161: Chapter 161 Eighteen Types of Qin Law

Fan Zeng clenched his fists.

If the Qin Army were high in the sky, throwing those Skyfire series explosive packs at their rebel forces, the thought alone was terrifying!

The smarter Fan Zeng was, the more he understood that once the Hot Air Balloon was paired with other Sky-series weapons, the resulting combat capability would be far more than just a simple addition.

After staying in the sky for half an hour, Zhao Fusu turned off the burner and pulled open the circular vent at the top of the envelope to let the heat escape, causing the Hot Air Balloon to descend.

If rising in a Hot Air Balloon was like taking an elevator—experiencing g-force—then descending was like weightlessness.

Without hot air being pumped in, the envelope was no longer full; the airflow caused it to deform, and the entire gondola began to tilt.

The First Emperor gripped the handrails inside the gondola tightly.

His face was somewhat pale.

Despite Zhao Fusu saying the Hot Air Balloon was very safe, the First Emperor still felt very nervous.

It was true that Hot Air Balloons were said to be the safest aircraft.

But many accidents still occurred every year, especially during landing.

If the burner's flame wasn't controlled well, the Hot Air Balloon would make a hard landing.

Even though the gondola was made of vines, which could cushion a lot of impact,

a rapid descent could easily cause broken bones.

Zhao Fusu's expression was solemn; he continuously pulsed the burner to ensure the Hot Air Balloon's descent speed wasn't too fast.

When the Hot Air Balloon was not far from the ground, he turned the burner on again to further reduce the landing speed.

However, Zhao Fusu didn't dare to turn the burner's flame up too high.

Once the flame was too large, the Hot Air Balloon would rise again, which was not what Zhao Fusu wanted to see.

"Thud!"

Even though Zhao Fusu was extremely careful, the gondola still hit the ground at a speed of three meters per second.

Fortunately, everyone in the gondola was crouching and gripping the handrails tightly, so no one was injured.

The massive envelope collapsed over them, and people who had been prepared nearby pulled the ropes to drag the envelope to the side.

Zhao Fusu assisted the First Emperor out of the gondola.

"Your Maj— Master, are you alright?"

He Zhi was the first to run to the First Emperor and ask.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

The First Emperor was in high spirits.

He felt a thrill as if he had conquered the sky, leaving him excited and full of vigor, feeling much younger.

The elderly men like Gongshu Chou and Cui Wenzi were all glowing, boasting to those who had lost the rock-paper-scissors game about how beautiful the view was from the sky, making the elders who hadn't gone up stare at them with eyes full of jealousy and envy.

Zhao Fusu left the Great Qin Empire Academy of Sciences with the First Emperor.

After sending the First Emperor back to the manor, Zhao Fusu went to the Great Qin Empire General Administration of Press and Publication.

He went directly to the Director's office and ordered him to publish the news of the maiden flight of the Tiangong series Hot Air Balloon on the front page.

Zhao Fusu did this not only to help the Gongshu Family shed the label of 'trivial cleverness' but also to let the Great Qin Empire Weekly serve as a Strategic Deterrence Bureau.

He wanted to announce to the common people that their Great Qin Empire had successfully created the Tiangong series of aircraft, capable of manned flight.

To people of this era, manned flight was as mind-blowing as hearing about a manned moon landing.

Besides deepening the fear of the Anti-Qin Forces toward the Great Qin Empire, it could also pique people's curiosity about technology.

When people pursued technology, many talents interested in it would emerge.

After careful screening to confirm that their ancestors for three generations, including their social circles, had no ties to Anti-Qin Forces, they could be absorbed into the Great Qin Empire Academy of Sciences to enhance the empire's research capabilities.

After leaving the Great Qin Empire General Administration of Press and Publication, Zhao Fusu returned to Xianyang Palace to continue compiling the pinyin and dictionary.

He even found time to write investiture of the gods.

"His Majesty the Head of State."

Deputy General Pang reported to Zhao Fusu outside the study, "The people sent out have found thorium ore."

"Oh!"

Zhao Fusu was immediately overjoyed.

He walked out of the study and ordered the thorium ore to be sent to the Great Qin Empire Academy of Sciences.

Now that the kerosene lamps had kerosene, all that was missing was the thorium nitrate solution made from thorium ore.

To make a kerosene lamp emit white light, the mantle needed to be soaked in a thorium nitrate solution. When kerosene vapor was sprayed onto the mantle and ignited, substances like thorium nitrate on the mantle would undergo a series of changes under high temperature to produce thorium dioxide, which has light-emitting properties.

After crushing and grinding the thorium ore, Zhao Fusu obtained the concentrate.

Following the method for making thorium nitrate solution, he successfully obtained the solution.

Zhao Fusu soaked a mantle made of asbestos in the thorium nitrate solution and let it sit.

Once the mantle was thoroughly saturated with the solution, Zhao Fusu used tweezers to take it out. After it dried, he opened the glass lampshade and tied it securely to the plaster nozzle.

"Xiaer."

Zhao Fusu carried the finished kerosene lamp to find Wang Xia.

Although the First Emperor had told him to send the kerosene lamp over once it was finished,

how could the First Emperor be more important than his own wife? Seeing the sky was about to grow dark, he naturally had to bring the first kerosene lamp he made to his woman.

"Husband!"

Wang Xia called out and then continued her work at the desk.

Zhao Fusu walked over and looked at what Wang Xia was working on.

Since Zhao Fusu had appointed Wang Xia as the Legislative Chief of the Legislative Yuan, she had been busy recording the qin laws, transcribing them from bamboo slips onto paper.

The qin laws were the masterpiece of Legalism, covering all aspects and consisting of eighteen types, such as the "Statutes on Agriculture" (Tian Lü) concerning land cultivation and agricultural production.

The "Statutes on Stables and Parks" (Jiuyuan Lü) regarding livestock grazing and breeding.

The "Statutes on Granaries" (Cang Lü) regarding warehouse management.

The "Statutes on Currency and Goods" (Jinbu Lü) regarding money and property.

The "Statutes on Passes and Markets" (Guanshi Lü) managing tax duties at passes and markets.

The "Statutes on Artisans" (Gong Lü) managing state-run handicrafts.

The "Rules for Artisans" (Gongren Cheng) regarding production quotas for state-run handicrafts.

The "Statutes on Equalizing Artisans" (Jun Gong) regarding the mobilization of artisans.

The "Statutes on Levies" (Yao Lü) regarding the conscription of people for corvée labor.

The "Statutes on the Sikong" (Sikong) regarding the administrative duties of the Minister of Works.

The "Statutes on Military Merit Ranks" (Junjue Lü) regarding legal regulations for military ranks.

The "Statutes on the Appointment of Officials" (Zhili Lü).

The "Statutes on Verification" (Xiao) regarding the inspection and auditing of government materials and property.

The "Statutes on Postal Rations" (Chuanshi Lü) regarding the provision of meals at relay stations.

The "Statutes on the Transmission of Documents" (Xing Shu).

The "Miscellaneous Statutes of the Internal Secretary" (Neishi Za) regarding the administration of the capital.

The "Miscellaneous Statutes of the Commandant" (Wei Za) regarding the duties of the Commandant of Justice.

The "Statutes on Subject States" (Shu Bang) regarding legal regulations for the agency managing ethnic minorities.

After organizing for so long, Wang Xia had finally finished transcribing these eighteen types of qin laws onto paper and binding them into volumes.

Her husband truly was a god-like man!

Every time Wang Xia saw how bamboo slips piled as high as a small mountain could be recorded on paper into just a single volume that was extremely easy to carry,

her admiration for Zhao Fusu would skyrocket boundlessly.