"If you can cast a bell, you can cast a cannon..." Whenever Huang Chen thinks of the tone and expression of the craftsman when he said these words, he feels a chill all over his body. The technical content of front-loading smoothbore cannons in this era is indeed not high, but
It's definitely not as low as the craftsman said.
Huang Chen did not hesitate to choose the safest way. He gave the craftsmen a small cannon with a bullet weight of only three pounds and asked them to study it first. After thoroughly understanding the technology, they would try to make one to see the specific effect. There was no need for copper materials.
No worries, he had previously obtained 300 tons from the "Heusden", more than 36,000 kilograms of brass, which was more than enough to cast ten red barbarian cannons.
In addition to a Hongyi trot, Huang Chen also sent a heavy smoothbore gun, a light matchlock gun and a revolver to the firearms workshop for research. Of course, they were all Western-style. He was not interested in Chinese-style muskets at all. In fact,
He also has another type of gun in his hand, a carbine, which is a short rifle used by cavalry on horseback. However, he has no urgent need for a carbine at the moment, and he understands the principle of biting off more than he can chew. The things he gives to the craftsmen now are enough.
They have been busy for a while.
Huang Chen had the copper materials for making cannons, but the iron materials for making guns needed to be purchased from the outside world. Through profiteers along the coast, Huang Chen bought a large amount of iron from Fujian Funing and Yanping.
The best iron material so far, bar none.
Huang Chen led people into the firearms workshop. The yard was filled with all kinds of gun-making and cannon-making tools. The apprentices who were running back and forth hurriedly retreated to the sides and bowed, with a deep awe on their faces without exception.
With a look on his face, Huang Chen nodded slightly and walked straight through the courtyard into the lobby. At this time, a dozen craftsmen were communicating around the parts of matchlocks and revolvers. When they saw him, they all stood up and saluted.
Huang Chen was not polite and asked an old man straight to the point: "Mr. Xu, how is your research going?" Mr. Xu, named Jiasu, was an unremarkable old man in his sixties, dark-skinned, short and thin.
Zuo Suo was an official craftsman and had been making firearms for most of his life. In terms of seniority in the newly established firearms workshop, no one could match him, so Huang Chen made him the head craftsman of the firearms workshop.
"I'm afraid the artillery will have to be studied for a while," Xu Jiasu then said with a confident smile: "There is no problem with the gun, we can start work now."
Huang Chen asked with a smile: "Didn't you encounter any difficulties?"
Xu Jiasu couldn't help but sigh: "Our Ming dynasty's blunderbuss was learned from the Franji people and the Japanese. I often think that the blunderbuss is the best of the two. It has already been better than the blue. Only when we really see the Western Yi fire blunderbuss can we learn it."
We know that there is a huge difference between the two. The craftsmanship of Western Yi fire gun making is no more complicated than that of bird gun.
It is complex, but its power is better than that of a bird gun. The power of the big fire gun standing on the shelf is even more astonishing. The difficulty lies in the Western hand gun." Xu Jiasu pointed at the dozens of revolver parts on the table.
, said: "This blunderbuss has many mechanisms, each of which is so precise that it cannot be made except by skilled craftsmen."
Although the revolver has many parts, Huang Chen believes that only the clockwork will be difficult for Chinese craftsmen, and other parts should be fine.
Huang Chen then visited the craftsmen making matchlock guns. To be more precise, making matchlock barrels. The structure of matchlock guns is very simple. The reason why the output cannot be increased is related to the difficulty of making barrels. It takes nearly a month to drill and scrape the barrel.
Time is horribly inefficient.
Regarding this issue, Huang Chen once asked William Europe how long it took to make a matchlock gun. The latter didn't know the specific situation, but he was sure that it wouldn't take so long. Huang Chen guessed that the problem was with the tools, perhaps because of insufficient craftsmanship on the drilling machine.
It was because the steel materials such as drill bits and cutters were not hard enough, or perhaps for some other reason. He had no choice but to make do with it and look for opportunities to improve it in the future.
The government-made bird musket left a very bad impression on Huang Chen. The gunpowder gas leaked, the sparks were fired everywhere, and the chamber was hit many times. As a result, those who used the government-made bird musket were very nervous when shooting, and they all "
Close your eyes, turn your head, and shrink your neck.”
, the accuracy of the matchlock gun was already poor enough, so it was surprising that it could be shot accurately like this. Therefore, Huang Chen repeatedly warned Xu Jiasu and other craftsmen to make guns carefully. If they dared to make fun of the lives of his soldiers, he would
Dare to make fun of their lives.
Xu Jiasu has been among the officials and craftsmen for most of his life, and he is very aware of the tricks involved. He explained that the reason why the government-made muskets like to blow up the chambers is that there are people above who are corrupt, and it is conscientious to withhold 30% of the money for materials, and it is normal to withhold half of it.
It's because the officials and craftsmen below are unprofitable. When rolling the gun barrel, they can fool around with it. The thickness is uneven, and even it is rolled into a single barrel. The superiors and subordinates only care about themselves, and no one cares about the quality of the gun.
Huang Chen was noncommittal. The probability of something happening to the folk fireguns he bought from profiteers along the coast was relatively low, but it was not impossible. Do they also have such a reason? In short, if something happened, Xu Jiasu would be the first one to do it.
After hearing this, Xu Jiasu couldn't help but smile bitterly. For the first time, he felt that the seat of the leader of the craftsmen was a bit hot.
In the following days, Huang Chen went to the firearms workshop every day to supervise the progress of the craftsmen's work.
The situation along the Zhangquan coast has gradually improved recently, not because of anything the government has done, but because the New Year is approaching, and the pirates have robbed enough and are ready to have a happy New Year. After the 15th, the Zhangquan coast will change again.
Back to what it was before, it would be even worse than that.
This year, I believe that Governor Zhu Yifeng and Commander-in-Chief Yu Zigao will never be happy. They have ruined all their fortunes in Fujian, and it is a foregone conclusion that they will be kicked out of the officialdom. Yu Zigao's life is in danger, and he only waits for the battle report to be announced.
As far as the capital. Today's young emperor is a decisive leader. Even nine thousand year old Wei Zhongxian was forced to hang himself by him. After beheading a famous minister, it doesn't matter anymore.
Seeing that New Year's Eve was getting closer and closer, Zhang Xing's fleet finally returned to Lieyu Island before the end of the year. The trip to the chicken coop went smoothly, and more than 20,000 taels of silver were obtained. The goods did not even have a chance to land, and they were moved directly into the ship bound for Manila.
In the cargo hold of the Spanish galleon, Valdesto Zhang Xing sent greetings to Huang Chen and looked forward to meeting again in a few months.
Zhuang Mo did not come back with the fleet. Capturing the Taiwanese barbarians was not an easy task, and he was not the best among the barbarians. He looked down upon him. He expected to stay in Taiwan for one to two months.
On New Year's Eve, every household in Lieyu is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, filled with a festive atmosphere, which is in sharp contrast to the gloomy and gloomy atmosphere with white cloth hanging on the door in the center and left.
Huang Chen had more than 5,000 land and sea troops under his command, hundreds of non-combatants, hundreds of slaves, and thousands of prisoners. The total number of people was more than 6,000. With so many people crowded together, you can imagine the excitement.
.Except for those newly joined prisoners, most of them had a lot of money in their pockets and bought a lot of new year's goods. Firecrackers were fired off and on from morning to night, and finally reached the climax.
Looking at the colorful and beautiful fireworks all over the sky, William was stunned with amazement. He had never seen such beautiful fireworks in his life. It was simply a masterpiece of God. At the same time, he couldn't understand the "luxury" of the Ming people.
There were so many fireworks set off on Danlieyu Island, but what about the entire Chinese Empire? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely an unimaginable astronomical figure. If the gunpowder consumed by all the fireworks were gathered together, it would be enough for the Ming Dynasty to fight countless battles.
"Baas, why? You must know that this is a huge waste of resources." William expressed his inner doubts to Huang Chen.
Huang Chen thought for a while and explained: "It is easier for us Chinese to get saltpeter than it is for Europeans. It is thousands of times easier - and there is tradition. Before gunpowder was invented, and even longer ago, we Chinese had the custom of setting off firecrackers during the New Year.
, it symbolizes getting rid of evil and getting good luck, not just the Chinese, everyone hopes for this, right?"
Huang Chen's explanation was very reasonable, but William still couldn't understand this "crazy" behavior of the Chinese.
Huang Chen also thinks this is crazy, but he is the person who buys the most fireworks on Lieyu Island.
Late at night, the coastal villages of Liewei were as bright as day. It was extremely noisy. Huang Chen and his brothers celebrated the festival. Banquets were set up along the street. Hundreds of tables were set up from the street to the end of the street. Thousands of people were in high spirits. Those who were eligible to enter
There are less than 100 people in Huang Chen’s courtyard
One-tenth. They were either shipowners at sea, generals on land, or Huang Chen's close subordinates. The Europeans were placed in a corner. There were even fewer people qualified to enter the lobby, only a dozen or so people.
First, he is not a famous member of Huang Chen's team.
"Brothers, some of you are old brothers who followed me from Dachen Mountain, and some are new brothers who joined me after I arrived in Fujian. No matter who you are, I, Huang Chen, would like to thank you. Without you, I would never be where I am today.
I won’t say much more about this step, I’ll do it first out of respect.” With Huang Chen’s opening remarks, the banquet officially kicked off.
"Big boss, big boss..."
Every time Huang Chen takes a step, countless people raise their glasses to pay tribute. He has thousands of subordinates who love him. Unfortunately, his heart still feels cold and he cannot absorb any warmth. The only thing that can give him warmth is those far away in the world.
Chen Shan’s grandmother and mute sister.
After being away for a year, Huang Chen felt homesick. He thought about it so much that he wished he could immediately put on a pair of wings and fly back to Dachen Mountain.
…………
Dachenshan, Huangzhai.
The mute girl is wearing a brand new lake green dress today. She looks even more beautiful. Her eyes are always so clear and clean, not contaminated by dust, as harmless as a deer. She is very busy now, in the kitchen with Zhang Xing's mother.
, Hu Tai’s wife prepared the meal together.
There were two tables set up in the main hall of the Huang family, and the children were circling around them, laughing and chasing each other, with their little faces flushed, which was really lovely.
Wang Fengwu's mother was dressed in simple clothes and was sitting at the main table. Maybe it took time to dilute the thoughts about her son in her heart. Maybe she forced a smile in front of people. In short, she did not have a mean face today, but showed a kind face and a smile.
.Huang mother Zhang
Sitting next to her, smiling and talking to her, she seemed happy, but the occasional gloom in her eyes betrayed her. She was wandering outside, with no news, and she didn't know whether she was dead or alive. As a mother,
How can you be happy?
The Wang's wife was on the other side of the Queen's mother. She carefully served tea to her mother without saying a word. Wang Fengwu was a forthright man and extremely generous to his subordinates. He did not leave much wealth after his death, but thanks to Huang Chen's leaving a large fortune when he left.
The money ensured that the family had enough food and clothing, but the king's wife did not work hard physically, but her heart was very tired. She had gray hair for the first time in a year, which made her look very old.
Also present were Zhao Hongyi's wife, Yang Dong's mother, and others, all of whom were women and had young children. Hu Yin could not help but feel a little uncomfortable sitting among them.
After a year of hard work alone, Hu Yin grew up at an astonishing speed. He was no longer the young man who could only shelter under the wings of his two sworn brothers. He transformed into a man with a deep palace, full of joy and anger.
An invisible young hero. His strength has doubled compared to when Huang Chen left.
Not only that, there are thirteen large ships under his banner, and thousands of people. Now in Dachen Mountain, when the name Hu Yin is mentioned, everyone praises and praises him, and no one dares to say that he is not half-hearted. Even Zhou Lao stayed behind.
It's almost impossible to suppress him. If you give him another year and a half, Dachenshan will probably change his surname to Hu.
"Brother Yin..." Mrs. Huang's mother Zhang looked at Hu Yin.
"Yes, grandma." Hu Yin listened respectfully. Soon after Huang Chen left, he worshiped Huang's mother Zhang as his adoptive mother. He usually called the queen mother his mother and Huang's mother his grandma.
Huang's mother, Mrs. Zhang, smiled and said, "I just discussed with my eldest sister whether it's time for you to get married now that you are eighteen years old."
Hu Yin was startled for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "The enemy who killed my father is still living happily in the world. If I don't kill them all so that my father can rest in peace, I won't dare to think about getting married."
Mrs. Huang's mother, Mrs. Zhang, frowned and said, "How long will it take? As the saying goes: "There are three types of unfilial piety, and the worst is not having children." If you really have such filial piety, you should marry a wife early and leave descendants to the Hu family."
Hu Yin said categorically: "Mom, please stop trying to persuade me. If my enemy is not dead, I will feel uneasy and will not consider marrying."
Huang's mother, Mrs. Zhang, thought that Huang Chen also refused to get married, and couldn't help but sigh: "Every one of you brothers... what should I say to you, alas!"
Hu Yin comforted her and said: "During the summer, news came back from Fujian, saying that the second brother had established a large power in Fujian, which was enough to rival the Wednesday dog thief. I want to use the second brother's scheming methods to increase the power.
With this strength, Wednesday Dog Thief is no match for him."
Huang's mother Zhang sighed after hearing this. This news happened half a year ago. The sea is changing rapidly. Who knows what will happen now.
The Queen Mother also said: "Although Brother Jin is young, he is a man who does great things. My sister does not need to worry too much."
Huang's mother, Mrs. Zhang, did not expect Huang Chen to have much future, she only hoped that he would be safe.
After the dumb sister, Zhang Xing's mother, and Hu Tai's wife had cooked the food, Huang's mother Zhang immediately pulled her to her side, smiled at the Queen Mother and said: "Sister, this is the daughter-in-law of the Huang family that I recognize. Wait for Brother Jin."
After returning from Fujian, they were asked to get married."
The mute girl's ears turned red as she listened, and her whole body looked like a cooked shrimp. She lowered her head and did not dare to raise it.
The Queen Mother looked at the mute girl with a smile, nodded repeatedly and said: "Not bad, not bad...she is a good girl."
Huang's mother, Mrs. Zhang, also said to everyone: "Everyone has a meal during the Spring Festival." (To be continued...)