Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

Early the next morning.

In the open space behind the Liaodong camp, a strange wooden machine, as tall as a three-story building, rose from the ground.

Hundreds of craftsmen are making final adjustments.

Li Chengqian strolled over, yawning.

Behind him were a group of second-generation Chang'an youths who had been forcibly dragged up, along with Li Jing.

Cheng Yaojin had already circled this enormous thing more than a dozen times.

"Your Highness, please don't try to fool me, Old Cheng. This thing looks like a large slingshot no matter how you look at it."

"These are the things I used to play with when I was a kid in the village. What use are they, making something this big?"

Li Jing, unable to bear it any longer, kicked Cheng Yaojin in the buttocks.

"Cheng Zhijie, shut your mouth. If you dare to spout nonsense again, I will deal with you according to military law."

Cheng Yaojin pursed his lips and didn't say anything more.

There was no way around it; in the Tang Dynasty, only Li Jing and Qin Qiong could suppress him.

As for the others?

Grandma!

He was nothing in front of the greatest war god of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengqian walked to the giant catapult and clapped his hands, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"What Duke Lu said is not entirely wrong; there are indeed similarities in principle."

This machine of mine uses the principles of counterweight and lever. See that big box? It's filled with thousands of kilograms of stones.

As soon as the machine is released, the counterweight box drops sharply, and the long arm at the other end instantly rises, violently throwing the contents of the throwing bag out.

Cheng Yaojin asked blankly:

"Your Highness, what is the leverage principle?"

"I can't explain it to you."

Li Chengqian was too lazy to waste words.

"All you need to know is that this thing can throw large palm-sized grenades directly onto the walls of Goguryeo, and its range is much greater than their arrows. We can blow them to smithereens from beyond their range."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding military officers all gasped in shock.

With this thing, wouldn't the Goguryeo city walls become just decorations?

"All talk and no action is useless."

Li Chengqian turned around, his gaze sweeping over the group of second-generation rich kids behind him.

"The craftsmen have completed the adjustments. Now I need a bold and meticulous person to serve as the gunner for the first test shot."

The second-generation rich kids looked at each other, none of them daring to utter a sound.

As for Cheng Yaojin, who was eager to try his luck, Li Chengqian chose to ignore him.

He didn't dare let this guy fire the first shot; if he actually blew up the camp, things would get really messed up.

Just as the situation was becoming somewhat awkward, Changsun Chong stepped out from the crowd.

"Your Highness, I have come."

Li Chengqian asked with some surprise:

"Cousin, this job is risky. Are you sure?"

Changsun Chong leaned close to Li Chengqian and whispered:

"Your Highness, if I perform this test shot flawlessly, could you please waive the IOU for five hundred strings of cash?"

Li Chengqian almost burst out laughing after hearing this.

"Alright. As long as you hit the target accurately today, I will not only waive your IOU, but also give you credit for the first time."

Li Chengqian patted Changsun Chong on the shoulder.

"Good! Since Chief Grain Supervisor Changsun has such courage, the first shot will be entrusted to you."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Changsun Chong steeled himself and walked to the control panel of the catapult.

Li Chengqian beckoned to Xiao Shunzi, who carefully carried over a lump of iron bigger than a watermelon.

"Look closely, this is a specially made large palm-sized grenade, it's been spiked with something."

Li Chengqian personally provided guidance.

"Put it in the launcher. The fuse lever is already the correct length. After you light the fuse, immediately pull this red lever. Don't hesitate."

After receiving the palm thunder, Changsun Chong carefully placed it into his projectile pocket.

Then he took the tinder from Xiao Shunzi.

Because my hands were shaking so badly, I had to blow on the tinder three times before it finally lit.

"ignition!"

Li Chengqian took a dozen steps back and shouted.

Seeing this, the others also stepped back.

A vacuum area instantly formed in front of Changsun Chong.

Changsun Chong, trembling, brought the tinderbox to the fuse.

"laugh!"

The fuse was ignited instantly, emitting a puff of white smoke.

"Pull the lever!"

Startled, Changsun Chong turned the corner and grabbed the wooden lever tightly with both hands, pulling it downwards.

With a crisp "crack," the mechanism disengaged.

The counterweight box, filled with huge stones at the rear, crashed down.

"call!"

The large palm-sized grenade was launched directly out.

"It flew out. It really flew out."

Cheng Chumo shouted excitedly.

Everyone craned their necks, following the trajectory of the lightning bolt flying from the palm.

Changsun Chong collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

"Cousin, did your foot slip when you pulled the lever just now?"

Li Chengqian suddenly turned his head and asked.

Changsun Chong was stunned:

"I...I think I slipped and bumped into the base. What happened?"

Li Chengqian didn't speak, but simply pointed into the distance.

Li Jing was originally looking forward to assessing the range and power.

But when he looked along the parabola, his smile froze.

The palm-sized grenade did not land on the prepared open space, but instead veered off course and crashed down on a camp area on the right side of the military camp.

Li Jing screamed in fright.

That direction leads to his private stable.

Inside, he kept his most beloved black horse, Ta Xue Wu Zhui.

"No!"

Li Jing screamed and reached out to grab the black dot in mid-air.

"boom!"

A loud explosion rang out on the right side of the military camp.

A huge black cloud rose up in the direction of the stable.

"Hiss!!"

The warhorse let out a terrified neigh and crashed through the fence.

They galloped wildly, embarking on a frantic breakout from the military camp.

"Stop them."

The patrolling soldiers were scattered and broken up by the startled herd of horses.

The entire military camp instantly descended into chaos, turning into complete pandemonium.

"Holy crap! Young Master Changsun, your aim is amazing. One shot and you've wiped out the Marshal's stables."

Cheng Chumo laughed heartily, without a care in the world.

"This slingshot is awesome, let me try it next time."

Fang Yi'ai also laughed along from the side.

Changsun Chong stared at the galloping horses in the distance, his mind filled with nothing but a buzzing sound.

Clang!

With bloodshot eyes, Li Jing drew his sword and pointed it directly at Changsun Chong's nose.

"Changsun Chong! My beloved black steed, Treading Snow. My fine horse."

Startled, Changsun Chong scrambled to his feet and turned to run away.

"My lord, spare me! I didn't mean to. I just slipped."

Li Jing chased after him frantically, sword in hand.

"You scoundrel! Today I will use you as a sacrifice to my flag."

"Your Highness! Help!"

Changsun Chong shouted as he ran.

Li Jing, sword in hand, pursued relentlessly, showing no sign of illness whatsoever.

"You brat, don't run away! I will surely kill you today!"

Cheng Yaojin, ever the troublemaker, chimed in:

"Nephew, run faster. That old man's sword doesn't have eyes."

Changsun Chong slid down and pounced right at Li Chengqian's feet.

"Your Highness, I really didn't mean to. My foot just slipped."

Li Jing rushed forward, sword in hand, panting as he pointed at Changsun Chong.

"Your Highness, step aside. I will chop him down today."

Li Chengqian reached out and pressed Li Jing's sword down.

"Uncle Li, please calm down. Getting angry is bad for your health."

"My snow-covered steed, Wuzhui, was a gift from the Emperor."

Li Jing roared angrily.

Li Chengqian quickly comforted him:

"I just checked. Although the stable was blown up, the horses were only frightened and ran away; not a single hair was lost. People have already gone to chase after them."

Li Jing was taken aback for a moment, and his anger subsided slightly.

"What about my old man's stable? Did it just get blown up like that?"

Li Chengqian sighed and pointed at Changsun Chong, saying:

"Uncle Li, this guy is, after all, the eldest son of the Duke of Qi. If you really chop him in half with a sword, how are you going to explain this to Changsun Wuji when you return to Chang'an? That old fox will be impeaching you in court every day!"

Li Jing snorted coldly.

He really didn't want to provoke someone as treacherous as Changsun Wuji.