Cao Wenzhao, clad in heavy armor, stood in the open ground outside the south city gate. He lifted his head and stared at the strange object floating serenely in the sky, his mind filling with question marks.
He raised a hand and pointed upward.
"What is that thing?"
His nephew, Cao Bianjiao, poked his head out from behind him.
"Uncle, I've never seen anything like it either."
Cao Wenzhao frowned slightly and continued to look up.
His eyesight was exceptionally sharp. From this distance, he could clearly see a wicker basket hanging beneath the enormous balloon. Inside the basket, a woman clung tightly to the rim with both hands, screaming at the top of her lungs…
Cao Wenzhao shook his head, his expression grave and disapproving.
"To suspend a woman in midair and frighten her until she screams like that—what kind of cruel torture is this?"
Cao Bianjiao stared at him.
"Uncle, you had so many questions just now, and this is the one you latch onto? Shouldn't you first be wondering how that thing is flying so high in the air?"
Cao Wenzhao blinked.
"Hm? When you put it that way… you're right."
As they spoke, the city gates slowly swung open.
The Governor of Henan, Fan Shangzheng, stepped forward to greet them.
"General Cao—"
Before he could finish speaking, a rotund figure behind him suddenly surged forward with astonishing speed. His movements were oddly light, almost floating, as he curved around Fan Shangzheng and charged straight toward Cao Wenzhao with arms spread wide.
He ran while sobbing loudly.
"General Cao! I've been waiting for you for so long! Now that you're here, this king can finally sleep peacefully!"
Cao Wenzhao froze for a moment.
"Hm? Prince of Fu?"
The large man was indeed the Prince of Fu.
He was dressed in magnificent robes, his body massive, yet his charge carried tremendous momentum. Each step seemed to shake the ground. Crying and wailing, he rushed forward, clearly intending to throw himself at Cao Wenzhao's legs.
At the critical moment, Cao Wenzhao calmly shifted half a step to the side.
The Prince of Fu lunged forward… and grabbed nothing but air.
With a tremendous thump and a thunderous crash, he smashed face-first into the ground.
Cao Wenzhao spoke evenly, his tone steady.
"Your Highness, please restrain yourself."
Still sprawled on the ground, the Prince of Fu felt overwhelming grievance rise in his chest, tears spilling freely.
"The Guanning Iron Cavalry is finally here! Only the Guanning Iron Cavalry can make people feel at ease! Recently, bandits have been running rampant in Henan—each one more vicious than the last. They even threaten to boil this king alive and eat me! This king has been terrified out of his wits! Now it's fine, it's all fine—General Cao is here!"
A trace of disdain flickered across Cao Wenzhao's face—but it vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual stern composure.
He turned toward Fan Shangzheng.
Fan Shangzheng shrugged helplessly.
"His Royal Highness has always been like this. You'll get used to it."
Cao Wenzhao cupped his fists respectfully.
"This general has been ordered to Henan to suppress bandits. Passing through Luoyang, I have come to request military provisions."
This was standard procedure. Ming armies never carried more than a few days' worth of rations when mobilized. Supplies were always provided by local governments.
Fan Shangzheng nodded.
"Very well. No problem. Please camp your forces in the open grounds south of the city. This official will make the necessary arrangements."
With official matters concluded.
Cao Wenzhao once again pointed toward the sky.
"Why suspend a woman up there just to scare her? Listen to those screams—she sounds utterly miserable."
Fan Shangzheng's face instantly turned red.
"Oh? That's… that's my humble wife. She's actually having a wonderful time."
Cao Wenzhao's mind erupted with fresh confusion.
"That… is what you call 'having a wonderful time'?"
Fan Shangzheng cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Well, you see—"
Cao Wenzhao cut in.
"What exactly is that thing?"
Fan Shangzheng's spirits lifted at once.
"Ah! This is a marvelous invention brought here by Mr. Bai Yuan. It's called a Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloon. Before a battle, a scout rides it into the sky. From high above, they can observe dozens of li in every direction. Traditional scouts become almost unnecessary."
Cao Wenzhao pondered this briefly, then his eyes lit up.
"I see! Remarkable indeed!"
Cao Bianjiao was equally stunned.
"That's incredible…"
Cao Wenzhao nodded solemnly.
"The scout's eyesight must be extraordinary."
Cao Bianjiao broke into a sweat.
"Uncle… are you really impressed by the scout's eyesight? Shouldn't you be impressed by the device's reconnaissance capability?"
Cao Wenzhao considered it seriously.
"Oh? When you say it like that… you're right."
Everyone present fell silent.
After a pause, Cao Wenzhao asked,
"Governor, can such a device be arranged for my army?"
Fan Shangzheng shook his head with an embarrassed smile.
"Ah… this isn't government property. It belongs to Mr. Bai. I can't make decisions about it. Even my own wife has to pay thirty taels of silver for a single use."
Cao Wenzhao frowned slightly.
"Who is this Mr. Bai?"
"That would be me."
A flash of white appeared behind Fan Shangzheng.
Bai Yuan stepped forward, dressed in flowing white robes. With a crisp snap, he opened the folding fan in his hand, revealing two bold characters:
Gentleman.
Cao Wenzhao couldn't help exclaiming,
"How dashing!"
Bai Yuan beamed with delight.
"You think I'm dashing too?"
Cao Wenzhao replied calmly,
"I meant the fan."
Bai Yuan's smile froze.
"Can you please focus on the key point?"
Cao Wenzhao nodded earnestly.
"Oh? When you put it that way, you're right. Let's focus on what matters, Mr. Bai. That Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloon—does it belong to you?"
Bai Yuan nodded.
"It does."
Cao Wenzhao's expression grew serious.
"This device is extraordinary. If deployed before a battle, the enemy could never ambush us. Nor would we stumble into traps during an advance. It could fundamentally change the nature of warfare."
Bai Yuan smiled.
"As expected of General Cao—you grasp its strategic value immediately. I obtained this specifically for reconnaissance. Last time, when Lao Huihui raided Luoyang, his cavalry moved just as fast as my scouts. By the time my men returned to report, Lao Huihui was already upon us. At that moment, I realized… this simply wouldn't do."
Cao Wenzhao nodded gravely.
"That is indeed a serious problem."
For many years, he had campaigned across north and south, suppressing bandits wherever they arose.
Yet bandits were slippery creatures—darting through mountains, slipping along ravines, scrambling up slopes. Cao Wenzhao had always found this deeply frustrating.
Now, seeing this powerful Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloon, he felt an irresistible temptation.
"Mr. Bai," Cao Wenzhao said slowly, "what price would persuade you to part with this magnificent device?"
Bai Yuan smiled and shook his head.
"It's not for sale. We need it ourselves."
"To do what with it?" Cao Wenzhao pointed skyward.
Another woman's scream drifted down from above.
"So high! So terrifying!"
Fan Shangzheng sighed deeply.
"My wife is screaming again… how embarrassing. I'll have someone bring her down."
Bai Yuan waved his hand.
"The thirty taels she paid hasn't run out yet. Let her 'play' a bit longer."
Fan Shangzheng paused, then nodded.
"Oh. Right. Of course."
Cao Wenzhao nodded approvingly.
"I see. It would indeed be unreasonable to bring her down before her allotted time."
Cao Bianjiao wiped cold sweat from his brow.
"Uncle! Is that what you're focused on? Mr. Bai just said it wasn't for sale, yet he charges thirty taels for its use! That contradiction is screaming at you!"
Cao Wenzhao blinked.
"Hm? When you put it that way… you're right."
He snapped his gaze to Bai Yuan.
"You say it's not for sale, yet for thirty taels you let women 'play' with it. Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for this general?"
Bai Yuan replied calmly,
"It's for rent, not for sale."
Cao Wenzhao nodded slowly.
"I see. That makes sense."
"Makes sense my foot!"
Cao Bianjiao leapt forward angrily.
"Mr. Bai! You're the militia instructor here, aren't you? Your duty is to protect your homeland and fight bandits! Since that's the case, you should be renting this reconnaissance-whatever-thing to us! We're here to suppress bandits in Henan!"