Chapter 135: In Our Dreams, We Met Emperor Taizu, the Exalted Sovereign

Liu Xie left the Chamber of Audience and headed for Qingli Palace.

With his departure to the front lines tomorrow, there were matters he needed to discuss with Zhen Mi.

These issues pertained to swiftly bolstering Lu Bu’s forces and increasing the support from the Zhen Clan.

Exhausted from her journey, Zhen Mi had already retired to sleep. Liu Xie dismissed the palace maids and approached her bedside.

Even asleep, Zhen Mi was a vision of beauty.

Her long eyelashes framed rosy cheeks, and even her delicate nose seemed charmingly appealing. Despite being covered by a quilt, her graceful and curvaceous figure remained evident.

“My beloved consort, wake up, my love.”

Gently, Liu Xie pinched Zhen Mi’s fair cheek.

“Mm…” Lightly sleeping, she stirred at Liu Xie’s touch and opened her hazy eyes. “Your Majesty?”

In her half-awake state, she exuded a captivating, languid charm.

However, Liu Xie had no mood to appreciate Zhen Mi’s beauty at that moment. He spoke directly, “We just received news from Yuan Shao; we must depart for Yōuzhou tomorrow to personally oversee the battlefront.”

“What?” Startled, Zhen Mi fully awakened, disbelief written all over her face. “Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven! How dare Yuan Shao allow you to venture onto the battlefield!”

Zhen Mi couldn’t help but wonder if she was still dreaming.

The esteemed Emperor, ruler of the Nine Provinces, the supreme sovereign! How dare Yuan Shao, merely a subject, suggest sending the Emperor to the front lines—it was sheer blasphemy!

Liu Xie let out a despondent sigh. “The battle in Yōuzhou has reached a stalemate. Following Ju Shou’s advice, Yuan Shao insists that we personally oversee operations at the frontline. First, to boost morale, and second, to deter Gongsun Zan from making rash moves.”

“As the Emperor, being summoned like this by a mere subject, even used as a tool for victory, is an unbearable humiliation!” Liu Xie angrily pounded his fist on the bed as he spoke.

Watching him, Zhen Mi felt heartbroken and deeply concerned. For an Emperor to be ordered around by his subjects, even manipulated as bait for victory, there could be no greater disgrace.

“The battlefield changes rapidly, fraught with danger. Your Majesty must not go!” Fear etched across Zhen Mi’s face; in her eyes, the battlefield was akin to hell on earth, filled with peril for Liu Xie.

Liu Xie’s expression grew complex. “Currently, we are under Yuan Shao’s control. If he commands us to go, how can we refuse? We lament not having absolute power; otherwise, we would surely wash away this humiliation with Yuan Shao’s blood!”

Unable to hold back, tears streamed down Zhen Mi’s cheeks, her eyes reddening as she said, “It is my inadequacy, unable to alleviate Your Majesty’s burdens…”

“Don’t weep, my beloved!” Liu Xie embraced and comforted Zhen Mi. “This is Yuan Shao’s fault, not yours. Your efforts to persuade the Zhen Clan to assist us in restoring the Great Han have been invaluable.”

Tears glistened on her long lashes, making her look even more vulnerable and pitiful.

“Your subject does not wish to see Your Majesty suffer injustice; I want to help you further,” she said earnestly.

Seeing her emotional state, Liu Xie knew it was time to act.

“If your love desires to share our burden, there happens to be something important that requires your assistance.”

Zhen Mi immediately stopped crying, looking at Liu Xie with hopeful eyes as she eagerly asked, “What task does Your Majesty require of me?”

Liu Xie replied, “Since the Zhen Clan has decided to support us, their future aid to Lu Bu will undoubtedly incur massive expenses. We do not wish for your family to face significant financial strain due to this commitment. Therefore, I’ve devised some methods for generating income and improving metallurgy techniques.”

The Zhen Clan indeed had wealth, but supplying an army was akin to pouring money into a bottomless pit. Currently, with Lu Bu’s forces being limited, it wasn’t a major concern. However, once his army grew to tens or hundreds of thousands, how could the Zhen Clan sustain such costs? Additionally, creating an elite force required top-quality weapons and armor, which would entail staggering expenses.

Over recent days, Liu Xie had pondered various strategies to generate income suitable for this era and considered sharing metallurgical techniques with the Zhen Clan. If successful, it would bring great joy to all; even if they failed, there would be minimal loss.

“Methods to earn money?” Zhen Mi looked at Liu Xie, somewhat puzzled.

The Zhen Clan was already proficient in commerce, with businesses spanning across multiple provinces, including trade beyond the Great Wall with foreign tribes.

Did Liu Xie truly have additional ways for the Zhen Clan to make profits?

“Yes,” Liu Xie nodded and said, “A few days ago, we encountered the High Emperor Taizu in a dream. He bestowed upon us ‘The Exploitation of the Works of Nature,’ which contains numerous ingenious techniques surpassing craftsmanship of today.”

“For instance, methods to create glass, advanced iron smelting techniques, processes to refine edible salt from toxic brine…and some innovative military weaponry designs.”

In this era, what industries were most profitable? Salt, iron, silk, porcelain, and military equipment!

Liu Xie aimed to teach the Zhen Clan lucrative methods related to salt, iron, military gear, and ceramics. These represented the best opportunities he could conceive given the context of the time.

Firstly, glass-making - ancient natural glass was immensely valuable, often more precious than jade itself.

The “glass” Liu Xie referred to was indeed glass as we know it.

He had studied the manufacturing process, which was quite simple. The primary challenge lay in achieving and maintaining high temperatures; he wondered if the Zhen Clan could overcome this hurdle.

If they managed to produce glass successfully, making money would be effortless. Aristocratic families were always eager to splurge on luxury items.

Next came salt.

Fine and refined salts have historically been scarce commodities, tightly controlled by imperial courts. In these turbulent times, the salt trade promised even greater profits.

Currently, most salt mines were exploited by powerful aristocratic clans, leaving little room for commoners to participate.

However, toxic salt mines, deemed unusable by ancients, remained largely ignored.

Liu Xie’s proposal to the Zhen Clan involved refining toxic salt from such mines into consumable fine and refined salts!

Both the production of glass and the refinement techniques for toxic or sea salt were relatively straightforward. Liu Xie only needed to explain the basic principles once, allowing the Zhen Clan to experiment repeatedly. While success might not come overnight, within two to three months, they should definitely achieve satisfactory results.

With glassmaking under their left hand and salt refinement under their right, the Zhen Clan would undoubtedly prosper financially, further solidifying their loyalty to Liu Xie.

Should there be concerns about Yuan Shao discovering their endeavors, they could discreetly relocate their entire family to Xuzhou, seeking protection under Lu Bu.

Apart from these profitable ventures, Liu Xie could introduce new military equipment designs and advanced iron-smelting techniques.

During this era, single horse stirrups existed but not double stirrups. As for horseshoes, they had yet to be introduced.

Double stirrups would significantly compensate for differences in equestrian skills among cavalrymen, greatly enhancing their combat effectiveness.

Horseshoes, on the other hand, would reduce wear and tear on warhorses.

With these two innovations, the cost of creating a formidable cavalry force would dramatically decrease.

The more advanced iron-smelting technology essentially involved innovative forging methods unknown to this time period.

Utilizing the resources of the Zhen Clan, it would become possible to produce sharper weapons and stronger armor, giving overwhelming superiority in armaments on the battlefield.

Once fully equipped by Lu Bu’s vast army, the result would be truly terrifying. While perhaps not unparalleled globally, such forces would undoubtedly prove invincible wherever deployed.

Liu Xie had meticulously planned all these ideas long ago. However, being confined within the imperial palace limited his ability to execute them.

Now, with the covert support of the Zhen Clan, these plans stood a high chance of success. Moreover, achieving these goals would further solidify the Zhen Clan’s loyalty.

“The High Emperor Gao bestowed upon Your Majesty the knowledge of technological advancements!”

“The method for creating glass, new iron-smelting techniques, and processes to extract salt from toxic mineral deposits…”

Zhen Mi was unfamiliar with horse stirrups and horseshoes, but both the production of glass and refining fine salt from toxic minerals promised immense profits.

Liu Xie explained, “Seeing the decline of the Han Dynasty, our esteemed ancestor Emperor Gaozu appeared to us in a dream and imparted this knowledge. However, I recall only vague outlines, not the detailed procedures.”

This explanation sounded far-fetched, yet Zhen Mi didn’t doubt it at all. Instead, she exclaimed excitedly, “These are truly divine revelations from Emperor Gaozu himself, affirming Your Majesty’s heavenly mandate.”

It had been merely years since the Huangjin Rebellion, during which belief in celestial beings like the Yellow Heaven or the Heavenly Dao had persisted among the populace, making the concept of gods and immortals deeply ingrained. It was entirely plausible that Emperor Gaozu would bestow revelations upon the Son of Heaven.

Liu Xie proceeded to share with Zhen Mi the manufacturing techniques for glass, horseshoes, and horse stirrups, along with advanced iron-smelting methods such as damascening and double-liquid quenching, as well as the process for refining salt from toxic mineral deposits.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t read any essential guides for reincarnators. Consequently, apart from glass-making, his understanding of these technologies was limited to general knowledge gleaned from history books and short videos in his previous life. He couldn’t provide detailed processes or specific steps for implementation.

Fortunately, apart from metallurgy techniques, the other inventions were relatively straightforward.

Liu Xie believed that by merely outlining the concepts, ancient craftsmen, with their wisdom and through persistent trial-and-error, would eventually discover the correct methods without issue.

Often, it’s not about lacking technical ability but rather needing fresh ideas.

”…That covers most of it. Have you noted everything down?” Liu Xie paused after explaining all these technologies in one breath.

Zhen Mi set down her brush and handed the still damp silk paper to Liu Xie. “Please review, Your Majesty, to ensure nothing has been omitted.”

Liu Xie glanced over the notes, finding them accurate and identical to what he had explained. Satisfied, he nodded and said, “Yes, this is perfect. Pass these technologies to the Zhen Clan and instruct them to find artisans for experimentation.”

“Remember, utmost secrecy must be maintained; under no circumstances should these leak out!”

Technologies like horseshoes and horse stirrups needed to be kept confidential until their introduction. Otherwise, once discovered, they could easily be replicated.

Similarly, the glass-making process, advanced iron smelting methods, and salt refining techniques must also remain secret.

These were his golden goose, entrusted to the Zhen Clan!

Zhen Mi smiled mischievously and said, “Indeed, these inventions are akin to money trees and treasure troves. Even without Your Majesty’s instruction, my mother would never allow their secrets to be revealed.”

Liu Xie paused, realizing she was right.

Unless Lady Zhen had lost her mind, there was no way she’d risk disclosure even on pain of death.

After gently blowing dry the ink, Zhen Mi carefully rolled up the silk paper and placed it into Liu Xie’s arms. Then, she declared, “I wish to accompany Your Majesty to the frontline battlefield.”

“No,” Liu Xie firmly rejected her request, leaving no room for negotiation.

Seeing Zhen Mi’s teary-eyed expression, he patiently consoled her. “The battlefield is perilous, but as the Emperor, Yuan Shao would rather sacrifice his own son than let harm come to us. Fear not, beloved consort. Besides, Yōuzhou is harsh and cold, and your delicate health could not withstand such conditions. How could we bear to have you suffer?”

Considering both practicality and personal feelings, Liu Xie absolutely could not agree to Zhen Mi’s request. A mere visit to her family in Xuwu District had already led to a severe illness; traveling to the battlefront in Yōuzhou would only exacerbate the risk. He couldn’t afford losing his wife and potentially alienating the Zhen Clan.

“I understand.” Zhen Mi’s eyes dimmed slightly, though despite her reluctance, she knew Liu Xie would never relent on this matter.

“Alright, rest well, dear consort. We will join you later.”

Having concluded their discussion, Liu Xie departed.

In truth, his ambitions extended far beyond what he shared with her, but progress must be made step by step, gradually unfolding. These technologies alone would keep the Zhen Clan occupied in research and development for quite some time.

As the sun neared its descent below the horizon, both Jia Xu and Guo Jia entered the palace together.

Similar to Guo Jia earlier, Jia Xu displayed rare signs of panic.

The battlefield is inherently unpredictable; no matter how meticulously he strategized, it was nearly impossible to guarantee the Emperor’s safety amidst such chaos.

Should anything happen to His Majesty on the field, all their plans would crumble!

Upon leaving Xu You’s manor, his spirits soaring, Jia Xu’s face darkened instantly upon hearing the news from Guo Jia. Internally, he cursed Ju Shou and Yuan Shao’s ancestors for eighteen generations.

With a grave expression, Jia Xu addressed Gao Luan and Zhang He, “On this journey to Yōuzhou, you two generals must ensure the Emperor’s safety at all costs. Remain vigilant without any lapse!”

Zhang He mirrored the seriousness, pledging solemnly, “Rest assured, Supervisor of Court Ceremonies. If a single hair on Your Majesty’s head is harmed by traitors, I will present my own head before you!”

Gao Luan pounded his chest thunderously, declaring, “We shall protect the Emperor with our lives!”

Still unconvinced, Jia Xu reiterated instructions to Zhang He and Gao Luan several times before allowing them to depart.

Noticing Guo Jia and Jia Xu’s unease, Liu Xie reassured them, “We’re merely going to the front lines to supervise the battle and boost morale; it’s not as if we’ll be wielding swords on the battlefield ourselves. Yuan Shao won’t let any harm come to us.”

While his words made sense, Jia Xu remained deeply concerned, plagued by a persistent feeling of dread.

“That traitorous Yuan Shao is truly despicable, and Ju Shou is no less abominable for suggesting such a ludicrous plan!” Jia Xu vented angrily, disregarding etiquette. “Never mind Yōuzhou alone, even combining Bing, Yōu, Jī, and Qīng Provinces cannot match the importance of Your Majesty’s safety!”

Guo Jia sighed, “Yuan Shao is desperate to eliminate Gongsun Zan’s threat from behind. Only by seizing Yōuzhou can he fully focus on confronting Cao Cao. To achieve this, he’s willing to risk sending Your Majesty to the frontline.”

A menacing glint flashed in Jia Xu’s eyes as he seethed, “Originally, I planned to exploit the father-son conflict strategy once either Yuan Xi or Yuan Shang was dispatched to Bing Province. But now, that fool Yuan Shao must be dealt with swiftly!

“Once that imbecile returns from the frontlines, I will begin setting our plans in motion!”

After hearing Jia Xu’s stern words, Liu Xie said, “Fengxiao, Wenhe, Yuan Shao requested Your Majesty to supervise the battle and boost morale. If Gongsun Zan is indeed defeated swiftly, Yuan Shao will control four provinces! Who in the world could then stand against him? At that point, this Emperor would remain his puppet until he unifies the land.”

“A few days ago, we three discussed seeking external aid for Gongsun Zan but found none. However, now I have devised a plan.”

Upon hearing this, both Jia Xu and Guo Jia became instantly attentive.

“What method does Your Majesty propose to assist Gongsun Zan?”

Neither Liu Xie nor Jia Xu and Guo Jia wished for Yuan Shao to seize Yōuzhou. With control over four provinces, Yuan Shao, wielding the power of “Controlling the Emperor to Command the Feudal Lords,” would become unstoppable by anyone in the realm.

Of course, Yuan Shao couldn’t be too weak either; if weakened excessively, he would fail to protect the Emperor effectively.

Only a barely surviving Boss Yuan was deemed ideal.

Initially, with Gongsun Zan looming menacingly from the north and Cao Cao as a constant threat from the south, it created a favorable situation for Liu Xie. He could quietly develop while hiding amidst this delicate balance.

However, once this equilibrium is disrupted, disaster would surely follow.