My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

He then quickly stroked his snow-white beard with a smile and replied in a relaxed tone:

"Your Highness is too kind to ask about this matter. I am truly humbled! It is just a minor ailment. It was merely a slight cold that I caught during the unpredictable spring weather. I coughed for a few days, but I am now completely fine."

"Your Highness, rest assured, this old minister is still very healthy and strong. I want to see our Ming Dynasty's firearms become famous throughout the world. I will definitely be able to serve Your Highness and the court for a few more years!"

Zhu Cilang carefully examined his complexion and saw that although he was thin, his eyes were still bright and his voice was still strong enough. He felt somewhat relieved, but still gave him some words of advice with concern:
"My dear minister, you must not be careless! As you grow older, you must take better care of your health. In the future, if you feel even the slightest discomfort, you must rest immediately and send someone to the Imperial Hospital to summon the best imperial physicians for treatment! You must not try to tough it out as you have in the past! The Research Institute cannot do without you, and the Ming Dynasty cannot do without you!"

Zhu Cilang spoke these words with heartfelt sincerity.

Upon hearing this, Bi Maokang felt a warm current flow through his body, and his eyes even felt slightly hot.

He devoted his life to studying skills and, although he rose to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, he was more often regarded as a person of "strange skills and frivolous crafts". He had never received such heartfelt care and attention from the Crown Prince.
His voice was slightly choked with emotion as he bowed and said:
"Your Highness's kindness is deeply appreciated by this old minister. I will certainly follow Your Highness's teachings and take good care of myself!"

"That's good."

Zhu Cilang smiled and said no more.

Some acts of care should be expressed subtly, not excessively.

As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the depths of the research institute, in front of a relatively independent, more heavily guarded two-story building.

This is where Bi Maokang works daily and conducts core project research and development.

Upon entering the building, the other officials tactfully dispersed, while only Bi Maokang led Zhu Cilang into a spacious and bright study, though simply furnished.

The study's walls were lined with bookshelves, crammed with all sorts of classics, drawings, and models.

Beside the window was a huge rosewood desk, piled high with blueprints, calculations, and all sorts of tools and parts, appearing somewhat cluttered, yet filled with an atmosphere of focused work.

As soon as the two sat down, the servants served tea and then quietly withdrew, gently closing the door behind them.

Just as Zhu Cilang was about to inquire about the progress of the rifle project, he saw Bi Maokang reveal a mysterious yet proud smile, turn around and whisper a few instructions to a trusted subordinate standing outside the study door.

The subordinate official understood and immediately left quickly.

Before long, the subordinate returned, carefully carrying a long box about one meter long and one hand wide, made of dark hardwood with a very smooth surface, and gently placed it on a long table covered with a white cotton cloth in the center of the study.

The moment Zhu Cilang saw the box, his heart involuntarily quickened!

Given the size and shape, he already had a strong premonition!

Then Bi Maokang walked to the table, reached out his hands and gently opened the copper clasp on the box lid, slowly lifting the lid open.

Suddenly, an object gleaming with a cold metallic luster appeared before Zhu Cilang's eyes!

Inside the box was a dark blue velvet lining, and on the velvet lay a uniquely shaped "musket"!
It is considered peculiar because it is completely different from the flintlock muskets currently in service with the Ming Dynasty!
It lacks the long matchlock rod and the flintlock musket's signature hammer clip holding the flint.

Its barrel appears to be thinner and longer, and the curve of the wooden stock is more ergonomic. In the bolt area, there is a device with a significantly more complex structure and full of precision mechanical beauty. In particular, the backward-curving, lever-like mechanism is something that Zhu Cilang has never seen on firearms of this era!

This is definitely not a simple flintlock musket! Zhu Cilang's breathing became rapid instantly!

Seeing the light of surprise in the Crown Prince's eyes, Bi Maokang's proud smile deepened. He stroked his beard and chuckled:
"Your Highness, your arrival today is truly timely! Just last night, this old minister and several master craftsmen finally managed to produce the first prototype of this 'self-igniting firearm' that could fire completely and had relatively stable performance!"
"

"This old minister originally intended to test and debug for a few more days to ensure that everything was perfect before reporting the good news to Your Highness. I never expected that Your Highness would personally come today! This is truly the will of Heaven!"

Zhu Cilang suppressed his excitement and asked in as calm a tone as possible:

"This thing... has it really been completed?"

But his slightly trembling fingertips betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

"It's done! Although it's still a prototype and the mechanism needs further optimization, the principle is clear, and it can definitely fire!"

Bi Maokang nodded affirmatively, then carefully took the heavy rifle out of the box, held it with both hands, and handed it to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang took a deep breath, solemnly extended his hands, and accepted this epoch-making weapon that embodied countless efforts and expectations.

It felt heavy in his hand, and the cold metallic touch transmitted through his fingertips, yet it gave him a burning excitement!

He carefully stroked the smooth barrel, the sturdy walnut stock, and the complex and precise bolt mechanism.

As someone from the future, he understood better than anyone in this era what the weapon in his hand meant!
The advent of flintlock muskets was enough to give the Ming army a generational advantage when facing surrounding forces.

But only a true "rifle" with breech-loading ammunition, rifled barrels, and a perfect firing mechanism can bring overwhelming and revolutionary advantages!

It means greater range, higher accuracy, and a much faster rate of fire! With it, the Ming army will truly become an unparalleled force on this planet!
"Good! Good! Great!"

Zhu Cilang said "good" three times in a row, his eyes sparkling with barely suppressed excitement, and he looked at it repeatedly, unable to put it down.

Seeing the Crown Prince's demeanor, Bi Maokang was also filled with pride and proposed:
"Your Highness, seeing is believing. Why don't we move to the shooting range in the backyard, where this old minister will demonstrate the effectiveness of this gun for you?"

"That suits my purposes perfectly! Go immediately!"

Zhu Cilang agreed without hesitation.

The group soon arrived at an open-air test firing range in the backyard of the research institute, which was surrounded by thick earthen walls.

Wooden targets at different distances had already been set up inside the field.

For safety reasons, all unauthorized personnel have been cleared out, leaving only Zhu Cilang, Bi Maokang, and a few core craftsmen and guards present.

Bi Maokang took the rifle from Zhu Cilang, his movements slightly slow but unusually steady.

He first checked the chamber, and after confirming that everything was in order, he took out a bright yellow, one-piece cardboard ammunition from a specially made leather pouch at his waist.

He then used his hand to pull the peculiar lever-like mechanism on the right side of the bolt, and the rear of the bolt opened, revealing the chamber. He loaded the ammunition into the chamber from the rear, and then pulled the lever in the opposite direction to lock the bolt.

Although the entire loading process was a bit slow due to my first time operating it and my advanced age, the procedure was clear and much simpler than that of a flintlock musket, which required loading gunpowder and projectiles from the muzzle and then tamping them down with a ramrod!
Then Bi Maokang picked up his gun, took aim briefly, and aimed at a chest target about fifty paces away.

At this distance, even a smoothbore gun with poor accuracy would need a certain amount of luck to hit the target.

"boom!"

A crisp and loud gunshot rang out! Unlike the larger smoke and sound of a flintlock musket, this shot was crisper and seemed to have less recoil.

A clear bullet hole appeared in the center of the target in the distance!

"it is good!"

"Hit!"

The few craftsmen and officials who were fortunate enough to witness this couldn't help but let out a chorus of low gasps of astonishment! A first shot from fifty paces away hit the bullseye! This accuracy far surpassed any musket they were familiar with!
Bi Maokang breathed a sigh of relief, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face.

But he didn't stop. Even though his arms were slightly numb from the recoil, he still forced himself to repeat the loading action.

This time, because I was familiar with the process, the speed was significantly faster.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Then, three more shots rang out! Although the accuracy of the later shots decreased due to fatigue, they all hit the target! More importantly, the speed of this continuous firing left all the onlookers speechless!
It should be noted that even with flintlock muskets, a well-trained marksman can only fire six or seven shots per minute at most.

Bi Maokang fired four times in less than half a minute! If it were a soldier like Cheng Fuliqiang, after becoming skilled, he could definitely fire more than ten times a minute!
After firing four shots, Bi Maokang was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, and had to hand the rifle to a young craftsman beside him who was eager to try.

The craftsman had clearly participated in the trial production and was more skilled in the operation.

He took the gun, loaded it, locked it, aimed, and fired—his movements were fluid and even faster!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The rapid, continuous gunfire erupted like popping beans! In just one minute, the craftsman fired more than eleven shots!
Although accuracy cannot be guaranteed, this terrifying rate of fire has completely overturned everyone's understanding of firearms!

The flintlock musket required three volleys to maintain its firepower density, but this new type of musket can achieve, and even surpass, that with a single person! What a terrifying ability to dominate the battlefield!

Zhu Cilang could no longer suppress his smile as he looked at the scene before him; it almost stretched to his ears!

It's done! It really is done!
Although it's still the most basic version and there are many areas that need improvement, its core principles and feasibility have been verified! This is the weapon he's been dreaming of!
He turned around abruptly, grabbed Bi Maokang's calloused and trembling hands tightly, his voice rising eight octaves with excitement:

"Minister Bi! You are truly a pillar of our Great Ming Dynasty! A cornerstone of our nation! If this spear is completed and equipped with our army, our Great Ming army will be invincible! This achievement is comparable to conquering new territories and surpasses even a million soldiers! You are undoubtedly the greatest contributor to our Great Ming Dynasty!"

"I...I will return to the palace immediately to see my father and plead for your merit! I will surely grant you a title! A marquisate? No! A marquisate is not enough to reward your merit! You shall be a duke! I will make sure that your Bi family will be hereditary, sharing the prosperity of the nation, and that your descendants will enjoy wealth and honor forever!"

Zhu Cilang's generous promise, which was almost the ultimate reward, exploded in Bi Maokang's ears like a thunderclap!

To be granted the title of Duke?
It should be noted that since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, no one could be granted the title of Duke without military merit, and most of these titles were posthumously conferred.

It is almost unheard of for a living civil official to be granted the title of duke!

This is an unprecedented blessing!
Even though Bi Maokang was devoted to his craft and indifferent to fame and fortune, upon hearing the word "Duke" and thinking of the generations of wealth and honor his descendants would enjoy, his heart began to pound uncontrollably, a surge of heat rushed to his head, and his old face instantly turned bright red!

However, he was, after all, an old minister who had served three emperors and was nearing seventy. In his excitement, his remaining rationality quickly prevailed.

He knew that the tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind.

If I, a mere technical official, were to be granted the title of Duke for creating a powerful weapon, I would become the target of everyone's envy and jealousy. In that case, it would not be a blessing but rather a path to disaster!
While His Majesty and the Crown Prince are trusted and respected, how can the opinions of the court officials and the ambitions of the nobles and generals be easily appeased?

Upon realizing this, Bi Maokang felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and instantly calmed down.

He quickly broke free from Zhu Cilang's grasp, took two steps back, lifted the hem of his robe, and was about to kneel down, his voice urgent and fearful:
"Your Highness! No! Absolutely not! Your Highness's kindness moves this old minister to tears, but this proposal is absolutely unacceptable! What virtue or ability do I possess to presume to do such a thing?"

“Developing firearms is my duty as an old minister. Even if I have done some minor work, it is all thanks to Your Highness’s guidance and the court’s strong support. How could I dare to claim credit for what is rightfully mine?”

"If Your Highness insists on bestowing rewards, such as gold, silver, silk, or a nominal earldom, this old minister would be overwhelmed with gratitude and trepidation! The title of duke is as heavy as a mountain, and this old minister would never dare to accept it, much less dare to do so! I beg Your Highness to rescind your order!"

Zhu Cilang's impulsive words of "bestowing the title of Duke" were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, shocking not only Bi Maokang and the others present, but also stirring up waves in his own heart.

The cool breeze instantly calmed Zhu Cilang's feverish mind.

He immediately realized that he had been so blinded by the revolutionary rifle prototype and its terrifying potential that he had made promises that went far beyond the norm.

It should be known that the Ming Dynasty had been established for nearly three hundred years. Only those who had made extraordinary contributions to the founding of the dynasty, the pacification of the rebellion, or the establishment of the dynasty's great power and the expansion of its territory could be granted the title of Duke.

Moreover, most of these titles were posthumously bestowed; very few were granted the title of Duke during their lifetime. All of them were figures of outstanding merit and whose names are etched in history.

Bi Maokang's achievement lies in the development of advanced weaponry, which has greatly benefited the country and the military. However, in the final analysis, it still falls into the category of "extraordinary skills" and is ultimately difficult to compare with the battlefield military achievements of slaying generals and capturing flags and strategizing in the field in the mainstream view of the literati at present.

If someone were to be granted the title of Duke for creating a powerful weapon, it would surely cause a huge uproar in the court and among the people. What would those nobles and generals who were granted the titles of Earl or Marquis based on their military achievements think?
What would those upright officials who adhered to Confucian classics say about it?

This will undoubtedly put Bi Maokang in the spotlight, which will not only be unhelpful but may also harm this veteran official who is dedicated to researching technology.

Having figured this out, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but feel secretly relieved. Fortunately, Bi Maokang was mature and prudent, and took the initiative to decline, giving him a way out.

Otherwise, once those words were out of his mouth, he wouldn't know how to handle the situation! (End of Chapter)