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

Li Xuanba spoke with absolute certainty, but Li Yu remained deeply worried.

Although this matter was clearly explained in the edict for dispatching troops, there was no reason for his father to lie to him.

Seeing his usually gentle mother looking worried made Li Yu feel uneasy.

War always carries risks, and no one can guarantee a 100% victory. Is that what Mother is worried about?

"God, now that you've brought me here, please don't let my family be destroyed!" Li Yu muttered to himself.

From the day he arrived here until now, Li Yu has cursed the heavens countless times in his heart.

This was the first time I had ever prayed to God.

.........

The night was not yet over, and stars hung low over the vast wilderness.

As soon as the first hint of dawn appeared in the east, the thunderous sound of the rallying drums resounded throughout the camp gate.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

At the sound of a drum, the soldiers from Chang'an were suddenly awakened. Upon hearing the rapid drumbeats, they hurriedly called over their wives, who had been awake all night with red eyes, and asked them to help them put on their armor.

The second drumbeat sounded, and the soldiers, dressed in their finest attire, hung their swords and spears, glanced at their white-haired mothers who were already some distance away, waved, and shouted, "Wait for your son's triumphant return!"

Three drumbeats sounded, and all the generals arrived. Some mounted their horses, others raised their spears, and they roared in unison:

"Break through the enemy lines! Slay the enemy! Achieve victory!"

"Break through the enemy lines! Slay the enemy! Achieve victory!"

The slogans were shouted with great force, and the murderous aura was so strong that it reached the sky.

Standing at the very front of the army formation, Li Xuanba's eyes were solemn and iron-like. He swept his gaze over the orderly ranks, then mounted his horse and shouted:

"Send troops!"

As he pointed his spear eastward and the crimson banner tilted forward, the army slowly began to move...

.........

Watching the army depart into the distance, Li Yu let out a long sigh.

Looks like I need to get the gunpowder working soon...

The thought of this gave Li Yu a headache.

Damn it, couldn't God have told me before I transmigrated?

This left him completely unprepared, and he's still clueless, only knowing that he needs to mix charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter together.

You can burn charcoal yourself.

After asking Sun Simiao, the old Taoist priest said that the soil with white mold growing near the outhouse was saltpeter, and then scolded Li Yu for not studying properly.

As for sulfur, it's not hard to find; it's everywhere near the crater, and the merchants in the West Market probably have plenty.

Finding the ingredients is easy, but as for how to mix them, who the hell can tell me?

.........

Life was tough, and everyone in the family looked worried and distressed.

Ten days passed in this way, and the atmosphere finally eased after Li Yu's younger sister, Li Zhao, let out a wail.

"My dear daughter, let your mother hug you..."

"No! Mother stinks!" Four-year-old Li Zhao huddled in the corner, terrified, refusing to come out, because she had never seen her mother like this before.

"stop!"

Hearing the commotion, Dugu Jin rushed over. Just as he was about to see what was going on, he saw Liu Shi, who never liked to drink, staggering towards her daughter.

Startled, she rushed forward and shielded the weeping Li Zhao in her arms.

"You damned woman! What are you doing!" Dugu Jin's beautiful eyes widened, wishing she could strangle this drunken madwoman.

Seeing that she was being scolded, and the voice sounded familiar, Liu looked at the person in front of her with her eyes half-open: "Eh? Sister! What are you doing in my bedroom?"

Listening to Liu's rambling nonsense, Dugu Jin felt a headache coming on.

Although her husband's concubine was usually a bit sharp-tongued, she always kept to her rules very well. She had never seen her so drunk before.

Protecting the trembling Li Zhao behind him, Dugu Jin brought his nose close and sniffed. A strong smell of alcohol mixed with a sweet and soft fragrance hit him right in the head.

"You shameless vixen, where did you drink so much wine!" Dugu Jin coughed twice, choked by the smell of alcohol, and cursed at Liu Shi.

"Nonsense! How could I possibly drink alcohol?" Liu, her face flushed with drunkenness, swayed and argued.

There was no time to believe this nonsense. Li Zhao behind him cried even harder, while Liu Shi in front of him remained in a drunken state.

Dugu Jin felt somewhat helpless and could only call out with a headache, "Someone! Take the Second Madam back to her bedroom!"

Upon hearing that Dugu Jin wanted to send her back, Liu shook her head dramatically: "No! I want to hold my daughter!"

After saying that, he ignored Dugu Jin's attempts to stop him and rushed forward to carry Li Zhao away.

Seeing her mother becoming more and more frightening, Li Zhao, who was already wailing, cried even more miserably.

.........

The crying startled Li Yu, who was worrying about the proportions of gunpowder.

Thinking that something had happened to his younger sister, he hurriedly dropped what he was doing and rushed to the backyard.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

As soon as Li Yu arrived in the backyard, he witnessed this comical scene.

"Quick! Quick! Take your sister away!" Seeing her son approaching, Dugu Jin, who was on the verge of losing control over the frenzied Liu Shi, hurriedly gave the order.

Li Yu didn't understand why, but he still listened to his mother and carried his younger sister away from there.

Behind him, Liu's shouts continued. Li Yu handed Li Zhao over to the green-clad woman who had arrived, and then returned to the backyard.

At this moment, Liu was being held between two maids, but she was still shouting that she wanted to hold her daughter.

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap rang out, and Liu covered her face, looking incredulously at Dugu Jin who had slapped her.

The next moment, she pouted and started to cry.

This scene left Li Yu speechless.

Looking at his aunt crying like a baby, he simply couldn't reconcile the woman before him with the one who spoke with such venom.

After Liu was carried back to her bedroom, Li Yu, completely bewildered, came to Dugu Jin's side.

Seeing his mother panting heavily from exhaustion, Li Yu quickly patted her back and asked, "Mother, Second Mother, she...?"

After a long while, Dugu Jin finally caught his breath and, hearing his son's question, said with a headache, "This woman must have been drinking somewhere. She just caused quite a scene and scared Zhao'er half to death."

"drink wine?"

Li Yu was somewhat bewildered. Since arriving at the Prince's residence, he had not seen Liu Shi drink any alcohol, and the smell of alcohol seemed somewhat familiar.

He glanced around and suddenly spotted a familiar wine jar in the corner.

He stepped forward, turned the wine jar over, and sure enough, there were three big characters on it: Erguotou.

"Isn't this my wine?" Li Yu exclaimed in surprise.

Having just caught her breath, Dugu Jin nearly fainted again after hearing her son's words.

"What?"

Worried that her son was neglecting his studies, Dugu Jin was about to discipline him, but after several attempts, she couldn't bring herself to do it. So, she could only sigh and say earnestly, "Foolish child! You are too young. Alcohol is too harmful to your health. How did you get involved with it?"

Li Yu was slightly taken aback by his mother's worried expression, but he quickly realized what she meant and said, "Mother, you misunderstand. This is not the wine I want to drink. This is wine that I brewed myself."

"Even homemade wine won't do! Can't you see how your second aunt has become, looking like a ghost after drinking so much?" Dugu Jin said anxiously.

"Mother, this wine wasn't for me to drink; it was something I used to trick the nobles of Chang'an..."

.........