I was watching short videos and historical figures were collectively vomiting blood!

Chapter 28 Human-Powered Elevators, the Ultimate Siege Weapon! Wisdom from Zhuge Liang

One must admit, the “Poet Immortal” truly lived up to his name. Upon seeing such a magnificent and grand cityscape at night, he remained unmoved, instead developing a fondness for the elevator.

Of course, besides the moonlight that bathed the sky, there was no answer to his question.

“High towers a hundred feet, one can pluck stars from the sky, yet dare not speak loudly, lest the heavenly beings be startled!”

Li Bai emptied his cup and continued gazing at the celestial dome. When the stunning night scenes of the modern metropolis were projected into other realms, people from the ancient times were utterly astonished.

In ancient cultures, nights were typically for rest, and there were curfews in place. But there was one exception: the Song Dynasty, which abolished curfews and introduced a vibrant nightlife. During the Song Dynasty, taverns were open 24 hours.

But even in the Song Dynasty, there had never been anything like the spectacle above the sky—so richly varied. Above the sky, light and shadows flickered. The modern, bustling capital was aglow, with towering skyscrapers standing like giants beneath the stars. The entire city seemed like a massive stage where dazzling performances were being enacted.

“Is this the immortal realm of the future?”

“Is this elevator truly that convenient? It can rise several dozen meters in just a few breaths, that’s truly incredible!”

Ancient people from all dynasties stared at the spectacle in awe. How could buildings be constructed in such a grand manner? Many craftsmen were utterly confused. Ancient buildings were generally made with mortise and tenon joints, and their structure made it impossible to construct high-rise buildings.

At best, they could only build towers with certain height limits. But the buildings on display in the sky were square, or oddly shaped, and reached up into the clouds. The only explanation they could think of was that they were the work of celestial beings. The modern metropolis left the people of every era with an indescribable visual shock!

When emperors from past dynasties saw the spectacle on the sky screen and compared it with the simplicity of their own capitals, they felt as though their cities were nothing more than remote villages.

“Seeing Mount Tai makes the world seem small. I once thought that unifying the Six Kingdoms and becoming the First Emperor was already an accomplishment that would be recorded in history, but I now realize that I was just a frog in a well,” sighed Ying Zheng.

Even the capital cities of ancient times, brilliant as they were, paled in comparison to the dazzling modern metropolis. If the city was this spectacular at night, how breathtaking must it be during the day?

The rulers from all dynasties fell silent, unable to express their amazement.

Clearly, the future is beyond our imagination, they mused.

_____

I never imagined that people in the future can go out at night, and that their cities would be even livelier than ours in the daytime, Liu Bei remarked, deep in thought.

But this only strengthened his resolve to restore the Han dynasty and conquer the world. If he succeeded, he too would emulate the future.

“But what are those shining things? They light up the night as if it were day. Candlelight doesn’t shine that bright,” Liu Bei continued, his curiosity piqued.

While others marveled at the future, Zhuge Liang was deep in thought. Suddenly, he raised his head and, just as Liu Bei lifted his cup to toast him, he said, “My lord, I believe that the elevator could be a valuable tool in siege warfare!”

Zhuge Liang’s eyes sparkled with insight. Focusing solely on matters of governance, he paid little attention to the bustling future world around him. He knew that things beyond his understanding would remain mysteries no matter how long he studied them. But the elevator, he believed, could be adapted!

Liu Bei’s interest was immediately piqued. He dropped his wine cup and rushed over to Zhuge Liang’s desk, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

“Sir, please explain.”

Zhuge Liang smiled and nodded, confident in his plan.

“Although I don’t understand how the elevator works, we could create a human-powered version,” he began. “First, we build a huge frame that extends above the city walls. Then, we make a platform that can carry people, with metal protection on top. During a siege, several dozen men could pull on ropes to raise the platform. Once it reaches the top of the city walls, they could pour out.”

“If we build many such human-powered elevators, we can calculate how many people it takes to pull them, and this would drastically reduce casualties during a siege, improving the chances of success.”

Liu Bei interrupted him suddenly.

“Sir, the plan is brilliant, but relying on people to pull the platform would be too laborious.”

Zhuge Liang smiled.

“Earlier, I saw that the elevator had a black rope wound around a ‘wheel.’ I believe we can also wrap our rope around a wheel. This would save much more effort!”

With that, Zhuge Liang drew a sword and quickly cut off the corner of a table. He shaped it into a makeshift pulley, then tore a piece of cloth to make a rope. Using a nearby stool, he built a simple frame to attach the pulley.

“Try it, my lord.”

Liu Bei marveled at the small pulley mechanism. He pulled the rope and, to his delight, the device worked perfectly.

“Sir’s wisdom is unmatched!” Liu Bei exclaimed. “Order someone to build a twenty-meter high human-powered elevator immediately!”

“Truly, heaven helps me!” Liu Bei rejoiced.

With this human-powered elevator, no city would stand in his way!

______

In this period, nightlife was vibrant, and one could see hints of it in the Qingming Shanghe Tu painting. In Bianjing, the capital, the restaurant culture was highly developed, even with the early existence of “take-out.”

Among the seventy-two famous taverns in Bianjing, one stood out: the “Fan Lou.” At this moment, the owner of Fan Lou stood on the rooftop, gazing at the elevator in the sky, his mind suddenly bursting with inspiration.

If only my Fan Lou had such a ‘convenient’ elevator, I’m sure business would improve even more, he thought to himself.

He stroked his goatee and called for the tavern’s chief steward.

“Master, what is your command?”

“Find the best craftsmen in all of Bianjing. I want to build an elevator for my Fan Lou so that it can become the number one tavern in the city!”

The steward laughed.

“Of course, Fan Lou is already the most famous in Bianjing. Just recently, the crown prince’s birthday banquet was held here.”

“Then, let’s take it to the next level,” the owner said.

While people throughout the ages marveled at the elevator and the cityscape, in the present world, Lin Ming and Zhi Mengmeng were starting a conversation.

“Lin Ming, why don’t you turn the camera around? Qianqian wants to talk to you directly. The misunderstanding will be cleared up, and everything will be fine.”

Zhi Mengmeng’s beautiful face appeared on the screen, radiating youthful energy. Meanwhile, Gao Yi, hearing this, snapped out of his trance from watching a video, only to fall into another confusion.

“Mu Qianqian? That was the most beautiful girl in our university days!”