Chapter 281: Chapter 236 Vehicles
As the sovereign of a nation, Li Shun was acutely aware of the true reason behind the indignant departure of the people from Taihao Mountain: the revelation that airplanes could enable ordinary people to fly was simply too impactful. This news would inevitably spread to every corner of the world through the Academic Palace’s publication channels. Upon hearing this news, would the countless common people—who toiled in the fields for sustenance, faithfully believed in Haotian, and endured lifelong hardship in hopes of future bliss—begin to harbor different thoughts? For instance... could Haotian, after all, be merely this?
This thought instinctively made Li Shun somewhat uneasy.
The Emperor is a boat; the people, water. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it.
For millennia, it had been the rule: mortals were bound to the earth, gazing up in envy at cultivators who roamed freely, plucking stars and grasping the moon. From the very beginning, the presence or absence of Cultivation Talent had drawn an insurmountable chasm between commoners and cultivators. Commoners could not contend with cultivators and should be ruled by them.
Looking around, including in Yu Country, almost all royal families had cultivators among them. Cultivating members of the Imperial Family and Tributes loyal to the Royal Family were the ultimate safeguard for the royal lineage.
The Academic Palace could already send ordinary people into the skies. What new achievements might emerge in a hundred or two hundred years to trigger further seismic shifts? Once the common people’s minds were enlightened and their ’ambitions’ stirred, would they continue to devoutly believe in Haotian, revere the imperial court, and view the Emperor as the supposedly exalted ’Son of Heaven’?
The more Li Shun pondered, the heavier his heart became.
Empress Xue keenly sensed her husband’s emotional turmoil and silently squeezed his hand, offering quiet comfort.
"I’m fine." Li Shun forced a smile, suppressing his rising agitation.
Yu Country belonged to the Li Royal Family, yet it also belonged to the Academic Palace. He could neither halt the Academic Palace’s progress nor suppress his own instinct to aid its development. The advent of new creations like forceps, allicin, and penicillin had visibly and tremendously bolstered Yu Country’s strength. The regular reports from the State Mansion government offices clearly documented the local transformations. Instances of illness among the common people decreased, newborn survival rates rose, maternal deaths from childbirth complications fell significantly, and farmers and laborers no longer succumbed to minor injuries.
No monarch could ignore such positive changes. He could only, and indeed had to, choose acceptance.
As for the future destiny of Yu Country, the future of the Li Family... let it be for future generations to decide. He could only trust in their wisdom.
Li Ang was unaware of the impact, shock, and introspection that an aircraft had instilled in Emperor Yu. He had recently been busy dismantling said aircraft.
The Albatross was an impressive machine, but it was designed specifically as a low-altitude, high-speed, manned, human-powered aircraft intended for long-distance transoceanic flight. Such a design rendered it incapable of other tasks. Whether merchant houses hoped to use it for transporting goods or the Ministry of War wished to deploy soldiers with it, such applications were unfeasible. Even if they were possible, the exorbitant cost and abysmal efficiency would be unacceptable. Therefore, it was better to dismantle and store it, perhaps to be displayed when a museum was eventually built.
In contrast, the bicycle blueprints derived from the aircraft’s construction seemed far more practical. The cockpit of the Albatross already contained a bicycle-like mechanism, sans tires. It could be easily removed, slightly modified, and fitted with two rubber tires to become usable.
Yu Country currently lacked a reliable source of natural rubber. However, a low-level, caterpillar-like insect Demon could secrete a gelatinous substance very similar to rubber. Li Ang approached Doctor Zhang Liang of Hundred Beasts Studies, acquired some of this insect glue, fashioned two rubber tires, and mounted them on a bicycle frame. Instantly operational, the bicycle allowed him to experience the joy of speeding along, the wind in his face.
Thanks to a cement-like building material previously invented by the Academic Palace, several major official roads in Chang’an City were remarkably flat and well-maintained, making bicycle riding entirely feasible. Even the less-maintained side paths, not being excessively stony, were suitable for bicycle use within the city. The only drawback was the slightly high cost, owing to the need for complex metal components and the insect glue.
After using available materials to build bicycles for himself, Chai Chai, Li Leqing, and a few others, Li Ang submitted the blueprints to the patent office and authorized several businesses in Chang’an City to begin production. With the ingenuity of those merchant craftsmen, they should be able to devise methods to lower production costs and ensure steady, long-term sales. Heh, another revenue stream secured for his descendants.
After casually creating the bicycles, Li Ang’s next order of business was to deal with the Fine Gold. Bian Chenpei, true to his word after losing the bet, had a chest of Fine Gold and Mountain Copper delivered on the very evening of the aircraft’s successful test flight. Li Ang suspected Bian Chenpei lacked the means to gather such resources so quickly. It was more likely that the people of Taihao Mountain, feeling humiliated, had procured it for him to prevent Taihao Mountain from becoming a laughingstock for breaking its word. Hmph, he had certainly managed to deeply offend Taihao Mountain this time. Still, it wasn’t a major concern.
Li Ang cheerfully accepted the precious metals. He stored a portion in the Academic Palace’s laboratory located on the rear mountain and fed the remainder to Mo Si for gradual absorption.
Having absorbed a substantial amount of the precious metals, the dark-golden coloration of Mo Si expanded further, now covering Li Ang’s arms, neck, and collarbone. Li Ang estimated that another two to three hundred taels would be enough for it to encompass his entire upper body.
Although Mo Si hadn’t undergone another evolution, it had developed additional internal pathways. As a side benefit, this allowed Li Ang’s own Cultivation to smoothly advance to the High Order of the Body Concealing Realm. At his current rate of progress in Cultivation, it wouldn’t take much more sustained effort to reach the Rain Listening Realm. At that point, he would be able to create a wider variety of talismans and utilize Telekinesis in even more imaginative ways.
「Jiangnan, Suzhou City.」
An old man named Situ Zhi, with a kind and benevolent demeanor, arrived in this prosperous and wealthy city accompanied by his disciple.
The streets were broad, bustling with pedestrians like a flowing river, and lined with prosperous shops. In the distance, the harbor teemed with countless vessels, their colorful sails so numerous they nearly obscured the water’s surface. Merchant ships from every corner of the realm converged here, setting sail for distant ports. An endless stream of travelers, livestock, and cargo passed through, inadvertently bringing with them the ships’ rats, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and other insects.
It was, quite simply... the perfect breeding ground for Gu Worms.
Situ Zhi inhaled deeply, savoring the damp, salty air, rich with the myriad odors of the port.
"Teacher."
His pale-skinned, hooded disciple coughed lightly. Situ Zhi, jolted from his reverie, stepped aside to let a passing patrol of soldiers go by, appearing for all the world like an ordinary, kindly old man.
In the bustling, ethnically diverse Suzhou City, Situ Zhi’s Western Country features were not particularly uncommon. Coupled with his advanced age, the patrolling soldiers merely gave him a cursory glance and moved on, not even bothering with the travel documents he unhurriedly presented.
"Heh..." Seeing the soldiers walk away, Situ Zhi shook his head and put away his documents.
They had no idea they had just missed an opportunity—an opportunity to save Suzhou City. But perhaps, this was for the best...
Situ Zhi continued his advance. Unseen beneath his robes, his skin was a landscape of festering sores, where dense clusters of tiny black insects writhed unceasingly, as he sought the ideal Gu Worm to cultivate in this environment.