Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

As he spoke, Fang Zheng Yi picked up the hand cannon, raised it high, and said, "Take this hand cannon as an example. Every component inside is purely handcrafted."

"Each part must be tightly integrated and work together to achieve the perfect effect. Any problem in any part will cause the hand cannon to malfunction."

"In the beginning, on average, only one out of ten guns could be successfully used. The cost could be as high as hundreds of taels."

"The Yongzhen Shanhe Cannon is even more expensive, truly 'a cannon shot costs ten thousand taels of gold!'"

The onlookers shook their heads.

A regular hand cannon costs hundreds of taels? A cannon shot costs ten thousand taels of gold?

If everything was like this, then forming a standing army would probably require a huge amount of silver, and the Great Jing's national treasury wouldn't need to do anything else.

Not to mention the later maintenance costs.

According to this, the overall calculation is not as good as using human lives to fill it!

"Then what solution did Lord Fang just say there was? How to solve it?" someone asked.

"Good question! But allow me to continue. After you listen, you will understand everything." Fang Zheng began to pace back and forth: "Whether it's the Yongzhen Shanhe or the long and short guns, they have actually been researched for quite a long time."

"But do you know why it wasn't until today that they were successfully developed and brought to you?"

"It's because the structural craftsmanship inside is too complicated, with problems arising one after another! The craftsmen of Taoyuan County have been unable to overcome them for a long time! But recently, something has broken the long-standing stalemate."

"Now, everyone here has this thing on them."

Duke Dai Guo, Song Hui, reacted the fastest, immediately took out an object from his arms, raised it up and asked: "A pocket watch? Could it be that the pocket watch is related to guns and cannons?"

"That's right! Duke Dai Guo asked well, the key to making guns and cannons lies in the pocket watch." Fang Zheng Yi said: "Do you know where the pocket watch comes from?"

"Wasn't it made in your Taoyuan County?"

"Wrong! Utterly wrong! You only know that Taoyuan County makes pocket watches, but you don't know that these things are all imitations." Fang Zheng Yi's tone suddenly became excited: "The pocket watch was originally seized by me from King Wu and later handed over to craftsmen for research."

"The exquisiteness of this object and the mystery of its structure are rare in Great Jing! Just to copy it, the top craftsmen in my Taoyuan County exhausted their efforts, working day and night, to the point where their fingers could not bend."

"The mechanics in that clock are even more ingenious, and it took the power of the entire county's craftsmen to barely create a hundred units. There is no ability to create more in the short term."

"So you say it sells for ten thousand taels or..."

"Cough cough cough!" Emperor Jing covered his mouth and coughed awkwardly twice: "Fang Qing, we're talking about guns and cannons."

What ten thousand taels or not? This little brat, I don't know you? You still want to spout nonsense in front of me!

Fang Zheng's face turned red, and he said, "I was momentarily excited, sorry."

"Actually, what I want to say is that everyone should have had a personal experience of the wonderful use of this pocket watch during this time. Without it, life is like losing control, wouldn't you agree?"

The ministers agreed one after another, and even Emperor Jing nodded silently.

Fang Zheng Yi continued: "Tracing this thing further back, it was obtained by King Wu from overseas. According to him, pocket watches are the most common things overseas, and even ordinary people can afford them!"

"But looking back at our Great Jing? How many people can afford it?"

"One person can use it, and millions of people are using it, then how much will the efficiency of the two places differ over time? I wonder if you have thought about it!"

"If we have to make ten hand cannons to get one that works, what about overseas? I'm afraid they can make one that works every time, and our costs will be ten times higher than theirs! Do you understand?"

"So, to reduce costs, it is necessary to have advanced technology and craftsmen as the key!"

A few worried expressions appeared on the faces of the crowd.

Li Yansong stroked his beard and frowned: "That's not right. This old man remembers that the magical object used for water management in Jianjiang to split mountains and crack rocks is called 'Immeasurable Merit.' The thing used to load guns and cannons just now, if there are no surprises, should be the legendary 'Immeasurable Merit,' right?"

"Does overseas also have this thing?"

This thing is no longer a secret. Everyone is discussing it in private, and Emperor Jing has never hidden it.

Fang Zheng smiled and said, "That's right, Duke Li asked well,"

"Guns and cannons are the carrier of Immeasurable Merit. Although it itself is extremely powerful, it is not easy to use without a carrier."

"And the most crucial issue is... it was born from an accident of an alchemist and is not as complicated as imagined."

Fang Zheng Yi's tone began to become meaningful: "When King Wu defected, there was also a fleet to meet him. The ship I was on already had people from all walks of life. If there was a group of alchemists on the ship... plus an accident?"

"What kind of posture will he return in? I dare not think about it."

The ministers were silent and began to ponder, and the joy brought by the new weapon in their hearts was suddenly dispelled.

Suddenly someone retorted: "Lord Fang! What you have said today, no one knows these things. They are all alarmist, and there are no details to convince everyone?"

Details? You want details, I'll give you details!

Fang Zheng Yi said loudly: "Don't worry, I haven't finished yet!"

"Regarding the origin of the pocket watch and Western history, I myself have some superficial understanding through King Wu and the documents on his ship. Whether it is true or false, everyone can analyze it themselves!"

"This pocket watch comes from a small country in the eastern part of the West, called Wakanda! It is rich in a mineral called Vibranium. Although Wakanda is a small place, it has countless skilled craftsmen, developed maritime trade, and is praised by countless Western countries as the 'Sea Coachman.'"

"But today I am not talking about him, but about Julius Caesar..."

A modified Western fantasy history was told again, and this time he improved it!

To prevent Emperor Jing from testing himself again, he went home overnight and copied it, adding a lot of details.

What Crusades, Black Death, Boston Tea Party... he remembered the fragmented history and sewed it all together!

With careful arrangement, there was logic and details!

The ministers were dumbfounded again after listening...

It's so magnificent, it seems even more awesome than the history of Great Jing... If you want to find fault, it seems that you can't find fault, after all, it is a foreign civilization.

Fang Zheng seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot: "At that time, I also saw foreign devils on the ship, they were so scary with blond hair and blue eyes!"

"However, King Wu had translators there, and I still learned a few foreign languages. Now I will show it to everyone."

"My name is...."

A string of gibberish third-grade English was recited, and the ministers were dumbfounded again.

Anyway, it was a sentence that no one could understand, but it could be seen that Fang Zheng Yi seemed to really understand a little, and he was definitely not talking nonsense!

Everyone present can be regarded as a writer. Language is about a sense of language. Fang Zheng Yi's nonsense can be discovered by people in the first time!

After stumbling through a few sentences, Fang Zheng Yi said with a red face: "After saying so much, everyone should have a general understanding in their hearts."

"But today's demonstration is far from over. Please follow me to Taoyuan County again with Your Majesty and everyone."

......