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

After Tianmu finished explaining the Four Great Inventions, he fell silent again for a while, as if he was deliberately giving each dynasty time to digest such a huge amount of information.

Some dynasties, constrained by the political situation both within and outside the court, especially during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, learned and adopted papermaking, the compass, and even gunpowder. However, the powerful clans stubbornly refused to relinquish printing technology, fearing it would destroy the foundation of their monopoly on knowledge.

However, the imperial power and public opinion surged forth like a tidal wave, and it was only a matter of time before they were overthrown.

During the Qing Dynasty, the southern region, especially Guangzhou, was the only port open to foreign trade, and thus a melting pot of all sorts of people.

Foreigners, traitors, Qing dogs, compradors

After the immense power of firearms was displayed in the sky, some people began to have ideas.

Westerners have such advanced firearms. If we purchase them and arm our army, and use them as the foundation to build a firearms unit, why would we need to fear the Manchu Eight Banners?

Moreover, after the appearance of the Heavenly Canopy, the Manchu Qing dynasty intensified its oppression of the Han people. Anyone who dared to utter a single complaint would be immediately imprisoned and charged with treason.

For a time, the people were filled with fear and anxiety, and their hearts longed for the Han dynasty.

This is the perfect time to rise up and restore the Han dynasty!

Some Han Chinese officials in local Qing Dynasty areas, their eyes darting around, began to have their own little thoughts.

Previously, they were wary of the Tartars' military strength, but now a few dozen muskets can rival a cavalry force of several hundred men.

The Tartars have occupied this land for far too long. If Wild Boar Skin can sit on this land, why can't he?

Since the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising, China has never lacked people with hidden ambitions for thousands of years.

Not to mention that an uprising at this time is what the people want most.

The Qing dynasty rulers had no time to deal with firearms, as they were preoccupied with the undercurrents in the court and among the people, leaving them overwhelmed.

Even in the early years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Wu Sangui somehow acquired a batch of firearms and won victory after victory in battle, routing Kangxi's army.

Even their slogans changed; they no longer just said "Revive the Ming Dynasty and Expel the Manchus," but also claimed to "Glorify Han Civilization."

Many people have even forgotten who opened up Shanhaiguan Pass in the first place, and have flocked to Wu Sangui's banner.

After all, at that time, Wu Sangui's forces were arguably the most likely to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

If Wu Sangui is truly incapable, it wouldn't be unreasonable to borrow a chicken to lay eggs, emulate Liu Bang and Li Zicheng, start anew, and launch another rebellion against the Qing Dynasty!

Daqin

Ying Zheng sat in his chair, his head bowed among the documents on his desk. His brush, dipped in ink, traced lines on the pristine white paper, and small characters in seal script leaped from the tip of the brush onto the page. He leaned back in his chair and stretched languidly.

"Ugh~~~~"

After the lazy dragon roared, Ying Zheng's expression relaxed, and most of his fatigue dissipated with the yawn.

This papermaking technology is truly useful! With it, he no longer needs to read five cartloads of memorials every day; he only needs to read a small cartload.

It's so much better than bamboo slips!

Therefore, he immediately dispatched people to transcribe all the palace books from bamboo slips onto paper. Since they had movable type printing technology, they could print as many copies as they wanted.

However, while paper is good, it's too easily damaged, unlike bamboo slips which can be stored for a long time.

Ying Zheng sighed, but he quickly came to terms with it. Paper already had the advantages of being easy to write on and inexpensive, which was enough. People shouldn't be too greedy.

Thinking of this, Ying Zheng was somewhat troubled. The compass could be used to indicate direction on the battlefield, but what about the gunpowder...?

Ever since Ying Zheng stopped taking elixirs and began practicing health preservation, these alchemists have been living in constant anxiety.

I'm so worried! I've lost my job, and my life is in danger!

So after Ying Zheng entrusted them with the task of developing gunpowder, they were all incredibly motivated, spending days and nights buried in the alchemy room. In the end, they finally succeeded.

The gunpowder they produced was nowhere near as good as the one shown on the sky.

Sigh, let's take it slow.

"Father!"

A gentle, refined voice drifted over, and bathed in the setting sun, Fusu walked in from outside the palace. His previous fragility had vanished, replaced by a confident demeanor.

Indeed, this is the demeanor that the Crown Prince of Qin should possess!

Ying Zheng stroked his beard and nodded, but he soon noticed the worry on Fusu's face.

After the printing technique was replicated by craftsmen, Fusu had an idea in his mind: to enable ordinary people to read and give those from poor families a chance.

After all, his teacher Liu Bang had taught him that the Qin Dynasty was now mostly composed of military nobles, and the court needed the rise of another force to counterbalance them.

Therefore, Fusu submitted a memorial to Ying Zheng, requesting permission to establish schools in Qin and use printed books to teach children knowledge.

Although Ying Zheng was not optimistic, he felt it was good for Fusu to experience some setbacks and understand the gap between ideals and reality.

He sent Fusu to the area around Xianyang City with many books printed using movable type to set up a school as a pilot project.

After several months, judging from Fusu's complexion, the results didn't seem to be very good.

"Father, the schools I run receive very few children from ordinary people."

"When I visited the surrounding areas, I found that most people had their children help them cultivate and reclaim the land."

Fusu grew increasingly dejected as he spoke, his whole body slumping down, head hanging low in dejection.

Ying Zheng smiled, stood with his hands behind his back in front of Fusu, a smile playing on his lips.

"When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame."

"This is a principle taught by the sages of the past."

Fusu was taken aback. He hadn't expected his father to use a doctrine outside of Legalism to warn him, and he was even more surprised that his father hadn't even reprimanded him.

In the past, Father would have been furious.

Ying Zheng looked at his simple-minded son and realized he still needed more experience. He needed to send Fusu to govern a county; without local governance experience, all his ideas would remain just castles in the air.

How can ordinary people, who can't even get enough to eat, have the mind to study?

"Go to Lantian and become a county magistrate, then put your ideas into practice there."

"Let's try to see what is beneficial to the Qin Dynasty and its people."

Northern and Southern Dynasties, Chen Dynasty, Jiankang

Under the starry night sky, the palace buildings stretch out in a continuous, staggered pattern, with glazed eaves reflecting the clear moonlight.

Under the pavilion in the garden, Chen Shubao held Zhang Lihua in his arms, the two deeply in love and enjoying themselves immensely.

"My beloved concubine, I have prepared a gift for you."

Chen Shubao nibbled on Zhang Lihua's earlobe and whispered,

The words had barely left his mouth when several loud explosions shattered the silence of the night.

"Whoosh~"

"Snap!"

In the night sky, clusters of light rose into the air, trailing golden streaks at their ends, and burst open with a roar.

Countless sparks intertwined and merged, creating a dazzling spectacle in the moonlit night, where silver stars hung in the sky.

Dazzling light, extremely beautiful.

The silver starlight and the continuous golden firelight illuminated the garden, and also revealed the deep affection in Zhang Lihua's eyes.

The moonlight and starlight, accompanied by the rising fireworks, provided the perfect accompaniment to the spring scenery in the garden.

After gunpowder was invented by the artisans of the Tran Dynasty,

Chen Shubao had a flash of inspiration and urged the craftsmen to create this kind of firework using gunpowder, so as to please his beloved concubine Zhang Lihua.

As for the military power of gunpowder, could it be used to defend against enemies?

Are you kidding me? Can you compare to my natural barrier of the Yangtze River?