Eagle Byzantium

So, the helpless director could only take out a long and thick thread from the box, and then hit the fire sickle. Then Anna saw that the thread did not burn with fireworks like usual, but was burning violently in the director's hand. The sparks ejected, with sound, turned invisible in an instant, "like countless tiny stars flying out. It was extremely beautiful and terrifying." This was what Anna later recorded in her diary.

"I'm so scared of crying." The little sunfish's mouth habit appeared involuntarily.

But what was even more terrifying was yet to come. The director took out a tube from the box. Anna stretched her neck to look at it. The tube was not made of leather, but was actually wrapped in layers of Seleucia reed paper. , one part is sealed, and the other part is left with a hole. What stretches out is the thick and long thread just now, with black saltpeter inside.

With a sharp roar, the thread outside the leather tube exploded to the end, and a pale white tail flame like a gunpowder spear was erupted from the hole. Then Anna and the little sunfish ignored their restraint and opened their mouths. I saw it passing through the gap in the awning and flying straight to a very high place, so I took it with me The smoke fell down, "What is this power that makes it fly! It is completely different from the principle of arrows and strings?" Anna was greatly surprised. This was completely different from the gunpowder spear just now - because the gunpowder spear itself was fired by a crossbow. When it comes out, the "salt" inside just acts as a burning agent.

"Your Highness, this is the power of fire salt itself. When it burns, it spits out fire and gas, and can drive objects to fly out. Please be sure to cover your ears this time!" After the director explained, he took the gun out of the box again. He took out a multi-layered bamboo basket that was also wrapped in reed paper, and then lit it with the same thread. Finally, when it was about to burn out, she hurriedly swung her arms and threw it out. Then, even though her ears were covered by the small sunfish, Anna still felt that the entire awning and her own seat shuddered a few times, and a ball of fire came with it. With the smoke and dust flying everywhere, the fire suddenly appeared where it touched the ground.

"Is this also saltpeter?"

"Yes, Your Highness Princess, it's just the effects of different distributions. The former can rapidly spray and burn to produce great power, while the latter can instantly use sulfur to explode, spreading shock and lethality from all directions, like countless arrow clusters ”

"Then among these formulas, the 'master' is saltpeter? Through its constantly changing weight, it produces the two different effects you mentioned." Anna was very smart and quickly drew inferences.

The director nodded, "But no matter what, our conclusion is that the proportion of fire salt and saltpeter must be more than half, otherwise it will be like the Venetian fire spear, which can only be ignited by a burning iron cone."

"Then we need a lot of saltpeter, the more the better!"

"This is very difficult, Your Highness Princess. We can collect some finished products from merchants through various channels and store them for use in battle. But it is really unclear how to make this kind of salt and fire salt." After saying that, the director stood there with a sad face, folding his hands.

Anna was also disappointed by these words. She turned to look at Agnes, who was the most proficient in equipment, but the other party just shook her head: Agnes is a person who understands mechanics very well, but she doesn't know how to make saltpeter.

"Where are these Saracen and Persian technicians?" Anna asked angrily. "In the country they were in before, no one knew how saltfire was made? Was it in a mine or in a lake? Tell them all. , otherwise I will ask Staurachos to castrate all of you - in this technology, our empire is much more sophisticated than yours, so give it a try! "The foreign technicians were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt down and cried, saying that when His Highness Gawain was still the Grand Duke of the Empire, he promised not to harm us and guaranteed our high-level salary. "This kind of thing is called 'Khitan Snow' in our place. ', the prince's ordnance engineers can make it, and there are also small quantities sold at high prices, but the formula is absolutely confidential, how do we peripheral technicians know about it? "

In fact, Anna also knew in her heart that there must be one or two "core technicians" lying, because their Qur'an once said that under forced circumstances, New Moon believers can lie to other people of scripture or Kafele, and even Eating unclean pork to hide their identity, not to mention keeping this mysterious Khitan snow a secret. But it's hard for Anna to really have an attack, because the torture will damage Seleucia's entire "Ordnance Department team", and many technologies are still inseparable from this group of aliens.

So the princess could only sigh slightly, waved her hands, and said to the director, "Then use a small amount of gunpowder at the critical moment of Miliocephalon's camping fortifications to frighten the enemy. Then, try to preserve it through military and political cooperation. Seleucia." The melancholy princess in purple was preparing to leave with the support of the little sunfish. At this time, Samuelfa suddenly approached, holding a letter in his hand. This guy actually laughed and said, "This is actually something that His Highness Gawain specifically asked me to forward to you before he left. Sorry, it was just I’m just kidding you, His Highness Gawain has already instructed the Ordnance Department to manufacture the Khitan Snow needed for this kind of gunpowder!”

After finishing speaking, the group of Saracen and Persian technicians also lowered their heads and smiled awkwardly at each other, then stood up, indicating that they had just cooperated with the director's play.

"Ahhh!" Anna bared her fangs and looked at the still heartless Director of the Ordnance Department, thinking that the sudden and harsh sense of humor of these engineering technicians sometimes really made her want to kill them all. The urge to castrate - but Anna quickly calmed down, she whispered to Samuelfa, "Why don't I know when the Khitan Snow's manufacturing workshop started operating?"

"Of the money sent from the city of Bari, His Highness Gawain has always reserved part for it. A workshop was built at the entrance of the Mut Valley. Six hundred Syrians were working inside. The external cover was Paul Pie’s water mill.”

"It's him and that dark-skinned vixen who caused trouble again." Anna couldn't help but feel a little happy and a little resentful. "Tomorrow I will go on inspection in person and tell the vixen to be ready to welcome me. And - Khitan The formula of snow is top secret, and the Ordnance Department has tightened access control and security. If any technician or craftsman dares to leak it, the whole family will be executed."

After nightfall, the two curious female officials went to the delivery room on the lower floor to take care of the widow and the newborn Messadini. After all, women are more interested in babies. Anna did not go, sitting alone in the curtain. In the study, I read Gawain’s letter:

"I'm sorry Anna, it took me so long to tell you about Khitan Snow. The main reason is that I don't want to cause too much trouble, especially because the little sunfish has a lax mouth. You should also try to avoid the little sunfish in this letter." At this time. , a small glass bottle rolled out from the lead-sealed letter box, and inside was the salty "Khitan Snow", "Now please put it aside as I said."

Seeing this, Anna saw the basin in front of her. There was a basin in the middle that was also filled with water and mixed with some Levantine sugar. Then she uncorked the glass bottle and sprinkled the Khitan snow into the basin, and then magically The phenomenon appeared. The water jar was quickly covered with a thin layer of frost, and icy mist shrouded it. Soon after, Anna took out the water jar and pushed the mouth of the jar down. A pleasant sound sounded, and the water in the jar turned into Crushed ice cubes that are only available in the middle of winter...(not yet available) To be continued ~^~)