Chapter 2 Gunpowder

After three hours, the team of about five or six hundred people who had been marching along the valley finally stopped, and without waiting for the orders of the generals and colonels at all levels, the team began to camp in an orderly manner, and the baggage soldiers with the three of them began to bury the pot and cook. Changsun Tang looked at the surrounding terrain, he couldn't say it, he felt that it was safe, even if this big camp, which might only stay for one night, had almost no defense against cavalry due to the terrain advantage, everything was exactly the same as last night, and all this actually took about half an hour to take shape, and it was not easy to attack the camp.

For Changsun Tang, all this is completely different, and when discussing the strength of the Tang Army in the past, it was more from the military system, armaments and other aspects. When all this was presented to him vividly, he felt how naïve his previous ideas were, that the most important thing in an army is always people, not weapons and technology. The war experienced by this army of the Tang Dynasty has already run this war machine to the peak state, these five or six hundred people are not the standing army of the Tang Dynasty, only one of the more than 600 military states of the Zhichong Mansion, no wonder Li Shimin will surprise attack Jieli Khan at the end of last year and win a complete victory.

The eldest grandson shook his head and said Why do I think so much, there is no doubt about the strength of the Tang army, but what does this have to do with me. I don't plan to mix in the army, as for those advanced and powerful special forces and other systems in later generations, it is impossible to have much future if they are subject to the technological level of this era, so why do you want to do so much.

On the second day, the team began to climb the mountain, and finally reached their destination at noon and joined the other two soldiers of the Ochichong Prefecture. The location of the camp of the army was on a hillside, and there was a small spring gushing out, and there were all kinds of light and dark sentinels.

In the past two days, Changsun Xu also knew that Changsun Xu had been appointed as the governor of Hanzhong Zhichong Mansion, and although the Changsun family had made some efforts to sit in this position at the age of 20, it was impossible if he didn't have real skills. It's just that I didn't think that the three Zhechong Mansions of this encirclement and suppression were actually controlled by Changsun Xu.

This group of bandits is about 300 people, and the leader is a former personal guard of Wang Shichong's account, who knows the art of war. This time, the military department issued a strict order to mobilize the troops of five Zhichong Mansions to encircle and suppress, and the bandits were caught off guard and were raided once, losing a nest that had been operating for several years, and had to retreat to the last old nest - a cave on an unknown mountain, and the other two Zhichong Mansions arrived yesterday, and they were repelled by rolling stones several times.

In the afternoon, Changsun Xu tentatively rushed once, but was easily repulsed. Due to the terrain, only a few dozen soldiers could launch an attack at a time, but the superiority in troops could not be brought into play.

In this way, the Tang army and the bandits seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, the Tang army made two meals a day, and after the meal, they tried to charge, each time they first used a few people to test, and then the two fire people attacked, but each time they were repelled by the rolling stones.

Changsun Tang didn't expect that the first battle of the Tang Dynasty he experienced would be like this, and the two fire people were actually acting, so they almost shouted at the director to shout Eh Kesheng and Carter.

In the past few days, the defense against Changsun Xu has gradually decreased, and the number of times Changsun Xu has come over has become more and more frequent, and every time he can hear the signature laughter resounding throughout the valley, it is estimated that if he is taken away, the Japanese archipelago will resonate with his laughter and sink quickly.

"Sixth brother, how are you feeling today?" This is the sentence that opens every time.

"Not good, if you don't have anything else to do, you can leave." The eldest grandson was expressionless.

"That's not good, we're a family, for your safety, I'm sending you my own soldiers, so you see that I don't have anyone to use these days, so ......"

"So you can't take this camp?" The eldest grandson didn't raise his head, holding the book "Historical Records" that he had turned over several times? Biography of Lislie.

"Hehe, isn't this to protect your brother?"

"Okay, now you should also confirm my identity, I don't need your protection, you can take your soldiers to attack, little brother is now going to prepare to celebrate your achievements." Thicker than your face, you are a little more tender, and you don't look at how we came over, Changsun Tang's stomach is about to burst with laughter.

Changsun Xu's face suddenly paused, and his expression was unusually weird. After a while, he patted his cheek and said to Changsun Tang with a smile: "Sixth brother, it's my brother's fault, my brother is also a last resort, now the bandits occupy a favorable location, if they attack hard, the casualties will be very heavy, they are all stirring horses and spoons in a pot, my brother is really ruthless." ”

Changsun Xu remembered the news that his personal guard had just brought from Chang'an's father: Changsun Xu is capable, and if he encounters some difficult things, he might as well ask him for ideas. At that time, he was also blinded by lard, and a concubine could only bring out two entourage, either because he was assigned by the family, or he had real skills and did not want to eat at home and wait for death. I'm not comfortable in a hurry.

The atmosphere in the tent was silent, and the expression on Changsun Xu's face changed several times as he watched the indifferent Changsun Tang, and finally couldn't help it, and prepared to leave with his entourage and the guards who "protected" Changsun Tang.

"Remember to prepare some saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal for my little brother, so that I can congratulate him when he celebrates." Changsun Tang still couldn't watch the fresh lives disappear because of his own inaction and was ready to help, but he still planned to spy on Changsun Xu's strength.

"Well, my brother knows, thank you." Changsun Xu knew the meaning when he heard the strings, and knew that Changsun Xu was ready to make a move.

These three things are basically military funds, and some will be carried in the barracks, and after a while, these three things will be sent to the camp tent of Changsun Tang. For the sake of safety, the eldest grandson put his tent in a remote location in the camp, and specially ordered some barriers to be placed around.

What Changsun Tang needs to make must be gunpowder, but he only remembers that the composition of gunpowder is saltpeter, that is, potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal, as for their ratio, he doesn't know, but he remembers that the junior high school chemistry teacher once leveled this chemical equation in class, and the product seems to be carbon dioxide, potassium sulfide and nitrogen, so the first step is to calculate the ratio of the three substances, and after a few calculations, he felt that there should be no miscalculation, and after doing all this, let Zhang Zhong go and invite Changsun Xu to come over.

"Hahahaha," it was a very fake laugh again, but it didn't make Changsun Tang feel annoying. "I heard that the sixth brother called me over, and I came over as soon as possible, and there was no delay in the middle."

"Sit. Water! "The first word is said to Changsun Xu, and the second is said to Zhang Zhong.

"Okay, the water will be spared, I don't know what is the matter with calling me over?" Although he is older than Changsun Xu, Changsun Xu has never pressed the three of them as a brother, which is also the reason why Changsun Xu does not dislike Changsun Xu, but this cousin with a rough appearance is very bright in his heart.

"It's not about banditry, but it's related, if you plan to become a member of the Royal Guard in the future, and are willing to stay in obscurity for the rest of your life, this matter can be told to you, and you can use it to fight bandits." The eldest grandson looked unfathomable, which really made the eldest grandson a little apprehensive.

"Can you get to the bottom first?" Changsun Xu was a little confused.

"No, if you're not going to do it, then you'd better not even listen to a word about it. But I can show you some dew, if you do this, as long as it is not a great crime such as rebellion, your family can save the glory for several lifetimes. ”

"People die and birds are facing the sky, I did this." Changsun Xu thought about it for a while, the so-called wealth and danger are sought, for the side of the big family, everything must be done in the core interests of the family, if the Changsun Xu family violates this point, they will be thrown out as scapegoats, which can be regarded as an insurance for the lifeblood of the Changsun family.

"I told you in advance, you have to find a few reliable people to come to this matter, and don't tell me when you go out."

"That's not good, after all, you're in a big deal."

"Then forget it......"

Changsun Xu found a few soldiers to obey the orders and Changsun Tang, and he also made a record on the side at the request of Changsun Tang. The eldest grandson even drove Zhang Zhong and Wang Tietang out.

Changsun Tang calculated that the ratio of sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter was roughly 12%, 13%, and 75%, which was similar to the formula of gunpowder in his impression. But when Changsun Tang saw the saltpeter carried in by the soldiers, his nose was crooked, and the potassium nitrate that could have been used as a fertilizer was white, but the saltpeter here was actually gray, and this could not be complained about the materials provided by Changsun Xu, but the potassium nitrate at this time was mainly used as a medicinal material, and the method of extraction was also to collect the nitrate returned from the soil.

So when other people fantasize that gunpowder can be prepared by mixing three substances casually, the bitter eldest grandson still has to purify, and the method of purification is to heat the potassium nitrate solution, and then cool it to collect, as for the reason: Well, this, well, you wait a thousand years to ask my junior high school chemistry teacher.

Of course, it is not completely without benefits, when preparing the solution, Changsun Tang actually found that saltpeter dissolved in water can actually cool down, so he pretended to be a few popsicles to eat, which made Changsun Xu and several soldiers in awe.

After purification, saltpeter was mixed with sulfur and charcoal, and the black powder was made, and the eldest grandson tapped it, and a white smoke accompanied by a dazzling white light passed into the ears of several people. As soon as Changsun Xu ordered a few people, he left Changsun Xu as an overseer and walked out of this remote camp with his hands behind his back.

On the second day, Changsun Xu came over early in the morning and said that the amount should be enough, and Changsun Xu glanced at Changsun Xu, whose eyes were bloodshot but radiant, and whispered something in his ear.