Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 402: Divine Fire Crow and Divine Arrow (Part )

Upon hearing that Yang Hui wanted to make muskets and cannons, Tao Guangyi frowned and said this.

"What I just said is just my guess. If you want to make firearms like the rebel army, I'm afraid it will take a long time to test them."

Ning Anqing immediately asked, "If we start trial production now, what difficulties will there be?"

Tao Guangyi paused before saying, "Take the artillery for example. Using closed-mouth iron bullets and lengthening the barrel will certainly allow the shells to be fired farther. But there is also a problem here. Compared with the bowl-mouthed gun, this kind of artillery must be more tightly sealed, so that all the force of gunpowder can be used to fire the shells. Then it will definitely be like a small gun for one person, and it will be easy to explode!"

Everyone couldn't help but frown when they heard this. They indeed didn't have as deep of an understanding of firearms as Tao Guangyi did, but it sounded very reasonable to them. Moreover, matchlock guns of this era did often have accidents of barrel explosion, so they had never been promoted on a large scale. Many generals and soldiers still preferred to use bows and crossbows.

Small guns often explode, so how terrifying would it be if a gun weighing thousands of pounds exploded?
Tao Guangyi continued, "So how much gunpowder should be loaded each time for this kind of artillery, or how thick the barrel should be to prevent it from exploding, all of this requires repeated testing. If you load too little gunpowder, the shell won't go far, and if you load too much gunpowder, it will explode.

"If the barrel is too thick, it may be too heavy. It will weigh thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. Even ten oxen cannot pull it. It is not as useful as the enemy's barrel that weighs hundreds of pounds. If the barrel is too thin, it will easily explode. These also need to be tested repeatedly. I can't say how long it will take to make it.

"Even at the fastest speed, it may take several months to half a year. If the barrel explodes once or twice in the middle, it may take several years to produce. This is also possible.

“Let’s not talk about anything else. I still don’t understand how their artillery is connected to the artillery carriage. Such a heavy and long round iron pipe is placed on a bare axle. Wouldn’t it roll left and right?
"When a musket is fired, there is a recoil force. It can send an iron bullet three or four miles away. It must be loaded with more gunpowder, and the recoil force will definitely be greater. If the gun body and the gun carriage are not fixed firmly, the gun body will blow itself away when it is fired. If thousands of kilograms of objects are sent flying, I wonder how many people will be killed.

“It would be nice if I could see it with my own eyes.”

Although Tao Guangyi guessed the principle of making the artillery range longer, he was still a long way from actually making it. He didn't even know what the ear axis in the middle of the artillery that controlled the elevation angle looked like. He thought it was just a bare iron pipe.
Everyone couldn't help but frowning deeper upon hearing this, and Yang Hui said with some embarrassment.

"Since the Luzhou bandit army crossed the river, the imperial court has not won a single battle with them. Naturally, there is no spoils of war. How can we let you take a look at this? We can't send a spy to take a look, can we?
"Moreover, this kind of artillery can be called a divine weapon. The enemy army must have very tight defense. I heard that when they are marching, they will cover it with red oilcloth from the outside, which is called a cannon cover. Therefore, there are rumors among the people that it is called a red-coated cannon. It is usually covered, and at most you can only see the general shape, and you can't see the details at all. When the cannon cover is removed, the battle has already begun. Ordinary people can't go to the battlefield, and this spy will probably not be able to see anything if he goes there."

There is nothing that can be done about this. Everyone fell silent again after hearing this.

Besides, Lu Jin is not a fool. He knows that artillery is a powerful weapon, so how could he let the technology leak out easily? Not to mention the confidentiality and maintenance measures such as wrapping the artillery with oilcloth covers, he also specially formulated a strict procedure for destroying and abandoning artillery.

Take the last naval battle with Fang Guozhen for example. Two gunboats were surrounded by Fang Guozhen's navy. Seeing no hope of breaking out, the two gunboats simply sank themselves. The six cannons on them had steel nails nailed into the breech blocks to seal their firing capability before they sank into the Yangtze River. Even if they were salvaged afterwards, the six guns would have been useless.

The situation on the army side was even worse. The Imperial Guards Artillery Regiment was already under heavy protection from the entire army. If they wanted to seize the artillery, they would have to be completely wiped out. And even if they were completely wiped out, when it came time to break out, the artillerymen would not be allowed to be captured. They had to retreat first, and if there was time, they had to go through the artillery destruction procedure, load excessive powder bags, actively explode the barrel, directly blow up the artillery, and burn the firing range.

Even if time was urgent and there was no time to blow up the cannon, they had to use steel nails to nail the breech block to cut off the cannon's firing ability. In short, even if the Yuan army won the battle, they would not be able to capture a complete cannon that could fire.
This method of destroying technical equipment is very common in the military. For example, during the Liberation War, the National Army artillery would drain the hydraulic oil in the howitzer recoil mechanism before retreating. At that time, China could not produce this hydraulic oil. If the oil was drained, the artillery would lose its recoil buffering ability and could not be used. However, our clever PLA soldiers had a local method. They poured white rice porridge into the buffer oil cylinder and used it as hydraulic oil. The artillery could still fire, which stunned the captured National Army artillery.
Having said that, the muzzle-loading smoothbore cannons of the late Yuan Dynasty were certainly not that complicated. It was not impossible to rely on seized artillery to imitate the Shengwu Army's artillery, but it was certainly not that easy. Lu Jin would definitely keep it a secret for as long as possible.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Privy Councilor Ning Anqing summarized.

"That is to say, we can't see what the enemy's artillery looks like now. If we want to make it ourselves, it will take a long time to test it, right?"

Tao Guangyi nodded, "That's what I mean."

Yang Hui sighed, "But where do we get so much time to try it out? How long do you think Gongshu Jin can stop fighting? He must have expanded his military strength after conquering Zhejiang this time. Now he has obtained several million dan of grain from Zhejiang every year, so he is not short of food and grass. At most, he will need some time to train his troops.

"I dare say that by the autumn harvest this year at the latest, once the farming off-season begins, the people can be conscripted as laborers. Half a year is enough time for him to train his soldiers. By then, he will definitely send troops again, and the target is likely to be one or two provinces, just like this eastern expedition to Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Jinhua is the city closest to the front line, and we only have half a year at most. Are you sure you can build artillery that can rival the enemy army within half a year?"

"Of course I'm not sure." Tao Guangyi shook his head honestly, but he added, "So I thought of an emergency solution. We can modify weapons and quickly produce a batch of weapons that can fire long distances."

"any solution?"

"How to transform it?" Everyone immediately became interested.

Tao Guangyi immediately took out two more drawings and introduced them to everyone.

"This is a firearm I have conceived. I call it the Flying Crow of Divine Fire. First, I make a kite out of bamboo and reeds, tie two to four fireworks under the ribs of the kite, put a blooming bomb in the belly of the kite, string it together with a powder cord, and after it is ignited, the kite will fly out due to the recoil of the gunpowder. After the powder cord burns out, it will fly into the enemy's formation and explode.

"The other is called the Shenji Arrow. It is to tie a cartridge to the existing arrow and use the recoil of gunpowder to shoot the arrow. Gunpowder is powerful, so it should be able to shoot ordinary arrows farther, at least farther than a bow and crossbow."

Everyone looked at the two abstract sketches and couldn't help but twitch their lips. These were kites and gunpowder fireworks. How could they sound so unreliable?
Yang Hui immediately said, "Will this thing work? Aren't kites just children's toys, and fireworks are just entertainment. This thing doesn't look like a weapon that can kill the enemy."

Ning Anqing waved his hand and interrupted, "If I let you make this thing, how far can it hit? Can it be as powerful as the enemy's artillery? Have you made something like this before?"

Tao Guangyi shook his head again. "I haven't done it before, but I have studied kites for many years. I have made elixirs before, and later I also played with gunpowder. I have also studied various types of muskets and firearms. I think it shouldn't be difficult to make this thing. As for how far it can shoot, I don't know. I still have to try it.

"But it's definitely easier to make a small gadget like this than a cannon weighing thousands of pounds. Even if it doesn't work after one or two attempts, you can always try a few more times and eventually you'll be able to make it."

Everyone hesitated upon hearing this, mainly because they didn't have much time and the margin for error was very low. Half a year would require Lu Jin to send troops in the autumn as they had planned. If Lu Jin sent troops ahead of schedule, they wouldn't even have half a year. If they put all their energy on artillery, no one knew whether they could produce it.

After thinking for a long time, Yang Hui said, "Then we can only try our best. Let's make the magic arrow and the crow first. We must make one or two that can be used."

The Southern Imperial Censor Temureisi also said, "I think we should try the cannon as well, but we should focus on the Divine Arrow first. We can try making a few small cannons first, and don't make them so big. It won't be too late to make the big ones after the small ones are tested. This way it should be faster."

Ning Anqing looked at Tao Guangyi and asked, "What does Tao Wanhu think?"

Tao Guangyi nodded and said, "I think we can give it a try."

"Then let's start the trial production. Don't waste time. The enemy army can wait, but we don't. Let's divide the work now. Who will train the troops for war, who will build the city, and who will supervise the production of gunpowder? Tao Wanhu will test these firearms. We must decide today."

"Then I will go and supervise the gunpowder." Li Xiangshang, the chief official of Wanhu Mansion, volunteered.

"Okay, then I'll train the troops." Ning Anqing also took on a task himself.

Seeing this, the inspector Yang Hui also said, "Then I will build the city."

"That's settled then. Everyone go and do your own thing. If anyone runs into any trouble, we'll discuss it together then." Ning Anqing made the decision immediately.

"Sure." The others also agreed. After Tao Guangyi and Li Xiang left, the Daluhachi monk asked Ning Anqing, "Ning Chenshi, can his magic fire flying crow and magic arrow really work?"

Ning Anqing frowned and said, "At this moment, we have to try it out, and besides these, can you think of any other solutions?

"As for Tao Wanhu, I have some confidence in him. He is a hereditary Wanhu official and the headmaster of Tao's Academy. He also learned alchemy in his early years and is very familiar with all kinds of firearms in the army. Apart from him, I really can't think of anyone who knows more about the enemy army's firearms than him."

Ning Anqing was right about this. Tao Guangyi really knew a lot about firearms, especially rockets, because he was not just an ordinary Wan Hu of the Yuan Dynasty. There was a crater named after him on the moon in later generations, because Tao Guangyi was the aerospace pioneer in history who tied 47 rockets to a chair, held two kites in his hands, and wanted to use black powder rockets to send himself to the sky, but was finally killed by himself. He was the "Flying Wan Hu" respected by scientists all over the world.
However, if Lu Jin knew about this, he would definitely say it was "fancy" and "an arms race", right?
If it comes to making rockets, his level is definitely better than that of his fellow countryman in slippers. He is not incapable of making things like the Katyusha from the early days of World War II and even the 107 rocket launcher. The manufacturing difficulty of these things is even much easier than that of barreled artillery. Tao Guangyi's Divine Machine Arrow and Divine Fire Flying Crow are even more incomparable.

However, there is no industrial foundation. Even if he could use the god-level hands of an eighth-level fitter to make a few, the cost would certainly be sky-high and they would have no practical value at all. It would be better for him to continue to work on his three-piece army set: artillery, flintlock rifle, and grenade. With these three things in hand, it would be enough for him to conquer the world.

After returning home, Tao Guangyi began to test-produce his Divine Fire Flying Crow and Divine Arrow.

Tao Guangyi is definitely a bit abnormal. He has always had a dream of ascending to heaven. At first, he was refining pills, hoping to swallow the pills and ascend to heaven, but then he blew up the alchemy furnace.
Later, when he failed in refining the elixir, he turned to studying how to ascend physically. He wanted to build something to send himself into the sky, so he began to study kites and rockets.

You know what, this guy comes from a hereditary family of Wanli, and his family is rich. Although he is not as rich as Shen Wansan's family, the richest in Jiangdong, he has enough food and drink, and he is an official and no one wants to bother him. There is also a family academy at home, which collects many strange books, such as "Baopuzi", the alchemy book revered as a sacred book by alchemists. Both his financial resources and status can support his whimsical research.

Tao Guangyi has been playing with kites for many years and has become an expert at making kites. He quickly made a sample of the Divine Fire Flying Crow. However, his son saw it and couldn't help but complain again.

Because Tao Guangyi was born into a wealthy family of officials, he got married early. He is only 35 years old now, and his son Tao Jingming is already 16.

That day, Tao Jingming was carrying a bow and arrows and leading a horse. He had just come back from archery practice when he saw his father making a kite again. He couldn't help but complain, "Dad, you are making a kite again. The enemy army may attack us any day. Why don't you go to practice and think about riding a kite into the sky?"

Without even raising his head, Tao Guangyi continued to tinker with his Divine Fire Flying Crow, saying, "What do you know, little brat? It's all recorded in the half volume of Mohist Canon in the library that Gongshu Ban made a wooden kite that could last for three days without falling, and even Mozi praised it. How do you know I can't make a bigger paper kite to carry people up to heaven?"

Tao Jingming pouted immediately. His father had read the incomplete Mohist Scripture to pieces, but he had never seen him ride a kite into the sky. He could not help but retort, "Dad, I have read that incomplete book. It clearly says that Mozi was quite disdainful of wooden kites, saying that wooden kites were not as good as a wheel axle. A wheel axle can bear a thousand pounds when installed on the axle. How can wooden kites help people transport goods?

"Besides, Gongshu Ban made a wooden kite, not a paper kite."

Tao Guangyi raised his head and looked down at his son after hearing this. "That's because there was no paper in the Spring and Autumn Period. Paper was invented by the Marquis of Cai during the Han Dynasty. If Gongshu Ban had paper to use, could he not use it?"

"." This immediately refuted Tao Jingming, and he thought his father was hopeless.
At this time, Tao Guangyi took out four more fireworks and tied them under the wings of the kite. Tao Jingming was surprised and asked, "Hey, what are these? Dad, are you not going to fly this time?"

"Go away, what do you know, kid? This is the Divine Fire Flying Crow I made. It's filled with gunpowder and can fly into the enemy's formation and explode. It's a magical weapon designed to deal with the enemy army!"

"Is this true? How far can it fly?"

"Just try it and you'll know." Tao Guangyi said immediately.

So the father and son took a few samples and started testing. They placed the Divine Fire Flying Crow on a wooden slope launch pad, lit the fuse with a fire starter, and it immediately flew into the sky with a whoosh.

Tao Jingming was stunned and was about to exclaim "It can really fly", but before he could open his mouth, he saw the Divine Fire Crow begin to perform Brownian motion in the sky, twisting and turning in circles in the sky, and finally plummeting to the ground.

"Dad, why didn't this thing explode? Didn't you say it would explode?"

"This is a test. It's to test what kind of gunpowder to put in. Let's see if it can fly first. Quick, put down another one."

Boom——Boom——

After several days of research and development, Tao Guangyi really created the Divine Fire Flying Crow that could fly and explode. However, the direction of this thing was always out of control. It often flew randomly and occasionally turned around to blow itself up. It was too unreliable. Even if it could fly straight forward until the gunpowder was used up, it could only fly a maximum of two hundred steps, about 300 meters. Such a short range would definitely not be able to suppress the artillery of the Shengwu Army, which made Tao Guangyi a little discouraged.

However, the effect of the Divine Arrow is quite good. A single arrow can fly about 600 steps, or about meters. The range of a cluster launch is about the same, but the stability of the course cannot be guaranteed. The arrows fly randomly after being shot. Only by relying on the covering fire of a cluster launch can it be possible to suppress the artillery one mile away. However, this range is still not enough. The Shengwu Army only needs to withdraw the artillery another steps, and his Divine Arrow will be difficult to hit.

But it's better to have something than nothing. At least he has one more way to fight the enemy. If he fires a volley of magic arrows when the enemy approaches the city wall, maybe he can push the enemy back?
But who could have thought that his own son would actually pour a basin of cold water on him and give him a critical blow.

"Dad, you always say that Gongshu Ban is so amazing at making wooden kites, but the leader of the Luzhou bandit army called himself Gongshu Jin in his manifesto. How many families in the world are there with the last name Gongshu? Do you think he is a descendant of Gongshu Ban? Otherwise, why are the muskets and cannons he made so amazing?

"Now you want to compete with him in making kites? What if the kite he makes can fly ten miles?"

Tao Guangyi was immediately defeated when he heard this. The Eastern Expedition Manifesto issued by Lu Jin before was posted publicly everywhere. After a few months, it had already spread everywhere. He did call himself Gongshu Jin in the manifesto. Such a strange surname would certainly attract the attention of those who were interested.

Tao Guangyi had some speculations before, but he was always unwilling to believe it. First, the Gongshu clan had disappeared for nearly two thousand years. Since Gongshu Ban, there has been almost no record of the Gongshu clan. Suddenly a Gongshu Jin appeared. Who knows whether it is true or not?

The second reason was that he was a hereditary official of the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty had been kind to his family, but Gongshu Jin was his enemy.

On one side is the imperial court that has been kind to his family, and on the other side is the idol he admires but is actually his enemy. Tao Guangyi could not accept this emotionally, so he has been playing ostrich for some time, constantly telling himself that Gongshu Jin is a fake counterfeit. Wasn't there news before that his surname was Lu? How did it become Gongshu now?

But his son's sincerity was particularly hurtful. This sentence immediately broke his defense. Tao Guangyi could no longer deceive himself and started to curse immediately.

"You little bastard."

However, before he could finish his curse, a horse came galloping towards them from a distance, and the person on the horse was waving at them as he ran. When the man came closer, Tao Guangyi recognized that he was one of his personal guards.

"Wan Hu, something bad has happened. The old man was feeding the fish in the garden today and accidentally fell into the fish pond!"

"Ah?!" Tao Guangyi and his son opened their mouths in shock. Tao Jingming also stepped forward to pull the reins and asked hurriedly, "How is my grandfather now?"

"The old man was rescued and it seems that he has no injuries to his skin and bones. He is still breathing, but he seems to be frightened. He has a high fever and is shaking. The eldest lady has sent the old man to Zhu, the divine doctor, and asked me to pass on the message, asking Wan Hu and the young master to come over quickly."

"Give me your horse, Jingming, and let's go to Danxi Clinic."

Tao Guangyi immediately seized the servant's horse and asked his son to lead another horse, and the father and son immediately ran towards Zhu Danxi's clinic.
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(End of this chapter)