Recreating the prosperous Tang begins with summoning players

Chapter 26 Gunpowder and Guns

Cui Ruoyun looked at Li Yan, thinking that this NPC is really handsome.

As a single mother and fetus, Cui Ruoyun's heart fluttered slightly.

However, as a god of learning, she quickly turned her attention to Li Yan's professional issues.

She nodded and said, "I just submitted the task, and I have already made black powder."

Cui Tao was even more excited than Li Yan. He said excitedly, "Sister! You have already made gunpowder? Why didn't you tell me! This is a cross-generational invention!"

Cui Tao seemed to be more excited than Cui Ruoyun, he said to Li Yan: "Your Highness! This gunpowder is no small matter!"

"Do you still remember what I said to you? In this place in the far west, you can make invisible guns that kill people. The old and the weak, women and children can use them to kill elites from a hundred steps away!"

"There are also cannons to defend the enemy thousands of miles away! As long as the cannons sound, no matter how strong the city wall is, it will collapse!"

"With gunpowder, these two artifacts can be made!"

During this period of time, many players have advised Li Yan to apply for funds to develop guns.

However, Li Yan is still very sober. These players have not even developed gunpowder, and they are still far from making guns!

Seeing Cui Tao's excited appearance, Cui Ruoyun poured cold water on her.

She knocked on Cui Tao's head and said, "Let you read more books, what's the use of gunpowder alone! There is still a long distance between gunpowder and guns!"

After finishing speaking, Cui Ruoyun looked at Li Yan and said, "Your Highness, you came here in a hurry, but you want to use this gunpowder for military use?"

Li Yan said hastily: "In the past few days, I heard Cui Canjun say that there are such artifacts in the Far West, and the lonely king also wants to equip the Tang army with such sharp weapons! Can this gunpowder really make such artifacts as guns? "

If there are guns, then he really swept the world and rebuilt the prosperous Tang Dynasty!

Unexpectedly, Cui Ruoyun said: "I just improved the ratio of black powder and selected a formula with the greatest explosive power. However, there is still a long way to go if I want to turn these gunpowder into the guns that Xiaotao mentioned." Walk."

Li Yan immediately said: "Please enlighten me."

Cui Ruoyun, the god of learning, was very satisfied with Li Yan's eagerness for talent, she said:
"Gunpowder has actually existed since ancient times. In the Spring and Autumn Period, China invented gunpowder. There have always been people who wanted to use gunpowder in the military. But until now, there is no mature gunpowder weapon."

Cui Ruoyun has studied the history of science and technology, and she knows that gunpowder will officially enter the war arena in the late Tang Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Ai of the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Wangfan led an army to attack Yuzhang, "fired the machine" and burned down the Longshamen of the city.This may be the earliest record of using gunpowder to attack a city.

Before that, gunpowder was only used to make fireworks for celebrations.

Li Yan eagerly asked for advice: "Then why can't such sharp weapons be used in military affairs?"

Cui Ruoyun said: "As long as there are two problems, one is the power of gunpowder, and the other is the restriction of materials."

Li Yan asked: "Miss Cui means that the previous gunpowder is not powerful enough to be used as a weapon."

Cui Ruoyun nodded and said, "That's right! Although the Spring and Autumn Period has a gunpowder formula, the formula is very rough. The proportions of sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal are vague, and too many ineffective materials are mixed."

Li Yan nodded. Although Huaxia invented gunpowder thousands of years ago, the formula has always been confusing.

Cui Ruoyun said: "I have improved the formula of gunpowder by using the method of quantitative analysis. I can confidently say that the power of gunpowder in this formula is the greatest!"

Li Yan's eyes lit up: "Since that's the case! Mrs. Cui's family has done a great job! But why do you say that you can't make guns?"

Cui Ruoyun said: "Your Highness, gunpowder has been invented for thousands of years, has no one thought of using gunpowder to fight?"

Li Yan also thought about it. There were many smart people in ancient times. Since gunpowder is so powerful when it burns and explodes, why can't it be used in military affairs?
I only heard Cui Ruoyun say: "The main reason is that there is no suitable material to make the gunpowder exert its power."

Cui Ruoyun snapped her fingers and said: "During the Han Dynasty, some craftsmen in the inner palace thought of stuffing gunpowder into the bamboo joints and igniting an explosion to attack the enemy. But the explosive power of this weapon is too small to hurt people at all. In the end, they can only be turned into firecrackers used in folk festivals."

Li Yan finally understood what Cui Ruoyun meant. If he wanted to make guns, he needed not only gunpowder, but also a workshop for making guns.

Li Yan asked sincerely: "Miss Cui, if we want to build the guns that Cui Canjun mentioned, what do we need in Guazhou?"

Cui Ruoyun said: "Lack, there are too many things that are missing, and the most missing thing is the materials for making weapons."

Cui Ruoyun turned her eyes and asked, "His Royal Highness, please guess, which one is better to make, the invisible gun that Cui Tao mentioned just now, or the cannon that can resist the enemy for thousands of miles?"

Li Yan hesitated for a moment and said, "Is the gun easy to make?"

Cui Ruoyun shook her head and said, "Wrong, it's better to make guns!"

"Cannon?" Li Yan was a little puzzled. He was not a mechanic before crossing, nor was he a fan of military industry. In his understanding, cannons were much more powerful than guns, but Cui Ruoyun actually said that making cannons was easier than making guns. ?

Cui Ruoyun said: "Although the gun is not as powerful as a cannon, a gun that can be used stably requires breakthroughs in many aspects such as smelting and machinery before it can be manufactured."

"But cannons are much easier. You only need to have materials that can withstand the explosion of gunpowder, and you can make cannons."

I see!Li Yan's eyes brightened even more!According to Cui Ruoyun, cannons can be made with current technology! ?
He hurriedly asked: "Madam Cui, please make cannons for the lonely king!"

Unexpectedly, Cui Ruoyun shook her head and said, "It can't be made."

"Why?"

Cui Ruoyun said: "At the current level in Guazhou, iron smelting can only produce pig iron. Pig iron is easy to explode, so it is not a good material for making guns."

"So if Guazhou wants to make cannons, it can only use copper as raw material to make copper cannons!"

"But there are no copper mines near Guazhou, so there is only one way to make copper cannons."

"What?" Li Yan asked.

"Melting copper coins!"

Cui Ruoyun said: "The quality of Kaiyuan Tongbao is good enough. You only need to melt the copper coins, purify the impurities, and then pour the copper water into the mold and wait for it to cool and form. Then you can make a copper cannon."

Hearing this, Li Yan also knew where the difficulty lies. Copper has always been a precious metal in ancient times, but from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, there has been a lack of copper coins, so that now the Tang Dynasty uses grain and silk as currency.

Longyou Road is a well-developed trade area where merchants and troops gather, and the common people still have copper coins to use.In some remote areas in the south, copper coins on the market are rare, and many places are still in the stage of bartering.

So copper is very valuable, Li Yan bit the bullet and asked: "Miss Cui, how much copper does a cannon cost?"

Cui Ruoyun raised her finger and said, "At least ten thousand guan!"

(End of this chapter)