Well damn, a bullseye on the first shot.

Song Chi held the paper target and roared with laughter, repeatedly remarking on how accurate the thing was.

Next up was the mortar.

Lu Yuan couldn’t be bothered to go along. He stayed with his wives, Song Chi’s wife, and a group of children.

They got into the large carriage to wait. It was warm inside, and besides, they could see everything from the window.

In any case, the Zhao Family’s Travelers would teach Song Chi how to fire it, how to set the angles, and all that.

About half an hour and several loud BOOMS later,

Song Chi came rushing in, carrying the mortar tube.

The moment he entered, he exclaimed with immense excitement:

"Brother-in-law, this thing is incredible!

If we take these to suppress the bandits, what kind of bandit could possibly withstand a barrage like that?!"

The bandits could defend their mountain strongholds because of the treacherous terrain.

But that treacherous terrain was a problem for the bandits too, not just for the government troops.

With just that one narrow path, it’s easy for them to defend and hard for us to attack. One man can hold off ten thousand.

But by the same token, it’s not easy for them to get out, either!

We can just block their gate and bombard them. The bandits won’t be able to get out. They’ll be crying for their mothers and fathers, it’ll be a real sight.

As long as we bring enough mortars, I don’t care what kind of mountain stronghold it is—we can take it in an hour!

Lu Yuan couldn’t be bothered to respond to Song Chi. He was busy playing with Song Chi’s eldest son, holding him in his arms.

Song Chi’s eldest was a sweet talker, calling him "Uncle" over and over.

He had a clever streak.

Meanwhile, Song Chi was grinning at Lu Yuan.

"Brother-in-law, how about you get me some more? Get me three hundred of them, what do you say?"

Hearing this, Lu Yuan looked up at Song Chi, his face a mask of confusion.

"How many?

Three hundred?

I only have sixty in total, and I can’t even give you all of them.

If I give them all to you, what am I supposed to do when I run into Da Xingzi later?"

Song Chi grew anxious at once.

"Oh, come on, Brother-in-law! You can make them, can’t you? Just make some more!

I don’t need them right away.

I’m assembling my troops in the Provincial City and setting out after the fifteenth. I can swing by Taiping City on the seventeenth to pick them up.

If you count the days... that’s over ten days. That’s enough time, right?"

Before Lu Yuan could say anything, Song Meiqin, who was sitting to the side, raised an eyebrow and spoke in a teasingly sarcastic tone.

"Oh?

So now you’re begging your brother-in-law to make mortars for you?

I wonder who it was that wanted to arrest someone and hold them accountable back then..."

As soon as Song Meiqin finished, Song Chi looked over at her, displeased.

"Are you even my sister?!

Why aren’t you helping me out instead of bringing up that old business?!"

Song Meiqin looked at her younger brother with an amused expression and huffed lightly.

"I’m not helping you. Ask him yourself!"

Then, Song Chi turned back to Lu Yuan with a pitiful look.

"Brother-in-law, please, you have to help me!

I’m under orders from the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War this time.

If this goes well, I wouldn’t even care about being a General anymore. I might even get a position in one of the Six Ministries!"

The position of General was actually very high, especially one with real power.

In provinces with special status, like Shaanxi and Gansu or Yun Gui on the fringes of the Empire,

a General was basically a local emperor.

However, that was only when the Empire was in chaos and the Court was weak. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Right now, a Capital Official was naturally far more prestigious.

Clearly, Song Chi wanted to climb higher. After all, he was still very young, only twenty-eight.

Before Lu Yuan could respond, Song Chi quickly lowered his voice.

"Besides, when the Court sees my accomplishments, I’ll be sure to mention you, Brother-in-law.

If the Emperor finds out, he might just transfer you directly to the Ministry of Industry and give you an official post there!

And if the Emperor sees how handsome and talented you are, Brother-in-law, he might even betroth a Princess to you~

Then you’d be a Prince Consort..."

Before Song Chi could finish, Song Meiqin gave him a swift, hard kick.

She glared angrily at her younger brother.

’Whether Lu Yuan married a Princess in the future and whether she herself was happy about it wasn’t important.

The important thing was not to upset Su Liyan and Zhao Qiao’Er!

In this family, she was the last in seniority.

This little brat, does he really want to make his sister’s life in this house difficult?’

Song Chi knew he had overspoken. The thing was, he’d just said it casually as a little temptation.

What Song Chi didn’t know, however, was that for Lu Yuan, this wasn’t a temptation at all.

The next second, Lu Yuan waved his hand dismissively, glared, and said:

"Hey!

Don’t you even talk about that!

I have my three wives in this life, and I don’t want a single one more!

And another thing! When you’re out there stealing the show with these mortars, you must not tell the higher-ups that I made them.

Just say you did it yourself!

I don’t want any of the credit. I don’t want to go to any Ministry of Industry. I just want to stay here in Taiping City!

Do you hear me?!"

’Be an official for Old Zhu?!’

’Not even a dog would want to be an official for Old Zhu!!!’