Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

This is gunpowder, or rather, gunpowder in its mature stage. The emergence of gunpowder is quite dramatic.

Ancient emperors, desiring immortality, often sought out alchemists and Taoist priests to concoct elixirs using sulfur, charcoal, lead, mercury, cinnabar, and other ingredients to create so-called elixirs of immortality.

In the late Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, also began to seek immortality and ask about the ways of the immortals.

When Li Shimin was mentioned, a series of comments flashed across the screen.

"Avian influenza outbreak"

Early symptoms of fowl plague

"If he hadn't died young, he probably would have ended up like Emperor Wu of Han."

Li Shimin? The same Li Shimin who was the greatest emperor of all time and created the prosperous reign of Zhenguan? He actually sought immortality and enlightenment?

Liu Che pointed to the sky and spoke loudly to his court officials.

"Even Li Shimin in later generations sought immortality and enlightenment, just like me!!!"

His tone was intense, as if a middle school student had gotten into trouble and suddenly discovered that his friend had done the same thing, and was urgently trying to explain why he wasn't punished.

Li Shimin also sought immortality and refined elixirs!

During the Zhenguan era,

Du Ruhui and the others looked on incredulously, all turning their gazes to Li Shimin.

"impossible!!!"

"Absolutely impossible!!"

Li Shimin was furious, his face flushed red, and his eyes gleamed with tears; he was on the verge of crying.

The Second Emperor is known in historical records for his frequent weeping; there are nearly thirty instances recorded in historical texts alone.

I can't even imagine how many times I've cried in private!

The emperor who cried the most in history

Today, Tianmu says that he sought immortality and enlightenment in his later years, and that he was suffering from chicken plague, the early stage of bird flu, and even said that he was lucky to die young. How can later generations speak so cruelly!

"Your Majesty, it's entirely possible!!"

Wei Zheng's face was solemn. The reason he had been so persistent in his advice, even at the risk of angering Li Shimin, was to prevent this situation from occurring.

Especially after the message on the screen proclaimed Li Shimin as one of the greatest emperors of all time, although Li Shimin didn't outwardly boast about it, the tension deep within him had actually eased.

Compared to before, less time is spent reviewing memorials, and more time is spent on leisure.

Not long ago, Wei Zheng even saw Li Shimin secretly playing with a hawk, and even after being seen by him, he didn't really restrain himself.

"Your Majesty previously held Emperor Wu of Han in contempt for his folly in his later years, and did not understand why the wise and mighty Emperor Wu of Han would turn into a dragon of evil for the Han Dynasty in his old age."

"In my opinion, given Your Majesty's recent performance, you will likely be comparable to the elderly Emperor Wu of Han before you even reach old age."

Wei Zheng's words were like knives, stabbing straight into Li Shimin's heart; he wanted to wake Li Shimin up with his words!

Li Shimin recalled the series of events that followed after he learned he was destined to be the greatest emperor in Chinese history, and a sense of guilt welled up within him.

I did relax, and Wei Zheng was right to criticize me!

"My dear minister, you are truly a mirror reflecting my own image!"

Li Shimin sighed to Wei Zheng, "I have become somewhat lax lately, and have even become somewhat complacent about the achievements that posterity will say about me!"

"I urge you, my dear minister, to offer more advice and guidance in the future, and to remain vigilant!"

Li Shimin bowed deeply to Wei Zheng, his tone sincere.

Wei Zheng quickly returned the bow.

This is their wise ruler, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin!

Sun Simiao also recorded a rudimentary method for making gunpowder in his book "Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold".

When alchemists were working on their elixir formulas, they inadvertently created this incredibly powerful substance using sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal.

[Glaxate and sulfur are originally medicinal materials; when mixed, they "ignite," hence the name gunpowder.]

After the invention of gunpowder, it began to be used militarily at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and by the Song Dynasty, it was widely used in warfare.

Many gunpowder weapons appeared, such as the fire lance and the thunderbolt, and the tiger-squatting cannon from the Ming Dynasty was also among them.

In the scene, one gunpowder weapon model after another flashed by.

The painter under the celestial canopy worked diligently, sketching and painting as if afraid of missing a single detail.

During the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di established the Shenji Battalion, a specialized firearms-equipped unit, for use in the wars against the Mongols.

Since the advent of firearms, especially the modern flintlock musket, the cavalry of northern ethnic minorities have found it difficult to pose a threat to troops equipped with firearms.

The most typical example is the Qing Dynasty's Senggelinqin leading 10,000 elite Mongol cavalrymen in a charge against the Anglo-French allied forces equipped with cannons and guns.

In the end, the Mongol cavalry was completely annihilated, while the Anglo-French allied forces suffered only five casualties.

The scene shifts, and ten thousand Mongol cavalrymen, swords in hand, charge straight at several thousand Westerners wielding black, club-like objects.

The stampede of horses and the fierce-looking Mongols wielding sabers clearly indicated that they were an elite cavalry force.

"Slap slap slap"

A thousand black, rod-shaped objects emitted a deafening roar, and white smoke blotted out the sky.

Accompanying the sounds were the falling of Mongol cavalrymen, one after another, trampled into a bloody pulp by their charging comrades behind them.

In the end, very few Mongol cavalrymen were able to reach the Westerners!

People from various dynasties, especially those before the Song Dynasty, changed their expressions drastically upon seeing these.

Is this the power of gunpowder? That's ten thousand elite cavalry!

It was like they were lining up to die, without even getting a scratch on the Westerners.

"Send people to study this gunpowder immediately. Didn't those alchemists claim they could refine elixirs?"

"Have them develop gunpowder for me based on the formula shown on the sky!!"

Liu Che jumped up in a panic, "And that weapon! Have the craftsmen replicate it immediately! I don't care how much it costs, I just want the gun that was shown on the screen!"

Below, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were even more horrified; they had witnessed the power of the Xiongnu cavalry.

Tens of thousands of cavalrymen charged into battle, and even hundreds of thousands of troops might not be able to stop them. Yet, a few thousand soldiers with guns easily resolved the situation.

As for those Anglo-French allied forces, their soldiers didn't look like soldiers at all; they were even worse than ordinary, respectable men from the Han Chinese families.

They couldn't help but fantasize that if they could really develop such a weapon, they wouldn't need to raise so many warhorses or train so many cavalrymen for the war against the Xiongnu.

It wasn't just Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che); emperors of subsequent dynasties all increased their manpower to study gunpowder and that black rod-shaped object.

It's important to understand that training elite cavalry requires not only warhorses but also skilled riders; it often takes several years to train a single elite cavalryman.

But now, an ordinary person wielding this weapon can easily defeat him?

If this could be researched, wouldn't those northern tribes immediately become skilled in singing and dancing?

However, some emperors before the Song Dynasty realized that these materials seemed to be readily available to the common people.

If someone in the civilian population were to manufacture gunpowder and then attempt to rebel or assassinate someone, wouldn't that be even more convenient!

"Immediately issue an imperial edict: private individuals are prohibited from purchasing saltpeter and sulfur."

"Those who disobey will be considered treasonous and their entire family will be exterminated!!!"

Hongwu,

"This is somewhat similar to the three-stage attack technique created by Wenying."

Zhu Yuanzhang watched as the Anglo-French allied forces lined up and fired at the Mongol cavalry, row by row.

The Wenying he referred to was Mu Ying, the Duke of Qian during the Ming Dynasty. In the war against the Tusi (local chieftains), he devised a three-stage attack method based on the characteristics of his troops, which he recorded in his battle report and submitted to Zhu Yuanzhang after the war.

"Father, I also tried firearms when I was fighting against the Mongols in the north."

As the commander on the front line in the north defending against the Mongols, Zhu Di had some experience in the use of firearms.

"The biggest problem with firearms nowadays is their slowness; they are far from reaching the level of the Westerners on the sky."

"Furthermore, firearms cannot be used in rainy weather."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "Have those craftsmen intensify their research on firearms. Whoever can create the kind of firearm shown on the sky will be richly rewarded!"