Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Seeing that the time was right, Gao Hongtu coughed lightly and said loudly:

"His Majesty has vowed to launch a northern expedition. If we recover the northern border in the future, all of you here will be meritorious officials who helped restore the Ming Dynasty."

After saying that, he turned to the side, took the scroll from the desk, and unfolded it halfway with both hands.

The scroll was covered with mulberry paper and bound with brocade, and the writing on it was clearly visible under the light of the candlesticks on both sides.

"This official has already drafted a memorial, stipulating that for all subscriptions of public warrants exceeding ten thousand taels..."

"Not only were their names recorded in the Golden Book, but their achievements were also written by the Hanlin Academy, with the Emperor's vermilion annotations, and stored in the Wenyuan Pavilion for posterity."

"Your names of loyalty and righteousness will be recorded in history, bringing glory to your ancestors, your names will be remembered for generations to come!"

After he finished speaking, a lively discussion immediately broke out among the audience:

"To bring glory to one's ancestors!"

"Your name will be inscribed on the golden scroll in the Wenyuan Pavilion! I, Zhang, am willing to donate ten thousand taels!"

A businessman loudly reminded:

"Gentlemen, do not forget that this is a public document! Once the royal army has pacified the north, this document can be exchanged for silver and can also be used to offset three years' worth of taxes."

"What the Junior Minister says is quite right. Who knows whose this silver might be?"

"I need to go back and discuss this with my wife..."

"What's there to discuss? At this critical juncture for the survival of our nation, a true man should sacrifice his family to relieve the suffering of the people."

The speaker's eye twitched slightly.

"Brother Wang, your hesitation is hardly the behavior of someone who studies the classics!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, with varying amounts at first, some offering 1,000 taels and others offering 10,000 taels, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.

"I'll offer ten thousand taels!"

"Though I cannot match it, I am willing to offer one thousand taels!"

"No, no, how can we be stingy when serving our country? At least five thousand taels will show our sincerity."

"I am willing to generously donate 30,000 taels of silver to support this righteous cause."

The shout of "30,000 taels" made Liang Chen tremble slightly.

A young man in brocade robes in the back row gently waved a gold-flecked fan and whispered to a pale-faced, beardless man beside him:

"Since Zhang Jiangling (Zhang Juzheng) implemented the 'Single Whip Law,' the Ministry of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty completely lost the power to mint coins."

"The circulation of silver and the price of goods are all controlled by the gentry and wealthy merchants of Jiangnan. All the silver in the country flows into the four provinces of Jiangnan."

"The Jiangnan region is indeed prosperous."

The ebony table was surrounded by a huge crowd, and the minor officials of the Ministry of Revenue were jostled and pushed about.

Some people had their sleeves torn, some had their hats askew, and the inkstone on the table was knocked out of place.

"I'll pay three thousand taels!"

"Get out of the way! I'll donate 15,000!"

"Thirty thousand taels! Give me the documents immediately!"...

The vermilion inkpad was smeared all over the paper and my hands, a glaring scarlet.

Looking at this crazy scene, Zhang Youyu finally smiled, and the worry in his eyes eased a little.

Gao Hongtu stood with his hands behind his back, the candlelight reflecting in his deep pupils and the figures rising and falling in the hall.

Liu Kongzhao was pushed and shoved by the surging crowd, his face ashen and his lips trembling.

He looked at the inkpad on the table, and Zhang Youyu's cold voice rang in his ears again:

"...My lord, your daughter has just come of age...your wife is in poor health..."

The images of Zhang Youyu's description of the tragic state of his wife and daughter flashed through his mind.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he squeezed to the front of the table, signed his name crookedly on the document, and pressed his fingerprint with trembling hands—"Thirty thousand taels."

After an unknown amount of time, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving the ground in a mess.

The candlelight still flickered, illuminating the scattered cups and plates and the pages covered with cinnabar handprints.

The official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, carrying a thick stack of rosters, staggered up to Gao Hongtu and Zhang Youyu.

His voice trembled, but he reported loudly with all his might:

"Reporting to...reporting to Minister! Junior Minister!"

"The total amount purchased by Zuixianlou is 3,207,500 taels."

When the number was announced, even the person who announced it was stunned, and their hands trembled slightly.

Gao Hongtu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his chest heaved.

When he opened his eyes again, they flashed with a sharp light, and he uttered only two words:

"well!"

Zhang Youyu's tense shoulders finally relaxed. He staggered a step, grabbed the corner of the table, let out a long sigh, and murmured:

"It's done...it actually happened..."

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue made another trip to Yangzhou, and Zhu Cilang's plan to raise five million taels of silver through bond issuance has been achieved.

......

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

The gilded crane-shaped incense burner emitted blue smoke that swirled among the pillars of the hall.

Zhu Cilang sat alone on the throne, a rusty three-barreled gun tightly gripping his hand.

The icy touch was bone-chilling, just like his current state of mind.

During the Ming Dynasty, the country was beset by internal and external troubles, the court was corrupt, and the military equipment was lax, especially firearms.

The creaking sound of the palace doors opening broke the silence.

Han Zan stepped forward and bowed towards the throne.

"Your Majesty, Gao Zhuo, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, Zuo Maodi, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War, and Wang Zhaoxing, the Principal of the Ordnance Bureau of the Ministry of Works, have been summoned to an audience."

"Announce!"

The Vice Minister of Works, Gao Zhuo, was as tall and imposing as a mountain. He stepped forward first, bowed deeply, and stood respectfully. His hands clenched under his sleeves, concealing a hint of impatience.

Zuo Maodi, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, stood with a solemn expression, cupped his hands in greeting, and performed the movements with utmost care.

Wang Zhaoxing, the head of the Ordnance Bureau, was trembling with fear. When he got up, he was drenched in sweat and held his breath with his head down.

"Fellow officials!"

Zhu Cilang finally spoke.

"According to the reports from the nine border regions in the past, the firearms of the Jizhou garrison exploded more than ten times a month."

"Three-barreled muskets become useless in the rain, and can hardly injure heavily armored soldiers from fifty paces away. Firearms are slow to load, and enemy cavalry can arrive in an instant."

He suddenly threw the rusted three-barreled gun in his hand onto the imperial desk.

A muffled thud made the pen and inkstone on the desk jump.

"During the reign of Emperor Taizu, firearms could defeat the Yuan cavalry, so why can't they even withstand a downpour now?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zuo Maodi had already stepped forward:

"When I inspected the Jizhou garrison, I personally witnessed soldiers holding three-barreled guns to resist the enemy. A sudden downpour soaked the gunpowder, and the three thousand iron cavalry were chased and defeated by more than a hundred enemy soldiers."

"In the night battle of Tongguan in bygone years ago, before the musketeers could finish loading their guns, bandits had already broken into the enemy ranks..."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Gao Zhuo, the Vice Minister of Works, then stepped forward:

"The reason these muskets are ineffective is due to the long-standing neglect of the artisan registration system—"

"Although the Ministry of Works has repeatedly issued orders, the prefectures and counties have paid lip service to them, and five or six out of ten artisans have absconded with their registrations."

"Whenever I think of this, I am filled with grief and indignation!"

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the assembled officials in the hall:

"In the past, Qi Shaobao bitterly denounced the ills of military equipment: 'The armor is worn out, the firearms are defective, the muzzles of the guns are crooked, and the lead bullets are not properly fitted.'"

He pressed his hand against the rusty three-barreled gun.

"Now it seems that the deep-seated problems are even more profound, especially with firearms."

"The most urgent task is to quickly develop a new type of firearm. What are your plans, gentlemen?"

The hall was deathly silent, with only the faint hiss of incense smoke rising from the incense burner.

"His Majesty!"

Gao Zhuo's lips trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty, I dare to suggest... that we could thicken the gun barrel, select the finest iron, and then wrap the gunpowder in waterproof tarpaulin..."

He raised his head, his gaze passing over the rusty three-barreled gun on the imperial desk.

"Although...although it cannot solve the problem of slow loading, it may slightly reduce the risks of pipe bursting and rain damage...but..."

"Your Excellency's intentions are commendable, but this is not a fundamental solution!"

Zhu Cilang withdrew his hand from the old gun.

"I am well aware that the old problems are difficult to eliminate, so I have racked my brains to come up with a solution."

His gaze shifted to Han Zanzhou:

"Get the diagram!"

Han Zanzhou moved lightly and quickly retreated to a carved wooden cabinet to the side, took out a scroll of diagrams, and slowly unfurled it on the imperial desk.

All eyes in the hall instantly focused on it.

The diagram features clear lines and an exquisite structure, unlike anything seen before.

Zhu Cilang glanced at the assembled officials, whose faces showed surprise and doubt, and finally his gaze fell upon the scroll diagram:

"This is the new gun I designed, named the 'Divine Machine Gun'."

"Its method combines Bi Maokang's self-generated flintlock technique with the essence of Zhao Shizhen's electric musket technique, and the two are combined into one, resulting in a complete transformation."

Run your finger along the flint firing mechanism in the picture.

"This gun is fired with flint and steel, and is impervious to rain, snow, wind, and frost!"

"Ammunition is pre-loaded into the magazine, and the magazine is changed in combat, allowing for rapid firing—"

He paused deliberately, each word spoken with firm conviction.

"Six shots can be fired in succession within five breaths!"