The drying and setting of the medicine pillars took a full day. The next day, after having Niuhuang and the carpenters refine them further with bone knives, they were ready for assembly and use.
While a few people were chatting outside the manor, Wang Xuance returned with his men.
"My Lord, the courtyard for Yuan Zhenren is ready."
"Everything is as you instructed, located in the woods about ten li south of the Duke's manor."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Tiangang's expression immediately drooped: "Young friend, so love does indeed disappear, doesn't it?"
"No! Compared to you old man, I love my wife and children at home more!"
Fang Er didn't even need to think before retorting, rendering Old Yuan speechless. He then turned to Wang Xuance and instructed:
"Go, pack up Old Yuan's belongings and have them moved to the newly built courtyard."
The special forces team received the order and, within half an hour, had moved all of Old Yuan's things.
In reality, there wasn't much to pack. As a qualified Taoist and a chemistry representative, Old Yuan's possessions were not extensive.
It was mostly bedding and experimental equipment.
Oh, and the sign of Wentian Temple and that couplet – Old Sun insisted on taking them down.
Looking at the items packed by the special forces, Yuan Tiangang resembled an abandoned young bride, his wrinkled old face looking incredibly wronged.
"Alright, stop looking like that. Once you're there, you can do whatever you please!"
After offering a word of comfort, Fang Er instructed Wang Xuance and his men to escort the belongings.
"Send Old Yuan to his new home."
"Yes, My Lord!"
A dozen special forces members, carrying his belongings, walked ahead, with Yuan Tiangang following behind, looking back repeatedly.
Chai Shao, whose PK was interrupted by Li Shimin's nightmare, grinned and waved from behind:
"Farewell, Zhenren Yuan~~"
Yuan Tiangang, already reluctant, stumbled upon hearing this and nearly fell face-first.
"Hmph! We'll see, just like reading a play while riding a donkey! You'll all see!"
"When this humble Taoist witnesses the miracle, I'll make your eyeballs pop out!"
After seeing Yuan Tiangang off, Fang Er returned to the manor with Li Jing and the others.
Li Baoju had already prepared dinner, as per Li Xiaogong's request.
Upon entering the banquet hall, Fang Er almost choked!
Damn it, looking at the round table, it was entirely filled with lamb kidneys.
Steamed, boiled, fried, roasted – all sorts of preparations were present.
Although these were from lambs just over three months old, and the flavor was not as strong as that of adult sheep, the sheer quantity was overwhelming.
Standing at the entrance of the banquet hall now, he felt as if he had entered a sheep pen.
"So pungent!"
"Hahaha, your chef is truly capable! Delicious, so delicious! Read novels."
Li Xiaogong, however, didn't sense any off-putting smell and instead excitedly found a seat, picked up a lamb kidney the size of a small fist, and stuffed it into his mouth.
His demeanor was reminiscent of being in love!
"Fine, I'll accompany you even if it means sacrificing myself."
After a meal that left his mouth greasy, Fang Er regretted eating so much.
"Even my burps smell like urine!"
He vowed not to do that again tomorrow. If he started a conversation face-to-face with someone, people might think he had some peculiar habits.
Returning to the back courtyard, he glanced at Fang Xin, chatted with Chai Yue and Xing'er for a while, and was then sent to Xiaoqing's room.
Returning after a long absence, the first day belonged to the wife, the second to the concubine – this was the rule.
Even if these rules weren't mentioned, Xiaoqing was pregnant, and he should be with her.
These were Chai Yue's exact words, though she had another reason she didn't mention.
The next day, seeing Xiaoqing still fast asleep, Fang Er quietly got out of bed.
Washing up, having breakfast, and completing a series of extremely boring tasks, he went to Sun Simiao's place.
Just as he reached the entrance, he noticed that the sign of Wentian Temple, removed yesterday, had been replaced with a new one today.
Upper Couplet: May all people in the world be free from illness.
Lower Couplet: Why begrudge the dust on the medicine shelves.
The plaque above the door read: Hundred Herbs Residence.
"Whoa~~"
Old Sun was clearly afraid of Yuan Tiangang returning, so he immediately declared ownership!
However, he had to admit that this couplet fully embodied the benevolent heart of a great physician, the King of Medicine, and deserved praise!
A small stove was set up in the courtyard, and Changsun Ling'er was fanning the flames, occasionally checking the medicinal broth in the clay pot over the fire.
Seeing Fang Er approach, she got up and bowed: "Good morning, Duke Fang."
"Good morning. How was the Emperor last night?" Fang Er nodded slightly and then asked about Li Shimin.
Changsun Ling'er looked at the room where Li Shimin was staying, her face filled with worry: "He's here. Master said His Majesty didn't sleep well last night, kept having nightmares. He should have just fallen asleep."
"What the heck, is this like Fang Xin sleeping backward before? Not sleeping well at night and sleeping during the day?"
"Alright then, I won't go in. You guys carry on."
With that, Fang Er turned to leave and met Li Ji and the others who were just arriving at the entrance.
Seeing him emerge from inside, Li Ji asked: "How is His Majesty?"
"They say he didn't sleep well all night and just fell asleep. So don't go in."
After explaining the situation, Fang Er took them to the workshop.
The craftsmen were working with great enthusiasm. Samples of the rocket casings had already been made and were neatly arranged in a corner of the workshop, ten in total.
Besides these, there was also a box of steel balls, about the size of a thumb, intended for the warheads of the rockets.
He had the casings and steel balls loaded onto a vehicle, along with the medicine pillars made yesterday, and they were taken to Yuan Tiangang's new residence.
In the old forest, ten li south of the Duke's manor.
Young men were still busy here. The houses had been built yesterday, but the roads still needed tidying.
The gunpowder that Yuan Tiangang had hidden outside the manor had all been transferred here.
It was safest to keep gunpowder away from residential areas. Hao Jianshe personally led people in setting up the explosion-proof warehouse.
The walls alone were a staggering two meters thick, and they were currently tying rebar.
Together with Yuan Tiangang, they opened the rocket casings and loaded the warheads with a mixture of gunpowder and steel balls.
Niuhuang, with a few of his apprentices, was refining the medicine pillars on the side. Once one was finished, it was inserted into the propulsion section, then the tail cap and warhead were attached. They only needed to be fitted with fuses when ready for use.
The assembled rockets were reloaded onto the vehicle and brought back to the Duke's manor. Someone was sent to relay an order to Tie Lao Ba to bring ten fuses.
When designing the rockets, Fang Er had specifically made the fuses compatible with the same model used for mortars, making production more convenient.
With all preparation work completed, the rockets were fitted with fuses and loaded into the launch tubes on the hovercraft.
It was the same mountain where Li Shimin's artillery test had caused an avalanche. As Fang Er gave the command, the sonar radar locked onto a mountainside five kilometers away, and the launch platform automatically adjusted its direction and angle.