novelSusiti Chapter 39: Cooking Hell in a Pot, Lighting a Lamp for the Night
Chapter 39: Cooking Hell in a Pot, Lighting a Lamp for the Night
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Cooking Hell in a Pot, Lighting a Lamp for the Night
In the western suburbs of Xianyang, the collapsed area at the construction site of the Epang Palace resembled a huge scar, from which thick, foul-smelling black blood was continuously gushing out.
Although the fire was temporarily suppressed by a large amount of sand, the nauseating stench drifted with the wind into every corner of Xianyang City. The smell was different from the stench of dry latrines and the stench of rotting corpses; it was a strange mixture of burnt asphalt, rotten eggs, and aged vinegar. Just one whiff of it could make even the Qin steamed buns you ate for breakfast churn in your stomach.
The rumors did not subside as the fire subsided; instead, they intensified.
In the streets, there were even rumors that the First Emperor had severed the lifeline of the King of Hell, and that the black water was the manifestation of the resentment of the underworld; a single drop would cause flesh to rot, and a single whiff of it would shorten one's lifespan.
Although the black-armored guards of the Court of Justice surrounded the scene like an iron barrel, they could keep out people, but not the smell, and certainly not the panic among the people.
……
Inside the temporary windbreak at the Epang Palace.
Ying Zheng wore a thick silk mask, inside which he stuffed two cloves of garlic for protection and to refresh himself. Unlike the others who kept their distance, he stood by the bubbling mud pit, holding a long bamboo pole and stirring the black liquid.
"Tsk, so sticky."
Ying Zheng lifted the bamboo pole, watching the black oil drip down in strands, his eyes gleaming with an almost greedy light.
Behind him, Li Si and Zhao Gao were pale, not only because of the pungent smell, but also because of their fear of this unknown thing.
"Your Majesty, this...this is really a treasure?" Li Si covered his nose with his sleeve and said in a muffled voice, "To me, this looks like filth. If this stuff flows into the river, all the fish and shrimp will die; if it flows into the fields, all the crops will wither. Apart from being able to start a fire, it seems to be completely useless."
"Its ability to catch fire is its greatest use."
Ying Zheng threw away the bamboo pole and took the wet towel handed to him by the servant to wipe his hands.
"Li Si, you only saw its filth, not its 'ability'."
"We're burning coal now, which is stone. This stuff is fluid, it's a liquid. Think about it, to get coal upstairs, you have to carry it on your back and shoulders. But this stuff..."
Ying Zheng pointed to the water pipe next to him.
"Give it a pipe, and it will flow through by itself. Give it a pump, and it will spray into the furnace."
"Moreover, Little G said that after this stuff is refined, the heat it generates when burned is higher than that of the best fine coal."
Ying Zheng turned around and fixed his gaze on Zhao Gao, who was trying to shrink back into the crowd.
"Zhao Gao."
"This servant...this servant is here." Zhao Gao now feels a conditioned reflex of liver pain whenever he hears His Majesty call his name.
"Isn't your chemistry institute currently researching how to purify alcohol? What's that called... distillation?"
"Your Majesty, it is distillation. It involves boiling the liquor, extracting the vapors, and then condensing it into a stronger liquor."
"Very good." Ying Zheng pointed to the pit full of black oil. "Use this technique on this black water."
Zhao Gao's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down in the mud pit.
"Your Majesty! This...this thing can be cooked? This is flammable oil that catches fire instantly! If it explodes, I'll really be going to meet the King of Hell!"
"What? Are you afraid of dying?" Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes. "Do you expect me to cook it myself?"
"This servant wouldn't dare! This servant...this servant will go set up the pot right away!" Zhao Gao cried with a mournful face, cursing the ancestors of that unseen and intangible "Little G Teacher" for eighteen generations in his heart.
……
Shaofu is a remote courtyard that was specially set up for "oil boiling".
This place is three miles away from the main building of the Epang Palace. Fire prevention ditches were dug around it, and dozens of vats of sand were prepared.
Zhao Gao wore a protective suit made of raw cowhide, wrapping himself up like a rice dumpling, with only his eyes showing. He directed a group of equally fully armed craftsmen, operating a huge bronze distiller as if facing a formidable enemy.
This still was originally used to brew "Immortal's Intoxication," but now it's filled with that dark, murky crude oil.
"Turn the fire down! Turn it down! Don't burn the bottom of the pot!" Zhao Gao roared through a tin megaphone.
As the fire in the furnace heated up, a strange gurgling sound came from inside the still, as if a snoring monster was locked up inside.
At the other end of the gas pipe are several condenser tanks connected in series.
According to the "fractional distillation" principle given by Little G, the products that come out at different temperatures are different.
"Report! Magistrate Zhao, water has come out of the first jar!" a craftsman shouted.
Zhao Gao cautiously leaned over and took a small cup.
It was a colorless, transparent, highly volatile liquid with an extremely pungent odor.
"This is... gasoline?" Zhao Gao remembered that this was written in the little notebook that His Majesty had given him.
He didn't dare to light it for testing, so he quickly had it sealed and labeled "extremely dangerous".
As the temperature continued to rise, a pale yellow liquid, slightly viscous, flowed out of the second jar, with that distinctive kerosene smell.
"This is kerosene."
In the end, all that was left in the still was a pile of dark, sticky residue, like glue.
"This is asphalt."
Zhao Gao looked at the three items, his mind filled with doubt. Could separating and cooking that pot of black soup really turn waste into treasure?
Just then, Prince Huhai, who seemed to thrive on chaos, arrived again.
He rode his modified leaf spring suspension bicycle (made of wood, without a chain, and propelled by pushing off the ground with his feet) and sped into the yard.
"Teacher Zhao! I heard you've concocted some kind of magic oil?" Hu Hai threw down his cart, leaned close to the cup of kerosene, and said, "Let me see! Is it drinkable?"
"Oh my god!" Zhao Gao snatched the cup away. "You can't drink this! It'll rot your intestines! This is for the lamp!"
"Give the lamp a drink?" Hu Hai blinked.
Zhao Gao found a copper lamp, poured out the lard inside, replaced it with this pale yellow kerosene, then twisted a cotton wick and lit it.
"call--"
A bright, steady flame, without any black smoke, leaped up.
This light was three times brighter than a lard lamp! And it didn't have that burnt smell of burning lard.
Hu Hai's eyes shone brightly in the firelight.
"Wow! It's so bright! If we lit up the entire Epang Palace with these lights at night, wouldn't it be as bright as day?"
Zhao Gao was startled when he saw the ball of fire.
He suddenly realized that he might have actually created something extraordinary. In this era when the long nights could only be endured by the dim light of oil lamps, light itself was a tremendous power.
……
In the basement of an inconspicuous residential house in Xianyang City.
Zhang Liang was facing a dim oil lamp, looking at the intelligence report that had just been delivered to him.
"Black water...refining...magic lamp..."
Zhang Liang's brows furrowed into a deep frown.
"Is this Ying Zheng truly the chosen one? How come every calamity that falls into his hands turns into an auspicious omen?"
He unearthed a source of underground fire, but instead of killing anyone, he used it to refine it into an oil that could glow.
Zhang Liang stood up and paced back and forth in the narrow, enclosed room.
"We can't let him continue to have such a smooth journey. If the Qin Dynasty truly masters this divine art of 'Never Sleeping,' the people's awe of him will only deepen."
"That workshop must be destroyed."
A resolute glint flashed in Zhang Liang's eyes.
"That place where they extract the black liquid must be full of flammable materials. Just a spark..."
He pulled a black earthenware jar from his pocket; it contained "granular gunpowder" that he had secretly concocted based on a recipe he had overheard. Although its purity was not as high as that of the Imperial Household Department's, it was sufficient for arson.
"Tonight, let that 'miracle oil' turn into real hellfire."
……
As night fell, the construction site of the Epang Palace gradually quieted down, with only the patrolling guards still moving about.
In that remote oil refinery, the craftsmen had already finished work and were resting, leaving only a few guards dozing off.
A dark figure, like a raccoon dog, scaled the wall and silently approached the warehouse where the finished oil tanks were stored.
Zhang Liang, his face covered, moved with agility. He skillfully avoided the tripwires on the ground and arrived in front of the rows of pottery jars labeled "Extremely Dangerous".
"So many..."
Looking at the hundreds of jars of "gasoline" and "kerosene," Zhang Liang couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. If this were to explode, half of the Epang Palace would probably be blown to bits.
But he did not hesitate. For the sake of restoring the country and overthrowing the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, this price was worth it.
He took out his tinderbox, ready to light the fuse.
Just then, a very abrupt and somewhat mocking voice rang out behind him.
"If I were you, I wouldn't have started a fire there."
Zhang Liang froze and turned around abruptly.
Suddenly, countless torches lit up in the darkness, illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were daytime.
Hundreds of fully armed black-armored guards, wielding powerful crossbows, were pointing them intently at him.
Among the guards, the man in the black robe and mask was sitting in a grand chair, holding the iconic thermos in his hand.
Ying Zheng.
"You..." Zhang Liang gripped the tinderbox tightly, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You knew I would come?"
Ying Zheng slowly took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
"I didn't know you would come. But I knew someone would come."
"How could I possibly leave only a few sleepyheads to guard such a dangerous place?"
"This is called 'entrapment'."
Ying Zheng put down his cup, stood up, and looked intently at Zhang Liang.
"Zhang Liang, whose surname was Ji in the state of Han. It's been quite a few years since we last met after parting at Bolangsha, hasn't it?"
Zhang Liang's identity was exposed, but he calmed down instead. He removed his mask, revealing his handsome yet resolute face.
"Tyrant. You may have captured me, but you cannot capture the hearts of the people. As long as injustice exists in this world, there will be countless Zhang Liangs."
"Unfair?" Ying Zheng laughed, his laughter tinged with contempt.
"What you mean by 'public' is restoring the six kingdoms and letting those nobles continue to lord it over the common people?"
"Look at Xianyang now. The people have clothes to wear, meat to eat, and can even afford to light these bright kerosene lamps at night."
Ying Zheng pointed to a kerosene street lamp that had just been lit up next to him.
"I gave them light. And what do you want to give them? Do you want to blow up that light and leave them to grope in the dark?"
Zhang Liang stared at the blindingly bright lamp, speechless for a moment.
"Further words are useless." Zhang Liang raised the tinderbox in his hand. "Today, I will sacrifice myself for my cause!"
He made a gesture as if he was about to rush into the pile of oil tanks.
"collapse!"
A string was plucked.
Instead of crossbow bolts meant to kill, a huge fishing net descended from the sky, instantly covering Zhang Liang completely.
"Want to die?" Ying Zheng sneered. "Not so easy."
"I have said that the Great Qin does not support idlers, nor does it kill useful people."
"It's a waste to use your brain for destruction. Since you like playing with gunpowder so much, then go and be my 'explosion expert'."
"Guards! Take him away and send him to the Academy of Natural Sciences, to be handed over to the leader of the Mohist school. Let him study how to use gunpowder to mine, instead of blowing up my house."
Zhang Liang struggled in the net, roaring, "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! I will never serve the tyrannical Qin!"
Ying Zheng walked up to him, squatted down, and whispered:
"You will."
"When you see the future I have prepared for this world, when you see those trains, those giant ships... you will beg me to let you participate."
"take away."
……
Even after eliminating Zhang Liang, a major threat, Ying Zheng's mood was not much lighter.
Because of that black puddle, another accident has occurred.
It's not a bad thing, but... a good thing has turned into a troublesome thing.
Because the pumps were still working day and night, the underground pressure became unbalanced, and what was originally just flowing black oil suddenly turned into a fountain.
"Sizzle—!"
A black column of oil shot into the sky, reaching a height of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), as if the earth's artery had been pierced.
A large amount of crude oil gushed out, and there was no time to collect it. It was about to overflow the firebreak and flow into the Wei River.
"Your Majesty! It's not stopping! It's impossible to stop!" Zhao Gao rushed in, covered in oil, almost in tears. "The oil is too strong; it even blew the lid off!"
Looking at the spectacular geyser eruption, Ying Zheng felt a mixture of joy and worry.
The good news is that this oil field has astonishing reserves. The bad news is that current technology is simply incapable of handling this kind of high-pressure blowout.
"Little G".
[Your Majesty, this is a geyser. If left unchecked, it will be an ecological disaster and could trigger a massive explosion at any moment.]
You need a blowout preventer.
[A valve system is cast from high-strength steel and forcibly pressed against the wellhead, sealing it by rotating a gate.]
This requires extremely advanced casting techniques and sealing technology.
Ying Zheng looked at Zhao Gao.
"Zhao Gao, stop refining oil. Go and summon the best blacksmiths from the Imperial Treasury."
"Also, go and bring over Zhang Liang, the one who was just arrested."
"Tell him this is a test for him. Didn't he want to blow something up? Now let him figure out a way to plug up this hole that's about to explode."
"If it can't be plugged, I'll throw him into the oil pit to fill the well."
……
Three days and nights.
This corner of the Epang Palace was brightly lit.
Zhang Liang was forcibly pressed in front of the blueprints, with the leader of the Mohist school and Zhao Gao beside him. The three men—one a rebel who wanted to overthrow the Qin Dynasty, one a successor of the Mohist school, and one a treacherous minister—were now forced to rack their brains for the same goal: "blocking the tunnel."
"This part needs to be thickened! The pressure is too high, the pig iron can't withstand it, we need to use wrought iron!" Zhang Liang pointed to the blueprints, and once he entered the technical field, his intelligence was immediately apparent.
"The sealing rings need to be double-layered! The Eucommia ulmoides adhesive isn't hard enough, so we need to add copper gaskets!" Zhao Gao added.
"The auger needs to be precision machined! I'll go operate the machine tool!" The leader of the Mohist school rolled up his sleeves.
Finally, a massive iron valve weighing thousands of kilograms and with a menacing design—the Qin Dynasty version of the "blowout preventer"—was created.
Hundreds of strongmen, chanting slogans, braved the black oil rain to hoist the iron lump above the wellhead.
"fall!"
"boom!"
The blowout preventer slammed heavily onto the wellhead flange.
"Put on the bolts! Quickly!"
Dozens of burly men, wielding specially made wrenches, frantically tightened the massive bolts.
"Turn off the valve!"
Zhang Liang personally operated the winch, rotating the huge gate.
squeak - squeak -
As the gate slowly closed, the roaring jet of oil was finally cut off, turning into a compliant trickle, and eventually stopping completely.
A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.
Zhang Liang slumped onto the oil-stained ground, looking at the tamed "black dragon," and a strange sense of accomplishment welled up inside him.
He glanced at Zhao Gao, who was also exhausted like a dog, and the two looked at each other, surprisingly feeling a sense of camaraderie.
"Hey, you traitor." Zhao Gao handed him a steamed bun. "Not bad."
Zhang Liang took the steamed bun, took a bite, and gave a wry smile.
"What am I doing? Aiding and abetting evil?"
"No."
Ying Zheng's voice came from above.
He stood on the watchtower, watching all of this.
"This is called...building the Great Qin."
"Zhang Liang, welcome to the new world."
In the nearby laboratory, the kerosene lamp still burned quietly. Its light pierced the night, seemingly foreshadowing that the darkness of the Qin Dynasty would soon be over.
But Ying Zheng knew that the new challenges had only just begun.
With oil, with coal, with steel.
That "big guy" that's been all just drawing up plans on paper should finally get moving.
"Hu Hai".
"Your subject is here!"
"Go tell the Mohists. I want to build a road. Not a cement road."
"It's a road made of two railway tracks."
"I want the carriage to move on top of it myself."