Chapter 301 Firecrackers That Can Explode

Chapter 301 Firecrackers That Can Explode

Jiang Yuan had no knowledge of these matters, so he couldn't give Xie Wanniang a definite answer, but that didn't stop him from recognizing the enormous risks and benefits involved.

He couldn't contain himself. "I'll go to the Crown Prince right now."

At night, others might not be able to move around freely, but as a border guard general, Jiang Yuan could pass through with his token in case of emergency.

Xie Wanniang didn't stop them, after all, the sooner they started preparing for war, the greater the benefits would be for them.

She handed a cloak to Jiang Yuan, saying, "Take these drawings with you too, I need them. I can redraw them tomorrow."

Jiang Yuan hugged his beloved wife. "Thank you. I will petition the court for your commendation."

Xie Wanniang was about to say "no need" when Jiang Yuan had already rushed out.

Xie Wanniang had no choice but to chase after him again and whispered a reminder to Jiang Yuan, "Tell the young master that when he has people researching that thing to be blown up, he would rather the progress be slower than compromise the safety of the craftsmen."

Jiang Yuan's gaze softened even more as he looked at her. "Don't worry, I will."

After he left, Xie Wanniang called Haitang over and said, "Get me something to eat."

Although Jiang Yuan had fed her some food to tide her over, she was still a little hungry. Fortunately, at her insistence, Jiang Yuan ate his own meal beforehand and didn't have to wait for her. Otherwise, he would have had to work on an empty stomach.

After eating and drinking her fill, and slowly washing up and changing, Xie Wanniang, accompanied by Haitang, returned to her room and fell asleep peacefully.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan, who had brought a large number of people to escort the blueprints, was working tirelessly with Chang Yao and several of Chang Yao's trusted advisors, burning the midnight oil.

They discussed things from the first half of the night until the second half, before finally going back to their rooms to wash up and rest.

Of course, Jiang Yuan returned to the guest room in the outer courtyard that the Crown Prince's wife had temporarily prepared.

The next day, Xie Wanniang, as she had said, picked up her pen and continued to draw blueprints for the various mechanisms and hidden weapons she wanted to use on the estate.

As for the drawings that Jiang Yuan took to Chang Yao, after consulting with trusted craftsmen, Chang Yao selected the useful ones, had them copied, and sent them, along with a secret letter he wrote in his own hand, to his father.

Chang Yao simply sealed away the remaining, overly small and intricate blueprints that were unsuitable for use in war.

Upon receiving the secret letter and blueprints delivered by his son's trusted bodyguard, Marquis Dingbei Chang Hongchuan immediately went to the armory.

The arms industry has nurtured many craftsmen. Most of the siege weapons used by the Zhenbei Army are manufactured by them, with only a very small number being made in the capital and transported over.

In addition, they were responsible for the daily maintenance and repair of various military equipment, including the soldiers' weapons and armor.

The blueprints for the city defense equipment that Xie Wanniang provided were not particularly detailed because they were simply copied verbatim.

This is consistent with her status and experience as an outsider, but it will cause some trouble for the craftsmen responsible for the actual manufacturing.

Fortunately, these craftsmen are not only experienced, but also include many who are quick-witted, good at research and innovation.

They huddled together to study it for a while, and then tried to operate it a few times. Xie Wanniang's drawings, which were obviously half-baked, were indeed corrected and completed by them.

Marquis Chang Hongchuan's trusted retainer stayed here for about twenty days until the new city defense equipment officially entered the manufacturing stage. Only then did he return to his lord to report on the progress of the work.

Meanwhile, the artisans secretly recruited by Marquis Dingbei Chang Hongchuan to make fireworks and firecrackers had all arrived. As instructed by Chang Yao in his letter, he found a spacious and secluded place for the group, allowing them to try making explosive "firecrackers" while ensuring their own safety as much as possible.

This requirement was quite novel for the craftsmen, because in the past, if they made firecrackers that would explode, it meant that their skills were not up to par or that there had been some mistakes in the process.

In order to avoid casualties and property damage, in the past, everyone worked diligently and with utmost care, strictly following the proportions and steps taught by their master to make the firecrackers, trying their best to avoid such situations. Naturally, they would never study how to make the firecrackers explode according to their own wishes.

Now that Marquis Chang Hongchuan of Dingbei has made such a request to them, everyone is at a loss for what to do.

Helpless, everyone could only cautiously attempt the test, guided by the safety rules that Xie Wanniang had racked her brains to recall.

This experiment was not only to find the most powerful material ratio and manufacturing method, but also to further improve the safety rules given by Xie Wanniang in the process.

This was Xie Wanniang's request. When she gave the safety guidelines, she said that she only knew a little bit about it, and that the craftsmen themselves had to summarize and supplement the safety precautions.

Because she always tirelessly emphasized "safety, safety, safety," Jiang Yuan followed suit and often repeated it to Chang Yao.

Fortunately, Chang Yao and his father were both able to listen to others' opinions. The craftsmen responsible for researching explosives were indeed protected to the maximum extent, rather than being treated as expendable resources and risked at will in order to meet the deadline.

Xie Wanniang was both satisfied and gratified that she was the first person to suggest using "firecrackers" on the battlefield.

What she didn't tell Jiang Yuan was that if the people of this time and space hadn't already developed many varieties of fireworks and firecrackers, and if their application of gunpowder hadn't been relatively mature, and if this drought hadn't indeed brought immense pressure to the borders of the Great Wei, she would never have taken the initiative to propose escalating the cold weapon war into a hot weapon war.

After all, no secret in this world can be kept forever. Even if they seize the initiative with explosives this time and repel the invading enemy, they will never be able to keep such a powerful weapon for themselves in the future.

Not to mention how many spies the Tatars had in the Central Plains, even within their own territory, they also supported various artisans they had captured from the Central Plains.

At that time, those people, under pressure from the Tatars, might be able to come up with some initial results.

At that time, if the Tatars want to attack the city again, they will inevitably have to use the firearms they used before. In that case, the pressure on the border soldiers to defend the city will be much greater than it is now.

Xie Wanniang mentioned these words to Jiang Yuan, but Jiang Yuan did not convey her concerns to Chang Yao and his old father.

Because compared to Xie Wanniang, they, who have been through countless battles, are the ones who are most sensitive to and pay the most attention to the hidden dangers.