Chapter 13: I Desire This!

Chapter 13: I Want This!

“Technology?” Li Shimin didn’t quite understand what technology was and instinctively asked, “What is technology? Is it really as powerful as you say, dear brother?”

“Technology is a unified term for science and engineering. Science refers to the accumulated human knowledge about nature, society, and thought. Its purpose is to uncover the precise relationships between facts and phenomena in our world and to establish theories linking them...” Li Qing glanced up and saw Li Shimin looking half confused, so he offered a simplified explanation that Li Shimin could grasp: “You can think of it this way—scientists propose theories, and craftsmen put them into practice.”

“Oh, I thought it was something else. So it’s just craftsmen...” Li Shimin suddenly understood and thought to himself that all that cloudy jargon earlier was just about craftsmen. Well, that’s no problem then.

“Brother Li, you’re being a bit narrow-minded again, huh? It’s not your fault you don’t see the bigger picture. Let’s see if your perspective changes after this,” Li Qing said as he found the classic film *Saving Private Ryan*. Although it’s basically a recruitment ad for the Marines, it’s perfect to show Li Shimin the brutal reality of war.

People tend to resist new ideas—even emperors aren’t exempt, especially someone like Li Shimin who’s often teased by Li Qing.

Li Shimin curled his lips and said, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, I know craftsmen are important to the country, but I just can’t imagine how craftsmen could earn your praise.”

“Brother Li, let me ask you a question.” Li Qing set his phone on the chair and sat down beside Li Shimin.

“Go ahead.” Li Shimin shifted to make room.

“What kind of weapons and armor did armies use during the Shang and Zhou dynasties?”

“All made of bronze.”

“And during the Qin and Han dynasties?”

“All iron.”

“How about using iron-tipped spears to pierce bronze shields? What do you think?” Li Qing asked with a grin.

Li Shimin was stunned—this was a question he had never considered.

“See? That’s technological progress.” Li Qing pressed play. “What if I told you there will be a weapon in the future that can strike targets eighty miles away and with a single shot destroy the entire Lìzhèng Palace? Would you believe that?”

Li Shimin almost tugged his beard out in disbelief. Eighty miles? One shot to destroy a whole palace? He looked at Li Qing dubiously, unsure if he was telling the truth.

If such a divine weapon existed, forget about the Tibetans, the Xueyantuo, or Goguryeo—he would dare to attack the Southern Heavenly Gate.

“Brother, are you teasing me? Such a weapon could not possibly exist on earth.”

“Why not? There’s something called a nuclear weapon. One bomb can wipe the entire city of Chang’an off the face of the Earth.” Li Qing clenched his fist and stretched it out before Li Shimin, opening his fingers wide: “Boom! That’s art.”

“If such a weapon truly exists, why worry about unrest in the realm?” Li Shimin’s imagination soared with Li Qing’s description. With such a weapon, northern border troubles and southwestern Tibetan incursions would be no more, and the people of the Tang dynasty could live in peace...

But wait, what if my brother is just spinning tales? Li Shimin found himself torn—on one hand, he wanted to believe in these things; on the other, constrained by his era, he really couldn’t envision what Li Qing was painting—a tantalizing mirage.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that what you describe seems too incredible...”

“Why don’t we make a bet? I bet you’ll soon put technological development as a national policy of the Tang.” Li Qing looked at the hesitant Li Shimin.

“I won’t bet with you.” Li Shimin refused decisively.

“Tsk,” Li Qing clicked his tongue and pointed at the phone screen, “Fine, no bet. Let’s just watch the movie.”

“Are these Westerners?” Li Shimin asked, pointing at the Ryan family on the screen.

“Yes, this is a Western story.” Li Qing replied.

“What are those white things?” Li Shimin asked, following his principle of asking when in doubt.

“They’re tombstones, commemorating the anti-fascist soldiers who died in World War II.” Though Li Qing disliked the Marines, he acknowledged the need for a balanced perspective.

“World War II? What is that?” Li Shimin raised his eyebrows, naturally intrigued by war as an aspiring emperor.

“World War II started on September 18, 1931, and ended on September 2, 1945, lasting fourteen years. Over sixty countries and two billion people were involved, and seventy million died directly as a result...” Li Qing had looked up Tang population statistics to offer a comparison: “That’s more than six times the population of Tang China in the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era.”

“Six times...” Li Shimin murmured to himself.

The film shifted to Omaha Beach.

The sea was rough and wild winds howled as countless landing crafts surged toward the shore.

“Why do these soldiers only wear helmets and no armor?” Li Shimin couldn’t help but ask, noticing their attire.

“Because it’s useless.” Li Qing answered concisely.

A piercing whistle sounded, and the men on the landing crafts quickly turned valves. As the ramp slowly dropped, the hellish roar of machine guns erupted. Soldiers inside fell like wheat being cut.

“What is this?! How can they die without even seeing the enemy?” Li Shimin cried out in horror, pointing at the wildly firing MG42.

“It’s a machine gun. Its theoretical firing rate is 1,200 rounds per minute, with an effective range of about a thousand paces.”

Li Shimin was stunned watching the footage. The machine gun’s power was overwhelming. Even if the soldiers fled into the water, they couldn’t escape death. The thick water couldn’t stop the bullets—it was a one-sided massacre.

The wars he had experienced were close-quarters, face-to-face battles with swords and spears. He had never seen such warfare—where you don’t even know where the enemy is, yet your own side suffers heavy losses. If such a thing existed in this era...

Li Shimin involuntarily took a deep breath, unwilling to think further.

“Is this the power of technology?” he asked, staring blankly at the screen.

“Feeling moved, Brother Li?” Li Qing grinned mischievously.

Li Shimin wanted to save face by denying it, but in the end, he chose substance over pride.

He suddenly lifted his head, eyes blazing with fierce determination.

“Brother! I want this!”

(End of chapter)