Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 592 Gunpowder
gunpowder,

It was a product of the Taiping Daoists of the Sui Dynasty, who, out of boredom during a long period of peace, came up with this idea.

The Sui Dynasty, established during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Former Han Dynasty, lasted for nearly two hundred years.

At this age,
The Sui Dynasty naturally had no shortage of questions that the elderly should have.

Only the nourishment of the Ganges Plain allowed the people of the Sui Dynasty to have some scraps to fill their stomachs.

Learning from the lessons of the previous dynasty, the Sui dynasty cracked down on and divided powerful families, and relaxed its control over tenant farmers, which made the foundation of the state slightly more stable than that of the Han dynasty.

After all, Emperor Taizu of Sui was born a commoner, and the most influential aid to his rise to power came from the Han army in the Central Plains and the Taiping Dao in the Xinxia region.

This is something that Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, who was constrained by powerful families when he grew strong and had to abandon his first wife and marry a new one to show his sincerity, could not compare to.

In addition, the Sui Dynasty respected Taoism and Confucianism, and also continued some of the teachings of Mohism. Therefore, the actions of virtuous Taoist masters in the local areas were much freer than in the Central Plains.

Furthermore, during the mid-dynasty period, Emperor Wu of Sui's reforms effectively helped the Sui Dynasty remove some of the deformed tumors that had grown on the body of the nation over time, restoring it to a certain degree of health...

This allowed the Sui Dynasty, which was decades older than the present Han Dynasty, to maintain its condition in the same way as the present Han Dynasty.

of course,

This is also related to the fact that the emperors of the Sui Dynasty lived longer than those of the Han Dynasty, and there was no problem of a young ruler causing instability in the country. This provided a basic guarantee for the continuity of policies.

However, none of the above is the main point.

The key point is,

In the nearly two hundred years since,

Apart from the conflicts and battles with the western state of Qi, the Sui Dynasty generally maintained a peaceful and stable situation.

This prevented the leaders of the Taiping Dao in Xinxia from demonstrating their presence amidst the flames of war, unlike their counterparts on the east and west sides.

Although it is said that different places nurture different people,

Master Xinxia's martial virtue is even inferior to that of Taixi:
After all, in order to better spread their teachings, the latter inevitably had to use the Six Arts to attract barbarians.

But the Taoist priests' hearts were still filled with fiery excitement, which was not extinguished by the rushing waters of the Ganges.

We must do something to live up to this "land of Daoist prosperity" beneath our feet.

Otherwise, how could the newly arrived Taoist priests have the face to discuss and debate with their peers at the Taoist gathering held every five years?

You can't exactly bring two boxes of coconut cookies and offer them to the other person for a bite each, can you?

I'm afraid it will attract challenges from Westerners, who will then brutally crush me with their broad chests.

then,

By giving full play to subjective initiative and under God's guidance,

The Taoist priest of Xinxia then embarked on a path of perfecting scriptures and rituals, studying medicine, and exploring nature.

The land of Xinxia is very vast.

The water and heat of early summer are also plentiful.

The unique geography and climate have given rise to many creatures and wonders on this land.

Some of these were things that even the Central Plains did not possess.

There are still some corners of the Central Plains, the land where the gentlemen of the Xia people were born and raised, that have not yet been explored;

There are still some creatures that have not been understood.

Moreover, what about Xinxia here?

It has only been five hundred years since the virtuous people migrated here, took root, grew, and multiplied.

How can we say that we have a sufficient understanding of the land beneath our feet and that we no longer need to explore it?

Before the arrival of these virtuous men, the people of Sindhu who lived here did not take advantage of their nativeness to provide any additional help to the newcomers or alleviate their burden.

They were more focused on worshipping gods and distinguishing other people by caste.
Oh.
And drug use.

In order to better receive "divine revelation" and deepen the experience, the sorcerers of Sindhu take a lot of drugs.

The bloodline of Xinxia would naturally not be like that.
But with the belief that "all things have spirits and medicinal properties," they still conducted various studies on the soil, rocks, plants, and trees nurtured by the earth beneath their feet, and tasted them quite often.

Anyway, the Taoist priest wasn't afraid of death.

Even if we kill him, there will always be others to follow.
He was simply dedicating himself to the medical field of the Chinese people!

I just don't know why,

Whenever the Taoist priest intended to test the efficacy of newly discovered substances on his own body,
God will always cast his gaze upon them and whisper questions in their ears:
Is this clean?

Such concern deeply moved the Taoist priests and made an unseen contribution to the improvement of hygiene in Xinxia.

Once it is determined that something is truly unsuitable as food or medicine,

The exploitative nature they learned from God still compels Taoist priests to continue exploring its potential applications.

If you can't eat it, you can use it as building material!

And it is in this exploration that
The Taoist priests discovered the wonderful uses of saltpeter—

This mineral, formed from the embrace of the earth, has a wide range of uses and is deeply loved by the Taoist priest.

In medicine, saltpeter has the wonderful uses of "breaking up hard masses, promoting diuresis and purging, and detoxifying and reducing swelling".

In daily life, saltpeter can even turn water into ice, providing a rare coolness for people under the scorching sun.

Only people know,
In this hot and humid new summer, the impact of saltpeter ice-making is enormous.

On the other hand, when saltpeter is mixed with charcoal and sulfur, it will burn violently under the heat of the flame.

If stuffed into a relatively sealed, small space, it can cause an explosion, with an even more violent sound.

then,

The Taoist priests then started setting off fireworks using saltpeter and sulfur.

"Capable of using fire and ice, and with such fair skin... this must be a blessing from God!"

When firecrackers are filled with gunpowder
As the people of Xinxia celebrated the Spring Festival, a resounding sound erupted.

The Taoist priest, still unaware of what he had done, simply chuckled and said...

He Bo did not refute, but quietly appreciated the scene of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.

There is no winter in the new summer.

Or,

Compared to the Central Plains, where the four seasons are distinct and the water and heat are suitable, the winters in Xinxia are never too cold.

The sun will still hang in the sky, radiating its light and heat.
When the December wind blows, it can only make people tighten their clothes, not add more layers of clothing.

The imperial court would even take advantage of the cool weather to conscript laborers and get things done, so as not to wait until the scorching sun was blazing and people were dying before dealing with them, thus avoiding the loss of innocent lives.

Compared to our compatriots in the Central Plains who are confined indoors by the cold winds and snow,
People born in the summer are also happy to show their vitality in the cool winter and the mild spring, rather than being confined at home and unable to travel far.

therefore,

The festive atmosphere of the New Year is never as strong as that of the Central Plains.

Fireworks and firecrackers have now been added to the celebrations for the Spring Festival, and people who have never seen such novelties before are expressing their amazement.

The atmosphere then leans more towards the traditions of our ancestors.

But if we were to develop gunpowder into something more powerful and ferocious,
We'll have to wait until Zhao Yu appears.

This guy has been very energetic and full of ideas since he was a child.
The other children, holding the firecrackers that the adults had imported from the Sui Dynasty at great expense, dared not misbehave. They obediently followed the instructions, placing them in a relatively open area and lighting them.
Four- or five-year-old Zhao Yu had already mastered the skill of using firecrackers to blow up toilets, mud pits, and even dog food bowls without any formal instruction.

On the day of the Lunar New Year, Old Zhao's toilet physically ascended to the sky.

The young Emperor Taizu of Song, who had not hurt anyone but had given his elders a good fright, naturally could not escape a severe beating from the adults after the incident.

My buttocks are swollen.

He Bo had to visit Zhao Yu with the special ointment to shorten the time Zhao Yu spent in bed.

However, the ruthless actions of the adults did not stop Zhao Yu from exploring the uses of gunpowder.

He still tries to bomb anywhere, big or small.

If Zhao Sheng and his wife hadn't made the timely decision to relocate to Xihai and rebuild their business back then...

Zhao Yu would then feign submission to the official who coveted the Zhao family's wealth, and then take the gunpowder he had collected and bury it on the official's inevitable route, letting him know what it meant to disrupt the official road.

of course,

At that time, gunpowder was not powerful enough to kill people.

But the deafening roar was enough to frighten the horses pulling the carriage and the guards, giving Zhao Yu, who was also lying in ambush nearby, an opportunity to deliver the final blow. Once they arrived at the Western Sea...
Having become the ruler of a region, Zhao Yu had even more opportunities to further develop his hobbies.

therefore,

When scholars from the Central Plains arrived in the State of Song,

The true power of gunpowder has been revealed.

It was born in the new summer.

It started in the Western Sea and shook the world.

The envoys, who went to great lengths to bring it back to the Central Plains, shared similar ideas with children who loved firecrackers:
When the sound of firecrackers rang out

When sparks bloom in the dim sky,
Everything should be like celebrating the New Year.

Banish the rotten old days,
Embrace a bright future.

"It's just that Zhao Chengye isn't very happy."

Witness the scholars in the Imperial Academy of the Han Dynasty who secretly tinkered with gunpowder, attempting to adjust the formula to unleash its greater power.
He Bo shook his head and began to talk about Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, who had recently passed away.

This successor emperor, hampered by his father's longevity, did not ascend the throne until he was over forty. After taking the throne, he was busy with important matters such as restoring production, establishing the imperial examination system for selecting talent, and compiling classics.
Therefore, he only reigned as emperor for ten years.

But his achievements were still remarkable.

Under his diligent governance, the State of Song, building upon the foundation laid by Emperor Taizu Zhao Yu, was able to shine brightly.

Furthermore, the successor he chose had been praised by his grandfather Zhao Yu and was regarded as a "good and virtuous grandson".
Even the ghosts who love to spy in secret acknowledge his abilities and wisdom.

It seems that the wisdom of the Song ruler could last for three generations.

The prosperity of the Western Sea can be sustained through such inheritance, and may even reach a level that surpasses that of the Western Qin.

therefore,

When Zhao Chengye, who was in his fifties, passed away,

He did not feel sad or reluctant about the short time he had been in power.
He only instructed his son to further consolidate the imperial examination system, promote the study of things, and make up for the deficiencies of the Western Sea in terms of resources and soil. Then he passed away peacefully and began to enjoy the good treatment he received from God after his death for his meritorious governance of the Western Sea.

Until he heard the news that the gunpowder secrets had been stolen by envoys from the Central Plains.

Even after displaying the power of gunpowder before envoys from various nations,

But were the rulers and ministers of the State of Song foolish and arrogant?

The formula for gunpowder was kept tightly under wraps, just like the silkworms of yesteryear.

silk,

It is a major product of the Central Plains' foreign trade.

The further west you go, the more expensive it becomes.

When it was sold in Rome, it was no different from gold.

no way,
Roman clothing was mostly in the style of robes.

Compared to the attire of the gentlemen of the various Xia states, it was much more "elegant."
The shimmering silk, swaying in the wind, naturally captivated them, driving them to madness.

in this way,

To earn more money, to make even more money.
The secrets of silkworms were then strictly controlled by the Central Plains.

Although the new Xia dynasty also produced silk,

However, the local soil and water are not suitable for cultivating a large number of silkworms, and the silk produced and sold locally is not enough, so they are reluctant to sell it elsewhere.

Relying on its relationship with the Xinxia, ​​the Western Sea also introduced a batch of silkworms and domesticated a batch of tussah silkworms for weaving silk.

However, with the change in soil and water, the silkworms also changed. The silk they spun was thicker than that of the Central Plains and Xinxia, ​​and the silk fabrics woven from it were not as light and graceful as those fabrics.

all in all,
It had virtually no impact on silk exports from the Central Plains.

The Westerners didn't have much regret afterward; they simply kept the inferior silks they had and made money off the Romans.

same,
Even though the two countries are neighbors,

The people of the Western Sea also kept their silkworm breeding and silk reeling secrets tightly under wraps, not allowing Rome to pry into them, for fear of ruining their source of wealth.

Even silk, which is profitable, is like this.

Not to mention gunpowder, which can strengthen the country and boost industry.

The former's interests are only linked to money.
There is no need for the people of the Xia people to be wary of each other day and night and hate each other because of the silkworm raising technique passed down from their ancestors.

But the latter,
But that's enough to cause brothers to fight each other.

The three great dynasties of Han, Sui, and Song

Who wouldn't want to be the most powerful and noble "Son of Heaven," elevating their country to the status of the "Central Kingdom"?

The Central Plains, Xinxia, ​​and Xihai occupy most of the continent.

Couldn't we achieve true unification like the First Emperor swept across the six kingdoms?
gunpowder,

It is a powerful weapon for achieving great things as a great ruler!
"As a result, while I was seriously ill and busy with the handover of state affairs, they relaxed their control over other aspects and stole the gunpowder formula!"

"You Han people are shameless!"

Underworld

Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Chengye, was blocking the entrance to the tomb of Emperor Shun of Han, shouting curses.

Emperor Shun felt guilty and believed that he had sent people to the Western Sea, which was why this had happened. So he stayed at home without saying a word, covered his ears and slept soundly.

The other emperors of the Han dynasty also avoided this topic, secretly laughing to themselves at the news that "gunpowder had been introduced to the Central Plains."

but,

The late Emperor of the Former Han Dynasty, who happened to be passing by, retorted with a single sentence:
"Gunpowder originated in Xinxia, ​​and the people there haven't said anything about it. Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Furthermore, you also have Liu blood in you, and in terms of relationship, you are Liu Bao's elder. How can you have no manners at all?"

Emperor Taizong of Song said, "If your wife ran away with someone else, wouldn't you be agitated and angry?"

gunpowder,

That's something more precious and important than a wife!

"Don't be angry!"

Emperor Wu recalled the group of handsome men and beautiful women that Chen Ajiao had secretly kept after he released her to Changmen Palace, and just smiled nonchalantly.

"I'm not angry!"

Emperor Taizu of Han, recalling his wife Lü Zhi's relationship with Shen Shiqi, waved his hand dismissively.

Emperor Taizong of Song was so angry with them that he fell backward.

Even the God who multitasks and sees through both Yin and Yang couldn't help but laugh.

His laughter was drowned out by the sound of gunpowder exploding from the giant's head and went unnoticed by anyone.

at the same time,

East,

Liang Ji, who had received a large amount of wealth from the Murong clan of Liaodong, approved their request to establish a kingdom and declare themselves king.

The Kingdom of Qi, which had been embroiled in internal strife for many years, once again sent envoys to the Central Plains to request the emperor to send troops to help the King of Qi quell the rebellion in the country.

The Wu Kingdom, huddled in a corner of Southeast Asia, lived a peaceful and stable life thanks to its weakness and incompetence.

The Yue Kingdom in the south-central region, having learned too much from its predecessor, the Chu Kingdom, found itself in an awkward situation where various feudal lords were challenging the royal family.

The west,

Following the death of the second emperor of the Song Dynasty,
Augustus, the Roman emperor who ascended the throne late in life and reigned for an exceptionally long time until Emperor Liu Zhi succeeded him, also closed his eyes.

The monarchs of the northern and western kingdoms also passed away around the same time.

Life and death in many countries

They intertwined in the early years of Jianhe.

"The wind is quite noisy today!"

For this,

He Bo took a deep breath of the smell of gunpowder after the explosion, coughed once, and sighed softly.

(End of this chapter)