Chapter 11: He Actually Said... Long Live the People!!!
Spring and Autumn Period, Warring States Era.
Laozi and Confucius exchanged a glance, both startled by the shock reflected in each other’s eyes.
Confucius spoke first, his voice trembling slightly: “Such power, it is as if divine punishment itself. How could anything so terrifying exist in this world?”
Laozi gently stroked his beard, his gaze grave. “This is a force far beyond human control. If wielded unwisely, it could bring great calamity upon the world.”
At that moment, one of the three thousand disciples cried out in panic, “Master, could this be the warfare of future generations?”
Confucius scanned the crowd, wiping the cold sweat from his brow as he tried to maintain composure. “Do not be alarmed. This thing… should not… should not be used on a large scale, or else there may be no survivors left in the world!”
The green ox beneath Laozi lowed softly, as if sharing the unease.
Laozi patted the ox’s head and nodded in agreement. “Indeed, everything in the world has its order. Surely such a weapon must come with many restrictions!”
…
Great Qin.
Ying Zheng stared at the terrifying explosion, his eyes burning with intense desire. Clenching his fists, he declared loudly, “If Great Qin possessed such a divine artifact, what worry would there be in unifying the realm? Qin would surely endure for ten thousand generations!”
Li Si hurried forward, bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty, this weapon’s power is tremendous, but we do not know how to make it. If someone knowledgeable could be found, perhaps we could attempt to develop it.”
Ying Zheng sighed helplessly. These questions were well known to him.
Had Great Qin possessed this, conquering the six states would have required only one such weapon.
Even if its power were half as great, it would suffice!
Great Han.
“Xiao He, do you think… this is what future generations have conjured?” Liu Bang stared at the aftershocks of the explosion in the sky, his whole being dazed.
He was nearly frightened into madness!
Xiao He swallowed nervously, his expression stiff as he responded, “Well… if nothing unexpected happens, it should be so!”
The two men gazed silently at the sky.
The mighty mushroom cloud lingered for a long time.
Only then did Liu Bang and Xiao He regain their composure, simultaneously wiping the cold sweat from their brows.
For a long moment, their hearts struggled to calm the fear within!
If one of these were to strike his imperial city… what could possibly defend against it?
…
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.
“Well… Wei Qing… if you truly had such a devastating weapon, would you be confident in defeating the Xiongnu?” Emperor Wu stared greedily at the sky.
Wei Qing answered without hesitation, “Your Majesty… surely you jest!”
Even Huo Qubing felt their sovereign was joking.
Never mind one of these weapons; even half a one would guarantee the annihilation of the Xiongnu!
…
Eastern Han.
Liu Xiu was not as shocked, having witnessed great battles before.
Watching the explosion, he recalled the meteor showers during the campaign against Wang Mang.
Its power was about evenly matched with his own.
…
Three Kingdoms.
“Wenruo… I… I want it!” Cao Cao’s eyes shone brightly as he beheld the weapon’s power.
Beside him, Xun Yu was speechless, watching his lord’s expression as if he had seen a widow.
You want it? What do you think I can do, conjure one for you?
…
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and the others all stared at Zhuge Liang, silently urging him to figure it out.
Zhuge Liang looked uneasy.
Liu Bei spoke first: “Strategist… you have always been wise and knowledgeable. Do you know what this is?”
Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, recalling the words on the screen, then lightly waved his feather fan and said, “My lord, if I am not mistaken, this should be the atomic bomb mentioned in the vision.”
“Though I had not expected its power to be so immense—one alone could withstand millions of troops!”
Liu Bei nodded in agreement. “Zhuge Liang is right. Its power is indeed shocking. Do you understand its principle? Can it be made?”
He looked at Zhuge Liang sincerely, as if to say, “Strategist, I trust you. Surely you can achieve it.”
Zhuge Liang, meeting Liu Bei’s intelligent gaze, felt dumbfounded.
Clearing his throat twice to ease the awkwardness, he said, “My lord… perhaps you misunderstand me.”
“Such a divine artifact is not within the reach of mortal hands.”
…
Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin came back to his senses, picking up the memorial on the ground, eyes filled with awe and contemplation.
He turned to Fang Xuanling, his voice grave: “Minister Fang, a weapon of such power, if wielded by our Great Tang, could surely secure our dynasty’s prosperity for millennia.”
“But we know neither what this atomic bomb truly is, nor how to manufacture it.”
Fang Xuanling furrowed his brow and bowed. “Your Majesty, I have never heard of such a divine object. Its creation must be exceedingly complex.”
The Emperor nodded. “Its power is immense and its process complicated, which is understandable. If anyone can build one for me, I would brother with him!”
Those words caused a strange expression to cross the faces of Fang Xuanling and the others.
Brotherhood?
Everyone involuntarily thought of the two former princes, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.
In terms of influence, no two were more fitting.
…
Ming Dynasty.
Old Zhu gaped, pointing at the sky, his voice trembling: “What… what is this? So magnificent!”
Zhu Biao was equally astonished, murmuring, “Father, such a sight must be the work of immortals.”
Old Zhu was truly terrified!
Could such a thing really be made by man?
During the Yongle era of the Ming, Zhu Di was equally stunned.
If he had this, and threw one at the Oirat, well… it was beyond imagining.
…
Yet he knew this must be related to firearms.
He had not expected future firearms to possess such terrifying power.
Recalling the earlier depiction of rifles and various weapons, Zhu Di’s breath grew rapid.
Clearly, advancing firearms was of paramount importance!
With that thought, Zhu Di set down his sword and shouted, “Send word to the Ministry of Works! Command them to devote all effort to developing firearms. Any craftsman who can improve our weapons shall be richly rewarded!”
…
As all were immersed in their shock, the screen changed again!
A bold soundtrack filled the air, followed by a confident, resolute voice from the vision:
“The foundation of a strong nation is vast territory. Our nuclear weapons can reach anywhere on the globe…”
“In international relations, strength is the eternal basis for upholding justice!”
“Dignity rests upon the tip of the sword; truth lies within the range of the cannon!”
Then came images of various weapons—planes, rockets… tanks… drones, grenades, and more!
All the emperors gazed at the ever-changing scenes on the screen.
In an instant… everyone was dumbstruck once more!
Having just recovered from the shock of the atomic bomb, they now faced another amazement.
They… they saw people flying in the sky?
And rockets trailing white smoke… a host of weapons they had never even heard of!
For a moment, from emperors and generals to common folk, all were stunned.
Each trembled uncontrollably—fear, excitement, greed mingled within them.
This shock defied words.
Only one phrase could capture it: “Whoa… incredible!”
Meanwhile, above the screen!
Amidst the constantly shifting images and music, countless figures gathered to form two characters:
“China!”
Then, the five-star red flag slowly rose, followed by a voice resounding through every time and space:
“Long live the people!”
“Long live the people!”
“Long live the people!”
At this moment, no matter which era, the people stood frozen in place—from the aged elders to toddlers just learning to walk!
Their eyes involuntarily grew moist.
He actually said… he actually said… “Long live the people?”