Ling Mohan had witnessed Gu Beichen's failed research this morning and was somewhat worried about Feng Jin.
"Don't worry, I'm not that idiot Gu Beichen. Nothing will go wrong. Go find the raw materials quickly."
After sending Ling Mohan away, Feng Jin recalled the specific formula for gunpowder and, with nothing else to do, also drew out the blueprints for the firearm.
She had the blueprints, but she wasn't sure if Dongchu's current manufacturing technology could produce it.
...
Ling Mohan mobilized the army and searched for a long time before finally gathering all the items Feng Jin needed. He quickly sent someone to deliver them to Feng Jin.
Feng Jin looked at the items placed on the table. After checking them one by one and confirming they were correct, she began the production.
During this period, Feng Jin sent everyone else away.
Under the pretext that this was a secret technique that absolutely could not be leaked.
Ling Mohan and Gu Beichen gathered in the study, anxiously awaiting Feng Jin's final results.
Gu Beichen was the most anxious. His heart was like a scale swaying back and forth. On one hand, due to personal grievances, he didn't want Feng Jin to succeed in researching gunpowder. On the other hand, for the sake of the country and its people, he desperately wanted Feng Jin to succeed.
The two thoughts clashed, and Gu Beichen's heart was tormented. He paced back and forth anxiously, desperately hoping for the results to come out quickly.
"Can't you sit down and be quiet for a moment?" Ling Mohan flipped through the book in his hand, occasionally taking a sip of tea, appearing quite leisurely.
Gu Beichen found it difficult to calm down. "Aren't you worried at all if it can't be researched?"
Ling Mohan put down the book. "I believe in Feng Jin. Since she said she could research it, she definitely can."
Besides, even if it couldn't be researched, it wouldn't matter.
"You're really carefree... Forget it, I'll just wait patiently. It all depends on Feng Jin."
Since he couldn't research it himself, worrying and being distressed would be futile. He could only wait for Feng Jin's good news.
"Young General, Crown Prince, it's done... Young Madam, she succeeded..."
Lu Shi rushed over breathlessly to report, sweating profusely from his haste.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Ling Mohan's eyes. To say he wasn't excited would be a lie. He was a military general, the God of War of Dongchu, and defending the country was his mission. Only he knew the importance of gunpowder to the army.
By researching gunpowder before other countries, the soldiers of Dongchu would suffer fewer casualties, and the people would live and work in peace and prosperity.
"It really worked?"
Gu Beichen's mood was complex, beyond words.
"Don't be so down. Let's go see."
Ling Mohan could understand Gu Beichen's feelings at this moment but could only say it was his own fault and he couldn't blame anyone else. He had already suffered so much at Feng Jin's hands.
Yet, he still hadn't learned his lesson, insisting on running into trouble again and again, asking for it himself. He couldn't blame others.
...
"These black, round pellets are the gunpowder you researched? Are you sure you're not tricking me?"
Gu Beichen looked at the several round, black, unknown objects on the table and asked with uncertainty. As he reached out to pick one up, a silver needle pricked his hand.
"What are you doing?" Gu Beichen was completely traumatized by the silver needle. He quickly pulled the needle out and threw it away, hastily checking his hand for poison.
"Did you poison me? Why does my hand feel sore and numb? Oh no... my arm is starting to feel numb too..."
Gu Beichen felt something was wrong with his entire body and immediately concluded that Feng Jin had poisoned him.
Feng Jin rolled her eyes helplessly. Did he have a persecution complex, always thinking someone was trying to harm him?
"You can't touch the gunpowder directly with your hands. The temperature is too high, and it could cause an explosion!"
She deliberately exaggerated, which sent a shiver down Gu Beichen's spine, causing him to instinctively take a step back.
Feng Jin suppressed the smile at the corner of her mouth and packed all the finished gunpowder into a box.
"Find an open space to test its effectiveness."
"Let's go to the western outskirts," Ling Mohan decided after some thought. The western outskirts were surrounded by mountains and deserted, so even if there was a big commotion, it wouldn't attract much attention.
"Yes, there's no one there in the western outskirts. I'll have someone arrange a carriage right away."
Gu Beichen was slightly excited at the thought of witnessing the power of gunpowder firsthand and quickly ran out to make arrangements.
The guards carefully loaded the box containing the gunpowder onto the carriage, and the group set off towards the western outskirts.
Upon arrival, Feng Jin instructed the guards to place the gunpowder and surrounded it with stones. A hundred-meter-long fuse was connected, and they all hid behind the stones.
After Feng Jin lit the fuse, she quickly covered her ears tightly.
With a deafening "bang!" the ground shook as if the sky and earth were collapsing. Dust flew everywhere, and shattered stones rained down.
A moment later, the dust began to settle, and the hazy sky revealed some light.
Fortunately, Feng Jin was prepared and covered her head with a scarf, narrowly avoiding a face full of dust.
As for the others, they were covered in dirt from head to toe, looking utterly disheveled.
Gu Beichen, in particular, who was closest, had his white robes coated in a layer of dust. His black hair gradually turned dusty yellow, and his mouth, nose, and ears were full of dirt.
"Pah... pah... This Crown Prince has eaten a mouthful of dirt..."
Gu Beichen kept spitting, then took the water offered by a young servant and repeatedly washed the dirt off his body.
Ling Mohan and Feng Jin were hiding in a corner. Other than their exposed clothing, which had gotten a little dirty, they were otherwise as they were before.
"Why are you so clean?" Gu Beichen asked, puzzled. He looked at the others, who were all in better condition than him. It turned out he was the only unlucky one.
Ling Mohan ignored Gu Beichen and stepped forward to examine the aftermath of the gunpowder explosion.
The spot where the gunpowder had been placed had been blasted into a half-meter-deep pit. The stones buried around it had all vanished, reduced to fine particles.
Ling Mohan's eyes widened, and his eyebrows slightly raised. The surprise on his face was undeniable.
The destructive power of this gunpowder was truly immense. With such a weapon on the battlefield, victory would be assured.
"It really worked, ugly woman, you're truly amazing."
This was the first time Gu Beichen had praised a woman. He hadn't expected Feng Jin to actually research gunpowder.
Moreover, its power was even greater than what the merchants of Xiyue Kingdom had described. If it could be mass-produced, then Dongchu's army would be invincible.
"Can this gunpowder be mass-produced?" Gu Beichen asked, leaning closer to Feng Jin.
"Yes... but the preservation of gunpowder requires extreme caution. There can be no open flames within a hundred meters, it cannot be too hot, nor can it be damp. Once these issues are resolved, mass production is possible."