My father, Li Shimin, please call me Crown Prince

Chapter 282 Imitation of Thunderbolt

I have worked hard for most of my life.

Today, the country is peaceful and the people are prosperous.

I'm spending my own money, why can't I enjoy myself?

The reason why Li Shimin repeatedly tolerated the prince had a lot to do with the money in the inner treasury.

Every time you enjoy and spend money lavishly.

I always think of the hard days in the past, but I also think that the happy days now are brought by the prince.

Li Shimin had feelings for Li Chengqian.

Otherwise, in history, even if Li Chengqian had already rebelled, even in Li Chengqian's plan, he was prepared to trick Li Shimin into the East Palace on the pretext of illness and murder him, and in the end he could not bear to execute the prince.

He even wanted to save the crown prince's life, so he did not make the more preferred and more senior King of Wei the crown prince, but chose the King of Jin instead.

This feeling is real.

So now, even though he knew that the crown prince was suspected of treason and recalled him to Chang'an, Li Shimin never thought of deposing the crown prince.

I just don't want the prince to start a rebellion.

"Your Highness, the news was sent by Changsun Situ."

"He learned about it from the Crown Prince, and then he went to see the textile factory in person. This was a secret report sent by Changsun Situ."

The eunuch Zhang Ananda placed the document sent by Zhangsun Wuji on the table and said.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin picked it up and read it.

The content is not long, just a few hundred words.

It tells the story of the scene at the textile factory that Changsun Wuji saw.

In particular, the prince’s newly built textile machine could spin dozens of times more yarn than traditional textile machines.

There is also flying shuttle weaving, which can produce delicate and warm fabrics more quickly.

Most importantly, cotton.

"Cotton, can be woven into cloth?"

Li Shimin murmured.

There was no cotton cloth in the Tang Dynasty. All clothes were made of linen. Most poor people wore linen clothes, which were called "cloth clothes."

In addition, linen fabrics are also used to make ropes, fishing nets, mourning clothes, etc.

Then there are silk fabrics, which use silkworm cocoons as their main source. Silk threads are obtained through the silk reeling process and then woven into various silk fabrics.

Finally, there are wool fabrics, which are mainly made of animal hair such as wool, cashmere, and camel hair. They have the characteristics of strong warmth retention and good elasticity.

Cotton was actually introduced to China very early, around the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and was introduced to border areas through different routes, but it was not widely planted and cotton cloth was relatively rare.

Due to the limitations of the speed of information dissemination, cotton planting and cotton textile technology gradually spread to the interior until the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty.

Historically, it was Huang Dao Po who learned advanced cotton textile technology from the Li ethnic group in Hainan, and improved and innovated textile tools and technology, which greatly promoted the development of the cotton textile industry in the Jiangnan region, and cotton cloth began to gradually become popular among the people.

"So the prince transported a large amount of cotton from the Western Regions not for viewing, but for weaving?"

Li Shimin realized the reason why the prince wanted cotton.

This is to create cotton cloth based on linen.

Among food, clothing, housing and transportation, clothing comes first.

Li Shimin had already deeply understood the characteristics of the prince's factory.

Just like the bamboo paper factory before, the factory that Li Shimin had run in the imperial palace also made a lot of profit, but it was far less than that of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

Now that the prince has set up a textile factory, it means that in the future the price of cloth will most likely be lowered by the prince just like bamboo paper.

"Your Majesty, if the Prince's Textile Factory can really be established, the people of this world will be blessed in the future."

"I heard that the Crown Prince has issued an order to plant cotton on a large scale in the vicinity of Luoyang, as well as in Henan, Huainan, and Jiangnan."

"When the amount of cotton produced increases, the price of cloth will drop, and everyone in the world will be able to wear clothes."

The eunuch Zhang Ananda flattered him.

In fact, from Zhang Ananda's point of view, although there is no party distinction, he is obviously closer to the prince.

The reason for this lies not with the crown prince but with Empress Changsun.

Guanyinbi has been with Li Shimin since she was a child, and she is no vase.

Guanyinbi also contributed to Li Shimin's capture of the throne.

Zhang Ananda also received favor from Empress Changsun, and the one whom Empress Changsun loved the most was the crown prince.

Before his death, he kept warning Your Majesty not to depose the Crown Prince, even if the Crown Prince suffered from a leg disease.

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin smiled and nodded with satisfaction.

After all, he is his eldest son. As a father, he is naturally happy to see his achievements.

But then, as if he thought of something, his expression suddenly turned cold.

The eunuch Zhang Ananda's heart skipped a beat.

He has been with His Majesty for many years, so he naturally understands His Majesty's thoughts.

This time, the prince seems to be too successful and is feared by the emperor.

This is what is meant by the unfathomable mind of a saint.

"What's going on with the Gunpowder Department now?"

Li Shimin suddenly changed the subject and asked.

Li Shimin was always wary of the crown prince. Everything else was fine, but the one he feared the most was the Thunder Fire.

Li Shimin had already seen the details and intelligence about what happened on the Liaodong battlefield.

The prince has some talent in military affairs, but that doesn't mean he is invincible in strategy.

The biggest reason that allowed the prince to unify Liaodong and achieve unprecedented military merit was the Thunderbolt Fire.

The Sui Dynasty's million-strong army was unable to capture Liaodong City, but it was as fragile as glass in front of the Thunderbolt.

Since ancient times, siege has been the most difficult thing, and Thunderbolt broke this convention.

In field battles, even if Thunderbolt's lethality is a little lower, it still has great dominance on the battlefield.

Li Shimin may have some shortcomings in other aspects, but his military capabilities are beyond doubt.

After many deductions, he found that if the prince rebelled, even he and Li Jing would not be able to defeat the prince easily with a magical weapon like Thunderbolt Fire.

There is confidence, but it will definitely be extremely difficult.

Thunderbolt Fire is not only used for attacking cities. If it is used to defend a city, it is hard for Li Shimin to imagine how many troops, how much money and how many soldiers would be needed to capture the city under the cover of a huge city.

Li Shimin knew very well that even if he asked the prince for this kind of divine weapon, the prince would definitely not give it to him.

Therefore, Li Shimin set up the Gunpowder Bureau and summoned a large number of Taoists to develop thunderfire.

“I heard that there have been initial results.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin ordered, "Call the Gunpowder Department." Zhang Ananda bowed slightly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The Gunpowder Department is located north of the Imperial City, where the former site of Chang'an in the Han Dynasty was located, and is only a dozen miles away from the palace.

Li Shimin, dressed in casual clothes, accompanied by Zhang Ananda and other guards, headed towards the Gunpowder Department in a mighty manner.

In front of the Gunpowder Department.

"Your Majesty, since the establishment of this Gunpowder Department, we have recruited many extraordinary people from all over the world, especially those Taoists, who all claim to have extraordinary skills. I believe they will live up to your Majesty's expectations."

Zhang Ananda bowed slightly and spoke in a low voice.

Li Shimin nodded slightly, looked into the distance, and said in a deep voice: "I hope so too."

As a military emperor, Li Shimin would never give the initiative to others, even if that person was his own son.

Thunderbolt must be developed, only in this way can the prince be suppressed.

When the guard at the door saw Li Shimin, he immediately knelt down and saluted.

"No gift."

Li Shimin strode into the Gunpowder Department, only to see smoke filling the room. Various strange-shaped instruments were placed inside, and many people in Taoist robes were busy working.

"Your Majesty has arrived!" Zhang Ananda announced loudly.

Instantly, everyone stopped what they were doing and knelt down to pay homage. Li Shimin's eyes swept over everyone one by one, finally landing on a few white-haired Taoists.

"Gentlemen, please stand up. I came here today only to inquire about the progress of the development of Thunderbolt Fire."

Li Shimin's voice was low but powerful, echoing in the Gunpowder Department.

A Taoist priest with snow-white hair and an immortal demeanor stood out from the crowd. This man was none other than Qingxuzi, a Taoist master from Mount Zhongnan.

Wei Lingfu, a Taoist priest in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace who was once ordered to be beheaded by Li Shimin, was also born in Zhongnan Mountain and was considered a disciple of Qingxuzi.

The current director of the Gunpowder Bureau is Qingxuzi.

However, the Five Thunder Method is Wei Lingfu’s exclusive secret book, and Qingxuzi has not studied it too much.

However, Your Majesty has issued an edict, so I have to come.

Qingxuzi bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, we have studied day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep, and now we have finally figured out how to make gunpowder, but..."

Although he did not understand his disciple's Five Thunder Method, Qingxuzi was still very experienced in alchemy.

In addition, Li Shimin took out the purchasing book of the Eastern Palace, and after many attempts, he quickly determined that saltpeter was the main medicine, with sulfur as the auxiliary medicine.

It is not difficult to guess that saltpeter and sulfur are used in the largest quantities in the East Palace's purchasing booklet.

"So what?" Li Shimin frowned slightly.

Qingxuzi looked embarrassed and said, "But the power of this gunpowder is like a firefly compared to the bright moon, compared to the Crown Prince's thunderbolt fire. The difference is huge, and it is difficult to use it to kill the enemy on the battlefield."

Li Shimin's face darkened, and he asked coldly, "Why is this happening? You guys were so confident before, and it was effective, but now it's so unbearable?"

At this time, Taoist Ye Fashan from Kuancang Mountains stepped forward. He came from Kuancang Mountains and had studied Taoism since childhood and had in-depth research on alchemy.

Ye Fashan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report that the method of making the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt Fire is extremely complicated. Although we know its formula, it is difficult to control many links when making it."

"Tell me in detail."

Li Shimin asked.

Ye Fashan sighed and said, "For example, if the proportion of gunpowder is slightly off, the power will be greatly reduced. And when making it, the control of temperature and time is also crucial."

"We have tried again and again, but we still cannot match the exquisiteness of His Royal Highness. Take our latest attempt as an example. According to the formula we speculated, the explosion power was less than half of what Prince Pilihuo described. It was difficult to shake even a small earthen fort."

Li Shimin walked forward, tapping the alchemy furnace beside him with his fingers, making a dull sound. "Is there no other way? You are all cultivators, and you are well versed in the principles of heaven and earth, but you can't even develop gunpowder?"

Qingxuzi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The research and development of gunpowder is indeed difficult. It takes time to understand the secrets behind it."

Li Shimin asked, "The prince's gunpowder was successful in just a few months."

"If I remember correctly, you are the Taoist master of the Eastern Palace. Why is it so difficult to develop it now?"

Qingxuzi sighed and said, "My disciple is extremely talented, and he is completely focused on thunder magic. He has spent his entire life learning it, and I don't know how many years he has spent on research and development before he has finally achieved this. He has to go through repeated trials to find the best effect."

Li Shimin understood.

The Taoist priest who was ordered to be beheaded by himself had studied gunpowder all his life and was finally obtained by the prince.

It is very difficult to develop it in a short period of time now.

Li Shimin frowned and asked, "Is there no clue left in the Five Thunder Hall of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace?"

Zhang Ananda replied, "When the crown prince was leaving for the Eastern Expedition, nothing else was moved except the Five Thunder Hall, which was cleaned up thoroughly."

Qingxuzi and the others were silent.

In fact, they had been to the Five Thunder Hall in the Eastern Palace many times and searched for a long time, but found no clues.

Qingxuzi hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt Fire may have other auxiliary substances besides gunpowder to enhance its power, but we have not yet found out."

Qingxuzi was also helpless. The prince's purchase list included hundreds of ingredients for alchemy, and no one knew what the prince had added to them.

They can only try them one by one, and try to do it in large and small quantities.

The most troublesome thing is the prince's refining method.

Now they can only use the alchemy furnace for refining, but they can guess that the prince may not be using the alchemy furnace, after all, the purchase of alchemy furnaces is very rare.

But there was no other good way. After all, they were all alchemists, and how could they do it without an alchemy furnace?

"Let me see the thunderbolt you made."

Li Shimin spoke.

Qingxuzi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please move to the training ground and allow us to demonstrate for you."

Li Shimin nodded slightly.

The parade ground had already been arranged. A haystack more than one person tall stood in the center. In front of the haystack was a small clay pot filled with gunpowder they developed. A fuse was inserted on the pottery pot that would burn quickly after being ignited.

Holding a torch, Ye Fashan walked steadily to the pottery jar, bent down, and carefully lit the fuse. With a "sizzling" sound, the sparks on the fuse quickly climbed along the fuse like a nimble fire snake.

For a moment, there was silence on the training ground. Everyone held their breath and stared at the pottery jar. In the blink of an eye, sparks entered the pottery jar, followed by a muffled "bang" sound. The sound was not loud, but it sounded like someone was hitting a worn-out war drum.

A hole was blown in the clay pot, and the gunpowder inside splashed out, igniting a not-so-big flame, which ignited some hay at the bottom of the haystack. The flames jumped up along the hay, but the fire was not fierce. It just burned a black area at the bottom of the haystack and emitted wisps of black smoke.

When the flames gradually died down and the smoke dissipated a little, Li Shimin looked carefully and saw that although the haystack was burned, the overall structure was still there, only the bottom was charred.

If Li Chengqian saw this, he would definitely laugh out loud.

Isn't this just fireworks?

Not as good looking as fireworks, low quality stuff.

"Your Majesty, this is the power of our new gunpowder."

Qingxuzi stepped forward and bowed slightly to report: "Although its power is far less than that of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's Thunderbolt Fire, and it cannot be used for frontal assaults, it may be useful if used in some covert operations, such as disturbing the enemy's horses and creating chaos."

Li Shimin frowned slightly, carefully observed the burnt haystack, his face gloomy.

The prince’s thunderbolt could not even withstand armor and could bring down a city.

This difference is truly unacceptable.

(End of this chapter)