Qingyi Villa, another open-air hot spring overlooking the lake.

Zhao Hao, Li Chengen and Zhao Shizhen who rushed over from the research institute after hearing the news were also in the hot spring.

The scene here was much more bold and unrestrained. Li Chengen and Xiwa were drinking Sanbai liquor while dancing naked.

Li Chengen was mainly bragging about his great achievements while hunting in Nanhaizi.

According to the young lord, his achievements included but were not limited to more than 200 wolves, more than 100 bears, 30 tigers, 6 elephants, and more than 1,000 rabbits...

Xiwa believed it so much that she shouted that the young master was invincible and kept asking Li Chengen, "Is the elephant's trunk really that long?"

No wonder Li Chengen likes to play with him so much.

Zhao Hao and Zhao Shizhen sat on the other side of the bath, drinking Biluochun tea and talking about business in low voices.

There is no way. Inventors are all workaholics. Zhao Shizhen came to report to Master Zhao on his work.

"Uncle, the Longqing type has been finalized, and the paper shell fixed ammunition has also been developed." Zhao Shizhen said as if performing a magic trick, handing Zhao Hao a bullet that looked like candy.

Zhao Hao widened his eyes and looked Zhao Shizhen up and down. He saw that the boy was naked and he had no idea where he got the bullet from.

Young Master Zhao took the paper bullet with the bamboo tweezers he used to hold the teacup with some suspicion and took a look at it under the light.

I saw that it was about the same length as a human index finger, wrapped in paper, with one end pointed and the other thick.

"When using it, just bite the tip of the bullet with your teeth and pour the gunpowder inside into the fire pool. The bullet is in the middle of the paper shell, blocking the remaining gunpowder from pouring out." Zhao Shizhen explained as if he was presenting a treasure:

"Then close the breech block and use a cleaning rod to stuff the remaining powder and bullets into the barrel. We have tried it and found that after switching to this type of bullet, we can fire three rounds a minute steadily."

The research institute had long been using Western clocks from Macau, and naturally had the concept of minutes.

"That's not bad." Zhao Hao thought briefly and concluded that if this gun fell into the hands of Qi's army, it should be able to fire a dense enough rain of bullets, and they would no longer be weak even when facing a cavalry charge.

"If I add a bayonet, it will basically meet the requirements of my idol Zhang." Zhao Hao thought to himself, so that when I go to Beijing to see him next year, I won't have to worry about the gift.

"Oh, by the way, uncle, my rear-loading musket," Zhao Shizhen said boldly after receiving his uncle's approval, "I named it Thunder Gun."

"Thunderbolt." Hearing this name that meant a lot to a geek, Zhao Hao silently sipped his tea, and after a long while he praised, "It's a good name, but it's a pity that there's no magnetic link, so it can't be charged after all."

"Uh, magnetic chain?" Zhao Shizhen asked curiously, "What kind of device is that?"

"Just pretend I didn't say anything." Young Master Zhao shook his head. Alas, Thunder was useless when the teachers were not yet born.

"..." Fortunately, Zhao Shizhen often heard some new words from his uncle, so he was no longer surprised. He turned his attention back to the Thunderbolt Gun that he had been thinking about, and said, "I made a sample gun and tried it out. It is indeed as my uncle said. It leaks a lot and the bullet can't be fired more than 30 steps."

"Of course." Zhao Hao said calmly: "The advantages of a breech-loading rifle are enormous, but it's a pity that this one sentence leads to the death penalty."

"No, uncle, I have an idea for a solution." Zhao Shizhen sat up straight and said excitedly, "It's what my uncle once said - great strength brings about miracles!"

"Oh?" Master Zhao's expression froze in awe, thinking to himself that he was worthy of being a man who was determined to capture A-Shi alive. Was he really going to create a miracle?

"Since the leak can't be solved, I will increase the power of the gunpowder, and the bullet can still be fired far!" The gun-making maniac shouted, "So I increased the amount of gunpowder!"

"And then?" Zhao Hao's face was full of anticipation.

"Then it exploded..." Zhao Shizhen said with a frown, "Luckily my nephew was prepared for this and used an extended trigger, otherwise his finger would have been blown off."

"..."A stream of bright tea flowed down the corner of Mr. Zhao's mouth.

"So uncle, for now, there is only one last solution!" Zhao Shizhen looked at Zhao Hao with sharp eyes, and said, "Last time you mentioned that nitrocellulose..."

"Are you stupid? If black powder can explode, why can't nitrocellulose explode?" Zhao Hao slapped him on the head. "You'd better honestly think of a way to improve steelmaking first!"

"My nephew has estimated that even if the barrel is changed to steel, if you want the Thunder Gun to shoot 200 steps, the barrel must be as thick as a forearm." Zhao Shizhen still did not give up and said, "Is it a gun or a cannon? So uncle, we still need more powerful gunpowder..."

"No, absolutely not. That thing is too unstable. It will blow you to death..." Zhao Hao shook his head decisively. He originally wanted to ask someone to make a gun for me, but he felt that was too cold, so he changed his words and said, "I'll feel bad."

"Uncle..." The orphan Zhao Shizhen was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He looked at his uncle, who was about the same age as him, with admiration and said, "Just once, agree to my request once."

"If you say no, then no." Zhao Hao knocked him hard on the head and said in a deep voice:

"I've told you many times that the reason I didn't pass on the Chemistry course is because you're too impatient and too bold! If you keep talking nonsense to me, just go to Kunshan to study and don't even think about going back to the research institute!"

"Oh, I see, uncle..." Zhao Shizhen immediately felt like a deflated ball. Nothing in the world could threaten him more than this.

Seeing how devastated he was, Zhao Hao sighed and said:

"You have to learn to be patient. Science is like this. From the emergence of an invention to its practical application, it takes a long period of trial and error. You must do it step by step and be patient. Don't be impatient."

"I understand, uncle." Zhao Shizhen nodded quickly.

In fact, what Zhao Hao said was half true and half false. The half truth was that this was a universal law between invention and application. It took a long time of experimentation for nitrocellulose to eventually become smokeless gunpowder.

Half of the reason is that Zhao Hao knew how to prepare smokeless gunpowder, so there was basically no need for trial and error.

First soak the cotton linter in a mixture of sulfuric acid and nitric acid, then take out the cotton, wash it and dry it to make nitrocellulose.

Ether is then prepared by distilling sulfuric acid and alcohol, and the nitrocellulose is dissolved in a mixture of ether and alcohol. Camphor is then added as a stabilizer to make a solid. The solid is pressed and split into granules to produce smokeless gunpowder that is two to three times more powerful than black powder.

Well, let alone ether, Zhao Hao hasn’t even started to prepare sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

But pyrite has been found in Xishan Island. With pyrite, will sulfuric acid be far behind? With sulfuric acid, will nitric acid be far behind?

Zhao Hao is confident that he can overcome all difficulties and meet all conditions for preparing smokeless gunpowder within three to four years.

And Zhao Shizhen’s genius intuition was correct. It was the birth of smokeless gunpowder that allowed breech-loading rifles to replace muzzle-loading rifles.

But the problem is that Master Zhao has made up his mind not to tell his disciples the formula of smokeless gunpowder even if all the conditions have been met.

ps. This chapter is still owed.