In the original history, in order to quell the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty reached an agreement with the Uyghurs. The Uyghurs sent troops to help the Tang Dynasty recapture Chang'an, and the price was that the entire city of Chang'an would be left undefended.
Imagine what would happen. An Lushan, at least, wanted to be emperor. But those Uyghurs were just planning to make a quick buck and leave. The centuries of wealth accumulated in Chang'an were plundered by foreign tribes for three days and three nights…
Whenever Lu Xuan thought about these things, a chill ran down his spine. He had sworn to himself that as long as he was alive, this day would never happen. Not even after he was gone.
Therefore, the sheep-eating-human scheme was merely a supplementary measure. Just as Lu Xuan also proposed long-term plans such as water conservancy projects, scientific animal husbandry, and scientific agriculture, these things all require a long time to develop. Even if they obtained rice from South Asia that could yield three harvests a year...
Even by the time it reached the Tang Dynasty, it needed an adaptation period. It might take several generations, or even more than ten generations, to develop a rice variety that was completely compatible with the Tang Dynasty.
All plans take time. And with powerful enemies all around, Lu Xuan needs some contingency plans.
He eventually turned his attention to gunpowder.
The development of this thing is progressing faster than imagined. It seems that humans possess a certain innate talent for killing and destruction. When it comes to developing weapons of mass destruction, humanity's talent is practically at its maximum.
After injuring more than a dozen Taoist priests, they were now able to concoct gunpowder that was close to the level of conventional high explosives in later times. (We call it "yellow powder" here, corresponding to early black powder. It was mainly used for quarrying in the mountains, and its power was considerable, but it was later banned. I still remember when I was a child, a guy from my village was setting up a dud, and he got blown up by that thing. Afterwards, the whole hillside was covered in his wounds.)
The progress on the muskets is still a bit behind. Lu Xuan is not familiar with this stuff, so he can only provide a concept and let them figure out the details on their own.
However, for now, high-explosive powder is barely enough. When defending a city, it's invincible. As long as enough explosives are stockpiled, in an era of manpower sieges, it's like delivering vegetables to the enemy's doorstep. For defensive mines, you can add as much explosive as possible. At the same time, add all sorts of small "gifts" inside, like iron nails and gravel. Then the effect will be even better. The enemy will be full of praise.
Field combat is more complex. Lu Xuan added some more craftsmen and had them develop a portable, throwable gunpowder weapon, essentially the Tang Dynasty's version of a hand grenade.
The smaller the power, the less problematic it is. The sheer intensity of the explosion and the flash of light alone would terrify any army of this era. Especially the cavalry, with their untrained warhorses. A sudden encounter with such a thing would likely leave them terrified.
Gunpowder doesn't require advanced basic technology. To maintain a competitive edge, absolute secrecy is essential from the outset.
Lu Xuan knew this about Du Ming perfectly. The gunpowder research workshop was guarded by three groups: one was Lu Xuan's Imperial Guard, another was the Emperor's personal guards, and the third was a group selected by Zhang Xiaojing from former members of the Bad Guys, specializing in espionage and intelligence gathering. These three groups monitored each other. Outsiders, if not one of their own, were apprehended and questioned. Without proper credentials, they would vanish the next day, leaving no trace.
After witnessing the testing of several experimental subjects, Lu Xuan turned and went into the palace. He planned to invite the emperor to watch a fireworks display.
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Chapter 101 Li Heng's Reward
Li Heng knew that Lu Xuan had been developing some kind of mysterious weapon. He had even boasted that once it was completed, those barbarian tribes of the grasslands would no longer be a problem.
Li Heng was once extremely interested in this. Which monarch wouldn't be interested in such a weapon?
Unfortunately, Lu Xuan had been working on it for over a year without any success. Li Heng thought it was hopeless. But then, Lu Xuan suddenly invited him to watch fireworks.
"Lu Xuan, it's been so long since we've all gathered together like this," Li Heng said with some emotion on the training ground.
“Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state, so naturally you have less free time.” Lu Xuan slapped his horse forward.
"Really? I feel like things have gotten more distant between us. Even Changyuan doesn't dare to beat me in chess anymore. The thing is, he really thinks I can't tell!"
Li Bi immediately bowed.
"Your Majesty's chess skills have greatly improved; Changyuan is indeed no match for you."
"Hahaha, I'll take your word for it. Alright, Lu Xuan, bring out whatever good stuff you have. I've been waiting for this for a long time."
Lu Xuan didn't start immediately, but instead took out a few wads of cotton and handed them to the two of them.
"Cover your ears first, or it will be a bit noisy."
Seeing the two of them cover their ears in confusion, Lu Xuan waved to the distance.
A dozen or so trained soldiers ran out, each carrying a section of bamboo tube. Holding the tube in their right hand, they used a tinderbox in their left to light the fuse. Then they threw it quickly.
A few breaths later, the explosion came with a roar.
Caught off guard, Li Heng was startled by the loud noise. Had he not plugged his ears with cotton beforehand, he would likely have been even more shocked.
Accompanying that loud noise were billowing flames and flying debris and mud.
It's important to know that Lu Xuan had the soil in the blast zone loosened beforehand to make today's demonstration more visually appealing. This is why the scene of debris flying everywhere was so realistic.
This is considered standard practice. Even Steve Jobs, in later generations, would put signal boosters under the reporters' seats when he held Apple product launches! It's all to attract investment; it's not shameful.
"Lu Xuan, tell me, are you truly a celestial being descended to earth? How can a weapon like heavenly thunder appear in your hands?" Li Heng asked excitedly, gripping Lu Xuan's shoulders with both hands.
"Your Majesty, you must understand one thing. This weapon was not created by me. It was discovered little by little by those people."
As Lu Xuan spoke, he waved his hand. Soon, dozens of craftsmen and Taoist priests ran out from around the training ground. Some of them had missing fingers, arms, or even eyes.
"I merely offered an idea; the true developers are these people. These are the craftsmen His Majesty would never even glance at. Your Majesty, this is not the power of heavenly lightning. This is the power of humanity. And only a small fraction of it."
"Human power? How can humans wield such immense power?" Li Heng still found it hard to believe. Explosions and gunpowder—these were all mythologized as powerful things in this era.
"Of course a person can! If you don't believe me, Your Majesty can look at it again. You, it's you. Throw it again."
Lu Xuan casually pointed to an unnamed craftsman. The man immediately stepped forward, skillfully picked up a barrel of explosives made from a bamboo tube, lit it, and threw it out. He was the maker of this contraption, even more skilled than the soldiers.
With a deafening roar, another explosion occurred. Like a shameless whore at your beck and call.
"This... I can also wield this power?" Li Heng was so excited that he wanted to try it himself. Lu Xuan immediately pulled him back, startled.
"Your Majesty, please wait. This weapon is not yet fully developed and carries certain risks. Your Majesty should not test it yourself."
“But…” Li Heng still didn’t want to give up. The power of heavenly lightning was right in front of him. How could an emperor let it go?
At this moment, Li Bi spoke up.
"Your Majesty, General Lu Xuan said that this is the power of the people. Your Majesty is the ruler of all people. The power of the people of the world belongs to Your Majesty, so why should you risk your life?"