To prevent any leaks of classified information and to ensure safety, the Imperial Armory’s workshop was located near Qujiang Pool – a royal garden as well as a restricted military site, where commoners had always been forbidden to approach.
But after all, it was still within the city. That sudden, thunderous explosion just now had startled and shaken half the capital out of their composure.
A dozen Imperial Guards in gleaming armor were seen sprinting down the street, turning the already-crowded thoroughfare into utter chaos.
Something had happened!
News in the capital spread swiftly – almost as fast as those running guards, the rumor that an accident had occurred at the Imperial Armory was already making its rounds.
“Master, master – something terrible has happened!”
In a large, grand household, a servant came tumbling and scrambling in, shouting hoarsely.
Several men inside rushed out upon hearing the commotion, but before they could even ask what was going on, a burst of noise erupted at the front gate, followed by the crash of the door being kicked open. A squad of Imperial Guards armed with blades and spears poured in.
The men’s faces instantly changed color.
“Surround them! Don’t let a single person escape!” the officer leading the troop barked sternly.
“My lord, my lord – what has happened?” Master Li asked, his face gone pale as he stepped forward.
“You are Li Xin?” the officer looked at him and asked.
“Yes, yes, I am,” Li Xin replied quickly. “This humble one runs a fireworks workshop, pays all taxes on time, and has never–”
Before he could finish, the officer cut him off.
“Li Mao is your son?” he demanded.
Li Mao!
Li Xin’s heart skipped violently; he exchanged a quick glance with the people beside him.
“Yes… he is my concubine-born son…” he answered.
Before he could finish, the officer thrust out a finger and barked,
“Good. Then seize them!”
At his command, the soldiers surged forward. In no time at all, Li Xin and the others were forced to the ground. Around them came the sounds of men shouting, women screaming, and children crying – within moments, the Li household was thrown into complete chaos.
By the time night fell, the vast estate was lit by only a single lamp, its glow dim and wavering.
All the members of the Li family were locked together inside one room, awaiting their fate.
“What on earth happened?” asked Li Xin, his beard and hair disheveled, his voice trembling as he looked at the man who had just been shoved into the room.
“It wasn’t an earthquake that afternoon,” the man stammered. “The Imperial Armory was blown up – hundreds of Divine Arm Bows were destroyed.”
Everyone present knew full well what kind of place the Imperial Armory was, and what the Divine Arm Bow meant.
“It… it couldn’t have been him, could it?” Li Xin asked, his voice shaking.
The man nodded, looking on the verge of tears.
“It was him,” he said.
At those words, Li Xin’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor.
The room immediately descended into chaos – cries, shouts, and wails rising all at once – until the guards outside finally shouted them into silence. After much pleading, someone managed to get a bowl of water to pour down Li Xin’s throat.
“It’s over, it’s all over…” Li Xin murmured, lying on the floor with his eyes closed as tears streamed down his face. “Our Li family’s hundred-year foundation is going to be ruined by him.”
“Last time he messed with those things and burned down half the street, we nearly got our household doors sealed because of him! I said we should drive him out of the capital, but none of you would listen!”
“…Who didn’t listen? It wasn’t just one soft heart – and now you’re blaming others!”
“…We never should have pulled strings to get him that official post. If we’d just sent him off to trade early on, none of this would’ve happened…”
The room erupted into a noisy clamor of shouting and accusations.
“Enough of that – tell us what actually happened. If he really is a spy, none of us will live to see morning!” someone shouted.
The room fell quiet for a moment, then erupted again. Soon a woman from the next room – one of the female relatives – was dragged in with the children.
“Father, I don’t know!” the woman cried, kneeling on the floor. “He hasn’t come home for a long time. I don’t know what he’s doing or who he’s been meeting. He only said he needed money. Since he lost his post and angered you, Father, he wanted to do a little trade. We had no money, so I sold off my dowry to give him… Father, I truly don’t know what he’s been up to.”
Hearing that, everyone in the room felt a chill run through them.
So he really was keeping things secret!
It’s over, it’s over, it’s over.
“How did our family produce such a traitor!” Master Li cried, beating his chest.
At dawn someone pushed the door open and set a bucket of rice down on the floor.
“Food! Food!” he called, looking at the men and women inside, all sprawled about as if life had gone out of them.
“I’m not eating. I’d rather die sooner – at least that would be more dignified,” someone muttered.
That made the men and women, who had already been crying through the night, burst into tears all over again.
As they cried, another commotion rose outside.
“They’re going to drag him off to beheaded!” a woman shouted, and the room erupted into howls and wails.
“No, no – Master, Master, it’s me!”
Amid the chaos, someone shouted loudly.
“Young Master Li is fine! Young Master Li is fine!”
At those words, Li Xin – who had been lying on the ground – suddenly flipped over and scrambled to his feet. Everyone rushed toward the door, only to be blocked firmly by the Imperial Guards standing watch.
Out in the courtyard stood a young servant, speaking with an officer. The servant produced a document and showed it to him; the officer glanced at it, nodded, and stepped aside.
Only then did the servant run over.
“What on earth is going on?” Master Li demanded.
“Master, Young Master is going to present a treasure to His Majesty,” the servant shouted breathlessly, “a weapon even more powerful than the Divine Arm Bow!”
At this, everyone in the room stared in disbelief.
“Then – he’s not a spy?” someone quickly asked the crucial question.
The servant nodded.
“No, not a spy,” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Today the young master will personally demonstrate this divine weapon before His Majesty at Qujiang Pool!”
As he spoke, he pointed in the direction of Qujiang Pool.
By full daylight, the Imperial Avenue had already been sealed off. It wasn’t until the Emperor’s procession passed that the crowd surged forward in a wave.
“The Emperor’s going to Qujiang Pool!”
“In this freezing weather – what’s the Emperor doing at Qujiang Pool?”
“Someone’s presenting a treasure – something even more powerful than the Divine Arm Bow!”
“Is Lady Cheng offering another of her marvels?”
“No, not Lady Cheng – someone else this time.”
The streets buzzed with speculation, while inside Qujiang Pool, the atmosphere was solemn and still.
On the raised platform by the water, the Emperor took his seat, with the ministers positioned in a wide semicircle around him.
“Utterly absurd!” Feng Lin’s voice rang out again. “His Majesty has disregarded his own imperial health and left the palace at will, stirring up the crowds – this is truly absurd!”
“Oh, come now, Master Feng – don’t spoil the mood at a time like this,” Attendant Scholar Gao said with a smile.
Though he himself didn’t approve of the Emperor’s actions, since His Majesty had already come, there was no point in dampening the occasion.
Sure enough, at his words, the Emperor’s expression softened noticeably.
“A minister of state, flattering and fawning before the throne,” Feng Lin snapped, glaring at Attendant Scholar Gao.
Even being scolded to his face, Attendant Scholar Gao didn’t flare up like Chen Shao would have; he merely smiled faintly.
Quarreling head-on with a stubborn mule like this would only make him lose face. To deal with such a man, a few discreet measures in private would suffice.
“If the claim proves false,” Attendant Scholar Gao continued, addressing the Emperor, “then charge him with deceiving the sovereign and punish him severely, as a warning to all.”
The Emperor nodded. Flattery? he thought. No – this is proper order and discipline.
Squad after squad of Imperial Guards surged up onto the platform, each holding shields as tall as a man, forming a solid ring around the Emperor, his attendants, and the gathered ministers.
“If this weapon truly surpasses the Divine Arm Bow, then we must take even greater precautions,” an officer said to the Emperor.
Li Mao withdrew his gaze from the platform.
“If someone truly meant harm, those shields wouldn’t stop it anyway,” he muttered under his breath.
Fan Jianglin looked at him.
“But they’ll stop you if you mean harm,” he said.
Li Mao gave a faint smile. After the beating he’d taken the night before, his face was so swollen and bruised that even his attempt at a smile only twisted his features further in pain.
“Sir, the trebuchet is ready.”
The craftsman from the day before said in a shaky voice.
Li Mao said nothing; he drew a deep breath and, limping a little, made his way toward the trebuchet, Fan Jianglin and a squad of Imperial Guards close behind.
“Better not wreck my trebuchet for nothing,” Fan Jianglin warned.
On the raised platform the Imperial Armory officials were explaining the situation to the Emperor.
“…that trebuchet was modified so it can launch the stone projectiles he made.”
The Emperor nodded, leaning slightly forward over the shields to look down.
“That – are those the stone shot made by Li Mao?” he asked.
The official glanced down and saw Li Mao and Fan Jianglin standing by the trebuchet; Li Mao bent and carefully took a stone shot from a crate.
“Yes,” the official replied. “He tried many times and produced five effective shots. One was used the day before yesterday; yesterday one was mistakenly used by Inspector-General Fan.”
Li Mao carefully placed the stone projectile into the trebuchet, then picked up the burning fuse stick.
The Imperial Guards showed little reaction, but the officials from the Imperial Armory -who had witnessed yesterday’s explosion – instinctively stepped back.
“Don’t be afraid,” Li Mao said. “I’ve made the fuse longer this time – enough time for us to run clear.”
As he spoke, his hand trembled slightly; the fuse caught fire, but just as he was about to light the charge, he stopped and looked at Fan Jianglin.
“Sir,” he asked, “do you still dare to try it again?”
Fan Jianglin reached out, snatched the fuse stick from him, and lit the line.
“My lord, at least give a warning before you light it!” Li Mao shouted – and turned and bolted.
Seeing him run, everyone around immediately followed suit, scattering backward in a rush.
The Emperor, watching from the high platform, couldn’t help but laugh.
“They’re running again? If this were on the battlefield, wouldn’t that disgrace the army’s prestige…” he began to say, but before he could finish, a flash of red and white light flared before his eyes – followed by a deafening explosion that shook the earth like thunder.
The Imperial Guards holding their shields were thrown into disarray; ministers and officials nearby were shouting, some even lunging forward to shield the Emperor with their bodies.
The Emperor’s vision swam with golden sparks, his ears rang with a roaring hum – and yet, he could hear nothing at all.
So this isn’t a loss of military dignity, he thought faintly. Just that single blast, like thunder out of a clear sky, could drive an enemy army back three miles.
It was terrifying beyond words!
After what felt like a long time, the attending eunuchs fed him seven or eight calming pills in succession. Only then did quiet return to the platform, and the Emperor was finally able to see clearly and hear again.
“Absurd! Outrageous!”
Feng Lin’s voice echoed in his ears.
“Excellent, excellent!” the Emperor said quickly, cutting Feng Lin off mid-sentence, nodding repeatedly in praise.
“Your Majesty, you may now see the results,” said an official from the Imperial Armory.
Ah – there are results too? The display had already been impressive enough.
At these words, the Emperor raised his head. The Imperial Guards had withdrawn, and with the view from the platform clear again, he could see all the way to the fenced area five hundred meters away.
There, where seven or eight cattle and sheep had once been penned in by thick wooden barriers, no animals could be seen running anymore. The fencing itself had been blown apart, and on the ground–
The Emperor suddenly rose to his feet.
“Your Majesty, be careful!” the eunuchs cried, hurrying to support him.
But the Emperor was already striding to the edge of the platform, gripping the stone balustrade as he stared down in disbelief.
Even from such a distance, he could see the scattered bodies of cattle and sheep below, the ground splashed with red, a scene of utter carnage.
The other officials all surged forward as well – even Feng Lin stopped speaking and came to look.
A hush fell over the platform.
Fan Jianglin couldn’t help glancing back, his brows furrowing slightly.
This was nothing like the thunderous cheers that had erupted when Zhou Liu–lang had first tested the Divine Arm Bow.
Could it be that the stone shot hadn’t been powerful enough to impress?
But the Emperor’s face was slowly flushing red, his hand trembling where it gripped the stone railing.
A single shot – from five hundred meters away – one stone, and a herd of cattle and sheep gone.
Its range might not match the Divine Arm Bow, but its effect…
The Divine Arm Bow could kill one man with one arrow – assuming perfect aim – but this single stone had wiped out an entire field.
An entire field!
Even from afar, one could imagine the scene: the animals torn apart, some with their limbs blown off entirely.
If those had been people instead…
The devastation from a single strike would be unimaginable.
Too terrible – far too terrible!
Truly, a divine weapon a hundred times mightier than the Divine Arm Bow!
And in less than half a year, they had now acquired two such divine weapons!
The Emperor couldn’t help but lift his head to the sky, his usually pale and frail face now flushed with excitement.
“Heaven bless our dynasty…” he murmured.
Heaven bless our dynasty!
Then, raising his voice, he shouted, “Heaven bless our dynasty!”
The cry jolted the stunned officials back to their senses.
“Long live His Majesty!”
Attendant Scholar Gao was the first to shout, bowing deeply, and at once the whole assembly followed, their voices echoing in unison.
It worked!
Watching the commotion atop the platform, Fan Jianglin finally let out a breath of relief. The hands he had been clenching so tightly at his sides loosened, the cold sweat on his palms drying in the chill wind.
“Li Mao,” the Emperor declared, “I shall reward you!”
On the high platform, Li Mao – summoned forward – lifted his head at the Emperor’s words.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said. His face was so swollen and bruised that no expression could be seen upon it. “But I dare not accept the reward alone.”
At that, everyone present froze in surprise.
“Dares not accept it alone? Then wasn’t it you who made this?” the Emperor asked.
Could it be…?
In that instant, the same name flashed through the minds of the Emperor and all the ministers, and their expressions grew subtly strained.
“No, it was I who made it,” Li Mao said quickly, “but I was inspired by another.”
Around him, there came the faint sound of people breathing a sigh of relief.
The Emperor absently ran his fingers along the edge of the table before him.
“Only,” Li Mao continued, “I succeeded in creating it thanks to another’s guidance. Without that person’s instruction, I could never have done it – so I dare not claim the merit as mine alone.”
The Emperor nodded. Modest and honest – good, good.
“No matter,” he said with a smile. “I shall reward you both.”
“Who is that person?”
Li Mao kowtowed in thanks, then raised his head.
“The Lady Cheng of Jiang-zhou, who resides by Yudai Bridge,” he said.
The Emperor’s hand, resting on the table, froze. Around him, the expressions of the officials stiffened as well.
Of course – her again!
How was it that she appeared in everything!
Standing at the back, Feng Lin’s face was expressionless. In the cold wind atop the platform, he did not move at all.
