Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 298 Chang'an News Flash: Why Isn't Gan Yanshou Panicked?! [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Standing before the distillation equipment, Zhao Ji inspected the thermometer and the sealing of the pipes, then addressed the group of apprentices around him:
"The main component of nitrate is potassium nitrate. When heated in concentrated sulfuric acid, potassium bisulfate liquid and nitric acid gas are obtained. Nitric acid gas turns into liquid nitric acid when cooled, and then it can be used to make bombs."

With nitric acid, bombs are easy to make. You can directly mix nitric acid and sulfuric acid to form a solution, soak degreased cotton in it, rinse it repeatedly with water, and finally dry it to make nitrocellulose.

Nitrocellulose has an explosive effect several times that of black powder. It is stable and leaves no residue, making it an ideal propellant.

To improve combustion efficiency, military-grade nitrocellulose is compressed into sheets after drying to increase density, and finally sprinkled with a layer of graphite powder, which effectively prevents static electricity from causing fires.

The dark primers in modern bullets are nitrocellulose with added graphite, not black powder.

As for potassium bisulfate, which is produced from nitric acid, it has a wide range of uses. It can be used as an acid washing solution, to improve the soil, and to preserve food, among others.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) explained the underlying principles to everyone like a chemistry teacher. One apprentice asked:
"Master Xuanhe, how is absorbent cotton made?"

"The book says to boil fluffy cotton in water, then soak it in sodium carbonate, cool it, rinse it with clean water, and dry it again to make absorbent cotton."

Ordinary cotton does not easily absorb water when placed in water because the surface of cotton fibers has a layer of wax that makes it difficult for water to penetrate.

After the waxy layer is washed away with an alkaline solution, the cotton becomes highly absorbent, transforming into absorbent cotton that is indispensable in both medical and chemical industries.

The process of making degreased cotton is relatively simple, especially since the Song Dynasty had already improved cotton processing techniques, allowing it to be processed directly at the cotton-producing areas.

In fact, a few days ago, Zhao Xu had already ordered that the imperial court would purchase a large quantity of degreased cotton this year, so that processing workshops in various regions could learn the methods in advance and prepare for the industrial production of nitrocellulose.

Landlords around Kaifeng have already started burning lime to prepare an alkaline solution for washing cotton.

Li Qingzhao sighed:

"The three acids are about to be lit up. Shouldn't we start making alkali next? By the way, when will the cannon be built? I'm waiting to film a video to show off to the immortal."

Mentioning this matter, Zhao Ji said helplessly:
"Our Song Dynasty's current technology for manufacturing cannon barrels is not precise enough. The airtightness is too poor, and it cannot withstand high chamber pressure. Can we buy seamless steel pipes from Xianchang?"

This really stumped Li Qingzhao:
"I'll search for it tomorrow, and if it's available online, I'll just order some."

Ever since she mastered the art of online shopping, this girl has bought a ton of cheap, free-shipping items online. Every time she returns to Hunyuan Palace, she spends half a day unpacking her packages before continuing her shopping spree.

Zhou Yi initially wanted to advise her to take it easy, but after checking the bill, he found that she only spent a few dozen yuan a day on shopping, so he let her have her way.

Zhao Ji observed the reaction of nitric acid and felt that there was nothing wrong with the whole chemical process. He really liked these transparent glass tubes because they allowed him to clearly see the reaction at each step when conducting experiments.

Once the nitric acid is produced, salt is added to the concentrated sulfuric acid in the same way, and then heated and distilled. This produces hydrogen chloride gas, which, when mixed with distilled water, becomes the last of the three acids – hydrochloric acid.

After the three acids were lit in sequence, Emperor Huizong was not in a hurry to make the two bases, but wanted to make glycerol instead.

Glycerin is a key material in the production of nitroglycerin. It can grease and fat the nitroglycerin solution, thereby achieving a stable structure that is not easily deteriorated, but it is prone to explosion.

In order to refine qualified glycerin, Zhao Ji collected a lot of lard, beef tallow, mutton tallow and various vegetable oils, intending to try them one by one to see which type of oil would produce better glycerin.

The method of making bombs with glycerin is the same as that of nitrocellulose. First, mix nitric acid and sulfuric acid, then pour in glycerin and stir to produce a yellow oily liquid, which is nitroglycerin with tremendous explosive power.

Glycerin can be obtained by extracting organic oils... Simply put, if you can make soap, you can extract glycerin, because glycerin is a waste product generated during the soap making process.

Making soap involves coagulating the soap compounds in oils. The liquid remaining after coagulation contains a large amount of glycerin, which can be obtained through simple distillation and purification.

Li Qingzhao was stunned:

"So, the protagonists in those time-travel novels make a fortune by making soap all the time, but they've lost out on the powerful weapon that is glycerin? Luckily, I don't time travel, so I don't have to worry about these things."

Zhao Ji: “…”

You can get everything just by being affectionate with the immortal master, why bother with all this?

When asked about making soap, Li Qingzhao said:

"On this trip to Hunyuan Palace, I'll buy some soap molds. Once they're made, I can sell them at a high price to court officials and merchants, increasing the research funding for the Imperial Arsenal." This reminded Zhao Ji of something:
"Buy some more pigments and flavorings, make some different scents, and it will be easier to sell them."

"Okay, okay, I'll write it all down. Do you need anything else here? If not, I'll head back."

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Ji mentioned a few more books on chemical engineering and asked Li Qingzhao to buy them and bring them back.

After writing it down, Li Qingzhao rode her pink electric scooter leisurely back home.

Meanwhile, in the world of Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty, the morning court session at Weiyang Palace was still ongoing because officials led by Zhai Fangjin were taking turns impeaching Chen Tang.

Hmm, conducting the impeachment while Chen Tang is away has a strong sense of a trial in absentia.

Wang Feng wanted to speak out and say something fair, but seeing her superior Gan Yanshou looking relaxed and even secretly taking a sip of tea from his thermos, she guessed that this guy and Chen Tang must have a backup plan, so she wisely didn't interfere.

The fact that someone who has shared joys and sorrows with Chen Tang for so long isn't flustered at all is a classic case of setting a trap.
Unfortunately, Zhai Fangjin and the others were completely oblivious and continued their incessant chatter, making Wang Feng want to write a memorial on the spot titled "Why Gan Yanshou Was Not Panicked" to remind them.

After two days of trying, Zhai Fangjin managed to win over quite a few officials, most of whom had previously been on good terms with Kuang Heng. It is said that some of them even secretly built a shrine for Kuang Heng at home to commemorate him, thus going against the imperial court.

The reason for this strange behavior is the Guliang Commentary. Starting with Liu Xun, the commentaries in the Guliang Commentary became increasingly extreme, completely contradicting Liu Che's ideas.

You advocate for great unification and great revanchism? Then I will advocate for compromise and division; you implement a policy of genocide against other ethnic groups? Then I will show favor and win them over.

Since Liu Shi came to power, Confucian scholars have truly enjoyed a golden age. They engage in ideological struggles and infighting, spouting benevolence and morality while harboring wicked and immoral thoughts.

They had their fun, but the big man was doomed.

At this moment, Yu Yong, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, was still listing Chen Tang's crimes with great enthusiasm, even making Chen Tang's habit of borrowing money to make ends meet in his hometown a reason for impeachment.

This attack finally allowed Lao Gan to accumulate enough rage points:
"Even though you live on borrowed money, you never forget the hatred for the country and the family. Isn't that a noble thing to do? Besides, you recently sent someone back to your hometown to repay three times the debts you owed, and you also want to build roads for your hometown to benefit the villagers... Guanglu Xun, who benefited from his father's influence and became one of the Nine Ministers at a young age, has he ever made any contributions to his hometown? Tell me about it."

Old Gan's words seemed to sound the clarion call for a counterattack. He had barely sat down when Chen Xian, the Grand Master of the Palace who had been demoted to commoner status for impeaching Shi Xian, stood up and said:

"General Zigong's triumphant journey across ten thousand miles is a glory to our great Han Dynasty. You gentlemen, with your boastful words, have you done anything beneficial to the country besides your internal strife? I have a pile of evidence of your favoritism and corruption, which I will not make public for the time being out of consideration for our colleagues. But if you continue to impeach General Zigong, then you can expect to be disgraced!"

Hearing this, Lao Gan almost ripped his beard off, and Wang Feng was also astonished, never expecting that Chen Xian had such a powerful weapon in his possession.

It seems you weren't idle during your time as a commoner?
Actually, they both overestimated Chen Xian. What evidence did this guy have? He was just spouting nonsense... But as the saying goes, a guilty conscience needs no accuser. After Chen Xian finished speaking, Zhai Fangjin's men really fell silent.

Gan Yanshou felt it was time to close the net; if he waited any longer, the fish might escape and only Zhai Fangjin would remain. He had to take what he could get.

Thinking of this, he stood up and took out the black iron token he had hidden in his bosom for many days:
"When I arrived in Chang'an, the Immortal Master foresaw this event and entrusted Zi Gong to bestow upon me a token, instructing me to stabilize the court if Zi Gong was not in Chang'an... You all enjoy the emperor's bounty, yet you do not think of serving the country. Instead, you go to great lengths to harm your colleagues. You keep talking about benevolence and morality, but is this benevolence and morality? I am not a Confucian scholar and am too lazy to waste my breath. I only hope that those with a conscience will not forget what happened today!"

At this point, he raised the token in his hand and shouted, "Thunder, come!" Bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking Zhai Fangjin and the others through the roof and turning them into charred remains.

Having learned from the previous incident, the courtiers were not so afraid. They simply knelt on the couch, repeatedly thanking the deity for sparing their lives.

Liu Shi also bowed to the heavens, thanking Heaven for ridding the scourge of evil.

Although he was an emperor deeply poisoned by Confucianism, he was not stupid. The gods sent down divine lightning twice, and both times the victims were corrupt Confucian scholars. Doesn't this prove that the Han Dynasty was ruined by these corrupt Confucian scholars?
He racked his brains every day to limit imperial power and impeach his colleagues. He claimed to care about the people, but he kept increasing taxes to satisfy his personal desires.

Good job!
For a moment, Liu Shi felt a sense of liberation, as if he had been freed from his shackles.

Ever since he became emperor, the great Confucian scholars have been teaching him every day what he cannot do, what he cannot do, what violates the way of the emperor, and what violates the way of the sage, turning the emperor into a puppet on strings.

Now that I don't have to think about these things anymore, I suddenly feel so happy and relaxed.

Thinking of this, Liu Shi waved his hand and solemnly announced in the court:

"From this day forward, Confucian scholars and doctors in all regions are forbidden from annotating and promoting the Guliang Commentary. Our Great Han has gone down the wrong path for decades, and now we are changing course and revising the Gongyang Commentary in full... This matter will be overseen by Liu Xiang, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, with General of the Guards Gan Yanshou and Imperial Censor Gu Yong as his assistants. Any officials who have objections may speak with the three of them in person. Court adjourned!"

(End of this chapter)