novelSusiti Chapter 41 Piracy Will Be Prosecuted? No, this is what's called reverse engineering.
Chapter 41 Piracy Will Be Prosecuted? No, this is what's called reverse engineering.
The snow on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month seemed to be colder and harsher than in previous years.
Although the earthen ceiling in the Qilin Hall was burning hot, the urgent report from the border that had just arrived was like a block of ice that had stood for millennia, causing the air in the hall to freeze instantly.
Ying Zheng sat on his imperial couch, not flying into a rage as his ministers had expected. He held a delicate little purple clay teapot in his hand, occasionally sipping hot tea from the spout, his expression eerily calm.
"Are they all mute?"
Ying Zheng put down the teapot and glanced at the kneeling civil and military officials below.
"Weren't you all just celebrating the railway's opening? Weren't you all shouting 'Long live the Qin Dynasty!' Why are you all looking like wilted eggplants now that you hear that Maodun is back?"
Li Si raised his head tremblingly, his face full of bitterness: "Your Majesty, it is not that we are afraid of war. It is simply... this news is too unbelievable. Modu fled only a year ago, and was like a stray dog. How could he have not only unified the grasslands in such a short time, but also created... created our Great Qin's divine weapon?"
"A divine artifact?" Ying Zheng sneered, picking up a broken arrow and a rough iron ring from the table.
Those were pieces of evidence sent back along with the urgent report.
"Take a look at this." Ying Zheng tossed the iron ring to Li Si. "This was taken from a dead Xiongnu horse. It's a stirrup. Although it's crudely made, just a ring of cast iron without any leather padding, and it rubs painfully against your ankle, its function is exactly the same as ours."
"Take another look at this arrowhead." Ying Zheng tossed down the broken arrow again. "It's triangular. Although it's not steel, but bronze mixed with iron filings, its armor-piercing ability is three times stronger than the bone arrows of the past."
"Li Si, tell me. Did this fall from the sky? Or did one of you lose your mind in business and sell arms to the Xiongnu?"
Ying Zheng's gaze was like a knife, finally landing on Liu Bang, who was standing at the end of the military ranks, shrinking his neck and pretending to be invisible.
"Liu Ji".
"Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I am here!" Liu Bang shuddered and scrambled out of the ranks. "Your Majesty, you are wise! Even if you gave me ten lives, I would never dare to sell stirrups! What I sold them were glass beads, toilet paper, and at most some... slightly expired canned goods."
"Expired canned food?" Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe..." Liu Bang chuckled twice, "That's because...to weaken the enemy's stomach."
Ying Zheng did not delve into the matter of the canned food; he pointed to the stirrups on the ground.
"I believe you didn't sell it. This stuff is a strategic resource, and it's closely guarded. However, with your large caravan moving in and out of the grasslands, it's inevitable that some guards will be killed in battle, or some horses will go missing."
"That Maodun wasn't some senile old man like Touman who only knew how to drink. He was a wolf."
Ying Zheng stood up, walked to the huge map, and drew a circle north of Yinshan with his finger.
"Wolves can learn."
"Little G," Ying Zheng murmured to himself, "What's this called?"
[Your Majesty, this is called "reverse engineering," or, to put it more bluntly, "copying."]
Technology knows no borders. If your technology appears on the battlefield, is captured by the enemy, and is dismantled, as long as the underlying principles are not complex, imitation is only a matter of time.
This is why mere "equipment superiority" is unsustainable. War, in the end, is a contest of human strength.
Ying Zheng nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.
"What a blatant knockoff."
"Since he wants to learn, then let him learn. He's trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog instead. I want to see what kind of monstrosity his uneducated craftsmen can produce."
Ying Zheng turned around and looked at Meng Yi.
"Issue the order. Since the stirrups have leaked, there's no need to hide it. Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! See if there are any traitors within our ranks. Also, tell the Minister of the Imperial Household Department that our equipment needs to be upgraded."
"If he can replicate stirrups, can he also replicate my plate armor? And my palm-sized thunderbolts?"
"When it comes to technology, I will always be one step ahead of him."
"Yes, sir!" Meng Yi accepted the order.
……
Although Ying Zheng appeared calm and collected in court, the situation on the border was far more severe than he had imagined.
At the foot of Yinshan Mountain lies Shoujiang City.
The still-unfinished city was shrouded in a somber atmosphere. A cold wind whipped up snowflakes, lashing against the still-wet cement walls.
On the city wall, Xiang Yu, clad in his incredibly stylish beast-head chainmail, his black cloak fluttering in the wind, didn't look at the enemy army in the distance. Instead, he stared intently at the massive, half-finished statue pedestal below the city.
That's his "Overlord Statue".
The original plan was to build it to a height of ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), but it has only reached knee height so far. Due to a sudden uprising by the Xiongnu laborers and the approaching army of Modu Chanyu, the project was forced to stop.
"Damn it!" Xiang Yu slammed his fist on the city wall, sending cement debris flying. "My statue isn't even finished yet, and these wolf cubs dare to cause trouble?"
Beside him, Han Xin, wrapped in a thick sheepskin coat, held his iconic abacus and was observing the distant Xiongnu army formation through a telescope.
"Commander Xiang, stop thinking about your statue," Han Xin said calmly. "Look over there."
In the footage, on the vast snow-covered plains, a dark mass of cavalry spread out like a black cloud. Unlike the chaotic tribal charging formations of the past, this time the Huns were actually arranged in... a square formation?
Although the formation was somewhat crooked, it clearly showed signs of discipline.
More importantly, the cavalrymen all had simple iron stirrups hanging from their horses. They could no longer shoot arrows while lying on their backs as before, but could stand up straight and even shoot arrows with both hands while on horseback.
"Twenty thousand men." Han Xin flicked the abacus beads. "They are all light cavalry equipped with stirrups. And their horses... seem to have been changed."
"Changed?" Xiang Yu narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"The Xiongnu horses used to have good stamina but poor explosive power, and short legs. But look at these horses..." Han Xin pointed to several Xiongnu scouts who were provoking them on the front lines, "Long legs, thin necks, and well-developed pectoral muscles. Are they... of the Ferghana horse bloodline from the Western Regions?"
"It seems that Maodun has been busy in the west, not only seizing iron but also breeding horses."
Xiang Yu snorted coldly and reached for the Overlord Blade on his back.
"Whatever kind of horse it is, just cut it down."
"Han Xin, stop calculating. Open the city gates! I'll lead the Iron Pagoda Cavalry in a charge and teach them what the real thing is and what a knock-off is!"
"No!" Han Xin grabbed Xiang Yu's wrist. "Commander Xiang, didn't you notice? They're 'flying kites'."
"Flying a kite?"
"Look at their formation," Han Xin said, pointing to the enemy's flanks. "The middle is open, but the flanks are thick. And they don't have heavy armor, they're all light armor. If you charge in with your Iron Pagoda troops, they'll scatter like a flock of startled birds, and then use their speed and the agility of their stirrups to shoot you with arrows from the sides and rear."
"Although the Ironclad Cavalry are impervious to swords and spears, their horses cannot withstand it. If they cannot keep up with them, they will be exhausted to death."
"This is Maodun's new tactic: using mobility to specifically counter your heavy cavalry."
Xiang Yu was stunned for a moment, then irritably shook off Han Xin's hand.
"What should we do then? Just stay in the city like a turtle?"
Han Xin's lips curled into a strange smile.
"Who said you have to be a tortoise?"
"Since they want to fly kites, then we'll... cut their strings."
Han Xin turned around and said to the messenger behind him:
"Go and bring up all the 'good things' left behind by Liu Bang."
"Also, give each of the Hun laborers in the logistics battalion a megaphone."
"We won't compete with them in archery and horsemanship; we'll compete with them in... shouting."
……
Half an hour later.
On the battlefield between the two armies.
In the midst of the Xiongnu army, Modu rode atop a tall, magnificent Akhal-Teke horse, his eyes filled with sinister intent.
He returned not for a decisive battle, but to test the waters. He wanted to see if the tactics he had learned from the Western Regions, combined with the imitation stirrups, could truly contend with the Qin army.
"Great Chanyu, the Qin people are coming out!" Zuo Gudu Hou pointed to the city gate.
The city gates were wide open.
But what emerged was neither a black torrent of steel nor a neat infantry formation.
Instead, it was a group of people... pushing wheelbarrows, wearing tattered rompers, and carrying strange tin tubes.
"Those are...our people?" Maodun, with his sharp eyes, recognized their appearance.
Those Xiongnu laborers who had been "Qin-ified" pushed their carts to a point three hundred paces in front of the battle line and stopped. Then, they raised the tin tubes in their hands—simple megaphones invented by Liu Bang—and took a deep breath.
"Modu! Your mom's calling you home for dinner!"
Thousands of people shouted at the same time, and the sound, amplified by loudspeakers, traveled clearly on the north wind into the ears of every Xiongnu soldier.
The Xiongnu army was in turmoil.
"What's going on?"
"What are they shouting?"
Then, the message changed.
"Brothers! Don't follow that ungrateful bastard Maodun to your deaths!"
"In Da Qin, food and lodging are provided! Every meal includes steamed buns made with white flour and meat soup!"
"Work for three years and you'll get a house! You can even get married!"
"Look at me! I used to be a slave under King Zuo Guli, but now I'm a third-level bricklayer in the Qin Dynasty! I earn two thousand a month! And I've even gained ten pounds!"
While shouting, they also lifted the tarpaulin off the wheelbarrow.
A rich aroma of meat wafted over on the wind.
The truck was piled high with fluffy white steamed buns, sizzling roasted lamb legs, and jars of fine wine with their mud seals broken.
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed hard, and soon after, a chorus of rumbling stomachs echoed through the Xiongnu army.
Maodun's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
What kind of tactic is this?
Why would someone carry steamed buns instead of swords and spears on the battlefield?
"Shameless!" Maodun drew his scimitar. "This is undermining our morale! Issue the order! Anyone who dares to disobey will be executed on the spot! Charge! Kill all those traitors!"
"Whoosh—!" The arrow shot out.
Five thousand Xiongnu cavalry vanguard charged forward with howling cries.
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
When the laborers who had been shouting saw that the other side was really going to charge, they threw down their megaphones, pushed their wheelbarrows, and ran quickly into the city.
The Xiongnu cavalry charged toward the "abandoned" food.
The warhorse smelled the fragrance and refused to move.
The soldiers smelled the aroma of the wine and their hands went limp.
"Don't take it! That's my steamed bun!"
"This wine smells wonderful!"
The originally orderly charging formation instantly became chaotic due to the piles of food.
Just then.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The trucks loaded with food suddenly exploded.
It wasn't one of those earth-shattering explosions, but rather... a smoke bomb.
The "good stuff" that Liu Bang left behind was the smoke bomb he used in Xianyang to deal with the nobles—a smoke bomb mixed with chili powder and quicklime.
Red smoke instantly enveloped the Hunnic vanguard.
"Cough cough cough! My eyes!"
"Ugh! What kind of poisonous gas is this?! It's burning me!"
The warhorse, choked by the chili powder, went berserk, charging wildly and throwing its rider to the ground.
On the city wall, Xiang Yu stared in disbelief at the scene before him.
"This works?"
Han Xin put down his binoculars and calmly said, "Warfare is based on deception. This is called a 'biological attack'."
"Commander Xiang, now they're in chaos, blind, and... they're choking and can't breathe."
"Your Ironclad Cavalry can be deployed now."
Xiang Yu suddenly came to his senses, and his eyes burst with wild joy.
"You cunning Han Xin! You cunning Liu Bang! You're all so damn treacherous! But... I like it!"
"All troops, attack! Crush them into mincemeat!"
The city gates were opened wide again.
This time, it really was Death who came out.
Three thousand ironclad cavalry, like a black hammer, slammed into the chaotic red smoke.
This was a reaping victory that was a foregone conclusion.
Those Hun cavalrymen, whose eyes were barely open and who were still sneezing and tearing up, were unable to mount any effective resistance and were knocked away along with their horses.
From afar, Maodun watched as his vanguard inexplicably fell into chaos and was then swallowed up by the Qin army, and he was so angry that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Despicable! The Qin people are despicable!"
He knew that he had lost this battle again. And the loss was even more humiliating than the last one.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Maodun gritted his teeth and gave the order.
He took one last look at the city where the surrender was held, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.
"Ying Zheng... Han Xin... you wait."
"I won't just give up like this. Since I can't win in a head-on fight, then I'll... try another route."
Maodun turned his horse around and galloped westward.
……
After the battle, the task of cleaning up the battlefield was handed over to the laborers.
"Hehe, this chili powder is really effective," a laborer chuckled as he picked up the enemy's scimitar. "It's just a bit tough on my voice."
Xiang Yu rode his horse and looked at the mess on the ground. This time, he did not say he wanted to kill the prisoners.
He glanced at Han Xin beside him.
"Han Xin, tell me, why did Maodun run away so fast? He still has more than 10,000 main force troops behind him who haven't moved yet."
Han Xin frowned slightly as he looked in the direction where Maodun had disappeared.
"He's not scared. He just... doesn't want to lose all his money here."
"Commander Xiang, look at the direction he's retreating."
"It's not heading north back to the grasslands, but... west."
"Westward?" Xiang Yu asked, puzzled. "The west is a desert, and there are the Yuezhi people there. What would he be doing there?"
"I don't know," Han Xin shook his head, "but I have a feeling. This wolf is going to harm others."
……
A few days later, in Xianyang.
Ying Zheng received the good news, and also a letter.
That was a letter that Modu shot at the city wall of the surrendered city during his retreat.
The letter was written on a rough piece of parchment, with crooked and messy handwriting, clearly written in newly learned Chinese characters, but the content was extremely arrogant.
Li Si unfolded the letter and read aloud:
"You old Qin Emperor, seeing this letter is like seeing me in person."
"Your steamed buns are good, and your wine is good too. Thank you for your hospitality."
"I have heard that the Qin Dynasty is rich and prosperous, with gold everywhere. I greatly admire it."
"However, I will not take it. I want to go and see what's going on in the west."
"I've heard there's a place to the west called 'Ferghana,' where the horses are faster than yours. And a place called 'Rome,' where the women are whiter than yours."
"I'll go scout ahead for you. Once I've conquered the Western Regions, I'll return and... have a final showdown with you, old man."
"Do not worry. Your neighbor, Maodun."
After reading it aloud, Li Si was so angry that his hands trembled: "Arrogant! Utterly arrogant! Your Majesty, I request permission to send troops to pursue him! We must tear this scoundrel to pieces!"
Ying Zheng laughed.
He took the sheepskin and examined it carefully.
"That's interesting."
"This kid is more capable than his dead father. He actually knows about 'Ferghana' and 'Rome'."
"Little G".
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Is Maodun planning a westward expansion?
Yes. Historically, the Xiongnu did control the Western Regions. But now, you have forced them to do so ahead of schedule.
His departure will likely bring disaster to the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions. Moreover, he will become a major obstacle to Qin's westward expansion.
The Silk Road, before it even opened, was already going to be blocked.
Ying Zheng stood up and walked to the map.
His gaze passed over the Yin Mountains and the Hexi Corridor, landing on that blank area called "Western Regions".
"A roadblock?"
Ying Zheng sneered.
"No one has ever been able to stop me from taking my path."
"Since he wants to go to the Western Regions, then I'll play along with him."
"Pass on the order."
Ying Zheng's voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Recruiting an 'exploration team'. I need someone who is brave, physically fit, and eloquent."
"I want him to take the letter from the Qin state, along with Qin silk and porcelain, and cross the desert to see the Western Regions."
"Go and tell those small kingdoms in the Western Regions that the Great Qin has arrived."
"By the way..." A cold glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes, "Give that Maodun some trouble."
Li Si was taken aback: "Your Majesty, do you have someone in mind?"
A name came to mind for Ying Zheng.
That man who opened up the Western Regions in history. Although it's a bit early now, he should have been born by now, right?
"Go to Hanzhong Commandery and find someone for me."
"His name is... Zhang Qian."
"If it weren't for Zhang Qian..." Ying Zheng glanced at Liu Bang, who was dozing off in the corner of the palace. Liu Bang had just returned from the south to report on his duties.
"Then let Liu Bang go."
"Anyway, he's good at conning people. It's perfect for him to con the people of the Western Regions."
Liu Bang, who was dreaming of eating dog meat, suddenly shivered and woke up.
"Achoo! Who? Who's plotting against me?"