"Raise the cannon muzzle another five degrees!"
Sun Chuanting's roar pierced through the cold wind. Xu Qing hunched his shoulders, hugging the drone controller to his chest for warmth. On the training grounds, three thousand Qin troops were drilling with new firearms—replicas purchased with livestream donations, identical in appearance to Ming weaponry but with alloy steel barrels.
"Minister Xu, is the livestream ready?" Zhu Youjian approached in full armor, an electroshock weapon strapped to his waist like a time-traveling futuristic warrior.
Xu Qing nodded, adjusting the equipment. "Your Majesty, the theme is 'The Might of the Ming Army,' but modern platforms are sensitive to military content..."
"I know," Zhu Youjian said, narrowing his eyes. "We won't film killing. A military demonstration should be fine, no?"
The moment the livestream began, fifty thousand viewers flooded in. Comments snowballed across the screen:
[Which film set is this? It's spectacular]
[The cast is huge!]
[That general really seems to have a limp?]
Xu Qing whispered, "Historically, Sun Chuanting did have a leg injury."
Zhu Youjian adjusted his helmet and stepped before the camera. "Fellow Daoists, today We shall show you the might of the Ming army!" He waved his hand.
War drums thundered. Three thousand elite soldiers formed three phalanxes, their synchronized musket fire deafening the livestream microphone. Through the high-definition lens, modern viewers could clearly see the muzzle flashes and the weathered faces of each soldier.
[The special effects are too realistic]
[How much do these extras get paid?]
[That soldier just fainted from heatstroke!]
Sure enough, a young soldier collapsed under the scorching sun. Medics rushed over, pulling out from their kit—a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui (a modern Chinese herbal remedy for heatstroke).
The comments exploded:
[Time travel? How does Ming Dynasty have Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui?]
[Prop malfunction!]
Seeing this, Zhu Youjian strode to the fallen soldier and held up the bottle for the camera. "This is celestial medicine, curing summer heat. Fellow Daoists, if you gift more, We shall purchase more to save Our soldiers!"
The tactic worked instantly. Super Rocket gifts flooded the screen:
[User "Traditional Medicine Family" gifted 10 Super Rockets]
[User "History Buff" gifted 20 Rockets]
Xu Qing checked the skyrocketing numbers and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is enough to buy two hundred cases of medicine."
"Not enough," Zhu Youjian muttered. "What We want is... what was it called?"
"Anti-tank missiles?" Xu Qing wiped his sweat. "Too expensive, and the system won't allow..."
"Then more drones!" Zhu Youjian suddenly pointed to the far end of the field. "Let the Daoists witness true 'celestial soldiers'!"
Fifty drones ascended simultaneously, forming the characters "Great Ming" in the sky. The spectacle was so stunning even the disciplined Qin troops gaped upward. The livestream audience went wild:
[This drone formation is insane]
[Is the streamer from the military?]
[What drone models are these?!]
Just then, a galloping horse arrived. The messenger dismounted hastily. "Your Majesty! Urgent news from Jinzhou! The Qing vanguard has reached Ningyuan. General Wu requests..."
Zhu Youjian raised a hand to silence him and turned back to the camera. "Fellow Daoists, the Jiannu (Qing) invaders approach. We require celestial weapons to repel them. Those who gift over a thousand yuan shall receive a 'Great Ming Righteous Citizen' golden plaque!"
Gift effects drowned the comments. Xu Qing's phone buzzed incessantly—the donations had surpassed five million yuan in minutes. But what worried him more was the system's flashing warning: "Historical variation rate 23.1%. Spatiotemporal stability declining."
After the demonstration, Zhu Youjian convened a war council. Sun Chuanting unrolled a map. "Your Majesty, the Qing army numbers eighty thousand, divided into three prongs..."
"That's not Our concern," Zhu Youjian interrupted. "Wu Sangui's report mentioned 'flying demons.' Do we have more details?"
Sun Chuanting exchanged a glance with Lu Xiangsheng. "Scouts report the Qing indeed possess bamboo flying devices, capable of lifting a man for reconnaissance. They resemble..."
"Gliders," Xu Qing blurted. "Someone leaked basic aviation tech to the Qing!"
The tent fell deathly silent. Everyone stared at Xu Qing, fear in their eyes. Ming officials might not grasp the dangers of tech leaks, but they understood losing military advantages meant more deaths.
After a long pause, Zhu Youjian asked, "Minister Xu, are there examples in later history of defeating larger forces with fewer troops?"
"Y-yes! The Menglianggu Campaign of 1947, the PLA..."
"Not later history," Zhu Youjian cut him off. "Examples Our soldiers can understand."
Xu Qing thought. "Then... Qi Jiguang's campaigns against the pirates?"
"Good!" Zhu Youjian slammed the table. "Dispatch Qi's old troops north immediately. And send all thirty new drones to Ningyuan!"
Late that night, Xu Qing reviewed system logs in his tent. Suddenly, the flap stirred—Princess Changping, Zhu Meichuo, slipped inside.
"Your Highness? How did you—"
"Shh." She pressed a finger to her lips. "I sneaked out." Leaning close, she whispered, "I know who leaked the celestial arts."
Xu Qing stiffened. "Who?"
"Li Mingrui, a disciple of Zhang Yuchu, an official in the Astronomical Bureau." She produced a copied letter. "This is his secret message to Dorgon."
Xu Qing unfolded the paper. It detailed drone schematics and operation methods, ending with: "Destroy the celestial devices, and the Ming will fall."
"Where is Li now?"
"Imprisoned by Father." Zhu Meichuo's eyes gleamed coldly. "But I suspect there are more traitors in court."
Before Xu Qing could ask further, the system blared an alarm. An emergency notification popped up: "Modern spacetime anomalies intensifying. Palace Museum staff report unexplained changes in multiple artifacts."
Most chilling was an imperial portrait of the Chongzhen Emperor—its inscription had changed from "Obstinate and Self-Righteous" to "The Reviving Sovereign," with ink analysis confirming the alteration was 350 years old.
At dawn, Xu Qing awoke to commotion. Rushing out, he found soldiers gathered around a strange machine—a diesel generator, newly exchanged with last night's donations.
"Minister Xu!" Zhu Youjian beckoned excitedly. "Teach Us how to use this 'Thunder Machine'!"
It took Xu Qing half an hour to explain it wasn't a weapon but a power source. When electric lights illuminated the Ming camp, the soldiers knelt in unison, crying, "Long live the Emperor!"
"Your Majesty, this is too conspicuous," Xu Qing fretted. "If the Qing learn we command lightning..."
"We want them to know!" Zhu Youjian's eyes burned with fervor. "Tonight, We shall livestream again—demonstrating the might of celestial devices!"
That night's stream was surreal. The Ming emperor stood beside the generator, electroshock weapon in hand, backed by dozens of blazing electric lamps. Modern viewers saw a reality-defying spectacle:
[The budget for these effects must be insane]
[These extras' shock looks too real to be acting]
[How much did the streamer invest?!]
Zhu Youjian announced, "Those gifting over ten thousand yuan shall receive an electronic plaque inscribed by Us!"
Xu Qing nearly choked. "Your Majesty, electronic plaques..."
"Just digital certificates," Zhu Youjian smirked. "We've learned modern folk adore such vanity."
The tactic worked. The stream drowned in gifts, even foreign viewers requesting English versions. Two hours later, donations exceeded ten million yuan.
But afterward, Xu Qing discovered a terrifying truth—the historical variation rate had hit 25.7%, and the energy bar showed a seven-day cooldown for the next time jump.
Worse, surveillance showed Qing forces massing outside Ningyuan. Wu Sangui's latest report warned: "The Jiannu chieftain Dorgon, aided by sorcerers, has built hundreds of flying wooden kites..."
"This is bad," Xu Qing muttered. "We've started a technological arms race."
Yet Zhu Youjian remained eerily calm. Stroking the newly arrived military drones, he murmured, "Minister Xu, how will later histories record this war?"
Before Xu Qing could answer, Wang Cheng'en rushed in, panicked. "Your Majesty! The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince is missing!"
Gone with him were three handheld radios and two drones.