Zitong Laojun Mountain is also known as Mianyang Jiangyou Laojun Mountain in later generations. Li Xingchen still remembers that later generations found a large number of traces of ancient people mining saltpeter here. Needless to say, the name Laojun Mountain must have a certain connection with the saltpeter here.
When Li Xinchen was still in Sichuan, he organized many craftsmen at that time to search for minerals in the south and deep mountains. Therefore, the Han Dynasty discovered copper mines in Nanzhong before, and now finally discovered saltpeter mines in Sichuan and Shu.
With the support of mining, at least now the Ministry of Industry can maintain the production of gunpowder stably.
Especially as the Han Dynasty expands forward, the Ministry of Industry will naturally have the opportunity to find more opportunities to move forward, mainly opportunities to explore these precious minerals.
In fact, saltpeter was not only known after the manufacture of gunpowder began. The ancients also had records of using saltpeter. Fan Zijiran once said that "saltpeter came out of the Long Road". As the Han Dynasty completed its encroachment on the northwest, the Ministry of Industry
The tentacles will naturally extend to the northwest in the future, so there is no need to worry about the production of saltpeter.
It's a bit embarrassing to say that the Ministry of Industry used to obtain saltpeter by digging toilet soil. Toilet soil, as the name suggests, is the soil in the toilet, or to be precise, the soil at the root of the toilet wall. Toilets on saline-alkali land mainly refer to those dry toilets, of course
In this era, most of the toilets were dry toilets, and toilets were used in the city. This was the same as dry toilets. The soil at the base of walls of old houses was usually boiled to obtain nitrate and salt, and the nitrate could be used to make gunpowder.
Of course, this process will emit a lot of strange smells, especially toilet soil. After years of "accumulation", the smell can be imagined.
Therefore, the gunpowder workshop of the Ministry of Industry has been located deep in the mountains, not only to keep it secret, but also because the smell is really unpleasant.
Now that a large-scale saltpeter mine has finally been found, the problem of the Ministry of Industry's lack of the most basic raw material, saltpeter, has finally been solved. At least Wu Ping does not need to take people to dig toilets.
In contrast, the other two raw materials for black powder, sulfur and charcoal, are very easy to obtain. Not to mention charcoal, sulfur is not a problem. There is a history of sulfur mining in ancient China, and even in later generations, China
There is also what can be called a rich sulfur mine in the world, and Li Xingchen does not need to worry about it for the Ministry of Industry.
Li Xingchen is still very satisfied with the current output of gunpowder.
One thousand kilograms is not a lot for a big man, but everything has just begun, and the most important thing is to move forward steadily.
"Gunpowder is very dangerous. We must ensure the safety of the refined gunpowder." Li Xingchen said in a deep voice, "I don't need to increase production in such a hurry, but I want you to ensure that there will be no casualties or losses. When the time comes,
Neither I nor anyone from the Ministry of Industry can give an explanation to the government and the opposition, understand?"
"I understand!" Wu Ping said solemnly.
The existence of firearms is still a secret to most people in the world. Even if they know that such things exist, they still don't understand why this metal tube suddenly emits light, electricity, and even billows of smoke.
Therefore, under normal circumstances, most people will regard it as a god coming down to earth, and in all likelihood, it is the legendary God of Thunder and Lightning Queen coming to the mortal world.
Once any accident occurs during the production, storage and transportation of gunpowder, it will inevitably cause panic among the people. Some people may even think that God is going to punish Dahan and Li Xingchen. Not to mention what will happen if the gunpowder goes wrong.
Material losses are naturally not a good thing for Li Xingchen's prestige and the rule of the Han Dynasty.
It would be better to stop for three points than to seize a second. Now that the Han Dynasty has formed a strategic advantage over the enemy, Li Xingchen does not need to rush to install firearms in large quantities to enhance the combat effectiveness of the Han army. He can just let this new weapon slowly develop and
Improve it.
"I came here this time not just to see the muskets. In addition to the muskets, how are the thunder and artillery made?" Li Xingchen said immediately.
The Ministry of Industry has now transferred most of its manpower and material resources to the research and development of firearms. Of course, this is also because the development of equipment in this era has actually reached a small peak, especially after the exchange and integration between the north and the south, whether it is farming equipment
Regardless of the combat equipment, they have actually brought human wisdom to the extreme.
Without electricity, the equipment that could be built was even ahead of the level of later generations without farming machinery. Therefore, Li Xingchen did not intend to ask for more from the Ministry of Industry. It seemed that there was no point in making more improvements in this regard.
Instead of continuing research we should start increasing production.
After all, it only makes sense for the invented equipment to be used by more people.
The "researchers" of the Ministry of Industry, that is, the craftsmen who once served as supervisors, have also begun to gradually shift their attention to the research and development of firearms. Obviously, this kind of artifact that represents a new era can more arouse the enthusiasm of scientific research madmen like them.
Research desire.
In fact, there is no shortage of geniuses and madmen in every era. When it comes to where the most geniuses and madmen are in the territory of the Han Dynasty, the Ministry of Industry ranks second, but no one dares to claim the first place.
But even so, researching firearms is a process from scratch.
Therefore, when faced with Li Xingchen's question, Wu Ping was also a little embarrassed: "Your Majesty, the Zhentian Lei has been developed and is still being tested for improvement. The Artillery Minister and others are still studying the material and thickness of the barrel.
.”
Li Xingchen nodded slightly. He was actually a little disappointed with this answer, but he also knew that everything should not be rushed.
Zhentianlei is actually equivalent to the hand grenade of later generations, but Li Xingchen still asked the Ministry of Industry to make this thing as large as possible. After all, although the power of black powder is not small, it is not stable, and the explosion effect is indescribable.
, naturally there is no way to compare with nitrocellulose. Li Xingchen is not inclined to make black powder into small hand grenades for use.
Historically, many of the hand grenades manufactured in the border areas during the Anti-Japanese War used simple black powder, and everyone knows the effect.
Li Xingchen prefers to make the Thunderbolt larger and then use the Thunderbolt Car to throw it, so that the Thunderbolt Car can be used to a greater extent.
With the development of firearms and even the birth of artillery, large trebuchets such as the Thunderbolt Cart will naturally gradually withdraw from the stage of history. This is of course something that neither the Ministry of Industry nor Li Xingchen, who spent a lot of manpower and material resources to manufacture these Thunderbolt Carts, want to see.
Yes, instead of throwing these brand-new Thunderbolts, many of which have not even been used on the battlefield, directly into the trash heap, it is better to continue to explore their potential and other uses.
When the artillery has not yet fully matured, and even has not been produced at all, the Thunderbolt Car still has value.