From eunuch to emperor

"Anything else?"

Being able to turn the black soil of Hell Mountain into flammable briquettes is already shocking, but Long Chen actually said there is something.

Di Luoxi was very curious about what it was.

Long Chen took out a small jar from the room, inside was a dark, viscous thing, emitting a somewhat pungent smell.

Di Luoxi quickly covered her nose, Xuan Yi asked: "Xiaolonglong, what are you?"

Long Chen said: "This is coal tar that is condensed when drying coal."

Qingyue frowned and asked, "What's the use?"

Long Chen carried the jar and said, "Let's go outside."

After leaving the Ministry of Industry and arriving at the open space outside the palace, Long Chen took out a stick, paste coal tar on a few pieces of wood, and lit it with a torch.

Black smoke from the coal tar set the wood ablaze.

"This thing is better than kerosene. When it is thrown on the battlefield, if it sticks to the enemy's body, it can burn through the flesh and armor of the enemy."

Long Chen sealed the jar.

"That is to say, the coal in Hell Mountain can not only be used as firewood, but also be refined into weapons?"

Di Luoxi finally understood.

"Yes, that's it. The coal in Hell Mountain is enough for our Daughter City to use for hundreds of years, and the extracted coal tar can also be used as a sharp weapon for defending and attacking the city."

Long Chen asked people to put the jar away carefully, this thing will become the magic weapon of Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

In fact, there is also the extracted sulfur, which will be of great use in the future, Long Chen didn't mention it.

"Xiaolonglong, you are too powerful, you should be the Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry!"

Di Luoxi put her arms around Long Chen's shoulders, looking very intimate.

These days, Zhang Qian and Long Chen ate and slept together, went to the toilet and bathed together, and felt a little uncomfortable.

Seeing Di Luoxi and Long Chen being so close, the knot in Zhang Qian's heart finally melted away completely.

Anyway, the princess is hanging shoulder to shoulder with Long Chen, what do I have.

"Thank you princess."

"Tomorrow's court meeting, we will bring the briquettes to make those ministers completely shut up."

Di Luoxi was very happy.

Long Chen's becoming Minister of the Ministry of Industry is also beneficial to the development of Emperor Luoxi's own power.

The four princesses are all vying for the position of empress, and everyone is cultivating their own power. Long Chen has now become Emperor Luoxi's trump card.

...

Morning the next day.

The empress sat on the phoenix chair, and the civil and military officials stood in two shifts.

The eldest princess and the second princess were standing in the ranks of the civil officials, and Emperor Luoxi was standing in the ranks of the generals, but the third princess was not in the court. She went to the north to guard the border.

Long Chen stood in the queue of civil servants, and Minister of the Household Department Jing Heng glanced at Long Chen sideways, feeling very upset.

Minister of the Ministry of War Bai Qiulian's expression was flat, and Minister of the Ministry of Officials Bai Libing nodded slightly to Long Chen.

"Let's go to court, is there anything that needs to be discussed by the court?"

The empress is dressed in a phoenix robe, with a majestic and luxurious appearance.

"Shangguan Wei of Nanliang is recruiting recruits for training. It is said that the goal is to attack Linjiang City. I suggest strengthening the fortifications of Linjiang City."

Wang Wei, the minister of the Ministry of War, was the first to come out and report.

Nanliang sent spies to assassinate Long Chen but failed, and many chess pieces that had been lurking for decades were poached. Li Chengdao was very angry and ordered Shangguanwei to step up training soldiers and horses, and he must take back Linjiang City.

The Empress said, "Quite!"

Wang Wei, the minister of the Ministry of war, returned to the train.

Emperor Luoxi came out and said: "Mother, the Ministry of Officials proposed that if Long Chengen can solve the problem of firewood for the daughter's city, he can take the post of Minister of the Ministry of Industry. Now Long Chengen has solved it."

As soon as this remark came out, there was a commotion in the court.

"Solved? Solved the problem that has plagued us for decades?"

"How is it possible that a eunuch has actually solved a problem that several ministers of the Ministry of Industry could not solve?"

"Let's see, the princess said it was resolved, then let Long Chengen come up with practical solutions."

Listening to the arguments of the ministers of the DPRK and China, most of them still don't believe it.

Jing Heng, Minister of the Household Department, sneered and said, "Luo Xi thinks highly of this little eunuch. How many years has it been since the problem of burning firewood has never been solved, and he has completely solved it in just a few days?"

Di Luoxi hated Jing Heng very much, ignored his sarcasm, and said to the Empress, "Queen, Long Chengen used his unique technology to turn the black soil of Hell Mountain into honeycomb coal, which is better than firewood."

Hearing Di Luoxi's words, there were more criticisms and ridicules in the court.

"The black soil from Hell Mountain? That thing is poisonous."

"I heard that the Ministry of Industry went to Hell Mountain to dig soil, but I didn't expect it to be true."

"The Ministry of Criminal Justice regards Hell Mountain as a place to deal with heinous criminals, but Long Chengen actually gave us the black soil. What does that mean?"

"Only the untouchables would use black soil for heating, and the old man would never use it."

The ministers of the DPRK and China complained and protested again. They felt that coal was poisonous, and it was used by the untouchables. They had a noble status and should not use coal.

The empress said, "Is it better than firewood? Take it and see."

Di Luoxi beckoned, and officials from the Ministry of Industry immediately brought in several coal stoves, the briquettes inside were burning red.

When the other officials saw the coal stove coming in, they covered their mouths and noses and parted ways.

The poisonous smoke from Hell Mountain has been burning for hundreds of years, and everyone knows that coal is poisonous.

Di Luoxi put a kettle on it, and then said: "My queen, after Long Chengen's treatment, this coal has become a non-toxic briquette, and it has more heat, which is better than firewood."

"Most importantly, according to Long Chengen's estimation, the coal in Hell Mountain is enough for us to use for 500 years."

The officials in the court were shocked by Di Luoxi's words.

Enough for 500 years?

Minister of the Ministry of War Bai Qiulian walked over, clutching his nose, and looked at the coal stove, there was indeed no poisonous smoke coming out.

"How did you do it?"

Bai Libing, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, asked.

Long Chen said: "This is our dynasty's secret, Bai Shangshu only needs to know that honeycomb coal is unique to our dynasty, it is non-toxic and harmless."

Long Chen wasn't sure if there would be coal in Nanliang and other places, if they also had coal, the coal refining technology couldn't be spread to the outside world.

Wang Wei, the servant of the Ministry of War, said: "Everyone knows that black soil is poisonous. If Director Long can't tell us the refining technique, who would dare to use this black soil?"

Some of the other ministers nodded in agreement, thinking it was the truth.

Long Chen looked at Wang Wei suspiciously, and asked: "Wang Shilang, if I say it out and be learned by Nanliang Xixia, wouldn't it be considered an enemy?"

Wang Wei was speechless.

The empress got down from the phoenix chair, checked the coal stove herself, and then looked at the briquettes. The water had already boiled very quickly.

"Alright, Long Cheng'en has made great contributions again, and he deserves the position of Secretary of the Ministry of Industry."

The empress opened her mouth, but the ministers in the court couldn't say anything more.

At this time, Jing Heng, Minister of the Ministry of Households, objected: "Your Majesty, there were two tasks at the beginning, and Long Chengen only completed one, so he cannot be appointed Minister of the Ministry of Industry immediately."

Bai Qiulian, Minister of the Ministry of War, also said: "Yes, there is still a task to build a city for the northern border, which has not been completed yet."

The Empress looked at Long Chen, and said: "This... Since it's a bet, let's wait until the construction of the city is completed."

Long Chen bowed and said: "My minister obeys the order."

With coal, coal ash can also be used as a raw material for cement, making it easy to build cities.

"Okay, Long Cheng'en is in charge. The Ministry of Industry will immediately dig Hell Mountain and replace firewood with coal."

The empress was very happy. Although the court ministers were still suspicious, they couldn't object.