"I understand!"
"I understand!"
Xu Guangqi let out a cry, his eyes full of shock, and the faces of Bi Maokang and Sun Yuanhua were full of excitement.
The emperor's words are very clear. If you want to do it, do it well, even if it costs a lot of money, it doesn't matter.
As a technician, what is the most important thing? Naturally, those in power attach great importance to it.
The emperor's attitude gave the three of them reassurance, and also set the tone and rules for the institute.
"Everyone, sit down!"
Chongzhen waved his hand, and then looked at Cao Bianjiao and other generals: "You guys wait outside first. I have a few words to say to Xu Aiqing.
From now on, anyone who dares to come within five feet of the meeting hall will be punished directly! "
Cao Bianjiao and others did not hesitate at all, stood up, saluted and left.
After the door closed, Chongzhen looked at Xu Guangqi and others: "Xu Aiqing, everyone, what I say next is a top secret of the imperial court and must not be disclosed to anyone!"
The four people looked solemn and stood up in unison: "Your Majesty, please give me your permission!"
"I will give you another seven days to experiment and find out the shape, weight, etc. that the Firearms Research Institute thinks is most suitable.
Before the end of June, eight thousand kilograms of granulated gunpowder and seven thousand kilograms of palm thunder must be made.
For the rest, if you can develop the one I just mentioned using a trebuchet, you can make it into one. If you can't, just continue to make it into a palm mine. Can you do it? "
"Can!"
Xu Guangqi didn't hesitate at all, let alone have any doubts.
The current output of less than two hundred kilograms is not a problem with raw materials, but a lack of technical proficiency. In ten days and a half, the daily production of more than two hundred kilograms will not be a big problem and can be completed.
"Okay, let Xu Aiqing take full responsibility for the palm thunder. Let's experiment more and find the most suitable one.
If you need anything, just go to Li Aiqing and let him coordinate. If you can't coordinate, just go to the palace and see me. "
After Xu Guangqi responded, Chongzhen said: "That's it for now about the palm thunder. Let's talk about firearms and the Firearms Research Institute. After my visit today, I have some thoughts!"
"Your Majesty, please give me your instructions!"
Xu Guangqi, Bi Maokang, and Sun Yuanhua became excited instantly after listening.
The last time the emperor summoned them, he proposed the concepts of gunpowder granulation, iron molds, flintlock guns, etc., although it sounded a bit outrageous at the time.
But now that gunpowder has been granulated, it is incredibly powerful.
The emperor's next thoughts may be of greater enlightenment.
"Xu Aiqing, how much are the nitrate, sulfur and carbon of the gunpowder?"
"Back to your majesty, saltpeter weighs forty taels, sulfur six taels, and charcoal six taels eight cents, mixed into one portion."
After listening to this, Chongzhen quickly calculated the respective proportions: 75.66%, 11.36%, and 12.88%.
The standard gunpowder formula published by the British in 1635 was 75% saltpeter, 12.5% sulfur, and 12.5% charcoal.
The ratio of this workshop is not far off.
He originally wanted to give everyone a reminder, but now it seems that it is a bit redundant.
If you really travel to an era without gunpowder and make gunpowder according to the ratio of mononitrate, disulfide and charcoal, you will definitely be cheated.
"Everyone, you must have realized through the process of granulating gunpowder that the purer the raw materials, the more powerful the gunpowder will be.
Therefore, you must strictly control the refining of raw materials, and you must not produce fake gunpowder. This is the bottom line.
On the battlefield, if the war fails due to inferior gunpowder, it will mean the death of countless soldiers. This is absolutely not allowed.
Inform the craftsmen and officials below that if anyone dares to tamper with this, I will kill him from the nine tribes! "
"I understand!"
Xu Guangqi and others looked extremely serious.
This is no joke.
"Secondly, I sometimes wonder whether the charcoal in the gunpowder will have an impact on the power of the gunpowder due to the different wood used to make the charcoal? Some charcoal is easy to ignite, and some are resistant to burning.
Thirdly, when I was roasting sweet potatoes in Xi'an, I found that the water dripping from the sweet potatoes caused the charcoal to suddenly burn.
I was just thinking that the water produced in roasted sweet potatoes should be sugar. So, as a granulated substance, would the water produced from the sugar also increase the power of gunpowder?
There is also soju. Nowadays soju is distilled. You have found that the more times it is distilled, the easier it is to ignite.
So, do you want to consider distilling soju several times and then using it as water to granulate gunpowder? "
Chongzhen was talking to himself and did not notice the change in the expressions of Xu Guangqi and others.
The three of them started thinking, then were surprised, then shocked and confused.
It’s hard to say what the emperor said later, but charcoal really has an impact. The current one using willow charcoal is much better than other charcoals.
Xu Guangqi and the others resisted their excitement and the urge to go back to the experiment immediately, and immediately said: "I will wait for a while, and immediately arrange for someone to conduct the experiment, and submit the results to His Majesty as soon as possible!"
"Well, these are some of my ideas on the power of gunpowder. Whether it works or not, you can experiment."
Chongzhen just ordered the production of gunpowder granules. Just after the visit, he suddenly ordered sugar.
He remembered that there was a joke on the Internet that if you buy in large quantities, your water meter will be checked.
It is said that sugar mixed with gunpowder can be used as propellant fuel for rockets. He doesn't know how it works, and he doesn't know whether it is true or not, but it is an idea.
"Xu Aiqing, after talking about firearms, let me talk about the Firearms Research Institute. I mainly talk about safety.
From the time when we entered the periphery of the Firearms Research Institute to now, the Firearms Research Institute has done a very good job in safety, but I still want to criticize you. Do you know why? "
Xu Guangqi, Li Banghua and others looked at each other with thoughtful expressions in their eyes.
Especially Li Banghua, he was the only court minister besides Xu Guangqi who participated in the security arrangements of the Firearms Research Institute, and he was the leader.
After a moment, Li Banghua's eyes flashed with doubts, and he hesitated: "Your Majesty is referring to the fact that you and several generals were not searched equally when entering the valley where the granulated gunpowder was installed?"
"right!"
Chongzhen nodded solemnly, paused for a moment, his eyes full of solemnity.
After a while, he said softly: "My dear friends, you know that there was a big explosion in the capital in the sixth year of the Apocalypse!"
Listening to Chongzhen's inquiry, everyone trembled, and a trace of fear and compassion flashed in their eyes.
In May of the sixth year of the Apocalypse, a big explosion occurred near the gunpowder depot of Wanggong Factory in Beijing, killing and injuring more than 20,000 people, and was accompanied by various mysterious and magical phenomena.
After a while, everyone understood what Chongzhen meant.
Xu Guangqi whispered: "Your Majesty, you mean this is not a natural disaster, but someone ignited the gunpowder magazine at Wang Gong Factory?"
