Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Zhu Cilang stood up, memories flooding his mind:

"Since the opening of the sea during the Longqing reign, Macao has become a haven for Portuguese."

The sound echoed clearly in the empty hall.

"During the Wanli era, a 'council' was even established to manage the internal affairs of the Portuguese."

"It has established councilors, judges, and directors, and in important matters, bishops and officials discuss them together, making it a state within a state."

He suddenly turned around and looked at Han Zanzhou.

"Does Han Banban understand the deeper meaning behind this?"

Han Zanzhou hurried forward half a step, the tassels of his whisk trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty's wisdom shines forth!"

"This servant...this servant is truly a blockhead...doesn't understand what you mean?"

Zhu Cilang returned to the throne, a look of understanding on his face:

"This shows that the Jesuits did much more than just spread knowledge?"

"It also involves politics, civil administration, and criminal law. The missionaries it sends are no different from envoys or even spies of other countries."

At this point, he lightly picked up the teacup on the imperial table and took a small sip:

"You do not appear as officials, but act in the name of priests. Your intentions are probably not simply to spread the word. What you are after is—"

Han Zanzhou, his face full of anxiety, asked urgently:

"Your Majesty, please enlighten us! What exactly are these red-haired monks plotting in coming to our Great Ming?"

Zhu Cilang placed the teacup back on the table, the porcelain cup touching the wooden table with a crisp "tap".

He was about to speak—

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and the eunuch in charge of ceremonies rushed into the hall, panting heavily.

"Congratulations, Holy Lord!"

"The Vice Minister of Works and the Left Censor of the Ministry of War jointly reported a victory; the 'Flintlock Gun' was initially completed."

A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Cilang's eyes. While the matter of Macau was important, the self-made Shenji Cannon was even more urgent.

If this gun is successfully made, the fighting strength of the Beijing garrison will be completely transformed.

He immediately stood up and waved his sleeve:

"Prepare the carriage for the Ministry of Works! I want to see for myself the power of this new type of firearm."

......

The imperial carriage left the palace and proceeded along the wide imperial road.

A gentle breeze blows, and the lanterns hanging under the Thousand-Step Corridor sway softly.

To the east stand the six ministries with their green walls and black tiles; to the west, the five military governorates' mansions are marked with vermilion gates and animal-shaped ornaments; the Jinyiwei prison is hidden in the western corner.

Gao Zhuo, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, was already kneeling beside the imperial road, holding a flintlock pistol covered with yellow silk aloft with both hands.

"Your Majesty! The Divine Machine Gun is complete; we humbly request your approval!"

"Move to the training ground."

The sound of horses' hooves shattered the silence of the imperial road as the ceremonial procession passed through the city gates and headed straight for the drill ground.

On an elm wood table in the center of the drill ground, five cannons were arranged diagonally like a flock of geese, and fifty paces away stood a thick oak target.

A scorching wind swept by, and the banners fluttered loudly.

Gao Zhuo rushed to the table, his left hand supporting the breech of the gun, his voice filled with excitement:

"Your Majesty, this gun is forged from refined iron through countless hammerings. Its momentum is like a reclining dragon, and its power is like a thunderbolt."

Fingertips slid from the gun barrel toward the rear sight.

"The gun is six feet long and heavy, and only a strong man can hold it for a long time."

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the musket, and he nodded slightly:

"The completion of this vessel signifies the arrival of a holy emperor. Minister Gao's efforts this time have truly lived up to my praise of 'talent and wisdom'."

Although Gao Zhuo was somewhat pedantic before, after being reprimanded by Zhu Cilang, he proved to be quite capable.

Gao Zhuo held a gun in his left arm, a smile plastered on his face:

"Your Majesty flatters me. I am foolish and should have long ago fully understood Your Majesty's teachings."

His voice was excited.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request to personally demonstrate the use of the musket."

"allow!"

Gao Zhuo bent down, picked up the gun, and clicked the bullet into the main gun's hole.

The pin was deftly fastened, and a pinch of gunpowder was poured into the medicine pool.

He held his gun horizontally to his chest, and his boot heel slammed into the ground, creating a semi-circular warning line:

"Gentlemen, retreat immediately to a distance of three arrow-lengths."

"When this gun fires, the sound is like thunder, and iron pellets fly everywhere, which may alarm Your Majesty!"

The crowd's expressions changed slightly, and they all staggered back several steps, holding their breath.

"Bang--!"

A loud bang tore through the air, making everyone's eardrums ring.

A plume of grayish-white smoke billowed from the muzzle, and the pungent smell of sulfur assaulted the senses. Several civil officials were so frightened that they staggered back, covering their faces with their sleeves.

The lead bullet whistled as it tore through the sky, piercing the oak target fifty paces away, sending wood chips flying like a sudden rain.

Zhu Cilang's lips curled into a sharp smile:

"What a magnificent weapon! Load it for me immediately; I want to personally test its armor-piercing power."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dark figures of the courtiers suddenly gathered.

Minister of War Shi Kefa suddenly took half a step forward, his voice urgent:

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"The emperor does not approach weapons of mass destruction. Although the threat from the barbarians is increasing daily, how can we allow the emperor, of supreme status, to engage in the work of a craftsman?"

Gao Zhuo gripped the gun barrel tightly, sweat dripping down his temples and into his collar, his voice filled with terror:

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die!"

"This gun...did explode a month ago, injuring a craftsman."

"Though the arrows have struck without harm, crude iron will eventually dry out when exposed to fire. Your Majesty is the foundation of the nation, and I would rather die than accept the task of firing a gun."

Han Zanzhou, now deathly pale, knelt down with a thud and, disregarding all etiquette, grabbed the hem of Zhu Cilang's robe.

"Your Majesty! Your health is of paramount importance, and the fate of the nation rests upon you; you must not take any risks!"

The courtiers were in uproar, and voices of dissuasion rose like a tide.

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept across the entire room, his voice as cold as iron:

"In the past, Emperor Taizu established a military supply depot at Longjiang and personally tested firearms to destroy enemy ships; how valiant he was!"

"Emperor Chengzu led five expeditions to the northern deserts, with his divine muskets and cannons arrayed in front of him, what a magnificent sight!"

He showed no fear.

"Now that the enemy is surrounding us, and the nation is in grave danger, if I were to be timid and hesitant, I wouldn't even dare to personally test a single weapon to protect the country."

"How can we offer our condolences at the Imperial Ancestral Temple? How can we face the world?"

Before he finished speaking, he had already snatched the Shenji Cannon from Gao Zhuo's hand.

Shi Kefa's brows suddenly furrowed.

Gao Zhuo felt his palm go empty, and beads of sweat rolled down his temples.

The gun feels slightly heavy in the hand, cool and solid.

Zhu Cilang took a deep breath, suppressing the slight tremor in his heart.

With the musket resting on his shoulder, the six-foot barrel of the gun pierced his vision like a black rainbow, the sights aligned with the bullseye fifty paces away.

As the trigger travels further, the hammer inside the musket suddenly rises.

"Bang--!"

Another thunderous explosion rang out, and the lead bullet whistled through the air, piercing the distant wooden target and scattering wood chips everywhere.

Zhu Cilang stared at the seam of the cowhide breech of the gun, but not a trace of gunpowder smoke could be seen escaping from it.

The sealing method using tanned cowhide by Quanzhou craftsman Lin Yuan proved effective.

"good!"

He praised loudly:

"This gun reforms three long-standing problems:"

"The gun is breech-loading, allowing for rapid reloading;"

"Striking flint into fire is faster than striking a match."

"The cowhide seal can relieve the problem of qi leakage."

He turned to Gao Zhuo,

"The Ministry of Works is ordered to construct 3,000 poles before the beginning of winter and distribute them to the Beijing Garrison."

Upon receiving the decree, the court officials shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhu Cilang slowly swept his gaze over the standing officials, the lingering smell of gunpowder still reaching their nostrils:

"All of you ministers are well-versed in military affairs."

"However, weapons are instruments of destruction, and the gain or loss of one weapon may affect the whole situation. Although this gun is powerful, are there any shortcomings? Please feel free to speak."

Upon hearing this, the assembled officials fell silent, all focusing their attention in deep thought.

After a moment, Zuo Maodi, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, stepped forward:

"Your Majesty!"

"The Book of Divine Weapons records the Lu Mi Cannon, whose breech can be fitted with a two-foot-long fine steel blade, which can be transformed into a horse-slaying sword in close combat."

His gaze swept over the bare breechblock of the new gun.

"Now, this new musket has abandoned this excellent design. If enemy cavalry suddenly close to within ten paces, how can soldiers armed with empty muskets defend themselves?"