It will take a long time to restore it. Even if it is pieced together with difficulty, materials technology remains the biggest obstacle at its root.
It would be better to imitate my father-in-law's flintlock pistol. It has sights, is ingenious, and has decent power.
As for the simple earthen weapon, the Ministry of Works has already made it, but it relies entirely on intuition when hitting people, and its practicality is not high at all. It can be used to intimidate people on the battlefield, and it can also scare the Northern Regions and the Shi Kingdom, but it will definitely not work against the Hu and Xiongnu.
The exact number of sophisticated weapons the Xiongnu possess is currently unknown.
However, the iron smelting technology of the Hu and Xiongnu was no less than that of Tianjing, and might even be superior.
Xie Lanzhi returned from the Ministry of Works and told Si Xitong about the progress of the Ministry.
Si Xitong called out Lu Qing.
“The mother and daughter have lived in Zhaixinglou for a while and were under our protection. It’s time for them to do something for us.”
Xie Lanzhi asked, "Zhang Feile has found out why the current leader of the Mohist school killed his own wife and daughters?"
"If you're going to kill someone, there's no need to send them to Tianjing to be killed. It's really puzzling."
Si Xitong was equally puzzled, but it wasn't hard to guess the general possibilities: either the leader of the Mohist school was putting on an act, or he genuinely intended to kill his wife and daughters. The leader of the Mohist school, being so highly regarded by Aqina, wouldn't be so incapable of protecting his wife and daughters. Even if, out of courtesy, the matter was limited to sending them to Tianjing, it wouldn't have been like now, with the most ruthless assassins being hired at exorbitant prices to repeatedly attempt assassination attempts.
Zhang Changle has already dealt with quite a few experts. He even invited a master of internal martial arts to oversee things.
"Regardless of what the current leaders of the Mohist school think, they have no goodwill towards Tianjing. Perhaps there are internal disagreements." This was Xie Lanzhi's own guess. Poetry and painting are divided into various schools and styles, not to mention the Mohist school, one of the Hundred Schools of Thought and a relatively prominent school of thought.
Si Xitong said, "Leave this matter to me."
Lu Qing and her daughter had been eating and drinking, and lying in bed for almost a month. Finally, she was summoned to Jianzhang Palace by her future master.
For her last wedding, Lu Qing hadn't prepared anything special, so she gave him some medicine she had made herself as a gift. Unexpectedly, her medicine was immediately taken away by a poison master from the Censorate, who also restored it to its original state. It was then immediately sent to the Imperial Hospital.
She gave him anesthetic powder. A single packet was worth a fortune.
"Your Highness, you've finally decided to appoint me to a position," Lu Qing said happily. "Will you send me to the Biology Sect or the Ink Sect?"
Her tone clearly indicated a stronger desire to join the Mohist School. These past few days, Lu Qing had learned that the Five Great Schools were selectively recruiting Mohist disciples, but very few actually made it into the Five Great Schools. Most were merely distant relatives or associates, not true members of the Mohist School.
The new Hun king, Aqina, kept the Mohist disciples firmly under his control, which, to put it bluntly, meant they could not travel south at all.
In other words, Tianjing is currently well-funded but lacks talent. The blame lies with His Highness's grandfather, who was too ruthless and ruined the reputation of the entire Mohist school.
Si Xitong did not make any arrangements for her. She said, "I summoned you here to inquire about the current situation of the Mo family."
"Your Highness, you are very willing to give important positions to the Mohist disciples and value them highly. I am truly grateful." Lu Qing actually thought highly of this young prince. Unfortunately, the Mohist disciples had already settled in the north. In the past twenty years, the fresh blood of the Mohist school had been mostly young people from the Central Plains and the Huns. These young people had been influenced by the Huns since childhood and had long lost any yearning for the Central Plains.
To put it bluntly, all the young disciples of the Mohist school were Huns.
Si Xitong thought to herself, "Just as I thought." She and Lan Zhi had long since given up on the Mo family disciples who had gone north. That's why they had increased their efforts to develop local crafts and techniques.
She said, "I would like to hear more about the current situation of the Mohists, such as their inventions."
"Your Highness, why didn't you ask earlier?" Lu Qing immediately rattled off a whole bunch of things: "Repeating crossbows, fire hook arrows, oil cannons... iron lances."
The repeating crossbow was an improvement upon the traditional bow and arrow of the Central Plains. The fire hook arrow was made by wrapping kerosene cloth around a crossbow mechanism for long-range projectiles. The incendiary cannon, upon explosion, could not be extinguished by water. The iron cavalry lance was a 1.5-meter-long fire-propelled gun, capable of indiscriminate firing within 200 meters.
These are the most sophisticated weapons that the Hun have invented so far.
As Si Xitong listened, her expression grew increasingly solemn. Lan Zhi had once said that in her world, the use of firearms like flintlock pistols on the battlefield had evolved to the point where a country could be destroyed by launching massive weapons across the Pacific Ocean without ever landing on enemy territory.
She was horrified when she heard it then. Now, hearing about the inventions of the Mohist disciples, they are indeed not as destructive and terrifying as those in Lanzhi's hometown, but they are still terrifying in this era.
Because they are all advanced weapons.
Si Xitong quickly recalled what Xie Lanzhi had said: in special times, the quality of weapons is secondary; the most important thing is mass production.
Do you know how many of these weapons have already been produced?
Lu Qing waved her hands, clearly unaware: "Your Highness, these were all invented by my husband and everyone else. Besides, the North has plenty of grain, iron and coal mines, and a large population. I'm not very clear about other things."
However, she had already revealed useful information: abundant iron ore meant convenient iron smelting, and abundant coal meant enough coal to provide a natural furnace.
The South doesn't have as many coal mines as the North; at most, they burn charcoal. And the temperature for burning charcoal is limited.
Lu Qing found it ridiculous. The Hu and Xiongnu sounded so powerful, with a million iron cavalry. If just a million iron cavalry marched south, they would be able to sweep away the remaining half of the Central Plains. So why bother with all this fancy stuff?
After all, firearms were not common and could not be mass-produced, so it was better to conquer using mature horsemanship.
"Your Highness, are you frightened by the infamous reputation of the Huns?"
Si Xitong was puzzled by her question; the Hu Xiong's strength was an undeniable fact. Could it be that Lu Qing hadn't told him something else?
What do you mean?
Lu Qing said, "It's very simple. The Hu Xiongnu established their kingdom in the north a hundred years ago by relying on their iron cavalry, and they are still famous for their iron cavalry a hundred years later. They make all the small countries tremble with fear, and it can be said that they have become invincible in the Central Plains."
"Why didn't we conquer the Central Plains with our iron cavalry first? Instead, we had to invent some worthless scrap metal in my eyes first."
"The Central Plains has a slight advantage over the Hu and Xiongnu in that you value people's livelihood and know how to extend the Mohist techniques to the grassroots level."
Universal love and non-aggression have always been the core tenets of the Mohist school. Although they did not achieve this, very few states truly treated their people like their own children.
This is one of the reasons why Lu Qing chose to stay in Tianjing. It's not just that Prince Feng Ning is the chosen one, and his emphasis on the Mohist disciples attracted her; it's also because the Central Plains is truly a nurturing land. It can nurture all kinds of people, and from all kinds of people, it can cultivate outstanding talents needed in every aspect of life. The civilization and glory created by the nation it established are beyond the comprehension of the Hun, who originated in the Northern Desert.
The Mohists... vanished from this great land. They were assimilated, abandoning all the ideals of their ancestors, leaving only some mechanical skills. They became a mere family of Mohists, only capable of crafting weapons, destined to disappear into the dustbin of history. Compared to the expulsion by the retired emperor twenty years ago, this was a true catastrophe.
"Your Highness, I am very happy to have such an open-minded and wise ruler as you, but your military strength is really inadequate."
Lu Qing's tone was full of regret and disappointment. It seemed as if nothing could be changed.
Si Xitong was a person who didn't believe in superstitions: "Why not try to believe in me? Believe in Lanzhi?"
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but that you are no match for the current Xiongnu,” Lu Qing said. “It’s not that I underestimate the Xie family’s military strength, but the difference in weaponry is just too great.”
"The reason why the Hu and Xiongnu failed to move south was due to internal affairs, which hindered Aqina's progress. The three Hu and Xiongnu kings did not submit to Aqina's regime, which was dominated by Mohism, so they could not unite a million iron cavalry."
Only 300,000 Xiongnu troops were loyal to Aqina, and at least 200,000 of them were stationed along the Red River. Aqina's Xiongnu forces were forced into this corner by the three Xiongnu kings. The remaining 100,000 were all stationed in Luochuan, the capital of the Xiongnu kingdom.
If Aqina were to march south at this time, the three kings would inevitably launch a surprise attack from the rear, seize the capital, and usurp the throne. A mere 100,000 men would be insufficient to directly annihilate the Southern and Northern Regions. Therefore, it is imperative for the Mohist disciples to invent and mass-produce firearms. With such an army, 100,000 would be more powerful than a million. This would not only allow them to sweep across the Northern and Southern Regions but also intimidate the three kings.
After Aqina ascended to the throne, the internal strife among the Xiongnu was only half resolved. At the same time, they faced the same problem in the Central Plains: powerful regional military governors who were eyeing them covetously. These regional military governors were the Three Kings Generals.
“My husband has been working with these things for a long time. Whether it can be done in large quantities or not, I think we can accumulate a hundred iron cavalrymen in three years.”
A hundred musket wielders? Si Xitong raised an eyebrow. If every musket was that powerful, perhaps a hundred of them could be as effective as a thousand. If the number were expanded to ten thousand, there would be no need to prepare a hundred thousand more; ten thousand would be enough to intimidate kings, generals, and regional governors.
"It seems that it's only a matter of time before the Xiongnu invade our new Tianjing."
Lu Qing said, "At most three years. After three years, the world will be even more chaotic."
Si Xitong shook his head. Perhaps in less than three years, there will be some movement this year. Lan Zhi said that any military equipment needs to be tested to see the battlefield effect before deciding whether to expand production. Since the Hu Xiongnu are equipped with a thousand-man iron cavalry, it means that a place should be selected for testing soon.
The Red River region is closest to Aqina's main force. Lanzhi will also personally visit the Red River commercial capital in three months to conduct an inspection and finalize the trade agreement with Yelü Lili.
“I will remember the message you gave me,” Si Xitong said. “If you want to go to the Ministry of Works, then go and take the exam. The Ministry of Works will select and recruit people.”
Lu Qing said speechlessly, "Can't you give this woman a back door?"
Si Xitong has always been known for her fairness and integrity, so of course she would never give preferential treatment, even if she knew how important Lu Qing was to her.
"Wei Zhao will not show favoritism, so you can rest assured."
“That’s the only way, but I’m very curious, Your Highness, aren’t you afraid?” Lu Qing was very puzzled. If an ordinary person heard that the Hu Xiongnu were going to destroy their country, they would have been terrified and would have sought help and formed alliances everywhere, trying to unite and consolidate their country.
But His Highness, when she described the situation as very serious, only raised an eyebrow and showed a serious expression once. She didn't react otherwise.
Was she not serious enough?
Lu Qing tried to repeat herself, but Si Xitong interrupted her, saying, "Go ahead. If you need anything, you can go to the West Guard to find the commander."
Now, the Western Guard is located east of the Imperial Prison, which is higher in elevation, receives more sunlight, has more instruments of torture, more manpower, more funds, and more power. This has become an advantage for Zhang Changle to ridicule his elder brother Zhang Ju.
Zhang Ju swallowed his anger and could only let the Censorate continue its work in silence. In order to retaliate against Zhang Chang Le, he deliberately pushed all the dangerous and high-profile tasks onto the Western Guard.
For a time, the Censorate was less likely to be targeted, so the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. The Censorate's power remained unchanged, and there was no need for it to compete with a new department for the time being. They were all working for the same masters, and their masters, being strict, would not overlook the Censorate's contributions.
Lu Qing did not leave with her daughter immediately. She was going to take the Ministry of Works exam anyway, and before the exam, it wouldn't stop her from using this opportunity to flatter her.
"Your Highness, there is something else I want to tell you."
"explain."
"Actually, to deal with the firearms invented by my husband, we only need one weapon to subdue them."
Lu Qing described the cannon again, and Si Xitong felt that it was very similar to the mortar, but seemed to be more advanced.
Si Xitong became interested in this: "Does it have a specific composition?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing's eyes flashed, and she immediately went along with it.
She put on a troubled expression: "Yes, there is, but it's something more important than the composition. But I have a condition. My father mentioned this condition to the late emperor, and he passed the test and became his eldest disciple."
Si Xitong had heard a little about his father's masterpiece, but rarely heard his father mention what tests he had passed. The Mohist school had very strict rules, so it wouldn't be unusual for them to have tests.
Si Xitong agreed, "If you can present this item, I can grant you all your conditions first. But the assessment is not an option."
"No need for any conditions." Seeing that she was even more sincere than she had imagined, and not wanting her to misunderstand that she was greedy for personal gain, Lu Qing quickly said, "Actually, I just want to emulate my father and the test he set for the late emperor. My test is very simple, Your Highness, you will definitely be able to do it."
Si Xitong asked curiously, "What exactly is your test?"
"My requests are few. I just want the Ministry of Works to create its own cannon. The design is fine, but it would be best if it could be fired to demonstrate its power. Also, the cannon from the Southern Region cannot be used as a substitute." This was what Lu Qing meant by "few requests, very simple."
"Once you pass, the woman will teach you some of the Mo techniques that the Mo family has memorized."
Si Xitong's pretty face was covered in black lines. If the Ministry of Works could do that, then what she just said about the crisis would be completely useless.
Lu Qing looked at her cautiously, and seeing that she remained silent, she wondered if it was too difficult.
She was just about to change to another one.
Si Xitong agreed, saying, "I will have the Ministry of Works do its best to do it. Whether or not it can meet your requirements, it is necessary to give it a try."
This drive and down-to-earth attitude impressed Lu Qing. She didn't need to revise another complicated one; a simple, basic one would suffice.
Anyway, we can't live without cannons.
Si Xitong accepted the test.
The news quickly reached Xie Lanzhi's ears. She was waiting for her beloved wife to return at Lanzhang Palace, wanting to get to the bottom of things.
She actually had the cannon's design and the flintlock musket's diagram, and could make them completely, but the power would be much less. It clearly lacked some sophisticated technology. For example, she could also draw up the design for a grinding machine, but these industrial devices were too advanced and required electricity to power them. Furthermore, some small parts needed high-temperature resistant materials, as well as high-explosive TNT. Of course, modern gunpowder would also work, but the power wouldn't be sufficient, and it wasn't widely used.
Materials and mass production are the two major challenges. She certainly doesn't pursue cutting-edge technology; she only needs weapons that are suitable for widespread use in the present.
Another issue is manufacturing time.
When Si Xitong returned to the palace, she went up to her with great concern about the test: "Little Phoenix, I've heard about it. Lu Qing has given you a big challenge."
"It's not a big problem, Lanzhi. Can I borrow your cannon?"