thefictionvixens Chapter 353
Chapter 353
Li Tai chose the wasteland on the north side for sulfur refining, not far from the newly built pig house.
"Are the people you arranged reliable?"
"Don't worry, they are all reliable people. They don't know what sulfur is. I told them that it is about making yellow medicine."
Li Tai said as he walked. As smart as Li Tai was, he gave sulfur another name.
"That's good! The fewer people know, the better. It is also a kind of protection for him."
It is no exaggeration to say that explosives are a weapon that can change dynasties. Who can guarantee that the emperor will have any confidentiality measures.
Su Chen was a little worried that he would be killed one day.
Not long after, the six people came to the place Li Tai said.
"What are they doing now? It doesn't look like they are refining yellow medicine." Su Chen saw three brick kilns that were as high as his chest, and they were slowly shrinking upwards in a circular shape.
Three people who looked like guards were adding firewood to the entrance of the cave.
"The charcoal kiln has just been built, and they are heating the kiln." Li Tai explained.
Su Chen nodded.
"Greetings to the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei!"
"Greetings to the Marquis!"
Su Chen and the others walked closer and found that this charcoal kiln was about the same size as a water tank.
"How long will it take to refine the yellow medicine?" Li Tai walked around the charcoal kiln for a few times. Their bricklaying skills were not very good, but fortunately the gaps were filled tightly.
"Reply to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei, as long as the other four people burn the coke, we can refine the yellow medicine."
One of the guards bowed and answered.
Another guard stepped forward and added: "The coke has been burning for three hours, and we are waiting for it to cool down."
Li Tai nodded and said, "Okay, it's best to burn a batch before sunset." Then he looked at Su Chen and asked, "Su Chen, do you have anything to say here?"
Su Chen was looking at the construction site of the pig house not far away.
"I don't have anything to tell you. Zhang Long, you can just move those yellow stones over and burn them later." Pointing to the newly built pig house, he continued, "Let's go over there and take a look. It seems that the foundation has been completed."
Su Chen guessed that the people sent by the Ministry of Works arrived today, otherwise why would there be so many people working.
"Hey, I saw a colleague from the Ministry of Works over there." Li Dejian smiled innocently.
"Someone from the Ministry of Works? Then there's nothing to see. Let's go back. I just happened to work overtime to plan the layout of the military factory for Dejian's reference."
Su Chen stopped and looked at Li Dejian and smiled.
Twenty minutes later, Su Chen and others returned to the study.
After several people discussed, the military factory had four buildings, arranged in a U-shaped layout.
Covering an area of five acres, that is, more than 3,000 square meters, the entire factory area was enclosed by a wall, and two Xuanjia soldiers stood guard every three feet or so.
Each gunpowder raw material processing workshop is not connected to each other, and each entrance and exit is guarded by armed black armor soldiers.
"Dejian, this is left to you to coordinate, anyway, you are familiar with the people in the Ministry of Industry." Su Chen handed the drawings to Li Dejian.
"Okay! I have a clear understanding of this layout." Li Dejian put away the drawings and promised.
Su Chen nodded and looked at Li Tai.
"In the future, study more cylindrical explosives and see whether it is better to wrap them in paper or fill them with bamboo tubes.
The smaller the better, but the power cannot be weakened. Study it carefully.
Remember, don't study yourself to death, I am not responsible."
Su Chen reminded jokingly.
Li Tai asked doubtfully: "Where are cylindrical explosives used?"
"Blast the mountain to open the road!"
...
The palace.
In the imperial study.
Li Jing hurried back to the palace and asked to see Li Shimin as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, that huge rock is about six feet high, and it takes two people to hug it. It weighs at least three thousand pounds. After the explosion, it was shattered into pieces.
In addition, the piled stones weighing dozens or dozens of pounds were blown into pieces and flew 150 steps away.
A two-foot deep pit was blown out under the pile of stones.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, no matter who said it in front of me, I would have just thought it was just a dream."
Li Jing excitedly told Li Shimin about the situation after the explosion.
After listening, Li Shimin had similar ideas to Su Chen, and he didn't expect that the power of the rock explosion would be doubled.
"Great, great! Shuofang City will be broken soon!"
"Hahaha..."
After laughing, Li Shimin regretted not going with Li Jing today.
He missed such a wonderful scene.
"Pharmacist, do you have any ideas?" Li Shimin saw from Li Jing's expression that in addition to excitement, he also had some thoughts.
"Your Majesty, explosives are of great importance, or rather, they are related to the safety of the imperial city.
Explosives are extremely powerful and can hurt both the enemy and oneself. If someone with ulterior motives gets hold of them, I'm afraid..."
Before Li Jing finished speaking, Li Shimin nodded solemnly and said:
"I share the same concerns as the pharmacist. I wonder what the pharmacist thinks?" What Li Jing said,Su Chen also told Li Shimin, so he asked Li Shimin to send the Black Armor Army to guard the military factory.
If the explosives or the formula of the explosives were obtained by someone with ulterior motives, one or two would be placed in Chang'an City or the palace.
The consequences would be disastrous, and Li Shimin might get the title of Emperor Taizong of Tang in advance.
"I think the matter of explosives should be strictly guarded and all possible leaks to the world should be eliminated.
Humph, I am afraid that the idiot is not strong enough, please recall him!" Li Jing bowed respectfully and pleaded.
Li Jing was not pretending, but speaking from the facts.
Before this, Li Jing did not know the true power of explosives and did not treat them with caution. He just thought it was because the crown prince Li Chengqian spoke well of Li Dejian in front of Su Chen.
Now Li Jing does not think so.
"In that case, what should be done according to the pharmacist's opinion?"
Li Jing thought for a moment, then smiled slightly, "Your Majesty, Su boy dislikes Sichang's age, but I have a candidate whose age should be acceptable."
"Oh? Which favorite general is it? Pharmacist, please tell me!"
Li Shimin was very curious, as it seemed that there was no general in the army who was of the same age as Su Chen.
"Xue Wanche's brother, Xue Wanjun. He is thirty-three years old, two years younger than Sichang." Li Jing said loudly.
"Xue Wanjun, General of the Left Tunwei!" Li Shimin nodded, agreeing with Li Jing's suggestion, two years younger is still young.
"Okay, let's follow the pharmacist.
However, Dejian should stay in the manor. That kid has been sending people in and out of the General Works Bureau frequently recently, and Dejian is more familiar with the Ministry of Works. Who knows, he may make a shocking move in the future."
Li Shimin still firmly believed that the person named by Su Chen would do something!
Li Jing nodded and said again: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. I ask Your Majesty to send some scattered soldiers to enclose a hill outside the manor for them to test explosives.
To prevent outsiders from sneaking in and to avoid accidentally hurting the people."
"Okay, I will make arrangements for this." Li Shimin agreed immediately.
Then he thought of something and laughed:
"If one day Sichang finds out that the boy despises his age, he may have to argue with him!"
"Hahaha..."
Everyone present laughed.
...
Note: This article ignores the fact that Chai Shao is Li Shimin's brother-in-law. Princess Pingyang died too early and her name was not recorded in the official history.