The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 117 Luo Guanzhong's Achievements

Inside the university hall.

After watching the eldest grandson of the emperor walk to another place, Tao Chengdao led his young son back to the firearms workshop.

Upon arriving at the forging station, he pondered the next steps for improving the mother-child firing system.

Tao Jingchu came to the side and pondered, "Father, as His Highness instructed, the next key point is mass production!"

"Our hand-held prototypes are good, but if we can't mass-produce them and equip them in the military, they're ultimately just for show!"

"To speed up mass production, I've just thought about it, and perhaps we could follow the eldest grandson's method and fix every step of the process!"

"For example, the number of hammer blows required to forge the copper tube, the number of times the inner cavity needed to be stirred, and the proportions of gunpowder were all listed in a booklet. Each craftsman was responsible for one step of the process, and they were strictly separated from each other. This way, the forging efficiency was increased, and the secrets were also prevented from being leaked!"

Tao Chengdao turned around, slowly surveyed the group of craftsmen, stroked his beard, and said, "Your idea is quite good!"

"But it's really difficult for our workshop alone to produce that many firearms. We'll have to ask the Emperor for permission to have the Ordnance Bureau handle it."

"Especially copper and iron, the demand will be huge in the future, and the Ministry of Works will need to cooperate."

"In a couple of days, we'll submit another memorial to the palace, explaining this matter in detail!"

"As for the coming months, we'll strive to complete the mother-and-child breech-loading system and that new type of artillery!"

"My son understands!"

As the father and son were talking.

Meanwhile, led by his second uncle Chang Sheng, Zhu Xiong Ying had arrived at the crossbow workshop.

The person in charge of modifying the crossbows was named Liu An. He was skilled in bow making and had previously served as an official in the Ministry of Works.

Upon seeing the arrival of the eldest grandson of the emperor, he had already led his disciples and students to greet him.

Upon entering the neighborhood.

Liu An couldn't wait any longer and handed over the new bow, grinning as he said, "Your Highness has arrived at just the right time!"

"In the past two days, we have made further improvements to this bow, testing it dozens of times—"

"Following Your Highness's suggestion, the crossbows here utilize a lever system, making drawing the bow easier and nearly doubling its power!"

"The bows used in the army can penetrate a single layer of iron armor at eighty paces, but lose their power beyond that. But with the same draw weight, they can reliably hit and injure someone at one hundred and twenty paces—"

Zhu Xiong Ying listened and slowly nodded.

Early Ming dynasty crossbows were mostly short-barreled and short-bodied, with insufficient energy storage. In addition, they were difficult to string, had a slow rate of fire, and were easily damaged. They were acceptable for defensive battles, but were limited in open field battles.

Drawing on the advantages of later bows and crossbows, the lever principle was utilized to lengthen the bow tip and optimize the bow's curvature!

The process of using cow horn and tendon to degrease the product can greatly extend its lifespan.

Further improvements to the arrows and arrowheads can balance both range and power.

Zhu Xiong Ying gently stroked the bow and pulled the bowstring. He felt that it was smooth and the tension was even, without any stiffness.

Combining the words of the old craftsman Liu An, one can't help but admire their skillful hands and ingenuity!

"Your Highness, please take another look. In terms of the arrow's design, the shaft is made of birch wood, and it is air-dried in the shade rather than being heated over a fire. This prevents it from warping over a long period of time!"

"The arrowheads have been redesigned with a triangular, armor-piercing shape and a sharper blade. The center of gravity has been shifted forward by two points, resulting in greater range and accuracy!"

Zhu Xiong Ying held it in his hand, examining its shape. His eyes lit up immediately, and he exclaimed approvingly, "Master Liu, you've worked hard!"

"The power of a bow and crossbow lies half in the bow and half in the arrow. Only by perfecting this detail can soldiers unleash its full potential!"

Whether it's firearms or this new type of crossbow.

This is a real and tangible improvement in the strength of the Ming army!

It could be used in the Northern Expedition!

Liu An repeatedly declined, but seeing the eldest grandson of the emperor's great interest, he turned and invited, "Your Highness, there is a special training ground for bows and crossbows outside our workshop. Why don't we go try them out now and see how well they perform!"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and said, "Good, that's exactly what we were thinking!"

Upon arriving at the training ground, one could see that more than a dozen scarecrows had already been placed in front of them, their bodies covered in iron armor, which was mostly pitted and uneven.

Over the years, Zhu Xiong Ying has never forgotten to exercise.

He was already quite strong. After taking the arrow from Sanbao, he nocked it, drew the bow, and shot it straight out in one smooth motion.

call out!

A humming sound of a bowstring rang in my ears.

Then, with a muffled thud, it landed firmly on the Iron Man, who was a hundred paces away!

Panting heavily, Lai Fu rushed over and, with all his might, pulled the arrow from the bow. He shouted, "Your Highness, the arrow hit the bullseye, pierced the iron armor, and penetrated three inches into the wooden target behind!"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Is the imperial grandson born with superhuman strength?

Even Chang Sheng's eyebrows twitched unconsciously.

No wonder he's the Chang family's nephew!

He is also the grandson of his father, Chang Yuchun, the Great War God of the Ming Dynasty!

The eldest grandson of the current emperor!

Among them, his extraordinary bravery at such a young age is truly a result of his two elders' genes!

Ignoring the gazes around him, Zhu Xiong Ying put down his bow and crossbow and nodded.

If I return to the palace today, I will present this improved bow to Old Zhu.

You'll be happy for days!

He gestured to Sanbao to put away the bows and crossbows.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Liu An and the others, and couldn't help but clap his hands in praise, "Lord Liu and all of you have devoted months of your efforts to creating this new type of bow!"

"Now that we have these powerful weapons, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty can shed less blood!"

"After we return to the palace today, we will report to the Emperor and request that you all be rewarded!"

Liu An and the others, their faces beaming with joy, bowed and said, "It is our honor to serve the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty! We dare not claim any credit!"

"Within the university's workshops, we will certainly not disappoint Your Highness's expectations!"

Visited several workshops.

Since it was still early, Zhu Xiong Ying went for a walk in the fields where the agricultural science department was conducting experiments.

Many veteran farmers are sowing new seeds, and after they mature, they will select the best varieties.

These tasks naturally involve long cycles, far exceeding the timeframes of days and months!

After giving more encouragement.

Based on the results of these past few months, and the students' learning progress, he considered it a passing grade!

Before leaving, Zhu Xiong Ying called his second uncle Chang Sheng and officials such as Wang Pu to his side and gave them some instructions regarding the follow-up work.

After returning to the city.

Zhu Xiong Ying did not return to the palace immediately, but instead went to the house outside the palace.

Incidentally, I also met with Luo Guanzhong, Jia Zhongming, and others today to see how the adaptation was progressing.

In fact, over the past few months...

With the help of the Crown Prince, many literati were recruited to participate in writing and other matters.

Because of the sudden arrival, no prior notice was given.

Therefore, when Luo Guanzhong and his associates learned that the imperial grandson had arrived outside the mansion, they hurriedly stopped writing and went to greet him.

"We, your humble servants, greet Your Highness the Crown Prince! May Your Highness live a thousand years!"

As soon as Zhu Xiong Ying got out of the car, she immediately raised her hand in a gesture of support and said with a smile, "No need for formalities, we're just here to take a look!"

Upon entering the residence, Luo Guanzhong, dressed in a long robe, handed over a stack of manuscripts with both hands, saying, "Please take a look, Your Highness!"

"This is a popular story drafted by us commoners in accordance with Your Highness's instructions, using the 'Great Proclamation' and the 'Great Ming Code' as its framework, and taking the grain theft case as its example, drawing on numerous real cases. It is tentatively titled 'A Tale to Awaken the World and Punish Greed'!"