There are all kinds of disturbances in the capital, but the days still have to go by day by day.

Although the news has been out for a long time, there has been no movement in the court. The weather is getting cooler and colder, and the rhythm of the whole capital has slowed down.

Some time ago, I have been busy with the autumn harvest and have been busy with food, and everyone's spirit is also focused on this. This time of year is a busy time for the DPRK and China. Although they are all used to it, they still dare not slack off.

However, this year's situation is much better, although I am busy and tired, the effect is much stronger than in previous years. After all, the area planted with potatoes this year is not very large, but the harvest is good.

Zhu Youxiao was strolling around the palace, and he had already received the following report, the potatoes were harvested very well today, at least there was no problem with this year's winter grain. Many people are able to eat a full stomach in winter, even if they rely on potatoes.

You must know that in the current Ming Dynasty, winter is still very difficult. Needless to say, the weather is cold, the people have nothing to do, no money to make, and it is not easy to eat enough. Chopping wood, hunting, and not being idle, they are usually hungry and full. Now they have potatoes to give them a good year.

Glancing at Chen Hong, Zhu Youxiao said, "Is Bi Maokang here?" ”

"Back to the emperor, people are already outside." Chen Hong hurriedly agreed.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Then let him in." ”

It didn't take long for Bi Maokang to walk in from outside.

For people in the imperial court, Bi Maokang can be regarded as a rising star, and his official position has been achieved as a squire of the Ministry of Works, and he is now in charge of the Hundred Workers' Academy.

Many people have predicted that the next secretary of the Ministry of Industry is likely to be Bi Maokang.

Bi Maokang has been carefully dressed, but he still looks like a dusty man. In that place, I was busy every day, and I didn't have a time to rest.

At this time, Bi Maokang looked a little embarrassed, although he had beaten his spirits, he still looked very tired.

After Bi Maokang saluted, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said with a smile: "Okay, you don't have to work hard." Sit down and talk. ”

Chen Hong on the side took a brocade pier and put it directly behind Bi Maokang.

After Bi Maokang sat down, Zhu Youxiao continued: "Have you heard about the construction of a new city? ”

"Back to Your Majesty, I've heard about it." Bi Maokang hurriedly agreed.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "I've always wanted to talk to you, how are the bricks and cement going?" ”

When building the new city, Zhu Youxiao wanted to use bricks and cement. This brick is a red brick, not the green brick used by the Ming Dynasty.

The quality of the green bricks is better, but the cost is too high to meet Zhu Youxiao's expectations.

Many people in later generations have said that the ancient houses were beautiful and how clever the mosaic structure was. But they are all houses of princes and nobles, and they can be built regardless of the cost. What kind of house is the common people's house in this era?

Most of them are mud houses and thatched roofs, and they don't even need ordinary tiles, let alone glazed gold tiles.

The emergence of cement has greatly reduced the difficulty and cost of the project, and most importantly, improved the efficiency of construction.

If it is built according to the current craftsmanship of the Ming Dynasty, whether it is stone or wood, it is a difficult thing to do. Not only is the cost of harvesting high, but the cost of transportation is not cost-effective at all.

New building materials replace old ones, which is cost-determined and is the general trend.

This time, Zhu Youxiao built this new city, in addition to promoting education, just to make a sum of money. And this money, naturally, the more the better.

Reduced construction costs, won't the money come?

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's question, Bi Maokang hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the problem of bricks has been solved, and the matter of refractory bricks has also been solved before. The firing of cement has also been preliminarily decided, and as long as the money is invested, it can be mass-produced. ”

Hearing Bi Maokang's words, Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction.

In this way, it is naturally the best. Naturally, the architectural style of the new city will not adopt the style of office buildings or public buildings of later generations.

First of all, it is impossible to build too high, that requires reinforced concrete. Daming doesn't have so much steel bar, and the building height can't be so high.

Secondly, it must be the palace architectural style of the Ming Dynasty, and the plane must be rigorous and symmetrical, with clear priorities. The main building is made of masonry and concrete, and the other secondary buildings are still constructed with brick walls and wooden beams, but the wood material will be much less. As for how to build it, Zhu Youxiao believes that the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty have more say than him.

From ancient times to the present, the craftsmen of the Celestial Empire have never disappointed, making the cornices, bucket arches, caisson wells and carved beams and paintings form the unique architectural style of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "I'll leave this matter to you and the Ministry of Industry." Come up with a plan as soon as possible and make a budget. It's better to make a plan for a new city, and I want to take a good look at it. ”

After listening to Zhu Youxiao's words, Bi Maokang hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty." ”

"A few days ago, you handed over the question book and said you wanted to see me, is there anything wrong?" Zhu Youxiao looked at Bi Maokang and asked.

When he was done, it was now his turn to speak.

"The minister wants to invite His Majesty to come to the Hundred Crafts." Bi Maokang did not hesitate and said directly.

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao was stunned.

It's not that he hasn't been to Baigong Academy, but it's the first time he has received an invitation. It seems that there is something new in the Baigong Academy, otherwise Bi Maokang would be embarrassed to let him see it.

Zhu Youxiao looked Bi Maokang up and down, and said with a smile: "So confident? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bi Maokang raised his head and said.

This is not a matter of Bi Maokang alone, but a matter of the entire Baigong Academy. His Majesty has spent so much money, everyone has worked hard for so long, and finally there are results, it is impossible for Bi Maokang not to be excited, and he is not allowed to lower his head.

Zhu Youxiao was even more interested, and said, "Then let's talk about it, what did you come up with?" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bi Maokang agreed: "The trial production of flintlock pistols has been completed, and the first batch of 100 flintlock pistols has been made. ”

"In addition to this, we have also made progress in the development of artillery. His Majesty reminded that materials are the most important thing. After more than a year of experimentation, we finally found a suitable ratio, with the right amount of hardness and softness, which could be used to cast new guns. ”

"The issue of the airtightness of the artillery has also been preliminarily resolved."

"We also tried metal shells, but the black powder didn't work very well. The new gunpowder mentioned by His Majesty is still being studied, and we have not made much breakthrough for the time being. ”

Zhu Youxiao looked at Bi Maokang, his face was full of relief.

The money was not spent in vain, they really achieved achievements and breakthroughs.

The first is the flintlock pistol, which they make now. In fact, according to the current process, the difficulty of making a flintlock pistol is not very great, but the difficulty is mass production and cost.

Judging by the appearance of Bi Maokang, he should have solved this problem.

In this era, flintlock pistols are the most complete firearms, and if you want a rear-firing firearm, you must solve the problem of metal fixed ammunition. And the problem of metal fixed ammunition is not so easy to solve, and now even metal fixed artillery shells cannot be solved.

In Zhu Youxiao's expectations, what he hoped would be able to make was a mortar.

First of all, mortars do not need to be as airtight as rear-loading guns; The same is front-loaded, and there is no need for rifling, only the metal fixed shells need to be solved.

The shell with a tail fin can ensure the flight stability after the cannon is discharged, and can accurately hit the target. If this problem is solved, mortars can be put on the agenda.

In this era, if mortars were used, metal cartridges could be mass-produced. That would be a leap forward, but it doesn't seem likely right now.

In addition, what Zhu Youxiao also wants is the progress of gunpowder.

There are too many defects in black powder, even if it uses granular black powder, the power is just that. The most convenient new type of explosives is picric acid explosives (yellow explosives), which can throw off a hundred streets of black powder of the same quality with explosive speed and blasting ability. Zhu Youxiao has already asked Bi Maokang to start research and development.

As for nitroglycerin explosives, a group was also opened for manufacture. This thing is more dangerous, only in small-scale trial production.

Picric acid itself is a yellow dye obtained by treating indigo with nitric acid, and Zhu Youxiao asked people to start looking for it in Daming.

There are really a lot of yellow dyes in the Ming Dynasty, after all, the royal family uses more yellow, and there are many yellow colors used when painting. After some searching, I really collected a lot of bitter acid.

Picric acid is a light yellow bright flake crystal or powder produced by concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid treated phenol - trinitrophenol, which has strong corrosiveness, can corrode metals, and generate highly sensitive and highly explosive picrates.

It's just that the transportation and storage of picric acid are big problems. In particular, shells that easily corrode artillery shells, this problem has not been solved. It was the Japanese who really solved this problem, painting the inside of the shell and attaching a thick layer of paraffin wax to isolate the picric acid from direct contact with the shell of the shell, and solved the big problem in such a simple, ingenious and inexpensive way.

Before anyone developed a new type of gunpowder, picric acid explosives were definitely the best substitute for black powder.

As long as there is a new type of gunpowder, 0 to 1 is completed, and the subsequent research will also be very inspired.

Zhu Youxiao has been letting Bi Maokang do it, but there is no good result. Judging from the current situation, the Baigong Institute is united, and the emperor is willing to spend money, but it still has no effect.

I don't know how long it will take to get results. But with a flintlock pistol, it's a good result. What's more, the artillery of the Baigong Academy should be relatively advanced now.

What is the specific situation, I have to Zhu Youxiao to take a look in person.

However, Zhu Youxiao did not have much hope.

Gunpowder is the basis of everything, and without good propellants, everything else is empty talk.

n.