Chapter 160

Chapter 160

In the twenty-third year of the Heavenly Destiny era, Ning Suiyuan set sail overseas after the Mid-Autumn Festival with a hundred selected young men and women to seek knowledge. As previously agreed upon, he also planned to reside abroad for a period, mainly to observe the adolescents' adaptability and learning capabilities.

In the twenty-fourth year of the Heavenly Destiny era, just after the Dragon Boat Festival, Ning Suiyuan finally returned. As soon as he stepped off the deck, he was swarmed by eager inquiries: "General Ning, how are they doing?"

"Have they managed to learn all that was taught?"

"Was it truly necessary for them to conduct experiments?"

"I've heard that the experiments can be hazardous. How so?"

Ning Suiyuan felt like roaring, Aren't you all officials from the capital? Why are you all in Tianjin? However, he could only assure them, "Everything is under control. Indeed, the experiments entail risks, but everyone will be well-prepared beforehand. As long as we follow established procedures, there should be no danger."

"Ahh, that requires patience and meticulousness. My nephew is rather hasty..."

Ning Suiyuan couldn't afford to waste any time. He swiftly returned to the capital and, embodying the spirit of perseverance, went straight to the palace to meet the emperor.

After listening to the report on silk carpets, the emperor asked with a smile, "How are they progressing? Are those who have sought refuge with Meng Die genuinely teaching them their skills?"

Ning Suiyuan replied, "Your Majesty, Lady Meng is skilled in managing people. The scholars who have sought refuge with her deeply trust her. Our children have benefited from this and have not been ostracized. However, Lady Meng privately mentioned that it might also be due to the scholars who have joined her. The most prominent scholars have long been recruited by other nations, and the ones she currently has do not seem to match up to them."

The emperor nodded. "That is indeed a common understanding. We are outsiders there."

Ning Suiyuan continued, "This servant agrees. Lady Meng also said that although they might not be the top tier, they are still capable of teaching the basics."

Qiao Wanming stroked his beard. "A teacher can guide one to the door, but the individual must cultivate themselves. It's not necessarily a good thing for everything to rely on the teacher; this situation is actually more beneficial."

Ning Suiyuan added, "Your Majesty, apart from that, Lady Meng has finally managed to acquire a batch of relatively modern cannons." Pausing for a deep breath, he continued, "This servant's return this time is entirely owed to these weapons."

The emperor's expression darkened. "Explain."

Ning Suiyuan: "During our voyage two years ago, upon our return last year, and again after last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, we encountered pirates. This year, when we returned, we met them once more. Unlike previous encounters, their ships were equipped with firearms. I ordered our men to fire two shots, sinking one of their vessels. Only then did we manage to scare off all the pirates."

Ren Qinghua: "Are pirates so rampant at sea now?"

Ning Suiyuan smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I initially thought the same. It was Lady Meng who enlightened me that many overseas countries harbor private forces, and even their royal courts are not entirely free of corruption."

Sounds of gasps filled the air.

The Emperor's face was as dark as a stormy sky, "I recall Hai Guanxing mentioning that in their lands, numerous nations stand tall, often leading to frictions between them."

Li Ai responded, "Your Majesty, Meng Die has also written in her letters that each of their countries is not vast, and due to the struggle for resources, wars frequently break out."

Lowering his gaze, the Emperor said, "In the past, they were unable to venture out, so conflicts could only occur amongst themselves."

Though the Emperor didn't continue, the courtiers in the grand hall, be it martial or scholarly officials, understood the unspoken implication: with ships, these people would now have the means to bring warfare to any corner of the world.

After a long silence, Qiao Wanming broke the quiet, his tone filled with admiration, "Meng County Master truly possesses a farsighted vision."

The Emperor looked at Ning Suiyuan and said, "Where are the cannons currently stationed? I wish to witness them personally."

Ning Suiyuan replied, "Your Majesty, the cannons possess immense power. It might not be suitable to demonstrate them within the city walls."

The Emperor acknowledged, "My loyal subject, your efforts are appreciated. Proceed to the outskirts to find a suitable location. After I have seen their might, I shall retire for rest."

Ning Suiyuan bowed and responded, "As you command, Your Majesty."

Though Ning Suiyuan was not overly familiar with the outskirts of the capital, it mattered little. He knew someone who was — the Commander of the Capital's Outskirts, the Duke of State Protection. Upon explaining his request, the Duke promptly led him to an extremely spacious area, one with a small hill, albeit an uncultivated one. Ning Suiyuan deemed it perfectly suitable.

Upon selecting the site, the emperor immediately arrived with his civil and military officials in tow.

Ning Suiyuan explained, "Your Majesty, Lady Meng purchased three types of smoothbore cannons. The first is the long cannon, the second is the howitzer, and the third doesn't have a specific name. It varies greatly among countries, but its main feature is a thinner cannon barrel with a higher trajectory. It's the most practical, albeit with the drawback that it's more prone to barrel explosions compared to the other two. We used the third type to sink the pirate ships."

The emperor nodded as he gazed at the three massive cannons in the distance.

Ning Suiyuan directed the soldiers to load the long cannon first. Once everything was prepared, he raised his arm and made a downward gesture.

Boom — A tremendous explosion was followed by flying debris and billowing smoke. When the dust settled, the once-small hill had lost its peak.

Faces turned ashen in unison among the emperor and his subjects.

Ning Suiyuan did not afford anyone time to recover, promptly orchestrating the firing of two more cannonballs from the other cannons. Amidst the resulting explosions and billowing dust, the small hill was reduced to a mere hillock.

Silence reigned supreme.

The emperor and his officials returned to the city with somber expressions.

Instead of going home to rest after completing his task, Ning Suiyuan made another hurried visit to the palace. This time, however, he did not go to audience with the emperor but instead sought out Li Ai.

Ning Suiyuan: "This is County Princess Meng's letter to Lord Hou, and this is her gift to him."

A modest wooden chest with thirty-one unadorned boxes, one of which was notably larger than the rest.

Li Ai gazed at the largest wooden box, took it, and opened it, revealing a hint of astonishment in his eyes. Inside was a simple pistol with sleek lines.

Reaching out to take it, Li Ai was startled to find that the pistol seemed tailored to his hand. It fit perfectly in his grip, neither too big nor too small, especially when he pulled the trigger—the distance and dimensions were exquisitely suited to him.

A smile graced Li Ai's face.

Ning Suiyuan, being a military man himself, understood the situation at a glance. Glimpsing the smile on Li Ai's face, he scoffed inwardly. His own wife knew the size of his hands, the shoes he wore, and the clothing that suited him best.

Li Ai said, "General Ning, thank you very much."

Ning Suiyuan replied, "It's my duty, Lord Marquis. I'll take my leave first."

After seeing Ning Suiyuan off, Li Ai opened the letter and caught sight of thirty more small boxes. He casually opened one, only to find another pistol inside, but much smaller than his own.

Holding it in his hand, Li Ai could clearly feel that it was ill-fitting. Obviously, this wasn't intended for him.

Unsealing another box, he found yet another pistol of identical size. Li Ai cast his eyes down in thought, then chuckled softly. He unfolded the letter from the envelope and began reading it meticulously.

After finishing dinner that evening, Li Ai organized the patrol shift changes and proceeded to the Diligent Governance Hall to request an audience with the emperor. Upon entering the hall, he was surprised to find the prince still present. At this hour, the emperor usually finished his state affairs and was preparing for rest; the prince should not be here.

"Your Majesty, this subject, Li Ai, pays his respects."

Still reeling from the day's astonishment, the emperor's expression was rather subdued. "Rise. Why have you come at such a time? Is there an urgent matter?"

Li Ai replied, "Your Majesty, Meng Die has presented this subject with an object – also a weapon."

The emperor's expression grew even more solemn. "Weapons?"

Li Ai replied, "It appears to be derived from a flintlock pistol."

The emperor lowered his gaze. "Lin Chu, prepare a location for experimentation."

"Understood."

Li Ai and Lin Chu descended together to set up the area. The emperor and the crown prince arrived promptly.

A wooden plank was attached to the palace wall, a hundred meters away.

The emperor remarked, "That far? Nearly as distant as an arrow's flight." In the Great Yi Dynasty, the range of a typical bow and arrow was approximately within 120 meters. Those with exceptional strength could extend this range, but seldom would it surpass 200 meters.

Crown Prince: "Li Ai, isn't that a target? Why is it set up so enormous?" Which family's target is square and measures three meters on each side!

Li Ai: "Your Highness, I've never used this pistol before. It's bound to miss the target. Why not replace it with a chunk of wood nearly half an inch thick?"

Crown Prince: "Indeed."

After exchanging greetings with the Emperor and the Crown Prince, Li Ai carefully loaded his gun and fired a shot. Not surprisingly, the bullet's final resting point was vastly different from where he had intended.

Casually dropping his arm, Li Ai thought to himself, as long as he didn't mention it, no one would know where he had originally aimed.

The thick wooden plank remained firmly attached to the high wall. The eunuchs lifted it with effort, preparing to show it to the Emperor. However, after only a few steps, the Emperor rose to his feet and waved them off.

Li Ai's expression turned more somber as he followed the Emperor and the Crown Prince to the wall.

The bullet had pierced through the nearly half-inch thick plank and embedded itself deep into the wall.

The Emperor traced the cracked patterns on the wall with his fingers, "It has immense penetration." Far more powerful than any bow and arrow.

Turning around, the Emperor's gaze fell upon Li Ai's hand, where he held his pistol out to the monarch. The Emperor took it, weighed it in his palm, then returned it to Li Ai, "Very intricate."

Li Ai understood the implicit message in the Emperor's words.

Living within the heavily guarded palace, attempting to assassinate the Emperor was no easy feat. Only those whose loyalty was beyond doubt could approach His Majesty. For distant attempts, one would rely on a bow and arrow.

Bows had sufficient range, but arrows were one thing – hiding a bow was quite another. Even with incredible luck to infiltrate the palace, when one attempted to draw the bow and notch the arrow within a hundred paces of the Emperor, they would surely be detected.

Pistols were entirely different, compact and unnoticeable, with a sufficient range and remarkable penetration. They seemed tailor-made for assassination.

Upon returning to the Diligent Governance Hall, the emperor asked directly, "Changfeng, did Meng Die indicate whether this gift she gave you is easy to acquire?"

Li Ai replied, "Your Majesty, apart from the one in my possession now, there are thirty more that are even smaller. I have come tonight to request Your Majesty's approval to establish a pistol squad."

The emperor closed his eyes, taking a moment before responding, "Present it."

With a wave of Li Ai's hand, a waiting soldier entered, carrying a small box. Lin Chu took it, opened it, and carefully extracted the intricate pistol inside, presenting it to the emperor.

The emperor weighed the pistol in his hand, mimicking Li Ai's grip, and gently pulled the trigger. "You're suggesting you want to form a pistol squad?"

Li Ai replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Whether it's for safeguarding the Imperial City or deploying them on the battlefield, I believe they would serve an exceptional purpose."

The emperor nodded in approval. "You have a point. You have full authority to handle this matter."

"I, your servant, shall comply with your command."

The emperor examined the one in his own hand, then glanced at the one in Li Ai's. A smile suddenly appeared on his usually stern face. "This Meng Die!"

Faced with the perplexed gazes of Li Ai and the Crown Prince, the emperor's tense nerves from the entire day finally completely relaxed. "Think about it on your own when you return."

Li Ai and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance before swiftly making their exit.