Several craftsmen took tobacco and cigarettes back to the workshop to continue their research.
Wang Pan gave them good food and drink and seemed to be treating them well, but that was when he was doing good things.
If these craftsmen could not produce anything, Wang Pan would immediately turn hostile and make them return all their money with interest.
"I saw a few masters lighting this up and smoking it, looking so happy. Let's learn how to use it too!"
A young craftsman was so sleepy that he suggested.
Everyone took a cigarette, lit it up, and puffed out smoke.
When you smoke a cigarette without a filter, the impact is several times greater than that of the current filter cigarettes.
Several craftsmen were smoking happily, but they were already feeling a little dizzy from the thick smoke.
One of the craftsmen stumbled and accidentally bumped into the saltpeter and sulfur used to make fireworks in the workshop.
Squeak!
First there was thick white smoke, and flames continued to spread. Then there was a muffled bang, and the fireworks workshop exploded.
Flames shot up into the sky, debris flew everywhere, and screams were heard.
Several craftsmen ran out in a panic and asked people to put out the fire.
They were all smoked like they were from Africa, and the tobacco and cigarettes had long since turned into piles of ashes.
Although the explosion was not very loud, it was no less than a thunderclap in the dead of night, and half of Jinyang City heard the noise.
Tang Yanhai, who was following these craftsmen, was also dumbfounded.
Tang Yanhai left the capital before Zhao Muyun was assassinated and faked his death. He was lurking in Jinyang, specifically investigating and monitoring Bai Shouren, Wang Pan and Zhou Dequan.
After faking his death, Zhao Muyun hid in a secret mountain villa. In addition to Wu Shangzhi, Li Si, Fan Bingbing and Han Zhong who were around him, Zhao Muyun also secretly informed Tang Yanhai of his fake death.
Therefore, when Tang Yanhai heard the news that Zhao Muyun had fallen off a cliff and died at Wang Pan's mansion, he must not have been surprised.
Instead, he secretly sighed that Zhao Muyun's trick of escaping was really brilliant, turning the passive situation into the active one in an instant.
At the same time, Zhou Dequan and the other two immediately revealed their true colors and unscrupulously attacked the tobacco in Wohugang.
Zhao Muyun’s instructions to Tang Yanhai were very clear: wait until Wang Pan and the other two have mass-produced cigarettes and circulated them among dignitaries, and then carry out the elimination plan against them.
Unexpectedly, such an accident happened during the surveillance process.
"Captain Tang, what should we do?" a scout came to his senses and asked hurriedly.
"Go to the capital immediately and bring this secret letter to Captain Fan!"
Tang Yanhai didn't know why the explosion happened, but the first person he thought of was the omnipotent Zhao Muyun.
In order to prevent the news of Zhao Muyun's fake death from leaking out, the information was only passed between Tang Yanhai and Fan Bingbing.
And the compound bow and triangular spear Zhao Muyun had made himself; the training plan he'd discussed with Han Zhong; the special operations behind enemy lines he'd discussed with Tang Yanhai; and the fine salt, coal, and tobacco from Wohugang...
Zhao Muyun is not only his boss, but also an omnipotent prophet.
"Yes!" The scout took the secret letter written by Tang Yanhai, put it close to his body, and then disappeared into the night.
Watching his men leave, Tang Yanhai vaguely felt that Zhao Muyun would definitely be inspired by this explosion and create a powerful weapon that could change the situation in Shuozhou.
......
Three days later, at a secret villa in the northern section of Tianzi Mountain.
Zhao Muyun received the urgent secret report submitted by Fan Bingbing and sent by Tang Yanhai via carrier pigeon.
When Zhao Muyun saw words like "fireworks workshop", "tobacco ignition", and "explosion", he was stunned at first.
Then he stood up suddenly, his eyes bursting with incredible ecstasy!
Previously in Shuozhou, and now in the capital, along the way, he has been paying attention to the application of gunpowder in this era.
He also asked the Bai family caravan and Wang Tiezhu's night watchmen to inquire about gunpowder.
Due to frequent wars and continuous political struggles in the past six months, the combat effectiveness of the 10,000 soldiers under Zhao Muyun's command has been greatly improved through the upgrading of equipment and the popularization of new training methods in external and internal wars.
Mastering advanced equipment can certainly allow the troops under your command to reach a high level, but the wisdom of the ancients of this era should not be underestimated.
First, Zhao Muyun gave the Wuhuan people a method of refining fine salt. The Salt and Iron Bureau under the Ministry of Internal Affairs gathered skilled craftsmen from all over the country and figured it out in a month.
Afterwards, the court's craftsman workshops immediately imitated Zhao Muyun's triangular spear, composite bow, plate armor, and broadsword.
Although they did not learn the steel-cladding method and quenching process of the horizontal sword, they not only learned the compound bow and triangular spear well, but even surpassed their teachers.
After all, the Central Plains is home to more talented people than Shuozhou, a remote area.
Take tobacco today for example, Zhao Muyun can’t hide it for long and will soon imitate it.
That's why Zhao Muyun deliberately let Shi Yong let Hu San go, and used Zhou and Wang to spread the news.
He first controlled the source of tobacco and made a fortune.
A red flower needs green leaves to set it off, and he plans to reap high profits by producing cigarettes with better taste.
This is similar to the previous strategy of fine salt and coarse salt.
Given the above reasons, Zhao Muyun was still very cautious about developing gunpowder for military applications.
Considering his experience as a special forces captain in his previous life, it was very easy for him to make something with his powder hands.
The emergence of hot weapons will break the balance, and Zhao Muyun will become the target of public criticism.
Only when he has enough strength to resist the covetousness from the Tartars and even Dayin, will Zhao Muyun let go.
Then I have what you don’t, and I am better than you!
At present, Zhao Muyun is only a captain of the border army, with four to five prefectures, 10,000 troops and a population of more than 100,000.
In the current situation, if such a powerful weapon appears, this level of strength will not be able to withstand the continuous attacks from the Tartars, rebels and the imperial court.
"Give me the order back to Tang Yanhai!"
Zhao Muyun quickly ordered Fan Bingbing, "First, seize those fireworks craftsmen who survived the explosion, especially those who know how to mix and make fireworks. Use threats and inducements to secretly capture them and their families and transfer them to a safe place!"
"Secondly, find a way to collect as much undamaged saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal, and other materials as possible from the rubble of the explosion, especially any recipe notes that the craftsmen may have hidden! Don't leave anything behind!"
"Third, continue to monitor Bai Shouren and the other two. Monitor their development of cigarettes!"
"We're short on manpower. Tell him to ask Wang Tiezhu for more!"
"All the craftsmen and raw materials involved in this explosion must be controlled in our hands until the time is right."
Although Fan Bingbing didn't understand what was going on, seeing Zhao Muyun so serious and solemn, she immediately took the order and left.
Zhao Muyun paced alone in the room, his heart beating like a drum.
This kind of power must be controlled by oneself, and held firmly in one's hands, accumulated secretly, and not used until it becomes a hidden dragon.
When the time is right, make a stunning move that will leave other forces far behind.
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