Chapter 426: Already Able to Stand on One's Own

Everyone followed him out of the large tent and came to the edge of the camp.

Xiao Ningxun took out a small clay jar from the carriage, holding it in his hand: "This is it."

Xiao Yuanhang looked at the thing in his son's hand: "What is this?"

"My son also wants to try it, so I can know its power."

Xiao Ningxun looked around: "Everyone, step back, clear an open space, and surround it with shields."

Everyone obeyed, retreating to clear a space about twenty zhang square, and the soldiers surrounded it with shields.

Xiao Ningxun hefted the clay jar, glanced at the wind direction, making sure that when the jar exploded, the poison powder would not blow toward his own side and knock them down.

He thought for a moment and still said: "Everyone, cover your mouths and noses, do not inhale the poison powder."

The Emperor raised his big hand, covering Tuan Tuan's face, and Tuan Tuan also stretched out her two little hands, covering his mouth and nose.

The soldiers all covered their faces with their sleeves, eyes wide open, staring at the open space.

Xiao Ningxun took a deep breath and forcefully threw the clay jar as far as he could.

"Boom——!"

A tremendous roar that made people's eardrums ring exploded, and a slight tremor came from underfoot.

A mass of red firelight gushed out from the jar's mouth, instantly shredding the jar into pieces!

Immediately, countless points of cold light shot out from the fire, the outermost iron caltrops, with sharp whistling, shooting in all directions!

"Thud! Thud-thud-thud!"

The iron caltrops all struck the shields, some even deeply embedded!

Along with the firelight, a large puff of pale purple powder also emerged, quickly spreading with the wind.

That powder was extremely fine, giving off a sweet, strange odor.

Although precautions were strict, two dazed soldiers accidentally inhaled a little.

Their shields slipped from their hands, and in unison they clutched their bellies and burst out laughing.

"Ha ha……ha ha ha……uh!"

The two laughed until they doubled over, unable to stand, and rolled straight onto the ground.

Xiao Yuanhang furrowed his brows: "How to rescue them?"

Xiao Ningxun replied: "There is no cure, but there is no need to worry; this medicine powder only makes them weak and easy to capture, it will not harm their lives."

Tuan Tuan pointed with her little hand: "Father, look!"

Upon seeing this, even Xiao Ningxun, who had personally thrown the jar, was stunned.

Only see where the jar exploded, a pit the size of a person had been blasted out!

The pale purple smoke had by now faded considerably, but some still drifted slowly with the wind.

Xiao Yuanhang strode over to the two fallen soldiers: "Feeling better?"

The two weakly nodded, still unable to control their low laughter.

Xiao Ningxun loudly declared: "This device is called the Child-mother thunderbolt bomb."

"The outer layer of iron caltrops breaks armor and wounds people, the middle layer of gunpowder shatters the clay jar, the inner layer 'Drunken Immortal powder' causes hallucinations and laughter."

Xiao Jieyun let out a long breath: "What a fine 'Child-mother thunderbolt bomb'!"

"If used in a battle between two armies, our chances of victory will surely increase greatly!"

Immediately, the surroundings erupted with thunderous cheers:

"What a powerful firearm!"

"With this, we need not fear no matter how many rebel troops come!"

"Great victory! Great victory! Great victory!"

The Emperor beamed: "Count Wenhui, you have given me another great surprise!"

Xiao Ningxun shook his head: "Your Majesty, this is what Tuan Tuan saw in that Marrow Minerals Record, and it is also she who opened the lock; otherwise, I could not have obtained these."

Tuan Tuan twisted and turned in the Emperor's embrace, as if a little tail had grown on her buttocks, almost not knowing how to wiggle: "Right, right! Imperial Uncle! It's me!"

"But it was Third Brother, Ninth Brother, and Second Uncle, Seventh Uncle and them who together found and moved it out; you must not forget to praise them!"

"Right! And those guard uncles, they all contributed too!"

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ran looked at her with indulgent smiles.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi glanced at the guards who had accompanied them all the way, faces full of pride: "Look, following our young lady is just fine!"

Xiao Jieyun rubbed her little head: "Good, good, good! All praised! All rewarded! Satisfied?"

"Mm!" Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around his neck: "Imperial Uncle is the best!"

Xiao Jieyun looked at Xiao Ningxun: "This item arrives just in time!"

Xiao Yuanhang patted his son's shoulder, pride evident in his expression.

The Emperor waved his big hand: "Go! Go back and report!"

Everyone walked back into the tent and sat down.

Xiao Jieyun then asked: "How many Child-mother thunderbolt bombs do we have?"

Xiao Ningxun replied: "This is the small one; there are four hundred thirty in total, we used just one."

"There are still one hundred thirty large ones, but they require a catapult, so I did not bring them back, leaving them in that cave."

"I also brought back the small booklet from the cave, which records the method of manufacture."

Xiao Yuanhang pondered for a moment: "Unfortunately, the current quantity is not large, but if used properly, it will be enough."

"Your Majesty! The rebel troops are increasing forces in the northwest; our army will face a great battle; please entrust these Child-mother thunderbolt bombs to me, so I may allocate them uniformly."

"Approved." Xiao Jieyun glanced at Tuan Tuan nestled in his chest: "I believe, with the Princess Jiayou here, blessings will be with us, and we shall surely crush the enemy army."

Xiao Ningchen stepped forward: "Father, I request permission to go intercept the rebel troops coming from Jingcheng, and use this Child-mother thunderbolt bomb to strike them a heavy blow!"

Hit as many as you can, blunt their spirit!

Xiao Yuanhang walked to the table, looked at the map, and after a long pondering said, 'No, I plan to annihilate the fifty thousand troops that have come rushing here!'

Xiao Jieyun startled: 'Yuanhang?'

Xiao Yuanhang pointed to a spot on the map: 'This fifty-thousand-strong army should be here right now.'

'The sky is already dark, the march is slow; even if they rush here overnight, the twenty-plus li distance means they cannot arrive before noon tomorrow at the earliest.'

'When night deepens and all is quiet, Chen'er can lead the thirty-thousand troops, carrying half the child-mother thunderbolt bombs, to launch a surprise attack on the enemy and utterly crush these fifty thousand; I will remain to hold the main camp.'

'Your Majesty, the current situation is such that our forces cannot move, nor can the sixty thousand rebel troops we face off against. Therefore they can only send reinforcements from the capital.'

'If that's the case,' he laughed, 'we'll eat however many they send.'

'I'd like to see just how many troops they still have, able to add another ladle of oil to this hot pot of the northwest!'

'This way, our forces can stand invincible, wait at ease for their toil, and turn guest into host!'

'Good!' Xiao Jieyun slapped the table with his palm, 'This plan is excellent!'

Xiao Ningchen gazed at his father, filled with reverence; he had only thought of an ambush, while his father saw farther.

Tuan Tuan didn't understand, but seeing everyone in the tent looking at Dad with admiration, she also clapped her little hands: 'Dad is awesome!'

Cheng Ru'an glanced at her husband, then at her son, her face full of worry.

Xiao Yuanhang walked up to her: 'Don't worry, our Chen'er can now stand on his own.'

That night, in the Xibei main camp, no one slept.

Lights blazed brightly inside the central commander's tent.

At the stroke of zi (midnight), Xiao Ningchen led the thirty-thousand troops straight to where the capital's rebel forces were.

No matter what, Tuan Tuan refused to go to bed: 'I want to wait for Second Brother to come back!'

Xiao Yuanhang simply let her stay by his side.

After about an hour or so, Xiao Ningxun said: 'Listen.'

Everyone pricked up their ears; Xiao Ran looked excited: 'I heard it! It's the sound of the child-mother thunderbolt bombs!'

Xiao Ningyuan nodded: 'Second Brother has moved.'

Xiao Er clenched his fists nervously.

Lu Qi laughed: 'Indeed, I've wanted to try it too!'

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around her father's neck: 'Dad, will Second Brother be back soon?'

Xiao Yuanhang nodded, pressing her little head against his chest.

Xiao Jieyun said: 'Come on! Let's go out and see!'

Everyone walked outside the tent and faintly saw the distant sky lit up by fire.

After a long while.

'Report—!' the first scout horse rushed to the tent: 'The enemy's fifty-thousand reinforcements have been routed; fewer than ten thousand fled!'

Not long after, the second scout horse arrived: 'Report—! Over two hundred supply wagons, countless arrows and armor, all seized! Our casualties are under three thousand!'

Cheers erupted like a burst dam flooding the camp!

'We won!'

'Fifty thousand! Our thirty thousand defeated their fifty thousand!'

'Great victory! Great victory!'

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands along with the cheers: 'Great victory!'

Xiao Yuanhang and the Emperor exchanged a glance, both feeling relieved.

Soon, this news reached the capital.