Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Jiang Xinghuo picked up a fire blunderbuss. He didn't mind it being dirty. He touched the gunpowder chamber with his hand and said, "A fire blunderbuss is most afraid of exploding its chamber. The chamber is where the gunpowder is always burned. When making a fire blunderbuss, the powder needs to be burned." The chamber might as well be thicker, and if it is thicker, the probability of the chamber exploding will be smaller."

"Besides that." Jiang Xinghuo put up the fire gun again, pointed at the dark mouth of the gun and said, "We might as well make a lid like a kettle spout here. It can be lowered on weekdays to prevent dust and sand from getting in."

The old craftsman swallowed hard, and his impression of the Imperial Master immediately changed.

What Jiang Xinghuo said was not something advanced, just small details. In fact, craftsmen like them also found similar suggestions in practice.

But the problem is that in the manufacturing of firearms in the Ming Dynasty, the superiors could do whatever they wanted, and the craftsmen who actually performed it had no say.

Jiang Xinghuo not only speaks well, but these craftsmen can see that this national master really understands!

If he knew their thoughts, Jiang Xinghuo would probably boast: "No one knows firearms better than me."

However, Jiang Xinghuo naturally didn't know what the craftsmen were thinking, and he continued to seriously provide suggestions for improvements to the fire guns of the Hongwu era.

"On weekdays, you pour gunpowder directly from the gunpowder bag into the mouth of the gun. There is no fixed amount. It's like my aunt cooking and adding seasonings. It all depends on the feel of the hand. But the feel of this thing is different for everyone. , it’s good to have a standard.”

Ma Jing, the eunuch in charge of the Bingzhan Bureau, nodded in agreement and asked, "How do you think the Imperial Master sets the standards?"

"Make an enlarged version of a wooden earpick-like gunpowder charging spoon to hold a fixed amount of gunpowder. The other end is a straight pole with a cloth bag wrapped at the end to compact the gunpowder."

Upon hearing this suggestion, the craftsmen of the Gunpowder Department of the War Bureau couldn't help but light up.

This really kills two birds with one stone. It can be made of wood. It can not only load a fixed amount of gunpowder, but also compact the gunpowder. It can be said that it kills two birds with one stone.

Song Li, who had been listening silently beside him, also raised his eyes to look at the Imperial Master whom he met for the first time.

Although this was their first meeting, Song Li had actually heard Jiang Xinghuo's name many times from Li Zhigang, the Minister of Rites.

Well, this is another person who had to run outside and break his leg last year because Jiang Xinghuo was in jail for talking.

If you want to establish angel officers in each vassal country, you have to recruit translators and trainers, right?

So do you want the 80-year-old Dong Lun to do it, or the 66-year-old Wang Jing to do it?

In the end, the job fell to Song Li, who was still a member of the Ministry of Rites at the time.

However, it was precisely because of Song Liqian's outstanding performance that he was promoted to the position of Right Minister. It could be regarded as a predetermined decision after a drink and a peck.

Looking at Jiang Xinghuo who was guiding the craftsmen of the Gunpowder Department very seriously, Song Li had an intuitive impression of this young and somewhat excessive national master for the first time.

——The knowledge is complex and the knowledge is sharp.

"Come and talk."

Unlike the bureaucrats of this era, Jiang Xinghuo has no airs and does not think these craftsmen are inferior. In fact, in Jiang Xinghuo's eyes, these are all useful talents!

Several craftsmen from the Gunpowder Department came closer when they saw Ma Jing, the eunuch in charge of the war bureau, agreeing.

Jiang Xinghuo pointed at Ma Jing, whom everyone knew.

"Actually, after I told you about the large Kongming Lantern today, I was originally going to leave, but the Second Prince's tax guard he was forming was planned to be formed as a pure firearms unit, so I wanted Eunuch Ma to take it with him to take a look. What is the level of firearms in the Ming Dynasty now?"

Ma Jing, the eunuch in charge of the Military War Bureau, was smiling. This firearm test did not cause the second prince to lose face, nor did the firearms cause any accidents. He himself performed quite well.

Jiang Xinghuo explained briefly, paused for a moment, and then changed the subject.

"But to be honest, Eunuch Ma, our master is not very satisfied."

Ma Jing's smile froze on his face.

The eunuchs who came out of Prince Yan's palace were generally full of martial virtue. Seeing this, Song Li silently took a step back to avoid harming Chi Yu.

The lively atmosphere at the scene suddenly turned cold.

This is very embarrassing. Ma Jing is also an old man in Prince Yan's palace. He has followed Zhu Di in the bloody battles for four years. Now he is a high-ranking eunuch in the palace. Jiang Xinghuo is here to guide the work of the war bureau. I respect you. It’s the Imperial Master. I treated you well. I cooperated fully with you in whatever you wanted to do. I also showed you the firearms show if you wanted to. What’s this sentence?

"What does this mean, National Master?"

Looking at the second prince Zhu Gaoxu and Zheng He, the somewhat grumpy Ma Jing resisted the urge to do something on the spot and asked Jiang Xinghuo firmly in a cold tone.

Jiang Xinghuo seemed to turn a blind eye to Ma Jing's attitude, but said sincerely: "Eunuch Ma, let's not ignore other parts of the military battle bureau's armor, bows, crossbows and other weapons. They have been developed for hundreds of years and thousands of them. I'm afraid they have already been finalized. Let me comment. But firearms are only a hundred years old, starting from the sudden muskets of the Song Dynasty. They are truly new gadgets and new things. The Gunpowder Department cannot be managed in the same way as other departments. Firearms.”

Ma Jing could naturally hear the sincerity in Jiang Xinghuo's words. It was not that he really had any opinions about him, but that he really wanted to give himself some opinions. Only then did Ma Jing's face lighten up.

"Then what does the Imperial Master think we should do?"

"There should be some incentive system to encourage craftsmen to improve current firearms."

Jiang Xinghuo simply made it clear: "I heard from Zheng He that Eunuch Ma also fought bloody battles all the way from Jingnan. He should have some understanding of the power of firearms used in groups. His Majesty wants to form a purely firearm-based tax pawn guard, so he is interested in it." We must prepare for the further spread of firearms in the future and the formation of a separate army."

Hearing this, Ma Jing thought of a rumor in his mind. The emperor did intend to reorganize the main force of the Yan army into the Jingying camp, and the Jingying camp planned to consist of the cavalry force's Three Thousand Tartars Battalion (Three Thousand Battalions). , five military camps, and a fire artillery unit.

But this is just one of many rumors about military reform and has not been confirmed.

In other words, how to reorganize the main force of the Yan Army into the Beijing camp? Not to mention that the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion only had plans but no final results. Even the emperor probably had not made up his mind.

Therefore, the establishment of the pure firearms force of the Tax Guards may not be without the emperor's intention to conduct a pilot test.

Thinking of this, Ma Jing couldn't help but have some thoughts of his own when he thought that it would indeed be possible to form a large-scale firearms force in the future, but the performance of current firearms could not meet the needs of a separate army.

If you perform well and produce more firearms with a rich variety and quality, I'm afraid it will really help your future.

Ma Jing's expression suddenly softened, and he raised his hands and said, "The Imperial Master gave me some advice, but he was short-sighted. Please forgive me!"

The Ming Dynasty's best military craftsman talent resources were in the hands of Ma Jing. Jiang Xinghuo naturally wanted to unite with the other party. Seeing that Ma Jing was smart and knowledgeable, he did not continue to embarrass the other party.

"Well, my master might as well throw some ideas into the conversation."

Jiang Xinghuo pondered for a moment and said: "With regard to this reward mechanism, don't take too big a step. At this stage, we should mainly focus on directly distributing rice and cloth, and first focus on technical research."

This means that Jiang Xinghuo does not plan to appoint craftsmen as officials from the beginning, or make too much noise about handing out money, which will harm these craftsmen. Changes must be made bit by bit, and the awareness of the importance of talents and the talent training system The establishment of it cannot be done by just saying a few words.

As for divergent creation, granting patent protection should be a matter for the next stage.

At the moment, this group of people came up with a three-eyed blunderbuss, which is a good idea. They put the technological points into a "quick gun" that can be used for melee combat after a single shot. I am afraid that the last possibility is to go to grandma's house. According to The current military practice is probably the one that is more likely to happen.

"For example, our national division wants to improve the standard fire cannon of the Tax Guard based on the current fire cannon."

Knowing that Jiang Xinghuo was knowledgeable and willing to work for their benefit, several craftsmen from the Gunpowder Department listened attentively.

"The new firecrackers still ignite, but they are not so crudely lit."

Jiang Xinghuo introduced the principle of the matchlock gun, which is the front-end technology of the flintlock gun. It is also a firearm that can definitely be mass-produced in this era.

"Instead, a groove is made outside the gun's medicine chamber, and a snake-shaped rod is installed in the groove. One end of the rod is fixed, and the other end forms the trigger, which can be rotated, and there is a clip to hold the slow-burning match rope. The barrel There is a gunpowder disk installed at the rear end of the gun. When firing, the trigger is pulled, the nose of the machine is pressed down, the burning match rope enters the powder chamber, ignites the gunpowder, and the projectile is ejected."

"Besides, it's too strenuous to hold it now. You can also add a wooden support so that the gun can be fired over the shoulder."

Jiang Xinghuo turned to the craftsmen and asked: "This firearm method is called 'matchlock gun'. Do you think you can understand the principle after hearing this description?"

When the craftsmen saw that the officials allowed them to speak, they started to argue with each other.

Some people say that this thing is extremely simple and has no complicated principles at all.

Some people say that the principle of this thing is similar to that of a traditional fire gun. It just adds some small parts and uses a match rope to start the fire from the outside.

Jiang Xinghuo listened patiently for a long time. When the craftsmen calmed down, the leading old craftsman slowly said: "I just said that this new fire gun mentioned by the national master does not have a too complicated principle, but it has a little bit is the key.”

A craftsman couldn't help but interjected: "Is it an extra mold to make the trigger device? The ancient books didn't mention it, and I don't know."

The old craftsman shook his head and said: "The trigger is just an auxiliary. I think this matchlock gun is mainly a matchlock. Only by finding a matchlock that can be lit slowly, and it must be slower than the ignition wire of the firecracker, can we make a qualified matchlock gun."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said: "This is the problem you have to study. If the research is completed, a new fire gun can be trial-produced."

Ma Jing took over the words: "I will reward you with ten years of Lumi and share a hundred pieces of cloth together!"

After hearing this, all the craftsmen suddenly became excited. Even the craftsmen who made armors and bows and arrows nearby were also very envious.

One person boldly said: "Master Imperial Master, if we make this large Kongming Lantern 'hot air balloon' you ordered to make, can we receive the reward according to this reward?"

Jiang Xinghuo also spoke loudly: "That's not all. This matter is actually more urgent. Even if you don't ask, my master will have to say it later."

"Those who make hot air balloons, including those who dare to participate in the subsequent manned tether test, will be rewarded with real money!"

Hearing this, the craftsmen were in an uproar.

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and nodded: "Okay, you go and do your work first."

When the craftsmen dispersed, Song Li still stayed where he was.

He looked at Jiang Xinghuo with great interest and said with a smile: "The Imperial Master is so knowledgeable. He actually knows many rare things, which makes people admire him."

"Who is this?"

"The new right minister Song Li of the Ministry of Rites." Yao Guangxiao helped introduce.

"Don't dare to take it seriously."

Jiang Xinghuo smiled humbly, and then asked, "I wonder why Minister Song is here?"

Song Li motioned to talk alone for a while, and Jiang Xinghuo led him to the corner of a warehouse.

Seeing no one around, he whispered: "Master Imperial Master, I am here to join you!"