Chapter Thirty-Four: Progress and Shortcomings
(The picture shows Kangxi's self-made fire gun No. 2, with both flint and matchlock mechanisms)
"Get a few soldiers to try it out and see if it's convenient," Yang ordered Wang Chengen. In fact, it will definitely be much more convenient than using the original fire bottle, because each dose is pre-measured, eliminating the possibility of over or under loading due to carelessness. This kind of thing can easily happen in the cruel environment of the battlefield. So, pre-measured gunpowder is a progress under current technical conditions.
After a few gunshots, Wang Chengen came back and reported: "Your Majesty, the soldiers said that with this fixed amount of gunpowder, it is much more convenient and reassuring, and they don't have to worry about loading the wrong medicine on the battlefield."
"Ah, this is good. This is good." Real progress has been made. Yang also praised the reforms a few words.
"I report to Your Majesty, yes. Each paper shell has a fixed amount of gunpowder inside. When in use, just pour it directly into the barrel and that's it, much more convenient and faster than using a gunpowder flask before. Also, since these things are not safe, I suggest that we should use cowhide bags to store these ammunitions, so as to prevent accidents and also prevent them from getting wet in the rain."
"Does the bag have samples?" Yang Gaizhang asked.
"Back to the Emperor, there is...". After finishing speaking, Li Gong brought another cowhide bag, somewhat similar to the "cloth book bag" he had sewn himself when reading books before. There was a strap hanging diagonally from his shoulder. The outside had a large flap cover and inside there was another lid to prevent sparks from splashing out.
"Hmm, not bad, worthy of reward." This kind of explosive package, Yang reform seems to have seen it there, and also praised it.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Several people were delighted. Because when the emperor is happy, he will reward silver.
"Well, as a reward, each of you will receive 100 taels of silver. As for the rest... just the five of you will do. Remember to work diligently and produce even more and better firearms. I am not stingy with rewards." Yang Reform had always been very generous when it came to rewards. Not a single penny was spared.
"Thank Your Majesty for the reward..." Several people knocked their heads again. They were delighted in their hearts.
"Hmm, if you make a major breakthrough in firearms, I might consider giving you a noble title or an official position." Yang Reform dangled the bait again. He hoped these Ming dynasty "experts" could produce "transcendent" weapons.
"Ah!......"
"Wow..."
Everyone who heard Yang's reform speech couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Giving a craftsman an honorary title and official position was big news in the Ming dynasty.
"The common people must exhaust all their strength to create even more powerful weapons for the Emperor." Several craftsmen had already been tempted by the promise of fame and fortune, and the prospect of becoming officials. The temptation was too great for these hereditary craftsmen. Their eyes really turned red.
"Hmm, you're not joking." Yang Reform smiled, this was exactly what he wanted.
……
"Let's talk about what's lacking then." Yang Reform was ready to see if these "experts" still had any difficult problems they couldn't solve, and if he happened to know a little bit, he wouldn't hesitate to use his knowledge from beyond time and space to enlighten them.
"I report to Your Majesty, it's the use of fire starters to ignite the fuse, this has always been a weakness of the fire lance, the fire starter cannot be kept for too long and cannot be used on a large scale, if it were to rain suddenly when encountering the enemy..."
Fire starter is a thing for making fire, similar to today's lighter. The ancient fire starter was very inconvenient, the kind often seen on TV that needs to be blown by mouth before use. Imagine suddenly encountering an enemy, every second is precious, and you're still waiting for your mouth to blow the fire starter to ignite something. It's all a waste of time.
"This, um, I've forgotten. You all think carefully about it too. I have an idea, I'll tell you later." Yang Reform thought it was necessary to study how the old-fashioned lighters were made, Yang Reform didn't want to make some electronic lighter, Yang Reform planned to make that kind of coal oil lighter that he often saw when he was a kid, the one that needed to be fluffed up after using for a while. That thing shouldn't be difficult.
……
"Let's go, Da Ban, back to the palace." Yang Gaizhi felt that staying here any longer was meaningless. The hand grenade didn't need to be tested anymore. What needed to be said and done had already been done. All that was left was time. He estimated that the quality of the weapons these people would produce again should not be a problem. Even if there were problems, they would probably have been eliminated in their infancy and wouldn't be handed over to his own army.
"Yes, Your Majesty, let's proceed with the next step." King Cheng'en whispered a reminder.
"Ah, okay, I'm a bit tired today." Yang Reform had walked such a "long" road and stood for so long that his legs were numb.
During the day, he didn't feel it, but when he went to bed at night, Yang Gaizhang only felt that his legs were a bit sore. It was the kind of soreness and numbness from walking too much.
Yang sighed inwardly at his poor physical condition and thought he should find some time to exercise.
Empress Zhou saw that Emperor Yang was unwell and thought something was wrong, so she asked with concern: "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
"Hehe, Your Majesty, it's nothing, I just stood for a bit too long when I went to the school grounds today, and my legs are a little sore."
"Really? Then let me give it a massage for the Emperor." Empress Zhou volunteered to give Yang Guifei's legs a massage.
"This is great." Yang thought it would be even better if a beautiful woman could give him a massage.
Empress Zhou hugged Yang Reform's leg and started massaging it. As her smooth little hands touched Yang Reform's thigh, his heart felt like a group of ants crawling around, itching terribly.
Xiao Chongzhen stood up unconsciously. The empress took a look and her ears turned bright red immediately. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Yang Reform.
Yang Reform was indeed young and vigorous, with a strong temperament, at the age of one day three times Lang, how could he still bear it, immediately pushed to Little Lori Queen.
The queen let out a cry of surprise, already pinned beneath him, Xiao Chongzhen was now proudly standing upright, ready to pounce on the yellow dragon. The queen immediately felt a wave of shyness and weakness all over her body, being stripped bare by Yang's reform like a white sheep.
"Ah yo!" Yang Gai was yelling "ah yo" at this critical moment.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" The empress asked anxiously.
"My legs are a bit sore today, so, Queen, you come yourself today. I'll lie down, and you get on top..."
……
After a bout of shyness, the queen came over and sat on Yang Gaizhi's body with her hands covering her eyes. Yang Gaizhi secretly smiled to himself, this little loli is still shy.
The joys of the boudoir should not be secretly observed.
……
In his dream, Yang Reform dreamed of Baidu, memorized a few songs, referred to some materials for practicing chorus, and prepared to start a chorus in this dynasty. The materials were really too much, so Yang Reform only remembered a general idea, one point at a time.
The next day, Yang Gaizhi woke up with a full spirit, while the little loli queen was lying in his arms, looking weak and frail. Yesterday was really too crazy, too stimulating, and she still had no strength now.
Today is the day to attend court, to be honest, Yang Reform doesn't want to always bicker with those elites, and the consequences of bickering with them are very severe. Alas, as an emperor, he can't avoid facing those elites. Yang Reform thinks of his ancestors, that Wanli Emperor who didn't attend court for decades, known as "Six Not", "not attending suburban sacrifices, not visiting temples, not attending court, not meeting officials, not reviewing documents, and not giving lectures". That's the real deal, a true "homebody". He really wants to learn from him, but unfortunately, he doesn't have any reliable elites. Back then there were Zhang Juzheng and other truly capable elites, now these elites, relying on them is probably even weaker than pigs.
Yang shook his head and sighed, letting the palace maids help him change into more formal attire as he prepared to attend court.
