?
The patient was lying on his side on a straw mat in a room. The whole room was filled with an unpleasant smell. There was the smell of sweat, the stench of feet, and the most prominent one was the smell of decay.
Wang Qinian stood nervously behind Vézé. Vézé lifted the sheet covering the patient and couldn't help but close his eyes. The patient was Wang Qinian's younger brother, Wang Qisheng. The two brothers also opened a shop called Lianfeng in Guiyang. Their skills were good, and their business was good. The two brothers didn't like to cause trouble, but when they made money, there were people who didn't like them. The two brothers offended the local rich in Guiyang.
Guiyang's governor, Li Qizhao, was a ruthless official. He used very cruel methods to attack the local rebels. If the rich paid, it was not a problem for Li Qizhao to catch more "unruly people." Wang Qinian saw that things were not right and immediately ran away. His younger brother was caught and beaten to a pulp in front of the yamen.
After Vézé killed his way into Guiyang, he released the poor people. Wang Qinian also ran into the city and brought his younger brother home. Not long after, the Taiping army defeated the Qing Army and retreated from Guiyang. Wang Qinian was worried that the rich people he offended would report him and his brother after the Qing Army returned to Guiyang. If that happened, the Taiping army would not release any more prisoners.
He brought his seriously injured brother and his companions to Yongxing. His brother started to have a high fever, and his wounds were festering. He found a doctor to treat him, but the doctor only looked at his wounds and asked Wang Qinian to prepare for his funeral. Wang Qinian didn't want to have anything to do with the Taiping army. However, in Yongxing, the only doctor he didn't find was the Taiping army's hospital near the cannon factory. He didn't expect to be seen by his younger brother and distant cousin, Wang Qixiu. Wang Qinian really had no other choice. He agreed to forge cannons for the Taiping army and asked Vézé to treat his brother.
"Brother Wang, your younger brother's injuries are too severe. I can treat him, but don't expect me to be able to cure him. If he doesn't make it, don't blame me, "Vézé said to Wang Qinian as he covered the injured with a sheet. He had touched the patient's forehead just now, and it felt as hot as burning charcoal. He pressed the artery on the patient's neck slightly, and the patient's pulse was extremely fast. Those huge wounds were red and white. They were blood and pus. This kind of injury, in this situation, Wei Ze really couldn't say anything to cure Wang Qinian.
This wasn't the first time Wang Qinian had heard such words. From these words, he knew that Vézé was willing to treat his younger brother's illness. Wang Qinian couldn't help but feel some hope. "Master Wei, if you're willing to help, I'd be very grateful! My brother, he … if he can make it through, then he's lucky. If he can't, then it's fate! "
At this point, Wang Qinian couldn't help but sob.
This was what Vézé wanted to hear. Such injuries simply couldn't survive in this era. If it was someone else, Vézé wouldn't care. But Wang Qinian was a craftsman with experience in forging cannons, so he had to say it first. If he couldn't be cured after boasting about it, then Vézé could only count on Wang Qinian to help. In the technical industry, different professions were worlds apart. Even if he forcefully kidnapped Wang Qinian, if Wang Qinian played tricks, Vézé could only watch helplessly as he was deceived.
"Then let me first bring your younger brother to our hospital and let the doctors treat him. During the treatment process, Brother Wang can't see your younger brother. "Vézé said.
Wang Qinian understood Vézé's meaning and said, "Master Wei, my mind is in a mess right now. Even if I were to forge cannons for you, I wouldn't be able to do it well."
Vézé laughed dryly, "That's easy, that's easy. I think Brother Wang must be exhausted these days. Take a rest first. Wait for our news. "
After sending people to transport Wang Qinian's younger brother Wang Qisheng to the hospital, Vézé called Lin Asheng, who was also the director of the logistics department and military hospital, to one side and told him about Vézé's treatment plan.
Lin Asheng's eyes widened, "Prime Minister! This method of yours … is too evil! "
Vézé asked with a straight face, "If we don't use this evil method, do you have any other methods? Moreover, if this method is effective, wouldn't our brothers also have a way to cure them? "
Lin Asheng lowered his head and thought for a moment, then finally nodded and replied, "I'll do it now."
Wang Qinian let Vézé take his younger brother away. He actually wanted to follow, but his younger brother's injuries were so serious that he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold on for long. Sitting there in a daze, Wang Qinian unknowingly fell asleep on the table.
Suddenly, Wang Qinian screamed and woke up from his dream. He subconsciously looked at the bed, but there was no one there. After staring for a moment, he remembered that his younger brother had been taken away by Vézé. After having a nightmare about his younger brother's death, Wang Qinian couldn't sleep anymore. He got up and went to the Taiping army's military hospital. When he reached the door, he was blocked by the guards. Wang Qinian said that he was here to see his younger brother. The guard said, "It's late now. Outsiders are not allowed to enter the hospital. Come back tomorrow."
Thinking back to what Vézé had said during the day, Wang Qinian also knew that Vézé wasn't joking. He could only go back.
The next morning, Wang Qinian rushed to the hospital. This time, the guards let him in. In a ward with strange symbols on the door, Wang Qinian saw his younger brother lying upright on the bed with a piece of cloth on his forehead. The custom here was to cover the face of the deceased with a piece of cloth. Wang Qinian thought that his younger brother was already dead. Just as he was about to throw himself at him and cry, he saw his younger brother's throat move and his body move.
Wang Qinian then realized that his younger brother was still alive. He looked at the wet piece of cloth, which was probably used for a cold compress. Wang Qinian quickly walked in front of his younger brother and touched his younger brother's face. He felt a coolness on his face. The fever had actually subsided. Removing the cloth, he saw that the festering wounds on his younger brother's body were red with a thin layer of scabs. It was no longer the appearance of pus and blood from yesterday.
Even if he didn't know medicine, Wang Qinian knew that his younger brother, Wang Qisheng, could be saved. Sitting on the empty bed opposite him, Wang Qinian couldn't help but cover his face and sob.
Two days later, Vézé asked Lin Asheng about Wang Qisheng's injuries. Lin Asheng had an indescribable expression on his face. "Prime Minister! I'm impressed! You can even think of such a method, but it really worked! If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death. "
"Alright, alright!" Vézé interrupted Lin Asheng's words. "Didn't Wang Qinian say anything else?"
At the mention of Wang Qinian, Lin Asheng said angrily, "Ai! Prime Minister, I'm afraid that Wang Qinian doesn't want to have anything to do with us at all. Until now, he only visits his younger brother every day and doesn't say anything else. If we hadn't fought our way into Guiyang, his younger brother would have already been hanged to death in front of the prefecture. Now, we've cured his younger brother's illness. Even if he had a deep grudge against us in the past, he should at least say some words of gratitude after receiving such a favor from us. I heard that Wang Qinian had personally said that he would forge cannons for us, but he hasn't done anything yet. I didn't expect this person to be such an ungrateful person! "
Vézé was also helpless about this. He really wanted Wang Qinian to forge cannons for him, but Vézé didn't want Wang Qinian to do anything perfunctory. The past two days of forging cannons were not going well. The problem of sand holes was very serious. Even with the tools provided by Vézé, the problem couldn't be solved. A total of four cannons were forged, but none of them were free of sand holes. Vézé once heard a joke about Manchu Qing cannons. It was said that if you poured water into the sand holes of the cannons, you could pour a bowl of water in.
After personally participating in the cannon forging, Vézé realized that it was really just a joke. His military personnel and blacksmiths who participated in the forging of cannons didn't neglect their duties, but they could still pour half a bowl of water into the sand holes. In the heat of thousands of degrees, a careless mistake could result in death or serious injury. In such a fiery environment, who would really deliberately neglect their duties?
Therefore, Vézé said to Lin Asheng, "Alright, alright! Minister Lin, everyone has their own ambitions. Besides, Wang Qinian's junior brother, Wang Qixiu, is forging cannons for us now. Even if we don't give face to the monk, we still have to give face to Wang Qixiu. We have to save some face for Wang Qixiu. Tell the brothers in the hospital that no one is allowed to mention this matter. "
After another two days, Wang Qinian's brother, Wang Qisheng's fever completely subsided. He was, after all, a young man with a strong body. Although his wounds were festering, the pus had not entered his blood vessels. Once the pus was gone, scabs quickly formed. Now, he was able to eat porridge.
Wang Qinian finally took the initiative to appear at Vézé's cannon forging site. When he saw Vézé, Wang Qinian knelt down and kowtowed to Vézé. "Thank you, Master Wei, for saving my brother."
Vézé still wasn't used to people kneeling down to him even though he had been in this era for half a year. In Vézé's army, they used the salute of raising one's hand instead of kneeling. He hurriedly helped Wang Qinian up. "Since I promised Brother Wang, naturally, I will save your brother."
His words were also aimed at Wang Qinian. Wang Qinian's face turned slightly red after hearing this. He replied, "Master Wei, I have to apologize to you! Last time when I said that I would forge cannons for you, I was lying. "
These words made Vézé's heart turn cold. No matter how much he said that he would give Wang Qixiu face, Vézé was becoming more and more worried about Wang Qinian. He had been persecuted by the Manchu Qing government, and his own brother had almost died in the hands of the Manchu Qing government. Moreover, this time, because he was caught by the government, his injuries flared up and he almost lost his life. If he was a person who dared to rebel, he would have joined the army by now. However, Wang Qinian had not shown any sign of repaying his promise of forging cannons. It was likely that Wang Qinian did not want to forge cannons for Vézé.
Now that he heard Wang Qinian admit that he had lied, Vézé guessed that Wang Qinian wanted to say that he could not promise to forge cannons for him. Although he was very unhappy, Vézé did not want to push things too far. He laughed dryly and said, "Brother Wang, if you are not willing to help me forge cannons, then it is fine. Everyone has their own aspirations … "
"Master Wei, it is not that I do not want to forge cannons for you!" Wang Qinian hurriedly defended himself.
Vézé laughed dryly again, but did not reply. Now that things had come to this, he really wanted to hear what kind of reasonable explanation Wang Qinian was going to give.
Wang Qinian slowly said, "Master Wei, I followed my master in forging cannons more than ten years ago. At that time, I was only 15 years old and could only be my master's assistant. As for what to pay attention to when forging cannons, I only heard from my master at that time. I have not forged cannons for more than ten years, so I have long forgotten about it. At that time, I told Master Wei that I was willing to forge cannons for you. At that time, I was impatient and could only tell you what you liked to hear. These past few days, I have been thinking about what my master told me when I forged cannons more than ten years ago. Now that I think I can remember everything, I dare to come look for Wei Laoye. "
Vézé originally thought that he had misjudged Wang Qinian and had delusions about him. After listening to Wang Qinian's big truth, Vézé realized that he might not have misjudged Wang Qinian's character, but he was wrong from the very beginning. Hearing that Wang Qinian had forged cannons, Vézé believed that Wang Qinian had mastered this era's cannon forging technique. This was where Vézé was gravely mistaken.
Vézé could not help but laugh, "Then, Brother Wang can go forge cannons now, right?"
"This one is willing to forge cannons for Master Wei!" Wang Qinian earnestly replied.
Although Wang Qinian had long forgotten about the cannon forging technique, as a blacksmith, his skills were not just for show. Wang Qinian's entire person looked different when he arrived at the cannon forging field.
Wang Qixiu promptly handed Wang Qinian a pair of smoke glasses, a product developed by Vézé. These days, glasses were not popular in China, but they were not particularly rare either. Although these smoke glasses could not be compared to sunglasses, they could still be worn to observe the molten iron.
"This item is not bad!" Wang Qinian first praised after putting on the glasses, then said, "But I feel a little dizzy."
Flat glasses were not popular in this era. Glasses with a certain degree would naturally cause people with normal vision to feel uncomfortable.
Skilled craftsmen knew how to observe molten iron. From the color and brightness, they could distinguish the degree of smelting molten iron. In Vézé's era, the technical staff of the steel factory might have this ability, but this ability was because they had seen too much molten iron. When it came to determining the composition of molten iron, they did not need to rely on their eyes.
Wang Qinian stood in front of the molten iron furnace and regularly observed the color and brightness of the molten iron. Vézé felt that even if Wang Qixiu could endure the high temperature, compared to Wang Qinian, it was obvious who was superior. Wang Qinian seemed to not feel the high temperature at all. His attitude was much more focused than Wang Qixiu's.
Moreover, Wang Qinian only needed to look at the overhead carriage and pulley set designed by Vézé once, and he could operate them very skillfully, as if he had designed them himself. This level of skill surprised Vézé even more.
On that day, Wang Qinian presided over two cannon forging sessions, and both times, he cast a satisfactory product. The color of the cannon was uniform, and there were no holes. Even if there were a few small holes, they were very shallow, and did not affect the quality of the cannon at all.
At this point, the technology provided by Vézé was finally put to use. Vézé had the cannon smelted again, and the newly cast iron cannon was placed in a round furnace heated with coal, so that the iron cannon would not cool down too quickly. Then Vézé placed an internal circulating water cooler from the top into the still red barrel of the iron cannon. This cooling device did not touch the barrel, and only relied on air exchange to remove heat from the barrel.
The circular path outside the barrel continued to heat up, making the outer wall of the iron cannon hotter than the inner wall. This was the Rodman Cannon Casting Method, invented by the Americans in 1860. It was said that it could create a kind of self-tightening effect, which greatly increased the life of the barrel.
When the muzzle of the cannon turned from red to normal temperature, Vézé removed the external round furnace. This time, the barrel of the iron cannon was very thin. Vézé wrapped two layers of iron bars clockwise and anticlockwise around the outside of the iron cannon, using the method used to wrap the outer wall of the Migne rifle. Even with such safety measures, the cannon was still very light.
This was a three-pounder cannon with five times the length of its barrel, and it could easily be mounted on wheels to march with the troops. If there was a place where the wheels could not move, it could even be carried on a person's back. During the American War of Independence in 1776, this kind of three-pounder cannon was used to great effect. In 1846, the United States completely abandoned the three-pounder cannon, and adopted the six-pounder cannon.
But for troops like Vézé, who were used to fighting in the field, a three-pounder cannon that could move swiftly in the mountains south of the Yangtze River was exactly the weapon that the troops needed the most.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
