The Ninth Princess grew up in the palace and had been bound by all sorts of rules for nearly twenty years. This rare chance to let herself go was precious, so she not only wore Qing Muluan’s armour but also watched the female soldiers drill with their crossbow formation.
She even had Qin’er step forward to test the power of the crossbow array.
The simultaneous volley from the hand crossbows was so dense that, without a shield, Qin’er could not get close to the formation at all.
Yet the moment she raised a shield, the tide turned instantly.
Using the shield for cover, Qin’er charged into the female soldiers’ square with ease and, relying on her superb martial skills, shattered their formation in no time.
Qing Muluan rarely brought A-Mei to Cat Cat Mountain, so the new recruits seldom had the chance to spar against a true master. With a free sparring partner now available, Zheng Fang was not about to let the opportunity pass.
She immediately reorganised the formation and insisted on another round with Qin’er.
Later, Jin Feng was drawn over by the commotion and even ordered Zheng Fang to issue each female soldier a bottle of fire oil.
When Qin’er hid behind her shield, she could hardly see what lay ahead. The soldiers hurled burning fire-oil bottles onto the shield.
Qin’er was instantly engulfed in a sea of flames. Had Jin Feng not prepared piles of sand for extinguishing fires in advance, the oil clinging to her would surely have burned her to death.
Even though she escaped being burnt alive, the shield became too hot to hold because of the blaze, and the outcome was the same: she would have been shot dead by the crossbows.
“As soon as the master’s tactics come into play, all the advantages of a lone expert vanish.”
Qing Muluan sighed.
“The strengths of an expert were never meant for large-scale battles involving many combatants in the first place. They are better suited to special missions such as bodyguard duties, assassination, or decapitation strikes.”
Jin Feng said, “It is like a firewood chopper. Its purpose is to split wood. If you insist on using it to cut stone, even the sharpest chopper will not last.”
“I understand now.”
Qing Muluan suddenly saw the light.
The Ninth Princess also nodded slightly.
Next, the Ninth Princess watched practical combat drills between the male and female troops, along with various tactical coordination exercises. She remained at the training ground until the sky had grown completely dark before returning to the house for dinner.
After the meal, gazing at the small town tower illuminated by torches in the night, the Ninth Princess thought of cement again and went to ask Qing Muluan what exactly it was.
Qing Muluan did not know how to explain, so she sent A-Mei to fetch some cement and demonstrate for the princess.
Fortunately, a few bags of cement remained from building the small tower. A-Mei found a mason who first built a mould for a water trough out of wooden planks, then poured in cement mixed with gravel and sand.
To speed up the setting, the mason lit a bonfire beside the mould.
First thing the next morning, the Ninth Princess rushed over to check.
The muddy mixture from the previous day had hardened overnight into solid shape. The mason removed the mould, revealing the finished water trough.
The Ninth Princess ordered someone to bring a long sword and struck the trough with all her strength.
Only a small chip appeared; the main body remained intact.
“It really is as strong as stone!”
The Ninth Princess handed the firewood chopper to Qin’er.
“I told you yesterday, but you wouldn’t believe me.”
Qing Muluan said with a yawn, “Actually, the cement has not fully cured yet. If we leave it another couple of days, it will be even stronger.”
“Sister, do you know how this substance is made? Is it very expensive?” the Ninth Princess asked.
“I only know that cement seems to be produced by burning iron-ore powder together with various kinds of stone. As for the exact cost, we would have to ask the master.”
Qing Muluan continued, “But I suspect it is not too high. Some time ago I heard the master plans to use it for paving roads. I’m not sure whether he has started yet.”
Whenever it rained in the village, the ground turned into a quagmire. Since Da Kang had no rubber boots, going out meant coming back covered in mud, which annoyed Jin Feng greatly.
Thus, after producing cement, his first aim was defensive construction; his second was to pave the entire village with cement roads.
“Use such a miraculous substance for paving roads?!”
The Ninth Princess frowned slightly, looking as though Jin Feng were squandering a treasure.
Da Kang’s industry was backward, and building a city was extremely difficult, especially the walls, which were exorbitantly expensive.
If cement were inexpensive, nothing would be more suitable for constructing city walls.
The Ninth Princess was about to seek out Jin Feng to ask about the cost when the door of the house opposite creaked open.
Conditions on Cat Cat Mountain were limited, and there were only a few decent rooms. Jin Feng had given the main house to the Ninth Princess and moved into a side building himself.
He had planned to sleep in, but the voices of the Ninth Princess and Qing Muluan woke him.
“Your Highness, Muluan, good morning!”
Jin Feng yawned, raised his hand casually in greeting.
Seeing Jin Feng’s unkempt appearance, Qin’er instinctively wanted to scold him.
But remembering the princess’s instructions from the night before, she forced herself to swallow the words and turned her head away.
“Master… good morning!”
Thinking that waving and saying “morning” was a custom in Jin Chuan, the Ninth Princess hesitated, then timidly raised her hand in imitation.
“What are you all talking about so early?” Jin Feng asked while brushing his teeth with a horsehair brush dipped in fine salt.
“We were discussing the cement invented by the master. Just some powder mixed with water, and it becomes as hard as stone. Truly miraculous!”
The Ninth Princess asked, “May I know whether cement is expensive to produce?”
“What, does Your Highness wish to purchase cement?”
Jin Feng replied, “The production cost of cement is not high, but it is not cheap either. Besides, I have no plans to set up factories elsewhere, and transportation would be a big problem.”
He was not afraid of the princess buying cement; he was afraid she would demand the manufacturing method.
If the salt-refining technique spread, so be it; it would benefit the common people. But for now, Jin Feng had no wish to let the cement formula leave his hands.
Having spent years navigating court politics, the Ninth Princess understood from his words that he did not want to sell cement, still less reveal how it was made.
If she used royal authority to demand it, Jin Feng might hand over the formula.
But that would be like draining the pond to catch the fish. In future, any new invention of his would certainly be kept hidden.
So far, Jin Feng had created trebuchets, scented soap, cement, and other things unknown in Da Kang before. He had also improved heavy crossbows and forging techniques, devised a way to turn rock salt into refined salt, and developed horse-trapping pits and the Macedonian phalanx that effectively countered cavalry.
Apart from soap, every one of these inventions was vitally important to Da Kang.
Without trebuchets and the Macedonian phalanx, the northwest frontier of Da Kang would probably already have become a grazing ground for the Dangxiang tribes.
If she forcibly demanded the cement formula, Jin Feng would surely grow resentful and might never invent anything again.
Yet cement was also extremely important to Da Kang. In royal hands, it could quickly produce solid fortresses.
“Should I ask for it or not?”
The Ninth Princess hesitated.
