Chapter 499: Zhao Xu's Gift

Latest website: "Your Highness, for the current method of manufacturing sulfuric acid, this official has adopted the calcination of pyrite and the lead chamber process."

Qu Sheng pointed to a boiler.

The craftsmen were throwing yellow iron ore into it; the boiler was connected to a ceramic pipe, and the pipe was connected to a cube built of red bricks.

Another pipe extended from the cube, leading to a ceramic jar.

Zhao Xu looked it over from top to bottom and nodded slightly.

Pyrite is iron disulfide, a very common type of iron ore.

It does not contain much iron, but it contains a lot of sulfur, so it is not suitable for iron smelting, but it is suitable for extracting sulfur.

In Great Song, this kind of low-quality iron ore is especially abundant.

Otherwise, in the modern era, there would not be such massive purchases of high-quality iron ore from Australia, to the point of being held hostage by others.

During the process of calcining pyrite, sulfur dioxide is produced, which passes through the catalytic lead chamber to be converted into sulfur trioxide, and finally enters water to become sulfuric acid.

This is the sulfuric acid industry that Qu Sheng has built.

In fact, in ancient times, the ancients were already able to obtain concentrated sulfuric acid through the distillation of chalcanthite and green vitriol.

However, Yanzhou is rich in iron ore, so it is obviously low-cost to manufacture sulfuric acid by calcining pyrite.

Moreover, the calcined iron ore can also be used for iron smelting, allowing for repeated use.

After visiting the process of manufacturing sulfuric acid, Zhao Xu went to the workshop for manufacturing nitric acid.

In fact, sulfuric acid is the foundation of the Three Acids; once sulfuric acid is obtained, preparing the remaining two is simple.

Nitric acid can be obtained by reacting sulfuric acid with niter.

Hydrochloric acid can be obtained by heating sulfuric acid with table salt.

Since both hydrochloric acid and nitric acid are volatile acids, one only needs to connect a pipe to collect them.

And because of this relationship, the nitric acid workshop and the hydrochloric acid workshop were both built near the sulfuric acid workshop.

With the problem of the Three Acids solved, Zhao Xu did not go to see the preparation of caustic soda.

He had already established the corresponding workshop when manufacturing soap.

He and Qu Sheng went directly to the workshop for manufacturing soda ash.

Currently, Yanzhou's soda ash mainly relies on purchasing alkali ore from Yuzhou.

However, because the alkali ore is located within the territory controlled by the Wang Family, once the mask is torn off, the supply of soda ash will face problems.

Therefore, even though the process of manufacturing soda ash is cumbersome, he still had Qu Sheng establish it.

After all, he has always followed the principle of being prepared for a rainy day.

"When preparing hydrochloric acid, sodium sulfate is generated simultaneously, and calcining pyrite yields iron oxide; heating these two together with charcoal yields soda ash," Qu Sheng said, looking at the busy craftsmen.

At this moment, there was calcined black powder in the workshop; the craftsmen poured the black powder into water, filtered it with gauze, and then took it outside to heat it, thus obtaining white soda ash.

Having finished explaining the entire process of the Three Acids and Two Alkalis, Qu Sheng let out a heavy sigh of relief.

This is the reason why Yan Wang handed the Three Acids and Two Alkalis over to him all at once.

Because once one of these things is obtained, the remaining things can be successfully obtained.

"Hmm, it's already starting to take shape." Zhao Xu witnessed the whole process and was quite satisfied.

Although the preparation methods Qu Sheng came up with were extremely primitive.

Although the quantity prepared could be called scaled, it was only relative.

It is estimated that it is just enough for use.

This is also something that cannot be helped; industrialization needs to be done step by step and cannot reach the sky in a single bound.

However, with the commissioning of Wang Chong's Steam Engine, Yanzhou will possess the ability to manufacture complex machinery.

In the future, the output of all walks of life in Yanzhou will see a leap.

After inspecting the Chemical Workshop, Zhao Xu instructed Qu Sheng to take good care of the injured students and then headed straight back to the Government Office.

At this time, the meeting at the Government Office had just ended, and Liu Fu gathered the infrastructure achievements summarized by the officials during this period into a booklet and handed it to Zhao Xu.

"Newly added 2.8 million mu of garrison fields, 106 bridges built, 336 li of water channels excavated in total..."

While Zhao Xu was flipping through the booklet, Liu Fu was reciting on the side.

"To have these results in this period of time is truly not bad." Zhao Xu nodded in praise.

Before the Jinzhuzhizhan, he had settled part of the commoners who came from Jinzhou and incorporated the other part into the production battalions.

Later, Ma Han drove a million people into Yanzhou, and more than half of them were again incorporated into the production battalions.

Therefore, the scale of the production battalions under the jurisdiction of the Government Office is still very large.

At that time, he adopted this strategy to take in the population without being dragged down by the large number of people pouring in.

After all, the food he had stockpiled was limited, and he had to let them become self-reliant in time.

Thus, the organization of the production battalions for work-relief appeared.

The government gives the refugees food, and the refugees cultivate the fields under the unified jurisdiction of the government.

Afterwards, the garrison fields are distributed to them, letting them become free commoners on the land of Yanzhou.

Now, Liu Fu gave him a phased result.

Obviously, his strategy is beginning to show results.

"More than three hundred li of water channels excavated, so many?" Zhao Xu glanced at Liu Fu sideways, a bit disbelieving.

Liu Fu said: "Replying to Your Highness, many of these water channels are three or four meters wide, so more were dug."

After a pause, he said smugly: "Moreover, this official has applied the Work Points Your Highness spoke of at the school to practical use. In addition to letting the Agricultural Construction Battalion participate in digging the channels, we also encouraged the local commoners to dig channels to earn Work Points. After the three-year term expires, they can exchange the Work Points for food."

"You kid is playing a 'white wolf with empty gloves' trick." Zhao Xu glared at Liu Fu, "Your guts are getting bigger and bigger, but do the commoners really believe that?"

Liu Fu chuckled and said, "It all relies on Your Highness's immense prestige. The commoners now trust the Government Office very much. Of course, there are those who are unwilling, but the Government Office did not force them."

Zhao Xu nodded, "Although this matter was done a bit rashly, the environment around Yanzhou is still not optimistic. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The commoners are suffering and tired now, but once this King strikes a blow, I will let them live a good life."

The reason Liu Fu made empty promises to the commoners was naturally due to the financial issues of the Government Office.

Although the trade profits in Yanzhou are abundant, the places where Yanzhou needs to spend Silver are also vast.

This policy of Liu Fu's will save the Government Office quite a lot of expenses for at least three years, allowing the Silver to be spent where it is most needed.

For example, the construction of Warships, industrial upgrades, and the war against the Northern Di.

In short, this time he is determined to strike fear into the enemy, completely reverse the offensive and defensive situation, and lead Yanzhou into the Age of Discovery.

As the two were speaking, a yamen runner reported that Zhou Yi was outside requesting an audience.

"Let him in," Zhao Xu said; it was he who had ordered Zhou Yi to return to Yancheng.

From now on, Zhou Yi's fleet would play an important role in his military campaigns.

Before long, Zhou Yi walked in.

Zhou Yi was a bit dark now, a result of long-term exposure to the sun at sea.

Revealing a set of white teeth, Zhou Yi said, "Your Highness, this time I have come to bring you a rare object; please take a look, Your Highness."

Having said that, he took a round, plump object from his bosom, held it in his hand, and extended it before Zhao Xu.

Liu Fu glanced at it and shook his head; he had never seen this before.

But because this thing was so ordinary, he was not very interested in it either.

Yet when Zhao Xu saw this object, he could not help but have his breathing quicken, and he asked urgently, "How did you obtain this thing?"