Chen Jingke explained the principles of bombs clearly and at the same time told Li Shimin the principles of cannons.
When he heard that he could launch bombs and iron balls weighing several kilograms ten miles away, Li Shimin's expression changed again.
He himself is a famous general and military master in hundreds of battles, and he is very aware of the impact of this long-range weapon of mass destruction on war.
If the cannon were real, at least the city wall would become a decoration.
The city wall may be able to stop solid bullets, but it can never stop explosive shells like this.
Just imagine, if thousands of these explosive bombs fell on the city of Chang'an... Forget it, he didn't dare to think about it anymore.
That's not all. Chen Jingke also talked about the benefits of putting cannons on the ship: "Cannons are very heavy. Each one weighs hundreds of thousands of kilograms, which is very inconvenient to carry. It is also troublesome to provide cannon shells and other logistical supplies."
"Putting it on a boat can perfectly solve these problems...As long as there is water that can pass through the boat, the cannon can reach it. Stand on the shore and fire directly, cooperating with the army's actions..."
Li Shimin immediately thought of Goguryeo and Baekje. These two Liaodong countries were his next targets.
He had not been sure of victory before, but if the cannons and gunboats were real, he would have the confidence to complete the feat of destroying the country. Completely eliminate the hidden dangers in Liaodong and push his achievements to a higher peak.
Chen Jingke couldn't help but show off his 'design': "Not all ships and cannons can be used as gunboats... The ship I designed has a deep draft and can sail in the deep sea, and the sails can be adjusted to take advantage of the wind in seven directions."
"Coupled with the art of star-finding and the compass, we can grasp the direction in the vast sea without getting lost. Then our big ship can sail freely on the sea."
"Also, the recoil of the cannon is so great that ordinary ship hulls cannot support it. The cannon I designed has a muzzle brake, which can greatly reduce the recoil..."
The muzzle brake is a structure with holes in the muzzle and the small section of the muzzle. The principle is very simple, but the process of discovering this principle is not simple at all.
Humans have been using firearms for hundreds of years before they figured out how to reduce the recoil by opening a few diagonally rearward holes in the muzzle of the gun.
It's just that this was too advanced for Li Shimin. He didn't even know much about cannons, so how could he know what recoil was, let alone how opening a few holes could solve this problem.
But he knew these things were useful, so he wrote them all down one by one.
Later, he simply said: "I will write all this down later... By the way, no one else knows about the gunpowder and bombs, right?"
Chen Jingke naturally knew the truth of confidentiality and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, these are all made by me and have not been made by anyone else."
Li Shimin had no doubt about this. The spy had already sent back the news that Chen Zhenren had been hiding in a small courtyard recently. He was so mysterious that he didn't know what he was doing. He also asked for permission to go in secretly to check.
Fortunately, he chose to give Chen Jingke a little more trust at that time, otherwise we don't know what would have happened.
It would be great fun if a spy sneaked in at night to check and open the fire certificate...
He felt scared at the thought of this possibility, and at the same time decided that he must be more careful in future matters involving Chen Jingke and not act rashly.
Chen Jingke wrote down all the manufacturing technologies such as gunpowder, cannons, U-bottomed ships, new sails, and star-pulling techniques.
The more troublesome ones are sea ships and cannons.
He only knew that the general ship types were U-shaped and V-shaped, but he didn't know the internal structure. He only knew what the cannon was like. How to cast it specifically required craftsmen to figure out.
Seeing him displaying so many skills at once, Li Shimin felt a little numb. He didn't mention the reward at all. He just asked him to keep it confidential and let him go.
Chen Jingke knew that he needed time to digest and process these things, so he resigned in a sensible manner. Before leaving, he also invited the empress to go to Zixiaoguan Square to enjoy the fireworks on New Year's Eve.
"The brand new fireworks I invented, launch the fireworks shells into the air and explode into fireworks. It's very beautiful."
Li Shimin's heart moved and he asked: "Is it the same principle as a cannon?"
Chen Jingke said casually: "Yes, it's the same principle as a cannon firing explosive shells, but the amount of gunpowder inside is different."
"I made black powder because I thought the Chinese New Year was too deserted, so I wanted to make some fireworks and lively, so I made cannons and bombs by the way."
The corner of Li Shimin's mouth twitched. He was so embarrassed that this artifact was made casually while playing.
He waved his hand feebly and said: "I understand, I will go see you on New Year's Eve, you can go."
After Chen Jingke left, Li Shimin took the information and read it over and over again, and began to think about how to make and use these things.
I don't know how much time passed before Ren Feng returned and said: "Sage, the matter has been dealt with over there without leaving any trace. Only those who are watching are left. I don't know how to deal with it. I would like to ask the saint to show me."
Li Shimin finally came back to his senses and looked at the sky. It was already getting late. He had been sitting there for more than an hour without knowing it.
Putting down the paper in his hand, he said: "Just warn them not to talk too much... By the way, tell the Queen that I will go to her later."
…
In the Li Zheng Hall, after reading the information left by Chen Jingke, Changsun Wugou could not hide his shock: "Are these...all true?"
Li Shimin nodded and said: "I have seen the bomb with my own eyes. It is indeed real. You are a great nephew. You can change the world with just a few things."
Changsun Wugou knew what he was thinking and said, "Your Majesty is worried about the person behind him?"
Li Shimin said with concern: "Yes, how could I not be worried? Where are these people hiding, and why can't they find any clues? Why did Chen Jingke appear? What is his purpose?"
Changsun Wugou had no clue and said, "Hey, the people we sent to monitor him didn't find anything unusual, and he didn't come into contact with anyone."
Li Shimin said: "Either they have a more hidden method of contact, or the other party has never contacted him, but I prefer the latter."
Changsun Wugou agreed: "I think so too. No matter how hidden the method is, it will always take time. He is under our surveillance twelve hours a day, so he has no chance."
Speaking of this, she seemed to have thought of something, and picked up the pages and looked through them.
Li Shimin knew that she should have discovered something, and said, "Did Guanyin Maid make something?"
Changsun Wugou pulled out the pages about sea ships and star-pulling techniques and asked, "Are they overseas?"
Li Shimin's heart moved, and he quickly picked up the pages and read them. The more he thought about it, the more likely it was that he felt it was possible.
"Why didn't I think of this? Only by going to sea frequently can you have the opportunity to develop such powerful sea vessels and navigation skills."
"He also specifically emphasized that they were sailing on high seas. It was very likely that they were overseas... I asked why there was no trace of them on land. It turned out that they were overseas."
The more Li Shimin spoke, the more certain he became, and he said in surprise: "Mr. Guanyin, you are truly my virtuous wife."