Chapter 48 Xing Dairong Gets Slapped

Chapter 48 Xing Dairong Gets Slapped

Lu Lingyun perked up immediately upon hearing from Dong Sheng that Cheng Yunshuo had cordoned off the outskirts.

"Did you find anything?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm?" Lu Lingyun was puzzled.

"Miss, my brother said that after His Highness and the others surrounded the area and searched it, they found a pile of black lumps. The steward said they were firecrackers, but His Highness didn't believe it and ordered them to light them. Guess what happened?"

"Stop teasing me, just tell me." Lu Lingyun poked Xia Mei's head.

Xia Mei giggled, "My brother said those black lumps popped and fizzled like weak firecrackers—just smoke, barely any sound!"

Lu Lingyun: "......"

"I don't know what those people are up to, always so mysterious, only to end up with something that isn't even proper firecrackers." Xia Mei laughed uncontrollably.

Lu Lingyun watched her laughing and couldn't help but chuckle too.

She had always been good at judging people, and the loud-mouthed Xing Dairong hadn't disappointed her.

When she called her shallow, it wasn't out of malice; the girl probably had some fresh ideas, but they were only skin-deep, never explored in depth.

"This is the divine weapon you gave me, which would bring me fame and glory!"

In the Luo family's private residence, a black lump was thrown in front of Xing Dairong.

Xing Dairong, who was having afternoon tea in the courtyard, was stunned for a moment before quickly realizing, "Did you make the explosives?"

"Hah! Explosives? Who do you think you can fool!" Luo Heng looked at Xing Dairong's clueless face, "I really must be crazy to believe a woman like you!"

"Impossible!" Xing Dairong stood up firmly, "Did you follow my recipe exactly?"

Luo Heng sneered, "One part sulfur, two parts nitrate, three parts charcoal, right?"

"That's right!"

Xing Dairong was utterly convinced. One part sulfur, two parts nitrate, three parts charcoal—she was certain she hadn't gotten it wrong.

This was the best formula for gunpowder! Anyone who studied chemistry in middle school knew this!

Seeing Xing Dairong still so confident, Luo Heng felt he was the fool, not her!

How could he have believed a woman like Xing Dairong, full of nonsense, just like that fool Cheng Yunshuo!

Because of one sentence from her, he had smuggled her out and been tricked into making these explosives, making himself look ridiculous!

Xing Dairong, seeing Luo Heng's agitated and betrayed expression, picked up the iron lump again and said seriously, "As long as we follow my ratio, there's no way it can go wrong!"

"Then try it yourself!" Luo Heng pulled out a flint and steel and handed it to her.

Xing Dairong, determined to prove herself, lit the fuse and tossed the iron lump away. "Quick, hide!"

"Hah! Hide?" Luo Heng grabbed Xing Dairong, preventing her from hiding inside the house.

"What are you doing? It's dangerous."

"Just a bit of smoke, no sound at all. Where are you going to hide?"

As Luo Heng spoke, the ignited iron lump sizzled and emitted thick smoke, but there was no explosion as Xing Dairong had expected.

Xing Dairong stared in disbelief at the smoking lump, which only produced small popping sounds like weak firecrackers before fizzling out.

"How could this happen?"

"Do you still have the nerve to ask how this could happen?" Luo Heng was furious, "We followed your recipe exactly, using the ratio of one part sulfur, two parts nitrate, three parts charcoal. To ensure accuracy, I had each component weighed dozens of times!"

Xing Dairong, hearing this, stared blankly at the burned-out gunpowder, confused. "It can't be. It can't be. The book clearly states this is the formula for gunpowder."

Xing Dairong indeed hadn't gotten it wrong.

But she had memorized the chemical formula!

One part sulfur, two parts nitrate, three parts charcoal is the molecular formula for gunpowder (S + 2KNO3 + 3C = K₂S + N₂↑ + 3CO₂↑). However, the actual formula requires recalculating based on the molecular weights, which means the true ratio is approximately 75% potassium nitrate, 10% sulfur, and 15% carbon.

Since the invention of gunpowder, its ratios have been refined countless times. By the Ming Dynasty, the closest approximation to the chemical formula had already been achieved. Even if Xing Dairong had memorized the black powder formula, it wouldn't be the optimal one. Europeans later discovered that nitrate was the primary explosive component and adjusted the ratio to 78% or higher, creating more powerful explosives.

Of course, Xing Dairong truly didn't know this.

She didn't realize she had memorized only the chemical formula and overlooked practical details, making it impossible to create gunpowder.

She had knowledge but only theoretical; in practice, it was far-fetched, much like her idea of making money through a buffet.

Shocked by the failure of her confidence-filled creation, she desperately sought reasons, "Was the nitrate not purified? Was there too much impurity in the sulfur? Did you use too little charcoal?"

"Smack!" A slap landed on Xing Dairong's face.

Xing Dairong, doubting everything, gradually returned to reality.

"You're still putting on an act!"

"Luo Heng!" Xing Dairong, not angry but more panicked, clutched Luo Heng, pleading, "Try again, please. I'm not lying to you! Please, try again!"

Humans are indeed strange creatures.

In front of Cheng Yunshuo, she would never act like this. Even when the buffet went bankrupt and she splashed water on him, she could still throw tantrums at Cheng Yunshuo as she pleased, taking it for granted that he should still try to placate her.

But now in front of Luo Heng, she had to be as humble as possible, fearing that he would no longer give her another chance.

"Do you think I'd believe you again?!" Luo Heng shoved Xing Dairong away.

Ever since bringing her back, he had faced one mishap after another: falling out with Cheng Yunshuo, damaging his carefully maintained social relationships, being scolded by his parents, and enduring countless sneers behind his back. He felt like a fool, deceived by Xing Dairong.

For her sake, he had boasted to his parents, and his mother had looked at him with strange eyes more than once, telling him how much of an embarrassment Xing Dairong was to the Luo family and mocking him for being blind and foolish to believe in her. Now, everything was true.

The truth stung like fire, infuriating Luo Heng so much that he no longer pretended to be a gentle gentleman, revealing his cruel nature. Looking at Xing Dairong, who was still stubbornly insisting he give her another chance, he grabbed the tray from the table and struck her viciously.