Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 695: Taking on the task of fighting back against the Japanese pirates
The morning in Nanjing was covered by a thin layer of mist, and the glazed tiles of the imperial palace shone golden in the morning sun. Zhu Yuanzhang stood on the steps in front of the Fengtian Hall, his eyes sweeping over the civil and military officials kneeling in front of the hall. His fingers unconsciously stroked the handle of the sword at his waist, which was his companion who had never left his side during his many years of fighting.

"Everyone, please stand up." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was deep and powerful.

All the officials stood up to thank the emperor. An old man with white hair and beard walked out from the ranks of civil officials. He was the current Grand Tutor Liu Bowen. He held an ivory tablet in his hand and bowed: "Your Majesty, urgent military reports from the 800-mile coastal area show that the Japanese pirates have invaded Taizhou, Wenzhou and other places, burning, killing, looting, and displacing the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, and the wrinkles on his face deepened. He slapped the armrest of the dragon throne, and the sound made the hall buzz: "These Japanese pirates! I have repeatedly ordered to strengthen the coastal defense, why are they still not stopping despite repeated bans?"

Li Shanchang, the Minister of War, stepped out in a hurry and said, "Your Majesty, calm down. The Japanese pirates' ships are small and flexible, and they come and go like the wind. Our warships are heavy and bulky, and we often can't catch up with them. In addition, the Japanese swords they use are extremely sharp, and our army often suffers great losses in close combat."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly: "Can't I, the great Ming Dynasty, do anything about these jumping clowns?"

At this time, Liu Bowen spoke again: "Your Majesty, I have a plan. I have recently studied the firearms books from the Western Regions and found that if we can improve the formula of our army's gunpowder and manufacture more powerful and more convenient firearms, we may be able to restrain the Japanese pirates."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed: "Go on."

"I know a young craftsman named Lin Che. His father was a craftsman in the Ministry of Industry of the former Yuan Dynasty and was proficient in the manufacture of firearms. This man has surpassed his father and has developed a new gunpowder formula that is more than three times more powerful than ordinary gunpowder."

Zhu Yuanzhang became interested: "Tell him to come to the palace to see me tomorrow."

The next morning, a young man in coarse cloth was led into the palace. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, thin, with calloused hands, but his eyes were bright. This was Lin Che.

In the open space of the Imperial Garden, Lin Che showed Zhu Yuanzhang his invention - an iron cylinder about three feet long, closed at the back end and open at the front end, with several reinforced iron hoops on the cylinder body.

"Your Majesty, this is the 'Thunderbolt Cannon' that I developed." Lin Che's voice was trembling, but he was full of confidence when talking about his invention. "It uses special gunpowder and can fire iron bullets or gravel. The range is up to 300 steps and it can penetrate a three-inch thick wooden board."

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and said, "Show it to me."

Lin Che skillfully loaded the gunpowder and an iron bullet the size of an egg, and then lit the fuse with a fire starter. With a deafening bang, the iron bullet whizzed out and broke a willow tree as thick as a bowl fifty steps away in half.

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Great! With this weapon, we can destroy the Japanese pirates!" He turned to the guard beside him and said, "Tell General Hu Guang to come to see me as soon as possible."

Soon, a burly and resolute general strode over. He was dressed in military uniform, with a sword at his waist swinging gently with his steps. It was Zhu Yuanzhang's trusted general Hu Guang.

"Your Majesty, I am Hu Guang. I am here to see you." Hu Guang knelt on one knee and spoke in a loud voice.

Zhu Yuanzhang personally helped him up and said, "Please stand up, my dear. I have an important task for you."

Hu Guang stood still and listened. Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Lin Che's "Thunderbolt Cannon" and said, "I order you to be fully responsible for the manufacture and training of new firearms, and to form a firearms battalion. You must form a combat force within three months and wipe out the Japanese pirates along the coast!"

Hu Guang's eyes flashed with surprise, and then he clasped his fists solemnly: "Your Majesty, I obey your order!"

After leaving the palace, Hu Guang immediately followed Lin Che to the weapons workshop outside the city. Along the way, he asked in detail about the principle and use of the "Thunder Cannon".

"Master Lin, how long does it take to load this 'Thunder Cannon'?" Hu Guang asked.

Lin Che thought for a moment: "If you are proficient, it will take about half a quarter of an hour."

Hu Guang frowned: "The battlefield changes rapidly, half a minute is too long. Can it be improved?"

Lin Che looked embarrassed: "General, please be careful when loading the gunpowder. If you load it too quickly, it will easily cause an accident."

Hu Guang nodded: "Safety first. But we can think of a tactical solution." In the weapons workshop, dozens of craftsmen were busy. Seeing Hu Guang and Lin Che coming, everyone saluted. Lin Che led Hu Guang to a separate workshop, which was filled with various firearms models and drawings.

"General, please take a look," Lin Che pointed at a blueprint, "This is an improved musket. It uses new gunpowder, has doubled its range, and is not easily affected by moisture."

Hu Guang looked carefully and suddenly pointed to a corner of the drawing and asked: "Why do we need to add this iron sheet here?"

Lin Che's eyes lit up: "General, you have good eyesight! This is a baffle to prevent the gunpowder from backfiring, which can greatly reduce the risk of explosion."

Hu Guang nodded with satisfaction: "Okay! Start manufacturing immediately. First, make 50 'Thunderbolt Cannons' and 300 improved fire guns."

In the following days, the weapons workshop worked day and night. Hu Guang almost lived in the workshop and personally supervised every process. At the same time, he selected 500 elite soldiers from the Beijing camp and began to secretly train them in the use of new firearms.

On the training ground, soldiers took turns to operate the "Thunder Cannon". The loud noises shook the ground slightly, and the wooden boats used as targets in the distance were blasted with holes.

"Attention! The charge must be accurate!" Hu Guang instructed loudly, "One point more may cause the barrel to explode, one point less may not allow for enough range!"

A young soldier over-loaded the gun due to nervousness, and the "Thunder Cannon" suddenly exploded after ignition. Fortunately, Hu Guang was quick to pull him away, and he was only slightly injured.

That night, Hu Guang sat alone in the tent with a coastal map spread out in front of him. Under the candlelight, his brows were furrowed. Three months was too tight, and the Japanese pirates were elusive. How could he ensure a successful battle?
Just as he was deep in thought, a report came from outside the tent: "General, Grand Tutor Liu is here to visit."

Hu Guang quickly stood up to greet him. Liu Bowen walked in with a feather fan in his hand, smiling, "General Hu is still working hard late at night, I am here to bother you."

"Grand Master, you are too polite. Please take a seat." Hu Guang served tea personally.

Liu Bowen gently waved his feather fan and asked, "General, are you in trouble?"

Hu Guang sighed: "To be honest with you, Grand Master, although the new weapons are powerful, the Japanese pirates are cunning. If we can't hit them with one strike, there will be endless troubles in the future."

Liu Bowen smiled slightly and took out a roll of silk from his sleeve: "I have been observing the celestial phenomena recently and nightly, and combined with the information provided by the fishermen along the coast, I speculate that the next large-scale invasion of the Japanese pirates will be in the Taizhou Bay area."

Hu Guang unfolded the silk cloth and found it was a detailed nautical chart with the possible activity routes of the Japanese pirates marked on it.

"Where did this picture come from, Grand Master?" Hu Guang asked in surprise.

Liu Bowen smiled mysteriously: "The secret cannot be revealed. General, you only need to know that in seven days, the Japanese pirate general Fujiwara Shingen will lead 30 warships to invade Taizhou. This is a godsend opportunity."

Hu Guang was cheered up: "Thank you for your guidance, Grand Master!"

Liu Bowen stood up and said goodbye: "I wish you a successful start. Remember, new weapons are good, but the key to using troops is still to take the enemy by surprise."

After seeing Liu Bowen off, Hu Guang immediately called together his lieutenants to discuss the matter. After discussing all night, they formulated a bold plan: set up an ambush in Taizhou Bay, lure the enemy deep into the area, and then use the "Thunder Cannon" to annihilate the main force of the Japanese pirates in one fell swoop.

Five days later, a Ming Dynasty fleet of 20 warships quietly left Ningbo Port, loaded with new firearms and elite soldiers. Hu Guang stood on the deck of the flagship "Zhenhai", looking at the rough sea, feeling both excited and nervous.

"General, Taizhou Bay is ahead." Deputy General Wang Bin pointed to the winding coastline in the distance.

Hu Guang nodded: "According to the plan. Send two fast ships disguised as merchant ships to lure the pirates into the ambush circle."

(End of this chapter)