My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Hearing this, Bi Maokang was deeply moved once again. He stood up, bowed deeply, and then said:

"Your Highness, rest assured, this old minister understands. This old minister will certainly live up to Your Highness's trust and dedicate himself to the research of firearms, developing even more powerful firearms for the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Cilang nodded upon seeing this, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

Suddenly, at that moment, Bi Maokang seemed to have thought of something, and then said with a smile:

"Your Highness, I have nothing much to give you for your upcoming campaign, so I will give you two firearms."

Oh?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang instantly perked up.

He knew that Bi Maokang was highly accomplished in firearms research, and the firearms he was going to give him would certainly not be ordinary firearms such as flintlock muskets or bird guns.

For a moment, his heart was filled with anticipation.

The next second, Bi Maokang greeted the craftsman next to him.

The craftsman instantly understood Bi Maokang's meaning, then hurriedly walked to the cabinet not far away, opened the cabinet door, carefully took out an exquisite box from inside, and slowly placed it on the tea table in front of Zhu Cilang.

Immediately afterwards, Bi Maokang opened the box himself, and what appeared before Zhu Cilang was a pair of exquisite 'pistols'!

Although this adjective may not be entirely accurate, what appeared in front of Zhu Cilang at this moment was practically a pistol!

Because this thing is smaller than any firearm or musket, and its length is only about 20 centimeters, just a little larger than an adult's palm.

Its appearance is exquisite, with beautiful patterns engraved on the gun body, exuding a mysterious and noble aura.

However, this thing should still fall into the category of flintlock muskets, because Zhu Cilang saw a small rod next to it, which should be used for loading ammunition.

Then Bi Maokang carefully picked up one of them and said to Zhu Cilang:
"Your Highness, please look, these are two firearms that this old minister has carefully crafted based on the flintlock musket."

"Although it also belongs to the category of flintlock muskets, its small design makes it easy to carry around and extremely convenient to use."

"The only drawback is that its range is a bit short, only about thirty meters."

As Zhu Cilang listened to Bi Maokang's introduction, his heart was already surging with excitement.

The next second, he quickly reached out and took the firearm in his hand, examining it closely.

He gently stroked the cold barrel of the gun, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
Good heavens, if it weren't for that iron bar, this thing would really be a pistol! It's an incredible miracle that has traveled through time!
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang could no longer contain his eagerness and said impatiently:

"Let's try it now. I can't wait to see its power."

Upon hearing this, Bi Maokang quickly replied:
"Your Highness, please wait a moment, this old minister will make the arrangements for you immediately."

Before long, the group arrived at the spacious shooting range of the Firearms Research Institute.

Bi Maokang personally went to Zhu Cilang's side and began to demonstrate to him how to load ammunition.

As he operated the machine, he patiently explained each step. After the demonstration, Bi Maokang personally loaded the ammunition and handed it to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang took the flintlock pistol and felt that its heavy weight contained boundless power.

He squinted slightly, aimed at the target in the distance, and gently pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

With a deafening gunshot, the bullet shot out like lightning and hit the target squarely.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Cilang felt a surge of relief, as if all the gloom in his heart had been completely dispelled by this shot.

"Hahahahahaha."

He then burst into laughter. He never expected that he could always miss with an arrow, but he could hit the target every time he shot with a gun. It seems that he was not born to shoot arrows, but was born to play with guns!
Zhu Cilang then picked up another flintlock pistol with great interest.

Following the method demonstrated by Bi Maokang, he personally loaded the ammunition, then aimed at the target again and pulled the trigger.

"boom!"

Another crisp gunshot rang out, and the bullet once again hit the target accurately.

The target swayed slightly under the shock of the gunshot, as if paying tribute to Zhu Cilang.

Seeing how much fun Zhu Cilang was having, the people around him didn't seem as relaxed and at ease as he was.

They all watched this scene with trepidation, their eyes filled with worry and fear.

Although the chances of Bi Maokang's weapon exploding are very small, who can guarantee that it won't suddenly explode?
But if the chamber explodes and the Crown Prince gets hurt, that would be a catastrophe!

However, Bi Maokang remained calm throughout, his eyes revealing confidence and composure.

Because these two small flintlock pistols were meticulously crafted by him, with each part carefully polished and adjusted.

Moreover, he had already conducted countless tests beforehand, and the chance of the barrel exploding was extremely low.

If it's maintained regularly, it won't explode.

And because the gunpowder and projectiles are relatively small, even if the barrel were to explode, it would not endanger lives; at most, one would only hear a loud bang.

After all, this was a gift he had carefully prepared for Zhu Cilang, and he must have taken all the safety issues into consideration.

After firing a few shots to his heart's content at the shooting range, Zhu Cilang finally stopped, satisfied.

At this moment, with a flintlock pistol in each hand, he truly had the air of a 'dual-wielder'!

Then, Zhu Cilang, with a satisfied smile on his face, looked at Bi Maokang and said:
"This gift is excellent. I am very satisfied. Lord Bi has truly gone to great lengths."

Bi Maokang then said with a smile:

"I'm glad Your Highness likes it. This is what I should do. Once the rifle is successfully developed, this firearm can be further modified. It will be easier to load ammunition and its power will be even greater."

Zhu Cilang naturally believed this without a doubt!
Because what Bi Maokang was talking about was actually the real handgun of later generations!
In an instant, he seemed to see the magnificent scene on the battlefield of the future, where the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, armed with these advanced rifles and pistols, were invincible.

If this thing is actually developed, it will be incredible and will definitely change the entire landscape of warfare!

Led by Bi Maokang, Zhu Cilang then toured other parts of the Firearms Research Institute with great interest.

Looking at the laboratories filled with various firearms and listening to Bi Maokang's eloquent introduction, he felt full of confidence in the future war.

After the visit, he gave some instructions on the research and production of firearms, and then returned to the East Palace with satisfaction.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

It's already mid-February, and although the weather is still cold, it's warmer than during the Lunar New Year.

Moreover, it hasn't snowed in the last few days, and the entire capital city is bathed in a peaceful atmosphere.

On this day, after the mobilization meeting, Zhu Cilang ordered that all soldiers going to Sichuan to participate in the war be given ten taels of silver. This was an old tradition; whenever someone was going to fight, they would be given ten taels of silver before setting off, as a reward for the army's departure.

After the battle is over, they will reward the soldiers with silver, since there is no more direct way to boost morale than silver.

The soldiers were naturally overjoyed to receive the silver.

Of course, it wasn't just the soldiers in the capital who received silver; Zhu Cilang also allocated ten taels of silver to each of the Qin army, Sichuan army, and Guizhou chieftain soldiers who were going to participate in the war.

However, it's hard to say whether the silver will actually reach them, especially for the Tusi soldiers in Guizhou, whose chances of getting the silver are extremely slim.

According to the rules, this money would eventually go to the chieftain, and how much the chieftain would give them depended on his mood.

However, under normal circumstances, it is estimated to be less than one-tenth, as those chieftains often embezzled soldiers' pay to satisfy their own selfish desires.

Of course, this was not something Zhu Cilang should worry about.

He could only do what he was supposed to do; he couldn't fully control how the chieftains carried it out.

That night, Zhu Cilang and Zheng Xiaomei lay in bed, the room filled with a warm and romantic atmosphere.

Zheng Xiaomei lay quietly in Zhu Cilang's arms, her eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

When Zheng Xiaomei learned that Zhu Cilang was going to Sichuan to fight a decisive battle with Li Zicheng, she felt as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart, and she was filled with worry and fear.

Because she really didn't want Zhu Cilang to go to Sichuan!
But she also knew that this was a matter of national importance, and she shouldn't try to persuade him. Moreover, she understood Zhu Cilang's character and determination; once he made up his mind, no one could change it.

That's why she suggested going to Sichuan with Zhu Cilang. She felt that as long as she could be by Zhu Cilang's side, she would be willing to face any danger.

However, it is obvious that Zhu Cilang will not bring any women with him on this trip.

First of all, it's inconvenient to bring a woman along, and secondly, it's against the rules. What would happen if other soldiers saw it?

This would cause dissatisfaction and doubt among the soldiers towards Zhu Cilang, affecting the morale and combat effectiveness of the army.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang resolutely rejected Zheng Xiaomei's request.

Although Zheng Xiaomei was somewhat disappointed, she didn't say anything more.

With tomorrow being the day the army sets off, she felt even more reluctant to part with him, as if Zhu Cilang would disappear from her sight the moment she let go.

Zhu Cilang naturally sensed Zheng Xiaomei's emotions. He gently stroked her long hair and then tenderly comforted her:

"Don't worry, nothing will happen this time. In fact, according to my estimation, there's a chance that even a large-scale war won't occur."

Hearing this, Zheng Xiaomei breathed a slight sigh of relief before saying:

"Your Highness, I understand everything you've said. I'm just a little worried. Please be careful and come back safely."

Zhu Cilang felt a warmth in his heart, turned and kissed Zheng Xiaomei on the forehead, then smiled and said:

"Don't worry, I will definitely come back safely. I want to grow old with you."

The next morning, Zhu Cilang got up early, and all the palace maids and eunuchs in the Eastern Palace also got up early. They busily moved around in every corner, making final preparations for Zhu Cilang's departure.

Some of them were to go with Zhu Cilang to take care of his daily life, while others would remain in the Eastern Palace.

However, at this time, regardless of whether they went with him or not, everyone had to get up to see the Crown Prince off, and even Qiqige was among them!
Zhu Cilang also spotted Qiqige in the crowd at this moment, and then said with a smile:

"What, you've come to see me off too?"

Qiqige, unusually, didn't argue with Zhu Cilang. Instead, she looked at him seriously and said:

"Zhu Cilang, you must come back alive."

Zhu Cilang was speechless. What was all this about?

He even said he "came back alive," but you have to understand that he didn't take Li Zicheng seriously at all. It's like he was about to have a life-or-death battle.

But at this point, he couldn't say anything, so he could only nod.

"Don't worry, I will definitely come back alive."

Immediately afterwards, under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhu Cilang led his entourage out of the East Palace and boarded the dragon carriage that was waiting outside.

Because it carries the emperor's ceremonial regalia, the imperial carriage naturally goes along as well, and its presence further enhances the display of imperial majesty and dignity.

When they left the capital, many people spontaneously lined the streets to see them off.

They were dressed simply, with sincere smiles on their faces, and chanting:

"Your Highness, have a safe journey!"

"May His Highness the Crown Prince return in triumph!"

Looking at the young crown prince in the imperial carriage, the people felt a surge of emotion. After all, it was no easy feat for this young prince to personally lead an expedition!
When they arrived outside the city, the army was already fully prepared and ready to go.

The neat formation and high morale were enough to make anyone's blood boil.

This time, Zhu Cilang led more than 70,000 men, including 30,000 from the Beijing Garrison, 10,000 from the Tengxiang Five Guards, the entire Zhu Family Army, about 20,000 logistics personnel, 5,000 Guan Ning Iron Cavalry, 5,000 White Spear Soldiers, 2,000 Clean Army soldiers, and 3,000 Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Furthermore, the equipment rate of flintlock muskets reached 80%!

This massive army is like a giant dragon poised to unleash its power, ready to rush to the battlefield and write its own glorious chapter!

However, this time Zhu Cilang did not bring Fang Zhenghua or Li Ruolian.

After all, one of them was the head of the Western Depot and the other was the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Taking them away might affect the stability of the capital.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang ordered them to stay in the capital this time to safeguard its safety and stability.

Fang Zhenghua and Li Ruolian had no choice but to accept Zhu Cilang's orders.

Although they felt some regret that they could not go to the battlefield with Zhu Cilang, they were also well aware of the great responsibility they bore.

After successfully joining up with the main army, Zhu Cilang slowly swept his gaze over the surging ranks before him, a surge of pride welling up within him.

Just then, he saw a group of civil and military officials who had come to see him off.

They were dressed in neat official robes, standing solemnly on both sides of the road.

The cabinet ministers and the six ministers were seated at the front, their serious expressions seemingly concealing both worry and anticipation for the upcoming expedition.

And then there were all the nobles who usually lived a life of luxury in the capital, who had also come in droves. The scene was incredibly lively; basically, everyone who was supposed to be there was there! (End of Chapter)