A group of high Tang officials followed Li Er, jumping one after another from the high platform like ducks entering the water, which made Fang Er want to laugh.
They arrived at the test site.
The wooden dummies were blown askew, with many missing limbs.
Shards of broken porcelain were stuck in the wooden debris.
"Your Majesty, this thing's power is too great! I request strict prevention! It must not be leaked to the public!" Changsun Wuji said, looking at the mess on the ground with lingering fear.
"Your Majesty, I request that the Left Wuwei Guards be dispatched to enforce strict security at the Ministry of Works workshops! Craftsmen are not allowed to leave without permission! Even if they leave, they must be closely monitored by soldiers to prevent them from being bribed by the enemy!" Li Jing said to Li Er.
"Your Majesty! I request that my subordinates be equipped with gunpowder canisters. Give me three thousand gunpowder canisters, and I guarantee I will beat Jie Li so badly that even his mother wouldn't recognize him!"
Yuchi Gong knelt on one knee and requested to fight Li Er.
"An Zhi, you are the only one who understands gunpowder here. Can it be used in warfare now?"
Li Er did not respond to them but instead turned to ask Fang Er.
"Replying to Your Majesty, it can be used with the current methods, but the lethality is insufficient, wasting too much gunpowder. Moreover, the ceramic pots are easily broken when thrown, and the detonation time is difficult to control."
Fang Er was stunned for a moment before remembering that An Zhi was the courtesy name Li Er had given him, and he was asking himself.
"With such power, the lethality is still insufficient? Since the ceramic pots are not suitable, do you have any way to improve it?"
Li Er asked Fang Er with confusion.
"Yes, it is best to add broken iron pieces, iron beads, or small stones to the gunpowder to increase the lethality during the explosion. Additionally, I have some ideas for improvement, but I won't know if they work until they are made."
Fang Er replied.
"If that is the case, I appoint you to establish the Department of Gunpowder and serve as its director, solely responsible for this matter, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works, with a rank equivalent to a Ministry of Works Langzhong. Is that acceptable?" Li Er asked Fang Er.
He was testing Fang Er.
In the Tang Dynasty, the Ministry of Works was divided into four departments: Works, Field Cultivation, Mines, and Water. Langzhong held a rank of Cong Wu Pin Shang.
If this were translated to modern times, this position would be equivalent to the director of a national academy of sciences!
Fang Er had previously said his ambition was not in the imperial court, so Li Er wanted to test if Fang Er was telling the truth.
"Replying to Your Majesty, I am truly accustomed to a leisurely life and fear I cannot fulfill this role." Fang Er directly refused.
"Nonsense! The current court is controlled by the five surnames and seven clans. Even Li Er has to look at their faces when doing anything. Being a detached official with idle duties is acceptable, but actually reporting for daily duty? No one would want that!"
Li Er felt some relief, but also some disappointment, upon hearing Fang Er's reply.
He was relieved that Fang Er truly had no ambition for the court, but disappointed that such a talented person could not be brought under his wing.
"Bold! The Emperor's appointment is his decree, how dare you refuse?" A minister behind Li Er, upon hearing Fang Er's reply, immediately became displeased.
"Imperial power bestowed by heaven is an unchanging truth in this era."
"The Emperor's word is his bond, and all under heaven are his subjects!"
Fang Er dared to refuse Li Er's decree, which was unacceptable!
"This lord's words are misplaced. I, Fang, have been rewarded with the position of Ren Yong Xiaowei by His Majesty for offering the methods for gunpowder and salt production, and I am already extremely humbled, even feeling fortunate. With my temperament, I fear I am not suited to be the director of the Department of Gunpowder." Fang Er retorted to the minister who spoke.
"Your Excellency, please calm yourself. Fang Anzhi, since that is the case, I grant you free access to the Ministry of Works. For all matters related to gunpowder, you shall be in charge. How about that?" The minister wanted to speak again, but Li Er interrupted him directly and looked at Fang Er.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's understanding!"
Fang Er clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Li Er.
Regarding the matter of gunpowder, although Li Er was anxious, he could only wait for Fang Er to improve its usage method before verifying it.
After bidding farewell to Li Er, Fang Er returned to Fang Family Manor.
With accountants sent by the Cheng and Yuchi families to the restaurant, Xiao Qing was freed up, leaving only Hua Niang and a few kitchen helpers there.
"Young Master, I heard Da Li say you went to the imperial palace? Was it beautiful inside?" Xiao Qing, who was sitting in the courtyard of the Fang Family Manor in a daze, rushed forward to ask Fang Er when he returned.
"Beautiful as hell!"
Fang Er directly stated his opinion of the imperial palace.
This was his true opinion. Having seen the Forbidden City left by the Ming Dynasty, the imperial palace of Chang'an was truly unimpressive. Moreover, Li Er now only occupied half of the Chang'an Imperial City, with the other half occupied by Emperor Emeritus Li Yuan.
"Young Master is lying. Everyone says the imperial palace is very beautiful! It's like spring all year round, with carved beams and painted pillars, whatever you want, it's a fairyland!" Xiao Qing pouted, clearly not believing Fang Er's words.
"You don't know, the Emperor is still living in the Eastern Palace! It's so shabby! His father is living in the real imperial palace!" Fang Er explained to Xiao Qing.
"Then why did the Emperor ask Young Master to enter the palace?"
Xiao Qing asked curiously.
"Young Master, two eunuchs have arrived and said there is an imperial edict to be read."
Just then, Zhuzi entered the courtyard and said to Fang Er.
"Please invite them in."
Fang Er was surprised. He had just arrived home, and the eunuchs followed. However, he could only invite them in first.
Two eunuchs followed Zhuzi into the inner courtyard. One of them was Li Er's personal eunuch, whom Fang Er had seen twice before when he entered the palace. He was Xiao Deng Zi.
"Eunuch Deng, may I know what His Majesty's decree is?"
Fang Er immediately went forward to greet him upon seeing him.
"Xiaowei Fang, before it was just the Emperor's spoken word. This time, I am here to formally read an imperial edict. Please prepare an incense table, right?"
Xiao Deng Zi was straightforward and directly stated his purpose.
Under the direction of the two eunuchs, Zhuzi and Xiao Qing quickly prepared a table, chairs, and an incense table in the inner courtyard.
Xiao Deng Zi took out an imperial edict from his怀 and said to Fang Er, "Xiaowei Fang, please receive the edict."
Fang Er immediately knelt on one knee.
Li Er had given him the position of Ren Yong Xiaowei, which was a military post, so kneeling on one knee was understandable.
Xiao Deng Zi opened the imperial edict and read in his sharp voice: "From the Secretariat: Fang Er, for his contributions in gunpowder and salt production, is hereby appointed Ren Yong Xiaowei, awarded one thousand taels of gold, and permitted free access to the Ministry of Works to oversee gunpowder affairs. Upon completion of the task, further rewards will be bestowed. The eighth month of Wude, Year Nine...!"
After that, there was a lot of meaningless text for the closing.
After reading the imperial edict, Xiao Deng Zi took out a stack of flying money from his怀 and handed it along with the imperial edict to Fang Er.
"Your subject receives the edict."
Fang Er quickly stepped forward and accepted the imperial edict and the flying money.
He also took out a note from it and handed it to Xiao Deng Zi.
"Eunuch Deng, take this for some tea."
"Thank you, Xiaowei Fang."
Xiao Deng Zi happily accepted the flying money and said to Fang Er.