Chapter 595: Wearing three hats

This day is an exciting day for the Shenji Camp.

The current emperor personally visited Shenji Camp. This was the first time since Shenji Camp was established.

There is no need to mention the solemn arrangements and tight security in the past few days. It is only said that it is the southernmost high platform on the main campus of the Japanese God Machine Camp.

Emperor Ningkang sits majestically, with the prince, the third prince, Princess Zhaoyang and the fourth prince on either side of him. Under the stage, there were the solemn and solemn Long Jinwei and the Imperial Guard officers and soldiers.

Jia Lian confirmed that everything was ready, quickly stepped onto the dragon platform, and asked for instructions with a military salute: "Your Majesty, three new artillery pieces and 300 targets have been arranged. Please order the ignition! "

After hearing this, Emperor Ning Kang stepped down from the dragon chair, stood on the edge of the high platform, and looked up.

A hundred meters away in front of him, there were three huge artillery arrays. Farther in front of the artillery, a square area was vaguely visible. Perhaps because of years of reviewing memorials, his vision was not so clear and he could only roughly identify the targets stuck in the ground.

Emperor Ning Kang stood there, not knowing what he was thinking. After a while, he heard his faint instructions: "Light the fire."

Follow him After hearing the words, the Imperial Guards on both sides immediately gathered around a line of ten people. They held shields in front of Emperor Ning Kang. They were obviously not at ease with something as powerful as artillery that they were not familiar with.

Seeing that his view was blocked, Emperor Ning Kang showed displeasure: "Get out of the way."

The general responsible for the emperor's safety quickly moved people away, and his vigilance remained unchanged. Then Jia Lian stood at the edge of the dragon platform and waved to his subordinates.

The gunners below, who had received orders from Jia Lian, immediately suppressed their anxiety and excitement and moved quickly.

　"Boom boom boom..."

"Bang bang bang bang!!!"

With three huge sounds, even the earth shook. It seemed like it was trembling.

Even Emperor Ning Kang almost couldn't help but take a step back. He calmed down immediately and looked suspiciously at the smoke rising into the sky in the distance...

And Jia Lian saw The test was successful, a smile appeared on his face, and he immediately ordered the audience: "Collect the destroyed targets and show them to His Majesty!"

"Slow down!"

Emperor Ning Kang stopped shouting, "I will go and see for myself."

Upon hearing this, the prince immediately said: "Father, guns and cannons have no eyes. It is inappropriate for my father to go over there, so let Zhenyuan go."Hou took the target over and said yes. "

"No need to say more. ”

In Emperor Ning Kang’s impression, no matter how powerful the cannon was, it was just an iron egg shot out, which could cause devastating damage to the city wall. But like today, after being shot out, it will form a The scenes of huge fires and smoke filled the sky were beyond his expectation.

So he wanted to see for himself how destructive this thing was. He moved the target over and could see something. What?

Jia Lian admired Emperor Ning Kang’s courage very much, and naturally he would not object. He just ordered people to turn the muzzle of the gun to face the west. Even though he knew that the possibility of accidental shooting and accidental injury was basically zero, But it would be disrespectful to aim the black rumbling muzzle at the emperor.

A moment later, standing in the middle of the shooting range where the fiery temperature still remained, Emperor Ningkang looked serious. But the prince and others all He could not help but show a bit of astonishment.

Just looking around, the new targets that should have been densely packed were already swaying and even dilapidated. With three people out of formation, The pitch-black circular crater is the center, radiating out in all directions.

Although most of the three hundred targets still appear to be upright, they are basically damaged. A rough estimate, if these targets are all Soldiers, after these three rounds, no more than half of them can still maintain their combat effectiveness!

Seeing the results that exceeded the previous training standards, Jia Lian smiled even more.

He also didn’t expect that the artillery, which he thought was more difficult, so he didn’t rush to study it, would actually make greater progress than the muskets!

This was an unexpected joy. It also meant that Now, artillery loaded with explosive bombs will really begin to dominate the future battlefield.

Speaking of which, explosive bombs have not appeared before, but most of them are short-lived, and then they are extremely inferior. The firing method, or its huge disadvantages, was abandoned.

Not long ago, a craftsman from the Shenji Camp Artillery Bureau came to him excitedly and said that he had thought of a way to develop the weapon he had said before. It's the kind of artillery shell that is launched, explodes when it hits the ground, and then uses the fragments to kill the enemy.

Jia Lian originally listened to his description with doubts, but after listening to it, he felt It’s really feasible.

When I made a batch according to the method, I found that it was unexpectedly stable! Yes, the most important thing for explosive ammunition is stability, otherwise, it won’t be fired yet. , wouldn’t it be embarrassing if it exploded in the barrel?

According to the historical data Jia Lian consulted, there were many such things. This is why neither the previous dynasty nor this dynasty used explosive bullets. The main reason.

So, even after repeated trials, when he felt that safety was guaranteed, Jia Lian couldn't wait to report to Ming Ning Kangdi.

Because Jia Lian felt that with this leap-forward progress, the Wei Dynasty was enough to resemble the "Red Barbarians" (the collective name for the early maritime colonists of Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands in the previous and current dynasties) In this way, the struggle for interests in the Age of Discovery began.

Emperor Ningkang, who wanted to achieve a great imperial career, heard Jia Lian's solemn introduction and immediately decided that he would come and see it in person. This led to today's trip.

Seeing that Emperor Ning Kang was obviously shocked by the effect of the new artillery, Jia Lian added to his anger: "Your Majesty, this new artillery has just been renovated, and there are only three of them at present.

But Your Majesty should have seen it. Just three artillery pieces, facing a concentrated enemy, can already cause massive damage.

It is not difficult to calculate that if there are such artillery thirty If the gates, or even three hundred gates, are all lined up, then it can be said that our Wei Dynasty will have no opponent in the battle on the plains! Whether it is the Oara and Tatars in the north, or the sea robbers from the far west, they can only Can you bow your head in front of me, the great Wei Dynasty!"

When Jia Lian's words fell into the ears of the people around him, some caused a huge shock, while others felt nothing at all. After all, to many people, Wei was originally invincible.

Emperor Ning Kang was not so short-sighted. Although he lived deep in the palace every day, he was diligent and could still roughly understand the situation of the entire Wei Dynasty.

Apart from anything else, the memorials sent to him by officials from Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian contained a lot of information about "red barbarians" and "Japanese pirates". Emperor Ningkang had long wanted to eliminate banditry at sea, but he had been unable to do so because of limited energy.

So after listening to Jia Lian’s words, Emperor Ningkang was silent for a moment and asked: "Does this new cannon have a name?"

"Wei Chen was ordered by His Majesty to develop firearms. , I dare not change the name without authorization, please give me a name by Your Majesty!"

In fact, Jia Lian did not think of changing the name at all, because this time the cannonballs were upgraded, and the cannons still used the best ones before. The foundation of the Fran cannon has been slightly improved.

Emperor Ning Kang said: "Since you said that this cannon can deter Tatars, Oaras, and red barbarian bandits in the north, then I will give it the name 'Zhenyuan Cannon'. I hope this cannon will be used in our great Wei Dynasty. In your hands, you can really make everyone submit to you."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Seeing Emperor Ningkang smile at the end of his words, the prince and others immediately came to flatter him. At the same time, they all glanced at Jia Lian with complicated expressions.

Of course they knew that Jia Lian's title was "Zhenyuan", and they didn't know what Emperor Ning Kang meant by this move. But thinking about this new cannonIt was created in the hands of Jia Lian. It is reasonable for Emperor Ning Kang to name it after Jia Lian.

On the way back to Longtai, the fourth prince quietly walked up to Jia Lian and whispered: "You are so unscrupulous. You have such a valuable thing, but you only gave me this one last time. Little thing... I think this cannon is quite interesting, boom~~ It’s sparkling. How about you give me another one to play with?”

“Fourth brother, don’t mess around with such fierce things. It's extraordinary, how can it be used as a plaything."

The third prince walked forward and chuckled. After saying that, he looked at Jia Lian: "Zhenyuan Hou is really a capable minister of our Wei Dynasty. The Zhenyuan Cannon developed this time will definitely enhance the prestige of our Wei Dynasty. By then, Zhenyuan Hou will add another stroke to the history of Qing Dynasty. ”

Speaking of this, the third prince suddenly thought that for Jia Lian, there is no doubt that Qingshi is famous. His heroic deeds spread all over the world are enough.

But he was a majestic prince, and if he could not succeed in seizing the legitimate son, let alone the history, I am afraid that there would not be too many records in the history books. Perhaps, there are only a few words such as "Wei Yan, the third son of Emperor Ningkang of the Wei Dynasty, once competed with Emperor So-and-so (the title of the emperor of the eldest prince) to win the title of heir, but failed and died."

In this way, he is a prince, but he is not even as good as a minister. Therefore, regardless of success or failure, you must do a few things vigorously. Even if you leave a bad reputation in the end, it is better than having no one care about you.

Faced with the compliment from the third prince, Jia Lian immediately said humbly: "The third prince has given you too much praise. It is already a great honor for a minister to be able to serve the court and be loyal to your majesty. As for whether his name can be retained. The history of Qing Dynasty is not in my consideration."

"Hahaha, the Marquis of Zhenyuan is upright and upright, showing his magnanimity. Unlike some people who are busy looking for chapters and sentences all day long. , doing some stupid things, but always thinking about leaving a name in history, haha."

The prince also came over.

The third prince looked at him and suddenly said: "Brother the emperor is right. Brother Cai also said just now that Marquis Zhenyuan is not only a capable minister of our great Wei Dynasty, but also a loyal minister, and he also dares to A loyal minister who is forthright in admonishing and not afraid of power."

As he spoke, the third prince looked at Jia Lian and praised: "Last time, the sons of the clan criticized the government and slandered the emperor. If it weren't for Zhenyuan Hou's perseverance, he insisted on killing them. If they were handed over to their father, I'm afraid they would escape punishment. To this day, those unfilial sons are still reflecting on themselves in the Ancestral Temple. All of this is the result of Zhenyuan Marquis. I admire him very much and want to do something else. A minister cannot be so loyal and upright."

The third prince's words made Jia Lian narrow his eyes, and he naturally understood that this was to put some eye candy on the prince's mind.

The prince’s expression also changed slightly. The incident where the clan members criticized the government, it really made him anxious for a long time. Even to this day, he didn't know whether Emperor Ning Kang was angry with him or not. Seriously, this trouble was indeed caused by Jia Lian...

Jia Lian didn't even need to look at the prince's expression to know that the prince had some grudge against him. After all, the prince had intervened to resolve the conflict between him and Wei Xian, but he still arrested a group of clan disciples led by Wei Xian and others. After all, he did not consider the prince's face...

"Your Highness the Third Highness is ridiculous. Not to mention that His Highness the Fourth Highness was present at what happened that day. I was just following orders. Even if I was alone at the time or if other courtiers were present, I am afraid the result would be the same.

A minister should put loyalty to the emperor first. This is the principle that has remained unchanged throughout the ages. Therefore, even if His Highness the Crown Prince is not here that day, if he had been there, there would be no need to ask His Majesty for instructions. His Highness the Crown Prince would handle matters himself. Those people were severely punished. In this way, those clan members are lucky to have met the easy-to-talk Fourth Highness."

Besides, the fourth prince listened to his brothers playing riddles. I don't understand, but I think it's quite interesting. In Jia Lian's heart, am I really easy to talk to? Well, that's probably the case. I am a person who is good at accepting advice and obedient like water.

The prince also realized at this time that he could not play into the third prince's scheme, so he said in a deep voice: "Marquis Zhenyuan is right, if I had been there that day, I would have made that bastard lose his temper. Pi Laicai only relieved his hatred, and now he only asks them to reflect in the Ancestral Temple, which is indeed an advantage for them!"

The third prince smiled slightly, turned around and walked away.

Seeing the third prince retreating, the prince only gave some encouragement and gave up. Princess Zhaoyang, on the other hand, quietly gave Jia Lian an approving look after the two brothers' attention was gone. She didn't know if she was praising him for developing a new cannon or praising him for surviving the attack between the two princes. Lost game.

Jia Lian and others didn’t even notice that while they were talking, Emperor Ning Kang in front deliberately slowed down.

Arriving at the Dragon Platform and returning to their respective positions, Emperor Ningkang called Jia Lian closer: "I heard by chance before that your ancestors also made great achievements in maritime affairs?"

"Your Majesty, I can't talk about achievements. It's just that when my great-grandfather was still alive, my great-grandfather was kind to me. After he was too old to go to the battlefield, he was given an honorary position. At that time, he was mainly responsible for building coastal defenses in the Huaihe and Zhejiang areas. , repairing seawalls, and building ships.

Later, my great-grandfather passed away, and my family gradually faded out of the maritime industry."

Emperor Ning Kang pondered for a moment after hearing this, "I heard you before It is said that the reason why those red barbarians were able to arrive from the extreme west, thousands of miles away, to the sea of ​​Wei Dynasty to cause chaos, they relied on the strength of their ships.gun. He also said that only if this artillery can be mounted on a large ship can it display its true power. This is true. "

When Jia Lian heard what Emperor Ningkang meant, he couldn't hold back his joy and immediately said, "Your Majesty, that's exactly what happened." Although the artillery is extremely powerful, far more powerful than ordinary military weapons, it is not only huge in size, but also extremely heavy. In a land war, moving is a huge problem.

But it will be much more convenient if it is placed on the boat. As long as there is any place in the world connected by water, you can go there. "

With that said, Jia Lian further said: "Your Majesty, the reason why those red barbarians are now only causing trouble on the islands in the South China Sea and not entering the territory of Wei Dynasty is not because they don't want to or dare not, but because they don't want to or dare not. Because they have come from afar, they have not yet gathered effective strength beside my Wei Dynasty's bed.

Once we, the Wei Dynasty, leave it alone, in at least a few decades, or at most, a hundred years, these red barbarians will definitely become a big problem for our Wei Dynasty! For the long-term plan of the Wei Dynasty, I once again implore Your Majesty to develop the navy, not to completely eradicate the red barbarian troubles, but at least to cut off their wings and roots in the sea around our Wei Dynasty! ! ”

Of course, Jia Lian’s words are tampering.

In fact, Western powers did not become powerful in a day. This process can be said to be very slow. Slowly, the great powers such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom alternated between old and new, strong and weak. This process took hundreds of years.

According to Jia Lian's speculation about the current situation, these small countries, In order to have sufficient capabilities to threaten the vast Wei Dynasty, there is still at least two to three hundred years to go!

Of course, he was speculating based on the situation in his previous life, and did not rule out the possibility of the West What changes happened that led to the advancement of the Industrial Revolution?

But no matter what, it is better to prepare early. The reason for saying it faster is just to attract the attention of Ning Kangdi and others.

Sure enough, both Emperor Ning Kang and the prince and others frowned when Jia Lian said it. Emperor Ning Kang was okay, he not only heard Jia Lian say it once, but he also considered it in many ways, but the prince and others were a little bit I feel that Jia Lian is exaggerating.

Hongyi, a small country in the West, is said to have a population of only one million...

Before the prince and others could raise questions, Emperor Ning Kang had already The decision was made.

“Jia Lian. "

"I am here. "

"I want to send you to Tianjin Wei to build a seaport and supervise the construction of warships. I wonder if you are willing? "

"I accept the decree! "

Jia Lian's answer was so fast that Emperor Ningkang couldn't help but said: "Although Tianjin Wei is not far from the capital, it takes a long time to get back and forth.You don’t even think about a day’s journey? "

"It is the duty of a minister to be able to serve His Majesty. A minister only needs to obey the will and act, and there is no need to think too much about anything else. "

Emperor Ning Kang snorted. Although he could see that Jia Lian wanted to gain the reputation of loyalty, it was very rare for him to be able to do so. How could he not know that officials in the capital Few people are willing to be transferred to endure hardships, let alone a wealthy child like Jia Lian who comes from a Xun family.

This is actually the reason why it is difficult for a Xun family member to hold a big position, and why he does not like the Xun family children. I am used to being rich and honorable.

So he added: "Tianjin Guards has a navy. I will order you to concurrently serve as the chief of staff of the Tianjin Guards Navy. The Prime Minister will supervise the construction of warships and meet all needs. If you need anything, you can request it from the Ministry of War or ask me directly. ”

As soon as Emperor Ning Kang said this, everyone fell silent.

It’s enough to give Jia Lian an official position, so that he can please the emperor and create a talented minister. , it’s not surprising to be promoted to an official position. What’s noteworthy is that later, what does it mean that everything you need can be transferred to the Ministry of War or asked directly from him?

This seems to mean, as long as Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. If the Ministry of War can't give it to you, I'll give it to you. You don't have to worry about it!

"My father is serious about this.

" The princes can't sit still. .

The third prince came out first: "Father, although the development of artillery and the use of strong ships and cannons to resist the red barbarians were proposed by Zhenyuan Marquis, there is nothing wrong with my father using him.

But after all, Zhenyuan Marquis already had two jobs. If more missions were sent, even if Zhenyuan Marquis had three heads and six arms, he would still be unable to do what he wanted.

If the father can trust his son, the son is willing to share his father's worries and personally go to Tianjin Wei to take charge of the matter! ”

Just from Emperor Ningkang’s attitude towards this matter, the third prince knew that this was a great opportunity.

The prince still had the responsibility of supervising the country, but he had nothing to do in Beijing. . If this matter can be accomplished, or if it is done in line with Emperor Ning Kang's wishes, it will be helpful to the great cause.

Seeing that the third prince was so determined, he did not hesitate to go to Tianjin Guards in person, and the prince could not sit still. Live.

But he is the prince, and he must not leave the capital, so he hurriedly said: "Third brother is too impatient. You yourself said that the Zhenyuan cannon was developed by the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and even the idea of ​​strong ships and powerful cannons was proposed by the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Now you rush to seize the job before the Marquis of Zhenyuan, which is not in line with the royal style. "

"As long as I can share the burden for my father and get things done, there is no need to talk about grabbing or not grabbing. Besides, I am also considering the overall situation. If the Marquis of Zhenyuan really holds three positions in one person, or two places, he will have one person because of overwork.What's wrong? Isn't it a huge loss for our great Wei? ”

Although Jia Lian also felt that the third prince had done something shameless, he could not say anything in the face of the fight between the two princes and could only watch silently.

　“That’s enough! "

Emperor Ning Kang originally thought it was reasonable after hearing what the third prince said. But when he saw the two princes arguing on the spot, he immediately gave up the idea.

These two princes If you are willing to fight for things that are unsatisfactory, then fight hard in the capital and see what success they can achieve.

So he asked Jia Lian: "What do you think? ”

Of course, Jia Lian feels that it is not difficult to hold three jobs, and even wants to have as many as possible. After all, it is not a job to go to work on time.

But the three princes are so Having said that, he still said sincerely: "I am willing to listen to your Majesty's arrangements. ”

“That’s it, that’s it. If you really feel that you are unable to do it, just write to me again. "How could Emperor Ning Kang not know that Jia Lian's several positions, except for the military and horse department, which may have some daily official duties to deal with, the other two are all arranged by him.

This point of co-ordination ability None, and there is no need for him to place so many expectations.

And Jia Lian, who originally thought that he would be deprived of at least one position, also became happy and thanked him: "I obey the order. "

Seeing that Emperor Ningkang seemed to be leaving, Jia Lian said again: "We have one more request. "

　"Say. "

"If Your Majesty wants to develop the navy and build enough warships, artillery, muskets, etc. are crucial.

Nowadays, the main items in the Shenji Camp are still crossbows and chariots. Wei Chen suggested that it is better to move out all other items in the Shenji Camp and keep only the muskets and artillery, or to The muskets and artillery were moved out of Shenji Camp separately to form another army, which was beneficial to both parties. "

Emperor Ning Kang thought for a while and said: "Just move the muskets and artillery out of Shenji Camp, set up a firearms camp, and put it under... under the Imperial Guard. For specific organizational needs, you can Write a memorial to me. ”

　“Yes. ”

From Emperor Ningkang’s choice, we can still see that Emperor Ningkang did not fully accept his concept of firearms being king. But it’s okay, one day, he will use it on the battlefield. Firearms change people's ideas and allow them to choose between good and bad.

I don't know if the old-fashioned cannonballs are so powerful. I just speculate that if they are effective, one shot can kill and injure dozens of people. People, don’t find fault with military fans.