Although it was a pleasant thing to accompany Daiyu and others to the garden, Jia Lian knew better that he was far from being able to pursue romance with peace of mind.
The biggest reason and confidence that he can have today's status and achievements and be able to keep his word in the family is that he has been appreciated by Emperor Ningkang and can serve Emperor Ningkang.
If you forget this and indulge in the romance of the Grand View Garden like Jia Baoyu, then everything will be a castle in the air, and it will end up like Jia Baoyu. It is not surprising.
Therefore, he must put Emperor Ningkang's affairs first. For example, in Haikou, which he boasted in front of Emperor Ningkang, the firearms matter must be put on the agenda.
The Shenji Battalion, as one of the only organized armies in the capital, has a low status.
There are not many combatants. According to the data obtained by Jia Lian, the actual number of officers and soldiers in the entire Shenji Battalion is only two to three thousand, which is equivalent to the number of officers and soldiers in a military and horse division!
You know, strictly speaking, the Military and Horse Division is not an army. After all, the things it does are not much different from the Yamen of Shuntian Mansion, and there are five Military and Horse Divisions.
With such a comparison, the status of Shenji Camp can be imagined.
Bian Hong, the commander of Shenji Camp, is an old general with little future and will most likely grow old in Shenji Camp.
When he first learned that the emperor had parachuted a deputy commander into his territory, he was a little worried that the imperial court was dissatisfied with him and wanted to seize his military power. However, after several contacts with Jia Lian, especially after hearing Jia Lian say that he was just ordered to modify the firearms, Bian Hong felt a lot more relieved.
With a wave of his hand, he directly announced that the entire firearms camp would be handed over to Jia Lian to take care of. If you have any requests, just ask him and he will obey.
Moreover, people were sent to assist throughout the process so that Jia Lian could quickly become familiar with the affairs of the Shenji Camp.
Jia Lian was naturally happy about Bian Hong's attitude. Because he didn't want to think about what he had done in the Military and Horse Department before. After taking office, he first had to fight with his colleagues. It was meaningless except a waste of time and energy.
In fact, for him now, a Shenji Camp with such an appearance is indeed not attractive to him. Although according to the yamen level, the Shenji Camp is one level higher than the Soldiers and Horses Division, in terms of importance and wealth, the Shenji Camp is far behind the Soldiers and Horses Division.
Therefore, he naturally disdained to compete with Bian Hong for territory.
As for the future, when Shenji Camp develops according to his vision and becomes important, that will naturally be another matter.
But that is probably not something that should be considered for a while. One day, as long as Bian Hong is wise and does not cause trouble for him in the process, then when he succeeds, Jia Lian will not mind giving him a chance to get promoted. The way is to send him to another place to retire.
This is not Jia Lian's big talk. According to his speculation, the Age of Discovery has already begun, and Western powers have gradually appeared on the territory of the Wei Dynasty and appeared in the ears of those in power in the Wei Dynasty. This was also the reason why Emperor Ningkang was able to be persuaded by Jia Lian, because Emperor Ningkang did not know anything about foreign countries.
Therefore, if Jia Lian can really make great progress in the firearms of the Wei Dynasty and be effective on the battlefield, this credit can be distributed to others casually, which will be enough for others to benefit endlessly.
"Sir, this area is where our firearms camp is located. I don't know what you want to see today. Do you need to have them gather to listen to your instructions?"
A deputy commander of the Shenji Camp, named Su Keguang, followed Bian Hong's instructions and took several people to lead Jia Lian on inspections throughout the Shenji Camp to familiarize himself with the affairs of the camp.
Hearing that Jia Lian was concerned about firearms, he naturally took Jia Lian to inspect the area where firearms were kept and made.
"No, please take me around each barracks and give me a detailed introduction to the general categories and powers of the current firearms in our Shenji camp."
"Okay."
Accompanying the chief on inspections was an easy job, especially since everyone knew that Jia Lian was a popular person around the emperor. As long as he served Jia Lian well, he would be promoted much faster if he was casually promoted by others in the future than if he had worked hard for himself.
So one by one, they tried their best to introduce to Jia Lian the firearms currently remaining in Shenji Camp.
"Look, sir, these artillery pieces are the most powerful artillery pieces existing in our Shenji Camp, and many of them are equipped in the army.
For example, this Fran cannon was transmitted from the far west. It is much more powerful than the previous cannons. "
Arriving at a warehouse, Su Keguang pointed to the four artillery pieces placed inside and introduced them with a red face. Obviously, the artillery placed there is a kind of artillery worthy of publicity.
Jia Lian stopped, walked in and took a look, and found that this thing was really tall and powerful, and it looked really good, so he asked about its specific power.
"It's very powerful. I heard that one shot can destroy half of the city wall!"
"It is said that?"
"Well, I haven't seen this with my own eyes. But Commander Bian once took this thing outside the city and demonstrated it to the adults in the Ministry of War. The newly built earth wall can indeed be easily knocked down with one shot."
Seeing Su Keguang's stern expression, Jia Lian knew that according to Wei's contempt for artillery, it was really difficult for an official to know all the firearms.
After learning about the loading of ammunition, Jia Lian was disappointed.
The operation is complex, the ignition method is primitive, and most importantly, the cannonball is just a huge iron ball. Its destructive power relies entirely on inertial impact, which is completely different from the cannon that Jia Lian had in his mind that shoots out in all directions.
It seems that there is a long way to go to improve artillery.
So for the time being, he paid less attention to the artillery and asked other people: "How are the muskets in our Shenji Camp?"
"Fireguns? You are talking about muskets, right? Yes, there are many styles. Do you want to see them?"
"Let's see."
Su Keguang was a little suspicious in his heart. He didn't know why Jia Lian had a special liking for firearms. You must know that their Shenji Battalion has all kinds of weapons, especially the newly developed bed crossbow, which is not only easier to operate than the previous bed crossbow, but also surprisingly powerful.
A crossbow shot is enough to pierce seven or eight enemies in a row. Isn't that thing more powerful than these dark, stupid guys?
He also thought about giving Jia Lian a lecture on bed crossbows, but who knew that Jia Lian had no interest in those things at all.
"Sir, this is the Fire Gun Bureau. Basically, the best fire guns in our Shenji Camp can be found here."
Su Keguang and others took Jia Lian to a huge barracks, where there were more than ten craftsmen busy. The light of fire and the sound of forging were intertwined, and the atmosphere was full of enthusiasm, which made Jia Lian's eyes light up slightly as he just walked over.
This kind of atmosphere is good, maybe there will be surprises.
With such a mood, Jia Lian walked in, his eyes naturally focused on the various firecrackers hanging on the wall.
Suddenly, Jia Lian took off a polished and shiny fire gun from the wall and played with it. Su Keguang and others were so frightened that they repeatedly exclaimed, "Sir, be careful of the fire!"
Just by looking at Jia Lian's posture, they knew that Jia Lian had never played with a firecracker. If a fire broke out and they jumped, who would they call to complain?
It is true that Jia Lian has never played with a firecracker. Several times on the battlefield, the soldiers below did not use firearms, which shows that firearms are not welcomed.
Seeing him playing with the gun, several of his subordinates turned pale with fright. Jia Lian did not deliberately tease them. Instead, he handed the two-foot-long blunderbuss to Su Keguang and told him to find someone to demonstrate it to him.
"How about next time, sir? It's not very easy to use here. It would be bad if I frighten you..."
Su Keguang and others wanted to persuade him, but when they saw Jia Lian's eyes darkening, they did not dare to say anything more. They found the most skilled gunman and tried the gun at a dilapidated shooting range outside.
"Peng~!"
The fire gunners finished rehearsing the launch process according to the most standard procedures, and turned back to look at Jia Lian expectantly, trying to get praise from the superior officer.
But Jia Lian's brows were wrinkled into the character "Chuan" and his face was full of disappointment.
Su Keguang and others were puzzled, "Sir, what's wrong?"
"Does it take three people to operate the fire guns in Shenji Camp?"
Jia Lian asked his doubts. Although he knew from the shape of those fire guns that firing them was not easy, Jia Lian was still indescribably disappointed when he saw the soldiers' demonstration.
Not to mention anything else, just this launch actually requires one person to hold the gun, one person to load the gunpowder and fuse, and a third person to light it with a torch...
Damn it, it’s almost the same as the artillery firing process.
It is conceivable that when you perform this set of operations on the battlefield, the enemies will be killed in front of you! Su Keguang listened to Jia Lian's complaint, slapped his forehead and said with a smile: "Your Excellency, you dislike that this fire gun requires three people to operate it. We also have one that is simple to operate."
After saying that, Su Keguang immediately turned around and said to his subordinates: "Go quickly and get the 'Fire Snake Gun' that one person can use!"
Jia Lian was slightly relieved to hear that there was one that could be used by one person.
However, after Su Keguang and others brought the gun to demonstrate, Jia Lian sighed heavily.
It turns out that the so-called "fire snake gun" is to tie a burning match rope near the detonation hole. When the trigger is pulled, the burning match rope ignites the gunpowder in the gun chamber to complete the launch. process!
This thing does seem to be simpler than the long gun operated by three people before, and can be operated by one person.
However, the launch speed is only slower than that of the three people before. The only advantage is that it saves two people!
The key is that even from the perspective of a layman like Jia Lian, the disadvantages of this "Fire Snake Spear" are too great.
Not to mention the firing speed and power of the musket, the most important thing is the match rope. Although it is specially made, it is still a rope. Once the weather is bad, it rains or something, and the match rope goes out, what's the difference between a fire blunderbuss and a fire stick?
Therefore, Jia Lian couldn't help but wonder: "Are these the only things in our Shenji Camp? Are there no... such as flintlock guns?"
Su Keguang and others looked at each other, obviously not understanding the meaning of "flintlock gun".
"The flintlock gun you are talking about is a kind of fire gun? I don't know where you heard it. How fast does this fire gun fire? How powerful is it? Is it possible to imitate it?"
Seeing Su Keguang and others asking him questions, Jia Lian fell silent.
Although his knowledge of firearms was very limited, and he only knew the concept of a flintlock gun, he was definitely much more advanced than Lao Shizi's "Fire Snake Gun."
And in his impression, flintlock guns should not be difficult to make. Unexpectedly, Wei's firearms development did not even reach this step!
"That's all, call all the craftsmen from the Fire Gun Bureau. I want to lecture you."
Since the ready-made firearms looked like this, Jia Lian could only abandon the idea of taking shortcuts and start from scratch.
At the same time, Jia Lian couldn't help but feel a real sense of urgency.
Although he has never dealt with the powerful Western countries and does not know how their firearms have developed, according to his intuition, the firearms of those potential enemies are definitely more advanced than those of the Wei Dynasty!
This is a very serious problem.
There are no eggs left behind when the nest is overturned. Jia Lian doesn’t want to travel back in time and experience the process of being bullied by foreign powers!
At this moment, there was no thought of any romance or asking for credit from Emperor Ningkang. All Jia Lian has in mind is to raise Wei's firearms research and development to a new level, at least not to fall behind the enemy! Fortunately, although he doesn't know much about guns or artillery, at least he has some simple concepts that are very advanced compared to this world!
He also believes that great countries never lack talents.
As long as you give him time, and he gives enough support and guidance to the craftsmen below, he will definitely be able to create a firearm that is more advanced and powerful than the "matchlock gun" and "Flan cannon"!
The top priority is to get the guns out before the cannons.
To make a gun, the easiest thing is to first figure out the concept of "flintlock gun".
"The flintlock gun your Lord is talking about, does it mean that something like a flint is used to create sparks through impact, thereby igniting the gunpowder and firing it?"
In the Fire Gun Bureau, there are still many craftsmen who are very knowledgeable about Fire Guns.
Jia Lian just introduced the principles of the flintlock gun, and an old craftsman asked back.
Jia Lian thought for a while and felt that what he said was good, so he nodded.
Who knew that the old craftsman smiled and said: "Before, there was a young man in our Fire Gun Bureau who proposed using flints to mount fire guns. He also assembled a short gun by himself. But the flints were always used. It couldn't be fired, and the barrel of the gun was not strong. It fell apart after being used a few times, so it wasn't taken seriously by the people above..."
When Jia Lian heard this, he looked happy and asked where this person was.
Doing research requires talent and energy.
Jia Lian felt that he did not have enough energy to study these things himself. At this time, it was most important for Jia Lian to have a few talented people who loved firearms to help him.
"That young man's name is Wu Youquan. As for his whereabouts...it's up to Mr. Su to decide."
Su Keguang saw that Jia Lian was interested in a craftsman and did not dare to hide it. He quickly replied: "There was indeed a young craftsman named Wu Youquan here before. Because he was smart and had ideas, he was transferred away by the people from the Bow and Crossbow Bureau."
Of course Jia Lian knew that there was a crossbow bureau in the Shenji camp, and since he had his own son, he was at least much more popular than the fire gun bureau!
I was very speechless. This is even the case within the Shenji Camp. Under such circumstances, it would be surprising if Dawei's firearms could be used.
So he immediately ordered the people to be transferred back to him! Regardless of Jia Lian's other status, Jia Lian is also the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion. It is very easy to transfer someone, and no one dares to say anything about it.
So Jia Lian soon met this young craftsman named Wu Youquan.
When he heard the concept of the flintlock gun mentioned by Jia Lian, he looked very excited, especially after knowing Jia Lian's identity and purpose, he became even more excited.
"My Lord's words have cleared up many of my doubts and concerns. As long as I give you some time, I am sure that I will be able to build a firecracker without any fuse according to your words!" Wu Youquan gave the assurance confidently.
Jia Lian is even more generous.
"Okay, as long as you can do it, I will not only reward you with a hundred taels of silver. If you do well, I can even petition Your Majesty to reward you with an official position!"
The research on firearms in the Wei Dynasty had been in ruins for too long, and Jia Lian just wanted to stimulate the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of these low-level craftsmen with heavy rewards.
"Except for Wu Youquan, the same goes for all of you. Starting from tomorrow, I will visit the Fire Gun Bureau at least once every three days to check the progress of your research. Anyone who can make achievements in the development of Fire Guns , or make useful suggestions, I will reward you!"
After motivating all the craftsmen, Jia Lian called over Su Keguang, pointed at Wu Youquan and ordered: "From now on, arrange a separate barracks for him. Not only will all the facilities be equipped according to the best standards, but all the personnel in the entire firearms camp will be included. As long as he needs more than ten people, he can choose them at will, and others are not allowed to refuse. I will trouble Mr. Su to handle this matter."
Su Keguang originally wanted to curry favor with Jia Lian, but now that he was able to work for Jia Lian, he naturally had no problem.
On the other hand, Wu Youquan next to him felt a little uneasy when he heard that Jia Lian had given him such high standards and treatment, and he knelt down to thank him.
In this regard, Jia Lian just said to him: "As long as you can create useful things, you deserve these, and you can get more in the future. So, don't let me down."
"Yes, the villain must not dare to live up to the high expectations of the adults!"
…
