The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 189: Mineral Output Increases

"Ah? Just the two of us?" The two soldiers were a little confused. The catapult they used to operate required at least ten people to pull it, and sometimes even oxen and horses were needed to pull it, before the throwing arm could be pulled down and fixed in the mechanism.

Now only two of them are coming?

This, I can't do.

Yue Wenxuan stepped forward and said with a smile, "Don't worry, two people are enough for the new trebuchet. Come over here... I'll teach you how to operate it."

After he brought the two artillerymen to the catapult, he explained to them the most basic principle of leverage. The two artillerymen were confused and didn't quite understand what force was. However, they had used a carrying pole to pry things since they were young, and they understood that using a pole with one end long and the other end short could pry heavy objects. After a while, they "knew the fact but not the reason."

Yue Wenxuan did not force them to "know the reasons", it was enough for them to "know the facts".

He directed two soldiers to work together, lifting a 30-kilogram rock into the swing arm. Then, using the downward force of the weight, he threw it… and with a whoosh, the rock flew over meters, landing with a thud that shook the ground.

Artillerymen: "Ouch!"

They immediately understood that the trebuchets they had previously used, which required ten people to pull the swing arm, would be hoisted and hammered by this counterweight trebuchet, which could be operated by two people. Whether it was shooting speed, shooting distance, or stability, this new trebuchet had the advantage.

Yue Wenxuan: "As artillerymen, you are more familiar with the military preparations of our rebel army than ordinary soldiers. We have firearms, but not many. We cannot fight the enemy entirely with firearms. For a considerable period of time, we will inevitably have to use cold weapons extensively. Therefore, this new type of catapult will accompany our rebel army for a long time."

The artillerymen listened attentively with serious expressions.

Yue Wenxuan continued, "Second Lady will urge the carpenters to build as many counterweight trebuchets as possible, and you all need to master their use as quickly as possible. Before the next Jin thieves arrive, everyone must be able to use them proficiently."

Artillerymen: "Yes, sir!"

Yue Wenxuan chuckled, stretched out his hand, and took all the old catapults out of the sand table.

Now, a large amount of command power has been released.

Just finished with the trebuchet...

Qian Zhuoqun ran in from outside: "Master, Second Lady, you are both here, that's perfect, I don't have to look for you on both sides."

Madam Gong Er: "What's the matter, Uncle Er?"

Qian Zhuoqun's face lit up with joy. "Well, there's good news from the Zhaoyuan Gold Mine. Mineral production has increased significantly in recent months, almost doubling last year's output. Also, the quality of the iron we're smelting has improved significantly. Our new batch of iron knives are truly legendary."

Yue Wenxuan was secretly delighted: Wow, great! The mining and smelting technology of the Ming Dynasty was beginning to come into play.

He had sent the Ming Dynasty craftsmen to the Zhaoyuan gold mines for several months. After the initial adjustments and equipment adjustments, the new production system began to bear fruit. Qian Zhuoqun said with great excitement, "The method the immortal craftsman taught us is truly remarkable. First, we use fire to brittle the stone. Then, we dig a few holes in the stone, fill them with gunpowder, and then, with a flick of the trigger... boom! The ore that would have taken days of hammering to break apart instantly shattered to the ground and could be easily picked up in a basket."

Yue Wenxuan nodded. This way of mining was certainly faster, but the downside was that it consumed gunpowder, and the rebels didn't have much gunpowder to begin with...

Yue Wenxuan couldn't help but ask, "How is the production of gunpowder going?"

Qian Zhuoqun beamed with joy and said, "Gunpowder production has increased nearly tenfold recently. We followed the rough map given by the True Lord and sent an experienced miner to search for mineral veins. He easily found a large saltpeter mine, as well as sulfur and iron ore near Tiger Head Cliff."

Yue Wenxuan gave the location of Laizhou Saltpeter Mine, one of the three largest saltpeter mines in China!
Later generations built an incredible saltpeter mine here, marked on the Gaode map. Yue Wenxuan compared modern maps with Song Dynasty maps and gave the miners a vague location. However, the mine was so large that even the vague location was easy to find. An experienced miner took a walk around the area and easily found it.

As for the sulfur mine, it is even more interesting. In modern Shandong, there is a pyrite mine in Laizhou City, which is rich in sulfur ore and iron ore. It is located to the west of Dasong Village.

Pay attention to the key point, Dasong Village!

Yue Wenxuan sent people to the location to check it out and found that the village had already existed in the Song Dynasty. Of course, it was not called Dasong Village, but Gaojia Village. Because the village was founded in the Song Dynasty, it was later called Dasong Village, and there are still Gaojia villagers in the village today.

The old miner sent by Yue Wenxuan walked to the hillside next to the village, and with a hoe he swung, a hidden mineral vein appeared in front of him.

Once the problems of saltpeter and sulfur were solved, gunpowder could be produced quickly.

With gunpowder, mining can use the "burning and blasting method" to further improve efficiency. With efficiency, there is more gunpowder, and with more gunpowder, there is higher efficiency...

It’s a positive cycle!

However, Qian Zhuoqun also brought some very bad news: "True Lord, several miners were careless when using the blasting method. They used too much explosives, causing a huge explosion. As a result, the mine collapsed and buried eight miners alive."

Yue Wenxuan: “…”

Well, this kind of thing cannot be completely eliminated even in modern times.

Yue Wenxuan could only sigh and say, "Give the eight miners a proper burial, provide their families with a pension, and have our officials arrange for the orphans and widows' future lives. If they wish to remarry, help them find a good, reliable family. If they do not wish to remarry, have the local headmen and village heads look after them and prevent playboys from bullying the orphans and widows."

"At the same time, a safety manual was compiled that clearly listed all safety precautions for working in the mine. All miners were required to memorize it and strictly follow the instructions in the manual. If anyone did not follow the safety instructions, their wages would be deducted at best, and at worst, they would be expelled from the mine and lose their job, to prevent them from harming other workers."

Qian Zhuoqun quickly bowed and said, "Your Excellency is so kind. I will make arrangements right away."

As everyone was chatting about this, a spy suddenly ran in. This was an old subordinate of Madam Gong Er, who had been sent to Jinan as an undercover agent not long ago. He was dressed in rags and disguised as a wandering refugee. When he saw Madam Gong Er and Yue Wenxuan, he shouted anxiously, "Something bad has happened! The real gold thieves are coming."

(End of this chapter)