Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

Hu Yu's fair face flushed slightly: "You naughty thing, you just say nice things to deceive me."

Although she said that, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, and her steps became lighter, clearly indicating that she was enjoying it very much.

Bai Su touched her nose and then followed.

As Hu Yu approached, the soldiers bowed and greeted him, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness Hu Yu, Grand Chancellor..."

Hu Yi smiled and nodded slightly: "You may rise, there's no need for such formalities."

"Yes." The soldiers immediately stood up.

Mo Xun turned to look at Bai Su beside him and couldn't help but ask, "My lord, how do you intend to conduct the test?"

Bai Su stroked his chin and said, "To be on the safe side, it's best to keep our distance. Do you have any catapults?"

Mo Xun was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Yes, I do, but what does Your Excellency need this for?"

Bai Su explained, "This thing is extremely powerful, so we have to be careful and avoid making any mistakes. After lighting the fuse, use a catapult to throw it as far as possible. This will allow us to test its power and also prevent any accidents from happening."

Mo Xun nodded and then went to make the arrangements.

Hu Su, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but sneer after hearing Bai Su's words: "My husband is really timid. He was actually scared by a small earthenware pot."

Bai Su looked at the girl's mocking expression and her eyelids twitched involuntarily. "Fine, I'll see how long you can keep this composure."

He immediately said, "That Second Battalion Commander, bring out the Italian, cough cough cough, bring out the catapult and get ready to light it."

He then added a special instruction: "Be sure to be careful and throw it out before the fuse burns out completely. Remember, remember."

Although the soldier looked bewildered, not understanding why his superior was so serious, he still nodded solemnly.

Finally, after everything was ready, the soldier picked up a tinderbox and lit the fuse.

zizi.

The soldier looked serious and, following Bai Su's instructions, launched the missile towards the distant hill.

whoosh...

The black earthenware pot was instantly launched into the air, tracing a perfect parabola.

After a few breaths.

All that was heard was a thunderous roar, followed by a dazzling burst of light from a distant hill, thick black smoke rising into the air, and scattered stones, dirt, and grass clippings flying everywhere.

For a moment, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene before them; some even felt their ears ringing from the thunderous sound.

Let's not even talk about Hu Yi and Mo Xun.

Even the soldier who had just lit the fuse turned pale and his legs felt weak.

He never expected that this small earthenware pot would attract such a thunderbolt; its power was truly terrifying.

Is this a dream?

Bai Su was the first to come to her senses and said, "Let's go, let's go ahead and see how it goes?"

But there was no reply for a long time.

He couldn't help but turn his head to look. Mo Xun still had that cold and aloof look, and she looked a bit like a scientific research girl, except that her lips were slightly parted and couldn't be closed for a long time.

As for Hu Yu, she was like a startled deer. When she heard Bai Su say that she wanted to pull her forward to check, she subconsciously took two steps back.

"What if it explodes again?"

Clearly, she was startled by the sudden clap of thunder.

Bai Su glanced at her with amusement: "Don't worry, the gunpowder has run out, it won't explode anymore."

As he spoke, he led Mo Xun, who was standing beside him, and they walked forward together.

Seeing that there seemed to be no problem, Hu took a deep breath and mustered his courage to go over.

When everyone arrived at the site of the bombing, they couldn't help but gasp.

The place was in ruins and in complete disarray.

The mountainside, which was originally covered by rocks, was now shattered, and the huge shockwave blew the soil off the ground, creating a deep crater.

Looking at the scene before him, Mo Xun couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This...this really is a genuine Heaven-Shattering Thunder! With such a divine artifact in hand, what in the world could possibly stop the advance of the Great Xia? Mountains can be cleaved open, forests can be felled..."

Hu Yi frowned slightly as she thought of another problem: "If even stones can't stop it, then the city walls must be just as powerful. If this thing falls into the hands of someone with ill intentions, wouldn't the world be thrown into chaos?"

Mo Xun, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but pause for a moment.

She thought about it carefully and realized that it really made sense. Since ancient times, siege warfare has always been the most arduous and brutal. As the art of war says, "If you have twice the strength, attack; if you have ten times the strength, surround."

The power of this divine artifact invented by their master was too terrifying; it directly reversed the laws of military strategy over the past few centuries and the landscape of the Central Plains.

Bai Su smiled and said, "You don't need to worry. The formula for this item is a national treasure and is personally supervised by the imperial court. Without the formula, outsiders naturally cannot make this Thunderclap."

"Moreover, the imperial court can monopolize or strictly control some of the raw materials. As long as the source of these things is controlled, private trade will be restricted, and there will be no need to worry about the risk of them flowing out."

After hearing Bai Su's words, the two of them slowly relaxed their tense brows and breathed a long sigh of relief.

It's no wonder they were so worried, because the gunpowder was terrifying.

In the past, when leading troops into battle, one always emphasized the importance of favorable timing and terrain, as well as the defense of strong cities. But with this thing, the natural barrier of Hangu Pass, which used to be a formidable stronghold, has been lost. How could she not be afraid?

Bai Su looked at Mo Xun and asked, "With this thunderbolt, how long will it take you to dig the canal?"

Mo Xun touched the shattered stone wall with his fingers and said, "In the past, when we encountered obstacles while building river channels, we had to light fires to heat the stone walls until they were red-hot, then pour cold water on them to make the stones crack little by little."

“It used to take almost several hours each time, but with this thing, the stone was blasted apart in the blink of an eye.”

"If we use this heavenly lightning to clear the way, the construction that would normally take decades will only take six years, no... maybe three or four years will be enough."

After hearing the conversation between Bai Su and Mo Xun, Hu Yi's eyes widened in disbelief.

What I just heard: a project that would normally take decades can be completed in just three or four years.

Quick... quick, press on my philtrum, I'm having trouble breathing.

Chapter 376 Strong and Reliable Thighs

Bai Su smiled as she looked at Hu Yi's incredulous expression: "As the saying goes, if you want to do something well, you must first have the right tools. With this, it will be much easier to clear paths through mountains in the future."

"However, this thing isn't as powerful as you think. It's only used when you encounter some difficult situations and can't be mass-produced."

Hu Yi was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"

Bai Su explained, "Putting aside the fact that this thing is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive to make, even if we transfer a group of skilled craftsmen from the Mo family, it would be good if we could produce a few thousand catties per month."

"Moreover, the cost of this item is not low. One costs about ten strings of cash, ten cost one hundred strings of cash, and one hundred cost one thousand strings of cash. Even with the imperial court's treasury, it cannot afford to produce it without restraint."

Hu Yu's expression softened considerably after hearing Bai Su mention the many restrictions on gunpowder.

After all, the power of this thing is too terrifying. If it could be mass-produced so easily, the consequences would be unimaginable if this technology fell into the hands of people with bad intentions.

The higher the production difficulty, the safer it is for the imperial court.

Mo Xun used her slender, jade-like hand to lift the strands of hair between her brows, revealing her fair and pretty face.

After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "My lord, this thing makes a sound like thunder, and rocks shatter with a single blow. With such terrifying power, it must be more than just something used to dig canals, right?"

Bai Su glanced at Mo Xun with some surprise and couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of the leader of the Mo family, you really hit the nail on the head. Besides being used for infrastructure construction, this thing is actually more suitable as a weapon on the battlefield."

"The establishment of a special department will take advantage of the canal construction to cultivate a skilled talent pool for gunpowder production. When needed in wartime, it can be easily modified for civilian use and converted to military applications."

"In this way, enough of the necessary materials can be produced in the shortest possible time..."

After hearing Bai Su's words, Mo Xun's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

As the leader of the Mohist school, she naturally admired the ideals of universal love and non-aggression. This ominous weapon, intended for use in warfare, instinctively repulsed her.

Bai Su seemed to have seen through her thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly asked, "Grand Master, what is a soldier in your eyes?"

"Warfare is..."

Mo Xun was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Weapons are inauspicious instruments, used to kill people."

Bai Su asked with a smile, "Then why do the rulers of the world, knowing that weapons are instruments of killing, all wield weapons?"

"This……"

Mo Xun was taken aback, unsure how to respond.

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Su said, "Because in the interactions between nations, strength is the foundation for upholding justice, soldiers are the true backing of diplomacy, dignity exists only on the edge of the sword, and truth exists only within the range of the bow and arrow."

"King Zhuang of Chu once said that the character 'wu' (武) is composed of the characters 'zhi' (止) and 'ge' (戈). True martial virtue is to subdue the opponent without using force when you hold a weapon."

"Having weapons in hand without using them is enough to frighten the other side into not daring to even think about it, fundamentally preventing the start of war. This is completely different from not having weapons in hand and only being able to hope for the other side's mercy to not start a war."

Mo Xun was stunned for a moment, completely lost in thought.

She instinctively wanted to refute it, but after carefully considering the logic, she found that it was exactly the same as what Bai Su said.

The Mohists once opposed the various states of the Central Plains, refusing to wage righteous wars or uphold morality, and instead constantly helped smaller states resist attacks from larger ones.

However, small states like the State of Song, which valued morality and followed etiquette, were all destroyed one by one.

Those who survived were all from powerful states with armies and spears.

The Great Xia, in particular, which was known as a fierce and powerful army, had the last laugh.

After pondering for a long time, Mo Xun slowly raised his head and murmured, "Is the range of the crossbow used to measure the area of ​​the territory? My lord, I understand. I will lead the Mo family disciples to serve you."

After saying this, she cupped her hands and bowed to Bai Su.

Bai Su smiled but didn't say anything more.

After all, there have always been two kinds of countries in the world: one that beats others everywhere, and one that gets beaten up everywhere.

He didn't want to become like the Mauryan dynasty, so he could only become the former.

......

......

Several days later.

As the day for all nations to pay tribute drew closer, states from all over the world sent delegations to Xianyang.

At this moment, a carriage slowly moved forward along the flat road, and the silver bells hanging on the curtains jingled in the wind.