The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Being flattered by a rigid person is always a pleasant experience, Galdan thought, glancing at the sky.

"Master Wei has managed my military factory with exceptional skill; he is truly a capable man!"

"Let's go take a look!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Galdan spurred his horse and galloped off in a flash, with his five hundred personal guards quickly following.

The arsenal was also located in Hunyuan Prefecture, only twenty miles away from the mine. The main reason for establishing the arsenal here was coal.

The main reason for this trip was to satisfy my curiosity about how these top artisans of the Ming Dynasty actually worked.

When I first met Wei Cheng, the old man said he had drilling and grinding machines. I couldn't get away for a while, but I'll definitely go check it out this time.

After three hundred years of literary inquisitions and the regression of various cultures, Galdan always believed that things were just as backward.

But as more and more artifacts are unearthed, it is discovered that the ancients were not stupid, as they were able to create even a soup spoon that floats and does not fall over. They must have also created some strange and unusual items.

The entire Datong Military Factory is located at the foot of the mountain, with a total of eight factory buildings arranged in the valley, each topped with a large chimney that is currently belching out black smoke.

There are also coal mines in this valley, and they are anthracite coal, which is the most suitable for iron smelting, so this place was specially chosen.

However, the Manchus could not be allowed to mine this kind of anthracite, as they lacked the technology.

"The Great Han Military Factory!"

"Was this calligraphy written by Pei Gong?"

Galdan arrived outside the factory, where five large characters written in clerical script were printed on the archway. The handwriting was clearly written by Zhou Peigong. Although he did not pass the imperial examination, his calligraphy was first-rate.

"These are all words left by Lord Zhou before he pacified Taiyuan. He said that His Majesty valued military equipment and left these words so that we would not slack off."

Li Zheng, the prefect of Hunyuan Prefecture, who was standing nearby, immediately stepped forward to reply, and unknowingly praised both Galdan and Zhou Peigong.

No wonder Zhou Peigong dismissed so many officials, but kept Li Zheng by the only one; he was a versatile talent.

Upon entering the first workshop, Galdan felt as if he had entered a workshop from the future, with smooth, polished floors and white lime plaster all around.

On either side of the main entrance, there were pieces of parts laid out, including gun barrels, flintlocks, trigger kits, and wooden stocks, while the workers were skillfully arming themselves.

Opposite the gate was a row of lathes, with rows of gears and constantly rotating chucks. Except for the lack of sheet metal covering, what else could it be but a lathe?

What shocked Galdan the most was the steam engine.

That's right, it's a steam engine.

But this should only be the most basic version, which simply relies on air pressure to push back and forth. It is far from meeting industrial standards, but it is almost the limit of manual operation.

Galdan practically ran over and saw a pressure cooker, one meter high and one meter wide, with red-hot coals at the bottom and steam escaping intermittently from the top. An iron rod was constantly being pulled back and forth, driving the gears of a machine tool.

"Who made this thing?"

Upon hearing Galdan's surprised voice, Li Zheng and Wei Cheng exchanged a glance, and it was Li Zheng who finally spoke.

"Your Majesty, this is called a water-fire rotating machine. It was already in use during the Wanli era. Back then, there were frequent battles, and it was mainly used for drilling and grinding cannons to save time!"

Hold the grass!

No wonder, no wonder!

Galdan shouted almost immediately.

"Battle, hurry, go quickly!"

"Immediately dispatch a messenger with the utmost speed to deliver my decree: cut off the head of Ferdinand Verbiest of the Imperial Treasury; also, execute all missionaries in Beijing, leave no one alive!"

Galdan suddenly remembered that after taking control of Beijing, Johann Adam Schall von Bell had come to him, saying he wanted to enter the Imperial Treasury to find information to help the Han Dynasty build cannons.

Galdan was quite pleased with the approval at the time, but now it seems these guys had ill intentions.

Moreover, it is highly likely that these cannons were made by craftsmen from the Ming Dynasty during the Wanli era.

It is important to know that the household registration system was established during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang. This meant that if a person was designated as a craftsman, then his descendants could only be craftsmen. Some of them would not be able to survive, while others would certainly become more and more skilled.

For example, the craftsmen who made machinery for the royal family since the early Ming Dynasty, their whole families have been working with machinery for more than two hundred years. Even someone with a mental disability should be able to figure something out.

Then there's the Hongyi cannon, which remains a top-tier product of its time. Even a cannon weighing 10,000 jin (5,000 kg) doesn't need to learn from foreign designs.

In the past, some netizens discussed that people in Western European countries, who would have blood drawn for fever or colds, had been performing basic surgeries since the 18th century.

Moreover, not only in medicine, they suddenly became knowledgeable in astronomy and various aspects of physics, which is illogical because no one is born with such knowledge.

Just like Leonardo da Vinci, who worked for dozens of companies and was proficient in astronomy, mathematics, geography, and physics, he must have started learning from the womb!

Wei Cheng and Li Zheng exchanged a glance, their minds momentarily blank. Why would His Majesty send an urgent messenger to kill someone just because he was looking at a water and fire rotating machine?

Galdan didn't care what others thought, and continued to give orders after his personal guards left.

"Batal, from today onwards, leave fifty of my personal guards behind, and recruit men of impeccable character to guard the factory. Anyone suspicious who approaches the factory will be killed without exception!"

Galdan was still uneasy after speaking. "Wei Cheng, is the method for making this water-fire rotating machine still circulating among the common people? Are there any other places like it?"

Wei Cheng subconsciously shook his head; he was frightened by Galdan. Li Zheng, who was next to him, immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this water-fire rotating machine has always been used by the Ministry of Works' arsenal during the Ming Dynasty. There should be some old craftsmen who know how to use it, but they are too old, and given the chaos of war, it's unlikely that the secret has been leaked!"

Galdan thought it made sense. As long as there were no traitors in the country, it would be difficult for this thing to spread, because foreigners simply couldn't understand it.

After calming down, Galdan walked to the qualified area, where the flintlock muskets had already been inspected.

"Who will demonstrate this musket to me?"

Upon hearing this, no one stepped forward. After all, these guards were either Tibetans or Mongols, skilled at charging on horseback, but not adept at firearms.

A moment later, a man who was 1.8 meters tall with broad shoulders, a wasp waist, and mantis legs stepped forward in response.

"Your Majesty, this humble soldier knows how to use a musket!"

Galdan looked him over and nodded.

"Give it a try, and you'll be rewarded if you hit the mark!"

Upon hearing this, the guard straightened his back even more, quickly stepped forward, picked up a flintlock pistol, and took the gunpowder gourd and a lead bullet from the craftsman.

This musket is 1.8 meters long, with a coarse, frosted muzzle that can be fitted with a bayonet, making it a two-meter-long gun.

After loading the gunpowder and lead bullets, the guard used a long pole to tamp the gunpowder and lead bullets inside, then held the flintlock musket level and aimed at the experimental target outside the gate with one eye.

With a loud bang, the flintlock pistol emitted a puff of white smoke and sparks flew from its muzzle, while the wooden target eighty meters away was pierced through.

Li Zheng quickly ran over to check.

"Spot on target!"