The news of the defeat of Yelu Huge, the king of the Southern Court of Liao, at Fuxing Pass quickly spread. Under the deliberate rendering of people with hearts. The spread of the news is also a little out of shape. For the first time, Jeruxiugo led 150,000 elite soldiers, and later increased his troops by 150,000. It became that Yelu Hugo led 300,000 elite soldiers to attack the Fuxing Pavilion, but was beaten by Yang Dezheng and returned defeated.

The news reached the Great Song Dynasty, and the people of the Great Song Dynasty were shocked. In the past, His Majesty Zhao Guangyi, the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, led 300,000 elite soldiers to the north to crusade against the Liao State, but was killed by Yelu Xiuge with 100,000 Liao soldiers and lost his armor. A few years later, His Majesty Zhao Guangyi, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, led 400,000 elite soldiers to the north to crusade against the Liao State, and was killed by Yelu Xiuge with 200,000 troops.

Then Chai Rong, the ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, the emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, and Zhao Guangyi, the current emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. The three of them, after 40 years, went north to crusade against the Liao State, but they all failed. As the saying goes, there is no harm without contrast. In the past, those who could be compared with Zhao Guangyi were Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin. All three of them are losers. So the eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother.

But now, with 70,000 troops, and he is still a new soldier, he has won the battle against 300,000 elite soldiers of the Liao State. Another comparison. The gap comes out. All of a sudden, the status of the Yang family began to rise infinitely, and Zhao Heng's status began to decline. The people all said that the Yang family could fight well. As for the Yang family's occupation of Fengzhou and Shengzhou, the matter of being the emperor of the soil has also become a heroic performance in the hearts of the people.

The people don't understand politics. They only understand one thing, that is, whoever has the ability should eat meat. has the ability to take back the territory from the Liao people, regardless of whether it is handed over to the imperial court or played by himself. That's all heroes. For a time, there were many heroes and heroes who rushed to the northwest to defect to Yang Dezheng.

Meantime. The news that Yang Dezheng defeated 300,000 Liao troops at Fuxing Pass also spread to the Great Song Dynasty. After Zhao Heng and the civil and military officials got the news, their jaws dropped. It was difficult for them to imagine how Yang Dezheng used 70,000 troops to defeat the 300,000 troops of the Liao State. They didn't want to believe it, but the news from many sources confirmed it.

For a while, the wind direction of the imperial court began to tilt one-sidedly. Some courtiers who were originally clamoring to wait until Gao Hu and Ding Gao suppressed the Fu family's rebellion, and then they were ready to exterminate the Yang family, and they began to say good things for the Yang family. They felt that since the Yang family could withstand the 300,000 elite soldiers of the Liao State, they would be able to resist the 300,000 forbidden troops of the imperial court. plus a folded family, then it takes four or five hundred thousand soldiers and horses to win?

The forbidden army of the Great Song Dynasty was mainly foot soldiers. Moreover, four or five hundred thousand soldiers and horses went out to fight, and they cooperated with nearly two million people. So many people eat what they eat every day, but it's all money. Although the imperial court recently obtained a sum of money seized by Cao Bin from Dali, it was still short of money. A huge country needs money in every way.

From the moment they saw the money, the ministers had already planned the money where it should be used. For example, the embankment of the Yellow River should be repaired, and the river channel of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal should be dredged. For the sake of the two, they did not cause any loss to the Great Song Dynasty, but instead contributed to the two major generals of the Great Song Dynasty, they broke their muscles and bones, and gave up a lot of money to crusade, and some of them could not be drawn.

At least in the eyes of the ministers, the Zheyang family did not raise the anti-flag, or set themselves up as kings. Those are all Song Chen, and they can't be defeated. The civil officials advocated that the two families should be pacified and that the forces of the two families should be used to resist the Liao State. The generals were silent one by one.

Because the privy envoy Cao Bin, in this matter, in order to avoid suspicion, he chose to keep silent. So they also chose to keep their mouths shut. In Zhao Heng's heart, he still wanted to crusade against the Zheyang family. How can you allow others to sleep soundly? The existence of the two families for one day is a provocation to his majesty.

Zhao Heng quarreled with the civil officials for a day in the court, and finally the two sides broke up unhappily. After Zhao Heng returned to the harem, he started a new round of smashing. Wang Jin waited silently by the side. Chen Lin held a newspaper in his hand, silently entered Zhao Heng's dormitory, and put it on Zhao Heng's dragon case.

Although Zhao Heng was venting his anger, he saw Chen Lin enter the dormitory. "Isn't it a report about the revival of the pass? Take it and take a look. Chen Lin picked up the report and put it in Zhao Guangyi's hand.

Zhao Heng opened the report with a resentful face, and after just a glance, his pupils shrank, and he gasped and said, "That little beast of the Yang family has a power that can wipe out the 60,000 Liao army in an instant?" It's true? Or are the people below you exaggerating the ability of that little beast of the Yang family. ”

Chen Lin bowed and stood aside, and said with a solemn face: "It's indeed true." The slave also knew the seriousness of this matter, so after getting the report from the people below, she sent someone to investigate the matter thoroughly. In addition, some soil was obtained from Fuxing Pass, which was suspected to be gunpowder after being inspected by the master craftsmen who would be the prisoners. The slave maid had also tried it with gunpowder in the capital's artillery workshop, but it was not very powerful.

Therefore, the slave maid guessed that Yang Dezheng should be in control of a strange gunpowder, which is extremely lethal. According to the investigation, when this gunpowder explodes, it produces an effect like an earth dragon turning over. It can instantly engulf all enemies in its vicinity. Zhao Heng's face was gloomy, and he pinched the report stiffly, "No wonder that little beast dares to go against me so blatantly, it turns out that he has such a divine weapon in his hand." ”

Zhao Heng pinched the newspaper, put his hands behind his back, and paced in the dormitory. This is Zhao Heng's unique performance when he is contemplating his strategy. Zhao Heng walked for half an hour in the dormitory before he spoke: "If he really has such a divine weapon, I really can't do it for the time being." ”

"Bang!" "What a nasty little brute." Zhao Heng beat the dragon case, scolded in a low voice, and then instructed Chen Lin, "You quickly send someone from the pacification department to find out this thing for me." You must find a way to help me get this thing in my hands.

These weapons are in my hands. I can easily establish, a hundred times more majestic than the Qin Emperor and the Han Dynasty. When the time comes, who else will dare to say that I am not behind my back. Chen Lin lowered her head and said solemnly: "The slave understands." ”

Next. Morning.

Zhao Heng changed his attitude towards the two families yesterday, and agreed to the request to appease the two families. Zhao Heng was promoted to the title of Zhe Yu Xun, and also promoted the official position of Zhe Yu Xun, recognizing the Zhi family's right to rule Linzhou. The founding county prince of Zheyuxun was promoted to the founding prince, and at the same time, among his many titles, he added the title of Linzhou town envoy.

It is much more interesting for the Yang family's edict. Yang Yanzhao was promoted to Daizhou Soldier and Horse Envoy, and was a powerful general of the fifth grade. Yang Dezheng, on the other hand, was promoted to the acting prince of the country, ranked as a first-class official, and at the same time was given the three divisions of Kaifu Yitong, serving as the general manager of Feng, Sheng, and Dai Sanzhou. In Zhao Heng's canonization, Yang Dezheng, a little traitor, was raised high, but Yang Yanzhao was pressed very low.

Zhao Heng just wanted to use this method to disgust the father and son of the Yang family, and at the same time provoke their relationship. Some courtiers questioned in the court, saying that it was too much to canonize the Yang family in this way? As a result, everyone ignored it. Because the courtiers knew very well that the canonization of the two Yang families was a false name.

First of all, the people of the two families of Zheyang, since they won Linzhou, Shengzhou, and Fengzhou, they have not taken the imperial court's money. Therefore, giving them official positions is just a false name, and there is no need to make money at all. Secondly, even if the imperial court does not canonize the two Yang families, will it be able to block the people's right to rule over the land of the five states?

The answer is, not at all. Even if the imperial court does not canonize the two Yang families. People are in the northwest, what to do or what to do, no one can stop it. The canonization of the imperial court is just a picture of fame. At the same time, it is also a reassurance.

When the imperial court frees up its hand, it will definitely eliminate the two Zheyang families. The canonization of the two Yang families is just a delaying tactic. Of course, whether it was the courtiers or Zhao Heng, they all kept an eye on the canonized edict. That is, from beginning to end, there is no mention of the Northern Jin Kingdom that was canonized before. This is the biggest foreshadowing left by Zhao Heng and Wenchen in the canonization edict.

In other words, as long as the Zheyang family accepted the edict of the imperial court. Then, Linzhou, Fengzhou, and Shengzhou, nominally, can be regarded as the territory of the Great Song Dynasty. In the future, when the Great Song Dynasty exterminated the two Yang families, they would be able to recover these three places justifiably. The edict of the canonization of the two Yang families was drawn up quickly.

When the dynasty was about to disperse, the edict came out. Just as the officials were jointly electing the candidate to read the edict. An eight-hundred-mile rush was sent to the Vertical Arch Palace.

After Zhao Heng looked at the letterbox with red feathers, he almost fainted. Where is the rebellion again? Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhao Heng quickly opened the letter box and read the letters inside. Unexpectedly, no one rebelled again. However, the news reported inside was indeed a shocking thunderbolt.

Gao Lin died in battle...... Gao Lin is dead?! Gao Lin, the first general of the Great Song Dynasty military, died.

Zhao Heng immediately sat down on the dragon chair. Among the many generals of the Great Song Dynasty, Gao Lin was his most loyal supporter. Although Gao Lin likes to secretly make some small moves on weekdays to eradicate some dissidents. However, Gao Lin's support for him has not changed. When he ascended to the throne, if there was no Gao Hu to appease many generals, I am afraid that his throne may not be able to sit firmly.

Now Gao Lin is dead. "How so?" Zhao Heng sat on the dragon chair and looked up to the sky and muttered. The ministers looked at Zhao Heng, who was out of shape, and they were a little confused. They all couldn't wait to take a look at the eight-hundred-mile rush in Zhao Heng's hand. Zhao Heng sat paralyzed for a full quarter of an hour, and then sat up after Wang Jien reminded him many times. He said in despair: "The edict about canonizing the Yang family has been changed......

Speaking of the matter of Fengzhou, transfer to Youzhou,

Yang Peng's series of actions in Youzhou frightened the Empress Dowager Xiao, indicating that Yang Peng has joined forces with General Yang, and the Great Liao Kingdom is also in a panic, Yang Peng is not Yang Dezheng, the means are vicious, the Empress Dowager Xiao no longer regards the Great Song Dynasty as an opponent, and now Yang Peng is already the main opponent of the Great Liao Kingdom. Because Yang Peng's military strength is too strong to be countered by the Great Liao State, Empress Dowager Xiao is also trying to find a way to deal with Yang Peng.

Yang Peng handed over Youzhou to Liu Zhiliang at this time and came to Tianjing New City by himself. There are Zhang Xiang and others in the military of Tianjing New Town, and there are master Lin Qinger and seven Shangshu in the civil affairs.

Back in Tianjing New Town, Yang Peng had nothing to do every day, so he wondered if he could invent some new weapons to improve the combat effectiveness of the army.

To make a new weapon, the most important thing is a new type of gunpowder. With the use of black powder, the current flintlock rifle is basically the limit of black powder weapons. Historically, there is no black powder firearm that is stronger than a flintlock rifle. Only by making a new type of gunpowder and issuing a new type can the power of the guns be greatly improved.

However, although Yang Peng knew some chemical knowledge, there was no mineral classification in this era. If Yang Peng wanted to produce new gunpowder, he was faced with all kinds of minerals with Chinese names. Just figuring out what compounds these minerals actually are, I'm afraid it will take Yang Peng a lifetime.

It is impossible to rely on Yang Peng to make a systematic chemistry alone. Yang Peng thought about it and decided to go to Taoist priest Cao Shoudao to have a look. Cao Shoudao is proficient in alchemy and knows a lot of chemistry. Cao Shoudao still lived in a small courtyard in the west of the city, and as soon as Li Zhi knocked on the door, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy opened the door. The child with the head and the horn has grown up.

Yang Peng said with a smile: "Little Daoist, I'm looking for your master, Daoist Cao." The boy agreed, ran in quickly, and shouted, "Master, Master! A big official is coming for you! After a while, Cao Shoudao, who was wearing a robe, walked out. I haven't seen him for a few years, and he has a few more wrinkles on his face, but he is still in good spirits. Seeing Yang Peng, he quickly knelt down and shouted, "Cao Shoudao has seen King Yan!" ”

Yang Peng helped Cao Shoudao up and said with a smile: "Daoist Cao, I'm here to disturb your Qingxiu again!" ”

"I can't ask for it!" Yang Peng laughed, walked into Cao Shoudao's courtyard, and said straight to the point: "Dao Chief, do you know sulfuric acid and nitric acid?" Cao Shoudao was stunned and asked, "What is that?" I don't know the poor way! ”

Yang Peng explained: "Maybe Daoist Cao knows, but the name is different. Sulfuric acid is an oil-like thing, but it is corrosive. If you touch paper or raw meat, you can corrode things to blackening with a single touch. Nitric acid is a type of water made from saltpeter, which can turn the fibers yellow when it comes into contact with wool or other substances. ”

Cao Shoudao pondered for a moment and said, "King Yan said nitric acid, but he doesn't know the poor way. But the sulfuric acid that the uncle said is somewhat similar to the green alum oil refined by the poor Dao. This thing is extremely domineering, even if it encounters iron, it can corrode and invade. It's a little sticky, just a little like oil. ”

Yang Peng's eyes lit up and said, "What the Taoist chief said, I'm afraid it's dilute sulfuric acid." Do you want to show me some? Cao Shoudao said: "This thing is overbearing, it is not easy to store, I make it when I need it." Since Uncle wants it, I'll burn some out for Uncle to see. ”

Yang Peng nodded and said, "That's very good!" Cao Shoudao nodded and went to tinker. He asked Yang Peng to go to the courtyard inside to watch how he made alum oil. He took out a number of jars and jars: a large crucible, a curved porcelain tube, a straight porcelain tube, two large porcelain jars with side openings, and a small porcelain jar with a sieve hole at the bottom.

He dug out some raw materials from several jars, and it was green alum. There are many earthen stoves built in the courtyard of Cao Shoudao's house, and at this time, Cao Shoudao chose a stove kiln with a top opening, and its air outlet is separated from the top opening. Cao Shoudao placed the crucible inside, put in the alum material, covered the pot, sealed the edge with clay, inserted the curved porcelain tube into the opening at the top of the stove, put it on the tubular hole of the crucible lid, and sealed it with clay.

The other end of the curved porcelain tube is inserted into the large porcelain jar, the lid of the porcelain cylinder is sealed with clay, the side holes of the two porcelain cylinders are connected with straight porcelain pipes, and finally a small porcelain cylinder is set on the porcelain cylinder, and the cylinder is sealed with clay. After fiddling with this large pile of things, Cao Shoudao finally began to light the crucible.

After burning for a while, when there was acid gas coming out of the sieve hole at the bottom of the small tank, Cao Shoudao poured well water into the small tank. After a while, bubbles bubbled up in the well water. The bubbles were quite large at the bottom, but as they moved upwards, they became smaller and smaller, and gradually disappeared, apparently dissolving into the water.

As more and more gas dissolves in the well water, the well water becomes more and more viscous. After burning for a while, Cao Shoudao looked at the fire, nodded and said, "It's almost." He extinguished the fire under the crucible, carefully lifted the water tank, and said, "King Yan, this is alum oil." ”

Yang Peng looked at the vat of alum oil and nodded. Cao Shoudao took out a scrap iron rod from the house and put it into the green alum oil. After a while, tiny bubbles popped up from the iron rod, and the colorless alum oil turned light green.

Yang Peng knew that this was the reaction of dilute sulfuric acid and iron to produce ferrous sulfate and hydrogen. Of course, there is also a large amount of sulfurous acid in this alum oil. However, sulfurous acid is not stable, as long as it is left for a period of time, sulfurous acid will be oxidized to sulfuric acid. With sulfuric acid, Yang Peng will be able to make nitric acid, Li Zhi was happy in his heart, and said: "Daochang Cao, how much silver will you sell me for this set of technology?" ”

Cao Shoudao said: "Lord Wang, my set of things looks simple, but in fact, the effect is not small, not an inch of green alum is wasted, and not a trace of green alum oil is leaked." This is a skill passed down from the ancestors, if the uncle wants to buy it, I will sell it to the prince for a hundred taels. ”

Yang Peng blinked, and secretly said that this Taoist priest is really good at trading. In the past, the equipment for refining mercury was sold to himself for 100 taels, and the technology of alum oil was 100 taels. Yang Peng licked his lips and said at a bargain: "Dao Chief, this equipment looks far less complicated than the set of mercury, how can it be sold for a hundred taels?" ”

Cao Shoudao stroked his beard and groaned, and said for a long time: "Eighty taels!" Eighty taels were sold to the uncle. It can't be less, and if it's less, I'll be sorry for the teacher. Yang Peng smiled and killed Cao Shoudao for a few more words, but Cao Shoudao bit eighty taels and didn't let go. Speaking of which, Cao Shoudao helped Yang Peng solve the source of sulfuric acid, and the credit is not small. Yang Peng had no choice but to pay eighty taels to this Taoist and buy his technology.

Cao Shoudao got the silver, so he handed over the set of jars and jars to Yang Peng's guards. Everyone took Cao Shoudao back to the General Soldier's Mansion, Cao Shoudao instructed Yang Peng's guards in the backyard of the General Soldier's Mansion, built a small earthen stove, and taught the guards how to use and precautions.

Yang Peng stood aside and listened for a while, only to find that there were many famous names in it. There are several points on how to heat the crucible, and if there is no one to guide you to figure it out on your own, I am afraid it will take several months and burn out countless raw materials and equipment to find out.

These eighty taels of silver are not too tricky. Yang Peng's personal guards finished learning Cao Shoudao's technique, operated it several times on the spot, and confirmed that he had learned it, and then Cao Shoudao left the General Military Mansion with a whisk.

With dilute sulfuric acid, Yang Peng is about to start making concentrated sulfuric acid. Nitric acid can only be made from concentrated sulfuric acid when concentrated sulfuric acid is obtained. It is also quite difficult to make concentrated sulfuric acid from dilute sulfuric acid. Because sulfuric acid cannot be purified by simple distillation. To purify sulfuric acid by distillation, it must be distilled under vacuum pressure. Vacuum distillation requires vacuum pumps or similar equipment, which is simply not available to Li Zhi now.

However, Yang Peng has played with sulfuric acid before. At that time, the government controlled the concentration of sulfuric acid and did not allow stores to sell concentrated sulfuric acid, and only 70 percent of the sulfuric acid was sold. At that time, in order to purify sulfuric acid, Yang Peng studied many methods, and finally found that the simplest and easiest purification method was electrolysis of dilute sulfuric acid.

The so-called electrolysis of dilute sulfuric acid is actually the electrification of dilute sulfuric acid. When the sulphuric acid solution is electrified, the water in it is electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen, and the sulphuric acid is preserved. After being energized for a long time, dilute sulfuric acid becomes a high concentration of concentrated sulfuric acid.

Yang Peng had already made a simple generator before, and this time the generator came in handy. However, to decompose the water in dilute sulfuric acid, a high-power generator is required. This kind of power cannot be achieved by manpower, and the generator needs to be rotated by a steam engine. This time, Li Zhi made a large copper coil, and the copper wires were all insulated with a thick layer of tree paint, driven by a steam engine, and placed in two large magnets.

Yang Peng found a few graphite crucibles for steelmaking, and cut two pieces of graphite from them to make electrodes. The two electrodes are connected to the two poles of the generator and placed in a dilute sulfuric acid solution. As soon as the steam engine starts, the coil is driven by the steam engine to rotate at high speed in the magnetic field, generating electricity. The power of this steam engine is still quite large, and the current generated is not small. As soon as the two graphite electrodes are placed in the dilute sulfuric acid solution, the solution seems to boil, and large bubbles continue to emerge.

After half an hour, a porcelain basin of dilute sulfuric acid the size of a basin was electrolyzed into a small half basin of viscous liquid. Yang Peng took a small wooden stick and plunged it into the viscous liquid, and the small wooden stick was corroded into charcoal in an instant. Obviously, this is the concentrated sulfuric acid that Yang Peng needs.

Concentrated sulfuric acid is considered to be done. After the concentrated sulfuric acid is made, it is also necessary to make nitric acid from concentrated sulfuric acid, so that nitric acid can finally be used to make new gunpowder. With sulfuric acid, making nitric acid is easy to say. As long as saltpeter and concentrated sulfuric acid are slightly heated together, nitric acid gas can be obtained. When nitric acid gas is passed through cold water, nitric acid dissolves into the water, gradually forming a high concentration of nitric acid solution.

However, Yang Peng had never made nitric acid before, and only knew the principle and equation of the reaction. The first time saltpeter and concentrated sulphuric acid were heated in a closed crucible, the result was a pot of viscous liquid. Yang Peng was stunned at the time, and the nitric acid should not be viscous.

As a result, the platoon commander of the personal guard named Zhang Yu, who was doing chores for Yang Peng next to him, said: "Lord Wang, I'm afraid that the fire is too fierce and the sulfuric acid is burned into water vapor." This sticky pot is probably still sulfuric acid. ”

Yang Peng reacted at this time, and the dark passage must have been that before the sulfuric acid and saltpeter could react, the sulfuric acid was boiled by the flame. Yang Peng didn't expect that the platoon commander of the personal guard who was doing miscellaneous work for himself would be so smart, and he would figure out what sulfuric acid was so suddenly, and he thought faster than himself.

"How do you know it's sulfuric acid? Do you know what sulfuric acid is? The platoon commander of the personal guard said calmly: "Hasn't the prince been talking to Daochang Cao about sulfuric acid, sulfuric acid." Sulfuric acid is this sticky alum oil, and I understand it! ”

Yang Peng looked at this smart guard platoon commander at that time, and secretly said that this Zhang Yu was so clever that he could be of great use. However, it was not used in the preparation of this new type of gunpowder. The preparation of this new type of gunpowder Yang Peng is still ready to be kept secret, this Zhang Yu is so smart, he can see it when he looks at it, Yang Peng can't keep it secret.

Yang Peng waved his hand and said, "Zhang Yu, you go back to the barracks, I don't need you today." You call that slow-headed Xiao Yuke and ask him to give me a hand. Zhang Yu was stunned, and he didn't know why the prince didn't let himself do chores. He also wanted to take the opportunity to get acquainted with the prince so that he could get a greater chance of effectiveness in the future, but he didn't expect the opportunity to be lost all of a sudden. Did you say the wrong thing yourself? Zhang Yu hurriedly agreed, walked down with some disappointment, and called another guard platoon commander over.

After all, what happens next, let's see how it will be broken down next time.