"Haven't seen it before?" Chai Yingluo chuckled lightly. "This is a trebuchet, used for attacking cities."
"Attacking cities?" Wei Shufen wondered why siege weapons would be displayed in the forbidden garden's temporary palace.
Looking around, she noticed several other oddly shaped devices of varying heights besides the trebuchets. The shorter ones resembled sturdy carts with protruding pointed cones at the front, while the tallest was a carriage supporting an extremely long flagpole. Atop the pole was fixed a wooden cage resembling a bird's nest, inside which someone was shouting something indistinctly carried by the wind.
As the shouting ceased, one trebuchet's long arm began moving. The large scoop loaded with stones first dipped downward, gathering momentum until it reached the bottom when someone abruptly pulled the thick rope at the other end. The scoop swung upward with force, launching the stone in a high arc that landed in the distance with a dusty explosion and the now-familiar booming sound.
From beneath the canopy on the stone platform came laughter and applause mixed with admiring comments. The most recognizable voice—bright, arrogant and unrestrained—was unmistakably that of the current Son of Heaven, Li Shimin.
The two women approached the platform's steps, now close to the gathered crowd. Chai Yingluo signaled Wei Shufen to wait below while she lifted her skirts to ascend the worn stone steps, recently repaired but showing their age. Wei Shufen recalled Chai Yingluo's earlier explanation that these steps and the broad foundation were remnants of the Sui dynasty's Guande Hall. The relevant authorities had cleared the dilapidated structures, originally planning to rebuild a summer retreat, but had instead erected this large canopy on the platform first.
The canopy itself wasn't new either, its oilcloth exterior bearing months of weathering. As Wei Shufen stood pondering, she heard Chai Yingluo above announcing herself and paying respects to the Emperor.
In excellent spirits, the Emperor laughed, "Yingniang, what brings you here now? Your aunt said you've been unwell—shouldn't you be resting at home in this heat? But since you're here, have you seen those trebuchets? Ah, seeing you reminds me—the first time I ever studied how trebuchets were built was with your mother!"
He spoke rapidly, leaving no openings for interruption. When she finally could respond, Chai Yingluo smiled, "That must have been when the Taiyuan volunteer army besieged Chang'an?"
"Exactly! Your mother was remarkable then—over half of the 200,000 troops were from the 'Women's Army' she recruited from nearby counties! The Supreme Emperor sent me and your father ahead to join forces with her. Though both your parents' headquarters nominally reported to me, your mother and I had grown up together under our grandmother's care—she'd always bossed me around as her younger brother and certainly wouldn't take orders from me..."
The Emperor burst into laughter at this memory, joined by the entire assembly—even Wei Shufen below the steps smiled quietly. After his mirth subsided, he continued:"Back then, the stubborn remnants of the former Sui forces retreated into the imperial palace to hold their ground. With high walls and deep moats, a direct assault would have been disastrous. Our Tang troops were newly recruited, eager to earn merits, and I was impatient too. It was the Supreme Emperor who remained composed and restrained, holding back the generals from reckless advances. He ordered the construction of siege engines first—thank heavens for that, or how many more lives would have been lost! Third Elder Sister also grasped Father’s profound intent, pressing me daily to oversee the construction. Those trebuchets, battering rams, nest carts, scaling ladders, and ballistae—we had craftsmen and blueprints gathered from everywhere, scrutinizing each detail: how to carve wood and cast metal, how to fill moats and swarm like ants. Once we understood the principles, we knew how to deploy them. Commanding troops requires mastering such things. Ah, right—"
Midway through his animated account, the Emperor suddenly paused and ordered an attendant, "Go summon Prince Wu Yuan-gui here at once."
Wei Shufen’s heart skipped a beat, puzzled as to why the Son of Heaven had abruptly thought of her younger brother Li Yuangui. Chai Yingluo, however, seemed to guess his intent and asked from the platform with a smile, "Your Majesty has set up this field to arrange siege engines—are you planning to use these massive contraptions to attack Gaochang?"
"Hahaha! Yingniang, you clever imp!" The Emperor clapped his hands in laughter. "Truly, your mother’s indomitable spirit lives on in your sharp mind. Few women possess such insight—ah, yes! Someone fetch the Empress from the Supreme Polarity Hall to relax here. Just days ago, she urged me not to linger in this perilous place, fearing accidental strikes or injuries. Your aunt is perfect in every way, save one—she worries too much. But how could I not oversee this personally? The workshop for these machines was set up last year, yet after half a year, there’s been no progress. These fools—no matter how I explain, they just don’t get it! It’s maddening. If I’m not present, nothing gets done!"
Wei Shufen was already feeling a bit overwhelmed, while Chai Yingluo asked from the platform, "Why not? Can’t the craftsmen build these trebuchets and stone throwers anymore?"
"Tsk! And here I was just praising you. A few more words, and the limits of a woman’s understanding show!" The Emperor sighed. "These siege engines have been used for centuries—what’s so hard about producing a few batches? For battles in the Central Plains, skilled craftsmen are easy to find, and materials like timber, metal parts, axes, saws, chisels, and planes are all readily available. Back when your mother and I served under the Supreme Emperor to conquer the Sui capital, hundreds of scaling ladders and ram carts were built within weeks. But here’s the thing: have you ever heard of an army marching five or six thousand li on an expedition, dragging these cumbersome contraptions along?"
Wei Shufen couldn’t help but glance back at the towering trebuchets and nest carts below, inwardly marveling. Though built with sturdy materials, their towering height made them precarious even when stationary, swaying perilously. Though mounted on wooden wheels, merely hauling them a hundred li without collapsing would be a feat—taking them thousands of li was outright impossible.
"Certainly not. But... could they be disassembled after construction? Broken down into wooden components and wheel frames, transported piecemeal by cart to the battlefield, and then reassembled by craftsmen there?"
As soon as Chai Yingluo proposed this idea, not only did the Emperor laugh, but others on the platform joined in with a mix of amusement and chatter—some admiring, others mocking. When the murmurs subsided, the Emperor seemed to address the others, "Don’t mock my niece—she’s not far off the mark. Just two months ago, weren’t we still debating whether this strategy was feasible?"A voice from the platform responded, "Your Majesty's careful consideration of carriage loads shows deep military insight in strategic planning. As for the High Truth Master... forgive my bluntness, but she likely knows nothing about supply ratios for large troop movements, much like those Confucian scholars at court who speak without knowledge."
This provoked another round of laughter from the platform. Someone else chimed in, "Guo Si, you dare speak so freely before His Majesty, only because the High Truth Master is a pretty young maiden! Had she been born male and followed our lord in military campaigns, she might have become a renowned general by now - perhaps even surpassing you, General Guo." Another added, "Even as a woman, had she lived in turbulent times, the High Truth Master might have led a Women's Army like her mother; or born among barbarians like Lady Feng Xian of Lingnan, she could have been an armored heroine quelling rebellions. But in this peaceful age, noble ladies need not endure hardships - they can simply enjoy sheltered lives at home..."
Wei Shufen listened to the banter, realizing these must be military men close to the Emperor, less restrained by etiquette than civil officials. They knew Chai Yingluo's status and likely meant no disrespect, but surrounded by the exhilarating atmosphere of the martial demonstration, with adrenaline running high, the sudden presence of a beautiful young woman in their discussion made them lose all verbal restraint.
Unable to see Chai Yingluo's expression or demeanor on the platform, Wei Shufen thought she would have died of embarrassment if subjected to such teasing by a group of men. However, the Master of the Purple Void Monastery might have been accustomed to such situations. As the voices gradually subsided, she calmly addressed the Emperor as if the previous remarks had never been spoken:
"Yingluo understands now - these timbers are too cumbersome to be transported thousands of miles. Then may I ask, what has been the purpose of Your Majesty's military exercises here these past months?"
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