The Empire will continue to win

Black powder shells whistled as they landed in the distance, blasting grass and scattering clods of earth.

On the viewing platform.

The beautiful Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly clenched her fists and lowered her voice as much as possible: "Minister Shen, how many meters did you say is the nearest mountain to us?"

"Back to the Queen Mother, 3500 meters."

"Quickly check what the maximum firing range Yanshan Heavy Industry reported is!"

"Your Majesty, it is clearly stated in black and white that the maximum range of the 80mm field guns equipped by the Imperial Army is 5500 meters."

At this moment~

The last shell landed just on the hillside, exploded, and barely reached 3500 meters.

At this scene, everyone present felt their hearts sink.

finished~

Let's not even talk about the power of the shells; the range alone is already exaggerated.

.........

"Send Woren to come see me," the young emperor said through gritted teeth.

Not long after.

Woren came over excitedly, a delighted expression on his face. Upon seeing him, he said, "Your Majesty, are my cannons alright?"

"Your cannon can only fire at 3500 meters, 3500 meters!" The young emperor threw the "Annual Production Report of Yanshan Heavy Industry (Fifth Year of Xuanwu)" directly at the face of the Mongolian scholar.

The Mongolian scholar's nose bled profusely after being hit.

"Your Majesty, this old minister does not understand."

"What don't you understand? You reported to the court that the maximum range of the 80mm field gun was 5500 meters. Now? It's a full 2000 meters less! You are unworthy to be the Imperial Tutor. You have betrayed my trust. You are a beast. No, you are not even a beast!" Emperor Xuanwu was almost roaring.

Woren wiped the blood from his nose, still bewildered.

3500 meters and 5500 meters are about the same, Your Majesty, why are you so serious? The poet Li Bai wrote about a waterfall plunging three thousand feet, but he never measured it.

The cannons fired again, and the third round of test firing began.

Suddenly~

A loud explosion erupted on the position, a fireball shot up, and the broken cannon barrel and the artilleryman were torn to pieces.

The barrel exploded?

Or did it explode?

First Garrison Commander Li Shaoquan rode up at full speed, angrily saying, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, just now, the artillery factory supervisor Ma Zhenyang insisted on personally firing the cannon. He loaded double the propellant into the 120mm field gun, and it exploded, killing four of my gunners."

In the field of artillery, 120 mm caliber is a watershed moment.

The following calibers use one-piece shells with brass casings.

For the above calibers, the propellant and warhead are still separated.

Ma Zhenyang violated regulations by unauthorizedly loading double the propellant in an attempt to make the shells fly farther and cover up some data problems.

However, he overestimated the quality of his own products, and the pressure-bearing redundancy of the gun barrel was seriously insufficient.

"Ma Ni deserved to die," Emperor Xuanwu said bitterly.

.........

Shen Moqing thought to himself: Woren is a real idiot.

However, the branch factory supervisors, led by Yang Tingxi and Ma Zhenyang, were not entirely confused.

They were deliberately feigning ignorance in order to get promoted and make money; they never considered how much disaster inferior weapons would cause to the soldiers on the front lines.

Well...

Just like how civilian military enthusiasts can talk about strange weapons like the South China Tiger tank, the Fuxi and Nuwa fleet, and aircraft carriers on the Internet for fun.

But it's the professionals who get involved in these things.

.........

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Prince, this humble servant has inspected them one by one, and at least 18 out of the 25 sample rifles are substandard." Li Shaoquan also voluntarily joined the anti-Japanese pirate campaign.

the reason is simple.

First: Weapon quality is directly linked to the combat effectiveness of the Army's First Division.

Second: You slandered me to my face.

"The bolt clearance of this rifle is too large."

"The sights on this rifle are off."

"The trigger travel of this rifle is incorrect."

"I dare not imagine what the outcome would be if we went to the battlefield with these weapons. Now that I think about it, it is no accident that the weapons in my First Division were carefully selected, yet they still malfunctioned so frequently."

Emperor Xuanwu's arm was trembling. He thought his empire was made of iron, but it turned out to be a paper dragon throne. How could he possibly manage if things were like this?

Woren knelt on the ground, silent, his face ashen.

.........

Empress Dowager Cixi's tone was icy:

"Wo Ren, six years ago, when the Emperor ascended the throne, the country was unstable. It was my sister and I who overruled all objections and entrusted Yanshan Heavy Industry to you. Is this how you repay us, mother and son?"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this old minister is indeed guilty, but I must still say this: the way to establish a nation is to value etiquette over power and intrigue. The fundamental plan lies in the hearts of the people, not in skills and techniques."

Shen Moqing couldn't hold back any longer.

"I am filled with indignation. May I ask, Japanese Assistant Commissioner, can we really kill the enemy army by relying on etiquette and popular support?"

"Why not? Those who are upright in their manners are full of vigor, and those who are righteous in their hearts are full of fighting spirit. With my righteous army full of fighting spirit, how can we not be sure of victory when we fight against the shameless scoundrels who have lost their way and have no support?"

Wo Ren waved his withered arm, "Isn't the war against Goryeo the best example? They slaughtered the Eastern barbarians, leaving them without a single piece of armor, and they dared not even glance at the Central Plains. The empire is thriving, and the world is at peace. Why do you, a petty person, make it sound like the country is about to perish?"

"Your Majesty, weaponry and weaponry are minor matters; propriety and the hearts of the people are the true path!"

Like crying and pleading~

It's too abstract, so it must be the truth.

That's so outrageous, it must be the truth.

This moment.

Emperor Xuanwu felt ashamed, Empress Dowager Cixi felt a tightness in her chest, Prince Gong sighed helplessly, and Shen Moqing only felt sorrow.

There is really no other adjective besides "sad".

At that moment, he recalled a line from one of his papers—political ignorance often stems from military ignorance.

.........

Suddenly~

Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, the Mongolian scholar Woren rushed out towards the sample guns, pulled out a revolver, and pointed it at his temple.

Wow~

The Imperial Guards present all raised their guns and aimed them at Woren.

Shen Moqing immediately stepped forward, shielding the Empress Dowager behind him, and at the same time drew his gun and aimed it at Woren. If the old man made any small move, he would not hesitate to fire all his bullets.

"The way to establish a nation is to value etiquette over power and intrigue. The fundamental plan lies in the hearts of the people, not in skills and techniques. This is an unchanging truth for all ages. This old minister is filled with grief and indignation. This old minister is leaving now." Woren was so sorrowful that he seemed to have gone mad.

For a great Confucian scholar, reputation is more important than life.

Suicide can preserve one's life and reputation.

Click~

It was a dud.

Everyone was stunned, including Woren.

Shen Moqing stepped forward decisively and kicked Woren's right wrist hard. The revolver fell to the ground with a thud.

bang~

The gun went off.

Accidental discharge!

.........

The Imperial Guards rushed forward and bound Woren tightly.

Perhaps startled by the sudden failed suicide attempt, or perhaps by the poor performance of her own weapons, the Empress Dowager's chest heaved rapidly and dramatically.

That's not strange at all.

She's only 26 years old; it's just that the title "Empress Dowager" makes her sound older.

"Empress Dowager~" Shen Moqing glanced at her silently and whispered a reminder, "Family scandals should not be aired in public. This matter must be kept secret, otherwise, the enemy's confidence will soar and our army's morale will plummet."

Everyone seemed to awaken from a dream.

All those who knew about the incident at the Nanyuan training ground received a substantial reward, but were forbidden from leaking the information, or they would be executed.

Prince Gong personally directed the operation, and the Imperial Guards cleaned up the scene. After a long day of work, they dug a huge pit to bury the cannonballs and body parts, trying to conceal the traces as much as possible.

The farce has come to an end.

Family scandals should not be aired in public!