In the valley, dull explosions could be heard from time to time, accompanied by the excited and nervous shouts of the craftsmen.
The smell of gunpowder filled the air, mixed with the dry loess of Yanzhou, creating a strange and powerful atmosphere.
Zhao Muyun stood in a safe area a little further away, his eyes fixed on the test site.
The ratio is adjusted again and again, and the packaging is improved again and again.
Failures far outnumber successes. Sometimes they just end up with a puff of smoke, and sometimes they are too weak.
But occasionally, a heart-pounding roar would erupt, blowing the target mound into pieces!
"Sir! It's done! Come and see this time!"
An old craftsman, his face covered in soot but with surprisingly bright eyes, ran over excitedly.
He was the most experienced and daring among the craftsmen, and his name was Hu Huogen.
Zhao Muyun walked over quickly and saw that a large gap was blown open at the edge of a newly dug pit on the test site, and broken soil was flying everywhere.
"According to your instructions, 75 parts saltpeter, 10 parts sulfur, and 15 parts charcoal, ground very finely and compacted with a thick paper tube. The fuse also uses the cotton thread coated with powder you mentioned..."
Hu Huogen reported very quickly, "It's several times more powerful than before!"
Zhao Muyun carefully observed the traces of the explosion, his heart agitated, but his face remained calm:
"That's not enough! I don't want to blast a crater, I want to crack the city wall, to terrify the enemy! The seal must be tighter, and the particles must be more uniform!"
"Keep trying! Find the best ratio and method!"
“Yes! Yes!”
Hu Huogen and other craftsmen have now been completely attracted by this magical "new fireworks". They have long forgotten their initial fear and are fully immersed in it.
The ideas and directions provided by Zhao Muyun opened a whole new door for them.
Just as Zhao Muyun was concentrating on the research and development of gunpowder, Shen Qian brought the latest external intelligence with a serious expression.
"Sir, something terrible has happened! The imperial envoy has seized the military power of Yang Dingguo and Li Chenghua and ordered the army to retreat south."
"As a result, they were ambushed by Zuo Xian Wang south of Juyong Pass, and the five battalions of the capital were almost completely wiped out!"
Even though he was mentally prepared, Zhao Muyun still closed his eyes abruptly when he heard the news.
Heartache! Incomparable heartache!
Those tens of thousands of elite soldiers of the empire did not fall on the battlefield against the Di people, but fell at the hands of their own people's stupidity and the enemy's conspiracy!
"Also... Zuo Xian Wang, riding on the wave of victory, has once again marched to the gates of Youzhou. Minister of Rites Su Zheyan was forced to negotiate with Zuo Xian Wang, but the terms were extremely harsh, reportedly involving the cession of territory."
Shen Qian's voice was filled with suppressed anger.
"Cede land?"
Zhao Muyun suddenly opened his eyes, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "They dare?"
"The specific situation is still unclear, but Youzhou is under siege again, and news is difficult to get out."
"Also, in Shuozhou, the Jingbian military town has been lost, and Captain Zhong Dahu... died for his country."
"Shi Yong, Xi Sheng, Zhong Meng and others led the remaining troops to retreat into Wuzhou City."
"The main force of the Tartars is fiercely attacking Wuzhou City. Sima Han is under great pressure. Shuozhou City only has the last barrier left."
Bad news came one after another, and the situation took a turn for the worse, becoming extremely bad.
Zhao Muyun took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Anger and grief will not solve the problem.
“The imperial court… hehe!”
He sneered, his tone filled with disappointment and determination, "Since they have destroyed the Great Wall themselves and are so foolish, then we can no longer count on them in the Northern Frontier and in this world!"
His gaze once again turned to the test site where explosions continued to be heard, and his eyes became extremely sharp and firm.
"Chen Qian, inform Tang Yanhai and Du Wei to double the supply of gunpowder materials!"
"Tell them, at all costs! We have to race against time!"
"Also, have our people in Jinyang subtly reveal to the King of Jin the news that the imperial court forced the Yang and Li clans to rebel, leading to the annihilation of the army, and that they intend to cede land to the Northern Di in exchange for peace."
"It's okay to exaggerate. We need to make him feel that sending troops to 'pacify the rebellion' and 'Northern Expedition' at this moment is in accordance with the will of heaven and the will of the people, and it's the perfect opportunity to seize the reputation of justice!"
He wanted to muddy the waters and drag the King of Jin into the war against the Di people.
Even if the King of Jin has ulterior motives, he can share the pressure of Shuozhou and create chaos and opportunities.
"Also, send a message to Han Zhong..."
Zhao Muyun pondered for a moment, "Hold on and wait for change. If we save people but lose land, both people and land will be saved; if we save land but lose people, both people and land will be lost."
"Shuozhou can be lost, but the soldiers and civilians cannot be completely wiped out. We can make the worst-case scenario plan if necessary, but we must hold on until the very end! A turning point may come soon!"
He couldn't talk about the gunpowder directly, but he believed Han Zhong could understand what he meant.
Only by living can there be hope.
Shen Qian accepted the order and left in a hurry.
Zhao Muyun strode towards the testing ground with a serious expression.
He rolled up his sleeves and personally participated in the craftsmen's discussions and experiments.
He used the theoretical knowledge and practical experience he had gained in the special forces in his previous life and continuously put forward suggestions for improvement:
Granulation to increase combustion efficiency, finding better sealing materials, designing more reliable fuses, and even starting to draw some rough concept drawings of "Sky-shaking Bombs" and "Fire Dragons Emerging from Water".
His personal participation and creative ideas greatly inspired and motivated the craftsmen.
The entire valley seemed to have become a military research and development base that was ahead of its time, operating day and night.
Time goes by day by day.
The world outside is bloody and violent:
The Wuzhou city was on the verge of collapse under the fierce attack of the Wuliangha. Shi Yong, Xi Sheng, Zhong Meng and others fought desperately and suffered heavy casualties.
Outside Youzhou City, Zuo Xian Wang continued to exert pressure, Su Zheyan was in a dilemma, and the peace talks were at a stalemate, but Youzhou City was already a living hell.
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