As everyone looked over, a musketry team equipped with new firearms walked in neat steps. When there were still 200 steps away from the straw man, everyone was ready to shoot and light the match rope. The first row was squatting and the second row was standing. They were all aiming at the straw man in front and were ready to pull the trigger and fire.
"put!"
"Bang bang bang, bang bang bang."
Following the commander's order, the martial arts arena was filled with smoke. After bursts of gunfire, the straw man wearing cotton armor had already been riddled with holes.
A smile appeared on Zhu Youtang's mouth, thinking that the power of this matchlock gun was not bad. Although it could not be compared with the suifa guns of later generations, it was enough to deter the enemy in the middle of the Ming Dynasty.
"Boom boom boom—"
There was a burst of cannon fire, shaking the sky and the earth.
Wang Shu and Ma Wensheng heard the sound of the cannon and said excitedly at the same time: "Back to Your Majesty, the test of the artillery invented by Your Majesty was successful!"
In fact, this artillery was just commonly carried by the Qi family army later.
It has a name called Hudun Pao. The earliest invention and improvement of this type of cannon in history should be during the Jiajing period. It's just that Zhu Youtang gave some guidance to the people in the Arms Department based on the experience of later generations and elaborated on his ideas. Unexpectedly, he succeeded and made this kind of light artillery come out ahead of schedule. I have to say that the ancients were really smart!
The Ming Empire now basically uses large artillery like the Franco machine. It is extremely inconvenient to carry and difficult to carry out when encountering complex terrain. And this kind of gun is not only more powerful than a cannon, but can also defend against large groups of enemy firearms. The most important thing is that it is lighter and easier to carry with the army than the Fran machine. Especially in field battles, it is more maneuverable and can control dangerous passes during defense.
After the Tumubao Incident, the Ming army lost all its elite troops and was unable to recover. Judging from the current situation of the abolition of the Ming Empire's garrison system, it is already good to have one or two original cannons.
Now the new troops in the Beijing camp have begun to equip matchlock guns and tiger squatting guns, and it won't be long before they can be used throughout the entire army. Judging from the cold weapon era, this level of firearms equipment can be said to be the best in the world.
Zhu Youtang was happy and helpless as he watched the new troops from the Beijing Camp drill in the martial arts field with loud shouts.
It can be said that every shot of "gunpowder" they shoot is money, and the basis of military strength is economic strength.
Zhu Youtang was silent for a while and then said: "I am very satisfied with the inspection of the new army in the Beijing Camp today. Please inform the Arms Department to increase the production of firearms and strive to spread them throughout the army as soon as possible."
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
"How come the Tatars have become so much more honest recently? I haven't heard any urgent news from the border." Zhu Youtang asked.
Wang Shu paused and said, "I have something to say, I don't know whether I should say it or not."
"If you have any thoughts in your heart, Aiqing, just say so."
"The Tatars' treacherous intentions have not changed. Although they have not invaded our Ming border recently, they are our Ming's inner circle after all. The northwest border defense still needs to be paid attention to." Wang Shu knew that the emperor could order money to increase the production of firearms, which was already a big deal. As for the northwest border defense, a large amount of money is also needed, which is also a troublesome matter for the emperor. He originally thought that the emperor would hesitate for a while, but Zhu Youtang didn't even think about it and said directly:
"Well... My dear, what you said makes sense. Tatars have always been a serious concern of our Ming Dynasty. If we want long-term peace and stability, we have to fight the Tatars sooner or later. Yanhai, please pass on my decree again. The firearms produced by the Arms Department next month will be directly Send it to the northwest. We cannot let the soldiers in the northwest say that I only value my family and ignore them."
…
In the capital, the capital camp is undergoing training like tea and fire, while the land of Jiangsu and Zhejiang is in turmoil.
Hangzhou, Hefu.
"Did you really follow what I taught you?"
"Please don't worry, Mr. Bu Tang. I have told him everything according to the instructions of Mr. Bu Tang."
The person who spoke was Lin Hongzhi, a businessman from Hangzhou. That day he sneaked into Jinguan Tower and eavesdropped on the conversations of Zhejiang Governor He Maoxun, Chief Envoy Lu Kun, Inspector Zhang Wenzhao, and big businessman Dong Jianzhong on the stairs on the second floor. Originally, he just wanted to learn about the situation of salt sales this year from He Maoxun and others so that he could make plans in advance, but unexpectedly he overheard confidential matters. At this moment, a waiter who was preparing to serve the food spotted Lin Hongzhi and shouted out, and that's how the following happened.
He Maoxun was dubious and said coldly: "You also know the consequences of cheating on me. If Chen Fu doesn't come to me today, I will throw you into the sea to feed the fish."
Although these words spoken by He Maoxun were light and gentle, they still frightened Lin Hongzhi half to death. He quickly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Master Butang, please forgive me. I really told Chen Fu what you wanted. As for whether he comes or not, that's his business. Don't worry, I won't let you go." Tell those things."
Chief Envoy Lu Kun curled his lips and said to He Maoxun: "Don't worry, Minister. Look at his courage. He doesn't look like someone who dares to speak out."
"Yes, yes, the villain must be tight-lipped and keep these things in his stomach." Lin Hongzhi banged his head twice on the ground to show his attitude.
He Maoxun remained unmoved and said calmly: "I still can't let you go. If you lie to me, I will be in trouble with you in the future. Let me ask you, after you talked to Chen Fu that day, what was his attitude? "
Lin Hongzhi was silent for a moment, thought for a while and said: "Chen Fu was very angry and scolded several gentlemen. He called Mr. He an old fox."
"Huh?" After hearing this, Lu Kun immediately changed his expression and glared at Lin Hongzhi.
"Ah, the villain said it wrong. The villain palms the mouth. The villain palms the mouth."
Compared with Lu Kun who was furious, He Maoxun laughed. He said: "Lu Kun, if you want to do something big, are you afraid of being scolded? If we are all small-minded and can't even listen to these small things, your and my heads will have to move sooner or later."
Lu Kun nodded and said, "Thank you for your teaching."
At this moment, a member of the family ran in in a panic and shouted: "Master, Master, Master Chen is here."
Lin Hongzhi's eyes instantly lit up when he heard this, and he said excitedly: "Look, Bu Tang, I didn't lie to you, he is here!"
Lu Kun and He Maoxun looked at each other and said, "You go down first, remember to go through the back door!"
He Maoxun and Lu Kun quickly arranged their clothes and calmed down. Lu Kun asked, "Can he believe it?"
"Chen Fu is just a foolhardy man. Just look at my eyes and act."
Just as the two of them finished speaking, Chen Fu walked in with a livid face.
"What are you thinking about, Bu Tang? If we don't sell the salt this year, we won't sell it. Why are you lying to me?" Chen Fu asked straight to the point as soon as he walked in.
He Maoxun said with a smile: "Chen Fu, you sit down first. If you have anything to do, let's sit down and talk about it."
Chen Fu sat down on his butt, but his anger was still lingering, and he said with a blushing face: "Bu Tang, let's be honest, I have been working for you over the years, and I have been selling all the private salt for you in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. , most of the money from the sale was given to you, why did you deceive me?"
He Maoxun looked confused and asked: "Chen Fu, I watched you grow up. Your father died early, but I have always treated you as my own son. You can't speak without evidence. When will I lie? Pass you?"
"You told me not long ago that the imperial court was going to send a salt patrol censor, right?"
"Yes, the governor came to Zhejiang yesterday." He Maoxun answered neatly.
"You said that the imperial court sent people to investigate the salt law in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The limelight is tight and we have to avoid it in the second half of the year. But why did you hand over the salt to Dong Jianzhong and let him sell it?" Chen Fu continued to ask.
He Mao What about the insurance? It just so happened that Dong Jianzhong, who was extremely wealthy, came to Hangzhou and wanted to buy all the salt yin and said he would sell it in his name, so the department gave him the salt yin."
Chen Fu suddenly slammed the table and shouted: "Now, you are still uniting to deceive me! The name of the salt inspector is Peng Shao. He is from Hankou, Putian, Fujian. He is a fellow villager with you! You must have known each other before. , even if he comes down to check the salt law, he can't find anything on your head. I have already inquired about it. That Dong Jianzhong packaged all the salt for takeout, and the money for each salt is more than what I sold before. He needs an extra tael of silver. Are you afraid that this is why you gave him all the salt?"
Lu Kun was about to speak when he was interrupted by He Maoxun: "Stop talking about it. Since you already know it, there is no need for me to hide it from you. You are right. That Dong Jianzhong not only has a rich family, but also has many connections. If you sell it to him, the profit can be more than double yours. In this case, why should we struggle with the money? "
Chen Fu gasped and said: "Give me the salt and I will raise the price and guarantee that the profit will be doubled by the end of the year!"
Lu Kun's eyes widened when he heard this, and he said: "Chen Fu, you are still young, and I understand that you are young and energetic, but you can't say such things casually to guarantee your safety."
Chen Fu vowed: "I keep my word. If the profit does not triple by the end of the year, I will not only stop selling salt in the future, but I will also kill myself to apologize!"
After hearing this, He Maoxun laughed loudly, patted Chen Fu on the shoulder and said: "Good boy, I did not misjudge you. Okay! I will send someone to get Yanyin back from Dong Jianzhong, and you will sell it this year!"
Chen Fu said calmly: "Thank you so much, I'll leave first if I have something else to do."
After Chen Fu walked away, Lu Kun gave He Maoxun a cup of tea with a flattering smile and said, "It's still a clever plan on your part. How did you know that Chen Fu would definitely snatch this batch of goods from Dong Jianzhong?"
He Maoxun said disapprovingly: "As I said in the conversation just now, I watched him grow up, and I understand his character. This child is competitive, brave and foolhardy, but he is also a very loyal person."
"Since you said you have always raised him as your own son, why did you push him out to take the blame this time?"
"There is nothing we can do about it. The chief minister wrote a letter asking us to find a scapegoat to take the blame. In the past few years, we have not shown up behind the scenes. He has always been hired by him to sell. He is too conspicuous. Before long, Peng Shao will definitely Check on his head. Maybe he will confess us then. But if we use provoking methods to anger him this time and let him sell again, then he will be caught by Peng Shao and he will not tell a word even if he dies! Dong Jianzhong is a fat fish, we can't let him die. If he dies, how will we get the money to give to the chief minister?"
Lu Kun was convinced and said: "Then do you think we can go to the capital next year?"
"The chief assistant said that as long as the money is provided as usual this year, we will have a chance to join the cabinet. Isn't it because of the chief assistant that you and I can sit in such a high position today? I still believe what he said.
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