced at Yu Nie with concern.
The logic of "stopping war with war" has been frequently seen throughout history and has even been regarded as a guiding principle by many powerful figures.
She pressed on, asking, "Whose peace is the peace that Attendant Han speaks of? Is it the peace that makes emperors and generals famous throughout history, or the peace that allows the bones lying by the roadside to rest in peace?"
"The success of one general is built on the bones of ten thousand. Only by unifying the world can war be stopped. Using killing to stop killing will only lead to endless war."
True peace should not be built on piles of bones, but should originate from the hearts and minds of the people. If the hearts and minds of the people cannot be won over, even the most vast territory will only be the fuse for the next war.
“Princess!” Han Jie interrupted in a deep voice. There was no anger in his eyes, only a kind of cruel understanding: “Your words are compassionate and correct, but they are useless.”
"Useless?" Yu Nie asked.
"Yes, it's useless."
Han Jie looked at her with unwavering certainty, as if she were a child who didn't understand anything. Her reasoning seemed to him like childish play-fiction.
"Dignity and peace are never something that can be talked about but something that can be fought for. You have compassion for the people, but if you lay down your sword because of compassion, you will sooner or later be preyed upon."
She froze instantly.
She understood that Han Jie was right.
For a long time, no one spoke. In this silence, a larger and more desperate thought surfaced in her mind.
Suddenly, she realized that the beliefs she held were incredibly fragile in the face of reality.
No one will lay down their arms because of her words of popular support; they cannot stop the flames of war.
Ideals hang like the bright moon, while reality is a muddy, blood-soaked wasteland.
She, Han Jie, and all the people fighting and strife in the world are actually trapped in the same unsolvable predicament.
What determines why a person fights is not always the right or wrong of reason, but rather their background, their stance, and the interests they want to protect.
He was a native of Nan Yin, with the blood of conquering new territories and achieving fame flowing in his veins. From the moment they were born into their respective camps, their paths were already drawn.
All advice seems ridiculous at this moment.
As long as there are different camps and different interests in this world, the struggle will never cease. Today's peace talks are merely preparations for the next war; the killing will continue until one side is completely devoured.
Once war and hatred arise, they cannot be truly resolved.
The only way to end war and hatred is to prevent them from ever starting.
In fact, these two things are also born into the world from the moment a person is born.
But what if the ideal reasons for peace talks aren't enough to wake people up, and we need to base our decisions on reality?
With this thought in mind, she spoke with her last glimmer of hope: "Attendant Han, I have always advocated for peace talks. Do you know why?"
Han Jie was puzzled as to why she suddenly asked that question: "Why?"
Yu Nie: "A confrontation between the two countries is inevitable, but if Bei Ye already possesses the power to break through enemy lines and destroy cities, enough to turn the tide of battle in an instant, do you still want to insist on continuing the war?"
“Your Lord Xiao Daozun’s actions are by no means to achieve merit or establish a career, but rather to push the young men of Nan Yin into an abyss of no return. I am not exaggerating when I say this.”
She hoped that this almost blunt revelation would calm him down.
However, after a moment of solemnity, Han Jie's expression became even more resolute and hardened.
He said, "Your Highness means that Beiye has acquired a new weapon? Then Han Jie must return immediately. Even if it means facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, the soldiers of Nanyin should go together."
Looking at Han Jie's expression, at that moment, the strength in Yu Nie's heart to try to persuade him to stay and to argue completely dissipated.
For a moment, she didn't know where to begin.
Just as she was deep in thought, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
The sound was like a thunderclap, shaking the ground.
Yu Nie was stunned. Without caring about anything else, she lifted her skirt and ran outside.
Han Jie and Sui En, unaware of what had happened, followed closely behind.
She walked through the courtyard and headed straight for the lakeside.
When she arrived at the lake, she was stunned by the sight before her. In the center of the lake, thick black smoke mixed with water vapor was billowing and rising. The lake water, which had been blasted up to a height, turned into a torrential downpour, pouring down and wetting the surrounding trees and pavilions.
Despite the short distance between the center of the lake and the shore, and the vast distance between them, the lake still possesses such astonishing power.
An unbelievable fact struck her heart, leaving her somewhat at a loss and feeling numb all over.
She almost subconsciously suppressed the thoughts that were welling up inside her, afraid that even the slightest premature joy would turn everything before her into nothingness, afraid that it was just a fluke, afraid that everything before her was nothing more than an illusion born from her longing for too long.
It's not true at all; it's just her delusional wishful thinking about success.
Just then, Song Ai rushed over and knelt down to beg for forgiveness: "Princess, it was my negligence that caused the guards to accidentally touch the fuse and ignite one of the fire starters prematurely. I beg Your Highness to punish me."
Yu Nie raised his hand, decisively stopping Song Ai from saying anything more.
Her entire focus was on the lake, and her voice was slightly tense with excitement: "It's alright, Song Juling, quickly have the guards light the remaining two tubes as well, I want to see."
She wanted to confirm that it was not a coincidence, not a fluke, but an undeniable fact.
Seeing that her expression was more solemn than ever before, Song Ai dared not delay for a moment and immediately stood up and gestured to the guards waiting in the distance.
All eyes were focused on the center of the lake.
A moment later, the guards lit the remaining bamboo tubes again, and two more loud bangs rang out, frightening some of the palace servants who immediately tried to hide.
The sky and the ground seemed to tremble three times.
Two thick columns of water shot into the sky, bursting out of the water like angry dragons. The towering water spray, carrying terrifying power, shot straight into the air, and then crashed down hard, causing the entire lake surface to tremble violently once again.
Seeing is believing; this time, there's no need for doubt.
Two consecutive, identical, enormous roars and towering waves crashed down upon her, and the intense, frenzied joy almost made her lose her balance.
It's done.
It really worked!
Gazing at the lingering smoke in the lake, Song Ai was momentarily stunned by the terrifying power, her heart filled with bewilderment, unable to discern whether this was a blessing or a curse.
Seeking answers, she turned her head and looked at her master beside her.
Yu Nie stood motionless by the lake, her robes fluttering in the wind. She gazed at the rising smoke in the air, her eyes fixed on a dream she had chased for countless lifetimes.
During the long gaze, there were no cheers, no words.
In the twilight that had not yet fully descended, two streams of hot tears flowed down her cheeks.
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