stonecrandall Chapter 820 Even if it is true, Gao Yao is not afraid!
Chapter 820 Even if it is true, Gao Yao is not afraid!
Xiao He's analysis was like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, stirring ripples in Gao Yao's heart. His brow furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the smooth, hardwood surface of the desk, making a soft, thudding sound.
Did Xiang Yu possess gunpowder? From a historical perspective, this is simply a fantasy! From the alchemists' accidental discovery of the "Fuhuo Method" to the systematic extraction, formulation, and application of black powder with military value, there was a thousand years of mystery. The accumulation of technology, the shift in thinking, countless failures and occasional successes were by no means a one-time achievement. In the original historical trajectory, gunpowder's true appearance on the battlefield would not have occurred until the distant Tang and Song dynasties.
But this was also under normal circumstances. In this era, distorted beyond recognition by time travelers, it had long lost its meaning. Gao Yao's thoughts raced, like a sophisticated computer, instantly deducing several possibilities.
On the one hand, this is most likely the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's strategy of "driving the tiger to devour the wolf." This is the most direct and logical inference.
The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, impersonating Liu Bang and entrenched in the six northeastern prefectures, possesses a scheming mind deep within. Currently, his "King of Han" forces, though close to Xiang Yu's Chu army, are not in direct conflict. Both sides are well aware that Gaoyao, possessing a majority of the empire, advanced military equipment, abundant supplies, and an army of at least 300,000, is their common enemy. The principle of "lips and teeth are cold" is something the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan must understand.
In this case, his intention to reveal the method of making black gunpowder to Xiang Yu was much simpler and easier to understand.
This gave Xiang Yu, who possessed a powerful army but lacked siege weapons, the ability to instantly tear through the city's fortifications. The sharper this "knife" was, the more deadly it would be when it struck Gaoyao. If Xiang Yu led the Chu army into battle against the Southern Border Army, or at least inflicted heavy losses on Gaoyao, that would be exactly what the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan would have loved to see happen.
Furthermore, this would also help Xiang Yu's war machine and main attention be firmly locked on Gaoyao, forcing him to look east, thus buying precious time for his own development and expansion in the Northeast. The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan had probably already calculated the future development trends and Gaoyao's main attack direction when he chose these six counties.
Furthermore, the secret of black powder was no longer top secret within the Gaoyao army. Although it had not yet been fully deployed, generals and some core workshop craftsmen had witnessed its terrifying power to split mountains and split rocks. The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan must have learned of this through various channels.
Since the secret can no longer be kept, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan simply throws it out as a bargaining chip, using it to create more trouble for Gao Yao, why not? This is completely in line with the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's style of doing things by any means necessary to achieve his goals.
Gao Yao sneered inwardly. Previously, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan might have disdained such tactics, confident in his control of the overall situation, believing Gao Yao to be nothing more than a withered skeleton in a grave, unable to make a major splash. But now the tide has turned. Gao Yao has not only established a firm foothold, but has also demonstrated formidable potential for development and a significant military threat.
The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan felt the pressure, so he naturally did everything he could to make trouble for Gao Yao. As long as he could hurt Gao Yao, he didn't mind letting Xiang Yu hold the "double-edged sword" of black gunpowder in his hands.
Another possibility is that if the Chu army really has black gunpowder that can be used, it cannot be ruled out that there is another time traveler, Yi Xiaochuan, who traveled through time at the same time as Gao Yao.
Gao Yao's thoughts drifted to the Chu army camp. Yi Xiaochuan, the man who had traveled with him and now defected to Xiang Yu's camp, had been in the Chu camp for quite some time. With his modern knowledge and his relationship with Xiang Yu, it was indeed possible that he had discovered the existence of black gunpowder. After all, many things were ingrained in people through the test-oriented education.
To the ignorant ancients, gunpowder was a divine and demonic force, a force that subverted cognition. But for Yi Xiaochuan, a high school student with a modern education, it was simply a clear description from a chemistry textbook: one nitrate, two sulfur, three charcoal!
Admittedly, the gap between us was enormous. Where could we find saltpeter? What was its purity? How could we purify sulfur? What kind of wood was best for making charcoal? These were all questions we needed to explore.
Without precise scales and measuring cups, how could one guarantee the correct proportions? How could one avoid accidental explosions during the grinding and mixing process? How could one ignite it? How could one store it? How could one effectively use it in weapons? Each step was accompanied by enormous dangers and countless failures.
Yi Xiaochuan might have been bewildered at first, perhaps even unable to recall anything at all. But over time, with the resources and manpower of the Chu camp, and fueled by repeated experimentation and occasional successes... he might have been able to recall that forgotten knowledge, and through clumsy but persistent experimentation, he might have eventually concocted some explosive mixture. While its power, stability, and reliability were far inferior to Gao Yao's standardized products, as long as it could detonate, scare people, and work in a specific situation, it would be a huge help to Xiang Yu!
This is not impossible, but if the Chu army's current attack is really due to the existence of black gunpowder, Gao Yao would not be so worried. After all, Gao Yao has a systematic existence in black gunpowder and has studied it for more than ten years to reach the current level. Whether it is the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan or Yi Xiaochuan, it is impossible for them to surpass him in technology.
Afraid? Worried about being surpassed? Not at all! Whether it was the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan actively teaching, or the original Yi Xiaochuan "inventing" it himself, in Gao Yao's view, it was nothing more than copying others' ideas, and the result was a dog-like appearance instead of a tiger's!
Gao Yao's confidence stems from the comprehensive industrial chain he has built over years of painstaking effort. This system encompasses everything from raw material exploration and mining, standardized purification, precise ratio control, granulation, fuse technology, moisture-proof and sealed storage, and weaponization design tailored to specific combat scenarios. This is a vast and sophisticated system.
The Gaoyao workshop had accumulated a vast amount of experimental data and safe operating procedures at considerable cost. This experience was earned through bloodshed, and it was by no means something that could be achieved simply by knowing a formula.
Even more important was mass production capability. There was a world of difference between tinkering with a small can of explosives in the lab and having a steady supply of hundreds or even thousands of pounds of reliable gunpowder on the battlefield! Gaoyao's workshops boasted a sophisticated division of labor, assembly-line operations, and strict quality control. The competition, on the other hand, was likely still stuck at the stage of a handful of artisans mixing by hand, relying on intuition. This resulted in low production, inconsistent quality, and a high risk of injury.