Chapter 193: The Boss's Pie-in-the-Sky Promises
Gao Yiye smiled: "Uncle Xu, from now on, you'll be in charge of this building."
Xu Dafu glanced at the frighteningly enormous stone structure and jumped in surprise: "So big... and you want *me* to manage it?"
Li Daoxuan offered no explanation. From the firecrackers he'd bought for the Spring Festival, he took one, carefully peeled away its paper wrapping, uncoiling it layer by layer to expose the gunpowder within.
The gunpowder inside the firecracker primarily consisted of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal. It was essentially the black powder used in the Ming Dynasty, with only slight, almost negligible, differences in its composition.
A single firecracker contained only a small pinch of gunpowder. He rolled up the paper that had held it, aimed it at the small window of the "Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau," and poured the powder inside.
"Yiye, take Xu Dafu inside and have a look."
Gao Yiye led Xu Dafu into the "Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau." The massive, overturned stone jar that formed its core contained an immense interior space.
As Gao Yiye and Xu Dafu stepped inside, it felt as though they had entered a colossal stadium. Standing in such an immense space, their gazes sweeping across it, they couldn't help but feel incredibly small.
Xu Dafu was naturally timid and cautious. Inside such a monumental building, he became even more inhibited, shrinking into himself and struggling to move freely.
Xu Dafu followed her gaze. "Huh? A huge pile of strange little round pellets."
Gao Yiye nodded: "That's the celestial gunpowder provided by the Heavenly Lord. Things from the immortal realm are all enormous, too large for our mortal world to use directly. Therefore, it requires *your* touch to grind it down into fine powder."
Xu Dafu didn't quite grasp the concepts of "immortal realms" or "celestial gunpowder," but he swiftly moved to the pile of gunpowder.
The gunpowder from a single firecracker appeared as a substantial heap before him. He reached in, picked up a small pellet, and sniffed it. "This is a sulfur pellet..." He picked up another, sniffed again. "And this is a charcoal pellet."
"Saltpeter..."
He quickly identified the components of the little pellets, a look of confusion crossing his face. "This is essentially pre-mixed gunpowder, but... each granule is far too large. I wonder why it wasn't ground finer before being mixed."
Gao Yiye said, "Isn't that precisely your job, then?"
Xu Dafu's spirits lifted. *Right! Wasn't the Saintess bringing me here precisely so I could do this? How foolish of me to even question it.*
He quickly performed a deep bow. "Illustrious Saintess, I understand what I must do. I will grind these spherical gunpowder materials into a fine powder, and then re-mix them according to the correct proportions to create finished gunpowder."
Gao Yiye continued, "The Heavenly Lord said that you alone won't be enough. You'll need to train apprentices, otherwise, the gunpowder production won't reach sufficient levels. And you needn't worry about teaching apprentices only to starve, as the saying goes. In the future, you will be promoted to the Director of the Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau, responsible for managing all gunpowder workshops, and your wages will be higher than when you worked with your own hands."
Xu Dafu's heart swelled with delight. *The Heavenly Lord is clearly a truly benevolent master, one who looks after his people. He's even considered the dilemma of 'teaching an apprentice and starving the master,' giving me a heads-up in advance, and promising me the position of director with increased wages in the future.*
In that instant, Xu Dafu felt utterly energized, brimming with renewed vigor.
Li Daoxuan, however, mused silently, *These ancients are far too naive. If modern people heard promises of 'promotion and a raise,' they'd immediately go on high alert. Because... that's precisely what we call 'the boss's pie-in-the-sky promises.' Who would dare try to fill their stomach with such a 'pie'?*
*Modern folks don't even need to eat at work these days; the boss's empty promises, the colleagues' gossip, and the fish you catch while slacking off are enough to keep you perfectly full.*
*To spare these naive ancients from the cynicism of modern times, I'll be a good boss. When the time comes, I'll actually promote him and increase his wages, no empty promises.*
Gao Yiye continued, "Your Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau is completely empty right now, with nothing inside—not even doors or windows. You'll need to acquire many tools and supplies. Don't hesitate; just report whatever you need to Clerk Tan. He will prioritize the supply of materials for the Ordnance Bureau. Go to the Short-term Workers Village yourself and recruit some apprentices. It's imperative that the Ordnance Bureau starts operating as soon as possible; the Heavenly Lord has been waiting a long time for this gunpowder."
Xu Dafu quickly performed another deep bow. "I understand, and I will not fail the Heavenly Lord's trust."
With the arrangements made, there was no longer any need for them to remain. Returning to the main fortress, Xu Dafu immediately went to find Tan Liwen.
Gao Yiye let out another huge yawn as she headed towards the watchtower.
She appeared utterly exhausted, her steps unsteady and wavering. As she walked, she suddenly dozed off, stumbling forward and nearly collapsing. Fortunately, Li Daoxuan had long sensed her precarious state and was prepared. He quickly reached his hand down, extended a single index finger, and placed it directly in front of her.
Gao Yiye bumped into Li Daoxuan's finger, jolting awake with a surprised "Oh!" She quickly used both hands to steady herself against his finger, took two steps back, and regained her balance. Glancing up at Li Daoxuan's retreating giant hand, her small face flushed slightly. "Thank you, Heavenly Lord."
Li Daoxuan asked, "Staying up late drawing every night? Is that why you're so exhausted?"
Gao Yiye murmured, "Yes."
If Li Daoxuan had pressed her then, using his divine authority to ask, "What exactly are you drawing?" Gao Yiye surely wouldn't have kept it a secret; she would have obediently reported everything.
But Li Daoxuan sensed that the young woman didn't wish to volunteer the information. It felt rather improper to use the Heavenly Lord's awe-inspiring presence to coax it out of her, so he held back the question.
Instead, he changed his approach: "How are your efforts progressing?"
Gao Yiye smiled brightly. "It's almost finished! Once I've drawn everything, I'll show it to everyone and give them a huge surprise!"
"You're exhausting yourself like this just to give everyone a surprise?" Li Daoxuan chuckled. "You truly are the most mischievous girl in Gao Family Village, aren't you?"
Gao Yiye giggled, "Hehehe."
"All right, go back to the watchtower and get some rest."
Gao Yiye protested, "I can't sleep! I still need to wait to help the Heavenly Lord issue his decrees."
"There's no need for that," Li Daoxuan said gently. "If Gao Family Village couldn't function without my instructions, that wouldn't be a good thing at all. What if I didn't issue any commands for a day? You shouldn't keep staying up late drawing. Do it during the day. Get a good night's sleep, then draw to your heart's content in the daytime. I'm truly looking forward to seeing what marvelous creation you'll produce."
"All... all right!" Gao Yiye rubbed her dark eye circles. "Then I really am going to sleep now. But Heavenly Lord, if you have any decrees you need me to convey, please be sure to wake me!"
"Go on!"
The young woman pattered back to the watchtower, collapsed onto her bed, and within minutes was deeply asleep, swept away into dreams.
Li Daoxuan truly had no intention of issuing any more decrees. Until the young woman awoke, he would simply remain a silent observer.
Just as he thought this, he saw a large group of villagers gathering in the open space before the Gao Family Fortress gate. In the center of the circle, Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang were rubbing their fists together, preparing for a one-on-one duel.
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