50: Hot Air Balloons and Hand Grenades (Please collect and read)

Chapter 50: Hot Air Balloons and Hand Grenades (Please bookmark and follow!)

"Your Majesty, please look! This is the cannon this humble minister has developed!"

Minister Zhan Liang excitedly spoke to Zheng Yi, flanked by several officials from the Ministry of Works and Lei Shitou.

The men all looked somewhat exhausted, clearly having spent this entire period working to fulfill the task Zheng Yi had assigned them.

Yet Zheng Yi's expression was rather strange.

The cannon in front of him... or rather, calling it a cannon barrel would be more accurate.

As a whole, it was indeed round, cast from fine iron, fixed to the ground, and angled upward toward the sky.

But the barrel was extremely thick, nearly a meter wide, looking pitch-black and quite terrifying.

Minister Zhan Liang said, "Your Majesty, we have tested it. By loading gunpowder and an iron ball into the barrel, we only need to ignite the gunpowder. Within ten breaths, the gunpowder explodes inside the barrel, blasting the iron ball out."

Zheng Yi's lips twitched. What the hell kind of cannon is this?

An oil drum bomb?

He could only rub his temples and ask, "How far can it blast the ball?"

"About ten zhang."

"Ten zhang?"

That's around thirty meters.

That's too... short.

"Why not narrow the barrel?" Zheng Yi asked. "The narrower the barrel, the stronger the explosive impact, and the further the iron ball will travel."

"Your Majesty, we tried that as well, but if the barrel is narrower, the resulting explosion shatters the entire barrel."

Minister Zhan Liang hesitated, then added, "After so many days of testing, only a barrel this thick resists being shattered. However, after using it about ten times, we must pour water over it to cool it down."

"Is the iron-smelting technology not up to standard?"

Zheng Yi shook his head and asked, "Is there any way to improve our iron-smelting technology?"

"This..."

Minister Zhan Liang thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that Yu Jian Villa in Wu Province possesses superb metal-casting techniques. A three-foot green blade crafted by them can withstand a thousand jin of pressure. Perhaps Yu Jian Villa's iron-smelting technology is far superior to ours."

"If we could invite the sword-crafting Masters of Yu Jian Villa to the imperial court..."

"Yu Jian Villa of Wu Province?"

Zheng Yi's brows furrowed slightly. Although Yu Jian Villa was not among the top-tier powers in Great Yu's Martial Forest, it was not to be underestimated either.

Because the entire villa excelled in sword forging, it was held in high esteem by countless Martial Forest figures.

Obtaining sword-forging and iron-smelting techniques from Yu Jian Villa would indeed be somewhat troublesome.

"I will solve this matter," Zheng Yi said coolly. "Continue your research."

"Understood!"

They are merely a Martial Forest Sect. Giving them the honor of having Me take an interest in their iron-smelting and sword-forging techniques is giving them Face.

Besides, such specialized techniques as iron-smelting and sword-forging must be strictly controlled by the imperial court.

A mere Martial Forest Sect spending all day researching sword forging and iron smelting—what are their motives?

"Chengen."

"Your Majesty!"

"Pass down My decree: Order Yu Jian Villa of Wu Province to hand over their iron-smelting techniques and thirty sword smiths."

"Understood!"

At this moment, Lei Shitou hurriedly rushed forward: "Your Majesty! Th-this humble subject has also developed a new result. Could you take a look?"

Zheng Yi grew interested: "Oh? What is it?"

"It's still the Palm Thunder... oh wait, no, it's the Thunderbolt Mine!"

Lei Shitou eagerly had someone bring out a pile of Thunderbolt Mines, introducing them: "Your Majesty, look! This is the newly modified Thunderbolt Mine I came up with."

"By adding clay, iron shrapnel, and salt into it, the explosion power is much stronger. Plus, I added a fuse to it; after lighting, it explodes in about ten breaths!"

Hearing Lei Shitou's explanation, Zheng Yi quickly understood. Isn't this thing just a hand grenade?

"Your Majesty."

Minister Zhan Liang suddenly said, "Lei Shitou's improvement to the Thunderbolt Mine is indeed good, but this item is too heavy—weighing around three jin. Ordinary soldiers cannot throw it very far at all."

"Furthermore, its power is too great, making it extremely easy to injure our own men."

Power too great?

He was only afraid it wasn't powerful enough!

"How could it injure our own men?"

Lei Shitou said indignantly, "Isn't the M-Ministry of Works making that big balloon? In the last experiment, a dog flew in it for the duration of a cup of tea!"

"Once the big balloon is successfully developed, we can totally have someone stand on the big balloon, fly right above the enemy, and drop Thunderbolt Mines to blow them to pieces!"

Zheng Yi's eyes lit up as he subconsciously looked at Lei Shitou. This kid really was a Genius.

His reason for ordering the development of hot air balloons was precisely this idea.

Air-to-ground bomb bombardment—on a normal battlefield against enemies, it would be an absolute weapon of mass destruction!

"Is the hot air balloon successfully developed?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, n-not yet," Minister Zhan Liang hesitated. "There are too few combustible Materials; it can only stay aloft in the air for a very short time."

"What are you burning right now?"

"Charcoal and coal."

"Do you have Fierce Fire Oil?"

"Fierce Fire Oil?!"

Minister Zhan Liang's eyes brightened dramatically. "Yes! This humble minister will take men to test Fierce Fire Oil immediately!"

"You all have done well."

Zheng Yi said, "Promote Minister Zhan Liang to Bureau Director of the Ministry of Works, and promote Lei Shitou to Vice Director of the Ministry of Works."

"Thank You, Your Majesty!"

The two excitedly knelt to express their gratitude, especially Lei Shitou.

Originally just a minor Taoist priest, he had actually become an official in the Six Ministries, and an imperial capital official at that. His excitement was beyond words.

"Both of you work hard on your research. If you succeed, I will reward you appropriately!"

"Understood!"

After returning to the palace, Zheng Yi continued to nurture the Moonlight Gu.

As time passed, the bloody glow on the Moonlight Gu grew increasingly intense.

Placing it outside the hall late at night, one could see with the naked eye a beam of moonlight as thick as a bowl rim shining upon the Moonlight Gu, which continuously absorbed it.

After absorbing the lunar essence, Zheng Yi put away the Moonlight Gu and headed to Chuxiu Palace.

Ever since Bi He became pregnant, a year had passed without him staying overnight in her palace.

Today, when the Jingshi Department came to pay their respects, he noticed that Bi He's name tablet had finally been hung up again.

Remembering that Bi He possessed the White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill, he immediately decided to go to Chuxiu Palace tonight.

Inside the palace, Zheng Yi held his second daughter, Princess Jinxia, teasing her briefly before handing her over to the senior maid.

The two little girls were already over two months old, and after proper feeding, had grown fair and chubby.

Completely different from the little monkey-like look when they were born, the wet nurse had clearly fed them with great care.

"Your Majesty."

After the child was taken away, Bi He immediately leaned close to him.

After giving birth, Bi He's figure had become increasingly voluptuous and mature.

Especially her chest, which exhaled an enticing milky fragrance that nearly knocked Zheng Yi breathless.

"Your Majesty~ It is getting late. Allow your concubine to serve you in changing and washing."

"Mm, my Beloved Consort has worked hard."

Zheng Yi nodded gently, letting Consort Bi attend to him.

Soon, after the clouds cleared and the rain ceased, Bi He, overwhelmed by the passion, fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Zheng Yi immersed his mind into the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror to inspect it.

[Absorbed Yin Qi, White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill Internal Energy +1.]

[White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill entered the Second Layer.]

"Hmm? Bi He's strength increased?"

Zheng Yi thought to himself. With a thought, lines of text appeared once more on the surface of the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror.

[Host: Zheng Yi]

[Talent: Yin and Yang]

[Lifespan: 24/125]

[Cultivation Technique: White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill Second Layer (1/1000)]

[Hundred Battles Blood Fiend Saber Third Layer (10000/10000)]

[Overall Strength: First Grade Realm]

[innate spiritual energy Progress (Tier 1): 3/10]

His total lifespan dropped to 125 years, while the White Lotus Reincarnation Divine Skill had stepped into the second layer.

However, his overall strength was still lingering at the First Grade Realm.

"She can Breakthrough her Bottleneck just by giving birth to a daughter? Bi He really has good luck, or is it related to Pure Yin Qi?"

Zheng Yi held Bi He's voluptuous body and muttered, "After Luaner finishes giving birth, I'll try her out again."