The rise of the prince

Chapter 701 Mercury fulminate, the opportunity to change the war

The ancient dynasties of the Central Plains had a common practice, which was to talk about scholars, farmers, businessmen and businessmen to the outside world, and to suppress the status of businessmen.

Just like Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty said that he wanted to collect business taxes, and the officials were all scolded, and all were filled with righteous indignation, saying that he did not practice moral government, that he was immoral and incompetent, and wished he could pile the worst words on him.

The reason is also very simple. At that time, many big businessmen were backed by court officials, and many officials even operated their own businesses, relying on power to suppress business enemies, rather than through commercial competition. In this way, Emperor Wanli collected business taxes to cut the official cake , It would be strange not to scold him to death.

This is also the case in Jingchao. The Tang family's business can grow bigger, and it must be inseparable from Tangzhou being the envoy of the household department.

After all, the Department of Household Affairs is in charge of taxation, household registration, etc. Jingguo is a big country that focuses on commerce and collects business taxes. Who would dare to offend him, the envoy of the Ministry of Households who is in charge of taxation in the world.Moreover, with Fatty Tang's personality, he is afraid that any opponent who dares to compete with him in business will be dealt with by him with dishonorable means.

But if it competes with the Wangfu to join the cinnabar business, then Tang Zhouwei's power will not work at all, and the Wangfu now has a huge business system, a huge logistics and transportation network, if it intervenes in the competition, the Tang family will not be able to compete with the Wangfu.

And the cinnabar business is the main source of income for the Tang family, so Fatty Tang was in a hurry and ran to the palace again and again to give various gifts.

In his mind, Li Xingzhou understood that he was originally interested in the cinnabar business, because cinnabar is now a dye, cosmetic, medicine, and can also be used to extract mercury. It is also a precious medicine, a rare thing, and can make money.

But not to mention the risk of poisoning in the production process of this thing, as cosmetics, medicines are highly toxic, and many people are superstitious or listen to quacks to use them, but he still can't do it against his conscience.

Therefore, he has decided to give up grabbing Tang's business.

After Tang Zhou got his guarantee, he was so excited that he almost burst into tears. He thanked him again and again, and promised to reduce the price of mercury sold to the palace in the future by [-]%. Li Xingzhou agreed. Liu Dao, his mind must be very active, he must be afraid and worried that he will not change his mind if he does not receive preferential treatment from him.

After the Tang family's affairs were settled, the mercury would have a source. The place where the Tang family produced mercury was in the west of the city, twenty miles away from Beijing, and the cost of transporting it to the palace was not high.

In the early morning of the next day, accompanied by Shiyu and Qiu'er, Li Xingzhou excitedly went to the chemical factory in Houshan, and many production equipment had been prepared.

Mercury fulminate, this kind of thing that changes the firearms war, might come out soon!

Li Xingzhou asked the two maids to wear masks and thin leather gloves.

"What is this for?" Shiyu took off the mask.

Li Xingzhou gently pulled her on: "Wear it, in case the poisonous gas leaks, it's better than nothing."

"Poison gas?" Shiyu looked at him, worriedly grabbed his hand and said, "Then don't move."

"Don't be afraid, it's just in case, the probability is one in ten thousand, and if something happens, we'll run." Li Xingzhou smiled and pinched her pretty nose, and Shiyu hurriedly avoided it.

Qiu'er leaned over curiously, "My lord, what is the composition of this green vitriol? I only saw some doctors use it as a medicine stone."

"Don't!" Li Xingzhou rubbed her little head affectionately, and then said: "This thing can't be used as medicine, just like that cinnabar. You are not allowed to use it in the future. If someone in the palace uses it, stop me." This sentence is for poetry.

Shiyu nodded.

Li Xingzhou began to choose the utensils and various items that were brought here earlier and placed in the cabinet. At the same time, he said to Qiu'er: "The main component of green vitriol is ferrous sulfate. Calcination can produce sulfur trioxide, which can be dissolved in water to form sulfuric acid. Taoist priests and doctors call it green alum oil."

She was confused when she heard the poetry, Qiu'er started to think thoughtfully, and took out her notebook and pencil from her sleeve to write.

The pencil is a by-product of the graphite industry in the Wangfu. It is specially supplied by the Wangfu. The craftsmen in the Wangfu like it very much, but he dare not promote it to the outside world. He will be scolded by scholars all over the world. This is not the time.

As Li Xingzhou said, he had already put the green vitriol particles into the round-bottomed glass flask, connected the wooden stopper to the top, inserted the u-shaped glass tube, and inserted the other end into a cup filled with distilled water.

Then use alcohol to ignite the small furnace and start calcination. The reason why alcohol is used as a fuel is that it has a very good point, which is that it can be controlled at any time.

Compared with wood, charcoal, coke, etc., this is the fuel needed for chemical reactions.

As the calcination continued, the green crystals slowly sizzled, and then changed color, from green to reddish brown, and bubbles began to slowly form in the water glass at the other end.

Shiyu stared curiously at the solid in the bottle slowly changing from green to reddish brown, widened his eyes, pulled his arm and asked, "What's going on?"

Li Xingzhou smiled and explained to her: "Simply speaking, through heating, some things in the green vitriol escape, so it gradually becomes not green vitriol, and the color will naturally change.

As for the things that run out, I dissolve them in the water, but you can't see them. "

Shiyu looked at him, then nodded, seeming to understand a little.

Under the watchful eyes of several people, Li Xingzhou continued to burn slowly until all the vitriol in the flask turned reddish brown, then Li Xingzhou covered the alcohol stove and stopped heating.

Then carefully put away the glass tube, and picked up the glass of water.

Shiyu leaned over to look at it, and Li Xingzhou quickly stopped him: "This thing is very dangerous now."

"Dangerous? Isn't it just a glass of water." Shiyu was puzzled.

Indeed, it was still a transparent liquid, and it looked unchanged, but he knew that this thing was no longer water, but a sulfuric acid solution, and according to the dosage, it was likely to be a concentrated sulfuric acid solution.

As he spoke, he divided some of the solution into another cup, picked up a rusty iron nail that had been prepared a long time ago, and put it in. Soon, at a speed visible to the naked eye, the rust on the iron nail quickly dissolved and disappeared without a trace. , as if disappearing out of thin air!
Shiyu was stunned, "This trick?"

Li Xingzhou laughed excitedly, took off his mask as he spoke, kissed Shiyu on the cheek, and kissed Qiu'er to vent his excitement.

Although he knew that calcination of vitriol can produce sulfuric acid, but knowing and practicing it is another matter!

As long as there is sulfuric acid, the door to mercury fulminate has been opened.
Shiyu blushed and pinched him.

Sulfuric acid and saltpeter can be used to produce nitric acid, nitric acid reacts with mercury to produce mercury nitrate, and finally mercury nitrate reacts with ethanol to produce mercury fulminate.

This is Li Xingzhou's ultimate goal.

Mercury fulminate is very sensitive to pressure, and it will react and explode under very small pressure.In a dry state, even the slightest friction and impact can cause an explosion.

It can be conveniently preserved after being passivated by adding oil or fat, and can be used as a bullet, a shell primer, or a detonator!

Once it comes out and is put into use, Wangfu's firearm technology will catch up to a new level. Rear loading, firing pins, etc. will not be a problem, and these will become his secret weapons to deal with the northern Jin Kingdom, Xixia, and Mongol Empire in the future.

Only mercury fulminate can make Li Xingzhou feel at ease, at least when he thinks of the large-scale Mongolian cavalry corps that blocks the sky and the sun.
　Happy New Year to everyone!The beginning of this year was really a blow. Everything was ups and downs. Now I can't advance or retreat, I can't go back or get out, and I am still afraid.Everyone, be careful and protect yourself.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)