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The atmosphere in the government office immediately became fervent due to Xiao Ming’s decision.
Besides Pang Yukun, other officials also heard the news, and their faces showed joyful smiles. Their mood had been somewhat suppressed lately.
After all, for them, Xiao Ming was the emperor of the Great Yu Empire, and now they were being suppressed by Prince Zhao. Now that Xiao Ming had decided to restore legitimacy, how could they not be happy?
“Yes, Your Highness, I will go prepare now,” Pang Yukun said.
“Wait, one more thing.” Xiao Ming’s gaze was profound. “You should also prepare for the matter concerning the Prince of Huainan.”
Pang Yukun was overjoyed upon hearing this. He said, “Has Your Highness finally come to your senses?”
Xiao Ming pondered and nodded gently.
As the two were speaking, a person suddenly rushed into the government office. Xiao Ming and Pang Yukun were both startled to see him. He looked at the newcomer and said, “Lu Tong, what’s wrong with you?”
At this moment, Lu Tong’s eyes were red and swollen, but his face held a nervous smile. He said to Xiao Ming, “Your Highness, I have solved the passivation problem of nitrocotton, and also produced granular smokeless gunpowder.”
“Granular smokeless gunpowder?” Xiao Ming was somewhat shocked. He said, “Did you replace the camphor in smokeless gunpowder with nitroglycerin?”
“Precisely,” Lu Tong began to explain to Xiao Ming.
Ever since the last failure of smokeless gunpowder, he had been leading the students of the chemical academy day and night to research the passivation problem of smokeless gunpowder. Now, he had finally solved this problem by soaking the smokeless gunpowder in an ether-ethanol solution.
Moreover, after studying the technical books on gunpowder, he also used glycerin treated with concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid, mixed into smokeless gunpowder, to obtain granular smokeless gunpowder.
This gunpowder could completely replace black gunpowder as the new generation of propellants for muskets and cannons.
As for ether, he produced it by co-heating alcohol and concentrated sulfuric acid at 140 degrees. After cooling this method, water was added, and it was left to stand for liquid separation. Alcohol and sulfuric acid dissolved in water, while ether was insoluble in water, allowing ether to be extracted.
“Lu Tong, you’ve brought another surprise to me! Granular smokeless gunpowder will greatly increase the range of flintlock guns and cannons. Coupled with the improvement in steel quality, it seems the state army’s weapons can be upgraded again,” Xiao Ming laughed heartily.
Lu Tong also smiled upon hearing this. However, after he smiled, his eyes suddenly closed, and his body swayed before falling to the ground.
Xiao Ming was startled and immediately rushed forward to support Lu Tong. However, when he looked closely, he heard faint snoring coming from Lu Tong’s mouth, which immediately relieved him. It seemed that for this smokeless gunpowder, this fellow was simply too tired.
Pang Yukun naturally did not understand granular smokeless gunpowder and such things, but seeing Xiao Ming’s and Lu Tong’s reactions, he understood that it was something very powerful.
He asked, “Your Highness, what is the use of this granular smokeless gunpowder?”
“It’s of great use. Now, the state’s army should surpass the West in terms of gunpowder,” Xiao Ming mused. Granular smokeless gunpowder was a product of the 19th century.
Even if this era was fifty years ahead of contemporary times, this smokeless gunpowder was hoped to appear only a hundred years later. Before that, black gunpowder had always been used.
However, even though Lu Tong had produced granular smokeless gunpowder, mass production would probably take some time, but equipping a small quantity should not be a problem.
At least, with rifled guns plus granular smokeless gunpowder, his rifled guns will truly reach the level of the Minié rifle, with a terrifying range of nine hundred meters.
Pang Yukun smiled upon hearing this. The West was still just a concept in his eyes, but Xiao Ming saying that gunpowder surpassed the West was certainly something to be happy about.
He said, “Your Highness, this Lu Tong deserves a reward. Just as Your Highness is about to hold the enthronement ceremony, he has brought a great gift for Your Highness.”
“Hmm, you are right. You should have the official responsible for this matter draw up a list. All students involved in the research and development of granular smokeless gunpowder must be rewarded,” Xiao Ming said.
Now, numerous incentive measures had made the students of Bowen Academy increasingly passionate. Not only were there public laboratories in Bowen Academy, but some students even jointly established private laboratories for relevant research.
Of course, these private laboratories were all under the supervision of the Secret Guard to prevent technology leaks.
As for the technology from private laboratories, Xiao Ming adopted an acquisition strategy. He would provide financial support for any mature technology or product.
In this way, Qingzhou’s fervent atmosphere for technology would further spread to the common people, making them pay more attention to the development and application of various technologies.
After having a guard summon a carriage to send Lu Tong back, Xiao Ming called another carriage and went to the military machinery department. Now that granular smokeless gunpowder was available, he needed to assemble an army equipped with Minié rifles.
Unlike before, this time when Xiao Ming arrived at the military machinery department, he heard the “rumbling” sound of steam engines. Since steam engines began production more than half a year ago, Lin Wentao had provided five more steam engines to the military machinery department during the half-year truce.
The advent of steam power greatly accelerated the production of rifled guns.
Xiao Ming arrived, and Song Changping quickly emerged from the workshop. “Your Highness hasn’t been to the military machinery department for a long time.”
“I did not wish to disturb your production. However, this time I have a serious matter. Eight months ago, I asked you to stockpile rifled guns and conical bullets. How are your preparations now?”
Song Changping, seeing Xiao Ming’s serious expression, put away his smile and said, “Your Highness, now that there are steam engines to rifle barrels, it’s much easier. I have already stockpiled 6,000 rifled guns and produced 120,000 conical bullets. I wonder if that’s enough?”
“The guns are enough, but the bullets are still too few. That averages only twenty rounds per gun,” Xiao Ming said. “Rifled guns are not needed for now. You are to reassign those artisans to produce bullets. Additionally, all 6,000 rifled flintlock guns are to be sent to the Yunzhou Grand Camp. War is approaching, and I have great use for them this time.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Song Changping said.
The three princes attempting to form an allied army to attack him, his resolute refusal to compromise, was also due to his confidence in his own strength, and this confidence came from these 6,000 rifled flintlock guns.
Because even without smokeless gunpowder, these guns could still shoot about four hundred meters. Now with smokeless gunpowder, the range of these guns is enough to take out the enemy’s artillery.
And in contemporary times, it was precisely because the Minié rifle posed a threat to artillery that cannons were further upgraded to improve their battlefield survival rate.
After instructing Song Changping on this matter, Xiao Ming prepared to return. At this moment, Chen Qi suddenly ran out excitedly from the workshop. He said to Xiao Ming, “Your Highness, the steel produced by the steel workshop can now completely replace bronze! The cost and production speed of field guns will be much faster now!”