"What's wrong, Marshal Zhao? You seem rather unwelcoming to my arrival and that of the Fifteenth Sister. We are your superiors now. Don't you dislike being outranked? Is this how you greet your commanders?" Ma Xiaorui remarked, puffing up her chest with a touch of borrowed authority.

I replied, "Your Highness the Princess, please wait a moment. Your humble servant will immediately organize a welcoming committee for you."

Ma Xiaorui's hands and feet seemed to tremble slightly. "You—you—you've angered me to death! Sister, let's go."

Ma Xiaowei asked, "Where are you going? We will be staying with Marshal Zhao from now on until all the rebels are eradicated." Ma Xiaowei realized the phrasing was a bit ambiguous; 'staying together' sounded rather suggestive.

Ma Xiaorui pouted. "Then I'll surely be angered to death by him. I said I'd cut him down, but none of you let me."

Ma Xiaowei countered, "If you hurt him, who will lead the troops to quell the rebellion? And who was it this morning desperately begging Imperial Brother to come along? Now that Father Emperor has approved, you regret it. Xiaorui, you are under Imperial command now; you cannot joke about such things."

Damn it, I knew Ma Da couldn't have thought of this idea himself, and the military overseer wouldn't send a girl either. It was indeed Ma Xiaoda's mischievous plan. These two sisters have no guile; they probably just came out for fun under the guise of oversight. However, now that we have two extra princesses, the security work is significantly more troublesome. If anything happened to them, I wouldn't be able to explain it to Ma Da.

Seeing my face cloud over, Ma Xiaowei said, "Marshal Zhao, are we causing you trouble? Perhaps we should return and request Father Emperor to revoke our supervisory posts. This, this is really too much of a jest—what kind of delicate young ladies go out to oversee a military campaign?"

"If I say it's fine, it's fine," Ma Xiaoda’s voice sounded from behind us.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince," everyone turned and bowed.

Ma Xiaoda waved his hand. "Enough with the formalities, we are all on the same side. It's perfectly reasonable for my Fifteenth Sister to supervise Marshal Zhao's campaign, just to silence those old fogeys in court from gossiping."

Since I was taking custody of ten thousand Imperial Guards today, I had skipped the morning court. It seemed there was indeed some minor dissent brewing in the court. Ma Xiaoda led the way into the office of the Imperial Stables Command. He casually pulled up a chair and sat down. Seeing no outsiders, he continued, "Zhao Qian, you asserted your authority by executing men in front of the lines yesterday, yet someone at morning court still impeached you today. They say with your methods, if you are far away in Huyang without supervision, you might cause a major disaster."

I laughed. "In chaotic times, strong measures are necessary. That is my style. It doesn't matter what they think or how they impeach me, as long as you two fathers and sons trust me. Even if you didn't trust me, it wouldn't matter—I wasn't interested in the post of commanding general in the first place."

Ma Xiaoda sprang to his feet angrily. "Nonsense! How could my father and I not trust you? In the entire Shuangcheng, there is no one else we can trust as much. Zhao Qian, you are still a trusted senior official of our Ma family. Isn't that right, Fifteenth Sister?"

Ma Xiaowei blushed for some reason, lowering her head. "Yes, Marshal Zhao has done so much for our Ma family. We are eternally grateful; how could we ever doubt him?"

Ma Xiaorui tried to interject again, but Ma Xiaoda glared at her twice, forcing her to swallow her words. Ma Xiaoda continued, "Zhao Qian, Father Emperor's way of handling things is not mine. He is too cautious, always fretting over what people say and that the hearts of the subjects must not be opposed. I saw he was very troubled, so I suggested Fifteenth Sister act as the supervisor in his stead. Unexpectedly, hehe, those old fellows actually agreed! I should thank them; otherwise, how could Fifteenth Sister stay with you so openly?"

"Imperial Brother!" Ma Xiaowei sounded slightly pleased.

Ma Xiaoda laughed. "Enough, enough. My Fifteenth Sister is shy. Zhao Qian, in short, I've entrusted her to you. You must treat my Fifteenth Sister well."

I assured him, "Rest assured, I will protect the safety of her and the Sixteenth Princess."

Ma Xiaorui finally couldn't hold back. "Zhao Qian, you know what's good for you. Hmph, Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister have both forgotten me, acting as if I don't exist. Fortunately, you have a conscience and haven't forgotten me."

Ma Xiaoda glared at her. "Who told you to insist on coming? Fifteenth Sister has official business. What are you doing tagging along like a third wheel? You're young; couldn't you find somewhere else to play? Zhao Qian and Fifteenth Sister are going to suppress bandits, not having a romantic stroll! Even if they were, they couldn't be so public about it."

Ma Xiaorui looked very wronged. "What is a third wheel? I'd be bored staying alone in the palace. Fifteenth Sister has always been with me since we were little; I don't know what to do when she's not around."

Ma Xiaoda retorted, "If Fifteenth Sister gets married, you can't just follow her and marry the same man, can you? Two princesses marrying one husband—that has never happened in Shuangcheng."

Ma Xiaorui's eyes began to well up with tears. I felt a pang of sympathy and interjected, "Ma Xiaoda, don't scold Xiaorui. She's still childish and playful; it's hard on her to be confined to the palace all the time. Just let her go out and stretch her legs. Don't worry about safety; as long as I don't die, they will be safe."

Ma Xiaorui, for the first time, looked at me with gratitude. It seemed she was somewhat afraid of her own Imperial Brother. Ma Xiaoda ignored Ma Xiaorui and moved on to serious matters. "Zhao Qian, let's not joke around. Father Emperor spoke with you in private yesterday. Why did you refuse the four thousand Imperial Guards and only ask for ten thousand? The rebel army in Huyang Prefecture numbers nearly a hundred thousand. I know you have a talent for leading troops, but we are dealing with a hundred thousand people now, not one hundred against one thousand. You should be more cautious."

Ma Xiaowei added, "Yes, one more person means one more bit of strength. I think we should return to court and request reinforcements from Father Emperor."

I replied, "Your Highnesses, strength lies not in numbers but in refinement. These Imperial Guards lack the necessary and effective training; more people will only make them harder to control. Even with these ten thousand, I'll need time to train them before I dare lead them onto the battlefield. Otherwise, it will be like the Red Turban Army of thirty thousand that besieged the Imperial Stables Command—one sudden incident, and they'll panic, leading to inevitable defeat, which even an immortal couldn't control."

Ma Xiaowei argued, "But Marshal Zhao controlled them! Yesterday in the West City, it was your actions that halted the rout of ten thousand soldiers and turned defeat into victory."

I said, "That was luck. Moreover, I risked impeachment to execute several hundred Imperial Guards. Those soldiers probably hate me to death right now. I still need time to guide that resentment toward a superior officer; otherwise, if it festers, it will surely lead to mutiny."

Ma Xiaoda conceded, "Zhao Qian, I trust you will handle everything correctly. But fighting a hundred thousand with ten thousand still seems risky. Can we discuss it further? This involves not only your safety but also my two sisters."

I asked, "It seems you two don't know how the two thousand Horse Guard soldiers defeated the thirty thousand Red Turban Army."

Ma Xiaoda shook his head. "Didn't you say they panicked?"

I explained, "Panic requires an inciting condition. Pure natural disasters like that happen only once in centuries; we cannot rely on chance."

Ma Xiaoda inquired, "Then what caused the Red Turban Army to panic?" Since the State of Shuangcheng had been without major conflict for so long, there were no after-action reports, or this incident would have already been known in court.

I revealed, "Gunpowder!"

"Gunpowder? Is that another invention of yours, like those paper items?" Ma Xiaoda asked.

"Don't flatter me so much. People from my hometown knew how to make these things; I just replicated it."

Ma Xiaowei asked, "We don't know what this gunpowder Marshal Zhao speaks of is. Is it related to fire?" Ma Xiaowei actually possessed the bearing of a capable supervisor—steady in action and meticulous in thought.

I stood up. "A thousand words are not as good as showing you in person. Otherwise, you won't be at ease letting me deploy the troops."

Since Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui couldn't ride horses, Linglong and Yunyao each held one, and the group rode toward the testing ground. Someone had already notified Shishan to prepare the equipment at the proving grounds for the Crown Prince and the Princesses' demonstration.

Looking at the pile of stone eggs, the three Ma siblings were confused. "Just a pile of stones with a hole drilled, and a fuse inserted. It looks no different. What does this have to do with fire?"

I stated, "Everyone, this is filled with gunpowder. The largest one is what sent the Red Turban Army camp into the sky that night. Their panic began when this 'Stone Thunder' detonated. Now, we will test one to see its power."

A small wooden structure was erected on the testing field. A small Stone Thunder was placed inside and ignited. With a loud boom, the wooden house was blasted into pieces, so fragmented that a finger could topple it. I cautiously entered with the three Ma siblings to examine the damage.

The wooden planks were deeply embedded with hard diamonds. Ma Xiaoda clicked his tongue in amazement. "Good heavens, the impact force is this great! If a person were standing inside, they'd surely be killed."

I explained, "The lethal range and area of effect of the Stone Thunder are limited. An Iron Thunder would be even more formidable, but we need our iron for other critical uses and cannot waste it on making thunder devices. However, our goal is to inflict widespread casualties on the enemy; any reduction in their combat strength is a success."

Ma Xiaoda praised, "Very impressive. The credit for this effect must go to the gunpowder you mentioned."

I had someone disassemble a Stone Thunder and showed the black powder inside to the three of them. "This is it. Once ignited, the instantaneous explosive force is astonishing. We mixed diamond fragments into it; when scattered by the gunpowder explosion, these diamonds can injure people over a wide area."

Ma Xiaorui shrieked and hid behind Ma Xiaowei. Ma Xiaowei cautioned, "Since such a thing is so dangerous, it must be stored with the utmost care, lest we harm our own people."

I responded, "Princess Fifteenth speaks wisely. I have already established a strict custody system, and people conduct regular and irregular safety inspections to minimize risk."

Ma Xiaoda observed, "These Stone Thunders filled with gunpowder are indeed powerful, but do you think they can take the city of Huyang? It seems their use is somewhat restricted; I noticed they require someone to ignite them for effect, which severely limits their deployment."

I replied, "Using only the method just demonstrated, it is naturally impossible to deal with a hundred thousand rebels. We are currently rushing to produce Mangonels; we already have over a dozen prototypes. If you three have time, we can test the power of the Mangonels next."

Ma Xiaorui cheered, "Great! Are we throwing stones? I love playing with pebbles!"

I ordered someone to bring a few Mangonels over and told Ma Xiaorui, "Your Highness Sixteenth, the 'pebbles' used in the Mangonels are probably not what you'd enjoy playing with."

Ma Xiaorui was puzzled. "Why?"

I explained, "To inflict damage on the enemy and their fortifications, the larger and heavier the stone, the better. Would the pebbles you enjoy playing with hurt the enemy?"

Surprisingly, Ma Xiaorui didn't argue this time. She said, "That makes sense. I'll just see what marvels your Mangonels possess."

Ten Mangonels were lined up. Ma Xiaorui was intimidated by the stones, some larger than her own body. Forget playing; she couldn't even push one. Over ten men lifted the massive boulders into the net slings of the Mangonels. Then, a dozen men strained to wind the elastic cords, slowly maximizing the stored power. At the command of a nearby corporal, boom—the massive stone blocks were flung into the air, tracing a parabolic arc downward.

The accuracy of this type of Mangonel was quite low. There was a large earth mound far in the distance. Out of ten Mangonels firing simultaneously, only one hit the target, creating a deep crater where the boulder landed. The Ma siblings gasped again.

Ma Xiaoda remarked, "If we used this to attack a city, even an iron gate would be smashed flat by one stone."

I elaborated, "Of course. However, transporting massive boulders isn't easy. Although stones are everywhere here, once we exhaust the locally sourced material, we have no more. I plan to use these Mangonels to launch Stone Thunders. Although the accuracy is poorer, the Stone Thunders have a wider area of effect and will surely achieve unexpected results."

Ma Xiaowei asked, "You mean launching the Stone Thunders we just saw using the Mangonels?"

"Precisely. Your brother just mentioned the application of Stone Thunders is limited. Now, with the Mangonels, we can ignite them just before launching and time the firing. They will then explode over the enemy, yielding an even better lethal effect. The rout of the Red Turban Army that night was largely due to our aerial deployment of Stone Thunders—at the very least, it acted as a catalyst. Otherwise, a single large Stone Thunder exploding in the general's camp couldn't have caused thirty thousand men to stampede."

Ma Xiaowei nodded. "Applied this way, the power of the Stone Thunders becomes immense. The long throwing range of the Mangonels can extend the effective distance of the Stone Thunders by hundreds of meters. Even if the walls of Huyang City are a hundred meters high, throwing a few hundred Stone Thunders should be enough for them to suffer."

"Brilliant! A brilliant plan! I said Zhao Qian wouldn't fight a battle he wasn't sure of. So, he has this reliance! These ten thousand Imperial Guards might even be too many," Ma Xiaoda said happily.

I offered a wry smile. "It's not as simple as you imagine. Will the enemy sit still while we attack? So, this expedition to Huyang will not be easy. I dare not be careless or underestimate the enemy."

Ma Xiaoda clapped my shoulder. "In any case, I have complete faith in you. You all carry on with your work; I will report back to Father Emperor. He is terribly worried. I will tell him what I saw today, and he should be relieved now."

Ma Xiaorui started to follow Ma Xiaoda out, but Ma Xiaowei grabbed her. "Where are you going?"

Ma Xiaorui grumbled, "Back to the palace, of course! Why stay here? The conditions are too harsh."

Ma Xiaowei scolded, "Nonsense! You are a supervisor now; you must stay with the Imperial Guard camp. We cannot return to the palace until the rebels are eliminated."

Ma Xiaoda turned back and laughed. "Right, right! Sister Xiaowei, you two stay by Zhao Qian's side. Don't return to the palace until the matter is settled! Of course, if it is settled, you won't need to return to the palace at all—you'll be one family by then."

Linglong had been trying hard to remain silent. Seeing Ma Xiaoda about to leave and hearing his ambiguous words, she finally spoke up. "Ma Xiaoda, what did you mean by that?"

Ma Xiaoda whispered conspiratorially, "Nothing much. I meant I'm about to become a brother-in-law."

Linglong scoffed. "Nonsense, who knows what you're talking about. Hurry up and leave. Master still needs to work on the escape pods."

Ma Xiaoda left. Since I had to repair the escape pods, Linglong and Yunyao would naturally follow. Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui had nothing else to do, so they pleaded to come along and observe. Although Linglong had always been wary of Ma Xiaowei, now that she was an official supervisor, she couldn't simply refuse the princesses if they wanted to look around the Imperial Stables Command.

Seeing me busy between the two escape pods, the four girls followed closely, constantly asking, "Can we help? You're sweating buckets!"

Linglong took out a handkerchief to wipe my sweat. Ma Xiaorui looked visibly displeased. She huffily snatched a handkerchief from Ma Xiaowei's hand and began wiping my sweat too. Ma Xiaowei looked a bit embarrassed and mumbled quietly, "Use your own, why use mine?"

Ma Xiaorui retorted, "Sister, I'm helping you! This girl, who is even smaller than me, has ulterior motives; we must guard against her. But you are always hesitant; how can that work?"

Linglong wouldn't stand for it. "What do you mean? Are you trying to bully people by relying on your status? Don't think I'm alone and scared of you. I know martial arts; the two of you combined are no match for me."

It was clear these three girls were jealous over me. Although I felt a touch of pride, my wife Yunyao was watching nearby. I absolutely couldn't let my fox tail show. I returned the two handkerchiefs to their owners and then pulled out Yunyao's from her pocket. This one belonged to my wife; surely, they wouldn't object to this one.

I said to the four of them, "It's too dirty in here. You should wait outside; I'll call you in to help if I need anything."

The four replied in unison, "Alright. It's better than being underfoot and causing trouble."

Ma Xiaowei and Ma Xiaorui, each accompanied by their maids and eunuchs, had a table and chairs set up outside the stone cave where the escape pods were stored. The four girls gathered around the table, sipping fine tea. Ma Xiaorui asked Yunyao, "Sister Yunyao, I heard Imperial Brother say that you, Zhou Ni, and Cheng Susu are all his wives. Do you really love that big pervert?"

Yunyao defended, "Brother Zhao isn't a pervert at all! He is the most chivalrous toward girls. We love him more than our own lives."

Ma Xiaorui sniffed, "You are all blinded by his appearance. I’ll ask another question: Imperial Brother said he has eight wives. Is that true? Meaning, besides the three of you, are there five other girls?"

Linglong secretly chuckled. Humph, eight wives? His wives are almost reaching twenty-eight! Do you two want to be the ninth and tenth? Even if you wanted to, you'd have to line up behind! Don't think being a princess grants you special privileges; matters of the heart cannot be forced by power or status.

Yunyao thought for a moment and decided not to tell the princesses the full truth. After all, they weren't as completely trustworthy as Linglong. Ultimately, they were the Emperor's people, and currently, they were supervisors, monitoring every move of the Imperial Stables Command. It was better to have fewer complications.

Yunyao replied, "Brother Zhao has many girlfriends, but we get along very harmoniously; we are like sisters and help Brother Zhao solve worries and difficulties to the best of our ability."

Ma Xiaorui persisted, "Sister Yunyao, who among you is his main wife? Meaning, who is his official wife, and who is the concubine?"

Linglong thought to herself, Hmph, do you two want to snatch his main wife's position? Dream on.

Yunyao explained, "There is no distinction between wife and concubine. As I said, we sisters get along well. In fact, none of us are married yet, but I know even if we marry, we will all be his wives; no one will be a concubine."

Ma Xiaorui said mysteriously, "Oh, that's not necessarily true. If there hasn't been a formal betrothal and marriage ceremony, others still have a chance. You should be careful!"

Yunyao smiled. "We have confidence in our husband. If he truly wanted to establish a principal wife, he would have done so long ago. Unfortunately, he cannot bear to show favoritism toward any one of us, so we all remain unmarried. This way, our statuses are equal, and there's no room for jealousy."

Ma Xiaowei interjected from the side, "It's clear your relationship is very good."

Ma Xiaorui pouted. Linglong finally couldn't stand it and snapped at her, "Hey, why are you asking all this? Are you trying to marry his husband? A princess competing with a commoner girl for a husband—that will be quite a story!"

Ma Xiaorui blushed deeply. "You—you're the one who wants to marry him! Everyone else likes him, but I just don't like him!" She glanced at Ma Xiaowei, then changed her tune. "So what if a princess competes with a commoner girl for a husband? Whoever has greater power becomes the main wife. If you lack power, step aside early!"

Linglong was so angry she nearly jumped up. "Fine! Then let's compete! We'll see who has the last laugh!"

Ma Xiaowei and Yunyao spoke in unison, "Do you two even see us here?"

The two girls preparing to fight immediately deflated. Ma Xiaorui feared her sister, and Linglong deferred to the established wife. If the wives didn't speak up, nothing would be decided.

After several days of actual repairs, I realized my initial assessment had been too simplistic. I thought merging the two escape pods into one would be entirely feasible, but now I see that some components cannot be disassembled at all, especially the drive sections, where components are integrated with the hull to increase structural integrity. Even if I used a cutting tool to separate them, I couldn't re-weld them using simple equipment. You cannot afford structural compromises when breaking through the dense atmosphere of Gemini; otherwise, the risk during flight would be immense.

The crushing of a massive hope naturally brought profound sadness, yet the more wives I found, the more it mattered little that we couldn't return to Earth immediately, as long as they were all safe. Given our extended lifespans, we could surely hold out until Xiao Yudi, Xiao Hui, and the Dragon Girl devised a solution; I refused to believe the three of them together couldn't conquer a wormhole.

After struggling with it for a while longer, I was certain that replacing the drive section was impractical, so I decided to abandon the idea. It seemed the hope of returning home must rest on the ship I arrived in. As for these two escape pods, I needed to think about whether they could serve some other purpose—a way to make use of what would otherwise be expensive junk, for these heaps of costly debris were far from ordinary.

Gazing at the pile of components in the machinery bay, several thick, seamless steel pipes caught my attention. These were the protective sleeves for the drive shafts, exceptionally sturdy and durable, open at one end and sealed at the other. If I could drill a small hole in the sealed rear end with the laser gun, wouldn't that make a genuine cannon barrel?

The accuracy of throwing stones with a catapult was limited, but if I could construct a few earth-cannons, the accuracy would improve significantly. The local smelting conditions were limited, making casting iron cannons difficult, and there wasn't enough iron available anyway. Now, with ready-made barrels, all that was needed was a gun carriage. The loading capacity of a proper cannon would far surpass that of a stone grenade, potentially increasing the destructive power by several tens of times.

I disassembled all the steel sleeves from the two escape pods, yielding eight in total. Then, I carefully used the laser gun to drill a tiny hole in the rear of each one. The four women had no idea what I was planning, and when they saw me walk off with a steel tube, they hurried to follow.

I sent someone to have Shi Shan bring gunpowder and diamonds. Then, I tried loading some into the steel tubes. Taking the four women with me, I returned to the test-firing ground and set up a target over a hundred meters away. I used several stones to secure the steel tube in place. Shi Shan seemed to grasp the potential, eagerly volunteering to light the fuse. I was worried this contraption would be too loud and startle everyone, so I covered my ears and stepped aside. The whole setup felt a bit like setting off firecrackers during the New Year.

Boom! With a resounding blast, the steel tube was blown aside. A large wooden stake standing over a hundred meters away shuddered violently. When everyone gathered around to look, they saw that the stake was nearly shattered by the impact of the hard diamond shot.

Shi Shan was overjoyed. "My Lord, what is this device? Its power is far more advanced than the stone grenades. The attack point is concentrated, and the aim is easy to control!"

I recalled my title and announced, "This shall be called the Majestic Divine Cannon. There are eight in total. Find men to forge the carriages, then fire a few test shots to establish the standard for aiming. Afterward, I will assign a battery of gunners, and you can teach them how to operate these."

Shi Shan cheered, "Yes, my Lord, the Majestic Divine Cannon—that is a fine name! My Lord, perhaps we should give those stone grenades a more intimidating name as well, something that will make the enemy fear them as much as the Majestic Divine Cannons."

"That is a good point," I agreed. "Henceforth, they shall be called Heaven-Shaking Thunder."

Ma Xiaorui turned to me. "Hey, in just this short time, you've invented another weapon?"

"It's not entirely my invention; I am merely putting these materials to use. Once we have enough iron, I will forge more."

Yun Yao showed no surprise; there was nothing about weaponry on Earth she hadn't seen, so these low-grade cannons hardly impressed her. But for Linglong, Ma Xiaowei, and Ma Xiaorui, their expressions were as if they were looking at an immortal.

I finished drilling the holes in all eight cannon barrels and then passed on the knowledge I possessed to Shi Shan. He would handle the rest of the fabrication. Later, I would assemble a hundred men to form an artillery battalion. If we secured enough iron, we could cast larger iron projectiles, which would surely be devastating in any siege or battle.

The morning was spent creating eight cannons. After lunch, Ma Xiaorui stopped running around aimlessly; she was accustomed to resting in the afternoon. So, Ma Xiaowei and I went to take over command of the ten thousand Imperial Guards. Members from five of the garrison units were involved, with the Central Garrison providing the largest contingent, as they had been protecting the Emperor outside the West City yesterday. The commanding general was Gu Qi, formerly the Commandant of the Rear Garrison. He was quite young, likely part of the vigorous younger faction, but commanding only ten thousand men meant he was demoted from Commandant to General.

Ma Xiaowei was nominally the inspector, but she offered no input. I ordered Gu Qi to assemble the Qianhuzhang (Captains of a Thousand Households) for a meeting. There, I laid out some adjustments for the ten thousand Imperial Guards. Whenever Ma Xiaowei's opinion was sought, she merely nodded in agreement.

A'San was appointed as the drill instructor. Over the next week, these Imperial Guards would undergo grueling training. To boost morale, I spat blood (figuratively speaking, by making a huge sacrifice) and decided to offer a reward of ten thousand iron coins to the soldiers who excelled in training. Furthermore, I promised that during the eventual suppression of the rebellion, all captured rebel wealth would belong to the soldiers who killed the enemies.

These Imperial Guards had initially complained heavily about being assigned to quell the rebellion. Now, seeing the chance for monetary reward and the prospect of getting rich in battle, their resentment quickly subsided. Combined with the strict enforcement of the new management system, the Imperial Guard unit transformed within a few days.

For several days following, to oversee the training, Yun Yao and I did not return to the Zhao Residence, staying and eating with everyone at the Imperial Stables. Ma Xiaowei and her sister also remained there. Ma Xiaorui spent her days riding out to the pastures for fun, paying no mind to her inspection duties. Fortunately, Ma Xiaowei was relatively diligent; although she never offered her own opinions, she shadowed my every move, which served as a sufficient form of oversight.

The artillery battalion was established smoothly. Compared to the catapults, these rudimentary Majestic Cannons were far more advanced. Although their range was limited, their accuracy had significantly improved. The hit rate of the catapults was about one in ten, whereas the Majestic Cannons achieved seven in ten. Shi Shan’s contribution was indispensable here; without him, I don't know how much effort it would have taken to determine the correct trajectory for these steel cannons, nor how difficult it would have been to train the gunners.

Eight large cannons, eighty catapults, and a certain number of Heaven-Shaking Thunder grenades. Furthermore, Shi Shan had invented fire grenades—essentially balls of flammable material that, once ignited, could be hurled into the city by catapults to start fires. There were also smoke grenades, made from material that produced thick smoke when ignited and thrown using catapults to obscure enemy vision. Following my suggestion, these smoke grenades were infused with some toxic substances, making them rudimentary chemical weapons.

Cui An, the factory director of the lumber mill, had already produced a batch of javelin throwers according to the method I had outlined. Their principle was similar to the catapults, relying on the immense power of torsion springs to hurl objects. The javelins were fixed inside a bamboo tube, which also served to adjust the aim upon firing. One javelin thrower could launch ten javelins simultaneously, with a range of up to one li—similar to the catapults. However, for the javelin throwers to be effective in killing, the closer the range, the better, because javelins fired beyond five hundred meters struggled to penetrate human flesh.

Eighty javelin throwers were rushed into production day and night. I couldn't help but imagine how many men could withstand a volley of eight hundred javelins fired at once. Heh, if only these were eighty automatic machine guns, they would be even more fearsome—the more enemies, the greater the slaughter. Alas, who knows how many years it will take to build a machine gun. The funds on hand were running low; any other weapon development would pale in comparison. Money—we needed money.

Five thousand of the ten thousand Imperial Guards were assigned to operate and maintain these weapons. The other five thousand, led by Gu Qi, practiced relentlessly in combat. After all, these weapons required time to move and deploy, so Gu Qi's five thousand men were tasked with protecting them.

Tomorrow was the day to march to Huyang to suppress the rebellion. After lunch, Shi Shan came to see me. "My Lord, I am to accompany the army to Huyang to suppress the rebels tomorrow. I wish to ask for leave this afternoon to go with my elder sister to the Yu household to redeem our second sister. I request your permission."

I slapped my forehead. Damn, how scatterbrained of me! I had originally given Shi Shan leave to redeem his sister that day, but then the Red Turban Army besieged the Imperial Stables. After the Red Turbans were defeated, the ten thousand Imperial Guards moved in, followed by endless training—during which Shi Shan played a crucial role and couldn't get away. I had completely forgotten about his task of redeeming his sister.

"Shi Shan, I truly apologize. I was so busy these past few days that I forgot about your business. Go quickly! It's just that there isn't enough time, or I would have let the three of you siblings spend a few happy days together."

Shi Shan bowed. "Thank you, my Lord. As long as my second sister can escape her suffering, we will have plenty of time together. My Lord, I shall take my leave now."

"Have my personal guard, Sun Chang, accompany you. The Imperial Stables will cover the expenses," I instructed. Shi Shan tried to refuse, but I called Sun Chang in and gave him a few brief instructions before sending them off. Yun Yao asked me, "Brother Zhao, we leave tomorrow. What should we do today?"

"Let's go check on the progress of the Eastern Depot construction in the Central City. After all, as the Head Supervisor, I can't ignore it completely."

Yun Yao laughed. "The actual head of the Eastern Depot is the Director-General. How did you become the Head Supervisor?"

"The Director-General is a eunuch. Do you want your husband to become a eunuch?"

Yun Yao hooked her arm through mine. "So that's why you're concerned. If you became a eunuch, we would become nuns."

"Who said anything about becoming nuns?" Linglong walked in.

Yun Yao quickly covered. "Nothing, no one wants to be a nun. Linglong, Brother Zhao needs to go to the Eastern Depot in the Central City—prepare the horses."

The proposal to establish the Eastern Depot had not passed the court assembly initially. However, Ma Xiaoda informed me that his father eventually lost his temper, declaring that the ministers opposing the Eastern Depot establishment were only doing so because they had something to hide. This left even Pang Hu with little room to object, as whoever obstructed the hardest would appear to harbor the greatest conspiracy.

Nevertheless, just like the Imperial Stables, the establishment of the Eastern Depot was approved by the court. It was tasked with supervising all officials and intelligence work. But the Ministry of Revenue still lacked the funds for construction. Fortunately, Ma Da had anticipated this. The moment he mentioned who would undertake the construction, the ministers were once again silenced. Since I had the ability to build the Imperial Stables independently, I naturally had the capacity to build the Eastern Depot as well.

However, compared to the Imperial Stables, the Eastern Depot wielded vastly greater power, supervising all officials directly up to the Emperor—a crucial role that far exceeded that of the Ministry of Justice. Fortunately, I had been away from the Zhao Residence lately. I heard that visitors had nearly worn down the doorstep with their sudden calls. The gifts piled up in heaps, and since I couldn't return to eat them, they all spoiled.

The Eastern Depot site was very close to the Five Ministries, separated only by a street. This area was originally prime real estate, but Grand Tutor Pang intervened and managed to acquire the land at an extremely low price. Afterward, he personally covered the costs for all the office supplies. For this gesture, I even wrote a letter of thanks, promising to pay him a personal visit upon the return of the Imperial Guards from suppressing the rebellion. At the moment, I simply had no time to deal with Grand Tutor Pang; I was buried under a mountain of tasks that was nearly driving me mad.

Ah Mao and Ah Gou, who were reviewing secret reports, quickly greeted me at the entrance upon learning of my arrival. "My Lord, you've arrived! Please come in and see if you are satisfied with how the Eastern Depot is built."

This was my first visit since the Eastern Depot headquarters was completed. The courtyard was spacious enough, and the rear compound offered ample room to house one or two thousand people without issue. Every great undertaking begins with difficulty, but now that the structure was up, things would be smoother.

"It's excellent. I must truly thank Grand Tutor Pang for this."

Ah Mao replied, "Yes, sir. He has been visiting recently to inspect our work. He said that you are too busy with the Imperial Stables and might neglect the Eastern Depot, worrying the Emperor might hold you responsible. As your friend, he felt it his duty to help shoulder your burdens."

I entered the room. "Grand Tutor Pang is quite enthusiastic. It seems I must thank him face-to-face later. What progress have you made on intelligence gathering recently? Tell me about it."

Ah Mao looked distressed. "Tell me, sir. What is troubling you? We do not need to fear anyone. The Eastern Depot, like the Imperial Stables, reports directly to the Emperor."

Ah Gou spoke up, "My Lord, the corruption among the officials in Shuancheng is indescribably severe. They are divided into three factions: one loyal to Grand Tutor Pang, called the Pang Faction; another loyal to the two Prime Ministers, called the Minister Faction; and a third that courts neither side, the Middle Faction. The Pang Faction clearly has the most muscle, and most of the heinous acts originate from them. Many incidents implicate Grand Tutor Pang behind the scenes, and your subordinates fear..."

"You don't need to be afraid," I interrupted. "Are you worried that because I appear close to Grand Tutor Pang, I won't be able to break ties with him if necessary?"

Ah Mao responded, "My Lord, our investigations show that Grand Tutor Pang is a petty, calculating man. It is truly unwise for you to become deeply involved with him."

I burst into loud laughter. "It is rare that you two are so diligent in looking out for me. Rest assured, I am aware of the situation. However, the Pang Faction is currently too powerful. We can only maintain a polite, distant relationship with them for now; otherwise, we will struggle to gain a foothold."

Ah Mao and Ah Gou bowed. "My Lord's integrity is clear; you would never consort with the ignoble. This current arrangement is merely a temporary measure. We were overly concerned, please punish us for our presumption."

"No blame. In fact, I am quite pleased. I was previously worried you might align with the Pang Faction out of fear of their power. Now I am relieved. Continue to serve as the Second Supervisors. If anything goes wrong, I will bear the responsibility. And if even I cannot bear it, we still have the Crown Prince and the Emperor."

"We thank you, my Lord. Serving you and His Highness the Crown Prince, we need fear no one. We now know how to proceed."

"The fame of the Imperial Stables is established; the thirty thousand Red Turbans couldn't touch it, so who dares underestimate it now? We need to build a reputation for the Eastern Depot now. I brought some weapons from the Imperial Stables today. One cannot stand firm in Shuancheng without strength. Go out and inspect them. I am also assigning some soldiers proficient with these weapons to the Eastern Depot. Combined with the factory guards you have recently recruited, you will have a thousand men—that should be more than enough to handle the current situation."

Ah Mao and Ah Gou pledged, "Rest assured, My Lord. We will utilize these thousand men judiciously to maximize their effectiveness. The Eastern Depot will become the second Imperial Stables, standing superior to all other agencies in Shuancheng."

"I am delighted by your confidence. Currently, we lack one thing: an opportunity—an opportunity to establish our authority. However, I leave for Huyang tomorrow to suppress the rebellion. For the time being, focus more on investigation and less on overly aggressive actions. We can discuss this further when I return from Huyang."

"Yes, My Lord. It is our duty to follow you to Huyang for the rebellion, but since you will be absent from Shuancheng, the Eastern Depot requires the two of us to remain in command. We ask for your forgiveness."

"Heh heh, it's good that you both understand your critical duties. Have the scouts sent to Huyang returned yet?"

Ah Mao replied, "They just delivered a secret report; Brother Ah Gou and I are examining it now. Please proceed to the inner study to review it in detail, My Lord."

Ah Mao and Ah Gou had been trained using my special reconnaissance methods and had become highly skilled. The scouts they trained were also extraordinary; they not only produced a detailed map of the route to Huyang but also a detailed map of Huyang City itself. The Huyang Prefecture was indeed remarkable, featuring three gates constructed of massive hewn stones: the East Gate, the Left Gate, and the Right Gate. There was no rear gate because the Huyang Prefecture bordered a vast mountain range.

The continent of the Twin Stars was mountainous everywhere, and since deep wells for underground water were impossible to dig, cities were often built near the mountains. Many high peaks retained permanent snow and ice, the melting of which was sufficient for drinking water.

Another reason for building near the mountains was that it saved a significant length of city wall—a crucial advantage for the technologically backward Shuancheng Kingdom.

The defending forces of Huyang Prefecture indeed numbered no less than one hundred thousand, though not all were stationed within the city walls. Fifty thousand were within the city, while the rest of the rebels were scattered around the periphery of Huyang Prefecture, serving both as outer pickets and because the city itself could not sustain such a large army.

The rebel leader was a man called Prince Shou; I already knew this. He commanded eight Heavenly Kings, known as the Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, Central, Earthly, and Human Kings, totaling eight. Each Heavenly King commanded ten thousand troops, effectively acting as a general. Another twenty thousand formed Prince Shou's personal, loyal guard, stationed within Huyang City to protect him.

The rebels' primary weapons were swords, spears, and bows. Iron weapons constituted less than one-fifth of the total, and most of those were concentrated in the hands of Prince Shou's personal guard. In the last fortnight, they had firmly established their base in Huyang Prefecture. The four Kings—East, West, South, and North—each led ten thousand troops outward in their respective directions. Due to the massive influx of refugees, the ten-thousand-man units expanding outwards in four directions had likely swelled to over twenty thousand each, meaning the total rebel strength now exceeded one hundred thousand.

The Red Turban Army that recently led an attack to seize the Imperial Stables, intending to use it as a base to assault Shuancheng, was commanded by the Central King. When he set out from Huyang under Prince Shou’s orders, his force numbered twenty thousand, but due to constant conscription along the way, it grew to thirty thousand by the time they reached the outskirts of Shuancheng. Unfortunately, not a single one of those thirty thousand returned alive. Prince Shou was furious over this loss, but he heeded the advice of his strategists: first, abandon large cities and focus on smaller ones. This strategy would allow them to expand their forces further and secure a logistical base before attacking Shuancheng.

After I finished reviewing the intelligence report, Ah Mao and Ah Gou said, "My Lord, according to the scouts' intelligence, the rebels number at least one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty thousand. We only have just over ten thousand men. My Lord, please reconsider. Perhaps we should recruit more troops before marching out."

I shook my head. "We can't wait. If we wait longer, it won't be fifteen tens of thousands, but twenty tens of thousands. Here is the plan: the enemy is stronger than anticipated. Ah Gou, you will remain and guard the Eastern Depot. Ah Mao, you will accompany me to Huyang. We must rely on weapons and intelligence to win this battle. I trust no one else with the intelligence reports as much as you two brothers."

Ah Mao vowed, "Yes, My Lord. I will certainly not disappoint your expectations."

I stood up. "Very well, it is settled for now. First, go out and inspect the weapons. Tomorrow, Supervisor Mao, you will take five hundred experienced factory guards with me on the campaign. You will serve as scouts for the rebel suppression army, responsible for intelligence gathering."

With the enemy so powerful, no one dared to be careless. Ah Mao went out to arrange the factory guards accompanying the expedition tomorrow, while Ah Gou came with me to the rear courtyard to inspect the weapons. The armaments I brought to the Eastern Depot in the Central City included ten javelin throwers, a batch of smaller Heaven-Shaking Thunder grenades, and some fire and smoke grenades, with a higher quantity of the latter, which might be useful for operations inside the city.

The standard armament for the Eastern Depot factory guards was primarily Xiuchun sabers and bows; there were few crossbows, mainly due to the shortage of iron for forging. Unfortunately, we still hadn't located any copper or iron mines. Did this mean we would have to dig deep mine shafts? With the technology of the Shuancheng Kingdom, this was extremely difficult. What should I do? Perhaps this matter would have to rely on the Jin Kingdom.

After arranging the Eastern Depot's affairs, I returned with Linglong and Yun Yao to the Zhao Residence. Having been away for several days, Zhou Ni and Cheng Susu greeted me with joyful shouts, hugging me tightly. It seemed the environment here had allowed their emotions to flourish more freely. Since I depart for the rebellion tomorrow, today must be spent properly with them.

That afternoon, at the Yu Residence in the Central City.

Shi Shan brought his elder sister, Shi Qing, to redeem their second sister. They stood by the small servant's door—a mere crawl space—pleading desperately. "Steward Yu, please have mercy and return our second sister! We can pay more money, is that not enough?"

Steward Yu, sporting a thin mustache he constantly stroked, replied, "Oh, Shi Shan. It's not that I haven't tried to help you, but you missed the agreed-upon date for redemption. Can you blame me for that? Now the Young Master has made it clear—he intends to take Shi Shuang as a concubine. You, my friend, just wait for the wedding banquet invitation."

Shi Qing was shocked. "Steward Yu, my sister is still young! How can she become the Young Master's concubine? Please, return her to us! We are willing to pay double the price."

Steward Yu chuckled. "You two sisters look quite alike, both lovely. No wonder the Young Master took a liking to them. You think you can buy the Young Master's concubine for one hundred iron coins? You are dreaming too sweetly."

"Stones, hurry!" Shi Shan urged, "Steward Yu, name your price! Anything will do if it means redeeming our second sister. That day, we were unavoidably late for the redemption time; the Red Scarf Army attacked, the Imperial Stables were besieged, and I couldn't get out."

Steward Yu sneered, "I don't care about that. In short, that girl Shi Shuang is not for sale at any price. You all better leave now, or if the Young Master sees you, you'll surely get a beating."

Shi Qing retorted, "Do you people have any sense of reason left? We don't want to sell our sister now; give her back to us."

Steward Yu let out a cold laugh, "Reason with the Yu family? Our Master is the direct elder brother of the Magistrate of the Outer City Judicial Department. Can your reason stand up to ours? Besides, it’s all in black and white—you were willing to sell, and we were willing to buy. There was no clause stating we had to give her back."

What Steward Yu said was the truth. In his desperation, Shi Shan pulled out every iron coin he had and offered them to the steward. "Steward Yu, please accept this small token. I beg you to speak kindly to the Young Master for us. If you agree to return our second sister, we will kowtow to you."

Seeing the money, Steward Yu's eyes gleamed. He snatched the pouch of iron coins and tucked it into his chest. "Fine, I'll go inside and ask the Young Master for you again. Whether it succeeds or not depends entirely on whether the Young Master is pleased."

Steward Yu entered the mansion. Shi Qing turned to Shi Shan, "Brother, why did you give the money meant for redeeming our sister to Steward Yu? What will we use for the actual redemption?"

Shi Shan replied, "Don't worry, Eldest Sister. Zhao Daren’s personal guard, Sun Chang, has already gone to the Zhao Residence to draw funds. Lord Zhao said he would cover whatever the cost might be."

Shi Qing was deeply touched. "Lord Zhao is truly kind to us."

Shi Shan agreed wholeheartedly, "Indeed. We must find a way to repay this great kindness properly."

While the siblings were speaking, Sun Chang returned from the Zhao Residence with the money. His lanky frame couldn't fit through the servant's entrance, so he had to half-crouch to slip inside. "Director Shi, why hasn't the person come out yet? We need to wrap things up quickly and return to the Imperial Stables. Tomorrow morning, the Emperor himself will see us off to Huyang."

Shi Shan replied, "Soon, soon, Brother Sun. Steward Yu has gone in to put in a good word."

Sun Chang scoffed, "What good word? Whatever money they demand, we'll give it! When I left, Madam Zhou and Madam Cheng instructed me to take Second Girl back to the Zhao Residence with me. She can help with cooking and washing clothes, and they’ll pay her two iron coins a month."

Shi Qing looked as if she were about to collapse to her knees. "Lord Zhao's family is too good to us. Thank you, Lord Zhao."

Sun Chang laughed, "Don't thank me. Go back to the Zhao Residence and thank Lord Zhao directly. Haha, Sister Shi Qing, you are so beautiful that Lord Zhao surely won't bear to see you distressed. So, rest assured, we absolutely have this redemption secured. The Yu family must give face to someone from our Imperial Stables."

Shi Qing knew the nature of the master of the Zhao Residence well. He did favor beautiful young women, but he was always polite and never acted improperly. Of course, what he did with his three wives was none of their business, but toward her, he was humble and cautious, fearing he might cause offense—he even stopped letting her wash his feet.

Steward Yu soon emerged from the manor. Before he even reached the servant's den, he shouted, "Shi Shan! Congratulations! The Young Master has decided to hold the formal ceremony for taking on a concubine tomorrow. You all should go home and prepare. Hurry up, hurry up! If you linger here, the Young Master will become angry."

Receiving such sudden news, the Shi siblings nearly collapsed to the ground. Luckily, Sun Chang managed to catch one of them. He roared at Steward Yu, "Hey, bring the person out immediately, and return that indenture contract along with her, or you'll be in trouble!"

Steward Yu stroked his beard and sneered, "Who the hell are you? Do you know who I am? How dare you speak to me in that tone? Believe it or not, I'll find men to chop you up."

The Yu family refusing to release the girl enraged Sun Chang. He already had a poor temper, and now he was dealing with a pampered, arrogant steward. "Damn your ancestors! Go ahead and find men to chop me! But let me warn you first: that girl Shi Shuang was specifically requested by our Master. If you dare delay our important business, watch your own dog head!"

Hearing Sun Chang's words, Steward Yu mistakenly thought some other master had taken a liking to the young girl and intended to claim her. He waved his hand, and over a dozen household guards immediately appeared behind him. "My lads, beat them! The Young Master just ordered that if the Shi family members refuse to comply with directions, they should be taught a lesson!"

As one of the fifty elite personal guards selected, Sun Chang was certainly capable. He would not be threatened by such antics. The two sides began shouting and fighting. However, a single pair of fists is no match for a pack of wolves. The Yu family's men kept growing in number, and soon Sun Chang and Shi Shan were beaten to the ground. Fortunately, Shi Qing was quick-witted enough to slip away in the chaos.

In the mêlée, Sun Chang managed to land a punch on Steward Yu's mouth. Habitually, the steward reached up to stroke his beard, only to touch his swollen lip and cry out in pain. "You mere rabble dare to rebel! Guards, send them to the Outer City Judicial Department! Hmph, if we don't flay some skin off them, how will the Yu family maintain any standing in the future?"

Sun Chang cursed back, "I'll curse your ancestors for eighteen generations! Release us immediately, or I'll castrate you myself and send you to the palace as a eunuch!"

Steward Yu viciously kicked Sun Chang. "I'll make you a eunuch right now! Damn it, gag them and send them off quickly!"