Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 215 Xue Ne's Attitude and Liu Jianjun's "Alchemy"

"Oh? Chief Secretary Liu, please grant my request."

After witnessing the power of gunpowder, Xue Ne's attitude towards Liu Jianjun changed.

Instead of answering directly, Liu Jianjun asked, "I wonder... how many troops does Goryeo have in Wugu City?"

Xue Ne didn't mind and replied, "Wugu City is the western key to Goryeo. According to various investigations, the garrison in the city numbers between eight and ten thousand, all of whom are Goryeo's elite troops. They are based on the mountains and have ample food and fodder. Moreover, the city's defenses are exceptionally strong, and they are fully equipped with rolling logs, stones, and crossbows with fire oil."

"What's more troublesome is that Wugu City is not an isolated city. About a hundred miles to its southeast is the important Goryeo town of Gungnae, where 20,000 troops are stationed. It forms a strategic triangle with Wugu City. If our army launches a full-scale attack on Wugu City, reinforcements from Gungnae will arrive within ten days. The previous attacks were thwarted partly because of our fear of their reinforcements."

Liu Jianjun said thoughtfully, "In other words, we not only have to crack open Wugu City, this tough nut, but we also have to act quickly and decisively, before the other side in the domestic city can react, and get the kernel out of the nut?"

Xue Ne's eyes twitched slightly, clearly not used to Liu Jianjun's analogy, but she still nodded.

Liu Jianjun then asked, "If... with this gunpowder, what is the minimum number of troops General Xue would need to take Wugu City?"

"The lowest?" Xue Ne frowned.

"lowest."

This time, Xue Ne gave Liu Jianjun a deep look and said, "If there is enough gunpowder to effectively destroy its city defenses, especially to blow open the city gates or collapse a section of the city wall, and to inflict heavy casualties when its defenders gather to counterattack... then the key to attacking the city is not the quantity of troops, but their quality and speed!"

He held up three fingers and said, "Three thousand, three thousand elite troops are enough!"

Li Xian took a slight breath.

Although Li Xian was not very knowledgeable about military affairs, he knew the saying in Sun Tzu's Art of War, "If ten times the enemy's strength, surround them."

Xue Ne, with only three thousand men against nearly ten thousand defenders, and also having to guard against possible reinforcements, sounds like a complete fantasy.

But Liu Jianjun frowned and said, "Too many... Three hundred, is that even possible?"

Xue Ne's eyes instantly filled with disbelief, as if he thought he had misheard.

"How much... how much?"

This seasoned veteran, who had seen countless storms on the battlefield, even had a slight change in tone in his voice.

“Three hundred,” Liu Jianjun repeated, his expression serious, not feigning. “If enough gunpowder could be provided, could three hundred men possibly breach Wugu City?”

This time, Xue Ne frowned and pondered for a long time before finally asking the first question: "What is the purpose of Liu Changshi's actions?"

"It's a secret." Liu Jianjun looked at him calmly.

Xue Ne's eyes sharpened instantly, and after a moment, he turned to look at Li Xian.

Li Xian was at a loss and could only give Xue Ne an honest look.

This time, Xue Ne's gaze became somewhat unreadable to Li Xian, as if he were pondering something.

After a moment, he suddenly asked, "The cotton workshop that Military Advisor Wang was in charge of... was actually run by Chief Clerk Liu?"

Liu Jianjun asked in astonishment, "General Xue doesn't know?"

Xue Ne shook his head: "I only ordered my men to find cheap and cold-resistant items without asking any questions. These past few days, I've heard from my subordinates that Chief Secretary Liu and His Highness are staying at the cotton workshop. Coupled with today's events, I started to think about it in this direction."

Xue Ne's answer also solved a long-standing question for Li Xian: the winters in the north are extremely cold, and the soldiers' need for cotton cloth and cotton clothing is a necessity. Logically speaking, as the actual controllers of the cotton workshop, there is no reason why Xue Ne should be so cold to him and Liu Jianjun.

Even if his current problem is Wugu City, winter will eventually come. He can't just take Wugu City and then not have to go through the winter, can he?
The problem is now solved.

So Xue Ne didn't know about this at all.

But that makes sense. As the governor of the Andong Protectorate, Xue Ne was in charge of military affairs in the region. Why would he bother with such a trivial matter as cotton procurement?
A moment of silence fell over the scene.

Xue Ne's eyes flickered.

Li Xian's heart also tightened.

Now, he can barely keep up with Liu Jianjun's way of thinking.

When Liu Jianjun mentioned the word "secrecy" at this time, to whom was he keeping it a secret, and for what reason was he keeping it a secret?
It's not hard to guess.

And how will Xue Ne react?
"The Prince of Pei came to Yingzhou because..."

"Seeking refuge".

Liu Jianjun looked directly at Xue Ne and said, "To His Highness Prince Pei, Luoyang is now a den of dragons and tigers. His Majesty has never liked His Highness Prince Pei. Now that Prince Luling has been made crown prince, His Highness's position is... very awkward."

"I am a veteran minister of the Tang Dynasty..."

“Your Highness is also Emperor Gaozong’s eldest son.” Liu Jianjun interrupted directly, paused, and then said, “The eldest son.”

"Moreover, establishing an heir is one thing, and delegating power is another. Even if the Prince of Luling is now established as the crown prince, does His Majesty have any intention of delegating power at all? Apart from having the surname Wu, what has His Majesty given the Crown Prince? The six officials of the Crown Prince have not been established, the Eastern Palace staff has not been built, and the crown prince? Who knows if this is just an expedient measure to appease public opinion?"

Li Xian suddenly realized that he was no longer quite able to understand what Liu Jianjun was saying.

After Li Xian was made crown prince, Wu Zetian did change his surname to "Wu", but what does this have to do with the question Xue Ne asked?
But Xue Ne seemed to understand. He stared intently at Liu Jianjun and asked, "What does His Highness the Crown Prince mean?"

Liu Jianjun did not answer, but instead said, "His Highness Prince Pei's surname is Li, and that will not change."

This time, Xue Ne remained silent for even longer, her eyes fixed on Liu Jianjun without blinking.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Eight hundred."

"Eight hundred?" Liu Jianjun was taken aback.

“Three hundred men are too few to attack Wugu City.” Xue Ne shook his head, his tone revealing the experience of a veteran general: “To conquer a city, you can’t just blast a hole and drive straight in. Wugu City is built against the mountain and has a wide field of vision. If our army wants to effectively launch the trebuchets into the city, the catapult positions need to be advanced to within their range. At this distance, we are already under threat from the powerful crossbows and even improved ballistae on the city walls!”

“The Koreans are not puppets. When they see our formation, they will cover it with arrows and stones to protect the catapult positions and prevent them from being destroyed by the enemy’s attack outside the city. At least two hundred elite armored soldiers are needed to form a protective formation. This is one point.”

Xue Ne continued, "Secondly, catapults are not always accurate. They need to be launched continuously and intensively to achieve effective suppression and destruction. This means that multiple catapults need to be launched in turn, a large number of laborers and auxiliary soldiers need to carry the stone projectiles, and there are also lightning strikes. Craftsmen need to be ready to repair damaged equipment at any time."

“These personnel all need to be protected by the army to prevent enemy harassment. Two hundred more people are needed here.”

He paused, then continued, "Although Chief Clerk Liu's thunderbolts are powerful, they must be delivered safely to the front lines, mounted securely on the projectiles, and then accurately launched into the city. If any step in this process goes wrong, all previous efforts will be wasted. Preventing them from being cut off or destroyed by enemy cavalry and scouts is no easy task; we will need another two hundred men."

"Finally, even if the heavenly thunder works and the defenders on the city wall suffer heavy casualties and are thrown into chaos, Wugu City is high and deep. How could it be opened up by a bombardment? At that time, we still need daredevils to take advantage of the chaos, set up ladders, climb up the city wall, seize the city wall, and open the city gate!"

"Such elite troops can only be handled by those who are highly skilled in martial arts and fearless of death; at least two hundred men are needed!"

Finally, he concluded: "Eight hundred people, not a hundred less will do."

Then, he mounted his horse and rode off towards Yingzhou City.

"I am sorry to say that I cannot comply with what Chief Secretary Liu just said. I only protect the territory of my Li Tang Dynasty. As for other matters... I know nothing about them."

……

Judging from what Xue Ne said when he left, he seemed to have suffered a setback.

Li Xian returned to the cotton factory somewhat frustrated.

But Liu Jianjun seemed very relaxed. When he returned to the cotton factory, he went straight to his dormitory.

Although the staff dormitory arranged for Li Xian and Liu Jianjun by the cotton factory was a single room, the conditions were quite basic. Apart from sleeping, there was almost nothing else to do, so Liu Jianjun probably went to sleep soundly again.

Li Xian glanced at the sky, which was just beginning to turn gray, and pushed open Liu Jianjun's door with some annoyance.

Sure enough, as soon as I entered, I saw Liu Jianjun lying on the tatami mat in a "big" shape. When he saw me enter, he looked up and asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Xian immediately said irritably, "General Xue is unwilling to help us, how can you sleep peacefully?"

Liu Jianjun looked puzzled: "When did he say he wouldn't help us?"

Li Xian was taken aback: "Didn't he... say he couldn't comply when he left?"

“Uh…” Liu Jianjun rubbed his forehead and sighed, “Those are two different things. What he doesn’t want to get involved in is the matter between us and that old woman Wu Zetian, or rather, the matter between us and Xianzi. But he didn’t say he wouldn’t help us set up the gunpowder factory, did he?”

"Besides, you can't expect a military man like him to join us in a rebellion, can you? Although the empire is now ruled by the Wu family, that old woman Wu Zetian holds the moral high ground, and the crown prince is a Li prince named Xianzi. If he rebels, wouldn't that be rebelling against the legitimate Tang dynasty? For a staunch loyalist like him, that's absolutely impossible. 'Being able to remain neutral is already the greatest help we can offer.'"

"Moreover, what does it mean that he specifically emphasized that he is a veteran minister of the Li Tang dynasty? Doesn't it mean that he only stands on the side of the Li family?"

"That's why I said you also have the surname Li, and you are the eldest son of Emperor Gaozong, so you have a greater claim to the title. I also emphasized that you will also have the surname Li in the future. In other words, even if you really go that far, you will restore the glory of the Li Tang dynasty. This is the greatest reassurance for him."

Li Xian seemed to understand something.

Liu Jianjun paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, his last words actually subtly leaned towards your position. Think about it, what does it mean for a border general to know nothing about it? It means that he knows you have the intention to rebel, but he keeps it a secret. So, if it weren't for his special status, we could have directly recruited him."

"Of course, it's not to say that Xue Ne is completely reliable. His current neutral stance means he's observing the situation. If we make any move that makes him feel something is wrong, he will definitely step forward and choose a new 'legitimate successor of the Tang Dynasty'."

"So let's just stick to our path. Anyway, it's in his interest to manufacture gunpowder right now, and he'll do everything he can to help us in this matter."

Li Xian suddenly realized what was going on and stammered, "Then... what should we do next?"

"Tomorrow I'll go check out the saltpeter mine. Unlike sulfur, naturally occurring saltpeter has many impurities. I need to identify what those impurities are so I can purify it."

Li Xian was somewhat puzzled.

What impurities could be in saltpeter?

and……

"Doesn't sulfur contain even more impurities? Mud, sand, dust..."

"It's not this impurity."

Liu Jianjun rolled his eyes and said, "What you're talking about can be washed off with water. I'm talking about real impurities... Never mind, you'll find out tomorrow."

Li Xian still had some questions in his mind, but Liu Jianjun glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and asked, "What's wrong? Can't you sleep in your room anymore? I'm not trying to be mean, but you're a grown man, you can't expect your bed to be made by servants every day..."

Before Liu Jianjun could finish speaking, Li Xian turned and left angrily.

Then, he went into his dormitory room.

Looked around.

Indeed... it's a bit messy.

He recalled the actions of the maids in the Prince's mansion tidying up the bedding, and tried to tidy it up himself.

After a short while, Li Xian gave up.

He collapsed to the ground.

Oh well, I have to sleep every night anyway, so what's the point of keeping things tidy?

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Liu Jianjun then called Li Xian and headed towards the saltpeter mine from the previous day.

Thirty li east of Yingzhou City, the salt flats, where a brief battle had taken place just yesterday, have now undergone a dramatic transformation.

Some distance from the saltpeter field, a simple checkpoint was set up beside the official road, with rough wooden barricades. More than ten soldiers in full armor stood at attention with spears. An officer who looked like a squad leader checked the warrant handed to him by the guide before waving him off.

As we continued onward, our view suddenly opened up.

On the edge of that vast salt flat, a camp of considerable size had already been erected.

The stockade walls were constructed by driving large logs deep into the ground and interlocking them to form a sturdy fortress. At the four corners of the stockade, simple watchtowers were even built, standing more than ten feet above the ground, with archers on watch to keep watch and cover the entire salt flat and the surrounding wilderness.

Inside the camp, dozens of military tents were neatly arranged, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, indicating that troops had already moved in.

What caught Li Xian's attention most was the bustling scene on the saltpeter beach, where hundreds of soldiers and conscripted laborers were already mixed together, working diligently.

The deep chants, along with the clanging of pickaxes and shovels against the ground and the rustling of dirt and gravel being shoveled up, created a cacophony of sounds.

The entire mine was well-organized and had a clear division of labor.

Li Xian felt a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, mixed feelings). It seemed that Xue Ne was indeed very concerned about the gunpowder matter. He had only discovered the saltpeter mine yesterday evening, and just a few hours after the attack, a mine with basic defensive capabilities and large-scale mining operations had already sprung up this morning.

Liu Jianjun dismounted, clicking his tongue in admiration: "General Xue is really efficient. Overnight, he turned this godforsaken place into a major military industrial site!"

The guide sent by Xue Ne was a clever young captain. Upon hearing this, he smiled and replied, "Liu Changshi, you may not know this, but after the general returned to the city last night, he summoned the generals and officials of the household administration overnight and allocated soldiers, laborers, livestock, vehicles, and tools. All matters were arranged before midnight, and before dawn, the first batch of people and equipment had already set off for this place."

"The general has ordered that this mine is crucial to the plan to defeat the enemy, and it must be mined as quickly as possible, sparing no effort in terms of manpower and resources!"

Liu Jianjun nodded and said, "Okay, take me to see the saltpeter we've mined. Also, find someone to carry my luggage right away."

The young captain chuckled and casually untied Liu Jianjun's pack on horseback, saying, "This is a small matter, I can take care of it!"

Then, he stepped forward and made an invitation: "Your Highness, Chief Secretary Liu, please follow me."

Liu Jianjun nodded noncommittally and followed behind the young captain.

Before long, the group arrived at a temporary camp where saltpeter was stored. Liu Jianjun took the baggage from the young captain and said, "Send everyone away. I have important business to attend to."

The young captain looked troubled and said, "General Xue specifically instructed that this place..."

“Oh, that’s right.” Liu Jianjun nodded, interrupting him, and then said, “Then let them all surround it ten zhang away.”

This time, the young captain solemnly replied, "Yes, sir!"

……

Once only Li Xian and Liu Jianjun remained in the area, Liu Jianjun unpacked his bag, revealing a large pile of bottles and jars, a small bag of granules, a leather water bag, and several wooden bowls.

Li Xian watched him fiddling around with some curiosity.

This must be the strange alchemy that Liu Jianjun was messing around with, right?
Liu Jianjun squatted down and casually grabbed a handful of nitrate soil from the pile.

The nitrate soil was grayish-white, mixed with some yellowish-brown clods of soil, and had obvious white crystals on its surface that reflected light slightly in the dim light inside the tent.

"Look at these white ones, that's mainly the saltpeter we need." Liu Jianjun broke off some white crystals with his fingers, then put the rest of the saltpeter into a ceramic jar, poured in a small amount of water, and quickly stirred it with a thin wooden stick, the turbid muddy water swirling in the jar.

"The first step is to separate the water-soluble impurities and mud."

As he spoke, he carefully poured the murky liquid from the top into another empty jar, leaving behind a lot of sand and dirt at the bottom.

Li Xian watched carefully; he could understand the steps, which were similar to rinsing rice.

Liu Jianjun picked up the water bag and added some water to the murky liquid. Then he picked up the bag of granules, and Li Xian could see that it seemed to be crushed beans.

Liu Jianjun sprinkled the soybean flour into the jar and stirred it again.

"This bean flour can help finer silt and sand to flocculate and settle."

Sure enough, after a short while, a thin layer of sediment accumulated at the bottom of the jar, and the liquid on top seemed to have become a little clearer.

He poured the relatively clear liquid into a clean earthenware jar, and then... did something that left Li Xian speechless.

He stretched out his index finger, dipped it in the liquid in the jar, and tasted it!
"You!" Li Xian almost exclaimed in surprise.

The water from this saltpeter is so dirty! How can anyone drink it?

Liu Jianjun smacked his lips, frowned, and said with a look of disgust, "Pah! Sure enough, it's terribly salty and has a slightly bitter taste."

"Salty? Bitter?" Li Xian was stunned.

"Hmm." Liu Jianjun wiped his mouth, his expression turning serious. "That's the problem. The saltpeter in the soil from this bitter water field isn't very pure; it's mixed with a lot of other things, mainly two kinds..."

……

(End of this chapter)