The Empire will continue to win

The hour of Hai (9-11 PM) has passed.

The banquet ended and everyone left, leaving behind a scene of utter chaos.

The servants, who had received their reward money, were quick and energetic as they cleaned up the dishes and cups.

Du Fengzhi, a down-on-his-luck scholar from Shaoxing Prefecture residing in the southern part of the city, was quite pleased upon learning the inside story. Following proper etiquette, he welcomed the bride; Mo Qing was truly a virtuous and capable son-in-law.

In this era of moral decay, such a "pedantic" father and daughter are truly rare.

The happiest person was none other than Old Madam Shen. From beginning to end, the smile on her face never disappeared. The family had finally welcomed a son who would bring prosperity to the family, and he would have something to show for his ancestors after his death.

She summoned her most trusted personal maid: "Pearl, go and help Young Master Qing sober up. Have some refreshments."

"Yes."

Pearl responded softly.

She was a beauty from a young age, with phoenix eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, a slender figure, a slim waist, and was also sensible and perceptive. Now she was paid the monthly salary of a first-class maid.

Two rough female servants were summoned to help the heavily intoxicated Shen Moqing into the inner courtyard.

Soft silk curtains, sandalwood desk, rosewood canopy bed, crystal curtains—even in its decline, the Shen family was still bigger than a starving camel; the furniture consisted of old, well-preserved pieces.

Truly wealthy people don't like using brand-new furniture, believing it would associate them with nouveau riche and be beneath their dignity.

The Shen family often used this to glorify themselves.

But as the old lady's personal maid, Pearl knew that at most three to five years, the mansion would have to pawn its antique furniture to make money.

"You may leave."

"Yes."

The two female servants left the room and closed the door tightly behind them.

.........

"Where's my older brother?" Shen Moqing asked drunkenly.

"Brother Zhang has already been settled in the guest room in the west wing. We dare not neglect him in the slightest, young master, please rest assured."

As she spoke, Pearl deftly removed her outer robe and the gold hairpin from her hair, leaving only a pink bodice. She then stretched out her snow-white arms to help Shen Moqing, who was lying on the daybed, and fed him some spicy and sour hangover soup.

It's not that I want to seduce the young master.

He's just efficient at his work.

The blouse was dirty, and the hairpin was sharp; both were bad omens for the young master.

After drinking too much at the banquet, Shen Moqing felt hot and bothered. Coupled with the close proximity and the fragrant aroma, how could a young man resist?

I flipped myself over like a carp!

The pretty little maidservant went down to the bottom.

Pearl's face paled: "Young master, please don't harm me!"

In all the noble residences of the capital, there are rules: before the principal wife enters the household and gives birth to the eldest son, if a maid dares to climb into the bed, she will be immediately expelled from the residence.

Even if she was pregnant, she would be cruelly aborted.

After the principal wife gives birth to the eldest son, the favored and trusted maids have the opportunity to become concubines and thus enter the ranks of potential masters.

No rules, no standards.

Those who live inside the Grand Mansion understand these things best.

Looking at the drunken young master, Pearl was torn between two options and was torn between her own desires.

"I have an idea, please close your eyes first."

Then~

He bent down.

Just like a devout Catholic, there's always a way.

.........

The next morning.

The sun was high in the sky, but Shen Moqing was still fast asleep. Pearl rested her chin on her hand and gazed at the young master. She discovered that the second young master was actually a handsome man.

He was handsome, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was also favored by the emperor.

The pretty maid couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, she thought of what happened last night and couldn't help but feel uneasy. But then she thought that it was the old lady who personally ordered her to accompany the young master, so it was not a breach of etiquette to do so now.

As long as no one sees it, it's fine.

Suddenly~

There was a loud knocking on the door.

A voice called softly from outside, "Young Master~"

Pearl quickly put on her clothes, opened the door, and said irritably, "Master Jiao, what do you want?"

"Miss, it's someone from the Navy Headquarters."

"Then what are you standing there for? Quickly bring some fine tea and snacks, the young master will be here soon."

"Why."

Upon hearing that someone from the Navy Headquarters had arrived, Shen Moqing jumped out of bed. With Pearl's quick hands and feet, they were dressed and ready to go out in no time.

Flower Hall.

Captain Liu Buchan, a staff officer in the Navy Department, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes cold and stern.

"Shen Moqing, orders from above: your studies are suspended. You are hereby appointed as a naval reserve warrant officer. Your uniform, sidearm, command sword, and waist badge are here. From now on, I expect you to behave yourself."

After saying that, he was about to leave.

The sense of estrangement was palpable in his words.

"Brother Liu, please wait."

"Um?"

"I am deeply grateful and will never forget Brother Liu's righteous words in the military court that day."

"When you're on duty, you should address me by my rank. I'm not your brother; you're a reserve warrant officer, and I'm a naval captain. You should salute me and address me as Captain."

Shen Moqing knew that Liu Buchan hated him for using the naval officer student to achieve his goal of submitting the letter, but he was not angry. He took a step back, stood at attention, saluted, and finished the letter in one go.

"Captain, I believe that the Eastern Empire should not be underestimated. The Navy should step up its preparations for war, add new artillery, and conduct more fleet-level patrol exercises."

"You're not even a warrant officer, yet you're acting like the Minister of the Navy?"

Liu Buchan sneered and walked past him.

Such a cunning colleague doesn't seem like a soldier; he seems more like a treacherous civil official.

"Captain Liu, if a naval battle breaks out between the two countries, which is better, a muzzle-loading large-caliber gun or a breech-loading small-caliber gun?" Shen Moqing asked loudly.

Liu Buchan stopped in his tracks.

"What do you mean?"

"In my personal opinion, breech-loading, small-caliber, high-rate-of-fire guns have an advantage in naval warfare. However, both countries' fleets are currently equipped with large-caliber muzzle-loading guns. Overemphasizing caliber while neglecting rate of fire will be a major disadvantage."

Liu Buchan did not respond and walked away on his own.

However, this question really touched on his mind.

Over the past decade, artillery technology has developed rapidly in countries around the world, with breech-loading gun technology constantly being upgraded. The army has completely abandoned muzzle-loading guns and has equipped itself entirely with breech-loading guns.

However, due to limitations in materials and manufacturing processes, breech-loading cannons have limited pressure resistance, and therefore can only be used in artillery with a caliber of 80 mm or less, and cannot be used in large-caliber artillery.

There has been debate within the Navy Department about this, but the decision-making and economic costs of a complete equipment replacement are too high, and it is impossible to achieve in the short term.

Back to the Admiralty.

Liu Buchan immediately approached a colleague with a good relationship who came from the artillery department: "Let me ask you a question. Suppose we replace all the guns on a warship with small-caliber breech-loading cannons, would that be effective against an enemy ship equipped with large-caliber muzzle-loading cannons?"

"It's hard to say. It should be able to destroy most of the structures above the deck and destroy the cannons, but it certainly won't be able to sink the enemy warship," a colleague said.

At that time, the ironclad warships were incredibly thick. Not to mention small-caliber shells, even being hit by ten large-caliber shells would be difficult to sink. There were countless examples of warships on both sides running out of ammunition and returning home dejectedly, trailing black smoke.

.........

The usually quiet and deserted entrance to the Shen residence has been bustling with activity since this morning, with a steady stream of carriages and horses arriving to offer their services.

Calling it a cold stove isn't quite accurate; it's already started to heat up.

In short, in officialdom, everyone is chasing highs and abandoning lows.

Shen Moqing had no time to deal with these petty squabbles. He quietly led Zhang Zongcang to a secluded spot in the garden, making sure no one was around.

"Big brother, I want to talk to you~"

"I also have a lot to tell you."

"You go first!"

"Damn it, that damned Empress Dowager, that damned Forbidden City, are they treating us brothers like we're from the Eastern Han Dynasty?"