In the whole mining area, the master master who was the best at playing with black powder was known as "Niu Wuzhi".
This is of course not the real name. In order to prepare black gunpowder to help mine ores, in this life, only five fingers of the "cow five fingers" are left, distributed irregularly on both hands. He has three apprentices, the youngest one has been with him for forty years, and the youngest one is fifty-eight years old, and none of them have been apprenticed until now.
Because both the master and the apprentice feel that their skills have not yet been mastered.
This group of four masters and apprentices is famous in Ruoda's Xiangzhou mining area. Because the black powder they prepare every year can increase the ore output in the mining area several times. From the mine director to the ordinary mine friends, no one fails to worship and respect them. It seems that people in the Tang Dynasty also realized to some extent that "technology is the primary productive force".
Therefore, Niu Wuzhi and others are really awesome, of course in terms of temperament. It is said that apart from things like flint and mining areas, they can't put anything else in their eyes. Needless to say, mine managers and mine friends, even the magistrate of Xiangyang County and others have to go to great lengths to talk to them—
You have to roar loudly, but not too fiercely. Otherwise, if Niu Wuzhi gets angry and gives up his job, the entire Xiangyang County government will suffer, and the iron and copper tribute tasks assigned by the imperial court will never be handed over.
Of course, these were told to Qin Mubai by the accompanying government officials. Niu Wuzhi's name is so famous that almost everyone in Xiangyang County knows it. There are often women who scare children who cry in the middle of the night like this - "If you cry again, you will be caught by the five fingers of the cow!"
Then the child stopped crying. Tried and tested.
"Xiangyang is really a crouching tiger, hidden dragon. I didn't expect there to be such a big shot!" Qin Mubai was very happy after hearing this. Even if he didn't deserve gunpowder, he still had to meet this "hero" who could stop a child from crying at night.
People saw it.
Nearly eighty years old, a very bad and sloppy old man. He is thin and stooped, almost two heads shorter than Qin Mubai. Every trace of skin on his body was pitch black, but the few sparse hairs were completely white. They must have not been washed for a long time, and the messy strands were mixed together. Most of his teeth were missing, and one side of his nose was crooked and raised upwards. The three fingers on his left hand looked like a harpoon, and the two fingers on his right hand looked like a natural "V" shape of victory. They were exactly five when put together.
This reminded Qin Mubai of the terrifying monster, Gollum, in "The Lord of the Rings".
"Niu Wuzhi, this is a high-ranking official from the capital. He is now the great hero of Xiangzhou and the captain general of the military government. He comes to see you personally!" A government official shouted loudly into Niu Wuzhi's ear.
Niu Wuzhi had a blank look on his face, blinked his dry and cloudy eyes a few times, and shouted louder than the yamen servant: "I don't know, don't bother me, I'm very busy!"
Everyone was stunned by his roar. They didn't expect that such a skinny and short old man could roar with more power than a galloping horse, like thunder on the ground.
"Niu Wuzhi, don't you know how to show off! The general has something to ask you for help!" The two government officials began to yell into his ears, which made him angry. He used the harpoon in his left hand and the right hand to attack the two officials respectively A cross on the face—
"Get out!—or my house will be blown up!"
Everyone was stunned and had goosebumps all over the floor.
"This old man is really tough. He has been playing with black powder all his life. When he plays with black powder, his temper is like gunpowder." Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing, and all the government officials laughed.
Although Niu Wuzhi's ears were not good, when he saw the postures of the people in front of him, he must have known that they were laughing at him. Without saying much, he reached into his pocket and took out a half-foot-long, finger-thick tube. The thing roared: "Why don't you get out? I'll blow you up to death!"
"Wow!—" The government officials screamed loudly in shock, and the crowd immediately retreated.
Qin Mubai felt a chill in his heart, but he didn't run away. Instead, he calmly took out a stack of paper and walked to Niu Wuzhi, unfolded the first page, and showed it to him.
Niu Wuzhi raised his head and glanced at Qin Mubai, as if Qin Mubai was his father-killing enemy. Then he glanced at the paper with disdain, suddenly startled, and was attracted to it.
So, he opened his eyes wide, moved his face about three centimeters in front of the paper, and looked at each word line by line very carefully. Later, his expression became extremely excited and he shouted: "Where did it come from?"
The roar made Qin Mubai's eardrums hurt and he really wanted to run away. Without waiting for his answer, Niu Wuzhi threw away the things in his hands, and Harpoon and Shengli came to snatch the things in Qin Mubai's hands.
Fortunately, with his quick eyesight and quick hands, the "explosive formula and refining method" in Qin Mubai's hands avoided the attacks of the harpoon and Shengli. Niu Wuzhi was obviously a little angry, but this time he didn't get angry. Instead, he swallowed his saliva and pressed his withered lips, shouting: "Give it to me!"
"Why?" Qin Mubai laughed.
"Except for me, no one is worthy of such a black fire thunder!"
"Isn't this formula amazing?"
Niu Wuzhi suppressed his anger and nodded reluctantly: "Yes!"
"It's more powerful than the Black Fire Thunder you've been pondering all your life, isn't it?" Qin Mubai deliberately provoked him.
"You won't know until you try it!" Niu Wuzhi got angry and yelled, "Give it to me quickly! I won't live long, time is precious!"
"I can give it to you." Qin Mubai slowly folded the paper, put it in his arms, patted his chest, and said, "But you have to work for me from now on!"
"Okay!" Niu Wuzhi agreed without even thinking, "As long as the black fire thunder prepared by this method is really better than what I made myself, I will stop working here and will only prepare medicine for you from now on!"
"Wu-Master Niu, you can't do this!" Several miners in charge heard Niu Wuzhi's roar from a distance and ran over in a hurry.
"Stop them!" Qin Mubai ordered. The government officials rushed forward and drew their knives. The mine managers could only stand back in fear and looked anxiously at this side, as if what Qin Mubai wanted to take away was not a bad old man. Son, but the lovely wife who is about to accompany them into the bridal chamber.
"Is it a deal, Niu Wu Zhi?" Qin Mubai smiled at him.
"Stop talking nonsense, bring me the formula! If I can make such a black fire thunder, my life will not be in vain! I don't care about the rest! I must keep my word, otherwise I will be sent to hell and be killed by the King of Hell. Hook your tongue with an iron hook!"
This was an extremely vicious oath for a dying old man.
So Qin Mubai nodded and said, "Take your disciples, tools and materials and follow me."
"Okay! I'll call them right away!" Niu Wuzhi responded loudly, turned around, pushed through the crowd and jumped into the haystack like a rabbit, disappearing in an instant. After a while, he appeared in front of Qin Mubai with three white-haired old men, dragging two piled-up mules and carts, and said, "Let's go, get ready!"
"You are quite cheerful. Let's go then!" Qin Mubai laughed and was about to leave with a group of people. The people in the mining area were dumbfounded and almost knelt on the ground and cried and begged - if the cow walked away, wouldn't it mean that they would be exhausted to death? Damn it, they are working day and night, but the progress is not as good as before.
"I will explain the reasons to the governor's office and ask the government to reduce your tasks. Don't worry, I will never embarrass you." Qin Mubai dropped these words and walked away.
The people in the mining area finally took a reassurance and felt at ease.
"Hey, this high-ranking official is so awesome! Just a casual word can make us change between life and death!"
Qin Mubai rented a farmyard in a remote place in the suburbs and used it as a "scientific research institute" for Niu Wuzhi and others. Niu Wuzhi had brought all the tools and equipment that needed to be prepared. There were quite a lot of things loaded on the two mule carts, and they were unloaded and piled up throughout the yard.
"As an official, send two people to run errands for our old man, cook, wash clothes and clean the toilet, and give him some money to buy materials. You don't have to worry about the rest." Niu Wuzhi said in a bullish voice, "Within ten days , give you new gunpowder!”
"Ten days?" Qin Mubai frowned.
"If you have the ability, go ask someone else! You won't be able to figure it out in a year!" Niu Wuzhi roared angrily.
"Okay, ten days will be ten days. Food and drink are enough, so you just have to work hard to prepare the medicine." Qin Mubai smiled, "Do you want a woman?"
"roll!!"
Qin Mubai left two government servants to serve these old men and returned to the Governor's Mansion. Then he secretly sent several confidant sergeants in the mansion to secretly protect and keep an eye on him. This new gunpowder formula is tantamount to a "big killer" in this era. If it strays outside, it will be like a missing nuclear weapon, which will definitely cause panic and threats.
Then Qin Mubai replied to Li Ke and said that after ten days, he would decide to explore the Xihetrough again depending on the situation.
"It is best to unearth the secrets there within two or three months." Li Ke said, "Because during this period, you can just go to the capital and back. By then, there may be envoys from the imperial court arriving. , Wu Meiniang and Gao Yang may also arrive. The less people we disturb, the better."
"Okay, I understand. Then, see you in ten days. I'll go back to the military mansion first, and you can send someone to keep an eye on Niu Wuzhi," Qin Mubai said.
"Okay." Li Ke agreed with a solemn expression.
It seems that he attaches great importance to the secrets of Xihe Caoli. It was about the royal family, and his mind was focused like never before, and he was very concerned about it.
"Then I'll leave first."
"Don't worry." Li Ke suddenly stopped him and said, "There is a person who has been staying with me all this time, and you didn't say anything about how to deal with it. Aren't you making things difficult for me?"
"You mean, Zhang Tong?" Qin Mubai frowned.
"That's it." Li Ke sighed softly, "I put this kid under house arrest in the backyard. He ate and drank little all day long and squatted in the corner without saying a word. If he continues like this, he will die in a few days. Although he was hated for being a traitor, it was quite pitiful to see his appearance. When asked what he wanted, he only said that he wanted to see General Qin once, and he said that he would die with peace of mind after meeting you. ”
Qin Mubai felt a faint pain in his heart, but his face was cold: "Does he still have the nerve to see me?"
"Forget it. When a person is about to die, his words are good, so why not go there?" Li Ke said, "Anyway, he has been with you for so long, and he has worked hard before."
"You've already asked for mercy for him, so let's meet him!"
So, Qin Mubai came to the yard where the servants lived in the backyard, and the yamen servant who was responsible for guarding opened a woodshed.
The room was messy, filled with piles of firewood and withered grass, and the light was dim and smelly. Zhang Tong, who was dirty and messy and looked like a beggar, was huddled in the haystack in the corner. He didn't know whether he was asleep or dead. Even Qin Mubai didn't react when he walked up to him.
Qin Mubai kicked him lightly, Zhang Tong bounced all over and finally woke up.
"With all this vigilance gone, are you still Baiqi?" Qin Mubai said coldly.
Zhang Tonglun looked at Qin Mubai blankly and murmured: "It must be a dream, it must be a dream!"
"What a fart dream!" Qin Mubai shouted, "Zhang Tong listens to the order!"
"No!" Zhang Tong bounced up like a spring and stood up straight.
"Go back to Chang'an, go back to your hometown!" Qin Mubai scolded.
Zhang Tong was stunned, and his entire expression froze. He opened his mouth, but did not dare to speak.
Because Qin Mubai didn't speak, his subordinates didn't dare to talk nonsense. Qin Mubai said: "If you fart, just let it go."
"General, you... you won't kill me or punish me?"
"Nonsense. If I tell you to get out, just get out!"
"You...you should at least give me a good beating and scold me!" Zhang Tong suddenly burst into tears and choked up, "I beg you, my subordinate! You can either kill me or give me a good beating. Curse me to death!"
Qin Mubai looked at him and said calmly: "If your crime is not punishable by death, there is no need for me to kill you. When it comes to beating and scolding, since you already understand in your heart where you are wrong, why should I bother you?"
"General... you are more aggrieved than killing me, beating me and scolding me!" Zhang Tong's tears just flowed down, "I really... didn't expect it!"
"Stop talking nonsense and let's go!" Qin Mubai said coldly, "From now on, I will forget that you are Baiqi and that you know me, Qin. Baiqi will also forget that there was Zhang Tong in the army. "
After saying that, Qin Mubai turned around and left.
"General!!..." Zhang Tong howled miserably and fell to his knees together.
"I beg you!—just kill me!"
"I won't kill you." Qin Mubai said this and left.
I was saying in my heart, just like, even if my hands and feet develop disgusting sores, I will not destroy them.