Reborn Ming Dynasty as Emperor

Chapter 44
Zhu Youxiao has read Mr. Wang Zhaochun's "History of Chinese Firearms" in his previous life, and he also has a certain understanding of flintlock guns. This front-loading gun with an improved firing device is indeed faster than the traditional matchlock gun, which is Daming's bird gun, in terms of rate of fire and range. Much better, but due to its more complex mechanical structure, Zhu Youxiao worried that even if it could be manufactured with Daming's strength, it would not be able to be used as a standard configuration.

But what Zhu Youxiao didn't expect was that Xu Guangqi, Bi Maokang and others would complete this thing that Zhu Youxiao didn't expect too much, and even the range and rate of fire were better than he expected.

"Very good. In this way, if everyone in our Ming infantry uses this firearm, the distance between the battle formations can be shortened, and the intensity of firepower will also be increased. If we really want to fight the Tartars again in the future, we should also increase the number of firearms. Less combat power."

As soon as Zhu Youxiao said that, he took the flintlock gun from the soldier himself, and prepared to operate it himself.

Bang!
Seeing a puff of white smoke rising in front of him, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but choked up, saying: "Gunpowder needs to be improved, we can't just focus on making guns, dear friends."

Xu Guangqi and Bi Maokang looked at each other and nodded helplessly, thanks to Zhu Youxiao, they now also know that there is smokeless gunpowder in this world.

However, they who have focused on the Four Books and Five Classics since childhood can only be regarded as half-way monks in natural science, and they cannot reach the level of hundreds of years later in a short period of time.

For Xu Guangqi and others, smokeless gunpowder and metal-shelled bullets are as far away as our discussion of when we can surpass the speed of light.

However, you can’t stop chasing dreams that are out of reach. Zhu Youxiao never thought about hitting their self-confidence. Being able to make flintlock guns and achieve standard configuration is already a huge contribution to the current Ming Dynasty.

Although the shot just now missed the target, but broke a pine branch eight meters away, Zhu Youxiao's mood was even happier, and immediately asked Bi Maokang and the craftsmen of the Armament Bureau under his direct control to call Come.

These craftsmen who have been working in the Military Weapons Bureau of the Ministry of Industry for generations did not expect that His Majesty the Emperor would summon them, and they were all so excited. They even wondered whether the legendary Emperor’s Majesty really had a big belly and his hands reached his knees. place.

When they saw Zhu Youxiao in yellow robe surrounded by Jinyi guards wearing flying fish suits on the school grounds, a bold old craftsman exclaimed directly:
"That's the emperor, he's younger than my son, haha!"

"Old Li, are you tired of living, how dare you compare the emperor with your son!"

A craftsman hastily reminded the old man Li, then looked up at Zhu Youxiao, and said, "Tsk tsk, this emperor is the emperor, I'm afraid he eats white flour buns every day, otherwise why would his skin be so white. "

"That is, if the emperor eats the same food as you and I, can he be the emperor, but don't say that the emperor looks like the Jade Emperor in the painting, no wonder he is the emperor?"

As soon as old man Li finished speaking, the chief officer of the Ordnance Bureau hurriedly led them to salute Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao asked them to walk down after Ping himself, and patted Old Man Li on the shoulder. Old Man Li rolled to the ground as if he had been hit hard by someone else.

Seeing this, Zhu Youxiao hurriedly asked someone to help him up, and asked with a smile: "Old man, stand still, if you fall to the ground, you will not be able to work for the court."

Old man Li smiled sarcastically, but his heart was full of joy. He thought to himself that this was something new that he hadn’t encountered in decades. Not only did he face to face with the emperor, he even patted him on the shoulder. Blow.

In Zhu Youxiao's eyes, these dark-skinned ordinary craftsmen who only wear short jackets even in winter are the most valuable treasures of the Ming Dynasty.

It is also one of the guarantors of the long-term stability of this ancient empire.

Therefore, Zhu Youxiao did not treat them with the slightest contempt just because he was the emperor. In the eyes of other officials and craftsmen, the emperor was close to the people, but in the eyes of Zhu Youxiao, he was expressing to the engineers of Ming Dynasty gratitude.

"Bi Shilang, who among these people participated in the flintlock you designed?" Zhu Youxiao asked.

Although Bi Maokang is a dignified minister, in order to make a flintlock gun that satisfies His Majesty these days, he has also condescended to discuss it closely with these craftsmen who he usually doesn't even look straight at. Lived in the same shop.

Seeing His Majesty asking now, he also guessed that His Majesty was about to grant a reward, so he hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "There is Old Man Li, Blacksmith Zhang, and Chen Mantou."

Zhu Youxiao nodded, and asked everyone whose name was read to stand up.

Old man Li was the first to stand up. Having successfully completed the manufacturing of the firing device, he was over sixty years old, and when he grinned, his mouth was full of missing teeth.

Blacksmith Zhang stood up like a log, bowed his head and said nothing, but when Bi Maokang told Zhu Youxiao that only the iron pipes made by this man were the least likely to be deformed and cracked, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help admiring him .

Chen Manitou was a dwarf, but Bi Maokang said that the flint made by this man was the cheapest and the best kind of fire.

Zhu Youxiao is very pleased that Daming has such a talented craftsman with excellent creativity and comprehension. Zhu Youxiao, who has never been stingy in conferring officials and titles, immediately decreed that old man Li, who took the lead, be the sixth-rank Cheng Zhilang and reward him with silver. 500 taels.

Zhang Tiejiang and Chen Laitou are Cheng Wulang of the sixth grade, each rewarded with 500 taels of silver.

At the same time, Bi Maokang was also awarded the title of Prince Taifu.

Zhu Youxiao's move surprised all the officials and craftsmen present. The generous rewards are reasonable, but directly granting the official ranks of civil officials to these craftsmen who were born as craftsmen was a big deal in Ming Dynasty. North Korea is the first time.

However, now Zhu Youxiao's imperial power is in full swing, and no one dares to object.

What's more, although he is a craftsman, he does have meritorious deeds, and His Majesty the Emperor did not reward them randomly.

Old man Li and the others didn't expect that he would become an official like this. He pinched himself secretly, and only after feeling the pain did he believe that everything in front of him was true.

And afterwards, when he learned that he was even higher than the magistrate, this guy was even more delighted, and his body became a lot stiffer when he returned home.

Seeing this, the other craftsmen couldn't help being jealous, especially when Zhu Youxiao proposed that anyone who made contributions to the Ming Dynasty would be generously rewarded, regardless of his previous background, the enthusiasm of these craftsmen was immediately aroused out.

Bi Maokang did not expect that he would be crowned as the prince and Taifu just because he made a flintlock gun. You must know that Huo Weihua, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, is the prince and Shaobao.

The king of Chu has a thin waist, and many people in the city starved to death.

Also because of Zhu Youxiao's move, gradually some officials, gentry and craftsmen began to focus on the strange skills and tricks that they didn't usually notice.

(End of this chapter)