Chapter 229:

Chapter 229:

Chapter 229

Unbeknownst to anyone, more than ten days had elapsed since Su Li fell from his official position and returned to a life dedicated to the sword. He remained within his residence during this time, never venturing beyond the Princess's Manor.

As Su Li withdrew from the scene, the turbulence that had caused a significant commotion in the Great Tang's official circles gradually subsided. Although a formidable emperor, Li Er lacked the immediate power to confront the entrenched aristocratic families directly. Nevertheless, his skill in pacifying public sentiments was exceptional.

Following Su Li's departure, Li Er didn't immediately fill the void. As the emperor who had recently ordered the execution of the nine branches of the Lu family, his authority was at its peak. A sudden change in his stance could be perceived as too harsh and counterproductive in suppressing the aristocratic families in the future. Li Er had resolved to use Su Li's actions as an opportunity to take a significant step in curbing the aristocratic families' influence. He played the part of the stern authority, leaving the role of appeasement to someone else.

Li Chengqian, being the Crown Prince, assumed this role, which was well within his status. Additionally, as the heir to the throne, it was crucial for him to establish a reputation for virtue and gain favor. In a sense, this act was similar to managing state affairs, and Li Er orchestrated this shift in approach to pave the way for Li Chengqian.

With this shift, the intensity of investigations into corruption suddenly eased. The threat to the aristocratic families was promptly alleviated, and the Great Tang returned to a state of relative calm.

Until one evening...

Late at night, in the garden within the Princess's Manor, Princess Changle sat in a reclining chair, smiling as she observed her husband and son conversing not far away. Father and son were seated at a stone table, engaged in a quiet discussion.

This story is traced back to when Su Li returned to the manor. With Changle's birthday approaching, Su Li was inspired and said he wanted to surprise Changele in a big way. Little Su Che insisted on joining in. Thus, the father and son began working together in the garden, keeping their activities secret, even from Changle.

Whenever Changle inquired, Su Li and Su Che responded evasively, simply alluding to the creation of the world's biggest and loudest firecracker as a gift for her. Changle knew what firecrackers were, used to enhance festive occasions with loud bursts of noise. However, she sensed that whatever her husband and son worked on had nothing to do with conventional firecrackers.

“The process has been explained to you, and the production method is relatively simple. Think about the proportion of these three materials. Keep up the good work, and Dad believes in you!” Su Li encouraged his son.

Su Li gently patted young Su Che's head as it grew late and stood up. Changle asked, “It's almost midnight, Su Che. Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Young Su Che waved his hand, wholly absorbed in his work at the table. “Don't worry about him. Interrupting his thoughts at this time wouldn’t be wise,” Su Li reassured Changle with a smile. With that, the couple left the garden together.

“Husband, are the things Su Che is working on not dangerous?”

“What danger could there be? Taoist priests use similar items when refining elixirs. There shouldn't be any issues.”

The voices of the couple gradually faded as they walked away. Young Su Che, full of energy, didn't seem to require as much sleep as a typical three or four-year-old child, so Changle wasn't overly concerned.

Unbeknownst to them, another hour passed. Suddenly, young Su Che's excited shout came from the garden, “I did it!” He had finally achieved the desired burning effect that Su Li had described.

“How do I proceed from here?” Young Su Che tilted his little head, studying the scattered items on the table. “It seems like I need to gather the gunpowder into a ball, wrap it in paper, and place it in a sealed container...” He muttered to himself, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. “The flame is so small, I need a large container, right? Otherwise, how can I achieve the effect Dad mentioned?” Su Che was a doer, and he swiftly dashed into a small storage shed in the garden, struggling to pull out a small cart.

He piled the three main materials for making gunpowder on the cart, totaling about two to three hundred kilograms. “This should be enough!” Another hour passed, and young Su Che stood before an enormous water barrel that dwarfed him. He nodded in satisfaction. This was the super-sized firework he had created following Su Li’s instructions.

Initially, young Su Che had planned to wait until his father woke up the next day to share his achievements. However, after pacing around the water barrel for a while, a naughty idea began to take root. “What if I try it now? If it doesn’t work, at least Dad won’t tease me...”