Chapter 571: Deciphering the Secret

Qizhou was one of the top ten powerful provinces in the realm, so its governor, Cui Ning, held a high rank—third-class ministerial status—and also held the honorary title of Yinqing Guanglu Dafu. With his high popularity and extensive experience, he was a star in the Tang Dynasty’s political scene. Had it not been for his noble Cui family background, he might have become a prime minister.

The provincial government of Qizhou was located in Yong County, but these days, to accommodate five thousand immigrants from Hebei, Cui Ning had been staying in Guo County. Early that morning, before dawn, he rushed north of the Shengyuan Canal. Cui Ning’s real name was Cui Gan; he was in his early forties, tall and thin, and appeared extremely sharp and capable.

These days, dealing with the resettlement of the immigrants had left him exhausted, but he would not rest until the task was completed. That was his nature—if he undertook something, he would see it through to the end.

Today, he first wanted to check on the progress of the canal digging. The thick morning mist prevented him from noticing the troops ahead until he was less than a hundred steps away from Li Qing’an when he suddenly saw cavalry blocking his path.

“Is this Governor Cui?” someone asked.

Cui Ning quickly reined in his horse and stared in surprise at the group of cavalry. He demanded sternly, “I am indeed the governor of Qizhou. Whose troops are these? What are you doing here?”

He still didn’t know that Li Qing’an was already in Qizhou. A colonel stepped forward, bowed, and said calmly, “Governor Cui, our general asks you to come and speak with him.”

“General?” Cui Ning froze for a moment before realizing it was Li Qing’an. He hurriedly dismounted and asked, “Where is His Highness?”

“Please follow me, Governor.”

A few bodyguards led Cui Ning to Li Qing’an. Cui Ning bowed deeply and said, “Your humble servant, Cui Ning, governor of Qizhou, pays his respects to Prince Zhao!”

“Governor Cui, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Li Qing’an smiled and returned the bow. Suddenly, he sensed something unusual. Turning around, he saw all the villagers kneeling on the ground. Gao Fugui was so frightened that his lips trembled, unable to speak—a general like this was actually Prince Zhao! He must have lost his mind. With such an important matter as the resettlement of the Hebei immigrants, who else but him could have proposed it? He was truly foolish!

Li Qing’an quickly gave a signal to his bodyguards to comfort the frightened farmers. Then he said to Cui Ning with a smile, “Governor Cui, let’s take a walk!”

Cui Ning hesitated slightly but nodded anyway. The two walked slowly along the path beside the fields, with several bodyguards following from a distance.

“Governor Cui, why is each household allocated forty mu of land?” Li Qing’an asked with a smile.

Cui Ning felt a chill down his back. He knew what the consequences would be. Once the Censorate launched an impeachment, he couldn’t escape the charge of arbitrarily distributing land. Especially since Li Qing’an had brought this up to him, there must be deeper motives behind it. He hurriedly explained, “I also realize that distributing forty mu of land is somewhat inappropriate. But according to the imperial decree on land distribution, local farming households are entitled to fifty mu as permanent farmland, while immigrants from Hebei only get thirty mu—a difference of twenty mu. Perhaps there’s no problem now, but in a few years, once the immigrants from Hebei fully integrate into the local community, this twenty-mu gap could easily become a source of intense conflict. To avoid future disputes, I raised the land allocation standard for immigrants to forty mu. Additionally, next spring, when the cattle from Hexi arrive, each family will receive one more cow. That way, both sides will basically have nothing to argue about.”

Li Qing’an nodded. “It’s right that you think far ahead, but you shouldn’t act on your own. You should report it to the Political Affairs Hall and let them make the decision before carrying it out. You’re an experienced official—such a basic mistake of defying orders shouldn’t happen to you. If anyone reports you, the Censorate can immediately impeach you. Cui Shijun, this is even more detrimental to you than the charge of colluding with Southern Tang!”

Cui Ning wiped the sweat from his forehead and said in a low voice, “It was my oversight.”

Yet deep down, he was worried. Why did Li Qing’an tell him about this? This must be his best chance to bring him down!

Li Qing’an glanced at him and smiled faintly. “Are you surprised that I’m not seizing this opportunity to impeach you but instead warning you? Right?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“That’s fine. I actually came to Qizhou this time intending to hold you accountable. The charges against you are quite simple—I just need you to send 100,000 dan of grain to Hanzhong within three days. If you fail, I’ll imprison you or even execute you on charges of delaying military operations. Do you believe that?”

Cui Ning’s back grew colder. Now he understood Li Qing’an’s true intention behind asking Qizhou to support Hanzhong’s logistics—to punish him for delaying military operations. There was no way he could escape. Once he was imprisoned or executed, the Cui family would fall into chaos. Then, when Cui Ping took over the family, Li Qing’an would have complete control over them.

Filled with fear, he lowered his head and remained silent. Li Qing’an continued, “That was indeed my plan, but now I’ve changed my mind. Do you know why?”

“I have no idea!”

“It’s simple. It’s easy to bring down a Cui family head, but it’s not easy to find a good official.”

At this, Li Qingan sighed slightly and said, “Cui Shijun, sometimes I really wish you were an incompetent or corrupt official.”
Cui Ning’s nose burned sharply; the sting made him almost cry. His heart was filled with the sentiment of a scholar willing to die for a true friend. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, “Your Highness, the Cui family has no intention of opposing you.”
Li Qingan walked slowly with his hands behind his back, silent, waiting for Cui Ning to continue. Cui Ning added, “We are aware of Pei Zunqing’s aggressive attitude, but the Cui family believes it does not represent the Pei family. Pei Zunqing may be arrogant, but the Cui family cannot be. If a power struggle arises between Cui Ping and Pei Zunqing, the Cui family will neither oppose nor support it. By the same logic, Cui Ping does not represent the Cui family either.”
Cui Ning spoke very subtly, implying to Li Qingan that Pei Zunqing’s arrogant provocations were not the true intent of the Pei family. As a family with hundreds of years of history, the Pei family would not engage in such shallow behavior—it was merely Pei Zunqing’s own arrogance. As long as Li Qingan dealt with Pei Zunqing, the Pei family would return to normal. He also made it clear that Cui Ping could not represent the Cui family.
Li Qingan nodded and smiled. “I see. I’ve actually wanted to have an open conversation with Cui Huan for a long time, but I’ve never found the opportunity. I’m grateful for your honesty. I also hope the Cui family can maintain its integrity and continue as a prominent family for another five hundred years.”
Cui Ning was grateful. He understood Li Qingan’s meaning—that was why he had spared the Cui family.
“Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I hope you know that the Cui family firmly supports your ascension to the throne. This is the Cui family’s promise to you.”
Li Qingan stared at him for a long time before nodding. “I’ll remember your words. I’ve remembered a promise from a Cui family head to me, but you must also remember what consequences the Cui family will face if your family betrays its promise to me.”
Cui Ning replied solemnly, “I understand that.”
The two continued walking for a while longer. Li Qingan smiled and asked, “Cui Shijun, have you ever thought about becoming a prime minister one day?”
Cui Ning smiled. “To be a scholar in the morning and enter the emperor’s court in the evening—this is every scholar’s wish. How could I not hope to become a prime minister?”
“Hmm!”

Li Qing’an continued walking forward, lost in thought. He stopped, gazed at Cui Ning, and said slowly, “I only resorted to schemes and tricks out of necessity, and only for a temporary time—not forever. Although Cui Ping is my confidant, his abilities are mediocre, and his integrity is lacking. He is not the kind of person I need to revive the dynasty. What I, Li Qing’an, desire is not merely personal power. I hope the Tang Dynasty can be revived under my leadership. I wish to be the one to bring about this revival, but I also need a capable minister to assist me. I’ve been searching for such a person, and today I’ve met you. A governor who is willing to give away ten acres of land from government fields to ordinary people—just for that, I know you are the minister I’ve been looking for.”

After saying this, he extended his hand to Cui Ning, his eyes filled with sincerity and expectation. Cui Ning nodded silently and shook his hand firmly. Although the Tang Dynasty did not have a custom of shaking hands, such an act between two men always symbolized trust and loyalty.

……

In the golden autumn of October, not only Guanzhong but also Hebei Province enjoyed a bountiful harvest of spring wheat. The wheat fields were covered in golden waves that swayed in the wind, and the granaries were filled to the brim. The abundant grain in Hebei undoubtedly brought great joy to An Lushan. But it was not just the harvest that delighted him—it was also his discovery of the secret behind the “Heavenly Thunder” of the Anxi Army.

In a valley outside Youzhou City, the terrain was flat, surrounded by mountains, covering an area of a hundred acres. Fifteen thousand Yan soldiers guarded it from three miles away, while three thousand personal guards surrounded An Lushan as he stood at the entrance of the valley.

An Lushan wore a helmet and armor, his eyes brimming with anticipation and excitement. A few hundred steps away, a dozen Taoist priests were busy making final preparations. They placed a dark, cylindrical object on a two-zhang-high wooden frame. That cylindrical object was an exact replica of the large firecrackers Li Qing’an had first created on Longju Island—five feet tall and one foot in diameter, wrapped in layers of paper, with a fuse that was five or six zhang long.

Next to An Lushan stood an old Taoist priest in his fifties. While subtly observing An Lushan’s expression, he explained, “Since General An offered a reward for the formula of Heavenly Thunder two years ago, I’ve been wondering what it really is. Two months ago, during the production of elixirs, an explosion occurred in the alchemy room, knocking down the roof. After investigating, we found that it was caused by using Grandmaster Ge Hong’s gunpowder formula—too much saltpeter led to the explosion. That’s when I suddenly thought: Could Heavenly Thunder of the Anxi Army be gunpowder?”

An Lushan frowned and said, “But we’ve also tested gunpowder—its power isn’t that great at all. It’s just like passing gas; with a bang, nothing’s left.”
“General, the key lies in the formula!”
The old Taoist flattered, “We’ve made gunpowder before, but it didn’t work very well. At most, it made the fire burn faster. But two months ago, due to a mistake in the ingredients, an explosion overturned our powder-making room. That’s when I realized the role of saltpeter in gunpowder is extraordinary. This time, I used Sun Simiao’s method of sulfur and hidden fire to make gunpowder, increasing the amount of saltpeter. It will surely satisfy you, General.”
“Let’s see then!”
An Lushan still wasn’t convinced. Suddenly remembering something, he asked again, “How much reward did you say you wanted last time?”
“Not much! Not much!”
The old Taoist raised one finger and smiled narrowly, “Ten thousand strings of coins as reward.”
“Ten thousand strings of coins!”
An Lushan snorted heavily. “Is that not enough?”
Before the old Taoist could speak again, An Lushan waved his hand to stop him. “Let’s watch the test first. If I’m not satisfied, you won’t get a single coin!”
The old Taoist dared not speak further. Worrying deeply, he looked at his disciples. Logically, they had been testing repeatedly for two months, so there shouldn’t be any major problems. But what if it failed? He prayed silently, “O Infinite Heavenly Lord, please bless my disciples to succeed. Once I get the money, I will surely rebuild Your golden body.”
At that moment, a dozen young Taoists were ready. They had also prepared fuses, though very crude. The Taoists stepped back far away, leaving only one person. He nervously lit the fifty-foot-long fuse with a torch, then turned and ran. In a flash, nearly thirty feet of the fuse burned—extremely fast—but suddenly slowed down, as if it had gone out, emitting only a faint wisp of white smoke. This was the biggest problem for the Taoists—the burn rate of gunpowder was uncontrollable, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Once, an overly fast burn rate even killed one of the Taoists.
The fuse crawled forward slowly, like a snail. An Lushan’s brows furrowed deeply. What on earth was this thing? Then, the fuse gradually sped up again, with thicker smoke rising up the wooden frame. At that moment, all the Taoists’ hearts tightened. Some even closed their eyes and prayed, as their future prosperity depended on this attempt.
Although An Lushan despised the old Taoist greatly, he was still full of anticipation for this test. His bodyguards had been ordered to investigate the old Taoist’s hermitage once. According to them, the gunpowder indeed had power.

This filled An Lushan with anticipation. As the flames neared the paper tube, he instinctively opened his mouth wide and stood on tiptoes. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, like a thunderclap, and black smoke billowed into the air. Everyone present was shocked; many instinctively pressed their hands to their chests. When the smoke cleared, it was seen that more than half of the two-zhang-tall wooden frame had been blown away, with debris flying everywhere. One piece of wood hit An Lushan right on the head.

Stunned, An Lushan was speechless for a while before suddenly bursting into laughter. “Great! Great! This is indeed heavenly thunder! Even I, An Lushan, now possess heavenly thunder. From now on, what need do I fear the Anxi army?” He grabbed the old Taoist’s thin arm eagerly and said, “You’ve taught my army how to make heavenly thunder. I’ll reward you with 50,000 strings of coins!” With a cry, the old Taoist was so overwhelmed with excitement that he fainted.