Sui Dynasty: I, Yang Guang, am both scrupulous and stable

Chapter 39 Gunpowder
Following Yang Guang's words, the elixir Sun Simiao had refined today exploded.

Yang Guang called his subordinates to come and prepare to put out the fire, but Sun Simiao stopped everyone: "I'm prepared. The fire won't start. The smoke smells strong. Just wait until the smoke dissipates before going in to clean it up."

"Mr. Sun is experienced and well prepared."

Sun Simiao sighed helplessly: "Alchemy is always risky."

"Sir, you are good at the art of elixirs, metals, and stones, but I don't know about the art of explosion. Do you have any research on it?"

"What's the purpose of studying this thing?"

"Sir, you're wrong. You can avoid it only by researching it clearly. If something explodes, it always explodes because some things are mixed together. It won't explode for no reason. Find out what will explode when mixed with what. Don't mix it up next time. That would be fine if not.”

Sun Simiao looked at Yang Guang in surprise: "What His Highness said is absolutely true, wonderful, wonderful."

Yang Guang accompanied Sun Simiao into the messy room after the smoke dissipated, and smelled the strong smell of sulfur and the pungent smell after the explosion.

The exploded medicine cauldron was surrounded by a protective layer of stones. Sun Simiao indeed had rich experience in explosions.

While cleaning, Yang Guang asked knowingly: "Mr. Sun, what is this pungent smell?"

"It's sulfur and saltpeter. Every time these two things come together, there's a chance they'll explode."

Yang Guang then suggested: "Mr. Sun, why don't we try it? Put sulfur and saltpeter together separately, add some charcoal to ignite it, and see if it explodes. If so, then these three things are causing trouble. , just don’t need it in the future.”

"How can you say that you don't need to use it? Sulfur and other highly toxic gold and stone medicines must be subdued with fierce fire before they can be used as medicine."

Sun Simiao was limited by the mainstream views of the era and had been trying to find ways to find elixirs from ancient books.

"Sir, will you take these pills yourself?"

"Don't eat."

"Why?"

"It doesn't look like good medicine."

"Then you still refine it?"

"I believe that we will be able to refine a real elixir. The secret of life, old age, illness and death is hidden in the elixir. You see, mixing sulfur and saltpeter will explode. What about adding other things? Will there be other effects?"

Sun Simiao was a tall man of 1.9 meters, but he had an extremely rigorous scientific research spirit, but he took the wrong path. Many emperors died from elixirs. The Chinese elixir technique is the same as the Western alchemy, and it is very harmful. But he has made a lot of contributions to science, and countless scientists have continued on these two roads to continue the past and the future.

Yang Guang chatted for a few words and then left. He had to let Sun Simiao study it for a while. It would not be good if he figured it out all at once. It would not be natural enough.

After having some lunch at noon, we headed to Daxing City.

It was an accident yesterday, but today Daxing City has started construction, and [-] people have begun to work on the site of Daxing City.

Yu Wenkai allocated 2 people to build the palace and the imperial city, and the remaining people were digging the ground. According to the plan, the places needed for the sewage pipes were dug out first.

Managing so many civilians requires a lot of manpower. On the first day, everyone was not skilled enough, so Yu Wenkai was very busy.

"Yu Wenkai, how are the pipes required for the pipelines?" "Your Highness, the construction of several central canals is complicated. We need to break ground first. We need to build brick walls underground like palaces. The remaining small pipes have been ordered to be fired by the pottery factory."

Yang Guang nodded. Because the materials that can be made in this era have limited bearing capacity, the pipes cannot be buried too deep, about half a meter above the ground. In order to consider its circulation, the direction of the highlands is very particular. Yu Wenkai will These are all designed in.

"Bricks, aren't they enough?"

Yu Wenkai nodded: "Yes, we need a large amount of bricks. At present, Wei Chen has calculated the quantity and the supply is insufficient."

"I will take care of this matter. Give me part of the craftsmen who make the masonry."

"Yes, Your Highness."

In fact, Yang Guang does not need to pay too much attention to the construction matter. Historically, Yu Wenkai built the main body of Daxing City in nine months. Now underground pipelines have been added, but the time has been delayed to a year and a half. He should be able to do what he has to do. Just like lumber and bricks, which are just needed materials, he should not worry, do his own logistics work, and make money by selling houses in Daxing City.

Yang Guang ordered someone to call Li Yuan again.

When Li Yuan arrived at Daxing City, he had not yet realized what Yang Guang was going to do.

Yang Guang took Li Yuan's hand and said like a sympathetic old friend: "Cousin, look at this place. Tens of thousands of people are working in this place. In the future, an unprecedented large city will be built as a large city." The imperial capital of the Sui Dynasty, please enjoy what the scene will be like here in the future."

Li Yuan stood on the high tower overseeing the work and looked at the vast area and praised: "It's a God's work, a God's work."

"Cousin, I am now responsible for supervising the construction of Daxing City. There are not many people I can trust. I am so busy that I don't even have time to sleep. Cousin, you must come and help me."

"I...I...have limited abilities, and I don't know how to build a city, or how to help His Highness. I'm afraid that I might delay His Highness, or I won't be able to do it."

"Cousin, the old lady and the mother are biological sisters. This is also the mother's wish. There is no need to refuse. There is no need to worry about cousin. From simple to complex, I will first let my cousin take care of the brick factory and supervise the brick factory. It will be fine if you can just block manufacturing things, but don’t think that your talents are buried, cousin.”

Li Yuan thought about it and seemed to think it was good, so he said: "Then I won't refuse. Thank you, Your Highness."

Yang Guang patted Li Yuan's shoulder very familiarly: "Cousin, don't be so polite between you and me from now on. It's getting ugly. Come on, I'll take you to see it."

He took Li Yuan to the place where the bricks are made, and then introduced: "Because Daxing City requires a large amount of bricks, I even plan to use bricks when building houses in the future, so I have to improve efficiency."

"Working like an assembly line, each worker only does one thing."

Li Yuan had never seen such a thing before, so he listened carefully to Yang Guang's explanation: "After the soil was delivered, the person responsible for stirring the soil was responsible for this project, the person responsible for transporting it transported it, and the person drawing the mold made the mold. Finally, what happened? I want to build several large-scale firing houses to produce bricks quickly and in large quantities. In fact, the process technology is not difficult, and it must be kept orderly and efficient."

Splitting the steps speeds up the process.

In fact, the craftsmen of this era were very particular about their manufacturing, especially the bricks used in the Miyagi Imperial City. The quality is difficult to replicate with modern craftsmanship, but the masonry buried underground to build sewage pipes does not need to be so particular. It is practical. Sex is the main thing.

Yang Guang whispered to Li Yuan: "Cousin, don't underestimate the bricks and stones. I have plans to use bricks and stones to make part of the houses in the future. Of course, this requires the improvement of technology. If it is feasible, the city will be able to rely on bricks and stones in the future." Make a lot of money, you know what I mean.”

Li Yuan thought for a while and finally nodded: "Don't worry, Your Majesty King Jin, I will do my best to manage the manufacturing of bricks and stones without leaving any flaws."

"I feel relieved when my cousin is here. I feel relieved when you are here to deal with the brick factory."

(End of this chapter)