met free Page 2135
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"Really? Take me to see it!"
Prime Minister Zhong left the palace in excitement.
We arrived at the firearms testing base outside the city.
When Zhu Ming was in Xiangyang,
Zhong Xiang had suffered from the effects of firearms.
Last year's Dongting Lake naval battle,
The pseudo-Chu navy was severely damaged by firearms.
After much painful reflection, Prime Minister Zhong repeatedly sent people to gather information.
After losing dozens of spies
They finally learned that there were arsenals in Kuizhou and Yiling.
But those two places are too isolated.
The spies wanted to infiltrate.
Every one who goes dies.
If two go, two will die.
Last winter, a new arsenal was built in Daye.
Although they still didn't get anything this time...
But finally, we received more definite news.
Muskets and cannons are fired using gunpowder.
Furthermore, the barrels of guns and cannons are hollow.
One end is open, the other is closed.
Zhong Xiang immediately set about developing firearms.
They soon discovered that conventional gunpowder could not explode.
He certainly had no concept of explosion.
But the Ming army's firearms roared like thunder.
The firearms they invented could only spew fire.
Yes, this is how Zhong Xiang's firearms were made:
Hammering sheet metal into a gun barrel
One end was sealed with a cold weld.
And install a wooden handle.
Drill a hole and insert the lead wire.
Then gunpowder and bullets were loaded into the muzzle.
After the fuse ignites the gunpowder
It could not explode smoothly.
Instead, it burned violently and spewed flames.
It will also eject the bullet a short distance from the barrel.
"Long live your Majesty!"
The craftsmen all knelt down.
Zhong Xiang seemed somewhat impatient:
"Get up quickly, where is the gunpowder that can explode?"
A craftsman picked up the pottery bowl.
It was filled with gunpowder.
Zhong Xiang asked, "How was it made?"
The craftsman explained, "The amount of charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur to be mixed..."
“Each time it was adjusted, it was stuffed into a bamboo tube and lit.”
"I have made the adjustment more than a hundred times,"
"It can not only make a loud noise, but it can also crack bamboo tubes."
"Try it quickly!" Zhong Xiang said happily.
The craftsmen stuffed gunpowder into bamboo tubes as thick as a finger.
Then seal the bamboo tube shut.
Drill a small hole in it to insert the lead wire.
It looks roughly like a firecracker.
"Oh!"
A crisp sound was heard.
Blue smoke rose from the ground.
Once the smoke clears,
The bamboo tubes were blown to pieces.
Prime Minister Zhong was overjoyed: "They will all be richly rewarded!"
Then, they brought out a "musket" to conduct experiments.
This thing doesn't even have a medicine pool.
Gunpowder was shaken into the muzzle of the gun.
The gun barrel was covered in splatter.
Then use a bamboo stick to force the bullet in.
The craftsmen placed the gun barrel on the wooden fork.
One person held a long wooden handle,
Another person went to light the fuse.
Two other people were standing there holding shields.
The one who lit the fire,
They quickly retreated behind the shield.
"boom!"
This time the sound was even louder.
Once the smoke clears,
Zhong Xiang quickly stepped forward to check.
Not only did the bullet disappear without a trace,
The entire barrel was blown apart.
Even the shield had fragments of gun barrel embedded in it.
The experiment failed.
Instead of being angry, Zhong Xiang laughed and said repeatedly:
"Good, good, good, you did a great job."
"The barrel of this musket,"
"From now on, we'll use wrought iron for hammering,"
"It must be sturdy and not easily broken!"
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
The craftsmen exclaimed.
Zhong Xiang had the reward money brought out and said:
"Once the muskets are completed, I will reward you handsomely!"
Amid the cheers of the craftsmen,
Zhong Xiang rode back into the city.
More soldiers were transferred to guard the firearms testing base.
A fast boat came from the south.
They didn't stop even at the water gate.
Instead, they showed their name tags from afar:
Urgent military intelligence! Open the water gates immediately!
The water gate was quickly raised.
The messenger sailed in a fast boat,
They rushed all the way to the palace.
Before long, Zhong Xiang received military intelligence.
After he finished reading it
He was so angry he was trembling.
Cao Cheng has rebelled!
Cao Cheng was likely a Han Chinese.
It could also be a Han-Chinese Yao ethnic group.
Anyway, they lived in the border area between the Han and the Manchu peoples.
It is located on the border of Guangxi, Guangdong and Hunan.
Chapter 1892 They've All Been Released
The Yao, Dong, and Miao ethnic groups here,
Even before Zhao Yuan raised his army,
They had already been forced to rebel by the Song Dynasty.
It was the combined forces of Jinghu and Guangxi troops that repelled them.
But they were not eradicated.
Instead, they retreated to the mountains.
After Zhong Xiang raised an army,
They continued to cause trouble.
And it tied down the Song Dynasty's military forces.
It made a huge contribution to the expansion of clockmaking.
Last year, Zhong Xiang took advantage of Li Gong's retreat to Guizhou.
Immediately send the southern troops into Guangxi.
Cao Cheng was granted the title of Duke.
He led his troops to garrison Hezhou.
Now, Cao Cheng has killed the altar master (prefect) and the instructor (military supervisor) in Hezhou.