“Now, the green ore in front of you is called green vitriol. I’ve already taught you about this before. Previously, we didn’t have the experimental instruments to work with it, but now that we have these chemical tools, today I will demonstrate how to use green vitriol to produce sulfuric acid. After this experiment, you will be responsible for the production of sulfuric acid,” Xiao Ming said.
By now, these individuals had mastered the basics of chemistry. In Xiao Ming’s view, they had at least the equivalent of a middle school level of chemical knowledge, which was sufficient to apply this knowledge to production.
The purpose of knowledge is its application. Ultimately, this knowledge must be put to practical use.
“Yes, Your Highness,” replied Lu Tong and the others with confidence. Three to four months had passed since they began their studies. During this time, they had been free from worries about food, clothing, and shelter, allowing them to focus entirely on learning. Xiao Ming’s chemistry lessons had opened up a whole new world for them, revealing a realm of knowledge they had never imagined.
Every time Xiao Ming taught, the atomic structures, molecular structures, and the appearances of various rare metals seemed to materialize in their minds, allowing them to grasp the concepts quickly.
Satisfied with their progress, Xiao Ming placed the green vitriol into a test tube, connected it to a water container, and began heating it with an alcohol lamp.
Now that they could purify alcohol and produce glass bottles, creating an alcohol lamp was no longer an issue. This was one of the essential conditions for conducting chemical experiments.
Lu Tong and the others watched Xiao Ming’s every move intently, afraid to miss even the smallest detail.
They were eager to apply the knowledge they had learned, but the lack of chemical materials had been a significant obstacle. Even the most skilled cook cannot prepare a meal without ingredients.
As the alcohol was added, the color of the green vitriol gradually changed from green to reddish-brown, indicating that the green vitriol had successfully decomposed.
By the end of the lesson, under Xiao Ming’s supervision, Lu Tong and the others had successfully produced sulfuric acid by following his example. However, even with everyone’s combined efforts, they had only managed to produce a small amount.
“Your Highness, from now on, let us handle the rest. We’ve been learning for so long, and we can’t have you teaching us every time. We can experiment on our own. You just need to provide us with the materials,” Lu Tong said to Xiao Ming after the teaching experiment concluded.
Xiao Ming felt a sense of relief. These students had finally developed the initiative to explore on their own. Reflecting on modern history, he remembered how his homeland had built a powerful industrial system from scratch through self-reliance and experimentation.
Now, with him providing the knowledge, he believed that these students could also achieve miracles.
“You have ambition. Since that’s the case, I’ve already taught you the key knowledge about the ‘three acids and two alkalis.’ You can focus on production. If you need silver or manpower, just let me know,” Xiao Ming said.
Lu Tong nodded excitedly. From being a slave to enjoying a comfortable life, all of this had been granted by the Prince of Qi.
They were people who valued gratitude and wanted to contribute to their homeland, ensuring that the people of the fiefdom would no longer suffer humiliation.
Xiao Ming felt comforted. In Lu Tong’s eyes, he saw a sense of purpose and dedication.
It was this sense of purpose that allowed individuals to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good. In modern times, when the country was poor and underdeveloped, it was precisely because of such people that the nation grew stronger step by step.
This was a noble character trait. Xiao Ming had seen it in Pang Yukun, Lu Fei, the Chen Wenlong father and son, and even in Fan Zeng.
It was because of this character that they wholeheartedly supported his reforms, striving to make the fiefdom more prosperous and powerful.
He needed more people with this kind of character. These individuals were the foundation of the fiefdom.
Patting Lu Tong on the shoulder, Xiao Ming gave him an encouraging look and instructed him to ask questions whenever he encountered difficulties. With that, Xiao Ming left Bowen Academy. He had already taught them enough to keep them busy for a long time.
Moreover, Xiao Ming had given him a plan—a step-by-step guide to chemical production, starting from the simple and progressing to the complex, gradually building the chemical industry.
Once the chemical industry began to take shape, it could mutually reinforce the steel industry. At that point, he could start working on producing alloys.
The first target was tungsten steel. With tungsten steel, he could manufacture high-quality cutting tools, which would then allow for the precise machining of various metal components.
That would mark a small leap forward in industrial development.
However, while the idea was promising, its implementation was fraught with challenges. The first hurdle was finding black tungsten ore and white tungsten ore. Tungsten ore was not as easy to locate as coal or iron ore.
In fact, during this era, any mineral deposits that weren’t surface-level were extremely difficult to find and mine.
The few mines Qian Dafu had discovered were shallow deposits. Deeper deposits remained out of reach, as precise exploration was a different matter altogether.
He didn’t have satellite positioning technology.
Thinking of this, he sighed. For now, he could only rely on luck. If they were lucky, they might find tungsten ore quickly. If not, they would have to wait.
Once they had tungsten ore, they could use sulfuric acid to extract tungsten and produce alloys.
Industrial development had to proceed step by step, following a clear plan. Equally important was agricultural production, which Xiao Ming also took very seriously.
As he pondered these matters, he returned to the palace. Just as he arrived at the entrance, he saw Ziyuan rushing out and accidentally bumping into him.
Xiao Ming staggered but instinctively caught Ziyuan, preventing her from falling. In the process, one of his hands ended up grabbing her bottom.
“Ah…” Ziyuan let out a startled cry, but when she saw it was Xiao Ming, she quickly stifled it. However, feeling his hand squeeze a few times, her face turned bright red.
“Your Highness, in broad daylight, you…” Ziyuan chided.
Xiao Ming chuckled and let go, savoring the implication in Ziyuan’s words. If broad daylight wasn’t appropriate, did that mean nighttime would be fine?
Ziyuan nervously glanced around, relieved to see no one had witnessed the incident. After all, propriety between men and women was of utmost importance. If someone had seen, it would have been mortifying.
However, she didn’t blame Xiao Ming. Over time, she and Luluo had grown closer to him.
Knowing that they would eventually become his women, and given Xiao Ming’s charming personality, they had become more tolerant of his playful advances.
“You’re the one who bumped into me. How can you blame me?” Xiao Ming said lazily.
Ziyuan sighed helplessly, then suddenly remembered something urgent. “Your Highness, I almost forgot. I was rushing to find you. Her Majesty has sent a letter saying that Princess Pingyang will soon arrive in Qingzhou and has asked you to take good care of her.”
“Princess Pingyang?” Xiao Ming felt a wave of dizziness. “Why is she coming here?”
“It’s because of the perfumes, soaps, and now the glass. Her Majesty mentioned in the letter that the glass you sent to Chang’an has caused quite a stir in the imperial palace!”