Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

The fifth year of Zhangwu (225).

The first day of the first lunar month.

New Town County.

Fangling County.

The loud crowing of roosters came one after another.

The people in all the villages and towns all got up when they heard the cockcrow, and set off firecrackers in the courtyard to ward off evil spirits.

In Fangling City.

In the palace of Prince Yan.

Sun Cheng, along with Liu Lin, Liu Shuang and Liu Zan, gathered a bunch of bamboo joints in the courtyard. They carefully threw them into the fire, listening to the beeping sound and cheering.

Looking at the four young men playing with firecrackers around the fire, Liu Feng's lips curled up into a smile.

Steal the floating life for half a day.

It is also a celebration to be able to enjoy family happiness in times of war.

The origin of firecrackers is very early.

When there was no gunpowder, people would pick out thin bamboo joints and throw them into the fire to make the most primitive "firecracker sound".

After alchemists in the Tang Dynasty perfected the formula for gunpowder, people began filling gunpowder into bamboo or paper tubes to make louder and more controllable "gunpowder firecrackers," also known as "firecrackers."

In the Song Dynasty, gunpowder and metal powder were mixed to produce fireworks with light effects.

The entertainment value of gunpowder has been taken to the extreme.

Think gunpowder.

Liu Feng then thought of the core formula of gunpowder: sulfur, saltpeter and carbon.

However, sulfur and saltpeter only have medicinal properties in this era, and alchemists have not yet derived them into gunpowder.

Or in other words: Perhaps an alchemist accidentally made gunpowder, but did not form a systematic theory of gunpowder formula.

Liu Feng didn't remember much, only the basic formula of sulfur, saltpeter, carbon and a simple process.

after all.

Except for true enthusiasts, most people just go and buy fireworks and firecrackers, and few of them are really bored enough to experiment with gunpowder formulas.

However, in this day and age, there is no place to buy fireworks.

Liu Feng disliked the crude method of burning bamboo joints in fire, so he asked Tian Qi to get some sulfur, saltpeter and carbon, and then grind the saltpeter in the courtyard.

This made Sun Cheng, Liu Lin, Liu Shuang, Liu Zan and other young boys curious.

Liu Feng did not waste labor and directly became a hands-off boss, letting Sun Cheng be responsible for grinding saltpeter, Liu Lin be responsible for crushing sulfur, Liu Shuang be responsible for grinding charcoal, and Liu Zan be responsible for preparing thin bamboo joints (one end is left open and the other end is open).

Then he asked Tian Qi to carefully mix the three powders evenly.

Although Liu Feng was not a professional, he knew that this crudely made gunpowder was extremely unstable and could spontaneously ignite or explode due to friction or heat during mixing or storage.

It's obviously not safe to let a few teenagers stir it.

Choosing thin bamboo joints is also to avoid accidents caused by too much quantity.

Tian Qi is a steady person.

Since Liu Feng said that mixing these three powders together might be dangerous, Tian Qi naturally would not turn a deaf ear to him.

After stirring evenly.

Tian Qi put on leather gloves as Liu Feng instructed, then carefully packed the powder into thin bamboo joints, compacted it, used a thin hemp rope soaked in saltpeter as a fuse, and sealed the other end with clay.

A crudely made "gunpowder firecracker" was successfully produced.

Although it is called "gunpowder firecrackers", Liu Feng doesn't know whether it can explode. After all, it is just a simple purification, and whether it can succeed depends on luck.

"Try lighting it."

Liu Feng signaled Tian Qi to light the fuse.

Tian Qi carefully lit the fuse, and then threw it in front of the courtyard as Liu Feng instructed.

"Hey, no response?"

When Liu Feng saw that the "gunpowder firecracker" did not explode, and caught a glimpse of the suspicious looks from several teenagers, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Putting on leather gloves, Liu Feng picked up the "misfired" firecracker in the courtyard, shook off the clay and poured out the "gunpowder", lowered his head and thought for a while: "It should be the wrong ratio. What's the ratio of sulfur, saltpeter and carbon? 123? Or 321? Well, never mind, let's try a few more times. It's just a small firecracker. I don't believe it won't work."

This time, Liu Feng did not let Tian Qi do it himself. He directly mixed the formula and asked Tian Qi to light one after making it. At the same time, he asked Sun Cheng to be responsible for recording the proportions.

We produced more than a dozen in a row, but all of them failed.

Liu Feng's face was even more embarrassed.
Looking at the last bit of sulfur and saltpeter, Liu Feng asked Sun Cheng to record the ratio, then added a little more charcoal than sulfur, and then mixed them together.

【At least let me become one for once. 】

This time, Liu Feng did not let Tian Qi light the fuse. He walked to the fire himself, lit the fuse, and then threw it into the courtyard.

All I heard was a "pop" sound, followed by a "whoosh" sound.

"Done?"

Liu Feng's eyes lit up.

It was worth it that I made more than a dozen of them, and finally one was successful.

Before Liu Feng introduced the gunpowder firecrackers, Yu Fan came to the courtyard with a gloomy face. He sniffed and saw the sulfur and saltpeter residues on the stone table in the courtyard. His face became even darker.

"Hey, Lord Zhongxiang, Happy New Year." Liu Feng smiled and bowed in greeting.

Yu Fan bowed, his face still gloomy, and then his eyes fell on the thin bamboo joints that were not firing on the ground.

He picked one up at random, poured out the "gunpowder" in the thin bamboo joint, and sniffed it. The face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Your Highness! Sulfur and saltpeter are both scarce medicinal materials for preventing plague. How can you use them for playing?" Yu Fan didn't care that Sun Cheng, Liu Lin and the other four kids were still there, and scolded Liu Feng mercilessly.

Sulfur has the uses of repelling insects and inhibiting bacteria after burning. Although there is no direct record of this in the Han Dynasty, the "Emergency Prescriptions for the Elbow" of the Eastern Jin Dynasty mentioned that "plague-preventing medicine" contained sulfur, so this tradition should have been passed down earlier than the book was written.

Saltpeter is cold in nature and can be used to relieve symptoms such as high fever and constipation associated with plague. The "Shennong Bencao Jing" states that saltpeter can "cleanse accumulated food" or expel "heat toxins" through purgation.

Although the Han Dynasty attributed the cause of plague to "epidemic air" and "malaria", due to the lack of knowledge of microbiology, the use of sulfur and saltpeter was more based on experience and witch doctors.

Although sulfur fumigation has a certain disinfecting effect, improper concentration control can easily lead to poisoning; saltpeter diarrhea may aggravate the patient's dehydration and the risk is extremely high.

But in the current medical context, Yu Fan also believed that sulfur saltpeter was a medicinal material for preventing and treating plague, and it was a scarce medicinal material.

Seeing that the scarce medicine that could prevent and treat the plague was used by Liu Feng to make toys and wasted all over the floor, Yu Fan showed his good manners by not cursing him on the spot.

Before Liu Feng could answer, his eldest son Liu Lin defended him, "We are not playing. Father said that we should make firecrackers that can go off without throwing them into the fire. They are used to drive away evil spirits and ward off evil spirits."

Liu Feng couldn't help but hold his forehead.

My dear son, what are you trying to say to Mr. Zhongxiang? Can you win?

really.

next moment.

Yu Fan began to blow his beard and glare, and shouted: "The Book of Changes says, 'A gentleman avoids difficulties with frugality', Your Highness, have you not heard it? In the past, King Cheng Tang prayed for rain in a mulberry forest, and drove himself into prison in the wild with a white carriage and a white horse; Duke Zhou held his hair and spit out food, still fearing that he would lose the talents of the world.

This medicine is listed as a medium-grade medicine in Shennong's Materia Medica. Saltpeter can cleanse the stomach and intestines, and sulfur can kill sores, insects and evil spirits. In the past, when there was a great epidemic in Jingchu, one out of three households would die. Doctors begged for this medicine but could not get it!
Is it more important to exorcise evil spirits to ward off evil spirits, or to ward off plague to save the people? How could Your Highness not know which is more important?
In the past, Jie and Zhou built jade rooms and ivory chopsticks, but they only consumed the materials for their food; Your Highness burned life-saving medicine and stones to make firecrackers for children to play with, do you know how shameful it is? "

Liu Lin was dumbfounded.

Originally, I wanted to say a few words to defend Liu Feng, but Yu Fan ended up scolding Liu Feng even more harshly, even comparing him to Jie and Zhou?

Liu Lin was dissatisfied and was about to speak, but Liu Feng took the lead and held Liu Lin's head first.

Then he bowed and apologized to Yu Fan: "Mr. Zhongxiang, I was wrong!"

At the same time, he lightly rebuked Liu Lin: "Why don't you apologize to Lord Zhongxiang?"

Seeing Liu Feng admit his mistake, Liu Lin did not dare to disobey even though he was unwilling. He also bowed his head and apologized: "Mr. Zhongxiang, I am ignorant."

Seeing Liu Feng resolutely admit his mistakes, and then admit his mistakes with Liu Lin, Yu Fan's tone softened: "The ancient sages said that it is the greatest virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Your Highness must not forget the suffering of the people because of your arrogance."

Liu Feng agreed repeatedly and signaled Sun Cheng and others to return to the backyard temporarily.

After Sun Cheng and his companions left, Liu Feng said, "Mr. Zhongxiang, I am not trying to waste my time on playing with things. I just saw some young men playing with firecrackers, and I was inspired to think that a mixture of sulfur, saltpeter and carbon can be explosive.

If the quantity is small, it is just a toy for children; if the quantity is large, it may be a powerful weapon for attacking cities and capturing strongholds.

It can be used for fire attack and burning of villages, or for explosion to destroy cities. Mr. Zhongxiang is well versed in medicine, so he can find some medical workers to see if there is any way to increase the production of sulfur and saltpeter.

In this way, there will be no shortage of military and civilian supplies.”

Yu Fan was shocked when he heard this: "Can an explosive mixture of sulfur, saltpeter, and carbon really be used to attack a city or capture a stronghold?"

Liu Feng smiled and said, "Based on the power of the firecrackers just now, it is definitely not enough. We need a lot of sulfur and saltpeter to mix and test before we can make something that can be used for military explosions?"

Yu Fan lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Although sulfur and saltpeter are not easy to obtain, since Your Highness wants them, I will find a way."

Subsequently.

Yu Fan talked about the main business of coming to the Prince of Yan's mansion to look for Liu Feng: "According to the repeated investigations of the spies, it has been confirmed that there are indeed a large number of curved plows in the north. Judging from their specifications, they are exactly the same as those used in Jingzhou. I suspect that someone secretly copied the drawings and carefully observed the production process. Otherwise, it is just that the craftsmen disassembled and imitated them, and it is impossible to mass-produce them in a short period of time."

The mainstream straight-beam plow in the Han Dynasty had a simple structure, but the curved-beam plow that suddenly appeared in Jingzhou had a complex structure. Craftsmen needed to understand its mechanical principles, such as center of gravity adjustment, labor-saving design, and complex components such as adjustable thimbles, plowshares, etc.

Without blueprints or complete production processes, it would be extremely difficult and basically impossible to imitate in a short period of time.

There is no other possibility except technology leak.

However, if you want to leak technology, there are not many people who have access to state-owned workshops!

"Mr. Zhongxiang, you have worked hard. I already know the reason for this matter. It is just a curved plow. Let it be leaked. Just regard it as compensation to the people of the Central Plains for the war caused by the Northern Expedition."

Liu Feng was very open-minded.

The essence of the curved plow is to improve agricultural productivity so that more food can be produced from the land.

Food is, of course, for people to eat.

It is eaten by the Han people in the south and also by the Han people in the north.

Liu Feng was fighting against the Cao Wei regime in the north, not killing all the Han people in the north.

Therefore.

Liu Feng disdained to use dark military tactics like those that would cause famine in the north.

When Cao Rui burned the granary in Chang'an, Liu Feng was so angry that he cursed Cao Rui for being a full man who didn't know the ridicule of a hungry man. The meat-eaters are planning for the world and the people. How can they use any means to achieve the world and ignore the people?
Immediately.

Liu Feng told Yu Fan about his plan and asked Yu Fan to cooperate in a play.

Yu Fan was startled. He did not expect that Liu Feng had already locked onto his target. He said, "Since Your Highness has made preparations, I will cooperate."

By the afternoon.

Liu Feng held a banquet at the Prince of Yan's mansion and invited Deng Ai, who had been promoted to the rank of Commandant of Agriculture, and his good friend Shi Bao, who was temporarily the Commandant of Agriculture, to attend the banquet.

"Your Highness, Zhongrong, I have come all the way back to Chang'an this time. I have specially chosen the first day of the first lunar month to host a banquet for you. I am particularly impressed by your talent. You must work hard."

Deng Ai gave careful instructions.

Shi Bao had been in Jingzhou for quite some time and had gotten used to Deng Ai's unique way of speaking.

Deng Ai used to stutter and his speech was irregular, which often led to misunderstandings.

Just like Shen Gongbao who was being captured.

After Liu Feng's advice, Deng Ai changed his stuttering way of speaking to two-word words.

There is nothing that cannot be expressed clearly with two words. If it cannot be expressed, then just add the two words together.

"I will keep Shi Zai's advice in mind." Shi Bao responded while thinking about Sima Yi's advice in the past.

As one of Sima Yi's spies planted in Jingzhou, Shi Bao has been loyally completing the tasks assigned by Sima Yi.

What Shi Bao was most proud of was that he had passed on the complete drawings and production process of the curved plow to Sima Yi.

Originally, Sima Yi wanted Shi Bao to return.

After all, the leakage of the curved plow's technology is likely to expose Shi Bao's identity.

However, Shi Bao was bold and insisted on staying in Jingzhou. He even expressed his willingness to serve Liu Feng through Deng Ai.

This is why Deng Ai wrote to Chang'an to recommend Shi Bao.

Not long after.

The two came to Prince Yan's Mansion.

Tian Qi was already waiting at the gate of the mansion. After the two men arrived, he checked whether they had any sharp weapons on them before letting them in.

After all, Liu Feng was holding a banquet at the Prince of Yan's mansion, and Tian Qi, as a captain of the personal guard, had to consider the safety of Liu Feng and his family.

Although Deng Ai can be trusted, Shi Bao may not be.

Before leaving Chang'an, Liu Bei not only warned Liu Feng not to be careless, but also warned Tian Qi separately to be on guard against all possible assassinations.

The environment now is no longer the same as when Liu Bei was in Pingyuan, when Liu Bei could have influenced the assassin.

And now.

The assassins who targeted Liu Bei and his sons and their important officials had only one goal: to complete the mission.

Take Fei Yi for example. According to historical records, Fei Yi was indulgent and doted on new surrenders. Zhang Yi used the assassination of Cen Peng and Lai Xu, two generals under Emperor Guangwu, to warn Fei Yi not to be careless and to be more vigilant. Fei Yi did not listen and was eventually killed by Guo Xiu, a surrendered Wei surrenderer.

Liu Bei also knew that Liu Feng was proud of his bravery and magnanimity, and he liked to recruit surrendered generals. For example, he recruited the surrendered general Wang Chong after breaking through Wuguan, and he recruited the surrendered generals Xue Ti and Wang Sheng after breaking through Yaoguan. He treated all three of them very well.

As well as Yu Fan, who came earlier, they all used it for their closest people.

In addition, Shen Dan, Bai Shou and others were originally opponents, but later turned enemies into friends and became Liu Feng's confidants.

Being magnanimous and treating others with sincerity has both advantages and disadvantages.

It is easy for people from far and near to come and submit to you, but it is also easy for the enemy to plant spies there.

Therefore, Cao Cao, who was good at using surrendered generals, was suspicious by nature. He claimed that he could kill people in his dreams, so he could escape danger even when he encountered assassins.

Liu Bei didn't know whether Liu Feng would listen to his advice.

However, for Liu Feng's safety, Liu Bei would naturally be more cautious.

After a careful inspection, Tian Qi invited Deng Ai and Shi Bao to the banquet.

"I am the minister, the captain of the agricultural department, Deng Ai. I am honored to meet you, Your Highness." Deng Ai was the first to salute, and then said, "This is my old friend, Bohai Shibao, courtesy name Zhongrong."

Shi Bao then bowed and said, "I am Shi Bao from Bohai, Shi Zhongrong, I greet your Highness and wish you the best of luck."

Liu Feng raised his cup and smiled: "Zhongrong has come to me from Bohai. Shizai has recommended Zhongrong many times as a talent to assist the king. I have also read Zhongrong's past policy papers. His ability in economic affairs is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Please join us."

Shi Bao thanked him and sat down with Deng Ai.

There were sounds of brass music, beauties singing and dancing, and delicious food and wine, all showing the hospitality of the guests.

Liu Feng also spoke generously, and Shi Bao couldn't help but feel admiration for him.

[No wonder Shi Zai often talked about the kindness of the King of Yan, which he would never forget. His generosity was well-deserved.]

The wine is half full.

Liu Feng dismissed the beautiful vocalist and invited Shi Bao and Deng Ai to sit with him, then he let out a sigh.

Shi Bao understood the meaning of the music and asked, "Your Highness, is there something bothering you? Why not tell us about it? Perhaps we can offer you a rough plan."

Liu Feng put down the wine jar and pretended to be drunk: "Zhongrong is a good friend of mine, and he has come thousands of miles to join me. I will not hide it from you. I am going south this time on the order of my father, the emperor, to take Jiangdong, but I have no good plan."

Shi Bao was secretly surprised.

Liu Bei wants to take over Jiangdong?

Shouldn't we pacify Yongliang first and then take Tongguan?
Are you trying to trick me?

Shi Bao's mind raced, and he pretended to think for a while, then said with a smile, "I have some humble opinions, please consider them, Your Highness."

Liu Feng pretended to be happy, and said, "Zhongrong, please tell me in detail."

Shi Bao also bowed and said calmly: "Your Highness, you are wise. Jiangdong relies on the advantages of its navy and the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

However, it has three disadvantages: the Shanyue people control the heartland, the big families have their own private armies and are separatist, and the grain tax depends on military farming.

If Your Highness wants to take Jiangdong, you can follow the example of Guan Zhong, the Prime Minister of Qi, who attacked Chu, and openly cultivated the trade route while secretly hiding military plans. I have three plans to offer.

First, send envoys to establish friendly relations and show goodwill to the people. Use the curved plow as bait and pretend to help them reclaim wasteland and promote agriculture. The curved plow is most suitable for paddy field farming, and the Jiangdong tyrants will definitely compete for it. This will not only win the hearts of the people of Jiangdong, but also obtain Jiangdong's grain.

Second, he bought iron with a large sum of money to induce them to smelt it. The wealthy families in Wu had many mineral veins, so he could secretly ask merchants to raise the market price and buy pig iron at double the price. The powerful people might smelt iron and sell it if they saw the profit. If Sun Quan banned it, the powerful people would be dissatisfied, and if he did not ban it, the pig iron would flow out.

Third, Shu brocade is a source of confusion and corruption. The people of Wu have always admired the beauty of Shu brocade. Your Highness can secretly send merchants to sell it to Jiangdong at a low price in the name of "tribute". When Sun Quan and his ministers adopt Shu brocade as a fashion, you can suddenly raise the price and seize all the wealth of the Jiangdong monarch and his ministers.

If the three strategies are implemented simultaneously, by then, the land of Wuzhong will be short of weapons, the navy ships will be covered with silk and satin, and the local tyrants will admire the Han Dynasty. Even if there are tens of millions of bushels of grain, how can Sun Quan be able to fight?"

Good guy.

This is to turn Sun Quan into a waste.

Jiangdong hoards grain and I hoard guns. Jiangdong is my granary.

but.

Although Shi Bao's strategy was good, its disadvantage was that it not only benefited Liu, but also Cao.

Rather than helping Liu Feng to plot against Jiangdong, it would be more accurate to say that he was allowing Liu and Cao to divide Jiangdong.

If this strategy was proposed by Deng Ai, Liu Feng would naturally not doubt it; but if the strategy was proposed by Shi Bao, then it is intriguing.

at the same time.

Liu Feng also valued Shi Bao's talent.

Shi Bao was a man of considerable talent, as he was able to rise from a humble family to a wealthy one under the Cao Wei system of nine ranks.

Think about it for a moment.

Liu Feng clapped his hands and laughed: "Zhongrong is a great talent! If I can destroy Sun Wu, Zhongrong should be the first to achieve the credit! Shi Zai, it is fortunate that you recommended Zhongrong, which relieved my worries!
As a reward!
As a big reward!
If Zhongrong does not despise my crudeness, I would like to serve as your servant in the palace and ask for your advice day and night."

Shi Bao stood up and said, "It would be a great honor for me to serve the King of Yan!"

Liu Feng clapped his hands and said "good", then he personally poured wine for Shi Bao, and they talked about many important matters.

"I laugh at Cao Pi, who doesn't know how to employ people. A good employer should trust people he employs, and not employ people he doubts. Cao Pi was suspicious of Cao Zhang, but he still employed Cao Zhang. Didn't he know that Cao Zhang was no ordinary person? In just a few months, he won the hearts of Guo Huai, Yang Qiu and others."

"I also heard that Cao Pi ordered Zhen Mi to be executed, which frightened Cao Rui. Father doubts son, son doubts father, and there will be trouble in the future. If I were Cao Zhang, I would definitely befriend Cao Rui and use Cao Rui's power to take control of the army. Then, if I win a battle in Guanzhong, my military might will overwhelm Cao Pi."

"Well, this is a good idea! I have to write a letter to my father and ask him not to threaten Cao Zhang too much. This will definitely make the brothers Cao Zhang and Cao Pi turn against each other."

Liu Feng's words were half true and half false, and he made no secret of his intention to sow discord, which made Shi Bao feel frightened.

Just now.

Yu Fan came in from outside, glanced at Shi Bao, and whispered, "Your Highness, there is a secret letter from Jiangdong."

Shi Bao stood up from his seat and said, "Your Highness, I am not very tolerant of alcohol, so I will not bother you any more."

Liu Feng laughed loudly and pressed Shi Bao down: "Why does Zhongrong use this excuse? I always trust people I employ and never employ people I doubt. Since I have employed you, I will not doubt you.

Let me introduce you to Yu Fan, also known as Yu Zhongxiang. He was also a talented person from Jiangdong, but was not liked by Sun Quan.

"If I can trust Lord Zhongxiang, I can naturally trust you too. Don't doubt yourself!"

Liu Feng then signaled Yu Fan to read out the contents of the secret letter directly.

The gist of the letter was that Sun Quan's eldest daughter, Sun Luban, agreed to cooperate with Liu Feng to sell Shu brocade among the dignitaries of Jiangdong. It also said that Zhou Xun was dead, and the words seemed to show admiration for Liu Feng.

Shi Bao was shocked when he heard this, and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, beware of fraud. Don't trust a woman's words."

Liu Feng laughed: "Zhongrong is overthinking. Dahu and I are just business partners. The three strategies that Zhongrong just proposed to us for Jiangdong coincide with mine."

Big tiger?

Shi Bao’s eyes almost popped out of his head.

Is it such a friendly call?

The three strategies I proposed to conquer Jiangdong actually coincide with those of the King of Yan?

The King of Yan is only testing my ability today, but in fact he has already made a plan targeting Jiangdong.

Liu Bei's presence in Chang'an is just a cover. He wants to take advantage of Your Majesty's focus on Yongliang to destroy Sun Quan first!

If Liu Bei were allowed to take over Jiangdong, the world would be divided into two and the Wei Dynasty would be in danger!
Liu Feng seemed to be in a drunken mood. He held Shi Bao's hand and told him a lot of "true" things. In the end, he even wanted to sleep with their feet together. Shi Bao was so scared that he quickly said he didn't dare.

Yu Fan also advised "Your Highness should not be disrespectful", and Liu Feng gave up the idea and just let Deng Ai send Shi Bao away.

But after Shi Bao left, Liu Feng's drunkenness disappeared and his eyes became clear.

"Old Sima, you dared to place a spy next to me. Let me show you how I can scare you." (End of this chapter)