karlmaks
Stories
7
Chapters
3,359
Words
5.9 M
Comments
20
Reading
20 d, 8 h
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Warm spring winds stirred the air, rippling through the golden waves of wheat in the fields. In Zhu Family Village, nestled beside those fields, the scene was lively and chaotic. Every household was digging through their latrines—all looking for one thing: niter. Zhu Wuliu was the fastest. He already held a handful of white powder in his palm. He had searched every inch of his family’s outhouse and now carefully wrapped up the powder before rushing off to Qingzhou City. “Zhu Wuliu, go check it out…-
1.2 M • Ongoing
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The sound of battle on the field drowned out everything else. Golden sunlight glinted off polished armor, casting shimmering reflections like ripples across a lake. Standing on high ground, Xiao Ming watched as five thousand regular troops charged forward in formation. The scale of it stirred his blood—he almost wanted to charge in himself. But he knew that would only make things harder for Niu Ben, who’d then have to split his attention to protect him. As the Qingzhou soldiers advanced on Wubao…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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"You’ve got quite the backbone, but I, Lu Fei, love breaking hard bones like yours." Liu Chuang’s defiant attitude infuriated Lu Fei. Lu Fei knew Liu Chuang’s reputation all too well. Though the Liu family wasn’t as powerful as the Wang clan among Qingzhou’s nobility, their notoriety surpassed the other four great families. Rumors said the Lius’ ancestors were bandits who turned to farming after amassing enough wealth, eventually becoming the so-called "nobility" of today. Yet even now, the…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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A faint haze of smoke drifted through the air, heavy with the pungent smell of gunpowder. Luo Xin, who had been standing right in front of the cannon, flinched the moment it fired. Though he managed not to fall flat on his backside, everyone could see his legs trembling. Niu Ben and Lu Fei both looked pale—they hadn’t covered their ears. As commanding officers, they had to maintain their dignity in front of the troops, so they stood their ground during the shot, feigning calm. Now, Niu Ben cast a…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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“Wait,” said Xiao Ming, eyes fixed on the fortress ahead, issuing the command calmly. Atop the walls of Wubao Fortress, a figure who appeared to be the leader stepped into view, observing the incoming reinforcements from the Qingzhou army. Pointing toward the wall, Chen Fu said, “Your Highness, that’s Liu Chuang, the ringleader of this band. His father was involved in the Lotus Pond conspiracy against you. After their plan failed, I led the Cangzhou troops in a surprise attack on the Liu…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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“What exactly is it, Your Highness?” Lu Fei asked impatiently. It wasn’t a ballista or a trebuchet, and the suspense had been eating at him for days. Luo Xin also came over, his eyes still crusted with sleep—three days of standoff had been more than boring. By now, Xiao Ming couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. He signaled to Chen Qi and the others to remove the burlap covering. In an instant, a large, jet-black, cold metal object was revealed—its imposing presence undeniable. “Eh?…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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"Prince of Shu?" Xiao Ming murmured the name softly. Memories of this prince from his predecessor's life surfaced—among all the imperial brothers, the Fifth Prince, the Prince of Shu, had the worst relationship with him. Both unruly and headstrong, the two had clashed repeatedly in Chang’an. Xiao Ming and the Prince of Shu had fought more than once over petty rivalries, earning them frequent reprimands from Emperor Wenxuan. Now that the Fifth Prince had taken his fief in Shu, Xiao Ming hadn’t…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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"What! The cement was stolen?" "Exactly, Your Highness. I just received the report." Pang Yukun said. Xian Xingchang was responsible for repairing Cangzhou City’s defenses, but logistics and transportation fell under Pang Yukun’s jurisdiction. Naturally, he was the first to know when something went wrong. Xiao Ming’s anger over the saltpeter crisis had barely subsided when this new outrage ignited his fury again. "You’re coming with me to the Qingzhou military camp immediately. Those remnants of…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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The first cannon was successfully cast, and the atmosphere in the Machinery Department was as fiery as the coal burning in the furnace. Every craftsman’s face was beaming with joy. Over the past month, they had worked day and night, each losing over ten pounds, all to complete the task assigned by Prince Qi. Now, all that remained was the test firing of the cannon. If successful, it would mean the Machinery Department had truly mastered the production technology of cannons. "Your Highness, please let…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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After several days of gloomy rain, the skies suddenly cleared. The heavens stretched high and blue like sapphire, dotted with soft white clouds drifting gently. The beauty of it all felt like a cleansing of the soul. Yesterday, after his hands-on demonstration at the Machinery Department, the workshop was finally ready to begin producing cannons in earnest. But with the barbarian invasion looming ever closer, time was running out. That morning, Li San and Wang Xuan arrived at Prince Qi’s residence…
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1.2 M • Ongoing
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