The Empire will continue to win

Woren, his hair standing on end in fury, shouted, "What are you staring at, old man like that?"

Shen Moqing said firmly, "Zhu Xi said: 'Nothing in a person's conduct is better than honesty.' I would like to ask you, esteemed senior, have you ever lied?"

Wo Ren was speechless.

Oh no, it seems I've fallen into a huge pit I just dug myself.

Shen Moqing began to retaliate: "This humble servant is on imperial inspection duty, and you claimed illness to avoid the situation. Yet now, you're standing here, lively and energetic. You keep quoting Zhu Xi and saying that the conduct of a person is nothing more than honesty. Are you honest?"

Woren's face turned bright red.

"You, you, you are sophistry and deceit! This is sophistry! You are clearly insulting the Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuanwu felt disgusted.

Shen Moqing: "Senior Japanese, whether someone is a mule or a horse, a loyal minister or a traitor, is useless if you just talk the talk. Why don't you take your factory's weapons to the Nanyuan training ground and give them a try?"

"Let's give it a try."

Woren is very stubborn.

This was beyond Shen Moqing's expectations.

Wait a minute~

Why was Woren so confident? Why wasn't Woren panicked?

It wasn't until he boarded the carriage heading to Nanyuan that he suddenly realized what was happening.

Traditional Confucian scholars like Woren lack "precise concepts," always exaggerating in their speech and using rhetoric in their writing. Over time, they don't even realize the difference between 200 meters and 1000 meters.

One cannon shot ravaged dozens of miles.

Truly, it is a divine creature that needs neither pay nor feed, an invincible force under heaven!

Descriptions like these are the kind of things that were written by these literati who were out of touch with reality.

.........

Nanyuan, on the outskirts of Beijing.

It was the garrison of the First Division of the Kinki Army, and also the heart of Yeonsan Heavy Industries (excluding the shipyard).

From afar~

A valiant general galloped up on horseback, bowed from his horse, and said: "This humble officer, Li Shaoquan, the First Garrison Commander, pays his respects to the Empress Dowager, to my stepmother, the Empress Dowager, and to His Majesty."

The drill ground was empty, and the autumn wind was bleak.

Emperor Xuanwu sat on his horse, his expression shifting between light and dark.

"Li Shaoquan".

"Your humble servant is here."

"You personally lead a team of soldiers to the neighboring Yanshan Heavy Industry, and follow the map to find the location. Wo Ren, Shen Moqing, and An Dehai should also go together."

"Yes."

Li Shaoquan took the slip of paper and saw that it was covered with various types of weapons, most of which were standard weapons, and a few that he did not recognize.

Human cannonball?

What the hell is this?

Fifteen minutes later.

The group arrived at the Yanshan Heavy Machinery Plant area.

Rifle assembly workshop.

The three men randomly selected three guns and handed them to the soldiers.

Revolver assembly workshop.

The three men randomly selected three guns and handed them to the soldiers.

Artillery assembly workshop.

Three people randomly selected one cannon, and a soldier harnessed a horse to pull it.

Finished goods warehouse.

The three men randomly selected three boxes of bullets and one box of artillery shells, which were then loaded onto a horse-drawn cart by soldiers.

Such a scene turned Yang Tingxi, the gun factory supervisor who rushed over upon hearing the news, pale, but the workers in the workshop remained listless and unmotivated.

.........

Nanyuan Training Ground.

The factory supervisors all knelt on the ground, cursing Shen Moqing as an ungrateful dog that bites at the slightest provocation.

"Where are the new weapons you were talking about?" Emperor Xuanwu shouted sternly.

"Your Majesty, the new weapon is still in the testing phase."

Do you have any test samples?

The group looked at each other in bewilderment. Where were the experimental samples? It was just empty boasting on paper.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Emperor Xuanwu took a deep breath: "Let's set aside standard-issue weapons for now! Let's test the existing standard-issue weapons first!"

The imperial decree has been issued.

More than twenty officers from the 1st Army Division, armed with sample testing rifles, aimed at distant targets and frequently pulled the triggers.

Ten bullets per person.

The firing distances vary.

Continue until all are finished.

The young emperor held a telescope and occasionally whispered to Li Shaoquan, the commander of the First Garrison, who was standing beside him.

Suddenly~

A sentry was burned by the scorching gas leaking from the barrel of a gun. He covered his face, fell to the ground, and screamed in agony.

Emperor Xuanwu's eye twitched.

Empress Dowager Cixi clenched her fists.

Prince Gong's face was as black as iron.

Shen Moqing remained calm and composed.

.........

.........

"Firing complete!"

The little red flag waved left and right.

At 400 meters, the soldier reporting the target stood up from the trench, looking at the intact target with a puzzled expression.

At 300 meters, the soldier reporting the target stood up from the trench, staring in shock at the target that was almost without bullet holes.

At 200 meters, the soldier reporting the target stood up from inside the trench and counted the rings.

After that~

Run to the viewing platform and report the target.

"400-meter stationary target, all missed."

"300-meter fixed target, 12 rings, 31 rings, 19 rings."

"200-meter fixed target, 87 rings, 66 rings, 70 rings."

Wow~

Everyone was shocked. What the hell is this rifle?

"Wo Ren, what exactly is going on?" Emperor Xuanwu asked anxiously.

"Your Majesty, it may not be that the rifles I supervised are of poor quality; it could be that these soldiers are not good marksmen." In his anxiety, Woren began to shift the blame.

It was an instinctive reaction again.

Everyone turned to look at Li Shaoquan.

Li Shaoquan was furious. He turned around and roared, "Brothers, switch to your own rifles, get a new row of targets, and fire 10 more bullets. Let the Empress Dowager and the Emperor see the marksmanship of our First Division of the Army."

"Yes."

The officers, holding their breath, rapidly pulled the bolts, firing at an incredibly fast pace.

Imperial tradition: Show your prowess within 200 meters!

How can you be in the army if you can't even hold your own? Do you think we're in the navy?

Shen Moqing turned his head and saw Wo Renhe, the firearms supervisor Yang Tingxi, and the artillery supervisor Ma Zhenyang whispering to each other on the side. So he showed the classic smile of a superior in the Dan University office.

I have the advantage, and I'm full of confidence!

The wisdom of the senior professors in the Department of International Politics is something one can never fully learn in a lifetime.

.........

Soon, another target was reported from the front.

"400-meter fixed target, 78 rings, 66 rings, 68 rings."

"300-meter fixed target, 99 rings, 93 rings, 95 rings."

"200-meter fixed target, 100 rings, 99 rings, 100 rings."

The autumn wind was fierce, and all was silent.

Li Shaoquan was pleased with himself. He strode forward and said loudly, "The First Division of the Imperial Army has lived up to its mission. It came when summoned and will fight immediately upon arrival."

The soldiers roared in unison, "We will come when summoned, and we will fight when we come!"

The sound was like rolling thunder.

Emperor Xuanwu stared at Wo Ren, his eyes practically spitting fire: "How do you intend to explain this to me?"

"Your Majesty, it's possible that the quality of this batch of guns just happened to be subpar, but that doesn't prove anything; it's just a coincidence."

"Does the Emperor want to fire tens of thousands of guns before you'll confess your guilt?"

"My son, why don't we try cannons?"

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager Cixi spoke up: "If rifles won't work, what about cannons?" She turned her head and glanced at the instigator, seeing his upright posture, handsome face, and confident demeanor, and couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards him.

A confident man is the most attractive.

.........

Three newly manufactured 80mm field guns were lined up in a row, with at least 50 meters between each gun, and the gunners were busy moving around.

Empress Dowager Cixi beckoned Shen Moqing to come closer.

"The Empress Dowager?"

"Shen Qing, how many meters is the viewing platform from that hillside?"

"Report to the Empress Dowager: the nearest mountain is about 3500 meters away, the slightly farther one is about 5500 meters away, and the farthest one is estimated to be 8500 meters away."

Shen Moqing gave a thumbs-up gesture, then raised his binoculars to observe before replying firmly. To be fair, the original owner's military and physical abilities were quite good.

Behind the artillery.

"Master Wo, if you don't trust the artillerymen of my First Town, why don't you send your men to fire the cannons?" Li Shaoquan said sarcastically.

"No, no, I'll trouble you, Shao Quan."

"First test firing, testing the maximum firing range. All gun positions, prepare!" Li Shaoquan, mounted on his horse, pressed down with his right hand, "Fire!"