The exact time of the invention of gunpowder is disputed. However, the first time that the gunpowder formula was explicitly recorded in a book was the Fuhuo alum method mentioned in the "Lead, Mercury, Heptane Zhibao Collection" written by Yuan and Qing Xuzi in the third year of the Tang Dynasty: "Two taels of sulfur, two taels of nitrate, and three and a half coins of aristolochia...... Put the medicine in the jar and ...... on the ground Smoke rises. ”

Still in the Tang Dynasty, it was recorded in the "Zhenyuan Miaodao Strategy": "Those who burn sulfur, realgar saltpeter and honey, and burn their hands and embers with fireworks; Saltpeter...... The living should not be burned with three yellows (sulfur, realgar and orpiment), etc., and they will see disaster immediately. It was also during the Tang Dynasty that gunpowder was officially used in the military.

In fact, gunpowder was discovered by Taoist alchemists as early as the pre-Qin and Han dynasties. The famous First Emperor and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were both bent on longevity. So the monks at that time began to refine the elixir for the emperor. The indispensable thing for alchemy is charcoal. Saltpeter and sulfur have long been regarded as medicinal materials by doctors, and saltpeter and sulfur are listed in the "Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica", which was written in the Qin and Han dynasties.

The alchemists made a bunch of strange things, and then refined them with fire, and after refining some substances that were incorruptible in water and insoluble in fire, they thought that if people took this thing, they could absorb these immortal and incorruptible substances, so as to achieve the effect of immortality. When the emperor heard this, he also thought so, so he ordered the scholars of the world to make alchemy. When refining pills, Taoist priests also knew that many things were too poisonous, so they added mild things such as honey to the pill recipe to neutralize it, and at the same time used fierce fire to cauterize it to subdue the toxicity of sulfur, arsenic and other materials. So that the toxicity disappears or decreases. This is the origin of the Taoist method of subduing the fire alum. Since there is sulfur and saltpeter in the pill, and honey, aristolochia, and pine resin are charcoal when burned with fire, fires and very slight explosions often occur when the alchemy is refined.

Gunpowder can burn and explode, alchemists have known it for a long time. Ge Hong, a famous Taoist master in history, in the immortal medicine chapter of "Hug Puzi", has a record of him using realgar, saltpeter, pig intestinal oil and pine resin to make alchemy; At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Sun Simiao also wrote the "Danjing Inner Sulfur Method", saying that sulfur and saltpeter were used to grind into powder...... But this thing can not achieve the elixir, and it is also very dangerous, so the Taoist alchemy sect abandons it. Hundreds of years passed, and by the time of the Tang Dynasty, this party gradually spread and passed into the hands of military strategists. The Taoist priest dismissed it, but the soldier saw the value of the object at a glance. From then on, gunpowder began to be used in warfare in earnest.

Qingyang, as a Taoist Waidan sect, naturally knew the properties of saltpeter, sulfur and other substances, and was pointed out by Liu Bei to use saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal to synthesize gunpowder. Although I don't know the proportion of the specific formula, I often carry my own private goods in my research. But in countless tests over the years, Liu Bei finally developed gunpowder that could be used for military purposes.

Liu Bei was very happy about the early appearance of gunpowder, and after he went back, he wanted to let Gongcao's people cooperate to develop a weapon that could exert the power of gunpowder. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a pity to blow up the city gate with gunpowder. I also think that Qingyang is also a talent, but he is obsessed with alchemy and does not do his job. It's a shame.

In the summer of May, Zhang Fei was in Qingzhou and married Xiahou. Zhang Bo and Xiahou Lian both arrived. Liu Bei originally wanted Zhang Fei to wait a few more years, after all, he was too young. But he felt that it was not good for the Xiahou family to be raised in his own house, and when he saw Zhang Fei happily waiting for marriage, he stopped caring about it. If you're happy, just toss it. Liu Bei himself brought the bridge back in Jiangdong, Lu Heng was fine, but Luo Yeke had been playing with a little character for a long time, and he had only recently coaxed it.

However, he said that Wen Ping and Liu Pan arrived in Jingzhou, and they were summoned by Liu Biao before they rested for a few days. It turned out that Cai Mao and Pang Ji went south to quell the rebellion, and they attacked Zhang Xian for a long time. Liu Biao thought about it, but he still felt that it was safer to send Wenpin and Liu Pan to go, after all, the military is not Cai Mao's director.

So Wen Ping and Liu Pan led the army south to replace Cai Mao and Pang Ji.

When Sun Jian got Yuzhang, he ordered his Sun Ce to sit in Yuzhang, and he led his army into Jingnan to support Zhang Xian. Liu Biao got the letter, was furious, and ordered Jiangxia Taishou Huangzu to go down the river, and plundered the two counties of Yuzhang and Lujiang.

When Zhou Yu heard this, he led his division to fight, and the two armies fought a big battle in Peng Lize. Huang Zu has been on the battlefield for a long time, and Zhou Yu is well versed in strategy. The two are evenly matched, regardless of victory or defeat.

Sun Ce heard this, so he sent his cousin Xu Kun to help. Xu Kun, a wealthy family in Wu County, his mother is the sister of Sun Jian. Xu Kun followed Sun Jian early, and followed him in the southern and northern battles. has many military exploits, although it is not as famous as Sun Jian's Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Huang Gai and other generals, but it is also listed with Zhu Zhi, Wu Jing, Sun Ben, etc. At this time, he was in the position of a partial general, and Sun Ce guarded the Yu Chapter. Xu Kun got Sun Ce's order, so he led the army to Chaisang, wanting to join forces with Zhou Yu to fight against Huang Zu.

Fang wanted to cross the river, and suddenly saw the east wind blowing, and the white waves in the river were surging and rushing. The lieutenant lieutenant of the tent then persuaded: "General, it is better to rest less, and wait for the wind and waves to calm down, how about crossing again?" ”

Xu Kun said: "The military situation is urgent, Gongjin is waiting for me in Xunyang, and there is no delay." How can the wind and waves stop me? He didn't listen, so he led the crowd across the river.

When the boat reached the center of the river, suddenly countless boats upstream lined up and went down the river. On the big ship, the yellow flag waved in the wind, and a man sat on the deck, with a horizontal knife on his knees, not the Huang Zu, who was it.

When Xu Kun saw Huang Zu's soldiers coming, he ordered the armor soldiers to operate the boat and prepare to meet the attack. The lieutenant persuaded: "General, the east wind is blowing at this time, and it is not good for our army in wartime, so it is better to go." ”

Xu Kun said: "I also want to go, but Huang Zu is ready to come." It's better to fight to the death and survive in death. ”

Huang Zu saw that Xu Kun did not flee on the river but took a position, and said with a stunned smile: "This general is a little bold. Then he ordered the whole army to prepare for battle.

After a while, the two fleets were approaching each other, first with archers on both sides firing at each other. Huang Zu ordered Meng Chongzhou to attack. The outside is narrow and long, and it is said that Meng Chong is also in conflict with enemy ships. The ship was not large, the hull was narrow and very fast, and the bow had ramming angles, which were specially designed to ram enemy ships.

Meng Chongzhou went down the river from the upstream at a swift speed, and soon collided with Xu Kun's fleet. The sharp collision angle slammed into the hull of the Jiangdong ship. The small ones were directly knocked over and sunk, and the big ones gradually began to leak after a huge earthquake. Xu Kun also has Meng Chong, but he is under the headwind and water downstream, and he can't impact Huang Zu.

There were also armor warriors in the middle of Meng Chong's boat, and after hitting the enemy ship, they each took their swords and shields and jumped up. A bitter broadside battle began. Xu Kun and the captains of the colonels rescued their own troops who fell into the water with Meng Chong, and at the same time operated a boat to fight the Jingzhou army.

All of a sudden, I saw screams everywhere, countless people turned over and fell into the water, blood flowers appeared, and they became the soul of the river bottom, full of fish belly. Xu Kun drove Meng Chong, cutting down countless Jingzhou soldiers along the way, and rescuing his own soldiers one after another. Everyone drove the boat behind Xu Kun, shouting loudly and marching forward with noise.

Huang Zu was on the flagship ship, saw Xu Kun gathering the crowd, the more he fought, the more brave he became, and saw that the enemy ship in the river had the Xu character flag, he frowned and thought about it, and suddenly stroked his palm and smiled: "Who is my Dao, it turns out to be Xu Kun." This man is Sun Jian's nephew, and I will capture him. ”

So he ordered the trebuchet on the ship to shoot it to show the way for his own army. Huang Zu sent a stone to shoot Xu Kun, and when the Jingzhou army saw it, they knew that he must be the chief general of the Jiangdong Army, so they cheered, rushed together, and came to fight Xu Kun one after another.

Huang Zu and Xu Kun fought in the middle of the river, and there were spies in Xunyang Water Village who had already found out the results, so they reported it to Zhou Yu. When Zhou Yu heard the letter, he said: "Xu Kun is a cousin of Bofu, I have to save him." So he led the water army to the rescue.