Love Lock

Chapter 286 What a sharpshooter!
The next morning, a group of people slowly made their way along the cement road outside Cangzhou City, their feet treading on the thin frost.

Zhao Zun wore a dark black fox fur cloak, while Han Lei wore a crimson cloak trimmed with silver fox fur. The two rode side by side, followed by more than ten personal guards.

"Big Fatty doesn't like reading, but after what you said yesterday, I think he's become a bit more interested." Zhao Zun gazed at the towering chimneys of the factory in the distance, his breath steaming in the morning light.

Han Lei adjusted the collar of her cloak and smiled, "Big Fatty just hasn't found a subject he wants to study yet. Although he looks simple-minded, he's very meticulous and willing to delve into things. Today, let's go to the glass factory to see how he's progressing..."

Before Han Lei could finish speaking, dust billowed up ahead.

Hua Tianyou arrived with more than twenty riders, their chestnut warhorses rearing up.

He jumped off the horse before it had even come to a complete stop and exclaimed to Han Lei, "You've finally arrived! I couldn't sleep last night. Can I take a look at that even more powerful weapon you mentioned?"

"God help me!" Zhao Zun shook his head helplessly. "We still have to agree to go to the cement factory first today."

Hua Tianyou rubbed his hands together, his eyebrows still covered in frost: "It's not urgent for the cement factory to be there sooner or later. I specially selected thirty good soldiers from the local militia, and they're all waiting at the drill ground."

As he spoke, he winked at Han Lei, "The 'sniper' you mentioned, I picked a kid named Erhu overnight. He can hit a coin's eye from a hundred paces away!"

Han Lei and Zhao Zun exchanged a glance and couldn't help but chuckle.

Several young guards behind Zhao Zun stared expectantly in their direction. One of the bolder ones muttered under his breath, "Why are the guards of the imperial guards getting the new equipment first..."

"Oh! You're jealous now." Hua Tianyou raised his chin smugly. "The heavy weapons for defending the city should naturally be assigned to the regular army! You're with the Prince and Princess, so the M16s are enough to handle them."

Zhao Zun smiled and said, "Tianyou was right this time."

Han Lei looked at Zhao Zun, "Then let's change our plans and go to the military camp first!"

Hua Tianyou was overjoyed and immediately mounted his horse, riding beside Zhao Zun.

Zhao Zun's body swayed gently with the steps of the brocade-eared horse. "Tianyou, select some good prospects from the five hundred soldiers to form a sniper team and a machine gun team, and train them diligently."

“Alright!” Hua Tianyou readily agreed. “There are quite a few promising young men like this among the soldiers. I will select them tomorrow.”

"Once these two teams are trained, they will be assigned to the military camps in Yong'an City and Ling'an City. With them in charge of defense, the garrison at Beiguan can all be freed up to farm in the spring. Although these two teams cannot be as strong as ten thousand, they can at least be as strong as a thousand." Zhao Zun looked ahead, imagining what the future would be like.

"Okay! Don't worry about it, leave it to me." Hua Tianyou patted his chest and assured him.

Han Lei took out an MK3 and a PKP from her spatial storage and handed them to Zhao Zun and Hua Tianyou respectively. The two rode on horseback, each carrying a gun, looking very imposing.

On the drill ground of the military camp, five hundred soldiers stood in formation like pines.

Just as Hua Tianyou was about to proudly show off the gun in his hand, Zhao Zun suddenly grabbed his hand: "Wait."

Zhao Zun turned to the assembled soldiers, his voice clear and resonant: "This weapon is a matter of life and death for Cangzhou. Anyone who leaks what you have seen or heard today..."

"Bring them into military law!" Five hundred men responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Zhao Zun then looked at Hua Tianyou and said, "These guns and ammunition are yours. Remember, the guns are yours to keep."

"The gun is my weapon." Hua Tianyou stood tall, his face solemn.

"The gun is my weapon."

"The gun is my weapon."

Five hundred soldiers shouted in unison.

Zhao Zun handed the PKP general-purpose machine gun, which gleamed coldly from his shoulder, to Han Lei, who then began to explain its design while stroking its streamlined shape.

"This is called a PKP machine gun. It has a range of about 1,000 meters and can block an entire section of the city wall when equipped with a tripod."

Her slender fingers traced the ventilation holes. "This is a water-cooled design. It won't overheat even after firing continuously for half an hour. This is the bolt..."

After Han Lei finished explaining, Zhao Zun took the machine gun and skillfully pulled the bolt. The crisp sound of metal clashing made the soldiers hold their breath.

"Brilliant!" Zhao Zun aimed at the target a hundred paces away and fired a burst of bullets, shattering a row of targets in the distance into dust.

Amidst the flying wood chips, the soldiers exclaimed in various astonishments, and even Hua Tianyou covered his gaping mouth.

"My God! It can fire continuously."

"Huh? Who could resist that?"

"Wow! It's so much better than the M16."

"Haha, that's so awesome."

……

"Everyone, look over here." Han Lei's soft voice suddenly rang out again. "That one was specifically designed for city defense, suitable for suppressing large-scale attacks in open areas. The Minimi MK3 I have here is more suitable for mobile warfare."

Everyone here has been in contact with Han Lei for over half a year.

Han Lei took the Minimi MK3 from Hua Tianyou; the lightweight gun was wrapped with a canvas strap.

Han Lei demonstrates how to adjust your posture: "Remember, keep your shoulders steady and breathe slowly..."

This time, Zhao Zun was the first to demonstrate.

Zhao Zun picked up his gun, this time the MK3. Compared to the heavy PKP from before, the weapon in his hand suddenly seemed exceptionally light.

He weighed it in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The distant woods appeared exceptionally deep and dark in the sunlight. Zhao Zun squinted his left eye and gently placed his right index finger on the trigger.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the bushes.

"Bang-bang-bang-"

A series of crisp gunshots shattered the silence of the forest. When the smoke cleared, two ashen figures lay dead in a pile of fallen leaves.

"Excellent marksmanship!" one of the guards exclaimed first.

Wow! Your Highness is so majestic!

"This kills two birds with one stone!" another exclaimed, slapping his thigh.

The crowd rushed forward and saw two plump wild rabbits lying in a pool of blood, their hind legs still twitching slightly.

"We're in for a treat tonight!" someone shouted, which drew laughter from everyone.

The warm sunlight shone on the training ground, and Zhao Zun suddenly signaled everyone to be quiet.

He walked up to the tall, thin soldier named Erhu and took off his jade pendant: "I heard you can shoot copper coins? Try this."

Erhu nodded timidly, "I'll give it a try."

A hint of appreciation flashed in Zhao Zun's eyes. Then, he walked several hundred meters away, leaped up, and hung the jade pendant on the flagpole.

Erhu nervously took the sniper rifle handed to him by Han Lei, the metal against his cheek, cold and sharp.

When he saw the four small characters "Cangzhou King's Seal" on the jade pendant through the optical sight, his palms broke out in a cold sweat.

"Don't be afraid," Han Lei's soft voice rang in his ear, "The wind is shifting eastward, adjust it up by half a step..."

"Bang!" The jade pendant fell to the ground with a sound, but the silk ribbon remained intact.

Zhao Zun picked up the broken jade pendant and personally put it on Erhu's wrist: "What a sharpshooter!"

Looking at the cheering soldiers, Han Lei said softly, "With these powerful weapons, the 100,000 troops stationed at Beiguan can rush to plant and plow in the spring."

"Hehe! Now it's my turn to try it out!" Hua Tianyou couldn't wait to step forward, snatch the MK3 from Erhu's hands, his eyes sparkling.

Hua Tianyou raised his gun and aimed. This usually carefree general stood ramrod straight, and even the jade pendant at his waist stopped swaying.

Seeing his posture, Zhao Zun chuckled and reminded him, "Remember, a gun is a soldier's second life." As he spoke, his expression suddenly turned serious, "But bullets are precious, and each person can only be given ten practice rounds per day."

Hua Tianyou immediately replied, "This subordinate understands! I will certainly keep them strictly disciplined."

He turned to the guards and roared, "Did you all hear that? Anyone who wastes a bullet will be court-martialed!"

After saying that, he aimed and fired again.

While Hua Tianyou was practicing, Han Lei added, "The guns need to be maintained. Starting today, practice with empty guns for one hour each morning and evening." She glanced at everyone, "When foreign enemies invade, I want you all to be able to disassemble and reassemble them with your eyes closed."

The soldiers responded in unison, their eyes shining as they looked at the new weapons, eager to practice.

“Your Highness,” a bearded centurion scratched his head, “this name is quite a mouthful. Can we use a nickname? Like ‘Thunderbolt’ or something?”

Laughter erupted on the drill ground.

Han Lei smiled slightly, sunlight casting dappled shadows under her eyelashes: "Call it whatever you want, but the operating procedures must be followed without a single mistake."

She suddenly became serious. "Bullets are precious; we usually practice loading and chambering with wooden sticks. General Hua!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Hua Tianyou immediately straightened his back.

“There’s an assessment at the beginning of each month. Those who fail…” Han Lei’s gaze swept over the crowd, “will have to work at the pig farm.”

"what!"

A chorus of groans erupted from the ranks.

Han Lei and Zhao Zun were short on time and didn't have time to instruct each student individually. Han Lei then asked several centurions to come out so she could personally guide them through the lessons several times. After that, Hua Tianyou and the centurions would have to take over the teaching and management.

After several centurions began leading the training, Zhao Zun and Han Lei divided the tasks and then called Hua Tianyou aside.

The two walked slowly along the newly built concrete wall, beyond which stretched the rolling green hills.

“Tianyou,” Zhao Zun casually broke off a blade of grass and put it in his mouth, “Once this group of people have completed their training, in addition to Ling’an City and Yong’an City, you will take another thirty men to the Qingshui County camp.”

Hua Tianyou stopped in his tracks: "You want to disband all the garrison troops?"

"Wrong." Zhao Zun squinted and looked into the distance. "The goal is to have sniper teams and machine guns everywhere."

"What do you mean?" Hua Tianyou couldn't keep up with Zhao Zun's train of thought for a moment.

Zhao Zun explained, "They have all undergone various screenings and were personally trained by Zheng Fei and you. They are all elites. We will select thirty of them to go to the Qingshui County camp to form more sniper and machine gun teams, and they will be sent to various passes for external defense in the future."

"Oh!" Hua Tianyou suddenly realized, "Your idea is good. Dongguan and Nanguan are also causing trouble. We need to cultivate more talented people."

“Hmm!” Zhao Zun gave him a look that said, “You’re not too stupid.” “As for those who were eliminated… they are also talented people. Let them go to various counties to form joint defense teams and be responsible for internal security.”

Meanwhile, Han Lei was leading Big Fatty on an inspection tour of the cement plant.

The huge waterwheel turned with a rumble, and the shirtless workers stirred the mortar, bowing to the princess.

"Fatty," Han Lei pointed to the western hillside, "do you see that patch of white soil?"

Fatty covered his forehead with his hand and gazed into the distance: "That's top-quality kaolin. I heard that someone in the previous dynasty wanted to make porcelain, but alas..."

"It's a pity we didn't catch the right time." Han Lei took over the conversation, taking out a scroll of paper from her sleeve. "Porcelain kilns need to be built against the mountains, and brick and tile factories are set up next to clay mines. Although Cangzhou is a poor and remote place, it has quite a lot of mineral resources."

She suddenly pointed to a village in the distance with smoke rising from its chimneys, "Once the water diversion project is completed, how convenient it will be for the people to have running water!"

Fatty smiled and squinted his eyes, sighing, "The people of Cangzhou are truly blessed to have met a prince and princess like you and Zhao Zun."

Han Lei watched the clouds drift across the sky, and thinking about her time travel, she smiled knowingly. "This... perhaps it was fate's arrangement!"

Suddenly, she smelled an unpleasant odor in the wind and frowned, saying, "We also need to build a slaughterhouse next to the chicken and duck farm. It must be far away from water sources and built strictly according to the epidemic prevention regulations I drew up."

She took out several documents from her spatial storage. "I've checked. The land and climate of Cangzhou aren't suitable for growing rice, but they're excellent for growing cotton and coarse grains. With cotton, we can weave fabrics softer than Yun brocade. We can also make cotton-padded coats for winter, which are even warmer."

Upon hearing this, Fatty suddenly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Han Lei: "I truly don't know how to express the people of Fufeng's gratitude for your great kindness!!"

"Hey! Don't give me that." Han Lei waved her hand casually, looking at the busy construction site. "After the autumn harvest, I want to see every household using a flush toilet." She winked. "At that time, the people will thank you, their great hero."

"Hehehe..." Big Fat Head scratched his head and chuckled.

Han Lei chuckled, "Alright, you go ahead and get busy! I'll go take a look around some more."

"Ok!"

Big Fatty responded and turned to attend to his own business, while Han Lei went to check on the chicken and duck farm and the pig farm.

Because several projects were located in this area, she soon arrived at a modern chicken and duck farm.

The biting north wind howled across the roof of the chicken and duck farm, and the icicles hanging from the eaves shimmered in the sunlight.

Han Lei wrapped her fox fur cloak tighter around herself, and her breath condensed into frost in the air.

It was cold outside, but the chickens and ducks here weren't affected because they were all built according to modern standards for poultry farms, with houses and rows of racks. A fire was lit in the middle corridor, so it wasn't cold.

The guards saluted and led Han Lei toward the chicken coop, announcing, "Her Highness the Princess has arrived!"

Li Sao, who was busy in the chicken coop, hurriedly put down the feed bucket in her hand, wiped her hands with her apron, and led dozens of female workers out to greet them.

Their faces were flushed from their work, and a few feathers clung to their hair.

"We, the humble woman, pay our respects to Your Highness, the Princess!" Aunt Li led everyone in a standard curtsy, her voice filled with surprise and delight. "We never expected Your Highness to come today."

Han Lei smiled and raised her hand to signal everyone to stand up: "No need for formalities. I happen to be at a nearby cement factory, and I was just thinking of stopping by to check on the chicken and duck farm."

When they saw Han Lei arrive, all the female workers were very happy and went up to greet her.

Han Lei maintained a polite smile, "It's so cold, and everyone is still working hard. You've all worked so hard."

"It's not hard work, it's not hard work. It's good to have work to do! Now we all have money to work on." A female worker smiled, her face crinkling with wrinkles.

"Yes! There's no farm work to do now. In the past, we would just stay at home and wait for our meals, but now there's work to be done everywhere."

"That's right, as long as you're diligent and hardworking, you can earn money. The prince and princess are truly kind people."

The female workers chatted amongst themselves, and Han Lei, seeing the genuine satisfaction on their faces, felt a sense of fulfillment herself.

Just then, a childish voice came from behind the crowd: "Sister Han Lei! Is that Sister Han Lei? Please make way, make way."

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