Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 387 The Truth is More Powerful Than a Hand Grenade

Wen He held the letter sent by Li Daozong, her eyebrows slightly raised.

Although the Tang Dynasty did not have a rule that front-line commanders were forbidden from exchanging private letters with their officials in the rear.

To avoid suspicion of forming cliques, most leaders would consciously avoid such exchanges, and even when they did communicate, they would mostly go through the official correspondence process via post stations.

Li Daozong's letter was direct; the envelope wasn't even sealed with a lead seal, but simply tied with two thin hemp ropes, clearly indicating it wasn't a secret matter that needed to be concealed.

He untied the hemp rope, unfolded the letter, and his eyes widened suddenly as he scanned the first few lines.

The letter stated that when Li Daozong's troops were clearing out the remnants of Liang Shidu's forces, they seized more than 60,000 cattle from pastures around Tongwan City. Of these, more than 40,000 were yellow cattle capable of ploughing the land, while the remainder were beef cattle and calves.

The letter ended with a blunt question: "I have 20,000 heads available, one string of cash per head, do you want them?"

Wen He gasped.

The Tang army's spoils of war were always distributed according to the "three horses share the spoils" system.

The national treasury receives a share.

The commanding general receives a copy, which he can dispose of as he sees fit or distribute as a reward to his subordinates.

The soldiers can have a share.

Of the more than 60,000 cattle seized this time, Li Daozong could personally keep at least 20,000.

With that reckless nature, he would definitely keep all the most useful scalpers.

After all, what the Tang Dynasty lacked most right now was oxen for plowing.

"Manager Zhou!"

Wen He put away the letter, raised her voice and called out, her voice filled with barely concealed urgency.

Upon hearing the summons, Zhou Fu, who was not far away, quickly walked in and bowed.

"Young master, this old servant is here."

Wen He handed over the letter, her tone decisive.

"Take this letter and go to the steward of the Prince of Rencheng's mansion immediately. Tell him to send a message to the Prince of Rencheng by fast horse, saying that I want 10,000 yellow cattle. The money will be sent to the mansion later. Tell him to make sure the cattle are properly penned up and not stolen by others."

"Ten thousand?"

Zhou Fu took the letter, his eyes widened instantly, and the letter in his hand trembled.

Having spent so many years in the palace and seen many grand occasions, he had never heard of ten thousand yellow oxen before.

Not only Zhou Fu, but everyone else in the room was also quite shocked by the news.

Wenrou blinked her round eyes gently, nuzzled her head close to Wenhe, counted her fingers, and muttered to herself.

"Ten thousand... Brother, if a cow is this big, how many courtyards would ten thousand cows need to fit in?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tai, Li You, and Li Ke all looked up, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Li Tai opened his mouth, and after a long while, he whispered.

"Sir, how much land can ten thousand oxen plow? Could they plant crops on all the wasteland outside Chang'an?"

Li Yifu and Meng Zhou were also stunned, their faces full of shock.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Wen He couldn't help but smile and explain.

"This is only the spoils of the Prince of Rencheng's forces. The Duke of Cao and General Xue's forces will certainly have their share as well. Liang Shidu has been operating in Shuofang for many years, raising a lot of cattle and sheep through trade with the Turks. Now that we have taken them all, these cattle will naturally become part of our Tang Dynasty's assets."

No wonder that after the fall of Liang Shidu, the Tang Dynasty's agriculture suddenly surged.

The third year of the Zhenguan era saw an even greater harvest.

With so many cattle entering the Tang Dynasty, tens of thousands of acres of fertile land could be cultivated.

Zhou Fu also came to his senses, quickly and carefully folded the letter, put it in his pocket, and bowed.

"This old servant will take care of it immediately and will certainly not disappoint the young master!"

After saying that, he walked out quickly, even faster than usual, as if afraid that if he was late, the ox in the hands of the Prince of Rencheng would be snatched away by someone else.

While Wen He was busy ordering 10,000 head of cattle.

Inside the Taiji Hall, Li Shimin sat upright on the dragon throne, listening to the details of the victory reports from the front lines.

Standing in the hall was a soldier dressed in bright armor, his armor still covered in dust, clearly having just arrived on horseback from Shuofang.

He held the news of victory in both hands, his voice tinged with barely concealed nervousness.

This was his first time meeting the sage, and he didn't even dare to raise his head, only staring at the gold bricks on the ground, reporting word by word.

"Your Majesty, when we breached Tongwan City, Duke Cao first used gunpowder to blast open the northwest city wall, causing it to collapse by more than three zhang (approximately 10 meters). He then ordered General Xue Wanche to lead light cavalry into the city and engage the puppet Liang army in a fierce battle for three days. Three days later, the puppet emperor Liang Shidu was killed by his cousin Liang Luoren. Liang Luoren led his remaining troops of more than three thousand men to surrender, and all the prefectures of Shuofang have now been pacified!"

When Li Shimin heard that gunpowder had blown open the city wall, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Gunpowder.

That brat brought such good things to the Tang Dynasty!

Before Li Shiji set off, he was also worried, after all, Tongwan City was known by the Xiongnu as the strongest city.

Although he did not go there in person, he knew that this city was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Unexpectedly, Li Shiji used gunpowder to easily breach the city walls.

Li Shimin could no longer hide the joy on his face. He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

"Back then, Helian Bobo built this Tongwan City, boasting that it was 'strong enough to sharpen swords and axes, and sharp enough to cut gold and jade.' He also said that it was surrounded by rivers on two sides and had three city walls, making it as solid as a rock. But look at it now! Mao Gong breached the city in just one day and wiped out the false Liang regime in three days. It is clear that the so-called 'strong city' is nothing but a clay chicken and a tile dog in front of the iron army of my Great Tang!"

He paused, then said with a hint of regret.

"It's a pity that I couldn't personally lead the expedition this time. Otherwise, I would have stood on the Tongwan City Wall and seen what the 'unified land' that Helian Bobo boasted about was really like."

The officials inside the hall all knew this.

His Majesty was not truly disappointed; he was clearly pleased.

Liang Shidu occupied Shuofang for more than ten years, with the Turks as his backers.

During the reign of the retired emperor, several campaigns were launched, but all ended in failure.

Your Majesty has only been on the throne for a little over a year, yet you have already destroyed the false Liang dynasty.

Is it possible for that hidden crown prince to do that?
Fang Xuanling was the first to react. He stepped out of the procession, bowed, and said respectfully.

"Your Majesty, Helian Bobo of yesteryear was nothing more than a warlord who carved out a territory in Shuofang and ravaged the people. The world called him a 'tyrant,' and the late Emperor of Northern Wei even bestowed upon him the name 'Qu Jie,' meaning base and vile, to show his contempt. But now Your Majesty reigns supreme over the four seas, governs all people, spreads benevolent policies throughout the land, and all the barbarians come to pay homage. You are the true Son of Heaven. If Your Majesty were to compare yourself to a mere 'Qu Jie,' you would be lowering yourself. It's not worth it, not worth it at all!"

His words both flattered Li Shimin and subtly dispelled his future idea of ​​personally leading an expedition.

After all, it was too risky for the emperor to personally lead an expedition; if anything went wrong, the entire Tang Dynasty would be thrown into turmoil.

Ever since the incident at Hongwen Academy, Fang Xuanling had been trying to mend the rift between himself and Li Shimin, and now was a good opportunity.

Du Ruhui immediately stepped forward and echoed his sentiment.

“What the Right Minister says is very true! Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, and should be stationed in Chang’an, ruling the world, strategizing within the tent, and winning battles a thousand miles away. The war on the front lines will be handled by the capable generals in the court. Why should Your Majesty go to dangerous places in person? We are willing to share Your Majesty’s burdens and assist Your Majesty in creating a prosperous era, so that Your Majesty will no longer have to worry about war.”

Li Shimin watched the two men singing in unison, fully aware of their scheme, but he didn't expose them. He simply smiled, shook his head, and gestured for the soldier who had delivered the report to leave.

"I understand your thoughts. Alright, let's not talk about the personal expedition anymore."

He changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over the officials in the hall, and said in a deep voice.

"This time, Lord Mao and his men have amassed a great haul in Shuofang, including more than 60,000 oxen. According to the 'three horses share the spoils' system, after distributing the portion to the soldiers, the court will receive another 20,000 to 30,000 oxen. Although the autumn harvest is over, there is still a lot of wasteland in various places that has not been cultivated. It is a good time to take advantage of the off-season to let the people use these oxen to cultivate the land. This matter concerns the people's livelihood, so it will be entrusted to the Ministry of Civil Affairs..."

"Chen is here!"

As soon as Li Shimin finished speaking, Dou Jing, the Minister of Revenue, immediately stepped out from the ranks, bowed, and accepted the order in a loud voice.

"Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your trust and properly dispose of these oxen so that they can be used by the people as soon as possible!"

Li Shimin nodded and then gave further instructions.

"The matter of handling draft cattle should not be taken lightly. Wen Jiaying mentioned before that draft cattle should be allocated according to the village population and the amount of wasteland, with priority given to poor farmers without cattle, and then managed uniformly by the village to avoid the powerful and wealthy fighting over them. If your Ministry of Civil Affairs has any questions, you can send someone to ask Wen Jiaying."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Dou Jing bowed and agreed, but a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

He looked up at Li Shimin, carefully choosing his words, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a request. The method of distributing cattle in villages was originally conceived by the son of Gaoyang County. He must be most familiar with the details. Although Your Majesty has given instructions, the Ministry of Revenue is handling this matter now, and there are bound to be oversights. I think it would be better to let the son of Gaoyang County join the Ministry of Revenue as its chief clerk to assist me in handling the cattle distribution, so that this method can be better implemented and benefit more people."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent. The officials were stunned, and even their breathing became softer.

Some people quickly started making plans in their minds.

Wen He is now the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel. If the chief clerk of the Ministry of Civil Affairs is added, he will hold positions in five of the six ministries.

Moreover, they are all important departments that hold real power!
Has Dou Jing gone mad?
Wasn't he afraid that Wen He's power would become too great?
Many officials looked at Dou Jing with doubt and even a hint of wariness.

Dou Jing comes from the Dou family of Fufeng and is also a member of a prominent family. Why would he suddenly speak up for Wen He and even suggest giving him a higher official position?

"Your Majesty, I believe this is unacceptable!"

Changsun Wuji was the first to react. He stepped out of the train, his tone solemn, even somewhat urgent.

"Although the son of Gaoyang County is talented and clever, and can share Your Majesty's burdens, he is still young. He is only twelve years old. He has several positions and has to handle the affairs of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Personnel every day. He is already burdened with heavy responsibilities and exhausted. Your Majesty has always been considerate of your subjects and loves the people like your own children. How can you bear to add more burdens to him and make him so tired?"

Changsun Wuji's words sounded somewhat unconvincing.

Everyone in the court knew that Wen He was lazy and indolent. Although he had these duties, he hardly went anywhere except to the Hundred Cavalry Division.

He only went to the Ministry of Justice once, and he went to the Ministry of War quite a few times, but the things he did were not from the Ministry of War. He went to the Ministry of Works often, but he only went sporadically.

As for the Ministry of Personnel...

After the imperial examinations concluded, Wen He did not step into the Ministry of Personnel.

His words, seemingly out of concern for Wen He and out of sympathy for his young age and heavy workload, were actually a reminder to Li Shimin.

Wen He already holds too many positions and wields too much power, which has long aroused dissatisfaction among many aristocratic families and nobles.

If he were to be appointed as the head of the Ministry of Civil Affairs again, it would likely cause even more people to be wary of him, and might even trigger controversy in the court, which would not be good for Wen He or His Majesty.

Li Shimin glanced at Changsun Wuji, a knowing look flashing in his eyes, then smiled and nodded.

Even if Changsun Wuji hadn't stepped forward to object, he would have still rejected Dou Jing's proposal. He knew in his heart that bestowing too many official titles might not be a good thing for Wen He.

That brat is young. The more positions he holds, the more enemies he will make. If he makes a mistake in the future, those he has offended will surely attack him in droves. At that time, it will be difficult for him to protect Wen He.

Moreover, that brat has always been lazy. When he was promoted to the position of Director of the Ministry of War, he dawdled and even bargained for a lot of fertile land.

If they knew they would be given another position as a clerk in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, they would probably make a scene at the Hall of State Affairs, complaining about being poor and overworked, and might even quit, which would only cause more trouble.

“The auxiliary machine is right.”

Li Shimin spoke slowly, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority.

“Wen Jiaying is still young and already has enough duties. If he were to take up a post in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he would be exhausted. Minister Dou, you can handle the affairs of the Ministry of Civil Affairs yourself. If there are any difficulties, just send someone to Wen Jiaying’s residence to inquire. There is no need to grant him any more official positions.”

"The minister obeys the order."

Although Dou Jing felt somewhat regretful, she dared not object and could only bow in agreement.

He originally thought that recommending Wen He to work in the Ministry of Civil Affairs would not only allow the distribution of cattle to proceed smoothly, but also do Wen He a favor. He never expected that Changsun Wuji would stop him.

The atmosphere in the hall eased again, but the officials all knew what was going on.

Although Wen He did not receive the position of Director of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, His Majesty's trust and reliance on him were already quite evident.

An eleven-year-old boy was able to simultaneously serve as the head of four departments.

Could it be that we'll really see a Minister of the Imperial Secretariat who's not even thirty years old in the future?
The echoes of the victory news in the Taiji Hall had not yet faded. Li Shimin's gaze swept over the officials below the steps, and he suddenly remembered something. He called out to Yan Lide, the Minister of Works, "By the way, speaking of Wen Jiaying's position as the head of the Ministry of Works, Minister Yan."

Upon hearing the voice, Yan Lide stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject is here."

"The power of gunpowder has been clearly demonstrated in this attack on Tongwan City, and it has been of great benefit to the war effort."

Li Shimin tapped the armrest of the dragon throne lightly with his fingers, his tone thoughtful.

"But nowadays, grenades are all thrown by manpower, and their range is short, making them somewhat useless in field battles. Go to Wen Jiaying's residence later and ask him if there are any ways to improve them. If the range can be increased, it will definitely be of great use in future campaigns against the Turks."

"The minister obeys the order."

Yan Lide bowed in agreement, but a hint of bitterness flashed across his face.

He knew Wen He's personality all too well.

I hate trouble the most, and I'm bound to get a few complaints soon.

As expected, half an hour later, in the courtyard of the Wen family mansion, Wen He looked at Dou Jing and Yan Lide who had come together. Although she had a smile on her face, there was a hint of vigilance in her eyes.

"Brother Lide, Minister Dou, what brings you two here today?"

Wen He greeted the guest with clasped hands, her tone carrying a deliberate air of distance.

"To be honest, I've been feeling unwell lately with backaches and pains, so I'm afraid I'll have to neglect my duties to you two superiors."

But when he spoke, he stood up straight and his eyes were bright; there was no sign of him being unwell at all.

Yan Lide and Dou Jing exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.

This kid is pretending to shirk his responsibilities again.

"Jiaying, you are a Ministry of Works official appointed by the imperial court. How can you just refuse like that?"

Yan Lide laughed and exposed his excuse, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"His Majesty has decreed that, even if you are paralyzed in bed, you must take care of the important matters first."

Upon hearing this, Wen He raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"Then why don't I resign from this position as the head of the Ministry of Works? Anyway, I'm too young to take on such a heavy responsibility."

Do you think His Majesty will grant it?

Yan Lide countered with a question, his tone full of certainty.

Wen He immediately wilted, knowing she couldn't avoid this task, so she turned to look at Dou Jing beside her, trying to change the subject.

"Minister Dou, I do not hold any position in the Ministry of Revenue. You did not come here to ask me to handle matters related to the Ministry of Revenue, did you?"

He knew perfectly well that Dou Jing had come to discuss the distribution of oxen, but he didn't want to take on any more extra work.

Dou Jing looked somewhat embarrassed and quickly waved her hand.

"Of course not! I've only come to inquire about a few things. The magistrate of Gaoyang County has always cared about the people and loves them like his own children. The method of distributing cattle by village that he proposed before is truly a good policy that benefits the people's livelihood. That's why I've come here specifically to ask about the details so that the subsequent distribution can be more appropriate."

This is clearly a form of moral blackmail.

Flatter him.

Wen He sighed helplessly.

Those who can become ministers are indeed a bunch of shameless old foxes.

He glanced at Dou Jing's sincere eyes, and then thought of the oxen that were about to be distributed to the people, and finally relented.

"Sigh, this is just my fate to be overworked! Fine, ask me anything, I'll tell you everything I know."

"and many more!"

Yan Lide suddenly spoke up to stop her, afraid that Wen He would focus all her attention on Dou Jing and forget his purpose.

"Jiaying, don't forget about the gunpowder improvement. His Majesty said that the current hand grenades have too short a range. I have an idea: could we use catapults to launch them?"

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Wen He's expression.

Dou Jing also looked over curiously, wanting to know what new and ingenious ideas the young man could come up with this time.

Upon hearing this, Wen He smiled and shook her head, pointing to the sky above.

“Catapults can indeed increase the range, but they are still not flexible enough. There are actually better ways, but we need to do a lot of experiments right now, and those things are too bulky and not suitable for the current field battles. If you think the range is too short, why not change your approach and launch an attack from the air?”

"From the sky?"

Yan Lide and Dou Jing both subconsciously looked up at the sky. The blue sky and white clouds stretched out in a vast expanse. They were stunned for a moment, then their eyes lit up as if they had thought of something.

"You mean... that flying contraption from the palace? What was it called again... oh, a hot air balloon!"

Dou Jing was the first to react, her tone full of surprise.

"Exactly."

Wen He grinned and nodded in confirmation.

"Hot air balloons can rise to a height of hundreds of feet, providing a wide field of vision. They can be used to scout enemy positions and accurately drop grenades. Moreover, hot air balloons are flexible and can adjust their position according to the wind direction, making them much more useful than catapults. However, current hot air balloons can only carry two people. If they are to be used in warfare, the airbags and bamboo baskets need to be improved to increase the load capacity and ensure flight stability."

Yan Lide suddenly stood up, slapped his thigh, and his face was full of excitement.

"That's right! If we drop grenades from the sky, the enemy will have nowhere to hide. This is an ingenious way to defeat them! Jia Ying is indeed clever. How come I didn't think of this!"

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He quickly cupped his hands to Wen He and said, "I entrust this matter to you! If you can successfully improve it, our Great Tang will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort in future battles against the Turks!"

Yan Lide was overjoyed.

However, after his initial joy, his gaze towards Wen He became even more intense.

"You just said it was better than a catapult, but what is this cumbersome thing?"

“That’s the truth,” Wen He replied with a smile.

Yan Lide and Dou Jing were taken aback, and both of them glanced at Wen He.

Is Wen Jiaying deliberately playing a trick on them?
Wen He chuckled: "That's what I call it in my hometown. That thing is called a cannon."

"Cannons? Isn't this still a catapult?" Yan Lide frowned.

That's right, in ancient times, the fire cannon with the stone radical referred to a catapult.

"It's not a catapult, how should I put it?"

Wen He carefully chose her words, trying to explain in language they could understand.

"Simply put, it uses metal, and the best material nowadays is copper. A tubular device is made of copper, and gunpowder and iron bullets are put inside. After the gunpowder is lit, the force of the explosion propels the iron bullet out. The range can reach several miles, and the power is much greater than that of a hand grenade."

Yan Lide's eyes widened, and he muttered something under his breath.

"A tubular object? Using gunpowder to propel iron bullets? A range of several miles? Is that... even possible?"

Dou Jing frowned. Although he didn't understand the principles of weapons, he was sensitive enough to notice the word "copper".

"How much copper would be needed to make tubular objects? Currently, the imperial court uses most of its copper to cast agricultural tools and coins. If we were to mass-produce these 'cannons,' it would likely affect people's livelihoods."

Upon hearing this, Wen He couldn't help but laugh.

As expected, Dou Jing's considerations were more thorough.

He nodded and explained.

"Minister Dou is right. That's why I'm not proposing to build cannons for the time being. First, I only have a superficial understanding of the specific structure of cannons. I need to conduct a lot of experiments to determine the size and wall thickness. If I'm not careful, the cannon will explode. Second, bronze cannons are too heavy. Each cannon weighs at least several hundred pounds and requires several horses to pull it. They're fine for defending cities, but they're really inconvenient for field battles. Most importantly, building cannons requires a lot of copper. If we build cannons on a large scale, the Ministry of Revenue will probably suffer from famine."

He paused and added.

"Therefore, the safest course of action right now is to improve the hot air balloons, which can be used in the war as soon as possible without consuming too many resources. Once the national treasury is full and copper production has increased, we can then consider building artillery."

Yan Lide pondered Wen He's words carefully, and the more he thought about it, the more reasonable they seemed. He nodded quickly.

"You're right! Everything must be done step by step. Improving the hot air balloon is the best option right now. I'll go back and have someone prepare the materials and fully cooperate with your improvements!"

Dou Jing breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It's good that you thought it through. If you really wanted to mass-produce cannons, I'm afraid I would have really gotten angry with you."

The Ministry of Civil Affairs is already under a lot of pressure.

If we were to use a large amount of copper to make cannons...

He even considered retiring from officialdom.

However, Dou Jing knew that neither he nor Wen He could make the decision on this matter.

He now regrets letting Wen He bring this up.

Sure enough, not long after, news about cannons was delivered to Li Shimin's desk in the Liangyi Hall.

"This is a good thing!"

(End of this chapter)