The flames burned into the barrel along the fuse, and bursts of white smoke rose up. Li Xiaogong and Li Yuan could not help but retreat.
"You think this thing is really so powerful?"
Listening to Li Yuan's question, Li Xiaogong led his old man back step by step, "The appearance of the bamboo tube last time was not very good, but its strength should not be underestimated."
I watched the movement of the iron cylinder with bated breath, only to hear a loud explosion.
Li Xiaogong, who hadn't gone too far, was also frightened.
The surrounding horses, camels, donkeys and other livestock were frightened and fled in all directions.
The three-hippo was so frightened that it raised its front hooves and neighed.
Aunt Yang rode on the horse and pulled up the reins to control the frightened horse.
Pedestrians on the official road stopped to look for the sound.
Some sparks exploded from the mouth of the iron barrel, and a fireball flew up from the iron barrel and headed towards the city.
The fireball rushed towards the city, only to hear another explosion. The fireball landed on top of the city wall and exploded, with rubble flying up. After the smoke and dust dissipated, a gap was blown in the city wall. The gap was not big, like The originally neat teeth were now missing a tooth.
Before the officers and soldiers outside the city wall came back to their senses, and no one knew who shouted, some officers and soldiers rushed over.
Li Xiaogong saw that the situation was not good, so he asked Li Yuan to go first, and he followed behind on horseback.
Xiong Da was so frightened that he ran away far away carrying Xiao Qingqing on his back, and Aunt Yang followed him.
When the officers and soldiers walked up to the iron bucket, they didn't dare to get too close, for fear that the strange thing would spit out fireballs again.
When the smoke and dust dissipated, the crowd was so frightened that they had not yet recovered. The east gate of Chang'an City, also known as Chunming Gate, was completely silent at this moment.
Li Daoyan, who was guarding the city wall, walked on the city wall and came to the gap that was blown open.
The city wall of Chang'an City is very strong and cannot be cut open by chisels. A gap was opened in such a strong city wall.
Li Daoyan looked at the iron bucket not far away with confusion and said to himself: "Why did the Supreme Emperor run away?"
It wouldn't matter if someone else blew up the city wall. The Supreme Emperor came back and released an unknown fireball that blew a gap in the city wall. The officers and soldiers could not chase him or chase him, so they could only follow Li Yuan from a distance.
Li Daoyan observed the gap in the city wall that was blown up. He found black particles in some rubble. He picked it up and smelled it, but he didn't know what it was.
In fact, as early as Li Yuan came to Chang'an City on the official road, Li Daoyan received the news and did not want the Supreme Emperor to leave like this.
Li Daoyan let out a long sigh and asked the soldiers beside him, "Is anyone injured?"
The soldier looked around now, and when he saw that everyone was fine, he turned back and said: "General, when the fireball came, the men in the lower position were standing scattered, but no one was injured."
Li Daoyan took a closer look at the condition of the city wall, frowning and staring at the big iron barrel in the distance for a long time.
A group of soldiers also gathered around in silence. Everyone was more or less frightened by something they had never seen before. Now they were still thinking about what happened just now, so they started talking again.
Li Daoyan stood up, let out a long sigh, and ordered: "Report this to Zhongshu Province."
General Pi on the side heard the order and went to do the work, "Here."
Half an hour later, a group of more than ten soldiers and horses left the city gate and headed towards Lishan Mountain.
At first, no one came near the big iron barrel, but then three or two Jinwu Guard soldiers came, led by General Yuchi Gong into the city.
Outside Lishan Village, Li Yuan stroked his beard and laughed heartily.
Not knowing what the old guy was laughing at, Li Xiaogong looked back with some fear at the officers and soldiers who were following him.
They didn't dare to come forward to inquire, so they just kept following and stopped a mile in front of the village.
No matter what, it was His Majesty's father who bombed Chang'an City. These people did not dare to ask questions or step forward to stop them.
Xiao Qingqing comforted the frightened Xiong Da and whispered: "I didn't see you scared when watching the fireworks."
After stroking the bear's big head, it took a long time for the bear to regain its composure.
The four-year-old princess was very satisfied. She finally knew what her father was busy with these days.
Xiao Qingqing said obediently: "Grandpa Grandpa, Prince of Hejian County, my granddaughter is going back to the mountain now."
Li Yuan nodded with satisfaction and was in a good mood, as if all the bad energy he had accumulated for many years had been vomited out on this day.
The old man took two steps and smiled heartily again.
Li Tai heard what happened in front of Chang'an City and hurried over, "Uncle Emperor, what's going on?"
Li Xiaogong waved his hand and said, "It's just the whim of the Supreme Emperor."
Knowing that Prince Hejian and Grandpa Huang have always protected Xiao Qingqing, even if it was what she did, Grandpa Huang would protect her.
There was no need to worry about Li Shan, but when he heard Grandpa Huang’s crazy laughter, Li Tai whispered: “What’s wrong with Grandpa Huang?”
Li Yuan laughed again, and laughed wildly.
Li Xiaogong looked solemn, "It's probably because he was frightened."
Li Tai took a breath and whispered a few instructions to the guards on the side.
Seeing this, Li Xiaogong asked again: "What did you order?"
"Let them ask Divine Doctor Sun to show Grandpa Huang who can still laugh like this after being frightened."
"Yeah, that's right, let me see it too."
"What's wrong with you?"
"I also feel that I am not normal."
Li Tai stood there and saw the emperor's uncle also entering the house. He couldn't help but scratch his head and walked back and forth, "What year is it these days? Are all the family sick?"
Xiao Qingqing returned to Lishan Mountain and lowered her head in front of her parents, "Daughter, if you don't like Chang'an City, you want to blow it up. You didn't expect that the thing your father built would be so useless, so you blew a hole in it."
Li Yue stared at her daughter, holding her forehead in distress without saying a word. She even thought it was too weak.
Seeing that his daughter and Xiong Daan were fine, Zhang Yang cleared his throat and whispered: "You, how could you blow up Chang'an City with such a broken iron barrel?"
Hearing this, Xiao Qingqing's eyes lit up, "Is there anything more powerful?"
Zhang Yang nodded and whispered, "That's natural."
Li Yue glared at her husband, stretched out her hand to twist the soft flesh around his waist, "Do you still want your daughter to bomb Chang'an City?"
Zhang Yang endured the pain and gritted his teeth and said, "There is nothing wrong with my daughter being curious."
Hearing what he said, Li Yue pinched harder and whispered: "Who raises a daughter like this?"
Zhang Yang straightened his back in pain and said, "I just won't let her play in the future."
With a long sigh, Li Yue said to her daughter: "You are not allowed to go to the workshop in the future."
Xiao Qingqing nodded aggrievedly.
Looking at Xiong Da again, Li Yue suddenly said: "You have nothing to eat tonight."
Xiong Da whimpered and bent down, placing his paws on his chin, not daring to move in the face of the mistress's anger.
Speaking of which, I haven't tried this heartless cannon yet, but my daughter got the first chance.
Li Yue took out a lock from the woodshed at home, locked the workshop, and put the key in her arms.
Seeing that his daughter was still in the mood to laugh, Zhang Yang sighed: "Your mother asked me to pay attention to your little thoughts. I should have listened to your mother."
Xiao Qingqing looked up at her father's expression and whispered, "Will daddy send me to the palace?"
Zhang Yang reached out and picked her up, "Our children cannot go to the palace."
She lowered her head and said aggrievedly: "Grandpa Grandpa said that the emperor's will cannot be violated."
There are some things that her parents won't say to her, but Li Yuan will. Who makes this great emperor love this great-granddaughter so much.
It was the first time she went to Chang'an City since she was sensible, and she didn't like the crowds and bustle there.
It was because she was afraid of Chang'an City and didn't like Chang'an City that she thought of bombing Chang'an City.
No wonder she has been spending time with her uncle Prince Jin recently, always secretly going to the workshop.
On the contrary, the trial of the heartless gun was successful. This kind of firearm is easy to manufacture, and it is also very light to transport and assemble.
It's just that the gunpowder formula for joints has always been in his own hands.
And the primer device also requires a lathe to be polished and manufactured.
Zhang Yang frowned and said: "For many people, the emperor's will cannot be violated."
Hearing this, Xiao Qingqing looked a little more disappointed.
Zhang Yang continued, "Then do you know why dad wants to make firearms?"
Xiao Qingqing held her father's neck and shook her head, burying her head with a look of grievance on her face.
"Transactions between people require conditions. Once our family has the strength to negotiate terms with the emperor, the emperor's will will not be violated by Lishan."
My daughter's face finally became a little more relaxed.
Zhang Yang continued: "It's like daddy has a treasure in his hand. The emperor doesn't have this treasure, but it is necessary for him. In this way, Lishan has the right to speak, and the emperor cannot touch Lishan easily. "
Xiao Qingqing whispered: "Is that baby a firearm?"
Zhang Yang shook his head, "Not just firearms, but also technology and rising productivity. Lishan's technology is something that outsiders don't have."
Seeing his daughter's still puzzled look, Zhang Yang smiled and said: "Your mother often said that in the future, your children will be in charge of the family business. Fathers don't expect you to be very promising, because they all say that your father and I are a good-for-nothing." .”
"Giggle...grandpa said this." She finally laughed.
The child's mood is also uncertain. He looked depressed before, but now he is finally smiling again.
Even if Li Yue doesn't feed Xiong Da, her daughter will still feed him her own food.
In the palace, in front of the Xingqing Hall, Li Shimin looked at the big iron barrel in front of him. The inside of the iron barrel was a lot charred because it had been exploded once.
Standing next to His Majesty were Yu Chigong, Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, and Qin Qiong who was eating dried dates.
Seeing Qin Qiong eating something in her mouth, Cheng Yaojin glanced displeased.
Qin Qiong took out a handful of dried dates from the cloth bag and said, "The new dried dates from Gaochang this year. Do you want to try them?"
Everyone was helpless about the big iron bucket, and everyone was silent.
Cheng Yaojin simply took a few dried dates and sat down with Qin Qiong to eat them, "Huh? Brother Qin's dates are quite sweet."
There are only so many brothers who were sworn brothers in Wagang now.
At that time, Qin Qiong ranked second, so everyone called him the second brother Qin. Except for Li Ji, there were only a few Wagang brothers in the court at that time.
Speaking of friendship, although Qin Qiong looked down on Cheng Yaojin's temper, the two of them were sworn brothers back then.
Qin Qiong explained: "Many people from Gaochang come here every year, saying it was arranged by Zhang Yang."
Cheng Yaojin whispered: "Just such a guy blew a hole in the Chang'an city wall?"
After saying that, he spit out the date core in his mouth.
The two of them talked about their own things.
Qin Qiong was more gentle. He took the date cores in a bowl and said, "I have long heard that Lishan presented a city-breaking weapon to His Majesty. It is probably this thing."
Li Shimin stood silently aside, and everyone stared at this novel thing in a daze.
From the first earth mine delivered to the iron barrel now, Li Shimin had several guesses in his mind.
However, the city wall was blown up by Li Yuan, and Li Shimin planned to ask his father what he meant.
Fortunately, the city wall was only slightly damaged and did not collapse.
All in all, Lishan still created such firearms.
Li Shimin looked at the people on the left and right, "What do you think of this thing?"
Yuchi Gong spoke first: "Your Majesty, I haven't seen how this thing is used with my own eyes. I just listened to the stories of the soldiers at the top of the city and I don't know much about it."
Seeing His Majesty's gaze, Cheng Yaojin stood up quickly and said, "Your Majesty, I will second my opinion."
Qin Qiong also nodded.
It seems that all the generals have the same idea. The generals of the Tang Dynasty are all pragmatic and will not lie to you.
Since Lishan said this was a powerful weapon to break the city, he naturally wanted to use it to see. Everyone is a general who has experienced hundreds of battles, so there is no shortage of military experience. This is the first time he has heard of firearms, and it is also the first time he has seen them. Naturally, you have to understand the real purpose.
Li Shimin turned away from looking at the iron bucket and walked back to Xingqing Hall expressionlessly.
Li Shan, Li Yue still gave her a heavy punishment for her daughter's behavior. She was punished by not being able to eat barbecue for a month. She was still writing with a pen late at night, which was also part of the punishment.
The couple sat together in the study, and an extra table was added for this purpose, so that they could handle their own affairs separately.
Li Yue wants to preside over the management of Lishan and prepare for the external expansion of the business. With the steam engine, the Lishan factory can save more manpower. As long as the wheels of the steam engine pull the pull rod, the lathe can be driven for transportation.
She glanced at the picture in her husband's hand and wondered, "What is this?"
Zhang Yang put down the pen in his hand, "This is a steam locomotive."
"For transportation?"
"Well, a relatively lightweight means of transportation. I plan to build railways around Lishan. With Lishan as the core, resources from all directions can be transported into Lishan, and Lishan can also transport goods out."
Li Yue hesitated and said: "This thing still consumes a lot of resources?"
"That's right, if we really want to build a railway, the resources we will need in Lishan will be dozens of times what we need now."
Hearing what her husband said, Li Yue smiled bitterly and shook her head silently.
What Lishan is facing today is a dilemma and a lack of resources. More often than not, it has to look further ahead and face greater pressure.
Lishan will need more resources in the future, and the task of planning resources falls on Zhang Yang. At the same time, he also has to deal with the court and His Majesty.
Zhang Yang wrote a letter, which was to be delivered to Brother He Bi who was causing trouble in Nanzhao.
Nanzhao envoys came to Chang'an City several times to complain, saying that a group of people in Nanzhao were causing trouble.
The Ministry of Rites can help him cover for a while, but it is not a long-term solution to cover him all the time.
It has been two years since he went to Nanzhao. The purpose of Zhang Yang's letter was that he hoped that he could accomplish the task quickly. If he could win Nanzhao as soon as possible, he would not hesitate.
