Chapter 71 Gunpowder Encounter [Jinjiang Authentic Edition · Yingjian Zhidianlang...
He subconsciously glanced at the wooden window and saw that it was still dark outside. He shouted towards the door with a headache: "Someone come here."
The servant standing outside the door hurried in upon hearing the noise. When Maodun saw him, he immediately knitted his thick black brows, pointed at the window on the wall and asked:
"What happened outside?"
"Why does it sound like thunder?"
When the servant heard what Maodun said, he glanced in the direction of his finger, then leaned forward slightly with a calm expression and said comfortingly:
"Don't worry, sir. Across the street from our hostage residence is a house housing a group of alchemists who refine elixirs for Your Majesty. They're busy refining elixirs all day long, and their furnaces often explode. Every now and then, there's a loud rumbling noise. It sounds loud, but it's actually not dangerous."
Hearing this outrageous explanation, Maodun's eyes widened in shock. Such a loud thunder could be clearly heard in his ears across the street. Isn't this dangerous?
But he was tired, sleepy and exhausted at the moment, and he was still injured. He couldn't put on his clothes and go outside to find out what was going on. Seeing that the servants standing by the bed were extremely calm, he was embarrassed to act frightened and ignorant. Thinking that these people living in the Great Wall seemed to have the habit of using furnaces to refine some kind of elixir since ancient times, Maodun had to close his eyes again, pulled the quilt and lay back on the bed. He listened nervously and found that there was indeed no thunder. He really couldn't resist the physical fatigue and fell into a deep sleep again.
In the house across the street.
In the large courtyard in the dim morning light, the old alchemist Han Zhong looked at the big stone that was blown into a pile of powder on the snow. He couldn't help but squat on the ground, grabbed a handful of stone powder and scattered it in the wind, crying with joy.
The group of younger alchemists surrounding Han Zhong were also staring at the stone powder on the ground, crying with excitement.
It’s not easy! It’s really not easy!
Ever since the news broke last summer that the elixir of immortality was actually a poisonous pill, the group of alchemists who were once quite respected in Xianyang City suddenly became unlucky and like rats crossing the street.
If it were not for the emperor's eldest grandson who asked the alchemists to make amends for their crimes in the moment of crisis and pointed out a clear way to refine gunpowder, there would probably be no alchemists in Xianyang City at this moment.
For the past six months, in order to maintain strict confidentiality, Han Zhong and dozens of alchemists were locked up in the emperor's house to refine gunpowder.
Under the strong psychological pressure of "turning back if there is no gunpowder within a year", this group of alchemists really dared not eat or sleep, and they wished they could figure out the magical "gunpowder" immediately.
Although the techniques of switching from "alchemy" to "gunpowder refining" are similar, it is still extremely difficult.
After failing countless times, I finally succeeded.
On a cold winter day, a group of alchemists gathered around a pile of stone powder, crying bitterly.
Han Zhong, with tears streaming down his face, trembled as he stood up from the snow. He wiped his tears with his sleeves and spoke to the group of alchemists surrounding him:
"Everyone, what we have refined now can barely be considered as the gunpowder that His Majesty wants, but with this gunpowder alone, I cannot guarantee that His Majesty will truly wipe out the sins we have committed."
When the other younger alchemists heard what the old alchemist said, the smiles on their faces froze instantly, and they looked at each other helplessly.
Before everyone could start talking, Han Zhong raised his hands and pressed them down, saying seriously and solemnly:
"You all know the magnitude of the crime we bear. I believe that if we want His Majesty to forgive us completely and reuse us, we must continue to explore this matter of gunpowder in depth."
Hearing Han Zhong's words, a middle-aged Taoist priest couldn't help but ask:
"Uncle Master, do you still want to delve into the artillery mentioned in the secret book?"
Han Zhong shook his head and said with a wry smile:
"I'd like to get the cannon, but I can't understand the text on it. However, I've studied it carefully, and the secret book says explosive packs and explosive bombs. If we try harder, we should be able to get them."
"In my opinion, we shouldn't rush to send a message to His Majesty right now. We should first figure out how to make the explosive packs and bombs described in the secret manual. Once we've made the actual products, His Majesty can see how gunpowder is used on the battlefield. Only then will His Majesty reassess our value. Gunpowder has become the last resort for us alchemists. Only if we truly possess irreplaceable abilities can we truly save our lives from His Majesty."
When the young alchemists heard these sad words, they all nodded in understanding.
Anyway, they have already developed gunpowder, which means they have completed the task assigned by His Majesty. If they can further develop more advanced gunpowder weapons, they will be even more confident. Who knows, if His Majesty is pleased, he may not only release them directly, but also restore their original good treatment as alchemists!
A group of alchemists once again immersed themselves in studying gunpowder weapons.
"Boom—"
“Boom—”
In the dead of winter, in a quiet area close to the royal mausoleum in the northern suburbs, there would be occasional "boom" explosions of thunder, scaring the birds and beasts hiding in the dense forest and making them run around in panic.
Maodun, who was recuperating in the hostage house on the front street, was extremely unlucky. He would hear the sound of thunder outside the window from time to time while lying in bed.
He was still shocked when he first heard it, but after hearing it dozens of times, Maodun didn't even tremble his eyelids.
In the blink of an eye, the heavy snow turned into scattered snow, and the long and lonely winter came to an end little by little.
In the chilly January, the wintersweets in the palace were in full bloom under the falling snow.
In the study of Zhangtai Palace.
Wearing a black robe and sitting in a massage chair, the First Emperor was concentrating on checking the letters that Han Zhong had asked the gatekeepers to deliver to the palace layer by layer. His eyes lit up as he saw the great progress in gunpowder weapons written on paper by Han Zhong.
Qin Ying, who was one year and three months old, was still wearing a tiger-head hat, tiger clothes, and tiger-head shoes from head to toe, with a gold collar hanging around her neck. She walked around, touching the bookshelves with her two little hands.
When Meng Yi hurried to the door of the study, he saw His Majesty sitting at the desk by the window, handling government affairs, while the little prince was sitting on the wooden floor with his short legs spread apart, his head lowered, looking at a scroll of unfolded brown bamboo slips.
He was clearly a little baby who hadn't even begun to understand, yet he looked quite serious while reading the bamboo slips. Meng Yi felt like laughing for some reason, but he quickly suppressed his smile as he walked into the room and bowed to the First Emperor, saying:
"Your Majesty, the one hundred officials have already arrived at the Palace of Diligent Learning. Would you like to summon a few of them to meet you?"
Hearing Meng Yi's words, the grandfather and grandson who were busy with their work raised their heads.
Ying, the little fat boy's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up with his little hands on the floor, looking at his grandfather with expectation.
Seeing his grandson's delight, the First Emperor thought for a moment and then instructed Meng Yi:
"Yi, take Ying and go to the Qinxue Palace. I won't summon those people. Send a team of soldiers to the northern suburbs to bring Han Zhong to the palace for me."
When Meng Yi heard this, he hurriedly leaned over and said "yes", bent down to pick up the little prince who was walking towards him happily, and turned to leave.
After arranging for the soldiers to go to the northern suburbs to pick up Han Zhong, Meng Yi strode to the Qinxue Palace with the little prince in his arms.
Qin Ying, who was in Meng Yi's arms and walking on the corridor, saw from a distance that several doctors standing at the palace gate were giving lectures to a group of officials below.
The little fat boy clung to Meng Yi's arm and tried to look into the crowd. He immediately saw the young woman standing in the first row.
Even though there was only a silhouette, among the men in black and red robes, the girl in a black and red dress with a curved hem still had her back straight, and the energy she exuded from within was very strong, making her look very eye-catching.
[Empress Lü!]
[Young Empress Lü!]
Qin Yingfeng's eyes lit up and she couldn't help but exclaimed "Ah!"
Hearing a clear, babyish voice from the corridor, several palace doctors standing on the steps, passionately lecturing the Zhidianlangmen below, all turned their heads to the east. When they saw Meng Neishi coming towards them with the emperor's eldest grandson in his arms, the old doctors were startled and hurried over to bow respectfully to the two, one large and one small, saying:
"Your humble servant greets Lord Xiao'an and His Excellency Meng Neishi."
When the medical examiners standing below heard the noise, they couldn't help but turn their heads to look in the direction of the corridor. However, under the cover of the columns and a few short pine trees, only a few people standing in the first row saw the two people talking to the doctors.
Lu Zhi, who was standing in the first place, couldn't hide her curiosity and looked behind the pine tree, but she could only see a furry black tiger-head hat swaying.
When the respectful old doctors heard that Meng Neishi was just holding the emperor's eldest grandson to see Zhi Dianlang, although they didn't understand what the emperor's eldest grandson's intention was, they still bowed respectfully and stepped aside.
Qin Ying was also carried by Meng Yi to the end of the corridor, and immediately came face to face with a group of tall, short, fat and thin Zhidianlang standing below.
Standing in the front three of the first row, Lu Zhi, Zhang Huai, and Zhang Cang looked at the pretty baby and swept his gaze over the three of them one by one.
Lu Zhi's eyes lit up. She had never expected that the rumored eldest grandson of the emperor would be so cute!
Zhang Huai, who was standing in the second position, and Zhang Cang, who was standing in the third position, were also staring at the little kid at the top, but the former had his lips tightly pursed while the latter's eyes were full of curiosity.
Qin Ying, held high up by Meng Yi, looked down at the ten people standing in the first row while listening to the electronic voice broadcast in her mind:
[The host is truly a man of extraordinary character! With just one "Book Control Order" in Xianyang, he managed to bring Lü Zhi, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Cang all into the palace!]
Unfortunately, Zhang Liang, the Anti-Qin Saint, harbors a deep hatred for the host's grandfather! Forty-five-year-old Zhang Liang, using the "Book Control Order" as an opportunity, sneaked into the palace with the sole purpose of assassinating Qin Shi Huang!
[Host, please note that this year marks the 37th year of the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. In this year destined for the Dragon's fall, please be wary of Zhang Liang! And complete your temporary mission within twelve months—pick up the missing items! Great talent!]
[Quest Requirements: The host must 100% conquer Lü Zhi, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Cang, and continue to recruit talents and contribute to their grand ambitions!]
[Task Completion Reward: Nine random blind box draws!]
Qin Ying's eyelids jumped in surprise when she heard the system's sudden words.
Lü Zhi, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Cang.
Obviously, the young woman standing in the first position is Lu Zhi, and the tall, white and fat middle-aged man standing in the third position must be Zhang Cang, a famous official of the Han Dynasty.
Then the tall, slender, indifferent, and elegant middle-aged man sandwiched between the two must be Zhang Liang.
If you look closely, the man standing in the second position is indeed as good-looking as a woman and looks quite good.
Qin Ying's eyes deepened, she grinned happily, and patted Meng Yi's arm with her little hand.
Meng Yi also understood what he meant and walked down a few steps with the little guy in his arms.
Looking at the emperor's eldest grandson walking down towards them, a group of officials couldn't help but straighten their chests.
When Lu Zhi saw the little baby walking towards her with a grin on his face, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Just when she was wondering whether she should salute, she saw a fair and tender little baby stretching out his two little hands towards her. Seeing this, Lu Zhi was stunned, and under the expectant gaze of the little baby, she also tentatively raised her right hand.
The next moment, the precious, beautiful and adorable little girl in front of her directly grasped her right hand with her two chubby little hands and shook it up and down twice, and asked with a joyful smile in a childish voice:
"What's your name?"
Lü Zhi hurriedly replied respectfully:
"In reply to your Highness, my name is Lü Zhi."
"Lü Zhi! What a great name!"
"Lü Zhidian, you are truly remarkable for being able to surpass all the others and become the top Zhidianlang. I have high hopes for you. You must do your job well in the palace in the future. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me."
Hearing the young grandson of the emperor whom she had just met actually praising her so much and asking her to go to him when she was in trouble, although Lu Zhi knew that it was impossible for her, a minor official, to go to the favored eldest grandson of the emperor, her heart was still pounding for a moment, and she was quite flattered.
It's a very ordinary name that I've used for more than ten years, and this is the first time I've heard someone praise it for being a good name.
Although she didn't know why the young prince was so lenient towards her, Lu Zhi still bowed to him with excitement and gratitude and said:
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I will do my best to complete my mission in the future."
Ying, the little fat boy, nodded with a bright smile, and observed secretly. He found that after hearing what he said, the men present looked at Lu Zhi with a more respectful look, and he was satisfied.
Although he knew that Lu Zhi had a tough character and powerful means and abilities, it was extremely difficult for a woman to be in officialdom, and Lu Zhi had no backing in Xianyang. He was very much looking forward to this woman being able to walk into the outer hall of Zhangtai Palace one day, but he didn't expect that Lu Zhi was framed as soon as she entered the novice village.
After releasing Lu Zhi's right hand, Qin Ying was carried by Meng Yi to the second seat.
He looked up and down at the scholarly and elegant man in front of him, then raised his eyebrows slightly and asked:
"May I have your name"
"In reply to the Emperor's eldest grandson, my name is Zhang Huai."
"Bad Chapter"
Qin Ying opened her eyes wide, pretending not to hear clearly, and asked in surprise in her baby voice.
Zhang Huai was slightly startled when he heard the little guy's pronunciation. After reacting, he leaned over and corrected him with a good temper:
"Your Highness, my name is Huai, not Huai."
"Oh, I understand. You're not 'Zhang Hao', you're 'Zhang Huai'!"
The little fat boy waved his hands nonchalantly.
Zhang Huai's heart skipped a beat. Before he could think of what to say next, he saw the little baby glance at him indifferently, then patted the arm of the man holding him with his little hand, and walked towards the third person next to him.
Seeing the man holding the baby looking at him indifferently, Zhang Huai quickly lowered his eyes respectfully, but the two hands hidden in his sleeves could not help but clenched.
When Zhang Cang saw the chubby little prince move in front of him, he immediately felt like a pie in the sky had hit him. He bowed to him with joy and said:
"I, your humble servant, greet Lord Xiao'an. My name is Zhang Cang, and I am from Sanchuan County. I am thirty-five years old. In my early years, I went south to study. I studied under Xunzi in Lanling, Chu. I was a fellow student of Han Feizi and Li Sitingwei. I am skilled in mathematics and astronomy, and I have an optimistic disposition. Thanks to Lord Xiao'an's wise decree last year, I have been given this great opportunity to edit books for Your Majesty. I will surely remember Lord Xiao'an's kindness and will do my best to serve Your Majesty in the palace in the future!"
Hearing that the emperor's eldest grandson had not yet opened his mouth to ask, the official named Zhang Cang spoke a series of words fluently.
Meng Yi couldn't help but glance at this junior brother of the Chief Justice. The others couldn't help but look at Zhang Cang with envy. They really didn't expect that this Zhi Dian Lang, who ranked third, not only studied under Xunzi, but also had a senior brother of the Chief Justice as his backer. It was incredible, really incredible!
Doesn't this mean he's about to rise to prominence in Xianyang's officialdom?!
Unlike everyone else who were either surprised or envious, Ying, the little chubby boy, looked at the tall, white Zhang Cang in front of him. Seeing him cheerfully introducing himself, he subconsciously opened his mouth slightly, his mind full of a sentence:
[What a fat, white gourd that's over a hundred years old! What a clever mouth!]
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