Chapter 829
Chapter 829
A few miles from Mulan City, Shen Lang was testing his latest TNT explosives. Having a saltpeter mine was enough to make him weep with joy. As soon as Shen Lang arrived on the Jade Tide Peninsula, he had sent four ships to Saltpeter Island to transport the mineral. A single trip had yielded over one hundred thousand catties. Back in the State of Yue, Shen Lang had sent hundreds of men to scrape latrines daily, and even after half a year, they hadn't managed to collect a hundred thousand catties of saltpeter. But now, a single casual trip brought in over a hundred thousand catties. What's more, the saltpeter on that island seemed inexhaustible.
Furthermore, Shen Lang discovered that the island not only had vast amounts of saltpeter but also large deposits of phosphate rock. The volcanic island was not just covered in ash; it also had countless natural sulfuric acid pools, making it a true treasure trove. Nearly all the ingredients Shen Lang needed to produce TNT were available here, including the purest graphite. The Jade Tide Peninsula was incredibly rich in mineral deposits; about a hundred miles to the north, Shen Lang had even found large quantities of asbestos minerals. Shen Lang truly felt like he had hit the jackpot. It was as if the heavens had taken a special interest in this new continent, blessing it with abundance. Many minerals that were exceedingly rare and precious in the Eastern world were strewn about everywhere here. As for the remaining materials he lacked, Shen Lang sent people to purchase them in large quantities.
He now had countless materials and resources, but he lacked the skilled hands to turn them into finished products. The only high-level talent at Shen Lang's disposal were the few dozen disciples from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion brought by Zhang Chunhua, and half of them had to manage the city. That left fifteen at most, so he later selected a hundred loyal and trustworthy men from the Eastern Knights to serve as apprentices.
The process of making TNT was complex, if one were to call it that, but it certainly didn't require two long months. The only headache was the need for reaction vessels. It took Shen Lang a very long time to create all the necessary experimental containers and reaction chambers. To speed things up, he used whatever containers he could find—cauldrons, glass bowls, pottery, and more. Now, finally, he could mass-produce TNT.
Shen Lang had long debated which type of explosive to make: picric acid, nitroglycerin, or TNT. In the end, he decided on TNT. While TNT wasn't the most powerful, it was at least extremely stable. Even when exposed to intense, high-temperature flames, it would burn for several seconds before exploding, and it wouldn't detonate even if struck hard with a hammer. Nitroglycerin was far too unstable, and picric acid was prone to reacting with iron. However, TNT had its own problem. Because it was so stable, it was difficult to detonate, which meant he had to create mercury fulminate to use as a detonator.
"Detonate!"
*KA-BOOM!*
At Shen Lang's command, a massive explosion erupted, and the test house was instantly blown to smithereens. The power was astonishing. It was a resounding success. Watching the scene, Zhang Chunhua's beautiful form trembled for a moment. She had never imagined this thing could be so powerful. Just a single packet was enough to demolish an entire house.
"Is this the large-scale secret weapon you mentioned?"
Zhang Chunhua asked. Shen Lang replied.
"Strictly speaking, this is just a tool—a crucial component of a large-scale weapon."
With large quantities of TNT, he could continuously create incredible weapons. Of course, TNT alone wasn't enough. It couldn't be used as a propellant for bullets. That would require nitrocellulose, double-base nitroglycerin, and stabilizers. Given his current production capabilities, that goal was completely out of reach. However, he could create the traditional cannon, known as the god of war.
Having succeeded with the explosives, it was time to test the cannon. That was right. Shen Lang already had a cannon. However, it wasn't forged from iron mined from his own ore but from purchased pig iron. He had spent a good sum to buy several dozen blacksmiths and had them craft a cannon using methods he knew. The caliber wasn't large; it was comparable to the Hongyipao cannons of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
"Ready... fire the cannon!"
At Shen Lang's command, a temporary gunner lit the fuse.
*BANG!*
A thunderous roar echoed out, and the gunner's body instantly exploded, splattering crimson blood everywhere. The cannon had misfired. The test was a failure. Shen Lang's face turned ashen, and everyone around him went pale. Shen Lang approached and carefully examined the cannon's barrel.
*'To misfire on the very first shot... is the quality this poor?'*
Shen Lang had already inspected it; the cannon's interior was relatively dense, with few cavities. But the power of the TNT was simply too great for such a primitive cannon to withstand, causing it to burst immediately. Lacking the time to produce high-strength steel himself, Shen Lang had resorted to casting the cannon directly from pig iron. However, the first batch of steel from his iron mine would soon be ready, and then he could cast a cannon from much stronger steel.
Dejected, Shen Lang switched to black powder. Though the first test firing had ended in disaster, not a single person flinched during the second. If there was one thing Shen Lang's two thousand soldiers had, it was absolute bravery. Whether they were from the Eastern Warrior Corps or the Roland Knights, they were all fearless in the face of death.
"Fire!"
*BOOM.*
The sound was much quieter, but the smoke was much thicker. The entire cannon was engulfed in smoke the moment it fired. Despite using black powder, the large quantity packed into it produced a surprisingly powerful result.
A solid cannonball shot out with incredible speed, far surpassing the range of an arrow, and flew four to five hundred meters in an instant. Zhang Chunhua, utterly thrilled, exclaimed.
"Incredible! Truly incredible! With this, we'll be invincible at sea. We could even attack the Great Yan Empire! This is far superior to arrows, even large crossbows."
Zhang Chunhua was rambling in her excitement, but Shen Lang felt a bit awkward. The cannon had been aimed at another house, but the shot landed more than ten meters away, missing it completely. The accuracy was so moving it could bring a man to tears. One cannon had exploded, leaving two remaining. They would have to conduct continuous test firings from now on. Each gunner would need to fire at least several hundred rounds to get a feel for it.
Shen Lang would have to personally train the first group of gunners. However, he could only teach them the theory and knowledge of artillery. His computer contained everything, but his own practical skills were nil. This made him truly miss the Nirvana Army. They were people of extreme focus and sensitivity; even if they put down their bows, they would have made the finest gunners. Thinking of the Nirvana Army made Shen Lang miss Mulan even more.
"My love, how is everyone? Are you all safe?"
* * *
Mulan City on the Jade Tide Peninsula had transformed into a massive workshop, with its thirteen thousand inhabitants engrossed in their tasks. Shen Lang found it somewhat lamentable. The reason the slave trade was so rampant in the Western world was because they were undeniably useful. They were dull and could only perform the simplest repetitive tasks, but they were incredibly obedient and submissive. They had not a shred of rebellious spirit and would do whatever they were told. This obedience seemed etched into their very bones.
Of course, this was the tragedy of slavery. Most of these slaves had been raised in captivity. Adult slaves captured in the wild were difficult to train and might rebel, so their price was very low. Thus, slave owners in the Western world would capture young slaves and raise them in confinement. This allowed them to be sold at a much higher price. For example, the eight thousand slaves Shen Lang bought had cost nearly sixty thousand gold coins in total, a price two to three times higher than that of ordinary slaves. Shen Lang had once tried giving them a speech about granting them freedom. But their reaction had been utterly bland. For them, having a full stomach and a roof over their heads was paradise. Slaves raised in cages had become numb to everything, conditioned only to obey.
The walls of Mulan City grew longer each day, and houses continued to spring up like mushrooms inside. The cannons were his most important weapon, so Shen Lang selected three hundred of his most loyal Eastern Knights to train as gunners. Explosives were still in continuous production, but he couldn't rely on just one type; he had to create several different kinds. He even had to keep making black powder. Cannon production also continued, now casting them with the newly made steel.
The entire process was incredibly difficult. Despite having grinding tools and ample theory and knowledge from his computer, the cannons they actually produced were still rough and uneven. In the end, Shen Lang had to change his approach. He first had the cannon casts made in layers to give them sufficient strength, then used thermite to weld the seams shut. Shen Lang couldn't guarantee success, but it was at least theoretically possible.
* * *
The blockade against Shen Lang continued throughout the entire sea region, and Duchess D'Pace's grand army was drawing ever closer. Furthermore, forces were constantly being amassed in Jade Gold City. Even in Duchess D'Pace's absence, the Duchy of Rousseau continued to purchase able-bodied slaves and train them into soldiers.
"Shen Lang, we have forty days at most. Duchess D'Pace's army will be here soon. Our ship tried to slip out to sea under the cover of darkness for a second time, but it was spotted by a pirate patrol and sunk again."
Hearing Zhang Chunhua's report, Shen Lang asked.
"Was it the Bloody Baron again?"
"Yes. When the day of battle comes, we will face the enemy not only on land but also at sea."
"Duchess D'Pace wants to destroy our base, but I'm also coveting her Jade Gold City. It has everything we need: countless bolts of silk and cotton, vast amounts of gold and food, not to mention two large shipyards and an inexhaustible supply of manpower. If we can take Jade Gold City, we will have truly made it. Taking it with our strength alone would be impossible. But if Duchess D'Pace voluntarily leads her grand army to attack us, nothing could be better. After her army is annihilated, taking Jade Gold City will be much easier."
"How many troops do you think she will mobilize to attack us?"
"At least one hundred thousand."
"An army of a hundred thousand is coming to attack our two thousand?"
Shen Lang truly only had two thousand soldiers under his command. The ten thousand or so remaining slaves would never fight for him. When the battle began, they would undoubtedly huddle in their homes, await the outcome, and then surrender to the new master. Having no spirit of rebellion, they had no spirit for battle either.