Another day passed, and an unusual guest arrived at the Shangshu Manor.
When Siqin announced that Yu Banxia was requesting an audience, Su Li was taken aback. Upon arriving at the front hall, Yu Banxia bowed to her and said, "Greetings, Princess Consort."
"Miss Yu, what brings you here today?"
Yu Banxia took out a piece of paper and handed it to Su Li, saying, "Please take a look at this, Princess Consort." Su Li took it and looked at it, confused. "What is this?"
"This is a method for making landmines. I heard that Jun Hui has run off to the Southern Frontier and the front lines are in dire straits. If this thing is made, we'll definitely win!"
Su Li knew that Yu Banxia had many novel ideas in her mind, but "landmines" were something she was hearing for the first time. Looking at the list, words like "plastic" and "rubber" left her completely bewildered.
Seeing Su Li frown, Yu Banxia said, "If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do." Su Li looked at her and said, "I believe you. I'm just wondering what this 'plastic' is." Yu Banxia was immediately dumbfounded. She said, "I forgot that there's no plastic here.
It's just the stuff used to contain the powder inside. Also, I only know that these things are needed, but I don't know the proportions. You'll have to experiment yourselves." Su Li found this amusing. She was still the same as ever: full of ideas, but with just as many problems.
"Don't underestimate this thing. If it's really made, one of them can kill more than a dozen people! This thing is much more effective than your explosives here. You need a lot of your explosives to match just one of these. You…"
Su Li interrupted her, saying, "I believe you." Yu Banxia was startled. She thought no one would believe her outlandish ideas, but unexpectedly, Su Li said she believed her!
"Then find someone to research it, be sure to be careful! When experimenting, find an open space. This thing is really dangerous." Originally, she hadn't wanted to reveal this landmine formula. After all, she couldn't remember the proportions, making it too difficult to succeed.
But she had heard that the battle in Heavenly Qilin was too difficult, and Jun Hui had even run off to the Southern Frontier. She hated Jun Hui with a passion. The scumbag who trifled with people's feelings, still wanting to destroy the Yu family! Thinking of how clever Su Li was, even coming up with something like hotpot, she might actually be able to create landmines.
Su Li lowered her head again, looking at the list in her hand. The items on it were basically the ingredients needed for fireworks. According to Yu Banxia, it was just that the proportions were different; perhaps it was truly worth trying.
"Alright, I'll take this list. If you can really make it, you will have made a great contribution," Su Li said. Yu Banxia waved her hand, saying, "Tsk! Even if you do make it, it'll be your contribution. I haven't even remembered it all correctly." Su Li looked at her; it seemed she had truly changed.
"Why are you looking at me like that? If it's made, it was your contribution all along. If not for you, I definitely couldn't make it." Yu Banxia's eyes lit up as she said this. "Princess Consort Channing, I have an idea!
You're meticulous, so if we work together, we might be invincible!" Su Li chuckled and said, "Don't think about being invincible just yet. Your ideas are all difficult problems." Yu Banxia touched her nose. Her ideas did indeed have many aspects that didn't fit with the current era.
After seeing Yu Banxia off, Su Li looked at the list in her hand again, feeling clueless. Then she picked up a brush and wrote a note, handing it to a servant: "Send this to the Martial Duke Manor, to the Third Young Master Ji." Ji Huaizhou was skilled in Moist techniques, perhaps he could understand something.
The next day, Su Li waited early at Drunken Immortal Residence.
Not long after, Ji Huaizhou came in. "Princess Consort, you were looking for me?"
Su Li personally poured him a cup of tea, saying, "Brother-in-law, there is something I needed your help with." "What is it?" Su Li took out that list and handed it to him, saying, "Take a look at this." Ji Huaizhou skimmed it over. "Nitre, sulfur, wood ash... Isn't this a fireworks formula? What is this?" Ji Huaizhou asked, puzzled. Su Li smiled and said, "Take a look again." Ji Huaizhou looked at it carefully again.
"Ephedra, starch, bamboo shavings... Are you refining pills?" Su Li smiled and said, "I accidentally obtained this formula. It said that by following certain proportions, you could create something powerful called a 'landmine.' I thought you might have some knowledge of these things,
but it seems I was mistaken." Ji Huaizhou's eyes widened, and he lowered his head to look at the items in his hand again. After a while, he said, "This thing is powerful? Do you know how much of our Heavenly Qilin's explosives is needed to destroy something? Hundreds or thousands of tons."
Su Li nodded, saying, "I naturally know that, but I heard this thing can be contained in small jars. Once it explodes, it can kill more than a dozen people." Ji Huaizhou's eyes widened, saying, "Are you sure you're not being fooled? Can something that powerful really exist?" Seeing Su Li being insistent,
Ji Huaizhou said, "Although I don't know if this thing can be as powerful as you say, you came to the right person. I'm skilled in mechanics, and my second brother works in the Military Bureau. He's very knowledgeable about things that cause strong destruction. I'll take you to find him."
Su Li said in surprise, "The Second Young Master Ji?" The Ji family's Second Young Master, Ji Huainan, held a position in the Military Bureau at such a young age, a testament to his abilities. Ji Huaizhou nodded, saying,
"My second brother only knows how to tinker with his weapons all day long. He doesn't care about anything else. He has made quite a few handy weapons for the court, so he knows more about battlefield things than I do." Su Li nodded, following Ji Huaizhou to the outside of the Military Bureau.
The Military Bureau was off-limits to idle people. Ji Huaizhou could only have someone relay a message inside. Soon, a young man walked out, his appearance somewhat similar to Ji Huaizhou, but more composed. "Second Brother! Here!" Ji Huaizhou called out. Ji Huainan walked over and, when he saw Su Li behind him, was immediately stunned.
"Greetings, Princess Consort Channing!" Ji Huainan bowed to Su Li. Then, looking at Ji Huaizhou, his face held a puzzled expression. Ji Huaizhou smiled and explained, "Second Brother, it's like this: we have something to ask you.
Do you have time right now?" "I'll go inside and tell them. You wait for me a moment," Ji Huainan said. Su Li nodded, saying, "We're troubling the Second Young Master Ji." "Not at all." Without any unnecessary words, he turned and went inside.
"Princess Consort, don't be angry. My second brother is just like that, always wearing a wooden face," Ji Huaizhou explained. Su Li smiled slightly and said, "It's alright." When Ji Huainan came out, the three of them went to a teahouse. Su Li handed the formula to Ji Huainan.
Ji Huainan looked at it, his eyes lighting up. He didn't ask nonsensical questions like "Are you making fireworks or refining pills?" like his third brother. "Where did the Princess Consort obtain this formula?" Ji Huainan asked. Su Li asked, "Can the Second Young Master Ji create it?" Ji Huainan held the paper in his hand,
somewhat excited, and said, "It can be tried, but the formula says the refining requires strict control of the heat, which someone who knows about pill refinement would be better suited for." Su Li thought for a moment, then raised her head, saying, "I'll go find that person. Let's start researching this as soon as possible."
"Does the Princess Consort want to use this in the battle against the Southern Frontier?" Su Li nodded. "I'll go prepare what's needed. Once you find someone who knows about pill refinement, have them come see me." Su Li could tell he was indeed interested in this, and nodded in agreement.
After Su Li parted ways with the two, she didn't return to the manor, but went directly to Taicang Temple. Wuxi Daoren was the only choice for someone who could refine pills. Arriving at Taicang Temple, she met with Wuxi and explained her purpose.
Wuxi was silent for a long time before finally saying, "I shouldn't interfere in creating such a killing device, but the Southern Frontier are cruel and slaughtered my city, so I agree."
Su Li sighed in relief. She had truly feared that Wuxi would stubbornly refuse. Wuxi and Su Li went together to find Ji Huainan, researching this thing, a truly dangerous undertaking.
So the group found an empty courtyard in the outskirts of the capital, hundreds of li around, without a single person, and began researching. Su Li, besides inquiring about the grain and grass purchases, would run to the outskirts of the capital every day.
Wuxi and Ji Huainan worked tirelessly, experimenting constantly. They continuously changed the proportions of the existing gunpowder, going through countless failures, but the two did not lose heart.
The proverb "Good things come with difficulty" was apt. The two worked day and night, sometimes even not having time to eat. Su Li sent maids to take care of the two, so that these two obsessed people had at least three meals a day guaranteed.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).