Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1354 Gunpowder Maniac

The bamboo tube that Shen Zheng retrieved this time was as thick as two thumbs.

Watching the bluish-gray powder being packed into the bamboo tube, Yu Shizhang's heart leaped into his throat.

He seemed to be asking a question, but his words were firm: "Shen Zheng, this one should be more powerful than the previous one, right?"

Shen Zheng stuffed the mouth of the bamboo tube with clay and nodded: "Please stand further away first, so you won't be unable to run fast if it catches fire later."

"..." Yu Shizhang choked and choked, but still obediently took ten steps back.

"Is this okay?" he asked loudly.

Shen Zheng estimated the distance and said, "It's about right."

She handed the matchbox to Mu Ruojue: "Xiao Mu, you come here."

Mu Ruojue's face seemed expressionless, but a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

He took the matchbox, picked up a match, and asked softly, "Lord Shen, may I?"

Shen Zheng: "......"

With the matches already in hand, this question was completely unnecessary.

“Light it.” She looked intently at the bamboo tube standing on the rock. “I’m ready. You light the fuse, and we’ll run.”

"bass--"

Mu Ruojue lit a match directly.

"Zi-"

Before Shen Zheng could react, he had already lit the ignition without saying a word.

Shen Zheng felt that she was only stunned for a moment.

But the fuse was already half burned.

"What are you still standing there for!"

She grabbed Mu Ruojue's sleeve and took off running, yelling, "Run!"

step.

No, not even one step.

Shen Zheng had just taken one step, and her other leg hadn't even caught up yet.

"boom--!!"

The explosion had already occurred behind us.

The sound was dull and domineering, like someone pounding a large drum in your ear.

Shen Zheng stumbled, and then a buzzing sound rang in her ears.

This is called blast-induced tinnitus.

To put it simply, it's a decibel overload, and your hearing is temporarily shut down.

A gust of wind carried a thick cloud of smoke, and the smell of gunpowder in the air grew stronger.

"Cough cough—" Beside him, Mu Ruojue coughed from the smoke, but still didn't forget to apologize: "Lord Shen, I'm sorry..."

Shen Zheng was choked by the acrid smoke and didn't want to speak.

"Shen Zheng!" Yu Shizhang rushed over and looked her up and down several times. "Are you alright?"

Shen Zheng rubbed her ears, and the buzzing subsided a little.

She shook her head: "It's nothing."

She paused, then looked at Mu Ruojue: "You weren't scared, were you?"

Mu Ruojue immediately shook her head: "No..."

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more.

Shen Zheng raised her hand to fan away the smoke in front of her, wrinkled her nose, and said, "Say what you want to say."

Mu Ruojue's eyes brightened: "Lord Shen, I...I...can I order one more?"

Shen Zheng thought and thought, but she never expected that what he wanted to say would be this.

What a gunpowder fanatic!

"This time, I'll make sure you get there before I light the fuse," Mu Ruojue said earnestly, almost as if she were swearing an oath to the heavens.

Before Shen Zheng could even speak, Yu Shizhang couldn't take it anymore: "Are you going to blow it up again?!"

The loud noise had terrified him, and he hadn't even gotten back to his place yet, and the two little ones had gotten so engrossed in playing with it?!

"No, no," he shook his head. "Shen Zheng, this thing is making too much noise. If it keeps exploding, the ground might be blown up..."

As he spoke, he suddenly froze.

The ground was blasted into a crater?

Can something that can blast a crater in the ground kill a person?

Perhaps.

So... can we blow up the mine shaft?

That seems like a good option.

What about the river embankment?

Thinking of this, Yu Shizhang's heart clenched.

I really am getting old.

He had already burned two bamboo tubes before he finally figured out Shen Zheng's intention in making this thing.

“Shen Zheng…” His eyes were filled with horror as he pulled Shen Zheng toward the stream. “Come with me for a moment.”

Seeing his solemn expression, Shen Zheng knew he was deep in thought, so she followed him to the stream.

The two stopped. Yu Shizhang looked at the charred marks left on the stone, opened his mouth several times, but did not know how to speak.

Shen Zheng broke the silence: "Lord, this is called gunpowder. As you probably already know, it can be used not only for engineering blasting but also as a weapon of war."

"The more gunpowder, the greater the power," Yu Shizhang said.

This fact is obvious, but behind it lies something that cannot be ignored.

“Besides saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal are readily available in the countryside.” His voice was hoarse.

This means that as long as the formula is mastered, even ordinary people can make gunpowder themselves.

If the prescription falls into the hands of someone with connections, the world will at least be thrown into turmoil, and at worst... suffer immense loss of life.

So, was the advent of gunpowder a good thing or a bad thing for the Great Zhou Dynasty?

He looked at Shen Zheng, his eyes full of seeking confirmation.

Shen Zheng understood that his concerns were not unfounded, but rather well-founded.

Can......

"My lord, those sorcerers and alchemists have already produced the spirit powder."

Shen Zheng looked into his eyes with utmost seriousness: "Do you know that they often use saltpeter as an igniter, sulfur as a raw material for elixirs, and charcoal to burn in the furnace? Even if I don't make gunpowder today, they will discover tomorrow that these three things can explode when mixed together. Lord, there are many people in this world who are vying for power. If we keep standing still, we will be trampled underfoot sooner or later."

Her second half of the sentence speaks to an eternal truth of this world.

But the first half of the sentence...

"You mean those alchemists will eventually be able to make gunpowder?" Yu Shizhang seemed somewhat unwilling to accept this fact.

"Definitely." Shen Zheng said firmly.

History always repeats itself. Even if the alchemists of the Great Zhou Dynasty do not invent gunpowder for the time being, the Japanese, the Yue people, or the Hu people will one day stumble upon the secrets of these three ingredients by chance.

When that time comes, it will be the Great Zhou that falls behind and gets beaten.

“My lord, if we were to hide the gunpowder today, then what we are doing would not be considered protecting the world.”

"what is that?"

"Self-deception."

These four words were like a heavy hammer, shattering Yu Shizhang's hopes.

Yes, the advantages and disadvantages of everything in the world are not in the things themselves, but in the people who use them.

It's just three kinds of powder, a piece of cotton thread, a bamboo tube, and a handful of clay. How can there be a distinction between good and evil?

Not far away, Mu Ruojue had already made the third bamboo tube, which was larger than the previous two and had a longer string.

Mu Ruojue looked at them, as if asking, "Can we order?"

A hint of determination appeared in Yu Shizhang's eyes as he asked, "Why did you inform His Majesty of this matter?"

Shen Zheng had already made a plan.

"Wait until Xiaomu and I make real explosives," she said. "Right now, it's just an experiment. The bamboo tube cannon is too weak; it's nothing."

"This is nothing?" Yu Shizhang still felt lingering fear when he recalled the loud noise.

Shen Zheng chuckled: "You'll find out later."

After saying that, she waved her hand at Mu Ruojue: "Go ahead and order, we're ready!"

Mu Ruojue looked around and, seeing that no one else was present, lit a match.