Chapter 526 Guide to the Development of Firearms

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 stick to 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 not be surprising to end up like Jia Baoyu.

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.

As the Shenji Battalion, one of the few fully-organized armies in the capital, its status is not high.

There are not many combatants. According to the data obtained by Jia Lian, the real 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 must know that, strictly speaking, the Military and Horse Division is not an army. After all, the things it does are not much different from those of Shuntian Mansion's Yamen, and there are five Military and Horse Divisions.

With such a comparison, the status of Shenji Camp can be imagined.

Bian Hong, the commander-in-chief 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, after the 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. If the day comes, as long as Bian Hong is sensible and does not cause trouble for him in the process, then Jia Lian will not mind the day when the success is achieved. Give him a fortune and give him a promotion in the form of a change of place to retire.

This is not Jia Lian’s big talk. According to his speculation, the Age of Discovery has already begun, and powerful Western countries 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 gather them 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.

I heard that Jia Lian was concerned about firearms, so I naturally took Jia Lian to inspect the area where firearms are kept and made.

"No, please take me to each barracks and give me a detailed introduction to the general categories and power of firearms in our Shenji Camp."

"Okay."

Accompanying the chief on patrol is an easy job, especially since everyone knows that Jia Lian is a popular person around the emperor. As long as Jia Lian is taken care of well, it will be easier for others to support him in the future. They work hard and get promoted much faster.

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 one The Fran cannon was transmitted from the far west. It is much more powerful than the previous cannons."

When they came to a warehouse, Su Keguang pointed at the items placed inside. He introduced the four artillery pieces with a red face. Obviously, the artillery placed there is a kind of artillery worthy of publicity.

Jia Lian stopped and walked in to take a look. He found that the thing was really tall and powerful and looked really good, so he asked about its specific power.

"It's very powerful. I heard that one cannon can destroy half of the city wall!"

"I heard?"

" Well, I haven't seen this with my own eyes, but Commander Bian once pulled this thing outside the city to show it to the soldiers.The adults in the department have demonstrated that the newly built earth wall can indeed be knocked down easily with one shot. ”

Seeing Su Keguang’s sarcastic expression, Jia Lian also knew that according to Wei’s contempt for artillery, it would be really difficult for an official to know all the firearms.

After learning about the loading of ammunition, Jia Lian was disappointed.

The operation was complicated and the ignition method was primitive. The most important thing was that the artillery shell was just a huge iron ball. Its destructive power relied entirely on inertial impact. It is completely different from Jia Lian's impression of artillery 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? "

"Musket? Your Majesty is talking about fire guns, right? Yes, there are many styles. Do you want to see them? ”

　“Let’s take a look. ”

Su Keguang was a little suspicious in his heart. He didn’t know why Jia Lian was so fond of firearms. You must know that their Shenji Battalion has all kinds of weapons, especially the newly developed crossbow. It is easier to operate than the previous bed crossbow, and it is surprisingly powerful.

One crossbow shot is enough to pierce seven or eight enemies in a row. Isn’t that thing better than these dark, stupid guys? How exciting?

He also wanted to give Jia Lian a lecture on bed crossbows. Who knew that Jia Lian was not interested in those things at all.

"My lord, this is the place. The gunfire is over. 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. Jia Lian, who had just walked over, looked at him slightly. As soon as it lights up.

This atmosphere is good, maybe there will be surprises.

With such a mood, Jia Lian walked in, and his eyes naturally focused on the hangings on the wall. All kinds of firecrackers lingered on it.

Suddenly Jia Lian took down a polished firecracker from the wall and played with it. Su Keguang and others were so frightened that they repeatedly exclaimed, "Sir, be careful of the fire! ”

They just looked at Jia Lian’s posture and knew that Jia Lian had never played with a firecracker. If there was a misfire and they jumped, who would they go to complain about.

Jia Lian really didn’t. I have played with firearms. Several times on the battlefield, the soldiers below did not use firearms, which shows that firearms are not welcomed.

Seeing myself playing with guns, several of my subordinates turned pale with fright. , Jia Lian did not deliberately tease them, but handed the two-foot-long blunderbuss to Su Keguang and told him to find someone to give it to them.Demonstrate yourself.

"How about next time, sir? It's not very easy to show off here. It would be bad if I frighten you..."

Su Keguang and others also wanted to persuade, Seeing Jia Lian's eyes darken, he didn't dare to say any more. He found the most skilled gunman and tried the gun at a dilapidated shooting range outside.

"Bang~!"

The gunmen finished rehearsing the launch process according to the most standard procedures, and turned back to look at Jia Lian with hope, trying to get Shangguan's answer. praise.

But Jia Lian’s brows were furrowed into the character “Chuan”, with a look of disappointment on his face.

Su Keguang and others wondered, "Sir, what's wrong?"

"Does the fire blunderbuss in the Shenji camp require three people to operate?"
< br />Jia Lian asked his doubts. Although he knew from the shape of those fire guns that firing them would not be 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 the third person to hold the torch to light it...

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! After hearing Jia Lian's complaint, Su Keguang slapped his forehead and said with a smile: "My lord, I 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 to his opponent. The servant said: "Go quickly and get the 'Fire Snake Spear' that one person can use!"

Jia Lian was slightly relieved to hear that there was one that could be used by one person.

But after Su Keguang and others took out the guns for demonstration, 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, and use a mechanism to cause the burning match rope to ignite the gun chamber when the trigger is pulled. gunpowder inside to complete the firing process!

This thing does seem to be simpler than the previous long gun operated by three people, 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 point 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...for example, flintlock guns and the like?"

Su Keguang and others looked at each other, obviously I don't understand 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? Can it be imitated?"

Seeing Su Keguang and others asking him questions, Jia Lian fell silent.

Although his understanding of firearms is very limited and he only knows the concept of a flintlock gun, he is definitely much more advanced than Lao Shizi's "Snake Gun".

And in his impression, flintlock guns should not be difficult to make. Unexpectedly, the development of firearms in Wei Dynasty did not even reach this step!

"That's it, call all the craftsmen from the Fire Gun Bureau. I want to lecture you."

Since the ready-made firearms look like this, Jia Lian can only Abandon the idea of ​​taking shortcuts and start from scratch.

At the same time, Jia Lian could not 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 understand guns or cannons very well, 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 simplest thing is to first figure out the concept of "flintlock gun".

“What do you mean by the flintlock gun, you use something like a flint 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 thenAn old craftsman asked.

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. Come out. It's just that the flint can't be hit, and the gun barrel is not strong. It falls apart after being used a few times, so it is not taken seriously by the people above..."

When Jia Lian heard this, he looked happy. , hurriedly 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 come to help him.

"That young man's name is Wu Youquan. As for his whereabouts...it's up to Master Su."

Su Keguang saw that Jia Lian was interested in a craftsman, so he didn't dare to hide it. , 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 the secret. There is a crossbow bureau in the camp, and the presence of his own son is 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.

"The adults' words have cleared up many of the villain's doubts and concerns. As long as the villain is given time, the villain is confident that according to the adults' instructions, he can create a firecracker without any leads!" Wu Youquan A very generous guarantee.

Jia Lian was even more generous.

"Okay, as long as you can do it, I will not only reward you with a hundred taels of silver. And if you do it well, I can even petition Your Majesty on your behalf to reward you with an official and a half-job. !”

The firearms research in the Wei Dynasty has 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 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 your research progress. Anyone who can Made some achievements in the development of fire guns, or make useful suggestions, I will reward you! "

After motivating all the craftsmen, Jia Lian summoned 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 with the best , and all the personnel in the entire firearms camp, up to ten people, can be transferred at will as long as he needs it, and others are not allowed to refuse. I'll leave it to Mr. Su to handle this matter. ”

Su Keguang originally wanted to curry favor with Jia Lian, but now that he was able to do things for Jia Lian, he naturally had no problem.

On the other hand, the Wu friends next to him all heard that Jia Lian had given him such high standards and treatment. , a little uneasy, hurriedly 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 in the future You can get more. So, don't let me down. "

"Yes, the villain must not dare to live up to the high expectations of the adults! ”

　……