Chapter 136: Who would’ve thought! Being dirty and skipping baths had such benefits!!! (1 / 2)

“Your Majesty! Spare me, Your Majesty!”

Several Jinyiwei were dragging the Marquis of Yangwu outside, while a little eunuch nearby carried four Shenji rockets, conveniently enough for one to be tied to each limb.

The Marquis of Yangwu flailed his legs and twisted his neck desperately backward, shouting at the top of his lungs:

“But Your Majesty! If you give me funds, I promise results within five—no, three years!”

It was the perfect image of someone drawing a big, bold vision to scam research funding, a sight all too familiar in modern times.

[What the Marquis of Yangwu mentioned is indeed flawed—it easily causes objects tied to the rockets to spin in place and might even veer off course…]

—Primarily because the industrial foundation just isn’t there yet.

The old emperor glanced directly at the Marquis of Yangwu with a rather smug expression.

The Marquis instantly deflated, wilting like a plant that hadn’t been watered in ages.

[Still, it might be worth experimenting with. Who knows, they might manage to create a rocket! By then, just a few quick whoosh-whoosh-whoosh! Gunpowder could fly over and blow people up!]

The old emperor said nothing.

The Marquis of Yangwu perked up again. “Your Majesty! Please reconsider, Your Majesty! I’ve even named it already! It’s called ‘Fire Dragon Emerges from Water’! With it, our Da Xia will surely be invincible! Even if we can’t make this exact thing, we could create similar weapons! We can take it step by step!”

[What a pity! The idea is great! But there’s no money!]

Xu Yanmiao’s inner voice even accompanied this realization with a “smack!”—a sound effect symbolizing a clean break.@@novelbin@@

The old emperor: 🙂

Thank you, but I can’t even muster a laugh.

Does he not understand that these fanciful ideas might have potential? But without funds, researching these things would take time and piles of money.

And who knows when results might show up?

Three to five years would be fine, but what if it takes a lifetime?

Besides, money isn’t the only concern—there are other considerations.

A musket paired with a short sword? Sounds like a great idea, but attaching a short sword isn’t as simple as gluing it on.

Does the musket need modifications? What length should the short sword be to ensure it doesn’t interfere with the musket’s firing before being detached? And the blade of the short sword has to be sharp enough—otherwise, what’s the point of attaching it at all?

Digging Out Stones to Fill with Gunpowder?

What a good idea, but the size and thickness of the stones must be carefully chosen and tested to ensure they don’t compromise the explosive’s power. And should the gunpowder formula be adjusted too?

All of this requires manpower for research, resources for support, and time for refinement.

[But if it’s about money, who knows? Maybe the Marquis of Yongchang, while fighting in Waguo, might discover gold and silver mines over there?]

The Marquis of Yangwu, who had been silenced by the mere mention of “no money,” perked up at the mention of gold and silver mines. His heart skipped a beat as he struggled free of the Jinyiwei, looking pitifully at the old emperor. “Your Majesty…”

Not to be outdone, General Wude and General Piaoqi, who had also proposed weapon modifications, chimed in: “Your Majesty—”

At that moment, the three shared the same thought:

If only one weapon can be chosen for development, let it be mine first!!!

The Minister of Revenue wasn’t pleased. He immediately stepped up to defend the budget. “Your Majesty! Pursuing reckless militarism is unwise!”

[Here we go, the classic rhetoric: to win the leader’s favor, start by putting a label on the opposition!]

Xu Yanmiao’s previously distracted and scattered thoughts suddenly zeroed in on the Minister of Revenue, his eyes sparkling. [Are we about to witness another heated court debate?]

Ever since his transmigration, Xu Yanmiao had realized that the ministers’ disagreements on policies during court sessions could get extremely intense.

They would even undermine each other!

And draw fanciful visions to sway the emperor!

The Minister of Revenue’s expression was steady, but his eyes held a trace of smugness.

For such trivial matters, why resort to a quarrel over budget allocation? Xu Yanmiao is still too inexperienced.

“For over thirty years since the founding of the dynasty, we are in a crucial period for developing the people’s livelihood! That iron should be used for agricultural tools! That money should go toward water conservancy!”

The Minister of Revenue spoke carefully.

Xu Yanmiao tugged on the sleeve of the Ministry of War Official and whispered, “I bet the Minister of Revenue is about to team up with the Minister of Public Works. And the Minister of Public Works will definitely agree!”

The Ministry of War Official was puzzled. “How do you know?”

Xu Yanmiao feigned an air of mystery. “You wouldn’t understand…”

Up ahead, the Minister of Revenue, oblivious to their private exchange, had already turned to the Minister of Public Works. “Right?”

Agriculture fell under the Revenue Ministry, while water conservancy required the Public Works Ministry.

—Although firearms manufacturing was also the responsibility of Public Works, in a nation where agriculture was the foundation, advocating for water conservancy held greater influence.

The Minister of Public Works promptly took a side. “Your Majesty! I believe that now is the time for recuperation and rebuilding…”

[Ah, the frustration of holding onto juicy gossip but being unable to share it is unbearable.]

Xu Yanmiao’s internal voice was filled with regret.

[I really want to tell Lian Hang—of course the Minister of Public Works would agree. His daughter admires and adores the Minister of Revenue, sighing every day about, *’You were born before I came of age; now that I’ve grown, you’ve aged beyond my reach…'”]

The Minister of Public Works suddenly stopped mid-sentence, sharply turning to glare at the Minister of Revenue. If looks could kill, the Minister of Revenue would have been slashed to pieces.