area51novel Chapter 383
Chapter 383
Lijin Manor, backyard of the main hall.
"Zhang Long, is there anything different about the service area you went to in Hua County last time?"
It is already November. Su Chen told Chang Sunchong and the others that he would go back to Chang'an once a month, but they didn't seem to go back to Chang'an.
I don't know where they went to build the road.
"My Lord, the service area has changed a lot now. There is an inn and a huge carriage parking area.
A toll booth has been set up in the middle of the road, but it seems that it has not been put into use yet."
Su Chen nodded, looked at Li Tai who was working hard, and said:
"Fatty, don't make this explosive for now. Send someone to track them today to see where Chang Sun Chong and his team are now."
"If the engineering team has crossed the Yellow River and entered Shanxi, we will send someone to send such explosives to them to blast the mountains. There are many mountains in Shanxi, and the construction progress will be greatly improved with explosives."
These days, Li Tai and his men have made more than 30 explosives. Each explosive weighs three pounds and two ounces, including the paper tube, and is about the same thickness as purple sugarcane.
If there is not enough white sugar, more can be made.
Two days ago, we used explosives to help the cement factory mine ore, and the effect was quite good. It's just that it takes time to drill holes. It usually takes a whole morning to drill five holes for explosives.
Fortunately, Su Chen later designed a hollow drill specially used for drilling holes, and the principle is the same as that of a hand-pulled drill.
Using a drill is more efficient than using a chisel to drill holes.
Detonating a single explosive has little effect, especially for hard ores.
Arranging explosives also requires some tricks, and randomly opening holes for blasting is not effective.
"Okay, after doing this, the sugar has just run out, and we need to collect sugarcane as soon as possible to extract sugar." Li Tai nodded.
Last time, more than 500 kilograms of sugarcane, perhaps due to the poor pressing process, the loss was too great, and the refined sugar was less than 60 kilograms.
"My Lord, King Wei, the Crown Prince just came down and is now in the living room." Ma Han, who was in charge of guarding outside the backyard, came in to report.
"Oh, I see."
Su Chen answered casually, and a stick of explosives in his hand had not yet been sealed.
"Su Chen, Qingque!" Li Chengqian waited in the living room for two minutes and went directly to the backyard.
"What's your urgent matter?"
Su Chen glanced at Li Chengqian and asked casually when he saw that he was walking in a hurry.
"Nothing urgent, it's the beginning of the month, I came to your place to eat and drink." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said bluntly.
Then, Li Chengqian sat down near Li Tai. "Fourth brother, how is the current production of explosives?"
"Brother, since the addition of white sugar, the power of explosives has increased by more than six times." Li Tai said excitedly. Li Chengqian called him fourth brother Li Tai and called him eldest brother, otherwise he would be the emperor brother.
Li Chengqian opened his mouth wide with a shocked expression when he heard this. He had heard Su Chen mention white sugar before.
But he never thought that white sugar was used to make explosives. Finally understood why Su Chen repeatedly told to keep it secret.
"If the power is increased six times, wouldn't it be able to destroy the world?"
Li Chengqian has seen what it's like when a stone is blown away by explosives. If the power is increased six times, wouldn't it be able to blow up a mountain?
"Brother, it won't destroy the world, but it's extremely effective to attack a city and blow up a mountain to open a road!"
"Fourth brother, can you try it now so that I can open my eyes?"
Li Chengqian asked with great expectation.
"...Uh, brother..." Li Tai looked at Su Chen with embarrassment. It seemed that he couldn't make the decision on this matter. Li Tai wanted to do more detonation tests, but Su Chen would always lecture him.
"Brother, do you think this explosive was picked up on the roadside? Do you know how much sugar can be extracted from 500 kilograms of sugarcane?"
"It's only more than 50 kilograms. Go get 20,000 kilograms of sugarcane, and you can use this explosive as a firework."
Su Chen said bluntly.
"...Sugar cane!" Li Chengqian thought. The five hundred elite soldiers sent by his uncle Changsun Wuji to Lingnan should have arrived in Lingnan. They would wait for the sugar cane to be fully ripe before returning to Chang'an with a full load.
"Brother-in-law, what are the fireworks you are talking about?" Li Chengqian did not care much about the power of the new explosives because he could not see them. He was a little curious about Su Chen's mention of fireworks.
"Fireworks are... we will talk about this thing later."
Su Chen was too lazy to explain. Fireworks seemed to have only been available in the Song Dynasty.
After getting the explosives, several people came to the living room. Li Chengqian arrived just in time. He could ask him to arrange people to investigate the location of Changsun Chong and others.
"Brother-in-law, arrange a few reliable people to find Changsun Chong and others. Li Tai, write a top-secret letter for them to take. Do you know how to write it?"
"Well, it would be best if Changsun Chong and others came back."
Su Chen thought about it and asked Li Tai to write a letter in person and hand it to Changsun Chong in person.
Li Tai nodded silently, got up and went to the study to write a letter.
"Brother-in-law, do you really want to use this explosive to blow up the mountain?Open the road?"
"Of course, you think I'm just saying that. I tell you, building the road is actually more important than destroying Shuofang." Su Chen answered as a matter of course.
Li Chengqian nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Five minutes later, Li Tai wrote the letter and asked someone to seal it in a bamboo tube and handed it to the crown prince Li Chengqian.
After Li Chengqian received the bamboo tube, he summoned a sergeant from the Eastern Palace Guard, who was mainly responsible for intelligence work.
The Eastern Palace has six guards, all of which are regular organizations. A sergeant usually has ten people under him. Li Chengqian is usually led by a centurion when he travels, and there are several sergeants under him.
"Top secret! Give it to Changsun Chong."
The sergeant bowed and said nothing, then turned around and left with the bamboo tube on his back.
The sergeant who delivered the letter left quickly with ten men, and happened to meet Li Shimin and his party who had just got off the carriage in the manor square.
Li Shimin recognized this man as a plainclothes Eastern Palace guard.
"Your Majesty! "
Li Shimin frowned slightly. Why didn't the guard hand the bamboo tube to him? Li Shimin thought the letter was sent to the palace.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince ordered me to hand over this top-secret letter to Prince Changsun."
The sergeant took the initiative to report.
"Well, you go!" Li Shimin understood that he had misunderstood.
"Yes!"
"Guanyin Bi." Li Shimin imitated Su Chen and Princess Changle, holding hands and walking side by side.
Li Shimin didn't dare to do this in the palace, lest people would talk about him.
Who dared to report him outside the palace!
Zhang Long, Zhao Hu and the other four bowed to Li Shimin and others, and Li Shimin nodded in response.
"Father! Mother!"
"Su Chen!" Empress Changsun looked at Su Chen and smiled slightly.
"Why are you here, mother! "Su Chen smiled and stood up to greet.
This was the first time Su Chen saw Li Shimin holding Empress Changsun's hand.
"My two uncles, please take a seat!"
Li Shimin and Empress Changsun walked to the main seat above. After sitting down, Li Shimin couldn't wait to ask: "Qingque, get ready. I want to see the power of the new formula of explosives."
Li Tai looked embarrassed again and said carefully:
"Father, it is very difficult to extract white sugar. The last time we sent 500 kilograms of sugarcane, we only extracted 58 kilograms of white sugar.
Therefore..."
Li Shimin nodded silently when he heard this. Although he was unwilling, he didn't want to force it.