Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 367 Zhu Yaoying's medical skills are superb! The "Divine Might Cannon" of Xishan?
They left Consort Wang's bedchamber.

Li Shizhen and Zhu Yaoying walked and talked. In fact, in the medical clinic, Li Shizhen could be considered Zhu Yaoying's half teacher.

In recent days, the system that Zhang Yunxiu has built for the medical clinic, as well as the clear and well-defined direction for its development and research, have been effective.

The princess's medical skills improved by leaps and bounds, and the medical standards of the Ming Dynasty also continued to advance.

It can be said that with the support of allicin, stethoscopes, and a whole host of advanced medical knowledge systems, the medical level of the Ming Dynasty leaped forward by almost a hundred years within a year.

Thinking of this, Li Shizhen was filled with emotion, and he looked at Zhu Yaoying and said.

"Compared to poetic talent, in my opinion, Your Highness should specialize in medicine. The clinic cannot do without Your Highness now. In time, Your Highness will become the leading female physician in our Great Ming Dynasty."

He was implying something, clearly having some speculation about the Lantern Festival, but only offering a slight hint.

Zhu Yaoying didn't mind; specializing in medicine was her own idea anyway, so she nodded slightly and said.

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Dongbi. Yongning's medical skills are largely thanks to the teaching and guidance of the doctors at the clinic."

She said this, but she was actually very happy inside.

Li Shizhen was filled with emotion. Princess Zhu Yaoying's status was both a constraint and a convenience.

In terms of medical research, Zhu Yaoying had access to far more resources than other women. She was also talented, and with Zhang Yunxiu as her "master" to guide her, it would be difficult for her not to succeed.

He was generous with his praise.

"This is very different. There have been few female doctors since ancient times. Although doctors are said to be benevolent, it is always inconvenient for men to treat women."

Just like the previous case of Lady Xiao, the Earl of Jingyuan, whose carbuncle on her back was extremely serious, further delay could endanger her life.

Thanks to Her Highness the Princess's assistance in the surgical incision and drainage treatment, her life was spared.

Afterwards, Madam Xiao expressed her deepest gratitude, even setting up a memorial tablet for His Highness and praying day and night for his safety through vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting. It seems the Jingyuan Earl's family will, like their ancestors, dedicate themselves to the Ming Dynasty until their dying breath.

The old Mrs. Xiao was very traditional, saying that at her age, she should remain chaste.

The carbuncle on her back was something no male doctor could touch or even look at, and she was on the verge of death. Zhu Yaoying's intervention was a great honor for her.

Zhu Yaoying smiled sincerely: "It is a doctor's duty to cure patients, regardless of their status."

Li Shizhen looked at the other person with particular admiration and nodded.

"Your Highness will surely be remembered in history."

"Yongning doesn't care about being remembered in history."

Li Shizhen smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your Highness doesn't want this title, but it will come to you on its own."

After thinking for a moment, he encouraged him again.

"Please rest well, Your Highness. I imagine that after Madam Xiao, many women will come seeking treatment from you. Female doctors are more meticulous and skillful than male doctors. I think that in a few years, Your Highness will leave me, Li Shizhen, far behind."

"Mr. Dongbi is joking."

The area outside West Mountain was rather noisy that day.

A large procession of carriages and horses stopped outside the West Gate. The men dressed as servants exuded a chilling aura, their eagle-like eyes sending shivers down one's spine.

Anyone who has been on the battlefield will understand that this look is the look of someone who has killed people, or even someone who has killed countless people.

Upon receiving the report, Zhang Jianxiu led a team of imperial guards to the scene, and from a distance, he sensed something was amiss.

But it was very strange that there would be such a group of people in the capital, right under the emperor's nose. They looked like veterans who had been through many battles.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jianxiu summoned a member of the imperial guards and gave him instructions.

"Go to the Beijing garrison and inform the British Duke of this matter."

After giving his instructions, he led his men forward on horseback.

As they approached, Zhang Jianxiu was startled. The dark-skinned, thin, and muscular middle-aged man at the head of the group was none other than Qi Jiguang.
However, Qi Jiguang's face was now frighteningly dark; one might mistake him for a Kunlun slave who had escaped.

Upon seeing Zhang Jianxiu, Qi Jiguang was immediately excited, dismounted, and walked forward to speak.

"Hahaha! Zhang Qianshi! I've missed you so much! It seems that the gate to your West Mountain is not easy to enter."

Zhang Jianxiu looked helpless and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Uncle, you scared me to death! This group of people looked so menacing, I thought they were some kind of deity!"

"Hahahaha!"

Having grown accustomed to being at sea, Qi Jiguang spoke in a louder voice than most people. He seemed very happy, patting Zhang Jianxiu on the shoulder and laughing as he spoke.

“I like to hear that.”

He pointed to the veterans behind him.

"Don't worry, these are all veterans of the Qi Family Army. They have followed me on my journeys across the seas. A few days ago we were in the South China Sea, and these days we are in the Jiangnan region. They have a bit more of a murderous aura, but they are absolutely loyal to the Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Jianxiu cupped his hands and said, "Seeing you, Uncle, I am naturally relieved."

He asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Uncle, you arrived in the capital without a sound? I haven't heard a word about it."

Qi Jiguang narrowed his eyes and said, "I am now shouldering heavy responsibilities, so my itinerary must not be known to outsiders. I entered the city this morning and went to the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty. After receiving His Majesty's instructions, I did not have time to pay my respects to the Grand Secretary before I came to Xishan."

Zhang Jianxiu asked in surprise, "His Majesty's orders? What brings Uncle Shi to Xishan?"

Qi Jiguang lowered his voice and said, "Does Your Majesty intend to establish a new ocean-going navy within the Five Armies Commandery?"

Zhang Jianxiu was as if struck by lightning.

A few days ago, the imperial court issued an edict promoting Zhang Yunxiu to the position of Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Five Military Commissions, in charge of maritime affairs.

The imperial edict mentioned the navy and naval forces, but in a somewhat vague way, leaving many people puzzled.

But looking at it today, could it be that the sailor under Qi Jiguang, the man known as the "Pirate King," is about to officially take command of the Ming Dynasty's ocean-going navy?
Inside the Xishan Thousand Household Office, Zhang Yunxiu had just gotten out of bed when he heard a series of curses and swears.

"You brat! I rushed here day and night, and you were fast asleep! I'll tear your bed apart!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu thought it was Zhang Juzheng who had arrived, but then he remembered that his father was a refined man. Sometimes he might not be so refined, but he would never say such a thing.

He got up and opened the door to see what was going on, but the person outside startled him.

"Blackie?"

Zhang Yunxiu jumped up, thinking he had traveled through time again.

Qi Jiguang was furious. Without any politeness, he pushed open the door, picked up the teacup on the table, and gulped it down. "You brat? Who are you calling Brother Hei? You're completely turning the tables on me! You should be calling me Uncle!"

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at Zhang Jianxiu behind him, and only after the other party reminded him did he recognize the person who came, and he couldn't help but say with surprise.

"It's Commander Qi! I'm so sorry, my nephew is still asleep."

Qi Jiguang grinned and said, "I dare not call you Commander Qi. You are now the Vice Commander of the Five Armies, while I am now a pirate at sea."

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "Commander Qi is the Left Commander-in-Chief. Although he holds no real position, he is still my superior."

“You do have your reasons,” Qi Jiguang said with a smile. “Do you know why I’ve come today?”

Zhang Yunxiu narrowed his eyes and said, "Commander Qi wants to probe the strength of my Xishan?"

Qi Jiguang leaned back in his chair, looking quite relaxed, but what he said was frightening.

"You brat, you've been urging His Majesty to conquer the world. If I didn't have some handy weapon, how could I, Sun Wukong, wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace?"

Since the Wanli Xinbao published the story of Journey to the West, the tale of the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures has been widely circulated.

During the recent festive season, the most popular pieces at Xishan Theater, besides celebratory and blessing pieces like "The Eight Immortals Celebrate Longevity" and "The Eastern Emperor Issues an Order," were adapted stories from Journey to the West, such as "Havoc in Heaven" and "The Birth of the Monkey King."

Qi Jiguang was clearly a loyal viewer of "Journey to the West," as he frequently used such "secret language."

Zhang Yunxiu naturally understood.

After nearly a year of development, the various workshops and research institutes in Xishan have gotten on track.

He was a hands-off manager, basically only providing directional guidance, leaving the actual implementation to his subordinates.

When Zhang Yunxiu brought Qi Jiguang to the weapons workshop, Zhao Shizhen was looking listless with dark circles under his eyes.

Upon seeing Zhao Shizhen, who appeared to be a walking corpse, Zhang Yunxiu was immediately startled and asked him questions.

"Changji, did you go to Xishan Village last night to meet with that widow Qin? You seem to have lost your mind."

Zhao Shizhen wiped his face with his dirty sleeve. The more he wiped, the darker his face became. He said with a wry smile.

"Master is too kind. How could I possibly have time for romance these days? I don't even go to the brothels, let alone visit Widow Qin's house."

Qi Jiguang stood aside, unable to suppress a smile. He glanced at the chaotic weapons workshop and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

"Shiyuan, is that so-called Divine Might Cannon really here?"

Zhao Shizhen looks like he's indulging in excessive pleasure. How could someone like him create something good?

Zhang Yunxiu, however, was full of confidence and patted his chest as he spoke.

"Uncle, please rest assured. If my apprentice cannot build the Divine Might Cannon, then no one in the Ming Dynasty will be able to build it."

He explained with a hint of heartache.

"It's just that my apprentice is rather stubborn, and Xishan is really short of such talents, so he has to do everything himself, which is naturally a bit tiring. But you can rest assured about the things he makes."

Zhao Shizhen learned of Qi Jiguang's identity from the introduction and greeted him with a cupped-hand salute.

"Student Zhao Shizhen pays his respects to Commander Qi."

Qi Jiguang exhaled, his eyes still full of doubt, but he finally nodded and said.

"Show me what you have."

He had been stationed in the border town for many years and was very familiar with all kinds of firearms, but he wanted to see what tricks Zhang Yunxiu could come up with.

Zhao Shizhen glanced at Zhang Yunxiu as if asking a question. Only after Zhang Yunxiu nodded did he beckon a few trusted men and head towards the weapons workshop.

After going through a long and winding road, and opening several locks, the group finally found a cannon made entirely of cast iron in a room sealed by a large iron gate.

Zhao Shizhen, sporting two large dark circles under his eyes, introduced, "General Qi, please take a look. This is the Divine Might Cannon from our weapons workshop. This cannon is a secret of the imperial court, and it cannot be examined without His Majesty's approval."

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang became much more serious. Even though the weapons workshop seemed unreliable, the emperor had no reason to play tricks on him.

In fact, I was immediately captivated the moment I saw this cannon.

He took two steps forward, reached out and gently touched the cannon barrel, and felt a cool and smooth sensation. His eyes widened immediately.

"You used refined steel? It has almost no pores and the texture is exceptionally fine."

Zhang Yunxiu said with great familiarity, "It can be considered a hundred-times-refined steel. It is a unique iron-casting method in Xishan. Compared with the previous methods, Xishan steel has fewer impurities, and the ironware produced is more durable and less prone to cracking."

The smelting technology during the Ming Dynasty was actually quite mature, but in order to improve production efficiency and reduce costs, the "crushing method" was mostly adopted.

While the "casting method" is good, it lacks hardness and toughness compared to refined steel. Especially for heavy iron objects like cannons, air bubbles and impurities are almost unavoidable.

Qi Jiguang frowned and said, "This will take a lot of manpower and resources, won't it? Even if the court is not short of money now, it can't afford to go through such a lot of trouble."

Weapon manufacturing and maintenance have always been the most expensive areas.

Historically, during Zhang Juzheng's reform period, the imperial court allocated 120,000 taels of silver annually for the maintenance of firearms, including weapons such as "bird guns" and "extermination cannons".

This is just maintenance.

Qi Jiguang observed that this "Divine Might Cannon" was a size larger than the ordinary enemy-annihilating cannon, and was made entirely of refined steel. The cost of this can be more than ten or a hundred times greater.
Zhang Yunxiu smiled without saying a word, and shook his head.

"It seems that Uncle Shi doesn't know much about our Xishan."

"What do you mean?" Qi Jiguang asked, somewhat puzzled.

Zhao Shizhen explained from the side, "General Qi, you may not know this, but the refined steel in Xishan is very different from that outside."

"Very different?"

Qi Jiguang looked puzzled; in his eyes, the refined steel was almost comparable to gold.

It should be noted that the market price of one pound of refined steel is three taels of silver, and one tael of gold can be exchanged for fifteen taels of silver. In other words, five pounds of refined steel can be exchanged for one tael of gold.

A single cannon that destroys the enemy weighs about a hundred pounds, but this divine cannon is almost twice the weight of the former!
If several thousand cannons were to be built, would the imperial court really spend millions of taels of silver to build them?
Zhang Yunxiu finally spoke up to explain.

"Uncle seems to not know much about Xishan. The cost of Xishan's iron smelting workshop is much lower than outside. We have cheap coal briquettes, which are as cheap as cabbages. In addition, with Xishan's advanced technology, the cost of refining steel is almost halved."

"And what about manpower?" Qi Jiguang asked, squinting. "The cost of craftsmen must be taken into account?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and kept everyone in suspense, saying, "It won't require much manpower either; you'll understand the reason later, Uncle."

Qi Jiguang was increasingly confused as he looked at it, but he was a pragmatic person and didn't dwell on these intricacies. He stepped forward, patted the barrel of the Shenwei Cannon, and said...

"I don't understand these flowery words. We'll only know if it's a mule or a horse after we take it out for a spin."

(End of this chapter)