ebookland Chapter 486 Explosives
Chapter 486 Explosives
As soon as Emperor Zhou issued his decree, it caused a great deal of discussion in the capital. Although everyone was shocked by the generous reward, no one dared to accept the challenge.
After Xiao Qinian returned home from court, Xiao Siyue went to find him.
"father."
"Yue'er is here." Xiao Qinian looked extremely tired.
Xiao Siyue and Xi Ran also noticed this and knew why he was doing this.
Xiao Siyue bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Back then, she had considered handing over the explosive formula, but she hesitated because she was worried that such a destructive substance would cause unavoidable consequences. Who knew that now, due to a momentary lapse in judgment, the soldiers of the Great Zhou had suffered heavy casualties, and Xiao Siyue felt some regret.
Looking at Xiao Siyue's expression and seeing the look in her eyes, Xiao Qinian got up and walked to her side: "Yue'er, what's wrong? Is there something you want to tell your father?"
Xiao Siyue looked up at Xiao Qinian and pursed her lips: "Dad, I actually know about that very powerful weapon on the battlefield."
"What? Yue'er, what did you just say?" Xiao Qinian stared wide-eyed at Xiao Siyue in disbelief.
“Father, I know about that weapon,” Xiao Siyue said again.
"Yue'er, do you really know?" Xiao Qinian went from being hesitant to comply to being excited. Right, how could she forget that her daughter had helpers?
"Yue'er, sit down and tell your father about it in detail." Xiao Qinian couldn't wait any longer. That weapon made it difficult for the soldiers of their Great Zhou to move and they dared not take action. They were helpless against it.
"Yes, Dad, don't worry." Xiao Siyue knew what Xiao Qinian was thinking. Explosives, in this society, are like something from outer space, something that is hard to fathom. In recent years, Da Zhou has been at the forefront in everything, which makes them very proud. But this battle is like a slap in the face to everyone. Who can remain calm?
"Father, that so-called weapon isn't actually some kind of divine artifact; it's called explosives. It was first discovered by those alchemists! Its composition is actually very simple, just a mixture of some common materials. But its destructive power is considerable!"
"Explosives? Alchemists? Taoist priests." Xiao Qinian felt like his brain was mush. How could this weapon be associated with Taoist priests?
"Yes, Father, have you ever heard of alchemists causing their furnaces to explode while they are refining elixirs? Actually, it's because they use the wrong dosage that the furnace explodes."
After saying that, Xiao Siyue felt a little guilty.
"Father, actually, I've always known about the explosives. When I gave out the weapon blueprints, I considered submitting the explosive formula as well, but at the time I felt that explosives were too dangerous and I was afraid they would cause irreparable damage, so I gave up in the end. But I never expected that over the years, the enemy would actually make explosives first, causing our Great Zhou soldiers to suffer repeated defeats and heavy casualties. Father, it's all my fault." Xiao Siyue felt heartbroken and tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about how many soldiers had been killed by explosives.
When Xiao Qinian heard his daughter say this, he couldn't help but sigh: "Yue'er, it's not your fault. You were right to think that way. It's understandable that you had concerns about such a powerful thing as explosives." After saying that, Xiao Qinian patted Xiao Siyue on the shoulder.
“I know, Father. I have already copied down the formula for the explosives. Please give it to His Majesty.” Xiao Siyue wiped away her tears and then took out a pre-prepared formula from her sleeve and handed it to Xiao Qinian.
Xiao Qinian took it and immediately glanced at it: "I didn't expect the formula for this explosive to be so simple."
"Father, although the ingredients are simple, the proportions must be carefully considered. You must not be careless when making them, lest you hurt yourselves," Xiao Siyue hurriedly instructed. Explosives are not something to be trifled with.
“Father knows. I will go to the palace immediately to present this formula to His Majesty.” Xiao Qinian nodded.
"Well, Father, you could also find some alchemists to study this together. They should be very familiar with it," Xiao Siyue suggested. After all, there are still alchemists around. Although His Majesty doesn't pursue the path to immortality now, there was a time when the path to immortality was very popular.
"Okay, Father understands." Xiao Qinian said, and was about to leave.
"father."
"What's wrong with Yue'er?" Xiao Qinian turned around and looked at his daughter, who was rubbing the hem of his clothes, and instantly understood what Xiao Siyue was thinking.
"Don't worry, Yue'er, Zhijin is fine and safe."
Xiao Siyue smiled and said, "Thank you, Dad." It's good that you're alright.
Xiao Qinian immediately entered the palace according to the prescription. At this time, Emperor Zhou was rubbing his aching forehead, looking at the memorial in his hand again and again.
"Your Majesty, Lord Xiao requests an audience."
Emperor Zhou's eyes lit up: "Quickly invite Minister Xiao in."
"Your Majesty, this humble subject pays his respects." Xiao Qinian bowed.
"My dear minister, please rise quickly." Emperor Zhou looked at Xiao Qinian with eager eyes, thinking that Xiao Qinian must have come to help him solve his problems.
"Your Majesty, I have good news to report to you." Xiao Qinian's tone was cheerful, and Ye Shen could not hide his joy.
"Quickly, my dear minister, do you have any good news? Is the weapon in demand?"
"Your Majesty is indeed a prophet; there is indeed news about the weapon. Please take a look, Your Majesty." Xiao Qinian presented the formula.
After reading it quickly, Emperor Zhou laughed heartily: "Minister Xiao, you truly are my capable assistant. You brought news so quickly. Now Lizhou is saved, and the soldiers are saved too."
"Quickly issue the imperial decree, and immediately summon the Minister of Works and the Minister of War to the palace," Emperor Zhou instructed Eunuch Wei after finishing his statement.
"Yes."
With the formula in hand, the several departments quickly produced the explosives.
"Your Majesty, please stand further away and be careful of your health." On the day of the test blasting of the explosives, Emperor Zhou insisted on watching with his own eyes, and Xiao Qinian stood aside, somewhat apprehensive.
This explosive is extremely powerful. If anything were to happen and His Majesty were injured, that would be an enormous crime.
"Rest assured, my dear minister, I will be in no danger." Emperor Zhou waved his hand. He was a martial arts practitioner who had practiced for many years, and he was standing so far away, what was there to be afraid of?
"Ignite!" At the command, the explosives were ignited.
With a deafening roar, everyone stared in disbelief. Although they already knew the power of the explosives, it was only a written description and nothing compared to the shock of seeing it with their own eyes.
A huge mountain was blasted flat in an instant, leaving a large crater in the ground. If it had been a person, they would probably have been blown to pieces.
Moreover, even though they were standing so far away, they could feel the heat from the explosion.
After a moment of silence, thunderous applause and shouts erupted: "Success! The explosives were successfully used!"
"Your Majesty, it's a success! Our Great Zhou now has explosives too."
"Haha, good, good! Reward him, reward him handsomely!" Emperor Zhou was so happy that he started distributing gold coins, giving each of the people who made the explosives a generous reward of gold and silver treasures.