Cui Ruoyun looked at Li Yan and thought that this NPC was really handsome.
As a single mother and child, Cui Ruoyun felt a little confused.
However, as a scholar, she quickly turned her attention to Li Yan's professional issues.
She nodded and said: "I just submitted the task and have already made the black powder."
Cui Tao was even more excited than Li Yan. He said excitedly: "Sister! You have already made gunpowder? Why didn't you tell me! This is an invention that transcends the times!"
Cui Tao seemed to be more excited than Cui Ruoyun. He said to Li Yan: "Your Highness! This gunpowder is no small matter!"
"Do you still remember what I told you? In this land in the far west, you can make invisible guns that can kill people. Using them, old, weak, women and children can kill elites from hundreds of battles at a hundred steps away!"
"There are also cannons that protect the enemy thousands of miles away! As long as the sound of cannons is heard, no matter how strong the city wall is, it will collapse!"
"With gunpowder, we can make these two artifacts!"
During this period, many players were admonishing Li Yan and wanted to apply for funds to develop guns.
However, Li Yan is still very sober. These players have not even developed gunpowder and are still far from making guns!
Seeing Cui Tao's excited look, Cui Ruoyun poured cold water on him.
She knocked Cui Tao on the head and said: "I want you to read more books. What's the use of just having gunpowder! There is still a long distance between gunpowder and guns!"
After speaking, Cui Ruoyun looked at Li Yan and said, "Your Highness, you came here in a hurry, but you want to use this gunpowder for military purposes?"
Li Yan quickly nodded and said: "In the past few days, I heard from Cui Canjun that there are such artifacts in the far west, and King Gu also wants the Tang army to be equipped with such weapons! Can this gunpowder really make artifacts like guns and cannons?
"
If there were guns and cannons, then he could really wipe out the world and rebuild the prosperous Tang Dynasty!
Unexpectedly, Cui Ruoyun said: "I just improved the ratio of black powder and selected a formula with the greatest explosive power. But if I want to turn these gunpowder into the guns that Xiao Tao mentioned, there is still a long way to go.
Walk."
Li Yan immediately said: "Please enlighten me."
Cui Ruoyun, the god of learning, was very satisfied with Li Yan's eagerness for talents. She said:
"Gunpowder has actually been around since ancient times. We in China invented gunpowder in the Spring and Autumn Period. People have always wanted to use gunpowder for military purposes, but until now, there have been no mature gunpowder weapons."
Cui Ruoyun has studied the history of science and technology, and she knows that gunpowder officially entered the stage of war not long after in the late Tang Dynasty.
During the reign of Emperor Ai of the Tang Dynasty, King Zheng led his army to attack Yuzhang and "sent fire" to burn down the Longsha Gate of the city. This may be the earliest record of using gunpowder to attack the city.
Before that, gunpowder was only used to make fireworks for celebrations.
Li Yan eagerly asked for advice: "Then why can't such sharp weapons be used in military affairs?"
Cui Ruoyun said: "As long as there are two problems, one is the power of gunpowder, and the second is the restriction of materials."
Li Yan asked: "What Mrs. Cui means is that the previous gunpowder was not powerful enough to be used as a weapon."
Cui Ruoyun nodded and said: "That's right! Although there was a gunpowder formula in the Spring and Autumn Period, the formula was very rough. The proportions of sulfur and saltpeter and charcoal were vague, and it was mixed with too many ineffective materials."
Li Yan nodded. Although China invented gunpowder thousands of years ago, the formula has always been confusing.
Cui Ruoyun said: "I used quantitative analysis methods to improve the gunpowder formula. I can confidently say that the gunpowder with my formula is the most powerful!"
Li Yan's eyes flashed: "In that case! Madam Cui has done a great job! But why do you say you can't make guns yet?"
Cui Ruoyun said: "Your Highness, gunpowder has been invented for thousands of years, has no one ever thought of using gunpowder to fight?"
Li Yan also thought about it. There were many smart people in ancient times. Since gunpowder is so powerful in combustion and explosion, why couldn't it be used in the military?
I only heard Cui Ruoyun say: "The main reason is that there are no suitable materials to let the gunpowder exert its power."
Cui Ruoyun clapped her fingers and said: "During the Han Dynasty, some craftsmen in the inner government thought of stuffing gunpowder into bamboo joints and igniting explosions to attack the enemy. However, the explosive power of this weapon was too small and could not hurt people at all.
In the end they can only be turned into firecrackers used in folk festivals."
Li Yan finally understood what Cui Ruoyun meant. If you want to make guns, you need not only gunpowder, but also a workshop to make guns.
Li Yan asked sincerely: "Ms. Cui, if we want to build the guns and cannons that Cui Canjun mentioned, what else do we lack in Guazhou?"
Cui Ruoyun said: "There are too many things that are lacking, and the most lacking of them is the materials for making weapons."
Cui Ruoyun rolled her eyes and asked, "Your Highness, please guess which one of the invisible guns that Cui Tao mentioned just now is easier to make, or the cannons that can protect enemies thousands of miles away?"
Li Yan hesitated and said, "Is it easy to make a gun?"
Cui Ruoyun shook her head and said: "Wrong, the cannon is better to make!"
"Cannon?" Li Yan was a little confused. Before he traveled through time, he was not a mechanic or a fan of military industry. In his understanding, cannons are much more powerful than guns, but Cui Ruoyun actually said that making cannons is easier than making guns.
?
Cui Ruoyun said: "Although the power of a gun is not as good as a cannon, a gun that can be used stably requires breakthroughs in many aspects such as smelting and machinery before it can be manufactured."
"The cannon is much easier. You only need materials that can withstand the explosion of gunpowder to make a cannon."
That’s it! Li Yan’s eyes brightened even more! Listening to Cui Ruoyun, cannons can be made with current technology!?
He quickly asked: "Please ask Madam Cui to make a cannon for the lonely king!"
Unexpectedly, Cui Ruoyun shook her head and said, "It can't be made."
"Why?"
Cui Ruoyun said: "At the current level of Guazhou, iron making can only produce pig iron. Pig iron is easy to explode and is not a good material for making cannons."
"So if Guazhou wants to make cannons, it can only use copper as raw material to make copper cannons!"
"But there are no copper mines near Guazhou. If you want to make copper cannons, there is only one way."
"What?" Li Yan asked.
"Melting copper coins!"
Cui Ruoyun said: "The quality of Kaiyuan Tongbao is sufficient. You only need to melt the copper coins, purify the impurities, and then pour the copper water into the grinding tool and wait for it to cool and form. Then you can make a copper cannon."
Hearing this, Li Yan also understood where the difficulty lies. Copper has always been a precious metal in ancient times, but from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, there has always been a shortage of copper coins, so much so that the Tang Dynasty now uses grain and silk as currency.
Longyou Road is a prosperous trade area where merchants, mercenaries, and troops gather, and the people still have copper coins to use. In some remote areas in the south, copper coins are rare on the market, and many places are still in the barter stage.
Therefore, copper is very valuable. Li Yan asked bravely: "Madam Cui, how much copper does a cannon cost?"
Cui Ruoyun raised her finger and said, "At least ten thousand guan!"