The Three Spirit Stones

The next day, Cao Wei led his men to the place where they had agreed to meet with Tang Youfu and Sun Bin.

Yesterday, the two of them took out a gunpowder. He saw that it was about the size of a fist, a round iron ball with a long fuse on it. He thought it was nothing special and even tossed it twice.

The two men were so frightened that their scalps went numb. They quickly took it back with both hands and said they would find an uninhabited place within a ten-mile radius to test-explode one for him to see.

When they arrived at the scene, the two men greeted Cao Wei and then led them into a pit that had been dug long ago. There were sacks piled up around them.

Ask what's inside?

The answer is, soil.

Cao Wei and his men looked disapproving, thinking, digging holes and filling them with mud, people who didn't know would think they were going to bury us alive. Is it necessary to make such a big deal just to test gunpowder?

Tang Youfu saw what they were thinking and said, "Master Cao, this explosive is very powerful. Just in case, we'd better lie down and cover our heads and ears."

After that, he demonstrated a posture to them.

"Well, let's get started,"

Cao Wei responded casually.

"Yes, my lord,"

Tang Youfu nodded to Sun Bin, who took out a tinderbox and shouted,

"Start the fire, count to ten and everyone lie down together,"

Then light the fuse and read the number out loud.

"One, two... ten, get down,"

They both held their heads, covered their ears, and knelt on the ground.

"Rumble...,"

All they heard was a loud, earth-shaking noise not far away, and then countless birds and beasts fled in all directions as if they were risking their lives, and many even jumped over their heads.

After a while, when everything was quiet, the two stood up, dusted themselves off, and turned around to see Cao Wei and the others with dull expressions, standing there motionless like clay sculptures.

The two were frightened and hurried over to wake them up. After a long while, they finally gasped!

"…Oh my goodness, is this a dragon turning over?"

One of the captains patted his chest with lingering fear and said,

“…This is the gunpowder we saw yesterday?”

Cao Wei asked in disbelief, his ears still buzzing.

"To answer your question, it was the explosives I showed you yesterday."

Tang Youfu replied,

"... Just... one?"

Cao Wei stretched out his hand and gestured.

"Yes, just one, the one that your Excellency took last night,"

When everyone walked out of the pit and went to the explosion site, they saw that a large pit of more than ten feet had been blown out of the ground. The surrounding area was in ruins, and the trees within a radius of several dozen feet were blown to pieces.

Everyone couldn't help but feel a chill down their spine!

If they were at the scene, they would not even be able to find any bone residue, especially when Cao Wei remembered that he had tossed it a few times in his hand yesterday. He was so scared that sweat broke out on his forehead. No wonder his nephew kept giving him warnings.

Thinking of this, he immediately became respectful to Tang Youfu and Liu Bin, and said with a cupped hand, "Gentlemen, how many explosives do you have in total?"

"Your Excellency, we have brought a total of 100 of them this time, and you will continue to bring more in the future."

hiss! ...

Everyone took a few breaths of cold air again!

The power of one is so terrifying.

a hundred?

Will it be shipped again? ...

Cao Wei was wondering, how did Xuer do it?

No, if I guessed correctly, it should be Ah Cai who did it. Oh my God! This little ancestor is really not an ordinary person!

Thinking of this, Cao Wei called the two men aside and asked in a low voice, "Did Ah Cai make this thing?"

When the two heard this, they were stunned for a moment and looked at each other. Tang Youfu cupped his hands and said, "Master Cao, the explosives were made by the two of us. As for other matters, I have signed a confidentiality agreement with the Marquis. If you have any questions, you can ask the Marquis directly."

Are you kidding? The lives of my family members are in the hands of that gentleman. Even if it is true, I can't say it. Knowing that they are uncle and nephew, who can guarantee that he is not deliberately testing?

Hearing the words "confidentiality agreement", Cao Wei understood.

It was indeed Ah Cai who made it. If people knew that she made these explosives, her situation would be very dangerous. This kind of explosives is a powerful weapon in anyone's hands, and the person who can make this explosive is what every country wants to get, including the two people in front of them. They have to be given special protection.

With all these powerful weapons in my hands, am I still afraid that I can't defeat you, Li Lizun?

Six years ago, you almost killed my nephew. Now I will let you have a taste of my nephew's power.

It is really the law of karma, no one can escape it!

Hahaha……

Thinking of this, Cao Wei laughed triumphantly. Seeing this, the others congratulated him on obtaining this powerful weapon. They said they would surely win the next battle!

Tang Youfu and Sun Bin also took the opportunity to flatter him, saying that when we first tested the explosion, we were so scared that we peed our pants and it took us a long time to catch our breath, but the adults were able to laugh and talk so quickly, and they were calm even when the sky was falling. They were really brave! Others also said that their hearts were still beating fast, and the adults were so brave!

Cao Wei laughed out loud at the flattery from the group, but he was cursing in his heart.

Damn it!

Who said I wasn't scared? I almost peed myself! When the war starts, I'll throw a few more of them out to scare the foreign monk Li Lizun to death. Let him also have a taste of the feeling of being scared to peed!

That’s right, the Northern Song Dynasty is about to go to war!

Before that, Li Lizun, the leader of the Tibetan tribe in the Hehuang area, welcomed Jiaosiluo, the heir of the Tibetan king, to Guzhou to call on other tribes. Soon after, he moved Jiaosiluo to Zongge City, used Jiaosiluo to command the nearby tribes, and named himself "Lunbu" (prime minister).

Later, Li Lizun was unwilling to be a prime minister and asked the court to make him the Zanpu. The Northern Song court was hesitant about this. Cao Wei strongly opposed it, saying that Li Lizun was ambitious. If he was satisfied today, he would have new demands tomorrow. How could there be two Zanpus in one country? The court accepted Cao Wei's suggestion and rejected Li Lizun's unreasonable request.

Li Lizun was furious and prepared to lead more than 30,000 troops from Ma Yushan, Lanzhou, Kan Gu, and Maoshan to invade Song.

Suddenly, rumors spread at the border and the situation became tense. Cao Wei asked the court to increase troops and actively prepare for war.

At the end of last year, Cheng Yu had learned through Guan Dadang's intelligence network that Li Lizun of Tubo had the intention of invading Song, so he immediately arranged to transport supplies to Qinzhou.

Wars are often fought over logistics, resources, and property.

A victory by taking advantage of the situation and defeating a larger force with a smaller one is often rare, and victory is more often achieved by relying on advanced weapons and abundant resources.

Of course, the role of generals and soldiers is primary. Cao Wei is a wise general, and with advanced weapons, the chances of victory are even greater.

He is his uncle, and this time Cheng Yu is doing his best to support him.

On the way back, Cao Wei discussed in detail with Tang Youfu and Sun Bin about the relevant issues of explosives, including how to use, store and prevent moisture.

Then he explained the pros and cons to them and said that he would send a team of trusted generals to protect their safety, and the two expressed their understanding.