Chapter 51 Fireworks (1)
"Father, why should you worry about the marriage with Xueyantuo? What's more, even the gods are helping you." Li Chengqian said. In his opinion, the Xueyantuo problem was not a problem.
Li Chengqian remembered that the hundreds of thousands of livestock sent by Xueyantuo died during transportation due to lack of water and grass, coupled with bad weather and a sudden snowstorm.
Qibi Heli took the opportunity to persuade Li Er to use this as an excuse to reject Xueyantuo's proposal and marry Princess Xinxing to Changsun Xi, the younger brother of Changsun Wuji's family.
Now Yinan is still on his way. Chang'an doesn't know much about his situation, and they don't know in advance that Yinan will suffer such a serious disaster.
In this case, why don't I put forward this suggestion in front of Qibi Heli and let my father start from this aspect. When
Li Er heard Li Chengqian's words, he knew that Li Chengqian had already made an idea. He, the prince, was increasingly assertive.
Li Er asked, "Da Lang, do you have any ideas? Why don't you tell me!"
"Father, the temperature is getting colder now. This year's temperature is colder than ever before! There may be heavy snowstorms in the north. The Yi men will surely die a lot of livestock when they travel a long distance to Lingzhou! Why don't you take advantage of this opportunity to make a difference!" Li Chengqian said.
The transportation in ancient times was not like that in later generations. There were railways, airplanes and other means of transportation. People basically had to walk to get to places. It took the Yi men more than half a year to collect livestock. In addition, they had to drive such a large number of livestock, so the speed of movement was naturally slower than usual.
After winter, the amount of grass and water in the Mobei area decreased, and with the bad weather, most of the animals used as betrothal gifts naturally died or were injured.
"This is a good idea! Wang Yuan, immediately send someone to Mobei to inquire about the situation of Yi Nan and whether it has started to snow in Mobei." Li Er clapped his hands and laughed happily, and did not forget to send someone to inquire about the situation in Mobei.
"Yes!" Wang Yuan took the order and retreated.
"Father! If there is nothing else, I will take my leave!" Li Chengqian bowed to Li Er, and Li Er nodded, and Li Chengqian left Qianqiu Hall.
After returning to the East Palace, Li Chengqian ordered Wang Quan, "Wang Quan, go get me some saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal."
"Yes!" Although Wang Quan didn't know what the prince wanted these medicines and charcoal for, he knew that as a eunuch, he shouldn't be nosy. He should do what the master told him to do. This is his duty as a eunuch.
"My lord! How much of these medicines and charcoal do you want?" Wang Quan asked. The prince only asked him to get these three things back, and didn't tell him how much he wanted.
"Bring more back!" Li Chengqian said.
Li Chengqian planned to use these to make some fireworks so that he could set off fireworks during the New Year. There was no such thing as fireworks in the Tang Dynasty.
In addition to staying up late and visiting relatives and friends during the Chinese New Year, there were no extra entertainment programs, not to mention the fireworks that had not yet appeared.
Now that Li Chengqian is here, the people of the Tang Dynasty are finally blessed!
As for making fireworks, it is not a difficult task for Li Chengqian. Before he traveled through time, he worked as a temporary worker in a fireworks factory in the future.
He knew the process of making fireworks and firecrackers very well, but he had not made fireworks for so long that he was inevitably a little rusty, so he asked Wang Quan to prepare more so that he could practice.
"My dear! Do you need me to find a few Taoist alchemists for you?" Wang Quan asked.
Li Chengqian's face suddenly darkened, and he remembered that in ancient times, saltpeter, sulfur and other materials were used to make elixirs at the beginning.
Wang Quan had no idea that Li Chengqian wanted these to make fireworks, not to make elixirs for immortality, and Li Chengqian didn't want to be immortal.
Moreover, as a time traveler, how could Li Chengqian not know that if he took these refined elixirs, he would not only fail to achieve immortality, but also die quickly.
Wang Quan thought that Li Chengqian had forgotten that he needed a Taoist priest to make elixirs, so he kindly reminded the prince!
"No need! I have other uses for these medicines, not to make elixirs, just do as I say." Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" Wang Quan took the order and left.
Wang Quan went to ask the officials for some saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The officials thought that the prince was going to make elixirs in the East Palace, and enthusiastically recommended some Taoist alchemists with high alchemy skills to Wang Quan, but Wang Quan refused them all.
"My dear! I have brought you the things you asked for!" As soon as Wang Quan returned to the East Palace, he heard a voice before he saw anyone.
Li Chengqian got up and went outside the palace, and saw Wang Quan directing people to bring in saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal and put them away.
"Did you move all the stocks in the treasury?" Li Chengqian asked.
Saltpeter is not only a medicine, but also can be used to prepare peacock green glaze, multicolored and pastel pigments. Sulfur is a multifunctional medicine, and charcoal is used to burn for heating in winter. Therefore, the treasury usually stores these three things.
Looking at the saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal in several large sacks stacked separately, Li Chengqian thought that Wang Quan had searched the entire treasury.
"My lord! I was afraid that you didn't have enough, so I asked them to bring everything from the treasury." Wang Quan said.
"Leave one bag of each, and put the others back. It's not too late to take more if you don't have enough!" Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" Wang Quan bowed to Li Chengqian, looking like a servant. He turned around and immediately put on a stern face, commanding the others, saying, "What are you still standing there for! Didn't you hear my order? Hurry up and do something for us."
Everyone had no choice but to follow Li Chengqian's order. After leaving one bag of each of the three things, they returned to the original route and moved the rest back to the treasury.
"Wang Quan, you have someone grind all these medicines and charcoal into powder for me, and mix them separately. Do you understand? Send them to Guangtian Palace when they are ready." Li Chengqian said.
"Don't worry, my lord. I know what to do!" Wang Quan responded, turned around and asked a few people to take the three things in the sack in front of them and grind them into powder.
An hour later, Wang Quan and the hurried eunuchs brought the ground saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal to Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian dismissed his attendants and was alone in the Guangtian Hall, mixing the materials. He began to match them in order according to his memory of his previous life, and then stuffed them into the prepared bamboo tube.
As he hadn't done this for a long time, it was inevitable that he was a little rusty. Li Chengqian wasted a lot of effort before he managed to mix a firework.
Li Chengqian breathed a sigh of relief and muttered, "Fortunately, I didn't lose this skill that I learned to make a living, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to make fireworks."
With the experience of the first one, it was much easier to make the next one. After two hours, Li Chengqian had more than thirty finished fireworks in his hands.