In the city of Huating County, all the bureaucrats and the main personnel of the Xu family were gathered here to discuss the Zhennan Army that appeared outside the city and blocked the county but did not attack.
"These people have surrounded the county and divided their troops to move forward again and again. What is their intention? Master Xu, haven't you already sent someone to negotiate with this army? How could this be? "
The Huating County Magistrate looked at Xu Youqing in confusion.
"This, I really don't know. What are they going to do? Do they want to trap us in the city? There is water and food in the city, enough for us to use for a year. Even if they surround us for a year, it won't work. "
Xu Youqing had some ominous premonition in his heart, but he did not know what to say.
"Then what do you intend to do? This … this … Master Xu! Quick, look! That's a gun! It's a gun! What a big gun! "
The Huating County Magistrate pointed to the city in a panic. Xu Youqing looked outside the city and suddenly turned pale with fright.
Five huge cannons emerged from the barracks of the Southern Army. The cannons were about three meters long, and their black muzzles were aimed at the city gate of Huating County, which had been blocked tightly. It was a strong deterrent.
"They are going to attack the city?"
The Huating County Magistrate turned pale with fright. "Master Xu, there are no more than three hundred soldiers and horses in the city. Even if we count the guards of each family, there are less than a thousand. The army outside the city has at least five thousand people and such big guns. This … we … what should we do?"
The Huating County Magistrate was usually a yes-man of the Xu family. He was basically a puppet put up by the Xu family to show to the people. All the county affairs and even the affairs in Song Jiang Prefecture were discussed by them to absolutely protect the interests of the Xu family.
Therefore, this low-ranking official, who had just passed the Jinshi examination a few years ago and was sent out to be a county magistrate, also wanted to cling to the Xu family for a promotion.
Naturally, his level was very poor, and he panicked directly when something happened.
"Don't panic. Even if they want to attack the city, they must give an explanation. I will send someone out to talk to them. Even if the negotiation breaks down, they must give an explanation!"
The ominous feeling in Xu Youqing's heart grew stronger and stronger.
A few moments later, an old-fashioned catapult emerged from the Zhennan Army camp. Xu Youqing then saw the Zhennan Army soldiers tossing and turning around the city for a long time before placing a cloth bag into the frame of the catapult. Then, they used the catapult to smash the cloth bag into the city.
The cloth bag drew a beautiful arc and directly smashed into the city gate tower, scaring the group of people.
When they found out that it was not a weapon but a simple cloth bag, they were confused. The magistrate ordered his men to open the bag, and then …
"Ah!!!!"
Blood-curdling screams rang out incessantly.
Even Xu Youqing, who had slept with the Emperor, felt inexplicably horrified.
Because he saw Xu Nianzu in this cloth bag!
And it wasn't complete!
At this moment, in the military camp, Zheng Ying was inspecting a batch of firearms from Myanmar that had arrived by sea an hour ago.
There were muskets and all kinds of cannons. For example, the super firearms Zheng Ying had been eyeing for a long time – Hongyi Cannon. There were a total of 5 cannons, and they were specially sent for Zheng Ying to attack the city and threaten his enemies.
This batch of weapons were mostly firearms, and the quantity was enough for Zheng Ying to use. But among the firearms, there was a batch of special firearms. This batch of 10 flintlock muskets arrived with a craftsman. This craftsman had the token of Xu Guangqi, the person in charge of Myanmar's firearms manufacturing department. This craftsman was asked to look for Zheng Ying the moment he landed.
"Xu Guangqi? Isn't he manufacturing firearms in Myanmar? Why did he ask you to look for me? "
Zheng Ying asked the craftsman curiously.
"It's like this. Chief Xu said that this batch of flintlock muskets is the latest product, and he needs the soldiers on the battlefield to test its performance. Not only you all, but we will also send our men to General Xiao in Hanzhong."
Zheng Ying picked up a flintlock musket and looked at it curiously.
"This is beautiful. This carving should be done by an experienced craftsman."
The craftsman replied: "General Zheng, this is not for show. This is the latest flintlock musket produced by our firearms manufacturing department over the past 2 years. All these flintlock muskets have rifling!"
"Oh? Rifling? "
Only then did Zheng Ying take it seriously. He looked inside the barrel and found that there was indeed rifling.
"Our entire army only has a little over two thousand flintlock muskets, and most of them are with the Marshal's personal guards. We only have a small number here, and I only have two hundred under me. Isn't this … a little too little? Only 10? "
Zheng Ying looked at the craftsman: "Your firearms manufacturing department spends at least 1 million silver every year. Can't you get more of this? This thing is accurate and has a long range. Our normal muskets can only shoot 50 steps away, and we don't even know where the bullets are. This thing can shoot more than 100 steps away, and if the soldiers on the battlefield have one, I can defeat the enemy with one round of firing! Give me 800 to 1,000 silver, and I will be able to answer to my men! "
The craftsman almost wanted to fight with Zheng Ying.
"General Zheng, I am not joking with you. A normal flintlock musket will cost 12 silver! 1,000 of them will cost 12,000 silver, and this is under the condition that there are no defective products. Do you know how much effort it takes for our old craftsmen to make a flintlock musket?
Even with 3 to 5 experienced craftsmen working together, it will take them at least 10 days to make one. Rifling is so hard, and no one dares to say that it will be good for the battlefield! "
Zheng Ying knew it was not easy to make this thing, and that's why he had so little of it. He was just joking.
So, he laughed.
"I know, I know. I am just joking! And then? Why did your bureau chief send you here? To specially send 10 flintlock muskets for my 50,000 soldiers? Are they made of gold? "
The craftsman shook his head, and then pulled out a wooden box from the pile of ammunition.
Opening it, Zheng Ying saw that it was full of oiled paper packets. He took out a packet and put it in his hand. It was heavy.
"What is this? Lead pellets? "
"Be careful!"
The craftsman took the oiled paper packet and carefully opened it. Zheng Ying moved closer to take a look: "Aren't they just lead pellets? And they look like silver … Eh? Why does this lead pellet look so strange? Why is it shaped like this? "
The lead pellet Zheng Ying saw was not the round pellet he had seen in the past, nor was it the round pellet pellet that needed to be hammered into the chamber. It was a small pellet with a cylindrical lower body and a conical upper body.
"What kind of pellet is this? Why does it look so … Oh, it even has oil? "
Zheng Ying couldn't help but take a look at it curiously.
"General Zheng, this is why I came here to find you. I need you to find ten soldiers who are the best at using guns. Give them this gun and this new type of lead and let them try shooting from a distance of three hundred steps."
Zheng Ying was stunned.
"What? 300 steps? That's almost as fast as a French musket! How is that possible? "
"Nothing is impossible."
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