In the early morning of midsummer, there was a gunpowder workshop by the Puyang River.
It was Chen time, on the east side of the workshop, on the right side of a twenty- to thirty-meter-high mountain, surrounded by a large piece of grassland, the surrounding government sergeants were on alert and ready. In the middle of the warning circle, there are tables, chairs, tea and snacks, and there are servants who are making tea on the briquette stove, very busy.
But at this time, a group of noble officials were looking at the mountain, pointing, but their thoughts were not here.
"Your Highness, is your gunpowder really ready?"
Among the officials, Hu Ju, the ruling minister and Minister of Industry, asked Zhao Hong suspiciously.
He is the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, and the Arms Department is under the Ministry of Industry, so he naturally wants to find out everything.
"Ms. Hu, you will know after a while!"
Zhao Hong laughed.
As a nominal subordinate, he didn't care about Hu Ju, an old fox. All-rounded, deceived, but appeared at the right time.
As for gunpowder, he had absolute confidence. After Tian Yi’s long-term thinking and hard work, it should be available.
Now that the gunpowder has been made, his mission at this stage is considered completed. He also wants to show it to the court, test the results of his labor, and reward him based on his merits.
As for the next step, of course it was to forge firearms.
"I am a melancholy guest in this world. I burst into tears when I asked you what happened. Duke Ji, your masterpiece of poetry has really opened my eyes!"
Wei Liaoweng changed the topic to poetry.
Recently, Zhao Hong's poems have appeared frequently in tabloids. Come to think of it, just as the tabloids said, Zhao Hong is going to write a book.
"I'm ashamed! I hope Mr. Wei can give me some advice on my shortcomings!"
Zhao Hong quickly became humble. As for the poetry anthology, it has been taken to Chen's Bookstore for printing. There is no polishing required at all, just a detailed explanation of the poem itself for readers' reference.
For example, in the sentence "To count the famous figures, look at the current dynasty", he interpreted "the current dynasty" as the younger generation of the Song Dynasty. But in the eyes of many people, he was referring to himself.
In this era, we really need a "romantic figure" to lead the Song Dynasty out of the quagmire.
"Your Highness, you don't need to be polite. If your book is printed, I will definitely buy more and study it carefully!"
Xuan Zhen, the ruling minister and Minister of War, said it seriously.
He looked at Zhao Hong and asked thoughtfully:
"Your Highness, the book "Tatar Strategy" is shocking to the world. I read some chapters and my heart was so frightened that I couldn't sleep. Your Highness, was this written by one person?"
"Xuan Xianggong, actually..."
Just as Zhao Hong was about to answer, Tian Yi's shouts rang out from the hillside.
"Your Highness, the gunpowder has been buried!"
"Light the fire when you're ready!"
Zhao Hong shouted loudly, directing the people beside him.
"Everyone, please step back 30 steps to the side of the wall to avoid hurting anyone!"
Zhao Hong and everyone retreated to the side of the wall of the medicine shop, so there was a barrier in front of them. Zhao Hong. Looking towards the mountain, Tian Yi lit the fuse and ran towards the other side of the mountain.
"Tong Tong Tong!"
The ground shook under the feet, and a loud thunder-like sound sounded along the Puyang River. Smoke billowed, and earth and rocks flew straight into the sky. The entire top of the mountain was lifted, and the 20-meter-high hill was almost blown to the ground.
Xuan Zhen and others' faces turned pale, and it took them a while to react. They were anxious and stepped out.
"Mr. Xuan, this gunpowder...is so powerful!"
Hu Ju's face turned pale, and the hillock just now was gone, leaving almost only a small mound with a severely reduced area of four to five meters.
"If this was buried under the city wall, the entire city wall would probably collapse!"
Xuan Zhen nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
If there was such powerful gunpowder, self-protection would be enough.
"This is truly an important weapon of the country! Lord Ji Guo, it's really... really unexpected!"
Wei Liaoweng shook his head, his eyes filled with wonder.
He was about to congratulate Zhao Hong, but the latter suddenly changed his color and said something.
"I go!"
"What?"
Before Wei Liaowen realized it, Zhao Hong was already running towards the east, and then many people followed Zhao Hong and ran towards the east.
"What's wrong? Go and have a look!"
Xuan Zhen was also confused and had a bad feeling in his heart.
Could it be that there was an accident?
Not long after, the sergeant ran back in a hurry, sweating profusely.
"Several ministers, the gunpowder was too strong, and they buried several craftsmen at the foot of the mountain in the east. Even Tian Tiha was injured by the blast. A group of people are waiting to rescue them! Duke Ji Guo told all your ministers to go back to Lin'an City first. , and he then reported the matter to the court!"
Xuan Zhen and others were all surprised and looked at each other. No one could have imagined that something like this would happen.
After waiting for a while, the sergeant came to report that two craftsmen were dead. Tian Yi was in a coma and was sent to Kuaiji County for medical treatment by Zhao Hong.
"Gunpowder is really powerful, but it's a pity that it killed someone. And that Tian Yi, will he be okay? Did he leave any artillery formula?"
Hu Ju shook his head and sighed.
"Ms. Hu, if people don't know what to do now, don't talk about these things!"
Wei Liaoweng warned the sergeant:
"You, go to Kuaiji County to inquire. If you have anything to ask for, come and report it as soon as possible!"
The sergeant left, and Wei Liaowen was secretly worried.
It was supposed to be an opportunity to perform meritorious deeds, but in the end, someone died. Needless to say, Zhao Hong will probably be criticized verbally and writtenly again.
"Mr. Xuan, am I wrong? The court has spent so much manpower and material resources, is it going to get nothing?"
Hu Ju muttered displeasedly.
"Ms. Hu, please be patient. Even if something happens to Tian Yi, it doesn't matter. The gunpowder was made by Ji Guo Gong, not Tian Yi alone. Mr. Hu, you can rest assured. Everyone, go back to Lin'an City first. The lower official will report the matter."
Wang Gang, the prefect of Shaoxing Prefecture, said it softly.
If you don't do things, you will never make mistakes, but if you do things, things will happen. If so, will anyone do anything in the future?
"Everyone, let's go back to Lin'an City and see how we explain to the superior."
Xuan Zhen's expression returned to calmness and he turned to leave.
With such a serious matter involving human life, Zhao Hong might not be able to survive and walk away.
In the medical clinic in Kuaiji County, Zhao Hong broke into a cold sweat when he saw Tian Yi lying on the bed, wrapped like a rice dumpling.
"Mr. Zhong, how is he?"
He was just an only son, not yet married, and didn't even have any offspring. If something happened, he really didn't know how to explain it to Father Tian and Mother Tian.
This time, he was so happy that he was so frightened that his crotch split and he ejaculated.
"You kid, you haven't married a wife yet, you haven't tasted the joy of family love, you can't die young!"
Xu Liang wiped his sweat and let out a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness, Tian Tiha is not seriously injured, it's just a skin injury. It's just a scratch on the head. It will probably take a few months."
The doctor's words made Zhao Hong and Xu Liang breathe a sigh of relief.
"Your Highness, it's my fault that I got you into trouble!"
Two craftsmen died, and Tian Yi felt guilty.
"What nonsense are you talking about! This was an accident! As long as everything is fine, just take good care of yourself!"
Zhao Hong comforted Tian Yi.
Now that the matter has happened, just find a way to solve it.
"It's not a big deal if someone is dead. If it gets brought to the court, someone with ulterior motives may take advantage of it."
Xu Liang's brows frowned unconsciously.
He was also at the foot of Dongshan Mountain at that time. He wanted to catch a glimpse of the grand event, but was almost buried alive. Thinking about it, he felt scared.
"Don't worry. These are small things, I can handle them myself."
Zhao Hong patted Xu Liang's shoulder to comfort his friend.
"Your Highness, this is the formula for gunpowder. I have tried it hundreds of times, and the most recent ones are the most powerful!"
Tian Yi took out a pamphlet from under his pillow and handed it to Zhao Hong, not forgetting to report it secretly.
"Your Highness, rest assured that no one else, including the two dead craftsmen, knows the formula and ingredients of gunpowder."
"I'm determined!"
Zhao Hong opened the booklet, which contained dozens of pages of information about each test.
It seems that Tian Yi put a lot of effort into developing gunpowder and was very rigorous in his work.
"Alright! Recuperate well! You will learn from the pain and gain wisdom. Leave the rest to me!"
Zhao Hong warned Tian Yi and left the house.
"Your Highness, two people were killed. This is not a easy matter to handle!"
Li Tang said with a dark face.
"It has to be done even if it's difficult. Now let's go to the homes of the two craftsmen and see how we can compensate their families!"
Zhao Hong thought for a moment and then ordered:
"Go, call Member Zheng, let's go together!"
Zheng Hao is a local snake. Asking him to go with him will definitely provide better comfort to the families of the two deceased people.
"Your Highness, you have to make the decision for my Lao Wang!"
Entering the home of one of the deceased craftsmen, his wife was crying, her face covered with tears.
"Sister-in-law, this is all an accident, and there is nothing we can do about it. I will go up and burn incense for Brother Wang first."
Zhao Hong comforted the woman, went up to offer incense, and bowed respectfully three times.
"Your Highness, this is impossible!"
The prince saluted the common people, and the family members were all panicked.
"Sister-in-law, no one wants anything to happen to Lao Wang. You have two sons. If you don't mind, choose one of them to be my bodyguard and work in my house. Don't worry, I won't treat him badly."
Zhao Hong waved his hand, and Zheng Hao quickly brought up a bag of money.
"Sister-in-law Wang, this 500 yuan is your highness's own wish, and it can be regarded as a pension from Lao Wang. Just accept it!"
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
"Your Highness, you are truly a living Bodhisattva!"
The family members knelt on the ground to thank Zhao Hong.
In addition to being generous and generous, the key to this young His Highness is that he has no airs, is down-to-earth and warm-hearted.
If it were those people in the government, not only would they be given less money, but they would also behave in a vicious manner, as if someone in their family had died.
The other family was Fatty Zheng's family, with only mother and son. Zhao Hong treated them equally, and also received a pension of 500 yuan. The talks with the family of the deceased were very harmonious, and Zheng Hao, the family member, came forward, so there were no obstacles.
"Your Highness, you are truly a benevolent and righteous gentleman. When you become emperor in the future, the people of the world will be blessed!"
When a group of people came out, Fatty Zheng gave a heartfelt thumbs up.
"The people are honest and don't care about me. They are the true gentlemen!"
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and bowed his hands.
"Commissioner Zheng, thank you very much for what happened today."
This big fat man was very helpful today.
"Your Highness, you're welcome. One day, I want to ask for help from you, Your Highness."
Member Zheng smiled, his face trembling with fat.
"Don't worry, Mr. Zheng. As long as I don't bully men, dominate women, or commit adultery, I will do my best."
Zhao Hong nodded slightly and looked serious.
"Then you can do those dirty things! Thank you so much, Your Highness!"
Zheng Hao was very happy and quickly thanked him.
Being able to establish a relationship with this prince is the greatest reward.
These days, nothing can be accomplished without the support of officials.
"Commissioner Zheng, I need your help with something."
Zhao Hong took out the exploded shrapnel and handed it to Zheng Hao.
"Commissioner Zheng, please help me cast some more bullet casings. Make them as thin as possible and carve grooves in the middle."
I don't know if the cartridge case in the front was too thick. I increased the amount of gunpowder, but it only exploded into two or three pieces. The gunpowder is basically finalized, and it is probably a matter of the thickness of the cartridge case.
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I will do it as soon as I get down!"
Zheng Hao smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Executive member Zheng, thank you very much! As for the musket, you should try it slowly first, don't be in a hurry!"
Hand grenades, muskets, and artillery are all indispensable.
"Your Highness, don't worry. Your Highness, please go slowly. I'll take my leave!"
Zheng Yuanwai said goodbye to Zhao Hong and turned to leave.
"Your Highness, I'm glad I listened to you and didn't try to make gunpowder in Lin'an City. If it ignited, the consequences would be disastrous."
Li Tang was still frightened when he thought of the explosion.
Fortunately, Zhao Hong was trial-producing gunpowder in Kuaiji Mountain. If it exploded in Lin'an City, it might cause a fire, which would be a big joke.
Zhao Hong nodded. The accident is easy to solve, but the pressure from public opinion will definitely be overshadowed by dark clouds.
"Your Highness, can that gunpowder really explode? Can it also kill people?"
Xu Sheng asked confusedly.
I have only heard of gunpowder burning, but I have never seen gunpowder explode with such terrifying power.
"of course!"
Zhao Hong glared at Xu Sheng and said angrily.
Two people died, one was injured, and I don’t know how many disturbances will follow.
"Your Highness, the gunpowder is so powerful, the court ministers came to see it. I think it will be taken back by the government in a few days."
Xu Liang pondered and said it.
"The important weapon of the gunpowder country is originally owned by the imperial court. There is nothing strange about it. The development of gunpowder is like the smelting of iron. It must not be passed on, otherwise you and I will be the eternal sinners of the Song Dynasty!"
Zhao Hong's face was solemn and he solemnly warned Li Tang and others.
In fact, iron smelting technology is only the surface, and gunpowder formula and artillery training are the foundation.
"Your Highness, don't worry. Without His Highness's permission, outsiders here will never know about it!"
Li Tang and others were solemn and solemnly swore together.
"Your Highness, although you have smelted good iron, you are probably working in vain. And..."
Xu Liang looked at Zhao Hong and warned carefully:
"Your Highness, if someone dies while developing gunpowder, someone in the court will definitely want to impeach you. You must swallow your anger and don't be impulsive."
"Don't worry, I'm no longer a child."
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and nodded.
It is foreseeable that there will definitely be a group of shit stirrups waiting to grab his shit basin in the court.
However, he was used to these tricks in the court, and he was no longer surprised by them.
Sure enough, when they returned to Lin'an City, there was a lot of verbal and written criticism in the court regarding the gunpowder death incident and Zhao Hong himself.
After a heated exchange of words, the court punished Zhao Hong and Tian Yi. Zhao Hong was fined half a year's salary, and Tian Yi was beaten to the end, demoted to a civilian, and temporarily not employed.
Naturally, both parties were dissatisfied with the result of the punishment, because the punishment for the prince Zhao Hong was not painful, but the official Qiankun of the Song Dynasty was arbitrary, and all the officials were helpless.
It's true that Zhao Hong's position as prince cannot be abolished.
