Entomologist in Sichuan Tang Clan Chapter 394

394
Plating 3

As I approached Hwa-eun’s explanation and checked the liquid that had fallen on the iron bar, I was certain that it was the sulfuric acid I was looking for.

A colorless, odorless substance that corrodes iron.

He smiled and asked another question.

Now we just need the third and final ingredient.

“Then, would it be possible to get some saltpeter as well?”

Then, Hwa-eun and her grandfather looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

An expression that seems utterly bewildered.

Looking at the expressions on their faces, the thought crossed my mind that it might not be easy to get this.

‘What? Is it controlled because it’s a strategic material? I thought that since fireworks are made and sold here and there in the Central Plains, there wouldn’t be such strict regulations?

‘The counterfeiting was previously blocked by a loophole, but it’s now blocked by a stricter one.’

I had a really good time with the currency counterfeiting earlier, but I got caught in a situation where I thought it would be easy to get a hold of.

Saltpeter is potassium nitrate.

Since it was a material for making gunpowder, I thought it would be managed separately by the government.

In history class, we also learned that China restricted salt exports to prevent Joseon’s military from becoming stronger.

At that time, the grandfather spoke to Hwa-eun with a serious expression.

“Just like Hwa-eun said a few days ago, So-ryong needs to stay home for a while. Ahem.”

“Yes? At home?”

“Yeah, I guess I’ll have to stay home and not go out.”

No, I asked a question and they said house arrest.

Did you ever think of him as someone who made something dangerous out of gunpowder?

When Hwa-eun was a little embarrassed, she nodded and agreed with her grandfather’s words.

“Surely, Little Dragon should stay home for the time being.”

“That’s true. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone ask if there’s salt in the Sacheondangga.”

“What is that?”

Everyone reacted that my house arrest was a given.

When I made a bewildered expression, Grandfather Mandokshin asked with a frustrated expression.

“Hey, do you know where in the Central Plains there is the most salt?”

“I don’t know?”

If I knew that, would I have asked you to save me salt?

Grandfather Mandokshin-kun reprimands me for my quick answer.

“What a boast, you little punk! Saltwort grows most abundantly in the northern part of Myeonyang, Sacheon Province.”

“Sacheon-seong, Myeonyang, Bukbu-myeon···.”

‘Is this the northern part of Myeonyang?’

If you are talking about the northern part of Myeonyang in Sacheon, it is right near Dangga Mountain.

That is to be expected, because the river flowing in front of Danggasan Mountain flows through Myeonyang.

So, when I returned by riding the Geumdo, I also came up via Myeonyang.

As I blinked, Hwa-eun explained in detail with a satisfied expression.

“Little Dragon. The Sichuan Tang family sells poison and medicine, but they also make a profit from the salt mine. My grandfather said that since you don’t know much about your family, you should stay home and learn about it.”

“Oh, I see.”

When I asked why he had ordered me to be placed under house arrest, he said it was like going to a kalguksu restaurant and asking if they had dumplings.

Usually, most kalguksu restaurants sell dumplings as a side dish, but it’s like asking for it without even checking the menu.

It must have been absurd for the son-in-law of the family to not know what kind of business the family was running.

I scratched my head and smiled awkwardly at my grandfather’s gaze.

‘If it feels awkward, just smile.’

“Ahahaha···.”

“Funny… So, is there anything else you need?”

He showed his ignorance about his family, but he didn’t seem angry.

When asked if there was anything else he needed, I decided to just say whatever came to mind.

“A few ironsmiths, a few craftsmen who make poisons, saltpeter, what was that thing called? Hwaeun? A stone gallbladder?”

“It’s Seokdamjeong.”

“Oh, right, Seokdamjeong.”

“We just need a few ironsmiths, a few craftsmen who make poison, and some saltpeter, stone tablets, and majeun. Oh, and our Lang Xiang, too. We also need Ho Ye.”

-Cookie?

Hwa-eun blinked and asked at the words that Ho-ye was needed after Lang-hyang.

“What? I don’t know what’s going on, but isn’t it dangerous? Those kids don’t seem to have been trained yet?”

Hwa-eun seemed worried because I almost suffocated Ho-ye once, but now they have opened their hearts to me.

He said with an expression that said there was no need to worry too much.

“You don’t have to worry too much, since Hoye has opened her heart to me. Hwaeun. She came and hugged me when she came back this time.”

“You held it?”

Where did the angelic Hwa-eun, who had been giving me a cute expression a little while ago, go? Hwa-eun’s eyebrows were raised in a V shape.

Hwa-eun’s expression changed from that of a celestial to that of a demon.

They say that women usually become stronger after they have children and change from being women to mothers, but our Hwa-eun seemed very strong, perhaps because she had many children.

‘Just making eye contact makes me break out in a cold sweat.’

Reading Hwa-eun’s expression, it was clear that she was worried that after causing such a fuss last time, she had even hugged me without saying anything and that was dangerous.

“Ah, no, I didn’t say I hugged you. I hugged you first···.”

When I stuttered and couldn’t answer properly, Hwa-eun looked at her grandfather and said.

“Grandpa, it’s not the family, but the little dragon that should be locked up in the room.”

Then my grandfather smiled pleasantly and said,

“Hahaha. Okay, then I’ll lock you up in your room right now. Tie you tightly to the bed and lie down right next to you to guard you tightly.”

“There was such a way! …Huh?”

‘No, isn’t that a prize?’

I thought I was going to lose my mind, but the grandfather gave me a reward.

Hwa-eun made a delighted expression, but soon her cheeks turned red.

***

“You’re really tame, Hwa-eun. And you don’t have to touch the kids this time.”

“That lie will be true this time, right?”

“of course!”

“So it’s a lie?”

“Oh, no.”

They say Sacheondangga specializes in poison, but they’re also good at selling traps.

As expected of a Sacheon Dangga person who is good at dealing with really sinister things, Hwa-eun also asked trap questions well.

So, after struggling with Hwa-eun’s trap questions for a while, he was barely able to escape after promising several times that he would handle Ho-ye with care.

“You really have to be careful.”

“yes yes.”

“I feel like the answer is a bit dry.”

“No way.”

After being released, he immediately started working with the poison manufacturers of the Tang family at the poison manufacturing facility that his grandfather, Mandokshin-gun, had taken him to.

The outer hall, not the inner one, of Mandokjeon, where I had previously visited to make the Jidamhwan that would set the Tang family straight.

This is my first time hearing about this place, but there are so many different tools they make.

“You must listen carefully to what Soryong says and follow it. You must not lack even an inch.”

“Yes, Grand Master.”

“Just give me the order, Little Dragon.”

My grandfather told me not to neglect anything I tell him to do, and then stepped aside.

He stood before the craftsmen who made the poison and asked if they had the necessary tools.

“First, we need to collect the seaweed and make it into water droplets.”

I asked the still, and the answer came right back.

“Oh, I guess you’re talking about something like boiling alcohol and collecting the steam from it.”

“Yes, yes. That’s it.”

“It’s used to concentrate poison, so of course it’s in the family tree. What can I do with it?”

The first step in making fake silver is to prepare sulfuric acid.

Once you have your sulfuric acid ready, you can move on to converting it into nitric acid.

I explained what I knew.

If you have a nitrate, it’s relatively easy to make nitric acid.

“First, you need to melt the stone damjeong by exposing it to sunlight and adding salt. Slowly put the stone damjeong in a bowl with salt and let it melt.

You should never do it the other way around. You should slowly pour the stone mortar into the bowl with the salt.

“You have to make sure there is good ventilation and be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Little Dragon. We know that Seokdamjeong is dangerous.”

The process of making nitric acid begins by pouring sulfuric acid onto the saltpeter to create a mixture of the two.

The process involved dissolving the saltpeter in sulfuric acid, and once this was complete, the next task was to distill nitric acid.

“Then, you can boil the mixture of the two and collect the steam that comes out of it. Never boil it vigorously.”

The ideal temperature for distilling nitric acid is 70 to 80 degrees.

When I told him the precautions, the person in charge nodded and asked.

“Okay, Little Dragon. Would it be okay if I just collected those?”

“No. If you put silver in the collected water, the silver will dissolve. Please give me the dissolved silver water. That’s what I need.”

“Okay, let’s get started right away.”

After the explanation was over, the experts in making poison bowed their heads and immediately began their work.

He covered his face and nose with something called an admiral’s cannon, opened all the windows of the building, lit a fire in the brazier, and placed a still.

“Then please step back.”

“All right.”

As we went out of the building to begin the actual work, I heard the voices of the family members who had been watching from outside the door.

“Huh, this is very systematic. I wonder how it becomes silver.”

“I’m curious too. Little Dragon.”

“I’m curious too, son-in-law.”

Perhaps because of the rumor that I was making something new, the craftsman showed up and gave me an intense look as if he was asking me how I could make silver out of it.

But I couldn’t tell you now.

“It’s no fun if I explain it in advance. Everyone, go back and come and look at it when it’s finished.” “Don’t say that. Tell me first, son-in-law.”

“Okay, Soryong. I’m curious, so tell me in advance.”

“No.”

My father-in-law and grandfather Mandokshin looked disappointed at my firm words, but Hwa-eun smiled and asked, as if she thought it would work out for her.

“Can’t I? Little Dragon, can I? Right?”

A smile that makes you confident that even if the other person doesn’t know, he will tell you.

I smiled and answered back.

“Even gratitude is not acceptable.”

“Huh? Little Dragon? I, I can’t do that either?”

“It’s no fun if I tell you now. And it’s better to show you than to explain.”

It’s not that I said no because I was upset about getting scolded earlier.

‘Well, it does have some influence.’

Since I don’t know things like chemical reaction formulas, it was even more difficult to explain them.

That’s why I said it couldn’t be done, but Hwa-eun made a bewildered expression as if she didn’t know it wouldn’t work out for her too.

Feeling a little offended.

I felt like it would be dangerous to stay here, so I quickly headed to my next destination, Cheolbang, avoiding Hwa-eun and the two elders.

An area on one side of Danggasan Mountain where smoke rises.

When I arrived at the iron cell, I told someone nearby that I had arrived. The leader of the iron cell ran out to greet me.

“Welcome, Little Dragon. My name is Kwon Gyu-sam of the Iron Fang. I have heard your story. What should I make for you?”

He was a man with gray hair and muscular arms. I took out a Majeun I had prepared in advance and handed it to him.

“You can make something exactly like this and give it to me. Since it’s called Yong-eun, you should engrave Yong-eun on the outside.”

“Are you asking me to make an ordinary dragon?”

“No. Let’s make it out of iron, but let’s empty it and fill it with something else. But make sure that the filling doesn’t shake. Its weight should be the same as that of the silver.”

The leader of the iron smithy initially thought I was asking for a plain Majeun, but what I needed was an iron object of the same weight.

He nodded at my explanation.

“I understand what you mean. How much should I prepare and give you?”

“How about ten light ones first?”

“Okay, I’ll get it ready right away. I’ll make the outside out of copper and fill the inside with clay.”

“i look forward to.”

Okay, then I guess we’ve finished preparing both things.

I thought I should give Lang Xiang a bath in distilled water.

Because I had to extract Lang Xiang’s poison.

Then the preparations were complete.

Once all the materials are made like that, what if we add the cyanide extracted from Lang Xiang’s body to the silver nitrate made by the poison makers, and then put in the fake silver made by the iron men, and then run an electric current through it through Ho Ye?

That was silver plating using electricity by adding cyanide, a cyanide compound, to silver nitrate.

‘They say that poison is very useful if used well.’

This is the content that I did in my previous life, where I went to a university chemistry lab to find out if cyanide, which was used by a songwriter like Lang Xiang, could be used to plating silver.

Silver plated content.

Is this content exclusively for reading the text based on the knowledge gained there?

‘I prepared this for you. It’s exclusive content.’

I was really curious when they later found out that the guys were fake silver.