1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 304 Hanyang Arsenal

The troops stationed in Hanyang and Hankou have sealed off the river to ensure that no civilian ships accidentally enter the arsenal during the artillery test firing, so as to avoid accidental injuries.

Tang Zheng was very confident in the two heavy cannons that he had personally supervised the construction of, and he also wanted to show off in front of Peng Gang, so he went forward to test fire them himself.

These two heavy cannons have a caliber of about 23, and their shells weigh more than five pounds.

According to the experience of artillerymen in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the amount of explosive charge was generally between one-third and one-half the weight of the shell.

However, the Qing Dynasty became corrupt too quickly after entering the Central Plains. As early as the mid-Kangxi period, even the inspections and annual reviews of generals, commanders, admirals, and generals, which were related to promotion, were corrupt.

Whether it was the heavy artillerymen of the Eight Banners or the mountain-splitting gunners of the Green Standard Army, they only dared to reduce the amount of gunpowder by 30% when inspecting the cannons, based on the standard of one-third the weight of the shells, for fear of the cannons exploding. This shows how poor the quality of the cannons made by the Qing government was.

Tang Zheng calmly and composedly stuffed the two-and-a-half-pound gunpowder pack into the cannon barrel, showing that he was very confident in the two heavy cannons he had personally supervised the construction of.

The amount of explosives, two and a half pounds, made Liang Zhen, the battalion commander of the Pishan Artillery Battalion who came with Peng Gang to watch the cannon firing, sweat for Tang Zheng.

Even when operating the best-quality Yuezhou Wu Zhou cannon currently in service in the Northern Palace, he wouldn't dare to use half the weight of the cannonball's propellant; at most, he'd only dare to use one-third.

The perfectly round iron bullet sank heavily into the cannon barrel, producing a crisp, clean, and unobstructed sound that was very smooth and pleasant to listen to.

Tang Zheng plugged in the fuse, took the torch handed to him by an old craftsman, and glanced at the group of craftsmen from the Hanyang Arsenal who were clenching their fists and had veins bulging on their necks. These craftsmen were also trembling with excitement at this moment.

The two enormous cannons lying quietly on the riverbank were the most serious and meticulous cannons they had ever built in their lives, and also the most solid cannons they had ever made.

They also wanted to know whether the cannons manufactured by the hundreds of craftsmen and workshop heads in the arsenal were truly usable and how powerful they were.

Under the eager gaze of the artisans at the arsenal, Tang Zheng took a deep breath, lowered the torch, and lit the fuse.

The fire hissed as it shot into the fire gate, and in an instant, the world roared!

The cannon's roar was like thunder, and the fireballs spewing from the muzzle tore through the river wind. The enormous recoil caused the hardwood cannon carriage to lurch back three inches, but the carriage itself was not damaged or broken. Not only the cannon, but even the carpenter who made the cannon carriage had put in a lot of effort to reinforce it.

Peng Gang looked up at the center of the river and saw a column of water shooting into the sky. The first shell landed only about two zhang away from the target boat, which was more than two hundred zhang away.

For the second shot, Tang Zheng slightly reduced the amount of ammunition loaded before firing.

This time, the target boat in the middle of the river burst open, sending wood chips flying like rain.

Before the smoke of battle had even cleared, the surrounding craftsmen cheered and shouted excitedly.

"Old Tang, there are still four cannons we haven't tested yet. Let me practice with them too," Liang Zhen said excitedly, pawing at his hands.

Currently, only one heavy cannon manufactured by the Hanyang Arsenal has been test-fired. Another heavy cannon manufactured by the Hanyang Arsenal and three repaired Yuezhou Wuzhou cannons have not yet been test-fired.

"Battalion Commander Liang, I can't make that decision." Tang Zheng, his excitement and joy evident, turned to Peng Gang, seeking his opinion.

"Director Tang, why don't you take Liang Zhen and the others and fire a few shots?" Peng Gang said.

With Peng Gang's permission, Tang Zheng, along with the cheering Liang Zhen and others, test-fired the remaining four cannons.

All four cannons, including the three repaired Wu Zhou cannons and the other self-made heavy cannon, successfully completed test firings and passed acceptance.

After four years of preparation and more than two years of action, Peng Gang has finally acquired the capability to produce heavy weapons on his own.

Before the Qing government introduced foreign cannons, the Northern Palace was already on par with the Qing government in terms of heavy weaponry.

As the sound of cannons gradually faded, the scorching, acrid smell of gunpowder mixed with the fishy odor of the river wafted over.

Amidst the jubilation, Peng Gang did not bask in the euphoria of success.

"Your subordinate has successfully completed the task and lived up to Your Highness's trust, and has successfully built the cannon."

Beside him, Tang Zheng, relieved and overjoyed, wept tears of relief.

Peng Gang gently helped Tang Zheng up with one arm: "It is my good fortune to have a craftsman like you. But don't be too happy yet, I still have important matters to ask you."

With the successful test firing of the self-made heavy artillery, there are no longer any technical problems in manufacturing heavy artillery. Peng Gang is now very concerned about the cost of the heavy artillery.

He led Tang Zheng toward the giant cannon, which was still warm and radiating metallic heat. He patted the black-gold cannon with his palm, producing a deep, muffled sound: "How long has it taken for such a divine weapon to be tested from the first batch of molten copper to today?"

Tang Zheng wiped his face forcefully with his raised sleeve, trying to calm his agitated emotions. His voice still trembled: "Your Highness, according to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty's Ordnance Bureau, it's common for a two-thousand-pound cannon like this to take a year and a half from submitting the application for funding and purchasing materials to final inspection and warehousing! During that time, embezzlement and deductions are common, and procedures are cut wherever possible. But this time..."

At this point, Tang Zheng puffed out his chest and said proudly, "We work in three shifts, and the furnace never stops running. From the start of construction to completion, excluding the time spent on sand casting, mold making, and air drying, the actual time we put in our best effort is only twenty-three days!"

"Twenty-three days!" A glint flashed in Peng Gang's eyes; this efficiency far exceeded his expectations.

"Good! Good! Excellent! With such a rapid effect, how much labor and materials were used? Tell me in detail how much copper, iron, coal and charcoal were used."

Tang Zheng reported with great familiarity: "The main body of this cannon is made of high-quality copper and iron smelted by the Hanyang Ironworks, melted with fine coal from Jiangxi. All of these are genuine materials. In total, it consumed 1,200 catties of copper, 800 catties of wrought iron, and more than 3,000 catties of fine coal, not to mention sand, clay, charcoal and many other miscellaneous items."

Tang Zheng pondered for a moment, then quickly calculated the result in his mind: "If converted into silver, including all labor, material losses, food and lodging, the cost would be around five hundred and fifty taels!"

Upon hearing this figure, even Zuo Zongtang, who was well aware of the inner workings of the Qing court, couldn't help but gasp: "Five hundred and fifty taels? As far as I know, if the Qing court's arsenal wanted to manufacture such a fine cannon, it would need to use top-quality Yunnan copper and Fujian iron, and the accounting would be at least sixteen hundred taels or even more."

Although Zuo Zongtang had already guessed that the heavy artillery produced by the Hanyang Arsenal would definitely cost less than the Qing government's cannons of the same quality, he still couldn't help but feel a little uneasy when he heard that the heavy artillery produced by the Hanyang Arsenal cost only a fraction of what the Qing government's ordnance bureau cost.

Even during the Kangxi era, when corruption was somewhat less rampant, a 2,000-jin (approximately 1,000 kg) Shenggong General Cannon cost between 800 and 1,100 taels of silver, and its quality was not necessarily better than the two heavy cannons produced by the Hanyang Arsenal.

"Your Highness is wise!" Tang Zheng's emotions suddenly became agitated, and his voice rose considerably.

"The cannons of the Qing court were expensive but of poor quality, and their problems stemmed entirely from corruption. Superiors exploited the cannons at every level, and everyone involved got a share. When purchasing materials, they would first inflate the prices, and then use inferior materials to fill the warehouse. Iron was mixed with sand, and copper was reduced in quality. The actual amount of silver used for the cannons was probably less than 30 or 40 percent of what was reported in the accounts. The rest... all went into the pockets of corrupt officials!"
Our craftsmen in the Northern Palace, well-fed and dedicated, focused solely on achieving great things. Every tael of silver spent was used precisely for materials and labor, without any skimping on quality. Therefore, the cannons we, the Northern Palace, produced with 550 taels of silver far surpass those produced by the Qing court with 1,600 taels.

Tang Zheng was a craftsman who escaped from the Guangdong Ordnance Bureau. Most of the craftsmen who built these two heavy cannons came from the Hubei Ordnance Bureau.

Having worked in the Bureau of Ordnance, Tang Zheng was more aware than Zuo Zongtang of the problems plaguing the provincial ordnance bureaus of the Qing government.

A high-quality heavy cannon weighing 2,000 jin costs 550 taels, which is indeed a bargain, even lower than the 800 taels that Peng Gang expected.

The heavy artillery captured during the Battle of Wuxuan East Township was nearing the end of its service life. The battalion commander of the heavy artillery battalion stationed in Baling reported to Peng Gang on several occasions that some of the heavy artillery pieces captured from Xiang Rong during the Battle of Wuxuan East Township had visible cracks in the rear of the barrel and in areas of stress concentration such as the trunnions. Furthermore, four of the guns had burned out and were no longer usable.

The cannons manufactured by the Qing Dynasty's Ordnance Bureau had no safety redundancy whatsoever, and Peng Gang dared not gamble the quality of the Qing Dynasty's military industry with his precious old artillery pieces, which were built with gold and silver.

At present, there is a huge shortage of heavy artillery on the Yuezhou front. Before opening up arms purchase channels with foreigners, Peng Gang can only fill the gap by making his own.

Furthermore, purchasing more advanced and higher-quality weaponry from foreigners is merely a stopgap measure. The ultimate goal is to achieve imitation, assimilate and accumulate technical experience, and ultimately achieve a leapfrog development.

Peng Gang was naturally pleased that the Hanyang Arsenal was producing high-quality, low-priced heavy artillery.

However, Peng Gang did not become complacent or indulge in his own pleasure.

Even if the two heavy cannons lying on the riverbank are of good quality, they are still cannons made with technology from two hundred years ago. They can only be used as an emergency measure to solve the problem of whether or not they are available.

Peng Gang scanned the surrounding craftsmen who were listening intently: "All the weapons of my Northern Palace must be like this cannon. The materials must be of high quality, and the cost must be reasonable. You have made a great contribution today, and I will reward you handsomely! All the craftsmen who participated in the manufacture and repair of the cannons will be recorded as merits and awarded eight taels of silver! Based on this cannon, hurry up and manufacture more heavy cannons. For each cannon manufactured and passed the artillerymen's inspection, you will be awarded a bonus of eighty taels of silver."

The words fell silent, followed by a moment of stunned silence, then erupted into even more fervent shouts and tears of gratitude.

These craftsmen, who came from the Qing Dynasty's Ordnance Bureau, not only created the most solid cannons of their lives, but also received unprecedented recognition and rewards.

There's no reason to expect a horse to run without feeding it enough grass.

When it was time to reward someone, Peng Gang never hesitated to use the silver from the imperial treasury.

"Your Highness is wise!"

"Long live your highness!"

After inspecting the cannons, Peng Gang toured the musket production workshop and inquired about the musket production: "What is the production volume of the 'Breaking the Enemy' musket and the bird gun?"

The "Po Lu Chong" is a Pinduoduo version of the brown bass that Peng Gang began to imitate when he was in Pingzai Mountain.

Compared to heavy artillery, Beidian had no shortage of light weapons; the Chu Wangtai arsenal in Wuchang still had a considerable stockpile of muskets.

The Qing government did not control matchlock guns as strictly as it did heavy artillery. To be more precise, matchlock guns had a lower technical threshold, and the Qing government could not control them as strictly as it controlled heavy artillery.

However, most of the muskets in stock were leftovers, of poor quality, and not very useful.

Not only were the Qing Dynasty's matchlock guns of poor quality, but even matchlock guns from the same batch produced by a provincial ordnance bureau could vary by several millimeters in caliber.

The musketeers in the North Palace also disliked the captured Qing Dynasty matchlock muskets. Even troops that couldn't use the captured muskets preferred the matchlock muskets made by the North Palace itself.

Tang Zheng, who was accompanying the inspection, replied without hesitation: "In December and January, we produced 83 Polu guns and 368 matchlock guns. In the past few months, we have recruited some apprentices from blacksmith shops in Hubei to work in the arsenal. Once these apprentices are skilled, the production of matchlock guns can be increased even further. Producing 400 matchlock guns this month will definitely not be a problem."

"Where's the Polu Gun?" Peng Gang asked as he walked.

"Your Highness, I was just about to report this matter to you. The spring steel that Your Highness purchased from Guangzhou years ago is almost gone. Although each Polu gun uses a small amount of spring steel, the production of Polu guns has increased. At the current production rate of Polu guns, the stock of spring steel is only enough to last until the beginning of March."

Although the skilled blacksmiths in the three towns of Wuhan can forge flexible steel, and I even bought some to test it myself, this steel, while somewhat elastic, is weak and difficult to ignite, and not durable. It deforms after being forged a few times and is prone to breaking. It's unsuitable for making gun bolts; it's expensive and impractical. It can only be used to make small gadgets like locks, far inferior to the foreign steel Your Highness purchased.” Taking advantage of this conversation, Tang Zheng raised the issue of insufficient spring steel inventory.

While skilled craftsmen in China today can manufacture simple springs such as helical springs and locking springs, they are not as capable as they are today.

However, the elastic limit, standardization, and fatigue life of these spring materials are far inferior to those of Western products of the same period. They are mostly used in everyday items or simple machinery, and are difficult to meet the extremely high requirements of military applications for performance consistency, reliability, and durability.

Tang Zheng also realized this; he couldn't solve the spring steel problem on his own.

Regarding the understanding of the laws of elasticity, although Zheng Xuan, a scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty, made a statement in his commentary on the "Kaogongji" (Record of Trades) regarding the relationship between the elasticity and deformation of a bow, stating that "for every stone of material added, it stretches by one foot," the discovery of physical laws and the industrial production of high-performance materials that conform to those laws are two completely different things.

“I will find a way to solve the problem of insufficient spring steel; don’t skimp on materials,” Peng Gang said.

If Luo Dagang could buy gun steel in Guangzhou, Tang Zhengcai should also be able to buy these things in Shanghai.

Although the Tianjing side has not yet officially announced its northern expedition and southern campaign to unify the country.

However, after Qin Rigang, Lin Fengxiang, and Li Kaifang successively captured Zhenjiang and Yangzhou, two important towns for grain transport, the Taiping Army did not temporarily cease its offensive.

Hu Yihuang then traveled south along the Grand Canal to Danyang and Changzhou, showing a strong momentum to advance south to Wuxi and then approach Suzhou.

The remaining Qing troops in Zhenjiang and Changzhou prefectures either fled at the mere mention of their name or surrendered without resistance, proving utterly ineffective.

The Taiping army's advance was getting closer and closer to the Shanghai concessions, the "state within a state" of the Western powers in China.

In 1852, the Shanghai concessions were in the early stages of development.

Following the signing of the Treaty of Jiangning (Nanjing) in 1843, after Shanghai opened as a treaty port, the British Concession was first established in 1845, followed by the American Concession in 1848, and the French Concession in 1849.

The British concession initially covered an area of ​​about 830 mu (approximately 55 hectares), which increased to 1080 mu (approximately 72 hectares) after the western boundary was determined in 1846. The French concession was slightly smaller than the British concession, covering an area of ​​about 986 mu (approximately 62 hectares).

The concessions in Shanghai held by Britain and France, the two most powerful nations in the world at the time, were seized through unequal treaties, and there were clear treaty evidence to support this claim.

As for the American concession in the Hongkou area, it not only lacked clear boundaries but also had no treaty backing it, so strictly speaking, it could not be considered a concession.

It was Jin Nengheng, a partner of the Shanghai Russell & Co. trading company and the acting vice-consul of the United States in Shanghai, along with some American merchants and missionaries, who saw the potential in the Hongkou area on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek. They believed that the area was open, with deep water and long banks, making it very suitable for building docks and warehouses, and that it had great development potential. As a result, they purchased land and properties in the area, established settlements, and formed a de facto quasi-concession.

In terms of national strength and influence, the United States in the 1850s was not on the same level as Britain and France.

The United States was able to obtain a de facto quasi-concession in Shanghai, just like Britain and France, thanks to the "equal trade opportunities" and "shared benefits" principles in the Treaty of Nanjing and the pragmatic diplomatic strategy of the United States.

At this time, the United States pursued a policy of following Britain and taking advantage of Britain's influence in its relations with China.

Since the British had already acquired the concessions and established order through war and negotiation, and even a rebellious son is still a son, American merchants and consuls naturally believed that they could enjoy the same rights to live, trade, and do business in Shanghai as the British, based on the "most-favored-nation" clause.

They didn't need to go through the trouble of managing and building an independent concession themselves.

For the reasons mentioned above, the American authorities were not in a hurry to formally demarcate the border with the Shanghai Daotai (local official). This ambiguity, in turn, gave Americans in Shanghai greater flexibility and room for expansion.

Yes, the United States was able to acquire the Hongkou Concession without firing a single shot, not through formal diplomatic means from the Qing government.

Instead, it was obtained from Wu Jianzhang, the Shanghai Daotai, a purchased official who was in charge of military affairs in Suzhou, Songjiang and Taiyuan, had close ties with foreigners, was a comprador for foreigners, and was considered by the Qing court to have the talent to communicate with Westerners.

Because the office of the Circuit Intendant of Suzhou, Songjiang and Taiyuan was located in Shanghai County for a long time and was responsible for managing Shanghai’s foreign affairs, customs and military affairs, he was officially and popularly referred to as “Shanghai Circuit Intendant”.

At that time, Shanghai implemented a policy of separating Chinese and foreign residents, and there were very few Chinese residents in the concessions.

As the situation in Jiangnan deteriorated, a large number of landlords, gentry, wealthy merchants, and even ordinary people from the Jiangnan region fled to the Shanghai concessions for protection, leading to a growing mix of Chinese and foreigners.

Wearing a long robe and mandarin jacket, with a fake queue on his head, Tang Zhengcai, who was responsible for purchasing Western weapons, accompanied by three companions, like three fish diving into muddy waters, followed the crowd of wealthy merchants from other places and mingled into the Shanghai International Settlement.

After infiltrating the foreign concessions, Tang Zhengcai, who had spent years as a merchant, a wanderer of the underworld, and a chivalrous and hospitable man, quickly made contact with the Small Swords Society in Shanghai.

As agreed, Tang Zhengcai met with a man known as "Uncle Lin," a leader of the Small Swords Society, in a smoke-filled teahouse in the British concession on the Bund.

"Uncle Lin, how's it going?"

Although he had been stranded in Shanghai for some time and still hadn't been able to make contact with Western arms dealers, Tang Zhengcai was inevitably a little anxious. However, on the surface, Tang Zhengcai still appeared relaxed and carefree, even speaking in a slow and unhurried manner.

Those who frequent docks and are involved in gangs are all shrewd and calculating, let alone Uncle Lin, who can work at the foreign docks in Shanghai, a place where all sorts of people mingle.

Although Uncle Lin's demeanor had a touch of江湖气 (jianghu qi, a kind of chivalrous spirit), it couldn't hide his shrewdness: "Don't worry, Manager Tang, foreigners are driven by profit like flies to blood. Your Heavenly Kingdom has made a big splash in Nanjing, and those arms dealers have long been on their toes. They're just worried about not having connections, fearing that if they sell their goods, they won't get paid and will instead offend the Qing Dynasty."

At this point, Uncle Lin looked around to make sure no one else was present, then lowered his voice and said, "Smith from the Russell & Co. is a daring and greedy American. He'll sell you what you want. We've helped him transport several shipments of 'smuggled goods,' so we have some connections. He's agreed to meet, but the location is up to him."

(End of this chapter)