Chapter 202 Misfortune
Mercury fulminate, also known as mercury fulminate, is a white crystal that is flammable and explosive. It was the first explosive to appear and be used in firearms. The initiating device is commonly known as the primer, which is the basis of breech-loading guns and cannons.
Qin Mo only knew that mixing concentrated nitric acid and high-purity ethanol with a gentle heat could produce mercury fulminate, and that the manufacturing process was extremely dangerous. He repeatedly told Ximan not to rush the trial production, and an excited Ximan began to test this "Ximan gunpowder" that he had named in advance.
Alchemy is a mysterious discipline. At first, Qin Mo thought it belonged to metaphysics or theology because adamantite, mithril and magic arrays refreshed his understanding. But when Ximan informed him that mercury fulminate was about to be formed, he felt that alchemy might be "science".
"Is the construction cost very high, Seaman?"
Qin Moxin looked at the yellow crystals in the glass bottle. This was because the purity was slightly lower, but it would not affect its use at all. The firing pin would definitely detonate when it hit the crystals.
"Not high. With just a little thought from the great Seaman, it will be even cheaper and much safer."
Simon said proudly that the elven alchemist, who was once passionate about all kinds of "beauty", now has a strong interest in chemistry. Watching the mixture and transformation of various substances, he feels that he has come into contact with a whole new world. Perhaps this is his path to becoming a great alchemist.
“Very good, Seaman. Gunpowder is a completely new discipline. As long as you follow my line of thinking, you will be the world's first gunpowder master. Just imagine, people who use gunpowder to mine and build roads will know your name, and people who use gunpowder in battle will also know your name. That... will be such a great thing..."
Qin Mo felt he had gone astray. In order to reassure Ximan to work for him, he had to give him psychological training sessions from time to time to prevent him from going astray. Now the boy was "obsessed" with making money and had already started a fleet of ships with his sister Xirui.
"I will definitely become a great alchemist, this is my dream." Seaman's eyes reddened again as he solemnly swore.
If the capital city is the heart of the Great Xia Dynasty, then the six ministries surrounding the palace are the brain of the empire. Countless orders are transmitted from here to all corners of the Great Xia Dynasty, determining the survival and death of hundreds of millions of people.
On the first and fifteenth of each month, the imperial palace holds a grand court assembly, where all the heads of major departments gather at the Hall of Diligent Governance to report on the problems they encounter or to await the emperor's inquiry.
In the Hall of Diligent Governance, the civil and military officials stood on the left and right sides respectively. Prince Yan, Qin Mu, led the military officers, while the Grand Secretary Xiao Xinyan led the civil officials. The two groups ignored each other and were clearly separated.
The root of this estrangement lies in the fact that most military generals are nobles, and these nobles control a large amount of wealth and cultivation resources in the Lin Kingdom. This leaves an indelible sense of envy, jealousy, and hatred in these civil officials who have spent ten years studying. Naturally, they cannot stand each other after serving in the same court. The emperor, however, is happy to see this happen. He wants to watch the two sides fight, and he has the ability to take sides at any time.
Emperor Zhaowu was in high spirits, his face beaming as he entered the Hall of Diligent Governance. The moment he sat down on the dragon throne, he heard someone crying and shouting below.
"Your Majesty, disaster has struck!"
Emperor Zhaowu was initially very pleased, but upon hearing the word "disaster," his face immediately turned cold. These two words were not to be used casually, especially in the imperial court. Only matters concerning the safety of the empire could be described as "disaster."
"But who is this person? And where did this trouble come from?"
Qin Su was taken aback. She had originally wanted to say something surprising to deepen Emperor Zhaowu's impression of her, but Emperor Zhaowu didn't recognize her at all. An official was a fifth-rank official! How could he not recognize her?
"Your subject is Qin Su, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel. I have learned of a major event from Japan. If we do not pay attention to it, it may become a disaster for the Great Xia."
Qin Su's condition was very serious. Both civil and military officials, as well as Emperor Zhaowu, became alert and listened attentively.
"Recently, a Japanese woman gathered the people in Edo, Japan, and used a weapon called 'Wrath of Kai' to bombard a fishing village. Its force was like thunder, and it destroyed the fishing village in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. Afterwards, my student He Su, who was studying in Japan, inspected the fishing village and found that an iron ball could blast open a three-foot-thick earthen wall."
Qin Su pulled a cannonball out of his pocket and showed it to everyone; it was quite remarkable that he had kept it in his pocket for so long.
A group of people swarmed around, all of them military officers; not a single civil official managed to squeeze in.
Prince Qin Mu of Yan picked up the iron ball, weighed it in his hand, and asked in surprise, "It only weighs a dozen kilograms, how could it penetrate a three-foot-thick earthen wall? Are you sure it was a machine... and not the work of a cultivator?"
"I, Qin, am willing to stake my life on this: my student is a skilled painter and has drawn the scene clearly. There are more than a dozen 'Wrath of Kai' on a ship, and the people operating the weapons are all ordinary people, definitely not cultivators. Furthermore... three miles away, using this iron ball to pierce through a three-foot-high earthen wall... what level of cultivator would that require?" Qin Su then took out a scroll from his robes, which appeared to be drawn by He Su.
Qin Mu dodged the scroll with a swift movement, and before he could even unfold it, he asked sharply, "Three miles away? Are you sure it's three miles?"
As the foremost military general, Qin Mu possessed an astonishing aura. His stern question made Qin Su tremble, and he stammered, "Perhaps... not three miles..."
Qin Mu glared at Qin Su resentfully. Scholars just love to use euphemisms. Three miles away? The strongest catapult can only launch a ten-pound live bullet at a distance of five hundred paces, which is about one mile. It doesn't have much destructive power. You claim it can penetrate a three-foot-high earthen wall from three miles away? How can you be so good at bragging?
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