Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

This material didn’t need to be permanently installed on the borders; it could be deployed when necessary. There was also no concern about the enemy stealing iron.

The old emperor nodded calmly. “Then produce it… The Ministry of Personnel will first send officials to the northern regions to survey the terrain and identify suitable places to install the fence-style wire mesh. Afterward, we’ll assess how much serpentine wire mesh should be produced first. Also, check if there are any derelict officials—those responsible for border defense must not slack off.”@@novelbin@@

The Minister of Personnel received the order and began contemplating how to implement it, his eyes distant and unfocused, clearly distracted.

Until he heard the emperor’s voice, laced with a hint of amusement, as he picked up a stack of documents from his desk: “Let me see, Minister, what exactly does your clearly stated policy entail…”

The Minister of Personnel quickly raised his head, almost twisting his neck, and stammered, “Your Majesty! Wait—”

The emperor’s smile vanished.

The emperor’s hand, holding the documents, trembled slightly.

The emperor took a deep breath and called out, “Yang Yu!”

The fifth-rank General of Martial Virtue immediately stepped forward and shouted, “At your command, Your Majesty! I am here!”

Yang Yu answered with conviction, “Your Majesty! It means their close combat ability is indeed too weak! If the enemy breaks through the ammunition blockade and gets close, they won’t be able to use their bird guns to defend themselves!”

The old emperor: “???”

The old emperor’s facial muscles twitched a few times. “They are bird gunners! Bird guns are for long-range attacks! There’s no need to worry about what to do if the enemy gets past the ammunition blockade!”

What they need to focus on is how to increase the ammunition blockade!

Yang Yu, with full confidence, responded, “Your Majesty! That is why I want to propose a solution!”

“Your solution is to equip bird guns with short swords?! When the ammunition runs out, you would take the short sword off and attach it to the front of the barrel to use as a spear?!”

Yang Yu laughed loudly, “There is no need for flattery, Your Majesty! This is just a small idea I had!”

The old emperor couldn’t imagine how strong his willpower had to be to stop himself from throwing the document at Yang Yu’s face.

He picked up another document. “Wang Bin!”

The second-rank General of the Cavalry, Wang Bin, spoke with a slightly trembling voice, “Your, Your Majesty, I…”

The old emperor: “You said that the cost of producing iron-clad land mines is too high, and your solution is to—dig out a stone, fill it with explosives, and then attach a fuse?”

Wang Bin answered carefully, “Is, is that not feasible?”

The old emperor spoke slowly, his tone unexpectedly kind and earnest, though it was laced with a hint of frustration: “Of course, it’s possible. Have you tried making one?”

“No, no…” Wang Bin swallowed nervously.

He had just thought of it and wrote it down, feeling it might be workable.

The old emperor, still calm and measured, said with clenched teeth, “Then, when you’ve tested it and are sure it works, come back to me and propose mass production. Until then, go report to the Ministry of Works.”

Wang Bin slumped, defeated, like he had lost his soul.

“Yang Wuhou!!!” The old emperor slammed the table. “The first two could still be done, but look at what you’ve written!”

Yang Wuhou stood up, gesturing enthusiastically, “Your Majesty! This is a concept that has never been thought of before! Look, if we place several divine rockets inside an object, with the fuses twisted together, then at the lower end of the object’s head we place two rocket launchers, and at the lower end of the tail, we also place two rocket launchers, with all four fuses twisted together! Afterward, we light the four fuses—”

Yang Wuhou felt incredibly proud of himself. “Your Majesty! Then the four rocket launchers will propel the object toward the enemy! When it reaches the enemy, and the four fuses have burned out, the rockets inside the object will launch, burning the enemy!”

“Your Majesty—” Yang Wuhou looked eagerly at the old emperor. “I believe this thing can be tried out by the Ministry of Works for development!”

The old emperor pinched the bridge of his nose.

Yang Wuhou continued, still eager, “Your Majesty—”

Funds!

The old emperor pinched his nose… His grimacing expression turned into a vicious smile.

“Come here! Tie Yang Wuhou to a divine rocket and shoot him out!”

Small skit: Old Emperor: I’m tired, let it all end.

(The iron production amount was mentioned in the previous chapter.)

Regarding whether controlling tea can control the nomadic peoples, reference from:

“The enemy breached the border, and the gates of the capital were not opened. The emperor sat in the western palace, deeply troubled, with no means of escape. When the enemy captured one of our important figures, they sent a letter demanding tribute: ‘Give us tribute and open trade, or we will destroy your city.’ At this time, Hua Tinggong (Xu Jie) was in charge of the Grand Council, and he consulted with the ministers on how to handle the situation. The emperor issued an edict to the Grand Council, and together with civil and military officials, they deliberated on whether to give tribute or refuse.”

— Ming Dynasty History: Memorial of the late General of the Imperial Guard, Senior Official at the Ministry of Rites, and memorialist, Xu Jie

The Mongol army captured a eunuch and sent a letter to the Ming court: The Ming court must open trade with the Mongols, or they would attack their cities. (The entire Ming court felt humiliated, but ultimately, the Ming dynasty agreed to open trade.)

(So, attempting to control tea trade on the borders requires the ability to defeat the opponent; otherwise, why wouldn’t they just steal it?)

(Your solution is to equip bird guns with short swords?! When ammunition runs out, you would take the short sword off and attach it to the barrel to use as a spear?!)

This is actually the concept of the Zimu Gun (Mother-and-Child Gun):

The “Zimu bird gun” is designed with a steel barrel, a matching firing hole, a wooden dragon head casing, and other components like a regular bird gun. The bird gun needs a long barrel to ensure no residue remains after firing, but the longer barrel makes loading ammunition slower, so a smaller sub-gun (called a “child gun”) can be used instead. The rear of the barrel is not sealed but is made in a similar fashion to a flintlock gun, with an iron groove called a “mother gun.” The groove runs from the rear to about four feet long, weighing six pounds, and can hold a child gun, secured with an iron bolt. Each child gun weighs about one pound, similar to a wolf’s gun, and is seven inches long. It has a small iron plate to serve as a crossbow hand, with a small hole for sighting. The four child guns match the mother gun’s specifications.

— Military Records

Iron-clad land mines:

“In Danyang, Shao Shoude used raw iron to cast a solid explosive charge with a hollowed stone, filling it with explosive powder, and burying it in a pit dug at a critical location. The mine is connected to a small bamboo tube that runs through the dirt and can be activated without being noticed by the enemy. When triggered, the mine explodes with fire and shrapnel, killing or injuring any nearby soldiers. This secret weapon was designed by Zhuge Liang.”

— The Compilation of Strategic Plans

Stone Cannons:

“This cannon was first developed by Liu Gong, the former governor and current military official. Stones of varying sizes are drilled with holes and filled with explosives, then covered with earth. A fuse is attached and placed near the top of the wall. When the enemy approaches, the fuse is ignited, causing the stone to explode, sending shrapnel in all directions. The enemy cannot predict the direction of the explosion, and everyone is at risk.”

— The Practice of Military Training

Fire Dragon from the Water:

“Use bamboo measuring five feet, stripping the joints and scraping it thin. Carve a dragon head and tail out of wood, ensuring the mouth faces upward. Inside the dragon’s belly, insert several divine rockets with their fuses twisted together. Two rocket launchers are placed at the dragon’s head and tail. The four fuses are twisted together and lit. The device can be launched from the water, flying several miles toward the enemy. When the fuses burn out, the rockets inside will fire, igniting both the enemy and their ships. This weapon works both on land and water.”

— The Military Compendium

Note: According to current theories, this item is merely a conceptual idea, a theory without a physical prototype.