Tang Dynasty: Starting at Xuanwu Gate, this prince is better off not being one.

Li Yu discovered that the Tang Dynasty had a great many talented people.

He had initially thought this son of a high-ranking official was just a spoiled brat, but now he was surprised to find that he possessed this skill.

It must be said that the pulleys that Wen Yu made were of very high quality. According to him, the pulley used for the well in their mansion was made by him personally, and it has been used every day for several years without any problems.

Li Yu personally verified this, and indeed, as he said, the already incredibly sturdy jujube wood, when covered with a layer of iron, could withstand a force of two thousand jin without any problems.

"I never expected you to have this skill!" Li Yu patted him on the shoulder and said.

"You flatter me, sir!" Wen Yu dared not show the slightest pride.

Seeing that Wen Yu hadn't acted any more rebelliously since being reprimanded by him last time, Li Yu leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "I'm about to open a school to teach mathematics and mechanical arts. Are you interested in coming?"

Li Yu felt that he was just like a tutor in a modern-day extracurricular class who sells courses, the only difference being that he didn't charge tuition.

Upon hearing this, Wen Yu dared not utter a single word of objection and quickly nodded to show that he was very interested.

"Ugh!"

Seeing this, Li Yu sighed. He realized that if he asked this question, apart from Li Chengqian and Cheng Chumo, no one would dare not come. However, how sincere they were was still unknown.

"In this way, I will be conducting an experiment in three days. Your father will also be coming, and you'd better come along too. If you are genuinely interested, I will be pleased. If you are unwilling to come, I will certainly not make things difficult for you."

Seeing Wen Yu nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice, Li Yu patted him on the shoulder again and said, "Remember to bring your bunch of playboy brothers. They're welcome to come anytime."

.........

Li Yu's idea was simple: to use two sets of movable pulleys to significantly increase lifting capacity. Combined with the lever principle, he would be able to lift the stone by himself.

The lever was easy to find; the Imperial Workshop had them readily available. The pulleys made by Wen Yu were perfect, and he also found the hemp rope needed with Wen Yu's help.

A hemp rope as thick as an arm can definitely withstand a thousand pounds of weight after getting wet.

With all these preparations complete, Li Yu only needs to wait three days...

.........

Three days passed quickly, and Li Yu had already ordered people to set up the scaffolding.

Li Er's credibility was indeed good. He said he would bring all the officials, and as a result, the Ministry of Works' office was full of people early in the morning. Most of them were civil officials, and the military officers were only a few that Li Yu was familiar with.

After looking at the strange and unusual things Li Yu had built, the officials began to discuss among themselves.

"His Majesty said that His Highness the Prince of Wu is going to perform a stone-lifting demonstration in public. Could it be that stone he's going to lift?"

"Brother, you jest. This stone weighs at least a thousand catties. Not to mention His Highness the King of Wu, even if Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, were alive, he probably couldn't move it an inch."

"Brother Shi's words make sense, but I am quite puzzled. If His Highness the Prince of Wu didn't have the confidence, why would he allow himself to be embarrassed in public?"

"this……"

Not only these officials, but even Lao Cheng and Lao Niu had this question.

"What on earth is this kid up to?"

"I don't know. I heard from Chu Mo that this kid seems to be making a bet with His Majesty, betting that he can lift a boulder weighing a thousand catties. As for what the bet is, I'm afraid only His Majesty, the Empress, and this kid know."

"That's true." Hearing Lao Cheng and Lao Niu's conversation, Li Xuanba nodded, "This kid didn't even tell me, his father, saying he could tell me after today."

"Don't worry, that idiot always knows how to behave properly, much better than my son. Since he won't say, it must be His Majesty's will. It wouldn't be good for any of us if he knew," said Qin Qiong, who had remained silent until now.

Hearing this, everyone nodded, their conversation shifted by Qin Qiong's words: "Alright, that kid Yan Dao is quite the expert in battle. I heard he's joining the army next year. You can't expect the son of a military officer to excel in everything, can you?"

"Come on, you forced your son to learn to read by heart, and that kid even came to my house to complain..."

"Hey? That brat! Running off to someone else's house crying and whining, he really deserves a beating!"

"Alright, alright, stop showing off your fatherly power and take a good look at what that kid is up to..."

Upon hearing this, the group turned their attention to Li Yu.

He was fiddling with a tall frame, with a thick hemp rope tied to the middle of the frame. Several strange-looking wheels were hanging from the rope, and the other end of the rope was tied to a thick wooden pole.

After several craftsmen secured the pulleys, Li Yu did not rush to tie the stone to the rope, but first consulted Li Er.

Upon receiving Li Yu's request, Li Er smiled and looked at the surrounding ministers, then cleared his throat, and the murmurs below subsided like a receding tide.

"My esteemed ministers, this young man claims he can lift a stone weighing a thousand jin by himself. What do you think?" Li Er asked with a faint smile.

Upon hearing Li Er's question, skepticism arose from the surrounding crowd. The first to step forward was Quan Wanji, the Vice Minister of Works. He bowed to Li Er and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that His Highness Prince Wu is indulging in wishful thinking. Human strength has its limits. If His Highness claims that he can lift a boulder weighing a thousand catties, I find it hard to believe."

"Hahaha!"

Li Er suddenly laughed, then said, "Don't say you don't believe it; I don't believe a single word of it either."

At this point, he glanced indifferently at the ministers around him and continued, "But this lad taught me a subject called 'physics,' which allows people to lift this massive boulder weighing a thousand pounds."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of some of the civil officials changed, and then became extremely ugly.

However, Li Er didn't give them a chance to speak. He fixed his gaze on the military officers and asked again, "What do you all think?"

The group exchanged glances, and then Niu Jinda stepped forward first: "Your Majesty, I believe that it is truly a fantasy for one person to lift a boulder weighing a thousand catties, but I feel that this young man has a certain degree of possibility in it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other military officers nodded in agreement. Clearly, Old Niu was their representative.

"snort!"

Before Li Er could say anything, a cold snort came from the crowd. To Li Yu's surprise, the person who stepped forward was Kong Yingda.

The old man, now the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, though usually kind to Li Yu, coldly remarked this time, "This old minister believes that the King of Wu is talking nonsense. While the ancient Mohist school possessed ingenious mechanical techniques, some of which could indeed lift a thousand pounds with minimal effort, to claim that one person could lift a thousand pounds is nothing but superstition and absurd nonsense!"

.........