Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

69. Do you really want to bring down Garfol?

The wind from the Hughes River blew through the corridor outside the window, and the governor's office fell silent, into an awkward silence.

Richard Wellesley remained silent for a long time, saying nothing, yet it seemed as if he had said a lot.

The task was there, and the huge gap in demand for nitrates was there.

Downing Street only cares about the results, not the process.

Megan wasn't stupid; she seemed to have read Governor Richard's unspoken message.

"Your Excellency the Governor..." Megan's attitude was respectful and measured. "I really can't increase production dramatically in a short period of time. Not only can I not do it, but I believe no one can do it, unless he is God."

However, Megan changed the subject, saying, "But I can guarantee that this year's output of Bangladeshi saltpeter will not be lower than the highest output of any previous year. I will do my best to achieve what I can; and I will never falsify or deceive you about what I cannot do."

Richard stared intently at Megan, his eyes darting around, thinking to himself that Megan was indeed a clever person.

This ambiguous statement avoided making any empty promises that couldn't be kept, thus preventing future accountability for failing to complete the task; it also gave Richard a way out and an explanation; and incidentally, it also set a trap for others.

If anyone claims they can do something that defies common sense and objective conditions, they are definitely bragging!

Even if Meghan ultimately fails to complete the task, no one can use this to criticize her.

"Alright." Richard Wellesley had no choice but to accept this explanation at this point.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency the Governor." Megan bowed her head in gratitude.

The two then chatted briefly about the frontline battle and trivial matters of Calcutta's administration. After their conversation, the brothers bid farewell to the governor and left his office.

Once the two reached the tree-lined avenue, Dugan finally spoke, asking, "Who was Richard referring to when he said, 'You can't do it, but someone else can't'?"

Everyone could see that Governor Richard's apparent compromise subtly hinted at a change in personnel, clearly implying something more.

Megan answered calmly, "It's Garfield."

Megan explained as she walked.

"Galfour and I are now the most direct competitors at the Kolkata headquarters. We are both on the Commerce Commission, and we are both in charge of finance, trade and resource allocation. Our responsibilities overlap significantly, and we are competing for the same position. The only difference is that I am in charge of the Bengal region, while Galfort is in charge of the Bihar region."

Bihar, India, is the core production area of ​​Indian nitrates, especially the Patna, Tirut, Chappra, and Sirwan areas.

Bangladesh and Bihar are contiguous areas and form the second largest nitrate-producing region in India.

"Galford was best at currying favor with his superiors, exaggerating his achievements, and making any promise he made."

Dugan instantly understood that the workplace is like a battlefield, and Megan was now facing a formidable competitor.

"Therefore, I suspect that Governor Richard will have both you and Garfield take on this task at the same time."

“That’s right.” Megan nodded, her tone tinged with understanding and sarcasm. “Perhaps Governor Richard sees me as conservative and incompetent because I dislike making grand promises. But Garfield’s forte is making promises without considering the actual situation. Even knowing the limitations of climate and technology, he dared to promise the governor and London that production would double. What he wanted wasn’t tangible results, but the opportunity to make a statement, take sides, and gain recognition.”

Dugan thought for a moment and said, "So, that means that as long as he takes on this task, even if he fails to complete it and production collapses, he can still leave a good impression on headquarters in London by virtue of his 'willingness to take responsibility,' thereby gaining leverage for promotion?"

Megan turned to look at her brother and smiled, "If a miracle or coincidence happens and production really does increase, even if it's just a little bit, Garfield can claim credit to Governor Richard and Downing Street."

Megan said with some helplessness, "Of course, I will do my best to squeeze out the existing capacity and we must not let Garfield get away with it so easily."

Sure enough, as soon as Megan and Dugan stepped out of the Governor's Mansion and got into their carriage, another carriage stopped in front of the Governor's Mansion.

A tall, thin middle-aged man, about the same age as Megan, stepped off the carriage.

"Ah, look who's here, Mr. Megan." The man took off his hat and bowed to Megan.

Megan returned the greeting mechanically, her face expressionless. "It seems Mr. Garfield has also received the Governor's notification?"

Galford smiled slightly, seemingly unfazed by Megan's coldness. "We both have important responsibilities, don't we?"

Then, Galford looked at Dugan and asked, "And who is this?"

“My brother, Dugan, is a colonel in the 108th Infantry Regiment,” Megan said.

"Oh, it's Colonel Dugan. I've been hearing your name a lot lately. You're quite a celebrity in India now." Galford bowed to Dugan again.

Dugan returned the greeting coldly, then looked Garfol up and down.

Judging by his character, if it weren't for Megan's assessment, Dugan wouldn't have been able to tell that this polite middle-aged man was a sycophantic and deceitful fellow.

Then, Dugan followed Megan into the carriage.

After the carriage had traveled some distance from the governor's mansion, Dugen said, "Brother, if you really want to defeat Garfort, I have a way to increase the production of nitrates, and by a factor of two."

Megan raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Of course, you're my own brother, there's no benefit for me in lying to you." Dugan pointed to the sky. "I swear to God."

"How do I do that?" Megan was intrigued.

"It can't be explained in a few words. You just need to do two things for me." Dugan held up two fingers.

"First, ask Major General Wellesley to extend my leave."

"Secondly, you must follow my instructions for everything from now on. Also, I will charge patent fees for this technology."

"Deal." Megan agreed without hesitation.

*****

Since we want to increase the production of nitrate, we must first consider the basic principles of its origin.

The principle behind the formation of nitrate soil is as follows.

First, plants absorb air, sunlight, and water, perform photosynthesis to generate energy, and store nitrogen compounds in their bodies.

Herbivores then eat grass and drink water, which is broken down by enzymes to produce energy. The byproducts are methane (commonly known as farts) and feces (ammonia).

Then, feces and urine (ammonia) are nitrified by nitrifying bacteria to produce nitrite.

Next, nitrifying bacteria convert nitrite into nitrate—potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate.

That's not all. Finally, these nitrates are broken down and reduced to nitrogen by anaerobic bacteria, forming a complete nitrogen cycle.

Nitrifying bacteria were discovered at the end of the 19th century; before that, people thought nitrification was caused by a natural chemical reaction.

By the end of the 20th century, nitrifying bacteria were described in detail in high school textbooks.

Of course, if a time traveler didn't go to school, or whose studies were disrupted by secretly passing notes to girls during chemistry class, then they have no one to blame but themselves.

In this day and age, whether Europeans, Indians, or Chinese, they are unaware of nitrifying bacteria, but that doesn't stop them from using composting to produce potassium nitrate needed for gunpowder.

China's collection of nitrate clay is one example; before Britain invaded India in the mid-17th century and took control of India's nitrate mines, it also produced potassium nitrate from compost such as horse manure.

According to the British consul, before the East India Company was established in the 17th century, the production of potassium nitrate through composting was an industry with a monopoly held by the British royal family.

Finally, even in Japan during its Sengoku period, there were people who used this method to produce potassium nitrate, such as the Honganji family, who were blocked from obtaining saltpeter.

They supposedly used silkworm excrement, and the gunpowder used by the Saiga and Negoro arquebusiers came from horse manure.

Therefore, nitrifying bacteria culture is a good method for mass production of potassium nitrate.

As is well known, India has no shortage of excrement, especially human excrement, followed by cow and sheep excrement.

For example, the current method of nitrate soil formation in India involves using cow dung to cultivate nitrifying bacteria.

Dugan was different from people of his time, who relied on observation and imitation to produce nitrates.

But Dugan understood the scientific principles behind it.

Since saltpeter is produced by nitrifying bacteria in the soil decomposing organic matter into nitrates (which are actually ammonia), and then reacting with arsenic, calcium, and magnesium in the soil to produce potassium nitrate and its calcium and magnesium nitrates.

So all you need to do is provide nitrifying bacteria with a good living environment and sufficient food resources.