Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 164, Section 163: Praise in Historical Records
Qin Shi also happily added:
"Your Majesty, I went to the Imperial Household Department today to arrange for people to make honeycomb briquettes, but unfortunately, time was too short, and there wasn't enough time to dry them. I can only ask Your Majesty to check on them again tomorrow."

In summer, honeycomb briquettes need three to five days to dry in the sun, as drying also takes 12 to 24 hours.

She only received the news about the coal at noon today, and it's only just nightfall, so naturally there's no time to wait.

"Honeycomb briquettes?"

Ji Heng read out the name. According to what Qin Qing had said in the past, the place she came from and the name she chose were both very simple.

Its shape and purpose are immediately apparent, leading to the following speculation:
"After the coal is washed and dried, is it still necessary to drill honeycomb-like holes in it?"

If that's the case, then this process becomes difficult. After all, coal is light and brittle, and it crumbles easily when struck.

Qin Shi shook his head: "Your Majesty is unaware that while burning raw coal in this way is certainly useful, it is also a great waste."

"Therefore, it is also necessary to add 30% loess or clay to the coal powder, pound and knead it into a short cylinder, and then poke out more than a dozen holes."

She looked at Ji Heng's palm—large, strong, and with distinct knuckles. When clenched into a fist, it was about the size of a honeycomb briquette.

Therefore, it is said that "a honeycomb briquette the size of the king's fist can burn for 2 to 4 hours."

This ensures smooth combustion, extends the burning time, and most importantly, saves real energy.

Ji Heng glanced silently at his hand, then at Qin Shi, and then casually clenched his fist:

"really?"

The coal powder extracted in this way is already much better than charcoal, and three more layers of loess need to be added to it.

Qin Shi was already eager to make honeycomb briquettes and stuff them into the small coal stove that he had his craftsmen make out of clay and yellow mud.

Nod emphatically at this moment:

"Absolutely true!"

……

As the two were talking, Zhou Ju had already ordered someone to quickly prepare a charcoal brazier outside the hall. He then placed the broken coal pieces that Qin Shi had brought into it and lit it with charcoal.

As the slightly reddish charcoal burned, a subtle aroma of camphor and sandalwood lingered, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the faint smell of bituminous coal.

Zhou Ju frowned: "The bituminous coal that Qin Qing presented is good, but it is not suitable for Your Majesty's use. The smell... is really not pleasant."

Actually, although coal has a unique smell at the beginning when it is fully burned, it is not that obvious.

Now that the king rightfully enjoys the highest level of tribute from Qin, he has access to better things and naturally looks down on these.

For example, the charcoal used in Xianyang Palace was made from the finest oak.

This tree is hard, with fine fibers and few impurities. Trees over 10 years old are excellent for making charcoal.

Ji Heng, however, used sandalwood and rosewood that were also 10 years or older, which were harvested and fired every autumn when the wood was dry.

If there isn’t enough good timber in a given year, oak will be chosen for burning as well.

After being burned, the charcoal is soaked in a sandalwood and borneol broth and then dried again.

Only in this way can you obtain high-quality charcoal that has a slight fragrance when burned.

A pot of charcoal fire has already been lit.

The weather was cool today, and it got a little chilly after nightfall.

Zhou Ju suppressed the slight sweat that broke out on his skin from the close contact, and then ordered someone to carry the charcoal brazier to Zhangtai Palace.

Even though she may not be as eloquent as Qin Shi, she is more perceptive and thoughtful than Qin Shi, who is able to serve as the king's confidante.

Now, with just a simple instruction from Ji Heng, Zhou Ju has already mastered the comparative experiment without any formal instruction.

There were two charcoal braziers, one burning coal and the other burning charcoal.

Earthen stoves were set up above, and just as the water was about to boil, they were brought in along with the pot. Now, he reported in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, between the two, coal does indeed heat water faster."

He served tea and water to Ji Heng year after year. Although he didn't have to boil the water himself most of the time, he could tell just by listening to the slight hissing sound when the water was about to boil.

Sure enough, after speaking and waiting a while, the water in the earthenware stove above the bituminous coal began to boil vigorously.

Qin Shi was not surprised by this.

After all, coal has a wider and higher thermal radiation range and energy density than charcoal. Therefore, given the same amount of coal and the time required, it will naturally reach a higher temperature.

She was somewhat apprehensive about whether she could actually manage to screen coal using such primitive methods.

Now that she has seen the results, she knows:

This kind of coal, when sent to the ironworks to be burned into coke, is ready!

Perhaps we can really give Ji Heng a divine weapon when the New Year comes!
Only in this way can her abilities be sufficiently proven.

Ji Heng was indeed delighted: "Can this material be used to forge divine weapons?"

Qin Shi nodded firmly: "Your Majesty only needs to wait a little while until the army's equipment is replaced one by one, and our Great Qin will surely be invincible."

- Strange.

Replacing these things will cost money.

Although the Xiongnu, the Western Regions, and the Baiyue have not yet been pacified, if we look into it, it was Qin that was attacking them, and they have long been afraid of being attacked. They will not take the initiative to invade within the next year or two.

It is said that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, but before that, the people must be given a way to survive!

Now that the Qin state is riddled with problems, even if she manages to raise money, she will still find ways to use it for civil affairs.

These iron weapons should only be prioritized for equipping the troops defending against the Xiongnu. Other weapons should be acquired gradually.

Otherwise, she was truly afraid that once the troops stationed in Baiyue had all changed their uniforms, the king would attack without hesitation!
In the history she knew, places that took the mighty Qin Dynasty ten years to conquer could not possibly be taken in three to five months, even with divine weapons.
Prioritize people's livelihood!

Let the people survive first, and then we can rebuild the population!

But of course, she couldn't say these things to Ji Heng, so she made up another excuse:

“Divine weapons and superior glass can be obtained. And once these two are fired, I also have some methods for making medicine.”

She said softly:
"I don't know if the medicine I offered to Your Majesty will still be effective in three to five years, so I need to make more preparations."

"Therefore, while forging weapons, I also hope that Your Majesty will allow me to use some resources to prepare for the production of various divine medicines."

Hand-rubbing penicillin is practically impossible in today's context. Even if it were done with great difficulty over three to five months, it would be impossible to dry it into a preserveable drug.

Allicin, however, is something to consider.

But in any case, let's make up an excuse for now, so that Ji Heng doesn't get a divine weapon this year and then go around killing people next year.

She said sincerely, "My only wish is that Your Majesty lives a long and healthy life, free from all suffering and pain."

"When I am laid to rest in peace at Mount Li, I will stay in this deep palace with Your Majesty, waiting for the praise of history to last for thousands of years."

Ji Heng looked at her quietly, and finally sighed:
"The Queen has considered all these things for our Great Qin, how could I possibly refuse?"

Whether it's the divine weapons he desires or the miraculous medicines he wants, these are all matters concerning his safety.

He knew Qin Qing's intentions.

　The charcoal-making technology in the Qin Dynasty was quite advanced, but I couldn't find out what kind of charcoal the Qin king used.

　　Therefore, the highest quality charcoal used by the court nobility was chosen for writing.

　　(End of this chapter)