Song Dynasty: Yuan Dynasty, you didn't expect this, did you? I'm still alive.

In the autumn of the forty-third year of Jingyan, Madurai City fell. This capital of the Northern Pandya Kingdom could not hold out for a month, or even a week. In just one day, it collapsed amidst the roar of firearms.

On the open ground outside the city, two mighty general cannons stood like black behemoths, their muzzles pointing directly at the heavy city gate. Yang Zhi, clad in armor, stood behind the cannon array, his expression cold and stern, and waved his hand: "Fire!"

"BOOM—!!!" Two deafening roars ripped through the sky, billowing smoke billowing from the cannons as two massive solid shot shells whistled through the air and slammed into the city gate. Though the wooden gate was reinforced with iron, the impact of such force instantly cracked it open, sending wood chips and iron fragments flying everywhere. Two more rounds of shelling followed, and with a crisp crack, the entire gate collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.

"Attack!" Yang Zhi shouted the order. Ten thousand Indian soldiers controlled by the Western Merchants' Guild, already fully equipped and ready, along with twenty thousand troops under Sandara III, surged into the city through the breach in the gates like a tidal wave. The city erupted in deafening battle cries, the clashing of swords, and blood staining the cobblestone streets. The two sides fought fiercely for a full day, but Vera II's army was ultimately no match, retreating step by step until it was completely routed.

As the city fell, Vera II took advantage of the chaos to change into the clothes of an ordinary soldier, hoping to slip out of the city and continue his escape. However, as soon as he stepped out of the city gate, he was captured by soldiers of the Western Merchants' Guild who had been lying in ambush—Yang Zhi had anticipated this move and had laid a trap around the city gate in advance.

Sandara III sat on the former throne of Vira II, watching Vira II being bound and pushed before him by two soldiers. A smug, sinister smile curled at the corner of his lips as he slowly spoke, "Brother, did you ever imagine you'd end up like this?"

Vira II, his hair disheveled and clothes stained with blood, still had an arrogant look in his eyes. He suddenly raised his head, spat at Sandara III, and cursed, "Bah! You patricide and traitor, your hands are stained with the blood of your own family! Even if I die, my soul will curse you day and night, wishing you a terrible death, that you be killed by someone else's own hands!"

Spit splattered onto Sandara III's brocade robe, and his face instantly darkened. He slowly wiped the water from his face, his eyes as sinister as poisoned knives, and sneered, "I am blessed by the gods, born to be the king of Pandaria. Who can kill me? But you, even on your deathbed, still dare to be stubborn. Guards! Drag him away and behead him to avenge my father!"

"Yes!" the soldiers responded in unison, dragging the struggling and cursing Vira II away. A moment later, a soldier respectfully presented Sandara III with a bloodied head.

Sandara III rose, personally carrying Vira II's head, and led his entourage to his father's tomb. His eyes held no sorrow, only venomous resentment. He casually tossed the head before the tomb like trash, muttering through gritted teeth, "Old man, this is your most favored son? Even with the support of ministers, nobles, and the army, what good is it? In the end, I ascended the throne and ruled all of Pandaria!"

His father and brother, whom he once hated most, were now both killed by his own hands. Yet, having achieved his long-cherished wish, Sandara III felt no ecstatic joy as he had anticipated; instead, a strange sense of boredom welled up within him. He glanced at the head before the tomb, turned and left the cemetery, striding towards the palace—where countless treasures and beauties awaited his enjoyment.

The following morning, Yang Zhi, dressed in a smart brocade robe, went straight into the palace and found King Sandara III enjoying fine wine and food. He calmly said, "Your Majesty, yesterday's battle was chaotic, and my army lost a soldier. According to witnesses, this soldier was the last to enter Your Majesty's camp, carrying a firearm. I hope Your Majesty will return the soldier and the weapon to me."

King Sandara III paused slightly in his wine glass, his eyes flickered a few times, then he put down the glass and put on a fake smile: "President Yang, rest assured, I will thoroughly investigate this matter. If he is indeed in my camp, I will return him and his firearms intact." After saying that, he immediately summoned his generals for questioning.

The general rushed over, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Chairman Yang said that you kidnapped one of his soldiers and also possessed his firearms?" Sandara III asked in a grim tone.

Upon hearing this, the general was utterly bewildered and quickly looked up to protest, "Your Majesty, please understand! This humble general has never done such a thing! During yesterday's battle, this humble general led the troops in attacking the city and had no contact with Chairman Yang's soldiers whatsoever!"

"No?" King Sandara III frowned, slamming his hand on the table, his anger blazing. "Would Yang Zhi deceive me with something like this? Or perhaps you see the incredible power of firearms and want to keep them for yourself?"

The general trembled with fear, immediately kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly, pleading, "Your Majesty, you are innocent! This humble general is utterly loyal to Your Majesty and would never dare to harbor such selfish motives! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

Sandara III, however, refused to believe him, his eyes blaming with growing murderous intent. Seeing this, the general knew further explanation was futile. In a moment of quick thinking, he abruptly raised his head and shouted, "Your Majesty! This is Yang Zhi's scheme to sow discord! Have you forgotten? You were just one step away from conquering Madurai, but Yang Zhi suddenly suspended support, giving Vira II a chance to regroup! He betrayed you once then, so why can't he plot against you again today?"

King Sandara III shuddered, as memories buried deep within him for years surged back. Yes, Yang Zhi was nothing but a profit-driven businessman. If he hadn't suddenly withdrawn his investment and aid back then, he would have unified Pandaria long ago, instead of waiting until today. Now that he was the King of Pandaria, was he really going to be controlled by a mere businessman?

Seeing that King Sandara III's expression relaxed, the general knew he had hit the nail on the head and quickly pressed his advantage: "Your Majesty, if we can seize Yang Zhi's firearms and equip our army with them, who on this Indian continent will be your match? At that time, you will not only be able to unify India, but you may even be able to contend with the Eastern Song Dynasty!"

These words ignited Sandara III's ambition. A glint of greed and determination flashed in his eyes, and he immediately ordered: "Pass on my command! Lead your army and immediately surround Yang Zhi's camp! If he is willing to hand over all his firearms, I will spare his life and allow him to continue being Pandaria's most honored guest; if he refuses, then annihilate his entire army!"

Soon, Sandara III's army surrounded Yang Zhi's camp. But Yang Zhi, inside the camp, remained completely calm, a knowing smile playing on his lips—this was all a trap he had set. Finding an excuse to break with Sandara III, then swiftly annihilating him, would allow him to rightfully control all of Pandya; this was far easier than a direct military campaign.

"Sandara III has betrayed us, besieging our army without cause. Today, he will pay the price!" Yang Zhi shouted from the camp wall towards the outside of the city, then immediately ordered, "Tiger-crouching cannons, prepare to bombard the enemy ranks!"

Twenty tiger-squatting cannons had already been set up, their muzzles aimed at the dense enemy forces outside the city. "Fire!" With a command, the twenty cannons fired simultaneously, and two thousand lead bullets pressed down on Sandara III's army like a black cloud.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" A series of explosions rang out as lead bullets shattered in the enemy ranks, soldiers falling like wheat being harvested, blood and limbs splattering everywhere. Sandara III's army had never seen such terrifying weapons before, and they were terrified, fleeing in panic. Their formation collapsed instantly, just like that of Vera II's army the day before.

"Counterattack!" Yang Zhi seized the opportunity, ordered the camp gates opened, and led 10,000 Indian soldiers and 3,000 Song army firearms troops in a charge. The Song soldiers formed neat ranks, constantly pulling the triggers of their matchlock muskets. Amidst the dense gunfire, enemy soldiers fell in droves.

Sandara III's army suffered a complete rout, collapsing like a house of cards; the entire battle resembled a one-sided massacre. Sandara III stood at a distance, witnessing his army's relentless retreat, his face drained of color. He turned to flee once more. But as soon as he mounted his horse, two guards beside him suddenly seized him, pinning him down—these two men had already been bribed by Yang Zhi beforehand.

The guards bound Sandara III and brought him before Yang Zhi. Sandara III, now devoid of his usual arrogance, pleaded in terror, "Brother Yang, spare me this time! I'm willing to give you half of Pandaria and share the world with you!"

Yang Zhi scoffed disdainfully, his eyes icy as he looked at him: "Sharing the world? What a pipe dream! Under heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king. This land has always been the territory of my Great Song Dynasty. You dare to talk to me about sharing it?"

Subsequently, Yang Zhi summoned all the nobles under Sandara III and, in their presence, recounted Sandara III's numerous crimes of betrayal. He then ordered Sandara III's execution. After killing Sandara III, Yang Zhi looked at the terrified nobles below and slowly said, "If you are willing to pledge allegiance to the Great Song Dynasty's India Governor-General's Office, I can guarantee that your noble status will remain unchanged, and your original fiefdoms and interests will not be infringed upon."

Those nobles with backbone and loyalty to the Pandian royal family had long been purged during the decade-long civil war under Sandara III and Vila II. The remaining nobles, who were inherently sycophants, upon hearing that their interests were unharmed, knelt down and shouted in unison, "We are willing to pledge our loyalty to the Great Song Governor's Office!"

The once-powerful Pandya Empire fell into internal strife and division in the 30th year of the Jingyan reign due to the instigation of the Western Merchants Association. After thirteen years of war, it finally came under the rule of the Song Dynasty in the 43rd year of the Jingyan reign.

Lu Junyao sent the battle report on the pacification of Pandya to the Australian court with great speed. The court was extremely satisfied with the progress made by the Governor-General of India and issued an edict to greatly reward Lu Junyao, as well as Yang Zhi, Zhang Qianfan and others who had made great contributions in this battle, and also bestowed a large amount of gold, silver and jewels and silks upon them.

The victory in the pacification of Pandya greatly boosted the morale of the Second Prince's faction. The Second Prince, Zhao Wen, seized the opportunity and reiterated at court: "Now that the war in India is going well, we should send an army to India to assist the Governor-General in consolidating his rule and further promoting the assimilation of the Indian states."

This time, no one could stop the Second Prince's proposal. After reviewing the memorial, Emperor Zhao Shi immediately approved the Second Prince's request. Standing in the court, the Second Prince Zhao Wen received congratulations from his colleagues, his face full of pride—he was one step closer to becoming the heir apparent.

Just as he was feeling smug, the eunuch Xiao Dezi quietly approached him and whispered a message: "His Majesty asked me to tell Your Highness that 'Wen'er has been too busy with official duties lately, and his progress in studying the Heavenly Book has fallen behind.'"

Upon hearing this, the Second Prince's expression changed drastically. His smugness vanished instantly, replaced by deep fear. He quickly pulled Xiao Dezi aside, pulled two thick silver notes from his sleeve, stuffed them into Xiao Dezi's hand, and pleaded in a low voice, "Eunuch Dezi, you misunderstand. It's not that I've been negligent; it's just that my research on the Heavenly Book has reached a crucial stage, and I haven't been able to report to the Emperor yet. Next month, I will definitely present the research results to the Emperor, and I guarantee he will be satisfied. I hope you will put in a good word for me with the Emperor."

Xiao Dezi discreetly slipped the silver note into his sleeve, glanced at its denomination, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He nodded and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I am a man of my word. I will certainly explain the situation clearly to the Emperor."

For Zhao Shi, taking over Pandiya was merely adding another place name to his collection. He couldn't go there personally, nor could he gain any real benefit from it; it was far less important than the study of the Heavenly Book. Time was of the essence; he was already fifty years old. If he didn't seize the opportunity to study chemistry soon, when would he be able to create "Sildenafil" and give "Little Zhao Shi" a chance to shine?

At present, the chemical level of the Eastern Song Dynasty is only limited to the initial stage of purifying some basic substances and reducing some impurities during iron smelting. It is still a world away from producing sildenafil. In his eyes, the so-called imperial ambitions, eternal rule, and unification of the world are all meaningless chicken bones without "Little Zhao Shi".

……

In the same year (1318 AD), a wave of interest in miscellaneous studies swept through the folk society of the Eastern Song Dynasty. Shi Wang, a folk scholar, was deeply inspired by the records of "convex mirror focusing light" and "concave mirror imaging" in "Dream Pool Essays". He repeatedly studied the telescope and, after countless experiments, finally invented the microscope.

This simple microscope allowed people to see for the first time the fine structure of insect compound eyes, cell walls on plant leaves, and tiny organisms invisible to the naked eye in water. Based on this, Schwann boldly proposed that the cell is the basic unit of structure and life activities in plants and animals, and named this theory "cell theory".

The cell theory, once proposed, sparked widespread controversy among the public. Some considered it a fallacy that overturned traditional understanding, while others were filled with curiosity about this entirely new theory. Eventually, the controversy reached the ears of the Gewu Academy, attracting the attention of its scholars.

The Gewu Academy did not rush to refute or agree with Shi Wang's theories, but instead extended an invitation to him, inviting him to join the academy. Shi Wang gladly accepted, and with the financial and technical support of the Gewu Academy, he opened a microscope factory, owning shares in the factory but not participating in specific management affairs—his mind was always focused on miscellaneous academic research.

The commercial value of microscopes quickly became apparent, and some unscrupulous merchants, seeing the potential for profit, stole the microscope's manufacturing secrets through illicit means and opened their own factory, dumping the products at low prices. Upon learning of this, Shi Wang, through his connections at the Gewu Academy, brought this unscrupulous merchant to court.

Ye Li, the then Prime Minister, deeply understood the importance of innovation to national development. He personally presided over discussions and promoted the enactment of the Patent Law. This law stipulated that inventors could apply to the court for patents for their inventions. During the patent's validity period, any commercial use involving the patent must pay a patent fee to the patent holder, and the patent protection period was fifty years.

This was the world's first patent protection law. Its promulgation greatly protected the rights of inventors, stimulated the innovative enthusiasm of the public and scholars in academies, and injected strong momentum into the technological innovation and industrial development of the Eastern Song Dynasty.