Zhu Shilian and Mao Yuanyi came to the workshop, which was a wide brick building divided into several parts such as saltpeter extraction, yellowing extraction, and medicine compounding.
"The quality of the salt in this pot is slightly poor. Five more egg whites need to be added." In the salt raising workshop, the young man who was lecturing the Zhu family's children was named Mao Shiba. He was Mao Yuanyi's son. He had been mentored by Mao Yuanyi since he was a child. Gunpowder production is very skilled.
Others who are working pour the coarse saltpeter into the iron pot, spread half of the pot flat, then pour in the egg whites and mix well with hands, then slowly add water. The water used must be spring water, river water, pond water or sweet well water. Transfer it to another pot, fry it over high heat, stir it from time to time, use a dense bamboo basket to remove the impurities and scum on the surface, stir it again and fry it again, add plant ash water, and finally use a straw stick to take a little saltpeter and drop it on your nails. Determine whether the heat is up by observing the shape of water droplets.
The simmered saltwater is filtered through two layers of linen and entered into a large glazed magnetic vat. Within three to five days, saltpeter will be formed. After taking out the saltpeter, dry it in the shade and grind it finely, then sieve it through a fine silk sieve and set aside. The mother liquor after nitrate extraction will not be discarded. It still contains nitrate and can be taken again.
The production tools and equipment in Heyaofang are all made of wood, stone or copper. Iron is strictly prohibited, mainly to avoid accidents caused by sparks. Fire is strictly prohibited indoors, so all operations are done during the day. But at present, Heyaofang does not combine medicines, but only grinds and processes the three main raw materials and stores them separately to avoid accidents before use.
Gunpowder formulas in the Ming Dynasty differed according to different uses. They can be roughly divided into several categories: propellant, explosives, and explosives. Propellants are further divided into rocket powder, gunpowder, gunpowder, etc. Explosives are divided into handgun powder and mine powder. , mines and ammunition, etc., the proportions are different. The Ordnance Bureau and the Military Staff Bureau set the proportioning standards and distribute them to various arsenals for execution. They are military secrets and are never made public. Therefore, the proportioning data listed in each private military book For reference, but not necessarily true. In addition to the difference in ingredient ratio, gunpowder for different uses also has different particle sizes and densities, which is quite complicated. If there is no guidance from professionals who are well versed in this matter, a private one may just set off fireworks.
In order to test the performance of gunpowder, Mao Yuanyi arranged to co-produce a small amount of the finished product. In order to avoid explosion, the raw materials need to be moistened with wine and then ground into a puree, pounded into a pestle, and mixed into particles the size of kidney beans.
Mao Yuanyi took out a small amount of the finished product from the medicine tank and put it in the palm of his hand. He walked outside and explained to Zhu Shilian: "The gunpowder must be burned in the palm of your hand without feeling hot. If you feel hot, pound it again as before and try again. I There are four formulas, saying: 'Don't get tired of combining medicines, grinding medicines don't get tired of fineness, beating the medicines don't get too much, and the most taboo is to build a weak state.' When medicines can be refined, less should be used to make more, and both excess and deficiency will lose their adjustment. Moderation brings peace and harmony.”
After that, the medicine particles burned and disappeared quickly in Mao Yuanyi's hand, leaving only a wisp of smoke.
Zhu Shilian praised: "Brother Shi Min is a great talent. The power of this medicine is not inferior to that of Kun Thief."
Mao Yuanyi reminded again: "Gunpowder is originally intended to hurt thieves. If it cannot be collected, it may cause self-injury, which will be even more harmful. If there is no good way to collect and store it, such as the misfortunes of the Wanggong Factory, the Armor Factory, and the Anmin Factory in the capital. This is a lesson learned from the past. The main purpose of preparing a medicine storehouse is to avoid fire. It should not be in the same place where medicine is made, it should not be approached in densely populated places, and it should not be hidden in deep traps. We are doing this secretly, so we should use Western methods to store gunpowder. It is not possible to synthesize all the ingredients, but to refine all the ingredients and grind them into fine pieces, separate them and store them until they are ready for use, and pound them together with a mortar, so that they can be made in the same day without any trouble."
After inspecting the gunpowder manufacturing site, Zhu Shilian returned to Zhu's house. Zhu Bolian had already sat down in the lobby. Zhu Zhonglian, Zhu Shulian, Zhu Jilian, Zhu Huilian and other major members of the Zhu family were gathered here.
Zhu Bolian said worriedly: "The disaster has come! Previously, the thieves had lax control over the countryside, and we ended up in such a situation. I saw that the pseudo-county magistrate seemed to have the intention of building a city in his hometown, and I thought something was wrong." If what he has done is known to the bandits, the clan will be wiped out. Brothers, please move the gunpowder workshop and equipment quickly, and do not alert the enemy."
Zhu Huilian said: "Brother, what is the purpose of the fake county magistrate's trip?"
Zhu Bolian said: "Build a school, a fish and flower factory, a silkworm seed factory, and a mulberry seedling factory."
"What?" Everyone found it incredible. They could understand the construction of a school, but what are fish and flower factories, silkworm breeding factories, and mulberry seedling factories?
Zhu Bolian recounted what he saw and heard in detail, and everyone was stunned for a moment, but with the style of the thief spread outside, they had to believe that if so many industries were to be built, it wouldn't take long for a fortified city to be built. It will appear on the border of Jiujiang, which is a serious problem.
The quiet river meanders through Lijiawei. Since the Kun bandits took over Guangfu, there have been fewer boats on the river. It didn't take long for the Kun thieves to occupy Zhaoqing again, and there were rumors in the village that the Kun thieves wanted to break into Beijing and sit in the Dragon Court.
The old people in the village laughed it off. A few years ago, when the bandit warships rushed into the Pearl River Estuary and burned Wuyang Post Station, such words were circulated in the village. The Taizun of the county also sent an order to all villages to form regiments and recruit brave men. The atmosphere in each village was very tense for a while, especially after the village's regiment came to the rescue and suffered a huge defeat.
Fortunately, it didn't take long for news to come: the Kun thieves had retreated. The old people say that since ancient times, when dynasties were changed, the world would be conquered immediately, and how could anyone conquer the world in a boat?
Now that the bandits have retreated, the rumors have ceased. Unexpectedly, the Kun bandits suddenly occupied Guangzhou's capital two years ago. Instead of looting, they divided their troops to attack the city and seize territory. Wherever they went, the officials and defenders surrendered or left. Not long after, the Kun thief actually came out, and now he changed his name to Song Dynasty to dominate the world.
No one in the village could figure out how Kun Thief became the "Great Song Dynasty", but everyone still knew that Kun Thief was an Australian. After all, Australian products are easy to use. Whether it is matches, kerosene lamps or "Australian paper", people in the village use them.
Whether they are bandits, Australians, or the "Great Song Dynasty", they were originally just a group of "merchants" doing business in big ships. In the eyes of the common people, they were no more than the red-haired and Folangji people. I mean, they just look different. In less than a few years, they took over the two provinces and Guangxi, and raised the banner to become the emperor in a grand manner - this is somewhat confusing. So it didn’t take long
There are various stories about Kun thieves releasing demons and capturing people's souls. People in Lijiawei are also panic-stricken. People who go to the market always bring many rumors. Some say good things about Australians, while others say that thieves are cannibals. Because the contrast was so great, people couldn't adapt.
As the Australian rule deepened in Guangdong, the people gradually adapted to the new rulers. Generally speaking, they did not disturb the villagers' inherent lives. The county magistrate has been replaced; "policemen" have been dispatched to the market; going to the county to file a lawsuit is no longer the matter of going to the county government office, but rather a "circuit court" holding court on fixed days every month. Other than that, everything is the same as before, whether the common people or the gentry, at least on the surface, they are still living their good or bad days according to the old habits.
But changes are coming gradually. After collecting the autumn gifts last year, many Australian "cadres" came from the county. Most of them were very young "children". Each one carried a cloth bag and wore a hat, walking in the countryside. Holding a measuring tape and three wooden legs, he was noisily measuring, followed by the old "household book" originally retained by the county, holding a "fish scale book". By the way, this is not called a "fish scale book", but a "fish scale book". "Agricultural Property Register". There are also some people who set up drawing boards on the ground and drew and sketched on paper on the spot.
Everyone in the village who had land was called for questioning. Those with deeds and those without deeds. There were no landowners or tenants left. They were all treated as if they were in court. A notice was posted in the village saying that this was called "clarification of farm acres." In the past, land deeds issued by the Ming Dynasty had to be re-examined in the hands of the "Song Dynasty". If the land is in dispute or there is no land deed, it can be cleared and replaced on the spot after being found out. Those whose fields have been misappropriated can also be reported on the spot.
For a time, the entire Li family was in a commotion like a hot pot boiling. Although Lijiawei is called "Lijia", it is not a village with the sole surname of the Li family. The Li family originally relied on the power of the big surname to usurp the sand fields cultivated by many small surnames in the village, and also took many public lands and wastelands as their own. Therefore, as soon as the Australians "clarified the land acres" started, the small surnames complained, although they clearly No one came out to criticize him publicly, but secretly he issued documents like snowflakes. In the end, the Li family lost one-fifth of their land. Six others were arrested for "historical crimes" and some were sentenced to exile or fined.
Suddenly, the Li family's arrogance plummeted, and Xiao Xing was greatly encouraged. However, the Li family is outnumbered and powerful. Even though they have been hit, the Li family still has the final say on matters in Li Jiawei. But he is no longer as arrogant as before.
After the fields passed the Ming Road, although the taxes were still the old rules of the Ming Dynasty, at least they were paid clearly. Whoever had more land would pay more, and whoever had less land would pay less. The poor no longer paid on behalf of the rich. When the upper lip touches the lower lip when it comes to taxes or food, there is an inexplicable "additional feeling". In the eyes of ordinary people, this is the simplest and most understandable justice. Everyone around the Li family was somewhat disdainful of this bandit from the sea, but at this moment, they felt a little admiration. This method! This ability! The government has been unable to figure out things that the government has been unable to understand for decades or hundreds of years, but they figured it out as soon as they came. So the old people said again, "This is a new dynasty and a new atmosphere." Naturally, there are also some people who are "insightful" and say that this is just because Australians are "newcomers" and have no scruples and no interests in doing things, so they can be so "clear and clear". As time goes by, it becomes difficult to tell.
Some people even say that whether they are really capable or they are just taking advantage of the "new dynasty and new atmosphere", it is hard to say who will win in this world. The emperor of Ming Dynasty is still sitting in the court. This bandit is just a corner of his empire.
