Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

The sound of the fuse burning was particularly jarring in the deathly silent valley.

Like a fiery serpent flicking its tongue, it swiftly burrowed into the dark depths of the cannon barrel, following the fuse.

Everyone instinctively held their breath.

Li Shimin was still clutching the two wads of cotton in his hand; he had stuffed them in so hastily that half of them had fallen out and were now dangling near his ear. But he couldn't care less; his eyes were fixed on the cannon, not daring to blink.

Mo Ju, holding a torch, had retreated ten steps away, curled up into a ball, and squatted on the ground, covering his ears.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Just as Cheng Yaojin couldn't resist peeking out to see if the fire had gone silent.

"boom--!!!"

An indescribable roar erupted, as if the Thunder God from the heavens had stomped his foot on the mortal realm.

The earth trembled violently.

A visible shockwave emanated from the cannon muzzle, spreading wildly outwards in a ring, stirring up clouds of dust and debris.

Followed by.

A dark, iron ball, carrying an aura of destruction, roared out!

That was too fast.

It was so fast that it was impossible to detect with the naked eye; all that could be seen was a faint scorch mark left in the air.

"call out--"

The sharp, piercing sound seemed to tear at the eardrums.

A thousand paces away.

The abandoned stone building, used to test the power, originally stood firmly on the mountainside.

next second.

"Bang!!!"

The iron ball struck the center of the stone building with perfect accuracy.

But it's not over yet.

That wasn't just a solid lump of iron; it was a bomb that Li Chengqian had specially commissioned Mo Ju to modify, and that was filled with high-purity black powder—a "blooming shell"!

"Boom—!!!"

An even more terrifying explosion resounded inside the stone building.

A ball of orange-red fireball expanded instantly, engulfing everything.

Stones flew everywhere, and dust billowed into the sky!

The sturdy stone building, which was at least two stories high and made of bluestone slabs, seemed to be squeezed hard by an invisible giant hand in that instant.

Dismantling.

collapse.

Turned to dust!

Countless pebbles fell like a torrential rain, crashing against the surrounding mountains and forests with a loud clatter.

Where the stone building once stood, now only a large pit belching black smoke and ruins remain.

Quiet.

The entire training ground of the Shenji Battalion fell into absolute silence.

Everyone remained in their original positions, stiff as a group of terracotta warriors.

Cheng Yaojin opened his mouth wide, his jaw almost dropping to the ground, and his two large, round eyes stared so hard they seemed about to burst.

The sword in Yuchi Gong's hand clattered to the ground and hit his foot, but he didn't even flinch.

so horrible.

Is this really a sound that can be created by human power?

This is clearly divine punishment! It's the wrath of the Thunder God!

"Cough cough cough..."

A gust of wind blew by, dispelling the smoke and leaving behind a pungent smell of sulfur.

Li Shimin finally came to his senses.

He stared blankly at the still-smoking crater in the distance, and then his fingers loosened.

"Clatter".

The bunch of grapes in my hand, which I hadn't had a chance to eat yet, fell to the ground and smashed to pieces.

But he had no interest in grapes at all.

He felt his throat was dry, his heart was pounding, and all the blood in his body was rushing to his head.

"This...this is..."

Li Shimin pointed at the cannon that was still steaming, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Is this... the truth?"

Li Chengqian slowly walked out from behind the bunker, patted the dirt off his body, and reached into his ear to take out the cotton.

"That's right, Father."

He walked to Li Shimin's side, looked at the large pit in the distance, and a fanatical smile appeared on his lips.

"This is what they call—'caliber equals justice'."

"Explosion is art."

Li Chengqian turned around and gently stroked the scalding hot cannon barrel, as if he were caressing the skin of a peerless beauty.

"Didn't you just ask how to reason with Ju Wentai?"

"Do you think that's loud enough?"

"Enough! That's more than enough!"

Li Shimin rushed over, shoved Li Chengqian aside, and hugged the cannon barrel himself, not caring that it was hot, rubbing his face against it again and again.

"That voice is so loud, even a deaf person could hear it!"

"With this thing, what do I have to worry about when besieging a city? What do I have to worry about when building high walls?"

"Who cares about Gaochang or Tibet? One shot, and all are equal!"

The fervor in Li Shimin's eyes was even more intense than the flames from the explosion.

As an emperor who had fought wars his entire life, he knew all too well what this meant.

This is a change in the rules of war!

This is a devastating blow to all countries that rely on cold weapons!

From this day forward, city walls are nothing but decorations in the face of the Tang Dynasty!

"Chengqian!"

Li Shimin turned around abruptly, staring intently at his son. "How many of these do we have?"

"There are only these ten at the moment."

Li Chengqian shrugged. "The cost was too high and the process too difficult. That old man Mo Ju almost went bald before he could produce these ten precious gems."

"Ten gates..."

Li Shimin licked his lips, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes, but then his resolve hardened.

"Ten doors, that's enough!"

"If used properly, these are ten giant axes capable of splitting the heavens and creating the earth!"

Li Chengqian chuckled inwardly as he watched his father's expression, as if he wanted nothing more than to carry the cannon home.

The fish has taken the bait.

"Father."

Li Chengqian leaned closer, pointed to the west, and said in a low voice.

"How many cannon shots do you think Ju Wentai's dilapidated city wall, built of loess, could withstand?"

"Carry my ass!"

Li Shimin scoffed, his face full of disdain, "With this kind of power, one shot would blow up his ancestral graves!"

"Then tell me, what if we took this thing to the Western Regions...?"

"Wouldn't that scare those barbarians so much they'd wet their pants?"

Li Shimin continued the conversation, his mind already conjuring up the image of the Gaochang city walls collapsing amidst cannon fire, and Ju Wentai kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear.

Cool!

So cool!

This is a million times more exhilarating than riding a horse and hacking people to pieces!

But then, Li Shimin suddenly frowned.

He glanced at the complex gun carriage, then at the trembling craftsmen beside him.

"but……"

Li Shimin stroked his chin, his face full of "worry".

"This thing is too powerful and too complicated to operate."

"What if those clumsy soldiers cause an explosion? What if they miss?"

"Moreover, this is a top secret of our Great Tang Dynasty. What if it falls into the hands of spies..."

Li Shimin's expression grew increasingly serious as he spoke, eventually becoming solemn.

"No! It's too dangerous!"

"Such national treasures must be overseen by knowledgeable individuals! They must be managed by people of sufficient authority!"

Li Chengqian was taken aback.

Someone who knows the ropes? Isn't Mo Ju right here?

A person of great importance? Wasn't Huo Qubing important enough?

"Father, do you mean...?"

Li Shimin straightened his chest, straightened his somewhat disheveled clothes, and revealed a fearless spirit of "who else but me?" on his face.

"I have made my decision!"

"Although I will not be the commander-in-chief of this western expedition, I will be responsible for this—"

He pointed to the ten cannons.

"Grand Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion!"

"I want to personally oversee these treasures! I want to personally command them to fire!"

"I don't trust anyone else with something this dangerous! I must handle it myself!"

Li Chengqian: "..."

He looked at his father, who had a righteous and awe-inspiring face but whose eyes actually concealed the words "I want to play with firecrackers," and his mouth twitched wildly.

You're really good at making up stories to go to war!

They even came up with a title like "Grand Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion"?

You're the emperor! Why would you want to be a regimental commander in the artillery?

If this gets out, what will become of the Tang Dynasty's reputation?

But seeing Li Shimin's "I'll hold onto the cannon until you agree" attitude, Li Chengqian knew that he really couldn't stop him this time.

"Alright, alright."

Li Chengqian sighed helplessly.

"Whatever makes you happy."

"But let's make this clear first: you're only responsible for watching the cannons; you're not allowed to charge into battle!"

"no problem!"

Li Shimin agreed quickly, patting the cannon and laughing like a 300-pound child.

"I'll be setting off the cannons from behind! I won't wander off!"

"With this thing, why should I charge into battle? I'll let Ju Wentai taste what it means to be—"

"Thunderous Gaba from the Tang Dynasty!"