At noon on July 1, the twelfth year of Zhenguan, His Majesty Li Er led a group of civil and military ministers to the firearms prison again.
As the technical person in charge, of course Yang Fan had to come out to meet him in person.
After all, His Majesty Li Er was here to show off and let those craftsmen demonstrate. Yang Fan was really worried.
Arriving at the door of the Firearms Prison, Cheng Yaojin, who was wearing bright armor, was leading a tall horse and was talking to a middle-aged man in bright yellow robes in front of him. This man was none other than the current emperor, His Majesty Li Er.
At this time, His Majesty Li Er seemed to be in a good mood. He looked at the guards who were inspecting the officials one by one with interest. He pointed and said: "This Yang Fan is very cautious. I am more and more curious about what that boy made."
."
Seeing that His Majesty Li Er was still in the mood to watch the fun, Cheng Yaojin was so hot that he almost stuck out his tongue to cool down. He curled his lips and said, "Your Majesty, although this move seems a bit ridiculous, it can very well prevent these sharp weapons from leaking out.
Not to mention, Yang Fan is really good at management."
As a member of the military, Cheng Yaojin certainly knew the importance of discipline.
An army that enforces orders and prohibitions can make people control their arms and exert their greatest potential.
A glimpse of the whole thing tells you the whole story. From these details, we can see that Yang Fan's management is really good.
But at this time, Cheng Yaojin felt a little depressed.
If other people saw the emperor coming with a group of people, they might have opened the door and welcomed them all in, and even checked the yarn!
However, Cheng Yaojin still felt aggrieved when he thought that these little turtles just wanted to check even him, a general.
Fortunately, these soldiers did not check His Majesty Li Er, otherwise he, the general who protects the emperor, would be very embarrassed.
As for Yang Fan, as soon as he stepped out of the door, there was already a crowd of people outside.
I don't know whether they were complaining about the hot weather or complaining about Yang Fan's inspection of them, but the scene was a bit noisy.
Yang Fan was a little surprised to see a group of officials stretching for hundreds of meters.
This battle is really huge!
No wonder His Majesty Li Er deliberately told him to be well prepared, obviously because he wanted to shock these officials from aristocratic families or those who were naysayers.
Seeing Cheng Yaojin and His Majesty Li Er chatting in whispers, Yang Fan came up to meet him from a distance and said loudly: "We have met your Majesty, and we have met Old General Cheng!"
His Majesty Li Er waved his hand: "How are you preparing? There won't be any mistakes, right?"
Yang Fan patted his chest and assured: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that all the samples have been tested and are guaranteed to be foolproof!"
His Majesty Li Er nodded, put his hands on his back and stepped directly into the firearms prison.
Seeing that it would take some time for these officials to conduct inspections, Li Er certainly didn't want to just stay here and bask in the sun.
Cheng Yaojin threw the reins of the horse to the soldiers behind him, pulled up Yang Fan, patted his shoulder, and sighed: "Your fiefdom is in Jiangnan, and ships must set out from Jiangnan when going to sea. They must deal with the Jiangnan nobles.
Why did you bother to do this a few days ago? You also proposed that the imperial court establish a sea trade yamen in Jiangnan. Isn't this uncomfortable? "
He simply couldn't understand Yang Fan's motives.
As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Since Yang Fan is going to Jiangnan in the future, of course he cannot antagonize those nobles, otherwise he will definitely be jointly resisted by them.
Yang Fan not only discouraged the Jiangnan gentry, but also offended the Huang family of the Jiangnan gentry. It was not worth it.
You know, the Huang family is the leading wealthy family in Jiangnan.
Even His Majesty Li Er would not dare to use the knife against such a local snake who dominates the place. If Yang Fan offended the Huang family to death, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?
What made him even more puzzled was why Yang Fan suggested that the imperial court establish a maritime trade yamen in the south of the Yangtze River.
You know, even if the taxes collected by this yamen belong to the imperial court, Yang Fan has no benefit at all. Why must he compete with the Jiangnan gentry for profit?
Moreover, in establishing such a yamen, without the cooperation of the Jiangnan gentry, the yamen would be in name only and of no great use at all.
Even if this yamen is completed, you, Yang Fan, will certainly have contributed a lot.
But once it ends in an anticlimax, he will be suppressed by the Jiangnan nobles in the future, and even His Majesty Li Er will be very unhappy.
In his view, Yang Fan's approach simply failed to please both ends.
Yang Fan naturally knew Cheng Yaojin's concern, and said with a touch of emotion: "Thank you, Uncle Cheng, for your concern. Of course I know the stakes, but sea trade is a matter of great concern. If it is done well, it will be a great success."
Being able to provide a steady stream of wealth to the Tang Dynasty is a major event that benefits the country and the people. Even if my nephew is criticized, what's the harm?"
Cheng Yaojin didn't expect that Yang Fan was standing at such a high height. He was stunned for a moment and patted his chest and assured: "In that case, we can give it a try."
"However, if there is anything I can do to help you, just mention it directly. Although I can't help you directly, Chu Mo can help you?"
Yang Fan was a little surprised: "Brother Cheng is back already?"
The reason why I ask this is because Cheng Chumo has been on duty guarding the border all the time, and usually only returns to Chang'an at the end of the year.
Cheng Yaojin laughed loudly and slapped Yang Fan hard on the shoulder: "We are brothers fighting, father and son are soldiers. Although I can't go to Jiangnan with you, but letting Chu Mo go with you, those Jiangnan nobles should have some concerns.
, you can also let Chu Mo learn things from you."
"I heard that as long as the production of the firearms supervisor is on track, your marriage to Princess Gaoyang will be put on the agenda. After the wedding, you may have to go to Jiangnan, so I asked your majesty to transfer Chu Mo back first.
There is an errand for you."
Hearing Cheng Yaojin's words, Yang Fan was inexplicably moved. Of course he knew the reason why Cheng Yaojin did this.
The reason why Cheng Chumo was allowed to accompany him to the south of the Yangtze River was because it was for help, but more importantly, it was so that the nobles in the south of the Yangtze River did not dare to kill Yang Fan and the others.
After all, Cheng Chumo is his son Cheng Yaojin, with Cheng Yaojin’s reckless character and devilish personality.
Once these Jiangnan nobles dared to attack Cheng Chumo, it would be equivalent to going against him, Cheng Yaojin.
Don’t look at the monk’s face, look at the Buddha’s face!
With Cheng Yaojin's influence in the army, the Jiangnan nobles really didn't dare to put Cheng Chumo to death.
In this way, Yang Fan is equivalent to grabbing Cheng Yaojin's tiger skin, which at least can make some people turn against him.
Thinking of this, Yang Fan said with red eyes: "Thank you uncle for your love. My nephew will always feel it in my heart."
Seeing that Yang Fan understood his hard work, Cheng Yaojin slapped Yang Fan on the shoulder and laughed loudly: "A man, once you have made a decision, face it bravely. Don't be like a little girl towards those people."
, otherwise, we will make those Jiangnan nobles laugh. Hurry up, Your Majesty is gone!"
With that said, he took Yang Fan's arm and chased His Majesty Li Er together.
Although this action showed intimacy, it made Yang Fan depressed.
What's wrong with two grown men holding hands when they're in a good relationship?
Enduring the chill in his heart, Yang Fan pulled his hand back without leaving a trace.
Even though he has been in Datang for several years, Yang Fan still cannot adapt to some habits!
When the two of them chased His Majesty Li Er, they had already arrived at the testing site.
His Majesty Li Er stood on the high platform, looking at the craftsmen and soldiers who were preparing, his eyes full of worry.
I thought that Yang Fan just wanted to show everyone the power of the pistol and the Thunderbolt, but this guy seemed to have other plans.
The piles of scarecrows and hills-like rocks a few hundred meters away look a bit unrealistic to the naked eye. How can you hit them?
What His Majesty Li Er wants is a shocking effect to scare these officials from aristocratic families. Can it be effective at such a distance?
Looking at Yang Fan who was catching up, His Majesty Li Er said displeasedly: "Are you sure you want us to watch and test the effects of muskets and thunderbolts here? The people who tested the muskets also stood at the underlined position and fired?"
Yang Fan nodded affirmatively and said categorically: "Exactly, muskets and thunderbolts are more dangerous. In order to ensure the safety of His Majesty and all civil and military officials, Wei Chen feels that this distance is just right, so that he can clearly understand the effects and see these things.
The power of sharp weapons.”
His Majesty Li Er thought he had found a flaw, and shouted angrily: "As far as I know, your musket is most powerful when it shoots at a distance of about a hundred steps. Now let us open it at a distance of five hundred steps. How can we still see it?"
What? Do you think I am a fool?"
Cheng Yaojin also smiled bitterly, "Good nephew, you have to rely on some tricks if you want to cheat!"
If you use a musket to hit something 500 steps away, even a bed crossbow can't shoot that far, right?
You said that the musket can shoot 500 steps, who would believe it? It is pure nonsense!
Faced with the doubt, Yang Fan was slightly indignant and looked back at His Majesty Li Er without any sign of weakness, with a sonorous tone: "Your Majesty, there are too many unknown things in this world. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean you don't have it. Although I said that the pistol is at 100
The lethality is greatest when you take one step or so, but that doesn’t mean it can’t shoot beyond 500 steps.”
"Besides, in the process of building a pistol this time, Weichen accidentally improved a firearm. The shooting distance and accuracy of this firearm have been greatly improved. Therefore, it is not too far to place these test items 500 steps away.
.”
As Yang Fan said, during his time in the firearms supervision department, Yang Fan asked craftsmen to try to create a prototype of a future rifle.
Not to mention, Yang Fan actually made it when a blind cat encountered a dead mouse.
Although the accuracy and distance are far inferior to those of later generations, a distance of about 300 meters with 500 steps is definitely enough.
Only by keeping these people far away from their expectations can the deterrent effect be achieved, so this time Yang Fan planned to take out the rifle and show it off.
Seeing what Yang Fan said, His Majesty Li Er rubbed his forehead and felt that his brain hurt.
I'm just doubting what you said. How can you have so much resentment at such a young age?
What's more, I am the emperor. If I ask about something I don't know, you can't give Lian some face.
It seems that this time, old fool Cheng Yaojin caught my joke again.
With no other choice, His Majesty Li Er could only smile brightly and asked: "Are you serious about this?"
Yang Fan looked directly at His Majesty Li Er and said categorically: "If there is even one false word, I will be punished for deceiving you."
"Okay, I believe you!" His Majesty Li Er did not argue with Yang Fan, and turned to Cheng Yaojin and ordered: "Knowing the truth, immediately order people to bring all the civil and military officials who came here, and let them take a look.
Our Tang Dynasty’s sharp weapon.”
"No!" Cheng Yaojin accepted the order and left quickly.
Soon, all the ministers who came were taken to the testing site.
When everyone heard that Yang Fan actually wanted to shoot the scarecrow from 500 steps away, everyone present started talking.
"Does County Master Wannian treat us like monkeys? I've also heard of pistols, but their lethality is not that far away."
"Yeah, Yang Fan might be embarrassed!"
"I think so too. Maybe Yang Fan wants to make His Majesty happy, so he made up this lie. He probably didn't expect us to come and watch together."
"I don't think County Duke Wannian is exaggerating. Since he dares to set his goal so far, he must be sure of it."
…
For a time, there were different opinions.
Some people think that Yang Fan is talking big words, while others think that he should not be exaggerating.
In the final analysis, the vast majority of people still do not believe it.
Yang Fan didn't bother to pay attention to these remarks. He looked at the crowd of Xi Jun and others who were already prepared. He turned to His Majesty Li Er and asked: "Your Majesty, everything is ready. When will we start?"
His Majesty Li Er slightly nodded his head to show that he already knew. He stood up and walked to the center of the platform to stand.
Li Er's eyes were like torches, and his tiger eyes slowly passed over everyone, and then he raised his hand and pressed down.
The scene that was originally noisy like a vegetable market suddenly became silent.
Yang Fan was a little amused by His Majesty Li Er's pretentious appearance.
However, to be honest, Yang Fan still admires His Majesty Li Er's ability to control the field.
This guy is indeed one of the few emperors who can leave his name in history, and his aura is really strong.
If it were him, he would never be able to do what His Majesty Li Er could do. At least for the current Yang Fan, he definitely does not have this ability.
After all, this has nothing to do with the level of personal force.
It is a comprehensive response of personality charm, ability and height.
Seeing that everyone had stopped talking, Li Er nodded with satisfaction and said: "Today I specially invited all the ministers to come to the Firearms Supervisory Station to witness the sharpness of our Tang Dynasty weapons. I have no doubt that as long as our Tang Dynasty weapons are sharp,
If all your soldiers are equipped with these sharp weapons, they will be invincible and invincible in all directions."
"If anyone dares to be a worm of the empire again in the future, I will definitely lead these soldiers armed to the teeth to crush all the enemies..."
As a leader, His Majesty Li Er naturally gave an impassioned speech.
Unlike the procrastinating speech reports of later generations, His Majesty Li Er concisely explained the purpose of coming here today.
As soon as he finished speaking, bursts of cheers came from the scene.
However, some people have raised doubts.
A middle-aged man came out and said: "Your Majesty, the test has not been successful yet, how can you express joy easily? This is what a noble king would not do!"
The meaning of this statement is very obvious. The test has not been successful yet, so how can you make such a hasty statement?
Upon hearing this, His Majesty Li Er, who was extremely happy, suddenly turned dark.
These censors are just annoying and always want to find fault with me. Can't they just let me show off and be happy?
Of course, the reason why Li Er was so angry was not because someone refuted it, but because that person was Huang Luan.
As the imperial censor, this guy had the right to admonish.
But this man had another identity, he was Huang Ben's uncle and one of the representatives of the Jiangnan family.
This guy was looking for trouble because he was obviously dissatisfied with his handling of Huang Ben a few days ago.
But in front of all the civil and military officials, His Majesty Li Er couldn't get angry easily.
Because he himself stipulated that officials in the Tang Dynasty would not be punished.
Li Er didn't say anything, so of course Yang Fan couldn't ignore it. He took a step forward and said, "Who are you? Since you think it's not possible? How about we make a bet?"
How about we make a bet?
Hearing this sentence, everyone looked at Yang Fan strangely.
What kind of trick is this kid planning to do again?
As the censor, Huang Luan was always supposed to remind the emperor not to be complacent. Why did you, Yang Fan, get involved?
Cheng Yaojin, Fang Xuanling and others put their hands on their foreheads and looked shameless. This guy is simply a cockfighter. Can't he bear it?
His Majesty Li Er had bright eyes and nodded with satisfaction.
Among all the civil and military officials in the dynasty, only Yang Fan understood himself!
Only this guy will help him without any scruples at critical moments. He is indeed a good son-in-law.
Of course, Li Er would not think that Yang Fan was acting recklessly.
He thought he knew Yang Fan's character fairly well.
Yang Fan seems to be reckless and impulsive, but in fact, there is sufficient planning behind every action, and it is easy to avoid fighting uncertain battles.
Therefore, His Majesty Li Er intends to wait and see what happens.
Huang Luan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "Haha, it turns out he is Wannian County Duke! He is Huang Luan, the imperial censor in the palace. He is from the south of the Yangtze River. He has been familiar with scriptures since he was a child. He upholds integrity and never participates in gambling. Let the county
I am disappointed."
At first glance, I don't think there is anything wrong with this.
But if you think about it carefully, you will find that there is a hidden thorn in the side, and it is a secret irony that Yang Fan is impulsive and aggressive, and only knows how to gamble.