prosperous age

In the countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty, the cities were not considered particularly fortified.

Even North Korea, which is obsessed with copying Chinese culture, built relatively low city walls due to its limited national strength.

Under such circumstances, the Ming Dynasty naturally did not need heavy artillery capable of destroying cities and capturing strongholds.

It wasn't that the Ming Dynasty craftsmen couldn't make it, but rather that no one was willing to let them.

However, this also led to a consequence: although they could build them, they lacked experience in casting large cannons because they had never done it before, and could only use existing cannon-casting technology to enlarge the cannons.

While this method might produce a prototype, the actual performance would certainly be poor.

When Wei Guangde returns, he will definitely instruct the Ministry of Works in the capital to increase research on heavy artillery, as both warships and fortresses will certainly need such equipment.

Even hundreds of years later, the continued prevalence of heavy fortress cannons is a testament to the fact that there is still a demand for them.

Now, what Wei Guangde can think of is to use the existing technology of the Ming Dynasty to cast field cannons that surpass those of the West, naturally focusing on small and medium-sized cannons, because they are easy to transport.

This product wasn't just sold in Europe; the Ming Dynasty's own army also needed it.

He instructed the head of the Nanjing Yuheng Division to develop a more powerful light cannon, and also demanded that the cost be kept as low as possible. Finally, he made demands on the cannon carriage.

For field artillery, the ability to move quickly is crucial. The artillery vehicle not only needs to move quickly, but also needs to be lightweight and durable.

Afterwards, Wei Guangde visited the musket workshop of the Armory Bureau, where two types of muskets were manufactured for the Ming Dynasty. One was the popular arquebus, a firearm designed by referencing the advantages of Western matchlock guns and Japanese iron cannons.

The other type was a heavy matchlock gun modeled after the Spanish one, which was equipped in small numbers by various Ming army units.

In fact, the firearms currently equipped by the Ming Dynasty are all copied from Western products. Even the Japanese iron cannons are imitations of Portuguese matchlock muskets.

However, the Japanese armor was inadequate, so they believed that the Western matchlock guns were too powerful and reduced their caliber and barrel length.

Of course, this also suits the short stature of the Japanese better, making them more adept at using firearms.

Of course, there are also some Eastern characteristics, which were adopted by the Ming army's arquebuses, but Western standards were still used. The caliber was thicker than that of Japanese iron cannons, and the barrel was also longer to maintain the range and armor-piercing power of the arquebuses.

After all, the people of the Ming Dynasty were not short at this time. In Wei Guangde's view, they seemed to be about the same height as the Chinese people who ate milk and beef in later generations.

Wei Guangde was just over 1.7 meters tall, which would be considered average height in a crowd, while Europeans at that time were not as tall as Ming people.

Incidentally, Wei Guangde also visited the Ministry of War's armory in Nanjing and saw mountains of boxes piled up in the warehouse.

Yes, following European custom, firearms manufactured in the Ming Dynasty were also packaged in wooden boxes. Not to mention cannons, even arquebuses were packed in boxes of ten, with dry grass placed inside.

In addition, there are a large number of different models of Franz breech-loading cannons.

"Why is there so much inventory?"

Wei Guangde asked suspiciously.

He hadn't paid attention to the Ministry of War's armory in the capital; he only came here because the armory was next to the Bureau of Armory.

After watching the manufacture of muskets, I came here on my way.

The accompanying official from the Ministry of Works did not understand Wei Guangde's meaning, but still explained in a low voice: "Grand Secretary Wei, in recent years the Ministry of Works has been manufacturing various firearms in accordance with the established output, ensuring both quality and quantity."

In the past two years, the local garrisons have not been engaged in much combat, so the loss of firearms has been reduced, and therefore fewer requests have been made to the Ministry of War to purchase more.

In other words, Myanmar is still supplying large quantities of goods, and other garrisons only use them a few times during drills.

"Oh."

Upon hearing this, Wei Guangde nodded calmly; he understood somewhat.

When departmental interests were involved, the Ministry of Revenue provided the silver, the Ministry of War provided the firearms, and the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Court were responsible for manufacturing them.

In recent years, the Ming Dynasty has fought relatively few foreign wars, so the demand for military equipment should have decreased. Shouldn't production be reduced?

No.

Neither Feng Bao, Jiang Zhi, nor Tan Lun intended to reduce the production of firearms in the Ming Dynasty. They continued to submit applications based on the previous needs and request military funds from the Ministry of Revenue.

The Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Arms could profit from the firearms manufacturing process. The Ministry of War increased its inventory, which seemed pointless, but there must be something fishy going on.

After all, snakes have their paths and rats have their ways. It's perfectly normal that Wei Guangde, who didn't hold positions in these places, wouldn't be aware of the intricacies involved.

What could he say?
Go back and tell Tan Lun and Jiang Zhi to take it easy and not waste the imperial court's resources.
Often, things aren't simply black and white.

Wei Guangde doesn't intend to do anything about this matter, but he won't do nothing either.

Knowing that the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty had a large stockpile of firearms, they naturally wouldn't let them sit idle; they had to take them out and put them to use.

Wei Guangde could understand the Ministry of War's considerations. Although the Ming Dynasty had a huge arsenal of firearms and the Ministry of Works could continuously manufacture new firearms, the technology that restricted firearms at this stage was simply too difficult to solve.

Slow loading speed is a common problem with firearms.

Despite the various models of the breech-loading cannon, its limited range and power due to its airtight design are undeniable.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty did not adopt firearms on a large scale was precisely because of this limitation.

To say that the Ming Dynasty had sufficient strength to transform its army and take the lead in adopting firearms is to be true.

In reality, as of now, apart from Liaodong and Jizhou, where firearms have been adopted by more than 40% of the Ming Dynasty's border towns, other border towns have adopted firearms by only about 30%, while inland garrisons have adopted firearms by less than 20%.

On average, due to the large number of border towns, they account for about 30% of the total nationwide.

Of course, this does not include the navy, which already accounts for more than 70%.

In reality, only a small number of cold weapons were kept on the warships for self-defense. The main South China Sea Fleet and East China Sea Fleet were training tactics to use artillery to defeat the enemy, using cannons to pierce the decks of ships to make them flooded and sink, releasing rockets and throwing fire bricks to set enemy ships on fire. They no longer expected to engage in boarding combat.

With so many firearms in stockpile, Wei Guangde naturally wanted to create an army with a higher rate of firearm adoption, even if it was just a trial army.

As he walked out of the armory, Wei Guangde rubbed his temples.

How to build such an exemplary unit and who should be assigned to this task are things he should carefully consider.

In this day and age, no one would ever think of such a thing.

Even the highly adaptable Qi Jiguang was no exception; he commanded his troops to deploy according to his own strategic thinking and requested weapons from the Ministry of War.

Creating a specialized, exemplary force and researching targeted tactics would have been unthinkable.

However, this doesn't seem to be a rare thing in the future. Most countries with the resources will have such a force to explore tactics and research strategies.

Wei Guangde glanced back at the armory gate before walking to the sedan chair and asking the man beside him, "Is there any news from Songjiang Prefecture? When will Admiral Yu arrive?"

Wei Guangde had been staying in Nanjing for several days. On the second day after his arrival, he inspected the Longjiang Shipyard, the Ministry of Works' Department of Works, the Bureau of Armory and Weapons, and the Arsenal.

He knew that Yu Dayou should have received the news on Dongfan Island by now, and it would take him a few more days to return.

"No news has come, but I imagine that Admiral Yu must have received the message from Chongming Island. They sent out a centipede ship to deliver the message that very day."

The attendants reported this.

It seems I really have to stay in Nanjing. During the day I'll explore different places, and at night I'll go to the painted boats on the Qinhuai River to drink and listen to music. Life is quite carefree.

There's no such thing as being so happy that you forget your homeland. Perhaps you'll retire in the future, but you still need to take good care of your back to avoid being unable to perform your duties later.

As he bent down to get into the sedan chair, Wei Guangde suddenly stopped. That naval force on Chongming Island, in later generations, would be a base garrison. Besides that, what other navy did they have?
Besides the fleet, there is also a Marine Corps unit.

Yu Dayou had previously mentioned that the Ming navy did not have a dedicated land force, so amphibious operations involved organizing sailors and some gunners on board to act as land forces. Although they had experience, it was ultimately not as good as having professional personnel.

Wei Guangde pondered that he should have the South China Sea Navy organize a unit with a high rate of firearms deployment and train it as a marine corps.

There's also Liaodong, where Qi Jiguang was the most skilled firearms commander among the Ming generals, so let him try to organize such a force.

We don't need many; two or three thousand people will suffice.

Equip this unit with one or two thousand muskets and twenty or thirty artillery pieces of various kinds, and that should be about right.

In fact, the biggest problem for the Ming army was the charge of the large cavalry groups from the north. Without the protection of chariots, infantry fighting in the field was really dangerous.

Even if they win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, and the possibility of total annihilation is not an exaggeration.

In short, Wei Guangde believed he couldn't outmaneuver them by leaving the matter to them.

In the following days, Wei Guangde inspected the Nanjing garrison, the armory and clothing factory, and the Ministry of Revenue's grain and treasury, waiting for Yu Dayou to arrive.

As for the evenings, his brother-in-law Xu Bangrui would take him for a stroll along the Qinhuai River, accompanied by nobles from Nanjing. They lived a rather enjoyable life.

While staying in Nanjing, Wei Guangde was not idle. Every two or three days, he would send a memorial to the capital to avoid being mistaken for someone who was reluctant to return to the capital because he was indulging in brothels.

In reality, Wei Guangde's every move was being watched by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Nanjing garrison eunuchs, and a report was sent to the capital every day.

Yesterday, Grand Secretary Wei went there for an inspection. He made detailed records of what he saw, what he said, and who he met.

Even whether they went to a pleasure boat or a brothel at night, who accompanied them, and who stayed there, were all recorded and reported in detail.

Of course, Zhang Juzheng could only see the memorials submitted by Wei Guangde; other information was only available to a few people, including Feng Bao, Liu Shouyou, and the emperor.

While Wei Guangde was enjoying himself in Nanjing, in the Cining Palace of the Forbidden City, the Wanli Emperor knelt before his mother, Empress Dowager Li, once again, but this time he did not intend to admit his mistake.

Last time, he was frightened when his mother threatened to replace the emperor.

But then he realized, what right did his mother have to replace him?
Even if he were to be replaced, would Grand Secretary Zhang and Master Wei obey her orders?

However, this time he was kneeling here not because he was teasing the eunuchs and palace maids, but because someone had actually died.

"With witnesses and physical evidence, you still deny it? I'd like to ask Grand Secretary Zhang and Grand Secretary Wei if this is how they taught the emperor."

Empress Dowager Li, now in power, roared angrily at the young Emperor Zhu Yijun. If she weren't the emperor, she probably would have already rushed up and attacked him.

"Mother, I cannot admit to this. I am the Emperor, and she is just a palace maid."

"So what if I'm a palace maid? You look down on palace maids, don't you? Do you not even respect me? I was also a palace maid, and I served your father, the Emperor, because of that."

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have your current status and position."

Zhu Yijun only wanted to show his noble status, so he naturally could not admit to having an affair with a lowly palace maid. Unexpectedly, this angered the Empress Dowager Li, who had risen to power.

Now she is the Empress Dowager, but back in the Prince Yu's mansion, Li Caifeng was just a palace maid serving the princess.

It was because of her good looks that Prince Yu took away her red pill.

It can only be said that perhaps it was fate that she bore children for Prince Yu, and she rose to power through her sons.

Although Zhu Yijun was disabled, Prince Yu did not mind, because he had very few children who grew up.

Even if he had a brother, when the Longqing Emperor died, Prince Lu was still an infant and had no right to compete with him for the throne.

Emperor Wanli now had the confidence to stand up to his mother, because he believed that the cabinet would not stand idly by and would fully support her decision.

At the very least, Master Wei wouldn't be like Zhang Juzheng, who listened to his mother in everything.

"you you"

Empress Dowager Li was so angry that she couldn't speak and was trembling violently.

"Your Majesty, please calm down and take care of your health. The Emperor is still young; we will teach him slowly."

Feng Bao stepped forward at the opportune moment, knelt down to the side, and offered words of comfort.

“Very good, very good. Summon Zhang Juzheng. I want to ask him how he raised such a disobedient emperor.”

Ultimately, she retained her rationality and did not utter the words "wicked child."

"Your Majesty, this is a secret of the palace, and it is probably not appropriate for the outside court to know about it."

Feng Bao hurriedly kowtowed and tried to persuade him.

Can news from the palace be kept secret?
Of course not. Not long after hearing the news, Empress Dowager Chen arrived at Cining Palace with her entourage.

Upon entering, they saw the emperor kneeling in the center of the hall, with Feng Bao and a group of eunuchs from the Qianqing Palace behind him, while Empress Dowager Li sat on top, fuming.

My emotions have calmed down a bit now, and I'm no longer trembling all over.

"Little sister, what's wrong that you're so angry?"

When Empress Dowager Chen arrived, Empress Dowager Li hurriedly got up to pay her respects, but was immediately pulled away and led to a side hall.

Empress Dowager Chen only knew that the young emperor had made a mistake, but she didn't know the details. Hearing that Empress Dowager Li was furious and the emperor was not backing down, she said she would come over to act as a peacemaker.

Now, she's the only one in the palace who's qualified.

In the side hall, Empress Dowager Li told Empress Dowager Chen the whole story. Empress Dowager Chen raised her eyebrows and also felt that the young emperor was in the wrong.

They've already slept together, what's the big deal about giving her a title? Yet she refused, citing her status as a palace maid as the reason.

Empress Dowager Chen also realized that although it was a small matter, it had hurt Empress Dowager Li.

Her past experiences were remarkably similar to those of this palace maid.

However, Prince Yu was responsible and gave her a title, while the young emperor was somewhat lacking.

However, Empress Dowager Chen suddenly realized something and shouted at the main hall, "Feng Bao, Feng Bao, get over here right now!"

Empress Dowager Chen suddenly shouted, startling Empress Dowager Li, who was unaware of what was happening.

Feng Bao was also startled and scrambled into the side hall.

"Go to Kunning Palace immediately. The news must not reach the Empress's ears, or you will lose your life."

"Yes, yes, this servant will go right away."

Feng Bao hurriedly kowtowed and got up to run outside, forgetting that he should have retreated.

Well, after being reminded by Empress Dowager Chen, they all realized that the Empress was still pregnant, and if something went wrong because of this, it would be a big problem.

"Sister, what should we do now?"

"No, let's send them out of the palace. We must quell this matter as soon as possible."

"No, she's already pregnant with the dragon's child, otherwise I wouldn't be so angry." (End of Chapter)