Li Xian wore a fur coat sewn from Xihe's lamb skin and watched the craftsmen in the Gunpowder Department soaking saltpeter, saltpeter and other substances into water and starting to boil them.
He loosened his clothes.
"What kind of firearms do you want?"
This is his biggest question these days.
He has seen several gunpowder experiments!
The black powder contained in earthen jars or wrapped in silk cloth exploded with a bang after being ignited.
Just like Refa, incredible!
This was completely different from the firearms he had seen in Xihe, which could only scare people.
This is ready for use on the battlefield!
Unfortunately, everyone disagrees.
He seemed to feel that the power of gunpowder was still too small.
Therefore, he asked the Gunpowder Department to continue to improve gunpowder and purify saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal.
At first, Li Xian was a little bit dissatisfied.
But as the purity of the nitrate becomes higher and higher, the explosive power of the gunpowder increases!
Facts have proved that everyone is right.
Firearms have a lot to offer!
Shen Kuo even had people conduct experiments with hollow bamboos some time ago.
Stuff a ball of gunpowder into the bamboo and place some small lead shot in front of it.
After a bang, the lead shot was fired and hit the wooden board more than ten steps away, completely smashing the wooden board!
Although the bamboo was also torn apart in the huge explosion, Li Xian was still dumbfounded.
Just as he was thinking about things, Shi Deyi appeared in his sight.
"Shidu knows, how come you have time to come to the Gunpowder Department?" Li Xian stepped forward and asked.
"I didn't hide it from you, so I came to invite you to enter the palace tomorrow according to everyone's instructions!" Shi Deyi replied.
"Huh?" Li Xian frowned: "Why do you want me to enter the palace?"
"You will naturally know when you arrive in front of the emperor!" Shi Deyi did not answer directly.
Li Xian's brows furrowed even more tightly, but he still faced the direction of Funing Palace and raised his hands: "Old minister, I respectfully obey your orders!"
He is a minister and must obey the emperor's will 100% and cannot even bargain.
But he is still a commander-in-chief. He has been a commander-in-chief in Xihe for nearly ten years, and he has long developed the habit of not accepting the orders of foreign kings.
After all, if you are leading the troops outside, you really have to follow Bian Jing's will completely.
Then there is no need to fight.
…
The second day is Jiazi (the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month).
The Ministry of Rites reports: The Liao State sent the Ningchang Army Military Envoy Xiao Zhongshun to congratulate the Xinglong Festival, the deputy envoys Zhongdafu, Lilang, Zhizhi Gaochong Shiguan compiler Zhao Xiaoyan and others came to Beijing to congratulate.
This is the sixth wave of Liao envoys after Zhao Xu came to the throne.
Naturally, these people are not just here to congratulate Zhao Xu on his birthday.
At the same time, I also came to ask about Jiaozi.
According to Lu Jiawen, the envoy sent by Zhao Xu to the Liao Kingdom, Yang Ji and others reported after they returned.
When they were in the Liao Kingdom, the ministers and nobles of the Liao Kingdom they met every day were asking: Well, when can we use the Jiaozi your country gave us?
The purchasing group named Daliao has been impatient for a long time.
The old emperor of Liao was the most active.
Otherwise, there would not be endless waves of messengers coming and going.
When the New Year comes, there will definitely be messengers, and there will be more than one group, coming to ask about Jiaozi in the name of congratulations.
In the memorial this morning, there was another incident that frightened Dutang and Zhao Xu.
The most steadfast Huihe sect in the Song Dynasty, the indomitable river control master, and the Tanzhou Zhizhou Wang Lingtu, who firmly believed that as long as the Yellow River returned to its old path during the Jingyou period, everything would be fine, wrote a letter again proposing the proposal to return the Yellow River.
.
Fortunately, even the two palaces know about this matter - the Yellow River is the best way to manage it by not messing with it.
Therefore, Wang Lingtu's petition was undoubtedly rejected.
Moreover, because Zhao Xu has been subtly using the name of the Jingyan official and the two palaces to popularize science, he learned the painful lessons of returning to the river twice.
Therefore, this time neither the two palaces took his letter to the capital for discussion.
This prevented the Huihe faction in the court from forming a group again.
It should be noted that returning to the river is not just a project.
Several generations still have beautiful memories and obsession with the quiet Yellow River before the reign of Jingyou.
The so-called return to the river is actually the beautiful pursuit of the scholar-bureaucrats before they dreamed of returning to Jingyou.
But the good times have passed.
The current status of the Yellow River cannot be changed.
Want to bring it back to its old ways?
Just to re-excavate the old road that had long been transformed into pastoral and rural areas, the amount of work required would probably be no less than that of many modern large-scale man-made canals.
Not to mention the amount of engineering required to divert the Yellow River back to its original course.
…
When Zhao Xu returned to Funing Palace from Baoci Palace.
Feng Jing came to report: "Everyone, Li Douzhi is already waiting outside the palace!"
"Please quickly!" Zhao Xu said quickly.
Zhao Xu still treated Li Xian very well.
As a result, Li Xian was quickly brought to Zhao Xu by Di Yong.
"Old Minister Xian pays my respects to you all!" Li Xian, who had already turned white-haired, bowed before him and saluted: "I wish you all great blessings!"
"No courtesy!" Zhao Xu sat on the throne in Funing Hall and said, "Feng Jing, go and give Li Liu a seat!"
"only……"
After Li Xian thanked him again, he sat down and asked, "Everyone has summoned the old ministers. Do you have any command?"
Zhao Xu chuckled and said: "I am keeping the old man behind and recruiting him into the palace today because I want to ask about the situation of the Jiaozi Institute..."
"The relationship between Jiaozi and Jiaozi is very important, and it is a matter of national policy. That's why we let Liuhou sit in charge and frighten Xiaoxiao!"
Zhao Xu naturally wanted to save some face for Li Xian, so he couldn't tell him directly: "Don't go to the Gunpowder Department, or you will be nailed to the Jiaozi Station!"
That's unrealistic!
It is also disrespectful to this minister who has made great contributions in Xihe!
Li Xian actually knew the reason before he came.
Therefore, he immediately stood up and apologized: "I was so frightened that I almost missed important national events. I beg everyone to punish me!"
"Please get up, please...please get up..." Zhao Xu smiled and said softly: "The queen is a general of the imperial examination and an important minister of the country. I have always respected and cherished..."
Li Xian smiled and felt deeply satisfied.
However, Zhao Xu immediately changed the subject: "It's just that the state has national laws, and families have family rules!"
"Of course I want to protect the queen, but the queen must abide by the laws... Otherwise, it will be troublesome for the scholar-officials in the outer court to impeach me!"
"Bianjing City is no better than Xihe... Liu Hou should also know that the censors have long wanted to impeach Liu Hou..."
Li Xian suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He heard the hidden meaning and warning of his young master.
That is also true!
It was not because the young master was protecting him. Li Xian knew that he had been driven out of Bianjing by the censors.
In the eyes of many scholar-bureaucrats, Li Xian is almost like a sinner!
"Old minister, I understand!" He bowed respectfully: "Old minister, I will definitely take care of you in the future!"
"Good!" Zhao Xu praised, stroking his palms.
Li Xian is the highest-ranking minister and a general with great military exploits!
Many relatives and members of the noble family in Bianjing City have worked under his account.
With him in Jiaozisuo, except for the Xiang family and the Gao family, no one else would dare or be able to take advantage of Jiaozisuo!
As for the Xiang family and the Gao family, they are not afraid of Li Xian.
But they won't be stupid enough to touch the exchange.
For them, there are many ways to make money, so there is no need to take this risk!
Even if there is a fool who dares to touch it, Zhao Xu will know it immediately.
Then let Gao Zunhui or Gao Gonghui take him back and educate him well.
At this moment, Li Xian took the opportunity to raise his head and asked: "Everyone, I have something to puzzle about..."
"The Gunpowder Department..."
Zhao Xu suddenly interrupted him: "I have my own arrangements regarding the Gunpowder Department!"
“You don’t have to ask any more questions after you stay!”
The Gunpowder Department is the focus of Zhao Xu's attention.
Shen Kuo reported progress every five days, and he would always take the opportunity to hint or express some of the work of the Gunpowder Department.
"Old Minister, I understand..." Li Xian knew as soon as he heard this. I am afraid that everyone allowed him to know about this and go to the Gunpowder Department to have a look. I am afraid it is a special favor to him.
Another person might not even be able to get through the gate of the Gunpowder Department!
So, Li Xian understood.
From now on, he can visit occasionally, but he must not spread the word about what happened there.
At the same time, you cannot participate in it.
Because this is something that everyone, including the late emperor and the two generations of emperors, is concerned about.
What’s more, the country’s sharp weapon cannot be easily shown to others!
Thinking of this, Li Xian was suddenly shocked and said, "Old minister, I almost ruined everyone's plan!"
"Begging for punishment!"
"Lao Liu Hou's words are serious!" Zhao Xu said: "Lao Liu Hou only needs to remember not to let outsiders know what happened!"
The first time Li Xian went to the Gunpowder Department, Zhao Xu asked Shen Kuo to take him there.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for Li Xian to know the existence of the Gunpowder Department.
There is naturally some element of showing off in this.
It was also out of respect for Li Xian.
It's time for this general with great military exploits to take a look at the future and gain some grasp of the future.
"Old minister, I will obey your orders!"
…
After sending Li Xian away, Zhao Xu slowly closed his eyes and slowly rubbed each other with his hands.
Since its establishment, the Gunpowder Division has been conducting continuous short-term, repetitive experiments.
Use the exhaustive method to eliminate those items that are not necessary for gunpowder.
At the end of October, Shen Kuo had already reported that the ministers and others generally knew that when it comes to firearms, saltpeter is the most important, followed by sulfur and charcoal.
Thus, the original black powder was almost invented.
But the initial black powder had limited power and did not meet Zhao Xu's requirements.
Because pure black powder lacks technical barriers, there is no guarantee.
As long as the Song Dynasty dared to use it, within three to five years, Liao and Xixia would find out the secret and use it accordingly.
Then, the formula may flow to the Qing, Tang, Tubo, grasslands, Black Khan, and finally along the Silk Road, to distant places.
How can this be done?
What Zhao Xu really needs is the PLUS version of black powder - granular gunpowder!
To obtain granular gunpowder, you need to further purify charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur.
In modern times, this is a knowledge point that junior high school students know - the so-called black powder is actually a chemical reaction process.
Potassium nitrate produces oxygen, sulfur, and charcoal to help burn, thereby releasing heat and a large amount of carbon dioxide in an instant, causing the volume to expand and cause an explosion!
When Zhao Xu was in modern archeology, he often heard people popularize relevant knowledge.
He also understands the principles.
But I just don’t know how to purify saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal.
Therefore, he could only let Shen Kuo prepare it and repeatedly verify various methods.
Now, according to Shen Kuo's report, the nitrate purification technology has basically been completed.
The purification of sulfur is almost done.
That leaves the most difficult charcoal purification technology.
I'm afraid it will take more than a month of repeated testing and exploration.
Then the experimental preparation of granular gunpowder will probably take several months.
In this way, it is estimated that practical granular gunpowder will not be available until the second half of next year.