"Three thousand spring wheel pistols, when will they be delivered?"
Zhu Jing was pleasantly surprised.
"One month is enough."
Wei Sheng gritted his teeth and clenched his fists: "But you are an exception. You need to apply for it from the Ministry of War, approve it from the Ministry of Industry, and approve the money from the Ministry of Household Affairs."
"Hahahaha!" Zhu Jing smiled, pointed at herself and said: "I am patrolling the border, and my immediate boss is the Minister of War. Are you still worried that you are missing?"
"Let's do it first. It will take me an unknown amount of time to go back and forth from Beijing. If something happens, I will personally apologize."
Thinking of Zhu Jing's relationship with Da Tianting, Wei Sheng stamped his feet: "Okay, for Brother Zhu, I will make an exception."
Hundreds of miles away at Yuquan Villa, the emperor's family left the cold Forbidden City and came here to celebrate the New Year.
Although the emperor has to go back for a few days during the Winter Solstice and New Year's Day, he stays here comfortably in the harem and is reluctant to leave.
Surrounded by her children, surrounded by pink, and immersed in this gentle countryside, Zhu Yixi couldn't bear to leave.
"Do you know why you like this place so much?"
Zhu Yixi was wearing a fur coat and walking on the snow. The trees, flowers and plants in the distance were all covered with snowflakes, and they were all visible to her eyes.
"How could I guess His Majesty's thoughts?"
Feng Xianzong, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, followed behind him and said softly.
He was in his early thirties, and when he was in Luoyang, he had the opportunity to join the shogunate and serve as deputy head of the Staff Department.
Now he has been the minister of the Ministry of Industry for many years. He is no longer as depressed as before. Instead, he is full of energy. The ambition to work hard for the emperor for a hundred years appears on his face.
Although, as time goes by, his qualifications will become deeper and deeper, and his position in the cabinet is extremely secure.
"Hahaha!"
Zhu Yixi smiled and said rather indulgently: "I won't hide it from you. There are no rules here and there are no interruptions. It is much better than the cold and boring Forbidden City."
Speaking of this, the emperor continued: "I have already spoken to the cabinet, and the Winter Solstice and New Year's Day will be celebrated here."
“Although the main hall in front is not as good as Beijing’s, it’s okay.”
I had already thought of it and bought a house nearby.
Feng Xianzong frowned. Just as he was about to speak, the emperor stopped him and changed the topic.
"As far as I know, in the three hundred years of the Chinese dynasty alone, the Forbidden City has been struck by lightning thirteen times?"
"That's right!"
Feng Xianzong knew this very well. After all, every repair in the Forbidden City was made by the Ministry of Works.
"The first time was during the Yongle period, when the three main halls were struck by lightning and caught fire, and the main hall, Fengtian Hall, was burned to the ground. The most recent time was during the Jiajing period, when the three main halls were also severely damaged..."
"If Emperor Sejong hadn't transported the Yongle Dadian in time, I'm afraid it would have been destroyed and it would have been a great pity for the country..."
The Forbidden City was plagued by disasters. Not only was it struck by lightning, but there were as many as five fires. Especially in the 17th year of Chongzhen, when Li Zicheng evacuated Beijing, he set off a fire that was very satisfying.
Only Wuying Hall, Jianji Hall, Yinghua Hall, Nanxun Hall, surrounding corner towers and Huangji Gate were not burned, while all other buildings were destroyed.
Later, Shunzhi spent two or three years repairing it, and with Jiang Yueguang's repairs, it was finally perfected.
Speaking of this, Feng Xianzong realized that the emperor was really afraid of death this time.
"Fires and lightning strikes are beyond human control."
Zhu Yixi sighed: "So what if it's magnificent? Isn't it still a place where people can live?"
"What your Majesty said is true." Feng Xianzong could only agree. There was no way he could persuade the emperor to go back and enjoy the danger!
With that said, the two came to the house.
Stamping his feet, the emperor said proudly: "There are only a few places in Beijing that have underfloor heating, but they are everywhere here. There is no difference between winter and spring."
As he said this, a group of maids suddenly came and changed the emperor's clothes.
Who knows, it turns out to be clothes for going out.
"Your Majesty—" Feng Xianzong knew that the emperor liked to travel incognito, but he didn't expect that he would change his clothes in front of him. Isn't he too shy to avoid people?
"Don't talk about what you have and what you don't have."
The emperor glanced sideways at him, not giving him any chance:
"I'll go to your place today and have a look."
When Feng Xianzong was stunned, the emperor was wrapped in a woolen shirt. He looked simple on the outside, but extraordinary on the inside.
"I'm not fooling around. The Ordnance Department has developed a new gadget. Please accompany me to see it."
After saying that, Feng Xianzong walked quickly and left this small palace.
When we arrived outside the villa, we saw snow in front of us. The white snow covered almost the entire world, making people feel a little dazed for a moment.
"Auspicious snow heralds a good harvest, great!"
"Since the Year of Shaowu, there have been few droughts in the North, and even the plague has disappeared. It is really due to the blessings of our ancestors, and it is because of your Majesty's virtue that the world and the people are blessed today..."
Seeing that there were only two people here, and no one was following him, Feng Xianzong no longer tried to hide it, and just gave him his hand in praise.
Although it is a bit straightforward, it really sounds good.
"Yes, it is God's will."
Zhu Yixi was startled, then laughed.
This is one of the foundations of Confucianism, the connection between heaven and man.
Although there are still remnants of the Little Ice Age, it is much better than before after all, and it is time for the world to recover.
After walking for less than half an hour, the two arrived at the Ordnance Department.
Since the emperor came to Yuquan Villa last year, many of the six yamen have set up offices here. Organizations such as the Ordnance Department, which study artillery all day long, naturally have to stay away from Beijing and come to Yuquan Mountain.
The iron factory in Zunhua was just a foundry, but the improvement department was still under the emperor's eyes.
Different from blind research in the past, today's Ordnance Department, thanks to the emperor's suggestion and consulting with a group of priests, learned to use a ruler to draw pictures, and the styles are clear at a glance.
And what entertains the emperor must not be these drawings, but the real thing.
"Your Majesty, please see, this is the big flintlock gun that we have made after several months of research and testing."
As he spoke, a large-caliber flintlock gun appeared in front of him:
A musket with a caliber of twenty-five centimeters appeared before his eyes. The wide muzzle could almost fit a baby's fist.
The gun body is not too long, only a little over three feet, the barrel is two feet, and the handle is one foot.
This is not a musket. This is simply a small artillery piece.
"What about you?" Zhu Yixi was stunned, then stepped forward to pick it up. She felt that it was much heavier than an ordinary flintlock gun, about one and a half times heavier.
He felt he might have misled these people.
Perhaps the effect of enlarging the gun was too great, so these craftsmen put their thoughts into enlarging it.
A while ago, a huge cannon of ten thousand kilograms appeared, which almost scared Zhu Yixi. Now, the appearance of such a large-caliber flintlock gun made people unable to say anything except surprise.
"Your Majesty, this gun can be used!"
The forty-year-old craftsman, with a red face and a thick neck, pointed at the barrel of the musket: "This gun can stuff dozens of marbles into it, and it can sweep across an entire area with just one shot!"
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