Chapter 104: Fire Oil

"Here, and here. Have Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin capture these as quickly as possible, then concentrate all efforts to blockade the routes from these two commanderies to Western Turkic territory," Li Wenyuan said, pointing to Qiemo and Shanshan commanderies on the map while speaking to the military adjutant standing nearby.

Watching the adjutant depart, Li Wenyuan summoned a logistics officer. "Order the Zhang Junta army to advance to Dunhuang Commandery, and the Wudelu army to proceed to Qiemo and Shanshan to support Qin Qiong's forces in their campaign."

"Also, command the newly appointed city governors to settle the livelihoods of the people under their jurisdiction, restore production, and pacify public sentiment within seven days," Li Wenyuan instructed another adjutant.

After issuing these successive orders, Li Wenyuan sat down behind Li Gui's desk. He picked up a teacup, took a sip, and closed his eyes to gather his thoughts. The toll on his spirit had been immense; facing Li Gui, who had twice his manpower and was entrenched in a heavily fortified city, had placed him under significant pressure. Furthermore, once a massive army began to move, the daily consumption of supplies reached astronomical figures.

Fortunately, his improvised ruse—having Zhang Junta stage a "ghost army crossing"—had shattered the morale of Li Gui's forces. Li Gui had abandoned the city in a panic, allowing Gua Prefecture to be taken with ease. Yet, Li Wenyuan remained anxious. The ancients were remarkably quick to adapt to new things, certainly faster than he had anticipated. He knew his secret supply of gunpowder could not remain hidden for long, and he had to find a way to increase the lethality of his army's equipment before that happened.

How could he boost the destructive power of his weapons? He had already equipped his soldiers with the sturdiest armor; even his own muskets required firing iron pellets at point-blank range against the Mo Dao armor to penetrate it. He could think of no other weapon capable of piercing such heavy plate, and those that could were too demanding on a soldier's stamina to be issued on a large scale.

The frequent explosions during cannon test-firings also left him with a splitting headache. He desperately needed a heavy weapon capable of large-scale destruction, ideally one suitable for sieges. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He stood up and began rummaging through the documents Li Gui had left behind. Finally, he found a page that read: "South of Yanshou County lies a mountain where a spring flows with liquid as large as a basket; it is inedible, and the locals call it 'stone lacquer.' Though called 'stone lacquer,' it can burn on water, much like the fire imagery found in the upper marshlands."

That was it. Li Wenyuan studied the paper intently, digging through his memories. He finally recalled the source: the first half of the passage was a record of local products from the *Book of the Later Han*, compiled by Fan Ye of the Jin Dynasty. It was clearly a form of surface petroleum, similar to Greek fire—extremely easy to collect, though inefficient to burn due to the primitive processing techniques of the time.

He searched through the documents further and found another page: "Upon investigation, this 'stone lacquer' can be found in Yumen County and Jiuquan County. When burned, it produces smoke, which can be turned into ink. It is found in the earth in inexhaustible supply, unlike pine wood, which eventually runs dry."

Li Wenyuan summoned an army craftsman named Jin Sheng. Jin was the son of Shopkeeper Jin and had inherited his father's expertise; he had volunteered to join the western campaign to craft siege engines. Li Wenyuan asked him, "Do you know of this 'stone lacquer'? Has your father ever mentioned it to you?"

Jin Sheng frowned in thought. "Stone lacquer? Does the Commander mean 'fire oil'?"

Li Wenyuan nodded eagerly. "Yes, the fire oil that can burn on water. Do you know of it?"

Jin Sheng nodded. "My father mentioned it. During the Xuanzheng era of Emperor Wu of Zhou, when the Turks besieged Jiuquan, the people used this grease to fuel fires and burn the enemy's siege equipment. It burned even brighter on water, and Jiuquan was saved because of it. The substance mentioned is a black, oily paste that ignites upon contact with fire and cannot be extinguished with water."

Li Wenyuan asked excitedly, "Did your father ever teach you how to collect and refine it?"

"My father mentioned it," Jin Sheng replied after a moment of reflection. "Collect the fire oil in clay jars, cover the openings with cloth, and let it sit in the shade. Over time, it turns into a paste. When mixed with strong spirits, it ignites upon contact with fire."

"Do you know how to find this fire oil?"

"It is found near water, mixed with sand and pebbles, seeping out slowly," Jin Sheng replied without hesitation.

"Heaven helps me!" Li Wenyuan exclaimed. He immediately turned to Jin Sheng. "Yumen and Jiuquan counties in our territory produce this fire oil. Go find it immediately. Once found, establish a Fire Oil Bureau. You will be the Director, in charge of all production. You must prioritize secrecy. The security of the bureau will be handled by the Night Owls. Recruit as many craftsmen as possible to mass-produce this oil. I will teach you a refining method that will make the fire oil even more potent." Li Wenyuan grabbed a brush and began writing down purification methods. To anyone from the future with basic chemistry knowledge, these were common sense, but here, they were state-of-the-art techniques—the culmination of decades of experience.

As a craftsman, Jin Sheng understood the value of an improved formula. He took the paper with both hands, tucked it into his robes, and bowed. "Rest assured, Commander. I will not fail your trust."

Li Wenyuan nodded. "Both you and your father serve under me; I will not treat you poorly. Do not worry about anything else—just focus on your work."

With the discovery of fire oil, a new path opened for Li Wenyuan. Since he could not yet forge cannons capable of leveling cities, he would take a different route: emulating Greek fire for land warfare. It was a pity that the people of Constantinople had guarded their secret so jealously that, after a century, the formula was lost entirely—leading to the eventual downfall of their city to the great Urban cannons.

But now, Li Wenyuan had a formula even cheaper and more effective than Greek fire: the Molotov cocktail.

This legendary device was famous among military enthusiasts in the future. It was simple to produce: fill a glass bottle with a fuel mixture, plug the neck with a cloth, light the cloth, and throw. Upon impact, the bottle would shatter, the fuel would spill out, and the ignited cloth would trigger a blaze that water could not extinguish. It was a formidable weapon for sieges, defense, or night raids.