The next morning, as dawn broke, the wicked man was already dressed and ready to depart in front of the Grand Commandant's mansion.
Although he was equally excited and couldn't sleep last night, he insisted that Xianglihe and Zizhen rest for a day to avoid any mishaps due to mental exhaustion.
At this moment, he stood in front of the door, wearing a thick cloak and with his hands behind his back. As the hazy sky gradually brightened, he could no longer contain his excitement and decided to go to the test site.
...
Before long, they arrived at the workshop.
Several Mohist disciples carefully carried two wooden boxes containing ten "homemade bombs" that had been hastily made the night before. The boxes were filled with weeds to prevent damage from collisions.
"Grand Commandant, everything is ready. Shall we depart immediately?" Xiang Lihe's voice was low, but his nervousness was palpable.
The wicked man looked around, his expression unusually serious. He nodded and said, "Let's go. We'll go to that wasteland in the northern suburbs. It's open and sparsely populated, perfect for testing. Be careful not to get any sparks near us along the way, and don't stop halfway."
After he finished speaking, he led the group onto carriages or on foot, and the procession bypassed the bustling streets and alleys, heading north along the city wall path.
The wind of late winter howled past, carrying a chill, but the people were oblivious to the cold because of their passionate hearts.
Not long after leaving the city gate, one sees an endless expanse of barren grass and flat land, with undulating terrain.
This place was originally the site where the Black Ice Guard conducted secret drills. There were few people around for miles. The wicked man ordered the main force to stop on the spot and let his guards patrol separately to eliminate any possible pedestrians or livestock.
After confirming it was safe, he gestured, "Move those two wooden crates to the open space ahead and get ready for the test!"
Xiang Lihe nodded excitedly, "Of the ten, five are pottery and five are bamboo tubes. The gunpowder formulas are also different. We will test them one by one and hope to find the best combination."
The wicked man instructed the two men: "First, place the ten numbered tokens one by one in the center of the wasteland. Except for the one who set the tokens, everyone else should retreat to a safe distance."
Zizhen nodded and waved his hand, and the Mohist disciples immediately got busy: some drew marking circles on the ground, while others prepared to place wooden stakes, leather armor, and other reference objects.
Soon, the first clay pot-shaped improvised explosive device was in place, connected to the fuse, ensuring that it would ignite the main gunpowder chamber once lit.
At the wicked man's command, everyone retreated behind cover.
Zizhen personally held the tinderbox, carefully lit the fuse, and then quickly retreated.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the thin fuse hissed and sparked—"Boom!" A loud bang shook the ground, and shards of pottery, along with flying dirt and stones, spun and scattered in the air.
After the smoke and dust subsided, everyone carefully approached to take a closer look and saw that the wooden stake closest to the blast point had been blasted open, with fragments embedded deep inside.
Someone exclaimed with delight, "It's quite powerful! It seems the seal on the earthenware jar and the gunpowder ratio worked!"
The wicked man smiled, yet remained calm: "Not bad, but we still need to compare the effect with the bamboo tube outer shell. Come on, let's continue testing the second one."
This time, the bamboo tube sealing method was used, and Xiang Lihe personally took charge of the operation. He instructed his men to place the bamboo tube in the same position, burying a section of it in the ground to ensure stability.
As soon as the fuse was lit, the bamboo tube emitted a thunderous roar.
Unlike earthenware jars, bamboo tubes break into strips, with a slightly smaller scattering range and less concentrated killing power. However, they ignite quickly, have short fuses, and explode more violently, producing a large amount of smoke and flames.
They continued testing them one by one, sometimes with a loud boom, sometimes with a muffled thud. Dust and mist billowed from the detonation points, and fragments flew everywhere.
Many soldiers of the Black Ice Guard marveled at how ordinary pottery jars and bamboo tubes could become terrifying weapons once filled with gunpowder.
Moreover, the different combinations differed in power and scattering methods, prompting Zizhen and Xianglihe to take numerous notes.
"The fourth pottery shard that exploded was larger, so its impact was slightly weaker..."
"The sixth bamboo tube cracked and then exploded; perhaps the seal wasn't tight enough..."
They took notes and discussed improvements as they went.
Just when everyone thought things were going smoothly, the seventh bamboo tube unexpectedly malfunctioned. After the fuse was lit, the sparks went out abruptly when they reached the gap in the tube wall.
Several dozen breaths passed without any explosion, which made people feel very uneasy.
Zizhen waved his hand in alarm: "Everyone, don't rush forward. This broken fuse might still have sparks."
The wicked man also gestured to keep his distance.
After about half a cup of tea's time had passed and it was confirmed that there were no signs of fire, the Mohist disciples were allowed to approach carefully and gently poke at the gunpowder with a long pole. They eventually discovered that the inner layer of the paper-plastic seal was damp, preventing the fire from reaching the gunpowder. Fortunately, no danger was caused.
"We really can't be careless," the wicked man sighed. "Fortunately, we're in the experimental stage. If we're to use it on the battlefield in the future, we must first ensure that it's dry and properly sealed."
The remaining tests went relatively smoothly. The eighth pottery jar produced an astonishing display, with its fragments actually piercing a wooden board two zhang away. The ninth bamboo tube, though slightly delayed in burning, suddenly roared at the last moment, raising a cloud of dust.
The tenth bomb was the smallest, yet it unexpectedly inflicted the most concentrated damage, creating a crater half a person deep!
As the last wisp of smoke dissipated, the wasteland in the center was riddled with holes, with broken wooden stakes, pottery shards, and bamboo chips scattered all over the ground, and a pungent smell of gunpowder lingered for a long time.
The group returned to the center of the explosion and carefully searched for scattered pottery shards and bamboo pieces to verify the actual shapes of the fragments.
Some fragments are flat and sharp-angled, making them easy to pierce the target; others are broken into powder or large pieces, which reduces their lethality.
Zizhen compared the fragments repeatedly and pondered, "Perhaps attaching a thin iron sheet inside the outer shell and pre-marking the cracks would make the fragments more uniform?"
Xiang Lihe suggested: "The amount of gunpowder can also be moderately controlled. Don't just pursue a large amount, lest the force be insufficient or too strong. The sealing method should also be standardized to prevent the fuse from failing to burn through the internal paper and plastic."
As the two men explained the situation in detail, the wicked man's hopes for the potential of this "homemade bomb" grew even stronger. Although it was still in its infancy, he believed that with further refinement and improvement, it would definitely strike fear into the hearts of the enemy.
"You've all worked hard. These ten tests, though arduous, have given us a glimpse into the process."
Looking at the charred pit and the broken wooden stake beside him, the wicked man said with a hint of excitement, "When we get back, we need to organize the data properly and also find ways to improve the quality of the fuse to avoid it misfiring for no reason."
Zizhen cupped his hands and said, "Grand Commandant, rest assured. My disciples of the Mohist school are skilled in crafting ingenious tools. We will definitely be able to further strengthen the sealing, binding of the fuse, and moisture protection. In addition, we can also develop buried and thrown types for the pottery jars and bamboo tubes, depending on the different battle situations."
Xianglihe also said firmly, "Yes, we can also try to process the outer shell in sections, or embed metal spikes inside to make the fragments more lethal. However, the cost may increase, and we will need the cooperation of the Shaofu Yamen."
The wicked man smiled and said, "Cost is not a problem, as long as we can find the most suitable ratio, filling, and outer shell. I'll have the Black Ice Platform send more people to guard the workshop to ensure the safety of the research."
Zhang Erhe interjected at the opportune moment: "Grand Commandant, should we take these used fragments and records back to the mansion for safekeeping first, so they don't fall into the hands of outsiders?"
“Okay, make sure to store it properly.” The wicked husband nodded in agreement.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
