"White sugar?" Xianglihe and Zizhen looked at each other, not understanding what he meant.
The wicked man offered no explanation, only urging, "Go and fetch it quickly! The finest kind."
Although Zizhen was puzzled, he quickly sent someone to fetch white sugar from the storeroom. Before long, a young apprentice returned carrying a large jar of crystal-clear white sugar.
"Grand Commandant, you mean..." Xianglihe asked cautiously.
The wicked man took a pinch of white sugar from the jar and examined it closely in his palm. In the sunlight, the tiny crystals shimmered. "Did you know that white sugar not only tastes good, but it also helps burn things? And it burns at extremely high temperatures."
"Accelerate combustion?" The two were even more confused. "What does this have to do with gunpowder... does it mean it's directly added to the gunpowder?"
The wicked man didn't say much, but instead had various gunpowder samples brought out. He first spread some ordinary gunpowder on the ground, lit it, and observed its burning. Then he took the same amount of gunpowder and carefully mixed it with powdered white sugar.
"Everyone back off!" He lit the fuse and quickly retreated.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, everyone was stunned.
This explosion was not only much louder, but the flames were also exceptionally intense.
The original gunpowder explosion produced a yellowish-brown flame, but after adding white sugar, it turned bright white, and the temperature was significantly higher.
"This...how is this possible?" Zizhen's eyes widened. "Just adding some sugar has increased its power so much!"
The wicked man smiled slightly: "The secrets of white sugar go far beyond that. Come on, let's try again. This time, let's adjust the proportions."
They began experimenting repeatedly, constantly changing the ratio of sugar to gunpowder. Each explosion was meticulously recorded, noting the color of the flash, its duration, the size of the crater, and the temperature.
Xianglihe quickly discovered the pattern: "Grand Commandant, you see, if the proportion of white sugar is too high, it will actually affect the burning speed of the gunpowder. But if it's too low, it won't have the effect of aiding combustion."
"Excellent!" The wicked husband nodded approvingly. "The key is finding the optimal ratio. Also, the grain size of the sugar is very important. If it's too coarse, it won't mix well; if it's too fine, it'll absorb moisture easily."
As Zizhen took notes, he pondered, "In my opinion, before using white sugar in medicine, it's best to grind it into granules of a specific size. This ensures thorough mixing without affecting stability."
They experimented for an entire afternoon and finally found several relatively ideal ratios. But the wicked husband was not satisfied and came up with new ideas.
"The main components of gunpowder are saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal," he pondered. "Adding sugar would not only provide extra fuel but also make the combustion more complete. Perhaps we can adjust the proportions of the other components appropriately."
Xiangli He's eyes lit up: "The Grand Commandant is right! Let me try reducing the amount of charcoal and supplementing it with white sugar."
A new round of experiments began. This time, they not only had to determine the amount of sugar to use, but also readjust the proportions of the three basic raw materials: saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The craftsmen carefully prepared various samples, fearing any mistake.
"Huh?" Zizhen suddenly noticed something interesting. "Look, gunpowder with added sugar seems to be less susceptible to moisture."
This discovery immediately attracted everyone's attention. Gunpowder is most vulnerable to moisture, and improving its resistance to moisture would be of great significance in actual combat.
They began to study this characteristic specifically. They placed samples of gunpowder with different formulations in a humid environment and observed and recorded their changes. The results showed that samples with certain specific proportions did indeed exhibit better stability.
"That's amazing!" Xianglihe exclaimed excitedly. "This is wonderful! From now on, our firearms can be used normally in rainy weather!"
The wicked husband cautioned, "Don't be too happy yet. These things still need repeated verification. And..." He glanced around, lowered his voice, and said, "Keep this a secret for now, don't let it leak out."
"Understood!" the two replied solemnly. They both knew how significant this technology was.
In the days that followed, more systematic experiments were secretly conducted in the workshop. They not only had to determine the best formula, but also had to study how to ensure consistent quality in actual production.
The purification, grinding, and drying of sugar, and the proportioning, mixing, and loading of gunpowder—every step must be strictly controlled. The slightest negligence could affect the final result.
............
Late that night, the wicked husband was studying experimental data in his study when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.
"Grand Commandant!" Xiangli He burst through the door, his face beaming with excitement, "We've found the perfect formula!"
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"Based on days of testing, the optimal ratio of white sugar to saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal is 3:5:1:1. This formula is not only the most potent but also extremely stable."
The wicked man immediately put down the bamboo slips in his hand: "Has a full test been conducted?"
"We've done it!" Xiang Lihe took out a stack of records from his pocket. "We made fifty test samples and tested them repeatedly in different weather and environments. The results were very stable, whether under high temperatures or in damp, rainy conditions."
"And there's an unexpected discovery," Zizhen chimed in. "The new gunpowder formula burns at a higher temperature, which means we can reduce the amount of propellant while achieving better results!"
The wicked man carefully examined the records, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "Excellent! This is truly a major breakthrough. Pass down the order to begin small-scale production immediately."
"There's one more thing!" Xiang Lihe added, "Zizhen and I discovered that adding some special iron filings to the new formula increases the destructive power of the explosion. Because the temperature is higher, the iron filings will glow red-hot during the explosion."
The wicked man's eyes lit up: "Really?"
"Absolutely true! We've conducted comparative tests. When ordinary gunpowder explodes, the iron filings mainly injure people due to the impact. But the high temperature of the new formula makes the iron filings incandescent, not only increasing their range but also causing a fire upon impact!"
"Good!" The wicked husband slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and paced around the room. "Well done!"
The next morning, he convened a meeting with key personnel including Xiang Lihe and Zizhen. The meeting discussed in detail the production of the new gunpowder and established strict technological procedures and confidentiality measures.
"Gentlemen," the wicked man said, looking around at the crowd, "after all our efforts over this period, we have made another major breakthrough in firearms technology. But please remember, this matter must be kept secret for now. I have already ordered a secret chamber to be set up outside the city, specifically for the production of new gunpowder."
Just as everyone was discussing the details, a fast horse galloped in.
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