Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 118 The Blueprint for an Industrial Empire

As for the next steps in artificial manufacturing, Zhu Gaoshuo has already thought it through, mainly in four aspects.

Firstly, he advocated for standardization and simplification, pointing to the relatively simple bolt action structure on the blueprints.

Abandoning the complex multi-barrel design and the high-rate-of-fire but unreliable repeating concept, we focused our efforts on developing a long-barreled musket that is handheld by a single soldier, muzzle-loading, smoothbore, and ignited by a matchlock or flintlock mechanism. The design should be as simple as possible, with as many interchangeable parts as possible, making it easy to mass-produce and maintain! We called it the Yuan Musket, and it became more common than people saw each other.

Secondly, material substitution and technological breakthroughs.

In the short term, the main process for casting gun barrels is to repeatedly fold and forge wrought iron to achieve a dense and uniform finish. We are also exploring the use of Eucommia ulmoides gum mixed with specific mineral powder as an inner lining coating for casting gun barrels to improve their resistance to ablation.

For key components, try using copper-tin alloys, or explore traditional hardening techniques such as surface carburizing to treat wrought iron parts.

A dedicated gunpowder workshop was established to centrally refine and purify saltpeter, strictly adhere to formula ratios, and experiment with granulation processes. At the same time, no expense was spared in expanding the sources of saltpeter.

We also need to design and manufacture specialized fixed molds, simple waterwheel-driven drilling machines and grinding machines to improve processing accuracy and efficiency.

Third, establish assembly line workshops.

The manufacturing of muskets is broken down into different stages: forging the barrel, casting parts, woodworking stock, gunpowder preparation, bullet casting, and final assembly and testing. Each stage is handled by a specialist and uses standardized molds and measuring tools.

"Wang Ao, you are in charge of this matter. Gather the best blacksmiths, carpenters, and gunpowder makers in Xunzhou and establish an 'Arsenal'!"

Fourth, training and practical verification.

Zhu Gaoshuo looked at Zhang Fu, who had been listening in silence.

"General Zhang, once we have samples of the new gun, we should immediately organize elite militia to test it. We should conduct comprehensive tests on all aspects, including loading speed, range accuracy, reliability, and ease of maintenance. We should identify problems in actual combat and make iterative improvements. At the same time, we should design a matching bayonet so that musketeers can also protect themselves in close combat."

Zhu Gaoshuo's gaze swept over the core craftsmen and officials present, his voice carrying an undeniable power.

"Gentlemen! This gun is not merely a weapon for killing enemies! It carries the foundation of our Xunzhou's self-defense and is crucial to whether we can truly stand proudly on the seas in the future! If materials are scarce, we will increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and find alternatives! If the technology is outdated, we will pool our wisdom and dare to innovate! If manpower is insufficient, we will make up for it with standardization and assembly lines! We can produce Eucommia ulmoides gum, and we can certainly make this Yuan firearm as well, and we will make enough and good enough of it."

In Xunzhou's workshop area, the furnaces burned day and night. Zhu Gaoshuo and the craftsmen were racking their brains over the forging of the barrels and the flintlock mechanism for the Yuan firearms. The air was filled with the smell of iron and sweat. Zhang Xiuping was busy coordinating the application experiments of Eucommia ulmoides glue on waterproof cloth and firearm sealing gaskets. Everything was proceeding in a tense but hopeful manner.

Suddenly, without warning, the familiar light screen tore through time and space once again, hanging in the sky. This time, the scene in the light screen was no longer one of war or glittering jewels, but a modern, slightly noisy urban street scene.

Hello everyone! I'm your favorite content creator, 'Digging Prince', who loves exploring the secrets of the city!

A young man wearing a windbreaker and a hard hat appeared in front of the camera, with a huge blue construction fence and roaring construction machinery in the background.

His voice was loud and clear, filled with excitement. "Today, I'm taking you to an incredibly exciting archaeological site! Right here at the construction site of the newly planned Line 18 subway station, 'Cultural Square Station,' in Xunzhou! It was just routine exploration, but guess what? Boom! They unearthed a huge treasure!"

The camera followed the uploader's finger, focusing on a tightly protected deep pit inside the enclosure. At the bottom of the pit, archaeologists were carefully cleaning, revealing a large number of neatly arranged and relatively well-preserved ancient artifacts, such as cloth and rotten paper. Nearby were some scrolls that clearly resembled engineering drawings, drawn on special leather or thick paper. Although they were old and yellowed, the ink lines on them were still clearly discernible.

Did you see that, friends?

The content creator was so excited he almost jumped up.

[This is no ordinary treasure! According to preliminary assessments by on-site archaeological experts, it is highly likely to be an original archive from the reign of Emperor Zhongzu of Ming (Zhu Gaoshuo)! Moreover, it concerns the city's underground transportation system! The subway planning initiated by Emperor Zhongzu!]

The camera gave a close-up of the bamboo slips that had been preserved to a certain extent, which were densely covered with neat and powerful regular script.

The content creator pointed to several sections and read aloud in an exaggerated tone: "Underground tunnels must be wide enough for two vehicles to drive side-by-side, and over twelve feet high to facilitate ventilation and pedestrian movement…" "Station locations must be chosen in densely populated areas with good accessibility, with a distance of no more than three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers) between them; too far and the people will tire, too close and it will be wasteful…" "The passage system is divided into official and civilian routes, with the official route being fast and straight, and the civilian route being stable and safe, each following its own path without interfering with each other…" "In case of floods or fires, there must be emergency evacuation routes, clearly marked, and alarm bells must be sounded…"

Look at this plan! Look at the details! They even considered two-way traffic, station spacing, separation of officials and civilians, and emergency evacuation! Friends, can you believe this is from the Ming Dynasty? Emperor Zhongzu of Ming, Zhu Gaoshuo, was truly a genius!

The screen suddenly shifted, the noisy construction site disappeared, and in its place appeared a brightly lit, clean, and futuristic underground space.

A streamlined, silver-white train silently glides into the platform, where people are bustling about in an orderly fashion. The huge station name sign is clearly visible under the soft lighting—"Taejong Station".

[Everyone! This is the Taejong Station of the subway, which has been built and put into use for many years, above the construction site we just saw!]

The uploader's voice echoed in the spacious yet bustling exhibition hall, carrying a touch of emotion.

Many people may not know that there was quite a controversy surrounding the name of this station back then!

The camera zooms in.

According to unearthed documents and later records in the "Veritable Records of Emperor Zhongzu of Ming," when determining the name of this underground transportation hub that runs through the core area of ​​ancient Xunzhou, some of the emperors at the time, who were grandsons of Emperor Zhongzu of Ming (Zhu Gaoshuo), suggested that the station should be named "Chengzu Station" to highlight the achievements of Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) in expanding the sea frontier and conquering the northern deserts five times. They believed that the title "Taizong" was insufficient to reflect his illustrious military exploits.

This proposal garnered considerable support within the imperial court at the time.

However! Emperor Zhongzu of Ming, Zhu Gaoshuo, overruled all objections! He personally wrote an edict stating: 'Taizong is a model of succession and maintenance of the dynasty, a synthesis of civil and military achievements! The late emperor quelled the rebellion, established the dynasty, and created a prosperous era; his merits will last for millennia! How can we lightly change the temple name of our ancestors because of the military achievements of later generations? Moreover, this underground thoroughfare benefits all people; taking the name 'Taizong' is in line with the late emperor's sage virtue of putting the people first!'

The content creator imitated the imagined majesty of an emperor, then his tone shifted to one of reverence.

(End of this chapter)