The moment he was yanked into the air, the earth-shaking explosion behind him roared to life. The tremor rolled through the ground, followed by a hail of shrapnel. One sharp-edged chunk nearly cracked open his skull.
He would never forget that moment for the rest of his life.
Terrifying, yes, but as soon as the adrenaline faded and he regained his composure, the realization struck him—he had truly followed the Crown Princess's instructions and created a devastating new weapon. That exhilaration swiftly drowned out any lingering fear.
Thinking back, his only regret was that he hadn't stood closer to observe the exact moment of the blast. What kind of spectacle had he missed?
Unfortunately, their materials were limited. It was impossible to waste another explosive simply to satisfy his curiosity.
For the entire morning, Yu Dexing had been itching like a cat with a flea. He paced restlessly until the Crown Princess finally expressed interest in witnessing the weapon's power for herself. Eager beyond words, he immediately pointed out a direction for Yun Shu and the others.
"Your Highness, General Lu, if you would please relocate to a safe position. I shall retrieve the new weap—ah, I mean…"
He paused mid-sentence, then obediently corrected himself, playing along with Yun Shu's earlier jest.
"The upgraded grand firework!"
"Just now, he was about to say 'new weapon,' wasn't he?"
General Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes. He wasn't a fool. The implications of Yu Dexing's words were crystal clear.
"Your Highness, could it be that this new weapon was truly developed from fireworks?"
"One could say the initial inspiration did come from them," Yun Shu replied cryptically, hands tucked into her sleeves, her expression unreadable. "Beyond that, the rest is classified."
General Wei Yuan's expression soured.
He wasn't allowed to know either?
Scratching his head in frustration, the general barely held back his curiosity. Thankfully, Yu Dexing did not make them wait long. He soon returned carrying a small bundle and made his way to a distant, open field.
He bent down to light the fuse, then sprinted in the opposite direction as though his life depended on it.
Boom!
Before General Wei Yuan could ask why the man was fleeing like a startled rabbit, the ground at the target site erupted. Stones burst into the air, a thunderous cloud of smoke engulfed the field, and for a heartbeat, a column of fire leapt toward the sky.
Even from this distance, the tremor reached their feet. The shockwave rippled outward, faint but undeniable.
General Wei Yuan stood frozen, mouth agape as he stared at the explosion site. Several moments passed before he swallowed hard and muttered,
"By the heavens… That was something else."
He rubbed his ringing ears, eyes still locked on the field, dazed yet utterly exhilarated.
"That thing came from fireworks? Your Highness, if we had enough of these, forget Pugan. We could quash all seven warring states by sundown!"
"General certainly dream big." Yun Shu's voice was cool as she poured a bucket of cold water over his enthusiasm. "With our current resources, we can barely produce a handful of explosive bundles. We'd be better off returning to camp and properly discussing strategy. We must find a way to make the most of what little we have."
"Can we not gather more materials from elsewhere?" General Wei Yuan frowned, clearly unwilling to let go of the idea. "We could stretch out the siege longer if needed. As long as we have these, I'd wager we could hold them off for months!"
"No."
Yun Shu rejected the idea without hesitation.
"To mass-produce this weapon, we would need many hands. If even one of them leaks the formula, and the enemy learns how to make it as well, how do you imagine we fight then?"
Would both sides simply toss explosives at each other? The thought alone sent a chill down General Wei Yuan's spine. He shook it off immediately, abandoning the notion altogether.
"Your Highness is right. The method for crafting such divine tools must be tightly guarded. Best we not even speak of it to the generals in our own army."
…
The remaining explosive bundles could be completed within a day. The moment General Wei Yuan returned from the mountains to the military camp, he summoned all the senior commanders of the Ningzhou army to the main tent.
Seeing Yun Shu—who had not shown herself for several days—again in the command tent, the Ningzhou commander reacted swiftly. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes lit up.
"General Lu, you called us here now… Could it be the new weapon is ready?"
"It is indeed."
There was no denying the allure of this weapon to any seasoned warrior. The mere mention of it had General Wei Yuan grinning from ear to ear.
"This general witnessed it firsthand today, alongside Her Highness. I tell you, without exaggeration, its might is akin to that of a thunder god's fury."
"Today?"
The Ningzhou commander suddenly remembered that morning's conversation. He had been voicing concerns about the troops' low morale when, mid-sentence, General Wei Yuan had abruptly stood and claimed to have remembered something urgent.
So that was what he had been rushing off to see…
Eyes wide with the sting of betrayal, the Ningzhou commander glared.
"You rascal, Lu Jingkun! You went to see the new weapon and didn't tell me!"
"I just happened to be there," General Wei Yuan replied, looking slightly guilty for all of two seconds before quickly returning to seriousness. "There's no time for that. The weapon is in short supply, and secrecy is paramount. Her Highness has already assigned those responsible for handling it."
He straightened his back.
"What we must focus on now is tomorrow's strategy. My thoughts are simple. These past few days, the Pugan army has come daily to taunt and attack the city. Tomorrow, we shall meet them outside the gates. We will pretend to be defeated and lure them into pursuing us—right into this location…"
"Hold on!"
Though the Ningzhou commander burned with curiosity about this so-called divine weapon, General Wei Yuan had already made it clear that strict secrecy was required. He refrained from pressing further and focused instead on the proposed tactics.
"Feigning defeat is easy. The real problem is drawing them in. The Pugan army isn't full of fools. We've been holding the city for days. Suddenly charging out, then suddenly retreating? It will reek of a trap. They will be cautious."
"Then perhaps the bait is simply not tempting enough."
Yun Shu, silent until now, reached out and planted a command flag on the exact spot General Wei Yuan had indicated on the map.
"If we can offer something they cannot resist, then they will come."
"…What does Your Highness propose?"
"Tomorrow, This Princess shall ride to battle personally."
With one slender finger, Yun Shu nudged the command flag. Her gaze swept calmly across the stunned faces of every man in the tent.
"With the Crown Princess of Tian Sheng as the prize, they will be compelled to gamble everything."
"Absolutely not! That is out of the question!"