With Xiao He guiding him step by step, Liu Bang looked through the two lenses inside the bronze tube at the Han Army soldiers on the city wall. To his astonishment, they seemed to have been brought closer!
He looked at other things and found that the same was true of them all.
"Your Majesty, if the view is unclear, you can rotate and extend or retract the bronze tube to adjust it," Xiao He said with a smile.
Liu Bang tried it and found that the scene before him did indeed become clearer.
Still, because the crystal lenses were not particularly pure, both people and scenery looked somewhat blurred.
After looking for a while, Liu Bang suddenly slapped his thigh. "This thing would work wonders in war! On the battlefield, we could inspect the enemy's formations from afar. With one of these, scouts could observe the enemy from places where the enemy couldn't see them!"
"That was my thought as well," Xiao He said with a smile, "which is why I brought it to Your Majesty."
Liu Bang put away the bronze tube and asked, "What is this thing called?"
Xiao He cupped his hands. "It awaits Your Majesty's naming."
After a moment's consideration, Liu Bang said, "This came from developing the Microscope, yet it lets us see distant things as though they were right before our eyes. If it can be made better, it will likely let us see even farther... Let us call it the Thousand-Li Telescope."
Liu Bang's first thought had actually been to call it a "telescope," but that name felt too ordinary and lacked grandeur. Then inspiration struck, and he came up with "Thousand-Li Telescope."
He continued, "Give generous rewards to all the craftsmen who developed this Thousand-Li Telescope. Also, have them keep working on the Microscope. If there's no good crystal, they can think of another way."
"Let them take their time working it out. So long as they can make a Microscope, We shall surely grant them even greater rewards!"
Liu Bang had been emperor for over two years, but he seldom used the imperial "We," generally reserving it for highly formal occasions.
Using it now was a deliberate way of showing how much importance he placed on developing the Microscope.
Xiao He immediately answered, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Liu Bang began toying with the Thousand-Li Telescope again and chuckled. "With this Thousand-Li Telescope, your old man hasn't come away empty-handed after all. I wonder whether Old Zhu has managed to make a Microscope."
Old Zhu?
Xiao He was utterly baffled.
But he had the good sense not to ask and instead took his leave.
Liu Bang caught his wrist, however, and said with a smile, "Xiao He, it's been a long time since you and I had a proper chat, hasn't it? How about I spend tonight at your residence? We can sleep feet to feet and talk all night. What do you say?"
Xiao He froze on the spot.
So the rumors about what Chen Ping went through were all true!
Fortunately, Zhang Liang had dispatched many elite Yellow Turbans ahead of time to search the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains and the surrounding areas. Within three days, they had gathered every medicinal ingredient required by the prescription and begun treating Zhang Jiao according to the method he described.
After ten days, Zhang Jiao's illness finally improved.
However, the aftereffects of "burnout" and the negative "Sleep Bug" status still left him groggy. He spent most of each day asleep, though he no longer needed help eating, drinking, or relieving himself.
The hundred thousand or so Yellow Turbans relocated from Guangzong had also entered the Taihang Mountains ten days earlier. Following orders Zhang Jiao gave during his waking hours, they were now establishing camps and strongholds at easily defended positions throughout the mountains, clearing land and planting crops to keep themselves alive.
They also sent several elite units of the Yellow Turban Army beyond the mountains to attack estates and Fortified Manors, seizing grain and other supplies to bring back as reserves for the winter.
That day, Chu Yan woke Zhang Jiao to eat and take his medicine, then shared some good news.
"Teacher, the soldiers who returned today brought back more than a jin of sulfur from outside the mountains!"
Zhang Jiao perked up. "Where did they find it?"
"In a Fortified Manor in Xiangguo County. Apparently, its owner was fond of alchemy," Chu Yan said. "Teacher, together with what we collected elsewhere before entering the mountains, we now have more than three jin of sulfur. Can we make that gunpowder now?"
"Three jin is still a little too little..." Zhang Jiao said. "The more of this we have, the better. Have the soldiers keep gathering it outside the mountains. As for making gunpowder, we'll begin once I've recovered a little more."
"Yes."
Chu Yan looked excited.
Before falling ill, Zhang Jiao had told both him and Zhang Liang about gunpowder's power.
Initially, he had not quite believed it.
Yet after serving Zhang Jiao as his disciple over these past days, he had discovered that although Zhang Jiao possessed no magical power, there were many mysteries about him.
For instance, Zhang Jiao had clearly been gravely ill and near death, yet while they were traveling west toward the Taihang Mountains, he had suddenly provided a treatment and prescription tailored to his own condition. They had found the medicines as instructed, and after taking them, he really had begun to recover.
Thus, Chu Yan now eagerly anticipated the power of gunpowder.
After finishing his meal, Zhang Jiao fought back his drowsiness and, leaning on the Kudzu Staff, took a walk around the stronghold with Chu Yan and the others attending him. It had originally belonged to mountain bandits and was quite large. The Yellow Turban Army had captured it and, because of its strategically defensible position, was temporarily using it as their central camp.
After his walk, Zhang Jiao returned to his room to take his medicine. Zhang Liang heard the news and came to see him.
He waited until Zhang Jiao had finished his medicine before saying, "Eldest Brother, the men I sent to Xiaquyang to gather news have returned."
Zhang Jiao hurriedly asked, "Xiaquyang hasn't fallen, has it?"
Although Zhu Yuanzhang had told him that Dong Zhuo had attacked Xiaquyang only to be defeated by Zhang Bao, who knew whether things might have changed?
He himself had not died of illness in Guangzong as he had in the original history. That undoubtedly proved that their original fates could be changed.
"Not only did Dong Zhuo fail to take Xiaquyang, he seems to have suffered a defeat," Zhang Liang said. "The scouts didn't dare approach, so they don't know the details."
Zhang Jiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Zhang Liang added, "Eldest Brother, after failing to take Xiaquyang, the Han Army's morale must be even lower. I want to lead elite troops out of the mountains and help Second Brother break out."
Zhang Jiao considered this.
According to his earlier correspondence with Zhang Bao, the grain and other supplies stockpiled in Xiaquyang would last them until the tenth or eleventh month at most. Even with extreme rationing, they could not hold out beyond the twelfth month.
In other words, without reinforcements from outside, Xiaquyang would fall sooner or later.
Naturally, the Yellow Turban Army in Xiaquyang needed to find an opportunity to break out.
According to the original history Zhu Yuanzhang had described, not long after Dong Zhuo failed to take Xiaquyang, the Han emperor sent men to hold him accountable. Huangfu Song then replaced him as commander of the Han Army, after which Guangzong and Xiaquyang fell in succession.
This suggested that Huangfu Song was likely better at siege warfare than Dong Zhuo, or that Xiaquyang's provisions had run out by then, giving Huangfu Song the opportunity to take the city.
With that in mind, Zhang Jiao said, "You may go, but don't reveal your whereabouts before establishing contact with those inside the city. If the Han Army is prepared, you'll have a hard time succeeding."
Zhang Liang nodded. "Understood."
The next day, Zhang Liang left the Taihang Mountains with over ten thousand Yellow Turban Army soldiers.
Zhang Jiao still slept through most of each day, waking only for brief periods. With the assistance of Chu Yan and several other Yellow Turban commanders who had stayed behind, he barely managed the affairs of the hundred thousand Yellow Turbans in the mountains.
Another ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
With only a few days left before he could shed the negative "Sleep Bug" status, Zhang Jiao was feeling somewhat more alert.
That day, he was forcing himself to stay awake while meeting with a Yellow Turban commander stationed at another large stronghold and discussing matters with him when a sudden commotion arose outside.
"The men who left the mountains are back!"
"Why do they look like they lost?"
Zhang Jiao immediately went outside with his Kudzu Staff and saw many bedraggled Yellow Turban soldiers entering the stronghold.
As soon as he appeared, a burly man pushed through the crowd and came before him. It was the Earth General, Zhang Bao.
Behind Zhang Bao, several Yellow Turbans Strongmen carried a stretcher covered with hemp cloth.
At the sight, Zhang Jiao instinctively searched the crowd for Zhang Liang, but could not find him anywhere. A dreadful suspicion rose in his heart, and his gaze could not help falling on the stretcher.
Thud!
Zhang Bao dropped to his knees before Zhang Jiao, tears streaming from his fierce eyes, his face filled with guilt and grief. "Eldest Brother, I was incompetent. I failed to protect Third Brother."
Zhang Jiao ignored Zhang Bao.
He let go of the Kudzu Staff and collapsed beside the stretcher. With trembling hands, he lifted one end of the hemp cloth and saw Zhang Liang, his eyes shut tight, livid blotches already appearing on his face.
"Third Brother!"
Zhang Jiao let out a wail. Still weak from his incomplete recovery, he lost consciousness!
By the time Zhang Jiao awoke, it was the next day, and funeral arrangements for Zhang Liang were underway in the stronghold.
Although still grief-stricken, Zhang Jiao had calmed down. He summoned Zhang Bao to learn what had happened.
As it turned out, the earlier failed Han Army assault on Xiaquyang had shown Zhang Bao that Dong Zhuo's and Guo Dian's forces were at odds. Had their two armies not utterly failed to coordinate during that battle, even if he had held Xiaquyang, he would have paid a tremendous price, much less defeated Dong Zhuo's troops.
Zhang Bao believed that with Zhang Liang bringing over ten thousand Yellow Turban Army soldiers to support him, they could seize the opportunity to defeat the Han Army outside.
Zhang Liang had agreed.
The Yellow Turban Army had suffered a crushing defeat as a result!
Large numbers of Yellow Turbans had been trapped by the Han Army inside Xiaquyang or killed during the breakout. Fewer than ten thousand soldiers had actually escaped with Zhang Bao.
Their victory sent the Han Army's morale soaring, and they pursued the defeated Yellow Turban forces led by Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, cutting them down from behind.
Although Zhang Liang had stationed troops along the route beforehand for an ambush, which drove back the pursuing Han Army, Zhang Liang himself had died in that battle.
After hearing the account, Zhang Jiao fell silent.
"Eldest Brother, I caused Third Brother's death," Zhang Bao said again.
Zhang Jiao sighed. "This wasn't your fault. Don't torment yourself over it... Go and see to Third Brother's funeral."
When Zhang Jiao closed his eyes after speaking, Zhang Bao opened his mouth again, but no words came. He could only withdraw.
Zhang Jiao opened his eyes and said to Chu Yan, who was still in the room, "You should leave as well."
"Teacher, please bear up in your grief." With that, Chu Yan also left the room.
Zhang Jiao barely managed to suppress the anguish in his heart and looked before him.
Nearly a month had passed on his side, and the Rebel Army Group had finally opened again.