Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1262 Inspection of the Ironclad Ship
On the ironclad ship General Fubo, a group of soldiers in navy uniforms held muskets and aimed at the prince of the Mughal Empire and his personal guards who had climbed onto the deck.

The cavalry guards pulled out the scimitars around their waists and protected Prince Aurangzeb behind him.

Zheng Zhibao and Aurangzeb reached out their hands almost at the same time to order their subordinates to put down their muskets and waist knives.

Aurangzeb looked around at the sailors on the deck. They were all wearing uniforms and had given up their heavy armor.

What attracted his attention the most were the towering three main masts, the thick chimney and trumpet-shaped air outlet, and the iron hull.

This ship seemed to be somewhat similar to the European ships he had seen, but in fact it was far from it.The Europeans have not yet come out with iron ships at this time.

Aurangzeb questioned the people of the East India Company, and the people of the East India Company acted as interpreters.

"He asked why our ship stopped at Surat Port. What is the purpose of this trip? Why are there so many soldiers on board?" The people from the East India Company were naturally sent by Zheng Zhibao, a group of major shareholders. people side.

Zheng Zhibao replied: "We are going to Xiyang on this trip, and we are passing through this place for supplies. We have no intention of infringing. As for what we are going to Xiyang, we have no comment."

Aurangzeb learned of Zheng Zhibao's answer, and also knew that Zheng Zhibao had no obligation to explain these contents to him.

As long as they don't move their goods ashore, there is no way to levy customs duties on them.

Aurangzeb was a little upset, but he had nothing to do with Zheng Zhibao and others.

He threatened Zheng Zhibao and his party by not providing supplies, but in fact it was just a temptation.

A fleet composed of an ironclad ship, five sailing warships, and several armed merchant ships really started to fire, and it was fully capable of capturing the prosperous port city of Surat.

Both sides are trying their best to restrain themselves. Zheng Zhibao does not want to trigger a war with the Mughal Empire of India without authorization, and Aurangzeb is not aware that overseas has undergone drastic changes in just a few years, and is testing the new maritime hegemony for the Mughals Attitude.

Aurangzeb took seven cavalry guards and walked around the deck under the watchful eyes of Zheng Zhibao and others.

"That is the prince of the Mughal Empire? I heard that they are descendants of the Turkic Mongols."

Li Dingguo, who was still a naval cadet, couldn't help being envious when he saw the prince of the Ottoman Empire who was only two or three years older than him.

Born in the royal family, Aurangzeb was born with a golden key in his mouth. When Li Dingguo was still a trainee soldier, Aurangzeb was already one of the deputy kings of the Ottoman Empire. He was only under the emperor and had certain military power.

"His clothes are a bit too luxurious and cumbersome, not as capable as our military uniforms."

"Those are jewels, priceless, the Ottoman Empire is really rich."

"No matter how rich you are, it is also the property of the royal family. If you ask everyone to give you a copper coin, you will have ten million copper coins."

While Aurangzeb was observing the situation of the ironclad ship, the naval soldiers on the deck of the Admiral Fupo were also observing the prince of the Mughal Empire.In their view, the Central Asian-style clothing of the upper classes of the Mughal Empire was strange.

Aurangzeb took people to see the 68-pound artillery on the bow, and was secretly surprised. The 68-pound guns of the Mughal Empire could barely be made of brass or bronze, but the weight must be amazing. It is impossible to have the same performance as the guns on this battleship, and it is impossible to install the 68-pound bronze guns they cast. On top of the wooden sailboat.

With the current technology of the Mughal Empire, the 68-pound giant bronze guns they produced were not only heavier, but such artillery was placed on the sailboats they produced, and the recoil generated by the artillery would tear the hulls of their wooden ships.Such inefficient artillery can only be used on land castles, and it is even difficult to carry it in field battles.

The ironclad general Fubo's unique steel hull structure and stronger steel materials can easily withstand the recoil of the artillery.

Seeing the horror of this sea monster with his own eyes, Aurangzeb was a little shaken, and his tone was not so arrogant. He asked, "Can we go to the cabin to check?"

Zheng Zhibao nodded, and led a group of naval soldiers and Aurangzeb down to the cabin.

The lower layer of the upper deck layer is the armor layer where the main artillery is installed. Twenty 40-pounder artillery are deployed here in two rows on the left and right.

When Aurangzeb reached the armor layer, he found it even more terrifying. Who can withstand the combination of hard armor and large-caliber artillery?
"We don't mean to offend your country's port, but Surat Port is just on the way we must go to the West, and we need to replenish it. And we buy a large amount of supplies from your port, which can promote the trade of your country's port." Although Zheng Zhibao possessed enough military power to conquer Surat Port, he still retreated to advance, giving the prince of the Mughal Empire enough face.

Aurangzeb's heart was very heavy. He looked inside the armor layer and found that the structure was more complicated than that of ordinary wooden sailboats.The arrangement of the artillery used is not much different from that of a normal wooden sailboat, all 40-pound long guns.

The brand-new steel gun barrel indicates that this row of 40-pound naval guns has not been produced for a long time, and it is very likely that they are from the same batch.

Even the arsenal of the empire cannot produce such exquisite artillery!
Aurangzeb has been to the arsenal of the Mughal Empire, where there are a large number of Ottoman and Persian firearms experts, specializing in the production of artillery for the royal family.According to Aurangzeb's impression, even the most outstanding firearms experts in the arsenal could not produce such a regular batch of artillery.

Sometimes the reliability of the artillery can be inferred even by looking at the uniformity of the artillery. Only with certain industrial capabilities can a batch of neat artillery be produced.

Aurangzeb would never have thought that the arsenal of the Kyushu Army used advanced equipment and techniques such as steam-powered machine tools and shrink-fit technology to cast iron cannons. The production capacity was many times stronger than that of the arsenal of the Mughal Empire. .

Aurangzeb resisted the complex emotions of doubt, shock, and jealousy in his heart, and asked to check in the lower cabin.

But Zheng Zhibao rejected his request.

Below the armor layer are the engine room and the boiler room, which involve the secrets of the steam engine. Zheng Zhibao didn't want them to see the boiler and coal, otherwise it might inspire them.

Aurangzeb became afraid of this warship, and he stopped talking to Zheng Zhibao in an orderly tone, but asked suddenly: "Our Mughal Empire is not short of money, and it is also necessary for you to supply supplies at the port of Surat." I have no opinion, but I want to buy warships from you, as well as these artillery, I will buy as many as you have."

Zheng Zhibao and the people from the East India Company were stunned. They did not expect that the prince of the Mughal Empire would become very interested in the ironclad ship and the artillery on it after he came to inspect it.

(End of this chapter)