Han Chang'an.
Zhang Fei glanced at the Light Screen, then quietly crumpled the slip of paper in his hand.
Just moments ago, the Song emperor Zhao had asked for advice on leading troops. Zhang Fei turned it over in his head.
Second Brother was holding Jing Province. Zilong was stationed by Jiangdong. Eldest Brother was buried in internal administration. The Strategist was busy with engineering and logistics. Even Ma Mengqi had been idling around Chang'an these past six months, running errands and filling time.
So if we are talking about commanding armies, about pushing the frontier outward, then right now, in this hall, who else could it be but me?
He was still figuring out how to summarize the essentials of his northern campaign from Yizhou to Chang'an when fresh words drifted across the Light Screen.
[Li Shimin: Do you know of the Divine Might Cannon of the Great Tang?]
After that line appeared, names from the Tang court began flashing across the screen, nearly all familiar from earlier discussions of early Tang history.
[Server Chat Log]
[Li Jing: That campaign was not without cost. In the battle against Tuyuhun, nearly twenty percent of the cannons failed before they even fired a single shot.
As the engagement continued, the longer we fired, the more cannons broke down.
From the moment the cannons entered the field to the capture of the Tuyuhun chieftain, only five volleys were fired in total.
By the time the artillery was hauled back to Qinghai, seven or eight out of every ten cannons were already shattered and could no longer be used in battle.
Pei Xingjian: The cavalry never even got close. Once the cannons spoke, the battle was already over.
Yan Lide: The principles behind the cannon are not complicated. The true secret lies in the gunpowder mixture.
Yan Lide: A difference of only a few grains can multiply its power severalfold.]
Zhang Fei could only sigh and quietly crumple up the battle manual he had been so enthusiastically drafting moments earlier.
The Tang ministers spoke succinctly, yet it was enough to set his imagination racing. Naturally, his gaze shifted to Kongming.
"Strategist, do we have something like… heavenly might…"
Finding the name insufficiently grand, Zhang Fei paused to think, then tried again.
"Do we have a Great Han Heavenly Might General Cannon?"
Kongming could not help but laugh. As he read Li Jing's and Yan Lide's remarks on the screen, he wrote at the same time, still finding room to gently rein Zhang Fei in.
"Yide, you are several hundred years older than that Tang emperor. Why compete over empty titles?"
One sentence was enough to douse Zhang Fei's competitive fire, though his longing for artillery remained. He pressed on anyway.
"Then when can I see the cannon the Strategist makes?"
According to Li Jing's account, its presence on the battlefield was truly terrifying. Zhang Fei very much wanted to personally aim one at those Cao bandits and test its power.
Pang Tong, unaware of Zhang Fei's private thoughts, explained calmly.
"Once the cannon is reliable, we can summon troops for training and establish a Divine Cannon Battalion within the army."
Zhang Fei's face lit up at once.
"With the Strategist's brilliance, that day will come soon. I am willing to learn cannon work too!"
Ma Chao smacked his lips, already planning to ask Lord Xuande about it in private once the gathering broke up.
After calming Zhang Fei, Pang Tong sighed inwardly.
Truth be told, since cannon trials began, progress had been anything but smooth.
Iron cannons were hard to cast and prone to bursting. Bronze cannons were softer and exorbitantly expensive. Neither made ideal barrels. Kongming suspected they might need to experiment with alloying, but a suitable formula for the cannon body had yet to emerge.
The Tang had faced similar problems. Pang Tong had noticed earlier that when Li Jing described the battle against Tuyuhun, nearly twenty percent of the cannons had failed before even firing. As the fighting dragged on, more failed with each volley.
From the moment the cannons entered the field to the capture of the Tuyuhun chieftain, only five rounds were fired. By the time the cannons were hauled back to Qinghai, seven or eight out of ten were already shattered, unfit for further combat.
If they wanted rapid progress on cannon development, Pang Tong thought, they might need to…
Before he could finish the thought, Kongming had already completed his note. Just as their lord had done earlier, he rolled the paper into a ball and flicked it straight into the Light Screen.
[Server Chat Log]
[Zhuge Liang: Since Director Yan has already made iron-hooped wooden cannons, why not try a bronze barrel bound with iron hoops, layered twice to seek greater power?
Li Shimin: The Marquis of Wu truly sees through past and present. How could this be idle talk?
Yan Lide: Bronze within, iron hoops without, then another bronze skin, hooped again with iron, filling the gaps with other materials?
Zhuge Liang: Director Yan lives up to the praise of later ages, a true master of engineering. As for the difficulty of igniting gunpowder, I also have a conjecture...]
Ganlu Hall.
Seeing the Light Screen where Marquis Zhuge promised good news in three months' time, Yan Lide spoke with genuine admiration.
"Marquis Zhuge truly deserves his reputation as a peerless genius through the ages. His insight is enlightening indeed."
Hearing this, Li Shimin could not help but show a trace of shared pride on his face.
"Indeed."
Yan Lide nodded vigorously and continued.
"In the Qinghai campaign, aside from the cannon bodies being insufficiently strong, the soldiers also complained that loading the powder was difficult."
"When too little powder is used, the report is weak. Add more, and it becomes hard to ignite."
"The Office of the Five Thunders believes the powder charge should be calculated according to barrel size and written into the cannon battalion's regulations."
"But the Marquis says the difficulty in ignition is not due to excessive powder, but because the grains are packed too tightly, leaving no gaps."
The more Yan Lide spoke, the more animated he became. He had always thought finer powder was better. Marquis Zhuge used the simple analogy of a kitchen stove needing airflow to show that gunpowder combustion also required air.
At that moment, Yan Lide wished the Light Screen session would end immediately so he could rush back and test it.
He had a strong feeling the Marquis was right.
Li Shimin did not fully grasp the technicalities, but seeing Yan Lide so excited, he knew it must be crucial. He smiled and nodded.
"Excellent."
Then he remembered something and asked,
"Since the Marquis has given guidance, have you offered anything in return?"
Yan Lide nodded quickly.
"To commemorate the Marquis's instruction on cannons and powder, this humble servant will offer the Office of the Five Thunders' gunpowder formula in return."
Only then did Li Shimin nod in satisfaction.
"That will do."
…
Kongming stretched and looked at the notebook before him, now filled with dense notes. A smile spread across his face.
This exchange with Yan Lide had been immensely rewarding.
At the same time, he could not help marveling at Tang wealth.
Though Lord Xuande's forces had enjoyed a string of victories, they had yet to enter the fertile heartlands of the Central Plains. Supplies of grain, salt, sugar, paper, iron, brocade, and coal all had to be carefully rationed.
Copper was barely sufficient for minting coinage, and iron was needed for weapons, farm tools, and engineering devices. There was no surplus to casually consume hundreds of jin of metal just to cast cannons and haul them to Qinghai for testing, as the Tang did.
Last year, even knowing the value of artillery, Kongming could only cast small experimental cannons with limited copper and iron, repeatedly testing his hypotheses.
To him, the exchange with Yan Lide was like rain after a long drought.
The Tang had brute-forced their way through experiments in the Qinghai campaign, identifying the most effective cannon designs, and Yan Lide had shared them all without reservation.
Some of Kongming's own wild ideas from earlier casting attempts were now being tested in Tang workshops.
At the end, Yan Lide even gifted several new gunpowder formulas, said to be the results of specialized offices devoted to powder research.
"The Tang ruler and his ministers are all good men," Kongming sighed.
Then he felt as though he had forgotten something.
Why had this whole cannon discussion begun in the first place?
…
In Bianliang, Zhao Kuangyin felt grateful for the first time that he had assigned multiple eunuchs to take notes. Otherwise, the rapid-fire exchange between Marquis Zhuge and Yan Lide would surely have left gaps.
Yet this was quickly followed by annoyance.
Had Tang Taizong not promised to teach him about the Divine Might Cannon of the High Tang?
Instead, he got swept up in discussions with the Marquis, and Zhao Kuangyin could not get a word in edgewise.
Turning back, he found himself staring at Zhao Pu, the two of them locking eyes.
"Zeping, do you know if there is anyone at court who understands this Song Divine Might Cannon?"
Zhao Pu silently admired the emperor's choice of name, then replied solemnly.
"Your Majesty may need to revive the Ministry of Works, or perhaps remove the sinecure officials lodged within the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories."
As Zhao Kuangyin's right hand, Zhao Pu knew the structure of the current bureaucracy well. Broadly speaking, it followed Tang precedent, with adjustments made as needed.
For instance, though the Ministry of Works existed, its actual authority had been carved up by the Three Bureaus.
Likewise, offices like the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories, the Directorate of Waterways, and the Directorate of Astronomy existed mostly in name. The posts were occupied by stipend-holders who did little, while the actual working officials were rotated frequently. In effect, these offices were hollow.
As far as Zhao Pu knew, their most important duty at present was handling ritual implements.
Let them develop artillery? Zhao Pu shook his head inwardly.
Zhao Kuangyin understood this perfectly well himself. Hearing Li Jing describe the power of the cannons, he was uneasy about entrusting such matters to the Ministry of Works or the Directorate of Manufactories.
Seeing the emperor's hesitation, Zhao Pu, ever perceptive, suggested,
"Why not pursue both paths, establish an Institute of Works to test the cannon, with the imperial heir overseeing…"
Before he could finish, Zhao Kuangyin had already made up his mind.
"That would risk the appearance of bloated offices. The proper course is to rectify the Ministry of Works and have it undertake the Song Divine Might Cannon."
Zhao Pu accepted the order. He recalled later generations' evaluations of the emperor as diligent and frugal, uninterested in extravagance. They were not wrong.
Likely the discussion between Marquis Zhuge and Yan Lide had stirred some anxiety. Casting cannons in copper was no small expense, and reorganizing the Ministry of Works would certainly invite criticism at court.
But was that not why the emperor had summoned him back?
Thinking of how later ages judged him, Zhao Pu felt his thoughts grow clearer.
This Light Screen was both an opportunity for the emperor and for himself.
Rather than cleaning up after Zhao Guangyi's "three terms as chancellor," it was better to devote himself fully to the ruler before him.
A brief exchange between ruler and minister was enough to settle a decision that touched the entire court.
As the text faded, the Light Screen shifted from blackness back into color.
Zhao Kuangyin watched as the painting he had just finished, the ink still fresh in his hands moments ago, appeared on the screen. It never failed to feel miraculous.
[Lightscreen]
[Hi hi hi!
Our usual unboxing segment is back!
Same rules as always, let's look at each item one by one.
At the very front is a painting that fits today's theme perfectly.
A newly unearthed artifact from the Shang and Zhou period, "The Changling Visit to Xiling Scroll."]
The painting was not especially refined, but the lines were orderly and the figures vivid.
In it, Zhao Guangyi lay on the ground, scrambling to flee. Behind him, Zhao Kuangyin held his belt with a look of disdain, turning back to chat with a scholar. At the very end was a simple inscription.
"In the Kaibao era, the Prince of Jin plotted rebellion. The emperor, magnanimous, imposed only light punishment."
[Server Chat Log]
NoobPrime: Rebellion by the Prince of Jin? I don't buy it. You tell me Zhao Er raced carts with Zhao Da, I'll believe that. If he had the guts to rebel while Zhao Da was alive, he wouldn't have been scared witless at the Battle of the Gaoliang River.
LagMaster: Not even about guts. With Zhao Er trash-tier combat ability, he wouldn't survive one hand from Zhao Da.]
Watching alongside everyone else, Zhao Guangyi suddenly felt like bursting into tears. This descendant understood him.
[Server Chat Log]
[PotatoAim: Seriously, is this the weakest Taizong in imperial history? The Gaoliang River fiasco and the Yongxi Northern Campaign killed any chance of unification. The Battle of the Bạch Đằng River let Vietnam successfully break away. Under Zhao Er, the Song really was "thriving."
There was also Liu Yu, Taizong of the Southern Song, who was pretty awful too. Hard to say which of them was worse, but those two probably lock in the bottom two among all Taizongs.
MoonVyre: The title Taizong itself isn't cursed. It's just that Li Erfeng adds too many bonus points. Judy started as Taizong too, but later Jiajing changed it to Chengzu, so whether he even counts is debatable.
EchoLune: If Zhao Da was really that fierce, how did Zhao Er kill his own brother? Surely not poison?
CloudNyx: Honestly, this episode is clickbait. The Pact of the Golden Casket is leaning toward being disproven in academia, and the Candle Shadow Axe Sound has always been presented as suspicion only. Personally, I think Zhao Da probably died of a sudden stroke from high blood pressure. Northern Song imperial genes weren't great.
LazyVoxel: Forget that. Zhao Da having hypertension is speculation. What's solid is Zhao Er. He had documented strokes. Zhenzong died of a cerebrovascular event. Records for Renzong, Yingzong, and Shenzong are similar. Loss of speech, drooling, classic symptoms. Pretty much confirmed hereditary. Zhezong was unlucky, looks like tuberculosis. Huizong, who knows, he died in Jin captivity.
SoftPixel: At the end of the day, it's just being bad. If Gaoliang River had been a win and Youzhou taken, history might have changed. Yongxi was pure sore-loser energy. Denying Cao Bin command meant he couldn't rein in arrogant generals, and the whole campaign collapsed.
Bad players should practice more. If you can't handle losing, don't play.]
Zhao Guangyi had read histories before. When he read about the Southern Song, he once sighed that Liu Yu had been such a hero, yet his grandson turned out so extravagant, cruel, and incompetent.
Who would have thought that the very Song Mingdi he had always looked down on would now be mentioned in the same breath as himself? For a moment, Zhao Guangyi nearly blacked out.
Zhao Kuangyin had no time to spare for his useless brother. His eyes were fixed on the Light Screen, on those familiar words about "genes," "inheritance," and "high blood pressure."
Then it struck him.
Was this not Tang Taizong's head-wind illness?
Only then did Zhao Kuangyin remember what he had forgotten.
Damn it. He had planned to consult Han and Tang physicians across time for a remote diagnosis. Instead, he got distracted by the Song Divine Might Cannon.
Still… asking Tang Taizong about it in three months should be soon enough.
He would summon the imperial physicians in Bianliang first and have them prescribe medicine for head-wind symptoms. That could not hurt.
Nearby, Zhao Pu stared at a few lines above and sighed.
"This Ding dynasty will likely suffer disaster from deposing the elder and elevating the younger."
The sigh pulled Zhao Kuangyin's attention back. He thought for a moment, then recalled.
"Ding Bộ Lĩnh ruled a small land called Đại Cồ Việt. Though they followed Huaxia rites, the man was arrogant and self-satisfied. Trouble was inevitable."
Zhao Kuangyin did not know why later ages called Jiaozhi "Vietnam," but he knew the Ding state.
Its founding ruler Ding Bộ Lĩnh had maintained friendly relations with the Song and sent tribute, acknowledging vassal status.
Even earlier, Zhao Kuangyin had worried about him. He disliked Ding Liễn, who had helped him found the state, and instead named a younger son crown prince after his birth.
Deposing the elder for the younger was a path to disaster. It seemed the Ding state had only learned the surface of Huaxia culture.
They would need to return and study properly.
Perhaps the Battle of the Bạch Đằng River would present an opportunity.
Zhao Kuangyin fell into thought.