EMHTC -Chapter 68 Golden Brick

The old emperor suddenly felt a chill down his back.

He looked around but couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

“How strange? Am I being overly suspicious?”

At that moment, the Minister of Revenue strolled over, intending to take advantage of the Minister of War’s preoccupation and the other military officials’ distraction to undermine his plans.

—Most officials weren’t exactly paragons of virtue. The Minister of Revenue simply pretended not to grasp the subtext of the Minister of War’s arguments.

Seeds cost money to buy! Livestock like cattle and horses cost money to feed! Tools require funds to manufacture and repair! Irrigation systems and roads need money for construction and maintenance! If he didn’t work hard to secure more funds for the Ministry of Revenue, where would the money come from to accomplish anything?

The Minister of Revenue murmured, “Your Majesty, the current stockpile of firearms is sufficient. Researching new weaponry can wait until we have more funds…”

Suddenly, another voice murmured from the side, “Your Majesty, there is more than one treasure island in this world. If we discover some bountiful land but lack sharp and effective firearms, it will be too late to start developing them then. Sharpening the axe does not delay the chopping of firewood, Your Majesty!”

The Minister of Revenue: !!!

He turned his head and saw the Minister of War whispering to the emperor, shamelessly currying favor!

Despicable! Lowly!

“Your Majesty…” the Minister of Revenue began.

However, the old emperor, having already tasted the rewards of treasure islands, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, had developed a keen interest in expanding territories and uncovering treasures. After hearing the Minister of War’s analysis, he made a decisive call: “Very well! We must advance agriculture and water conservation, but we shall also continue firearm research!”

The emperor’s voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

The Minister of War and the military officials reacted swiftly: “Your Majesty is wise!!!”

The Minister of Revenue had no choice but to agree. “Your Majesty’s insight is impeccable. I failed to consider the bigger picture.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Works was still preoccupied with thoughts about his daughter.

The imperial physician, who had been standing quietly on the sidelines, took this opportunity to step forward. “Your Majesty, no soldiers were fatally injured in the fall. Some were hurt, but their injuries are not beyond recovery and can be treated.”

“Hmm…” The old emperor mused, then said, “The soldiers have worked hard. Grant them wine and meat.”

He added, “As for the injured soldiers, reward them generously with money and silk.”

When news of these rewards reached the soldiers, a thunderous chorus of “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!” resounded through the air. Over a hundred soldiers turned their gaze to the first row of injured comrades, their eyes glowing with envy like searchlights.

In the first row, some soldiers scratched their heads and grinned foolishly, others maintained calm expressions but couldn’t hide the joy in their eyes, while a few fidgeted nervously, clutching their uniforms. Not one of them seemed upset about being injured; instead, they boasted to their comrades: “Luckily, I fought my way to the front row! Just a fall, and I got paid for it!”

One of their comrades gave the boaster a playful punch on an uninjured part of his body and grumbled sourly, “Alright, alright! Say another word, and I’ll start a fight!”

Though the injured soldiers fell silent, their smiles never faded.

A guard reported the count of horses with broken legs to the emperor. “Your Majesty, ten horses have suffered leg injuries.”

The old emperor wasn’t surprised.

Given the barbarian cavalry’s formation, the first row typically consisted of ten riders. In a charge, these were the horses most likely to sustain injuries. Once a horse’s leg was injured, it couldn’t survive—hence why so many battlefield tactics targeted horses’ legs.

“Select ten fine horses to fill the vacancies left by the injured ones,” the emperor ordered.

The guard saluted and turned to carry out the task.

After finalizing this matter, the old emperor quickly issued another command. “If the Mongols request trade negotiations, exchange more cattle and horses with them.”

The Minister of Rites bowed. “As you command.”

The emperor continued, “If the Mongols ask us to join them in attacking the Jin barbarians, subtly decline but express our support for their offensive against the Jin.”

“Understood.”

“If they want to buy firearms, sell them. Sell them to all eighteen tribes beyond the frontier.”

—After all, if the government doesn’t sell, countless merchants will take the risk and smuggle them out anyway. It’s impossible to completely ban the trade. Selling to all the tribes means that none will have an advantage. With firearms in hand, those tribes will inevitably fight among themselves.

“Understood!”

Minister Liang Rui of the Ministry of Justice stepped forward. In a calm and clear voice, he suggested, “Your Majesty, I believe we should sell firearms based on the degree of closeness to our Da Xia. Tribes allied with us should always have the privilege of being the first to purchase our firearms. Other tribes can only purchase from the second or third batches and at higher prices. Should any tribe show disrespect to Da Xia, we can refuse to trade with them altogether.”

This way, the eighteen tribes beyond the frontier would end up in constant internal strife. As long as no great leader unites them, they will never pose a significant threat.

And if such a leader does emerge? Well, it would be up to fate. The current generation cannot shelter the next forever. If future generations are capable, they’ll use the chaos beyond the frontier to strengthen and elevate the nation to a point where even if the tribes unify someday, they wouldn’t dare rebel.

Liang Rui, with his sharp and austere demeanor, had never been a gentle character. Now, with such a ruthless proposal, he was like a figure who could silence crying children at night.

Yet the old emperor couldn’t help but smile. “One strategy to deal with the Wokou, another to handle the barbarians—Minister Liang, you are truly brimming with wisdom and a pillar of this nation.”

Liang Rui bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I am merely…”

The old emperor, sensing Liang was about to humbly deflect the praise, waved his hand impatiently and interrupted. His gaze shifted to the barbed wire fence and reminded him that Xu Yanmiao likely harbored more ingenious ideas. Unable to resist, he reached out, “Xu Yanmiao, do you have any more clever ideas?”

Xu Yanmiao: “…Huh?”

The old emperor’s thoughts wandered: We’ve dealt with cavalry, so why not have something for infantry? Not too much to ask, right? A multi-year strategy tailored to the barbarians’ terrain? Fair enough, right? We’ve addressed land issues; why not touch on naval warfare? Perhaps suggest improvements to ships, or pinpoint areas where treasure islands might exist? Surely that’s reasonable…

【Damn it, if I’d known this would happen, I’d have kept my mouth shut.】

The emperor’s smile froze.

Wait! No! Don’t stop now!

In a hasty attempt to salvage the situation, he blurted, “It’s fine if you don’t have anything—I was just asking casually…”

【Of course, they’ll ask me for ideas. Who has the time to think about these things amid all the eating, drinking, and relaxing? Wait… I’ve got it!】

The emperor immediately fell silent, saying no more about his “casual inquiry.”

The other ministers—especially the military officials—breathed a collective sigh of relief.

As long as there’s an idea! They weren’t picky!

【But… isn’t this too cruel?】

The emperor and his ministers inwardly chimed in: Not cruel! War is all about deception and strategy. If it works, we’re fine with it! We wouldn’t…

【What if we wrap dung water in explosives? Once the skin breaks, infection is highly likely… and survival chances are slim.】

The collective inner dialogue of Da Xia’s emperor and ministers froze, and they all stared at Xu Yanmiao.

You—looking all clean and proper…

【Huh? What’s wrong? Why are they all staring at me?】

Thinking they were waiting for him to speak, Xu Yanmiao tentatively said, “Well, I do have an idea. It’s inspired by the concept of ‘golden liquid’…”

Golden liquid refers to a common defensive weapon used in siege battles—scalding hot fecal slurry. When poured, it severely burns anyone it touches, leaving their skin raw and exposed. The bacteria from the feces then infect the wounds, and once infected, survival is a slim chance.

Xu Yanmiao elaborated on his idea, though he referred to the explosive package as a “fire brick,” a contemporary invention similar to a dynamite stick. Shaped like a brick, it was packed with gunpowder and ignited before being thrown.

He added with a slightly sheepish smile, “These are just small tricks of mine, nothing compared to the grand strategies of Master Liang.”

“No! This method is excellent—better than mine!” Liang Rui immediately countered. “Master Xu’s idea could determine the victory of a war!” He then turned to the emperor, bowing deeply, “Your Majesty! I urge you to dispatch someone to inform the Marquis of Yongchang immediately. These fire bricks will be invaluable on the battlefield against the Wokou. With them, we could hasten the campaign’s progress and avoid a prolonged blockade and attritional warfare.”

The old emperor, whose mind had been overexcited by the barbed wire idea, suddenly had an epiphany. Overcome with excitement, he exclaimed, “Indeed! This could be used in the war against the Wokou! Blockade the islands, prevent them from moving, and then toss the fire…”

【…manure bricks, right?】

The words slipped out: “Manure bricks.”

The emperor froze.

Liang Rui froze.

Xu Yanmiao, however, felt validated: 【Oh? Even the emperor thinks this name fits better! Great minds think alike!】

Nothing of the sort!

The emperor, annoyed, said, “This name is too vulgar, isn’t it? It cannot be called that! But ‘fire brick’ doesn’t feel quite right either…”

Liang Rui quickly intervened, fearing Xu Yanmiao might suggest another unrefined name. “How about ‘golden brick’? A brick of golden liquid.”

“Good! We’ll call it the golden brick!” The emperor made a swift decision and then announced, “Court adjourned! Ministers, return home and rest!” He seemed as though he were fleeing from something terrifying.

The emperor paused, then turned back, “Xu Yanmiao.”

Xu Yanmiao assumed a listening posture.

The emperor revealed a peculiar smile. “When you return home, you’ll find a surprise waiting for you.”

Xu Yanmiao’s eyes widened slightly in curiosity.

“What surprise?”

Xu Yanmiao walked into his residential ward, puzzled. Looking around, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary—except for the unusually warm greetings from at least seven or eight neighbors along the way.

The ward remained as lively as ever. Adults sat on stools under the trees, chatting, while the aroma of meals wafted through the air. Children chased each other in playful games.

“Daddy! Do a trick!”

“Alright!”

A sturdy man, likely a farmer, performed a series of somersaults with a cheerful grin. A young girl clapped enthusiastically and, upon noticing Xu Yanmiao watching, blushed and hid behind her father’s leg, peeking out shyly to smile at him.

Xu Yanmiao couldn’t help but smile back.

Home sweet home—

The young man stretched lazily, walked to his front door, and took out his key. But before unlocking it, he noticed a box covered with red silk sitting at the entrance.

Startled, Xu Yanmiao picked it up and gently lifted the silk.

Inside was a piece of paper.

Just as he was about to comment on the local honesty that allowed such an unlocked box to be left unattended, he read the paper and froze.

“…A deed?”

It was the land deed to his small courtyard. In the ownership section, his name was boldly written.