Chapter Thirteen: Good Things Must Be Created

As they arrived at the gate of the Duke Wei’s residence, Yang Xi reined in his horse but did not immediately dismount. Instead, he turned to Yang Dong beside him and asked, “Do you know who that young lady just now was? Which family does she belong to?”

Yang Dong was momentarily stunned, then shook his head. “Fourth Young Master, I do not know.”

After casting a cautious glance at Yang Xi, Yang Dong asked tentatively, “Fourth Young Master, shall I send someone to inquire right away?”

Uncertain of the meaning behind Yang Xi’s question—whether he had taken a liking to the young girl or simply wanted to restore the dignity of the servants in the Guo family household—Yang Dong replied carefully.

“No need,” Yang Xi said, dismounting and tossing the reins to the servant who stepped forward. He strode into the mansion with purpose.

He seemed intrigued by that young lady surnamed Guo. What kind of person might she be? Yang Xi's curiosity was piqued, but he was in no rush to send someone to investigate.

Yang Guozhong had not returned home; according to the servants, he had gone to the palace, likely to discuss affairs with Emperor Li Longji.

After accompanying his mother, Pei Rou, for a while, Yang Xi returned to his room, closed the door, and busied himself with writing and sketching some diagrams. Once he had arranged everything, he left the residence to seek out Yang Guozhong.

At the administrative hall, Yang Guozhong was handling state affairs. When Yang Xi requested an audience, Yang Guozhong had just finished a discussion with Wei Jiesu and Wei Fangjin. He was quite surprised to see Yang Xi arrive.

“Xi’er, you were supposed to return to Tongguan after nightfall. Why didn’t you rest at the residence this afternoon and instead went to the palace again?”

“Father, I just went to the West Market to purchase some needed items. However, there are many things I couldn’t find there and hoped you could help,” Yang Xi said, pulling out a document he had written on the way home and handing it to Yang Guozhong in a low voice. “Father, these items are very useful and can be employed in warfare. Right now, I can only find a few things at the West Market, but I believe many of the items listed here are something you can acquire.”

Yang Guozhong took the manuscript with some suspicion. After reading it carefully, he was surprised and whispered, “Xi’er, why do you need so much saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal? And crystal?”

Seeing his father’s confusion, Yang Xi explained in terms that might make sense to him. “Father, saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal are all combustible materials. Recently, I came across a miscellaneous book that mentioned mixing these substances to create a powerful ignition. I thought that if we could have such easily combustible materials for the defense of Tongguan, they could inflict great damage on the rebels during a siege. I want to gather some for use on the battlefield. The rebels will likely try to attack again, and stockpiling these materials in Tongguan could greatly aid in repelling them.”

Having the experience of a future elite special forces commander, Yang Xi was well-versed in training soldiers with exceptional combat skills and leading small specialized units. Special forces also possessed unique practical abilities not widely known, such as expertise in manufacturing explosives. In his original time, Yang Xi was adept at bomb-making, able to quickly craft devices of varying power given the right materials. Upon crossing into this era, he immediately considered producing powerful explosives.

During the Tang Dynasty, gunpowder had not yet been applied militarily. Yang Xi knew that only towards the end of the Tang period did historical records mention gunpowder's use. In Emperor Li Longji’s time, such weapons certainly did not exist; otherwise, they would have been used in warfare. However, Yang Xi also understood that under the conditions of the Tang era, it was impossible to produce highly potent explosives.

Still, if he could create gunpowder with moderate explosive power, it could be decisive in war.

Many innovations are most intimidating when first introduced, and Yang Xi believed gunpowder would have such an effect. Therefore, he wanted to produce it as soon as possible. He knew the correct proportions for the mixture but would need to adjust according to the purity of the saltpeter available now. Except for charcoal, which was easy to obtain, the other materials were difficult to acquire, so he had to rely on his father’s assistance.

Originally, he intended to produce finished bombs and demonstrate their power to astonish Yang Guozhong or Emperor Li Longji, thereby securing strong support from the court. But after visiting the East and West Markets today, he realized that obtaining the raw materials would be challenging and had no choice but to seek his father’s help.

“Hmm, Xi’er, if you believe these items are useful, your father will certainly find a way to gather them for you,” Yang Guozhong said without further questioning and promptly agreed.

“Father, I’ve also designed some weapons and hope you can instruct the craftsmen at the Armory Department to produce some prototypes for testing,” Yang Xi said, producing several more documents and handing them over. “Father, these are weapons I devised while in Tongguan. I think they could be quite useful, but I’m not sure how effective they will be in practice. Please urge the craftsmen to make them, so we can evaluate their utility.”

Besides preparing to make telescopes and gunpowder, Yang Xi wanted to create weapons for special forces, such as specialized daggers, trident spikes, and the cavalry sabers commonly used in his original time. He was familiar with the construction of the trident spikes and special daggers and had drawn detailed schematics. However, the curved cavalry saber was something he had never used personally, so he had to rely on memory to sketch its design.

During his days in Tongguan, Yang Xi observed that soldiers used straight-edged horizontal swords without curvature. While this ensured the blades’ sturdiness, it lacked some convenience and lethality in combat. In warfare at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, cavalry remained heavily employed, wielding long, slightly curved sabers. The design made sense once understood, and since such weapons did not exist in this era, Yang Xi planned to develop them. If the new design proved more convenient and effective, he could recommend mass production by the court.

Hearing Yang Xi’s explanation, the military-ignorant Yang Guozhong appeared half-comprehending, but eventually nodded and consented. “Xi’er, your father will take care of these matters and have the Armory craftsmen produce them promptly and send them urgently to Tongguan.”

“Father, one more thing!” Yang Xi pulled out another drawing and placed it before Yang Guozhong. “Father, warhorses nowadays are prone to injury. I’ve thought of making something to place under their hooves so that even if they step on something hard, they won’t get hurt easily.”

Horseshoes did not exist in the Tang era, a conclusion Yang Xi reached after riding horses. Having never seen a horseshoe, he could only sketch a rough design based on his speculation. The specifics of its manufacture would have to be figured out by the clever artisans of Tang China.

Nevertheless, Yang Xi firmly believed that if all the items and weapons he had discussed with Yang Guozhong were produced, the combat capability of the Tang army would undergo a revolutionary transformation.