Datang: Rebirth of Li Chengqian, the beginning of the treason interrogation

Chapter 225 The revolution has not yet succeeded and reforms need to continue
This flintlock rifle is almost similar to the percussion smoothbore rifle used in the later generations in which Li Chengqian lived.

Its exquisite craftsmanship and ingenious design are amazing.

In the hands of those who are skilled in the operation, three or four consecutive firings can be performed in just one minute.

Not long after, the guards quickly completed the reloading action.

They raised their spears swiftly and aimed the muzzles steadily at the target in the distance.

Suddenly, several loud noises of "Bang! Bang!" were heard. Although everyone present was mentally prepared, the sudden gunshots still made people's hearts tremble.

However, this time no one was frightened and panicked like before.

Everyone turned to look at the target, but was surprised to find that the entire target was densely packed with small stones, and there seemed to be no pattern at all.

However, no one could see clearly when these stones were shot out from the black gun barrel.

With such a fast firing rate, it is impossible to capture its trajectory with the naked eye.

You know, if they were facing just ordinary arrows, those warriors with high martial arts skills would be able to dodge them in time with their agility and extraordinary reaction abilities.

But now, when Li Zhen faced this mysterious flintlock rifle, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart.

"A divine object! This is truly a divine object! The sound it makes is like thunder, and when it strikes, it is invisible, making it impossible to defend against!"

Yan Lide on the side widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

He could never have imagined that such a magical thing was made by his own hands. At this moment, his heart was filled with incomparable shock and pride.

Because this flintlock rifle is so powerful that it is truly impossible to guard against. Even if one wants to guard against it, there is no way to do so.

"This thing is not a divine object yet. Its attack power is still a bit weak."

Li Chengqian frowned, staring intently at the target that was already full of wounds. There was obvious disappointment on his face. He shook his head gently and sighed.

Compared with the fully automatic rifle, there are still too many shortcomings.

Although the stones hit the target accurately, they only left some shallow marks on it and could not penetrate the hard target completely.

With such power, even if it hits a person who is not wearing armor, it will probably only cause some minor injuries at most, and cannot kill the person directly.

Hearing Li Chengqian's words, Yan Lide, who was standing beside him, was moved and asked quickly:
"Your Highness, could you please explain to me in detail the principles of this weapon? Perhaps we can find some ways to improve it and increase its attack power."

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily turned to the scarred target, his eyes also filled with regret and pity.

However, Li Chengqian did not answer Yan Lide's question immediately. He silently took the gun barrel that had just fired the stone from the ground and examined it carefully in his hand.

The gun barrel did not seem to be greatly affected by the shooting just now. Apart from a slight heating of the surface, the barrel did not explode nor had any obvious deformation.

"Good gun, Master Yan, your skills are superb and there is no need for any improvement. Just replace the stone with iron and the killing power will be enough."

Gunpowder itself does not have much killing power.

Instead, the gunpowder exploded in a small space, causing the air pressure inside to suddenly increase, which had a pushing effect.

This causes objects such as iron, stone, and steel balls to be ejected at high speed, causing fatal damage to the target.

Admittedly, improving iron tools is only one way to increase the power of weapons.

In addition, another key factor is to increase the amount of gunpowder loaded. Only enough gunpowder can fully release its potential destructive power and make shooting more deterrent.

"I see!"

Yan Lide suddenly realized the truth and excitedly reached out to grab one of the gun barrels, eager to verify it himself. He knew very well that this would bring revolutionary changes to the military field.

"Next, the iron particles we use must also be produced in a unified manner. Moreover, the particle size of these iron particles should not be too large, and should be controlled to the size of the tip of a chopstick."

Such specifications can not only ensure the flight stability of the ammunition, but also ensure maximum impact force when hitting the target.

At this point, the basic principles and structure of the musket have become clear, and there seems to be no need to conduct more experiments.

As long as the ignition device can work normally and play its due role, the musket can be considered to have been successfully developed.

Compared to the manufacturing of muskets, the truly difficult and challenging part is undoubtedly the invention of gunpowder.

After all, the musket was just one of many applications of gunpowder.

The flintlock rifle currently used is just a beginning, and we should continue to develop more advanced smoothbore rifles in the future.

This type of gun has similarities with the famous Hanyang-made guns of later generations.

From the perspective of gun barrel design, the difficulty is not too high, and is basically the same as the ignition and extrusion mechanism of a flintlock.

But the real thorny issue is the manufacturing process of the bullets.

Li Chengqian knew very little about the design of bullets.

After giving a few more instructions, he turned his gaze to the cannon.

"It's still the same loading as before. Once it's loaded, insert the fuse and light it. That's it."

At this moment, what appeared before everyone's eyes was the original red cannon model. Its appearance was rough and huge, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

Compared to the complex and sophisticated flintlock rifle, the manufacturing principle of this red cannon is much simpler.

It is actually like an extremely enlarged musket, but its scale and power far exceed those of an ordinary musket.

The red cannon looked like a giant cylinder, made entirely of dark metal, and looked extremely solid.

There is a small hole at the end of the gun, which is where the fuse is placed. Once the fuse is lit, the gunpowder inside can be ignited.

With Li Chengqian's order: "Light the fire!"

He quickly stepped back several steps and covered his ears with his hands, fearing that he would be hurt by the loud noise that was about to erupt.

In an instant, there was a loud "boom" as if the sky was falling and the earth was splitting apart.

A raging flame gushed out from the muzzle like a dancing fire dragon, with sparks flying everywhere.

At the same time, the huge noise was like thunder, which made people's eardrums hurt. Even the ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently, as if the whole world was trembling.

The few people who were unprepared were caught off guard and frightened by the sudden and earth-shaking noise. Their faces turned pale and they were terrified, as if they had seen some extremely terrifying scene.

However, Li Zhen and Wu Xing, who had experienced several gunpowder wars, seemed quite calm in the face of such a terrifying noise. They just frowned slightly, without showing too much panic on their faces, as if they were already accustomed to such situations.

Several people raised their heads and cast their gazes towards the training ground in the distance.

What was surprising was that the targets on the training ground were intact, without even a trace of damage.

As the saying goes, "much ado about nothing", the reason why this situation, which seems to be very powerful but actually has a poor effect, occurs is actually very simple - this time the gunpowder was not loaded at all!
You know, the design of artillery shells is a difficult problem. Since artillery shells need to have a longer range, their performance indicators naturally have completely different and strict requirements.

Moreover, depending on their specific uses, artillery shells can be further divided into two types: solid ammunition and shotgun shells.

When dealing with various enemy situations, the loaded ammunition must be adjusted accordingly.

Normally, live ammunition is more commonly used in combat in flat plains. This type of shell kills the enemy with its powerful rolling impact force and has the advantage of being reusable.

As for shotguns, they are similar to the shotguns we are familiar with, mainly by firing a large number of fragments to hit and destroy the target.

"Yan Lide, listen to my orders! This gun and artillery test has been a great success. Next, we need to increase the production of guns and artillery shells. In addition to the necessary military ironware, all newly mined iron ore resources must be invested in the production of guns and artillery shells. This matter is related to the key to our military reform, and we must not slack off in the slightest."

Li Chengqian looked at Yan Lide solemnly and gave orders in a serious manner.

Then, he turned his gaze to Li Zhen and said loudly:
"Li Zhen, listen to my orders! I want you to carefully select a group of loyal and reliable soldiers from the army to form a special force. Then, go all out to train these soldiers to master the operation skills and tactics of guns and artillery, and build a special force."

It is obviously unrealistic to equip the entire army with advanced guns and artillery. Moreover, the guns themselves are constantly being improved and perfected. Perhaps in a few years, the existing flintlocks will be replaced by more advanced weapons.

Therefore, at present, it can only be distributed to various military departments for use.

"Yes, sir!" Yan Lide and Li Zhen responded in unison, bowed and clasped their fists to receive the order.

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, and then added: "In addition, regarding today's matter, it is imperative to keep it strictly confidential. Do not disclose any information about the development of guns and artillery and related matters to anyone."

"Yan Lide, you only need to focus on forging various sophisticated equipment; while the Wuxing needs to closely escort and coordinate the transportation of gunpowder and other materials. The two departments should perform their respective duties and no omissions should occur."

"It's not that I don't trust you, but there are endless ways to spy on you. I hope you won't let me down!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. We will only do our part."

Yan Liben certainly knew the secret. How many of the things he created could he tell others about?

This is nothing new.

"I will take my leave first!"

Seeing that Li Chengqian and others still had important matters to discuss, Yan Lide tactfully prepared to leave.

"Master Yan, I heard that you have already taught at the Hundred Schools Academy. That's great. One person's strength is limited. If there are not many things to do here, go to the academy to teach more skills."

Li Chengqian suddenly said something nonsensical again.

"Your Highness is right. I will teach you everything I know and promote the art of ink painting."

Yan Lide replied seriously, thinking that Li Chengqian was concerned about the development of Mohism.

Of course, Mohism is now equivalent to science and can lead the trend of the times.

"You can think this way, which is a blessing for the people and the country. In the future, I will open a monument in the Hundred Schools Academy so that the world can remember your achievements."

It is not enough to open a martial arts temple, but a stele should also be erected to commemorate those who have made contributions in civil administration.

This can also greatly stimulate the academic efforts of others.

From the perspective of the establishment of the Temple of Martial Arts, it greatly encouraged the soldiers' enthusiasm to join the army.

"It is the responsibility of people of my generation to pass on the skills. I also need to thank His Highness for giving me this opportunity. I am not worthy of being the one to write a biography for you."

Yan Lide refused excitedly.

"This palace is not for you, but for the people of the world, for the thousands of unique skills."

"Of course, with your current achievements, you are worthy of being recorded in history. It is not a bad idea to have a monument and biography written for you."

Li Chengqian praised generously.

At the same time, he was also conveying his ideas on governing the world to the world.

"In addition, the establishment of official positions is also based on the classification of subjects in the Hundred Schools Academy, which stipulates the majors of the examinations, and the admission of officials is mainly through the Hundred Schools Academy."

In BaekGene's new experimental site, reforms are coming one after another.

However, if we observe carefully, we will find that these changes are all moving in one direction, which is to prevent class monopoly.

Yan Lide took a deep breath. Li Chengqian's emphasis on the Hundred Schools Academy far exceeded his imagination.

The space for promotion is directly linked to the Hundred Schools Academy, so how can it not develop rapidly?

Isn't it that all the knowledge and martial arts learned by the academies in the world are for the purpose of supplying them to the imperial family?
In this way, specializing in Confucianism is not the only path to advancement.

This is the greatest blessing for all academic circles.

"On behalf of all the students and schools in the world, I would like to thank Your Highness for his kindness."

Yan Lide waved his sleeves and saluted Li Chengqian to show his respect.

"I am only talking, as for how to implement it, that is up to you to discuss among yourselves."

The schools in the Tang Dynasty were blocked, but this did not affect Li Chengqian's layout.

Here, the implementation of everything seems to be more handy and the implementation is very smooth.

"Your Highness is working for the benefit of the people of the world, and we should do our best to share your worries."

Li Zhen also supported.

The three of them talked as they walked, and soon they walked out of the quartermaster's office and headed towards the east of the city.

Gradually, more and more people came.

Since everyone was traveling in casual clothes, it did not cause much sensation.

In the eyes of passers-by, they might just be a group of rich kids.

(End of this chapter)