Chapter 468: The Military Bureau that Shocked Jiang Qingzhi
Jiang Qingzhi went to the forbidden area.
I first maintained the small machine tool, started the generator, and let the small machine tool run for a while.
Amid the roar of the generator, Jiang Qingzhi closed his eyes.
How did the West colonize the world?
It's firearms.
As early as the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the application of firearms had been greatly developed, and spread to all parts of the world with the Mongol conquest.
The West obtained gunpowder and firearms, and after many improvements, they created the matchlock gun.
The initial matchlock gun was not powerful enough and the firing procedure was cumbersome, so it could only be used as an auxiliary weapon on the battlefield.
As time goes by, firearms have made great progress after years of improvements, especially muskets.
At this time in the West, the musket had gradually become the main weapon, and played a decisive role in the process of conquering the Incas.
"My Lord, Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Works wants to see you." A maid knocked on the door.
What is Jiang Hua doing here?
Jiang Qingzhi turned off the generator and went out. He saw the maid's head almost hanging down to her shoes.
"There's no need for that." Jiang Qingzhi said.
The maid still didn't dare to look up, "Madam said that those who spy here...will be severely punished."
Jiang Qingzhi smiled, and when he arrived at the front yard, he saw Jiang Hua was a little restless, so he smiled and asked, "Did something big happen?"
Jiang Hua said, "When I returned to the Ministry of Works, I heard people say that..." He pointed outside, "Those people were overjoyed after learning about today's debate. They are all waiting for you to produce treasures that benefit the country and the people. If you don't live up to your reputation, you will pay the price. If I had known this, I would have given you a few craftsmen yesterday..."
"A few are not enough." Jiang Qingzhi said.
"How much does that cost?"
"Dozens, hundreds."
"Just kill me!" Jiang Hua smiled bitterly. He knew that Jiang Qingzhi wanted top craftsmen, more than a hundred of them, which would be a big loss for the Ministry of Works.
Jiang Qingzhi asked, "By the way, Minister Jiang, have you ever heard of a fire gun?"
"Firearms?" Jiang Hua frowned. "More than 20 years ago, we fought with those white-skinned Western vassal states and seized some firearms. They were taken away by the Armory. How come..."
Whoosh!
Jiang Hua only felt a flash before his eyes, and then Mr. Jiang disappeared.
The Armory Bureau was one of the institutions in the palace, mainly responsible for forging military weapons and ironware needed in the palace.
"The Arms Bureau?"
The Taoist frowned and looked at Jiang Qingzhi, "You have been like Sun Wukong lately, restless. Why do you want to find the military bureau again?"
"I would like to ask about the muskets that were seized that year."
This was history that Jiang Qingzhi did not know, and he was eager to find out the truth.
"Are you sure about your treasure that will benefit the country and the people?" asked the Taoist priest.
"Don't worry." Jiang Qingzhi said confidently.
"When have you ever made me feel at ease?" When it comes to being at ease, the Taoist priest is furious. "I ordered you to go to Yunnan, but you took the initiative to turn against the Mu family, making me sleepless and worried... I finally waited for the victory report, and I was about to sleep peacefully for a few days, but then I received the news that you were going south to prepare for a war with Mang Ruiti, and you made me..."
Seeing that Jiang Qingzhi was just listening, Emperor Jiajing felt powerless and waved his hand, "Take him away!"
Huang Jin lowered his head and said graciously, "Chang Wei Bo, please come in!"
After going out, Jiang Qingzhi waved to Zhang Tong and said, "I want to ask you something."
Zhang Tong raised his head, "Chang Wei Bo wanted to ask if Your Majesty didn't sleep well?"
This kid is smart... Jiang Qingzhi nodded.
"Your Majesty ate much less every day during that period. Sometimes he was alone. When I saw him, he would grit his teeth, as if he wanted to punish someone. Sometimes he would be in a daze alone..."
"Long Wilbur, Long Wilbur..."
"what!"
Jiang Qingzhi sobered up and said, "I understand."
He glanced inside the hall and saw that the Taoist had closed his eyes, probably going to meet the Taoist Master again.
“What a nice weather!”
Jiang Qingzhi felt that a man with sore eyes was a sign of lack of ambition, but at this moment he couldn't help but feel sore again and again.
It is a kind of happiness to be remembered by others. However, when he arrived at the Armory and saw those swords, spears, and halberds, Jiang Qingzhi's sense of happiness disappeared.
"Where are the firearms?"
Facing the eunuch Chen Shi, who was in charge of the Military Equipment Bureau, who came to greet him, Jiang Qingzhi asked in astonishment.
The Bingzhang Bureau was actually the weapons research and development center of the Ming Dynasty. Many firearms that came later were developed here one by one, manufactured in various places and then transported to various parts of the Ming Dynasty.
Chen Shi said, "Inside."
Jiang Qingzhi followed him through two courtyards until they reached a large courtyard with many water tanks placed outside.
There were many craftsmen inside who were concentrating on making firearms, and Jiang Qingzhi saw many semi-finished and finished products.
"This is the Divine Fire Flying Crow. It can fly into the enemy's territory and detonate, burning enemy supplies or exploding to injure people." Chen Shi said proudly.
Jiang Qingzhi's cheeks trembled, "Good stuff."
"This is a fire dragon emerging from the water. It can be mounted on a warship and fly out to attack enemy ships."
Chen Shi glanced at Jiang Qingzhi, worried that this nobleman was here to find fault. If Jiang Qingzhi said to Emperor Jiajing that the weapons made by the Armory Bureau were not good enough, he would have to pack up and leave.
Jiang Qingzhi looked calm, which made Chen Shi feel uneasy. Little did he know that Jiang was already in a state of panic at the moment.
The so-called Divine Fire Flying Crow, isn’t this the prototype of the rocket launcher?
And the fire dragon came out of the water...it actually has two-stage rockets, damn! If the power of gunpowder was not as good as expected, wouldn't this be the ancestor of anti-ship missiles?
Jiang Qingzhi was numb.
"This is Ten Thousand Enemies. It's packed in a box. When the enemy breaks in or gathers under the city, light it and throw it down. The flames will shoot up into the sky!" Chen Shi's voice was filled with enthusiasm. "Ben Bo thinks that the name Ten Thousand Enemies is not nice."
"What does Long Wilbur think it should be called?"
"Molotov cocktails!"
Jiang Qingzhi was really numb.
He always thought he was awesome, and coming to Ming was like a dimensional strike. Especially in his understanding of firearms, he felt he was far ahead of the world.
When he saw these firearms, he felt like he had come to Germany at the end of World War II. Although the country was in danger, countless cutting-edge technologies were being nurtured. After the country was destroyed, it benefited the two giants at the time.
If Man Qing inherited these and carried them forward, wow!
Unfortunately, that family’s minds were filled with how to guard against the Han people, and they wished they could destroy all weapons of mass destruction.
What kind of rapid-fire rifle is this... Holy crap!
Jiang Qingzhi pointed to a firearm and asked, "What is that?"
Chen Shi picked up the firearm and said, "This is called a chain musket. It's not appropriate yet. Does Long Wei Bo think it's inappropriate?"
"Okay! Absolutely fine!" Jiang Qingzhi took the musket and looked around.
A craftsman whispered: "Even Eunuch Chen can't see through this thing, this noble lord..."
"Just pretend and watch!" The old craftsman beside him lowered his head and whispered.
"Here." Jiang Qingzhi pointed at the hole and said, "Put the gunpowder tubes in one by one, connect them with fuses in the middle, and here on top... Hey! Where are you loading the bullets?"
Jiang Qingzhi saw two craftsmen looking up at him in surprise, "Where do you load the ammunition?"
What the hell!
Did this noble man really understand?
The two craftsmen looked at each other, and the old craftsman said, "I am still thinking about this matter. I have been struggling for more than a month and still have no clue. Please punish me, sir."
This attitude was too low. Jiang Qingzhi had respect for these craftsmen who would at least be rated as senior engineers in later generations. He said: "You can make a hole on it, put a bullet in an iron tube, and let the bullet fall into the barrel. The gunpowder at the back pushes it to fire, and then the remaining bullets in the iron tube fall down... In this way, one bullet after another, continuously."
This is the principle of the magazine.
Seeing the two craftsmen standing there in a daze, Chen Shi frowned and asked, "Chang Wei Bo is asking questions!"
The old craftsman shuddered, rudely snatched the musket from Jiang Qingzhi's hand, looked at it carefully, and closed his eyes...
"Bold!" Chen Shi was frightened by his action and was about to scold him, but Jiang Qingzhi waved his hand and said admiringly: "This is the kind of person who gets things done. Such people should be reused, not blamed."
"This way, we can fire continuously without getting stuck. That's great!"
The old craftsman opened his eyes and said excitedly: "That's how it should be, that's how it should be!"
Jiang Qingzhi smiled. This design is good, but not very practical.
"Are you here to work in my Armoury Bureau? I am Feng Yuan, and I am willing to be your disciple!" The old craftsman seemed to be a technology fanatic. He ignored Chen Shi's stern look and knelt down to become your disciple.
Chen Shi laughed angrily, "This is Long Wilbur, where are your ears?"
Jiang Qingzhi saw the enthusiasm in Feng Yuan's eyes, and his heart moved, "Old Chen!"
Don't call me that... Chen Shi was a little flustered, "My uncle ordered me to do that."
"Can you give up this Feng Yuan?" Jiang Qingzhi was ready to be rejected.
Unexpectedly, Chen Shi said generously: "As long as the higher-ups give the nod, we won't hesitate."
"I am willing to follow you, my lord." Feng Yuan had a lot of questions to ask Jiang Qingzhi at this moment, and he wished he could follow him right away.
This is a treasure!
Jiang Qingzhi took a look at Feng Yuan and decided to marry him.
If a person can find a career that he loves, even if it is just a hobby, then his life will not be wasted.
If this beloved career can make money, then he is God's favorite.
This has nothing to do with how much money one has or whether it brings more fame and fortune.
Do your own thing well, fame and fortune are just by-products.
Jiang Qing felt that Feng Yuan was God's favorite, and so was Zhang Tong.
"Chang Wei Bo, you're here again?" Zhang Tong laughed happily. Seeing him licking the dried meat, Jiang Qingzhi asked, "Why don't you eat it?"
"Eat it today and it will be gone tomorrow. This jerky is delicious. We will be satisfied just by licking it." Zhang Tong licked the jerky attentively with a satisfied look on his face.
"Do you like life in the palace?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"I like it." Zhang Tong said.
"Why?" Jiang Qingzhi intuitively felt that the profession of eunuch was immoral and even cruel.
"Having enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and even meat to eat occasionally... I feel like this is a life like that of a god."
Looking at Zhang Tong's serious expression, Jiang Qingzhi suddenly felt a little ashamed.
Being contented is like being a god.
He understands the principle, but it is difficult to put it into practice.
For example, how about pairing the Military Affairs Bureau with Mohism?
"We need a craftsman." Daoye frowned, "That's all?"
You come to me just for a craftsman?
Jiang Qingzhi said: "Your Majesty, the Arms Bureau is a good place, the Mohist School..."
Little monkey...Master closed his eyes.
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty!"
(End of this chapter)
