Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

In the days that followed, Lin Fan began to study artillery.

He has theoretical knowledge.

But there is a vast distance between theory and practice.

First, there's the material.

Artillery requires high-quality copper or iron to withstand enormous chamber pressure.

Copper is too expensive, and iron is too brittle.

If cast from ordinary pig iron, nine out of ten cannons will explode, and the remaining one will be ruined after firing only a few shots.

"If only we could forge steel..." Lin Fan murmured to himself.

steel.

That was the pinnacle of the Iron Age.

In this era, the best steel is "refined steel"—pig iron is repeatedly forged to remove impurities and adjust the carbon content.

But that's how swords and knives are made.

Cannons are so big, it's impossible to use refined steel.

Another approach is needed.

He decided to start small.

Build a small cannon—or rather, a large-caliber musket.

The wrought iron is rolled into a cylindrical shape and repeatedly forged to make the cannon barrel.

The outside of the cannon barrel was reinforced with iron hoops.

The gun carriage was made of hardwood and fitted with two wheels.

This is a replica of the original "Tiger Crouching Cannon" or "Cup Mouth Cannon".

Although it has a short range, low power, and short lifespan, it is at least a cannon.

It's better than nothing.

Lin Fan led the craftsmen to begin the experiment.

The first time, the barrel was not forged dense enough, and it exploded during the test firing, with iron fragments flying everywhere.

Fortunately, Lin Fan had the foresight to have everyone hide behind cover, thus preventing any casualties.

The second time, the cannon barrel didn't explode, but its range was only a few dozen paces, even less than that of a bow and arrow.

The third time, the gunpowder ratio was improved and the amount of propellant was increased, increasing the range to over a hundred paces, but cracks appeared in the cannon barrel.

The fourth time, the fifth time, the sixth time...

Every failure means a significant waste of time and materials.

Li Zicheng did not urge him.

He knew this was something the team had never done before, and it couldn't be rushed.

Gu Jun'en also expressed his understanding.

But Lin Fan knew that their patience was limited.

We must produce results as soon as possible.

---

The 23rd test.

Lin Fan used a new forging method—stacked several pieces of wrought iron together, heated them, and repeatedly forged them until they were fused together.

This is a traditional "folding and forging" method. Although it cannot compare to genuine high-quality steel, it can effectively reduce impurities and air bubbles in the iron.

After the cannon barrel was made, he put an iron hoop on the outside.

The gunpowder used was carefully selected and granulated black powder, with the amount of gunpowder precisely controlled.

The shell was a solid iron ball, slightly smaller in diameter than the cannon barrel, and wrapped in a layer of linen to increase its airtightness.

The test launch site was chosen in a deserted wasteland deep in a valley.

Lin Fan lit the fuse himself.

Everyone hid behind cover in the distance, holding their breath.

*Whoosh—Boom!*

A loud bang was heard, and black smoke billowed up.

The iron ball whistled through the air and crashed onto a hillside two hundred paces away, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The cannon barrel did not explode.

Lin Fan quickly ran over to inspect the cannon barrel.

No cracks, no deformation.

The iron hoops are intact.

"It's a success..." he murmured, his voice trembling.

"It's a success!" Han Jinhu was the first to react, jumping up excitedly. "Brother Lin, you've built a cannon!"

The artisans cheered and hugged each other.

Tears streamed down Sun the blacksmith's face as he murmured, "This old man has lived his whole life, and I never imagined I'd see someone actually build a cannon..."

When the news reached Li Zicheng, he came to investigate in person.

Looking at the crude and simple cannon, and at the shell craters on the hillside two hundred paces away, Li Zicheng remained silent for a long time.

Then, he said something to Lin Fan.

"Master Lin, you are a gift from God."

Lin Fan shook his head: "It wasn't me, it was everyone's doing it together."

Li Zicheng patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

But Lin Fan knew that from this moment on, his position in Li Zicheng's heart was different again.

---

With the experience gained from the first cannon, the rest became much easier.

Lin Fan began organizing the craftsmen to produce in batches.

When materials were insufficient, people were sent to search for iron everywhere—discarded farm tools, broken iron pots, damaged weapons, anything that could be melted down was collected.

If there isn't enough manpower, select clever young people from the new recruits and let them learn on the job.

A month later, they built three identical small cannons.

Although each door was rough and simple, full of traces of a handmade workshop, at least it could make a sound and shoot an iron ball two hundred paces away.

For a peasant army, this was already a remarkable achievement.

Li Zicheng personally named these three cannons "Chuang" cannons.

On the body of each cannon, a crooked "闯" (chuǎng, meaning to break through) character was carved with a knife.

---

While Lin Fan was engrossed in building the cannon, undercurrents were swirling within the team.

The incident was caused by Liu Zongmin.

Liu Zongmin was in charge of training troops and commanded nearly a thousand new soldiers, making him the most powerful leader under Li Zicheng.

As his power grew, so did his ambition.

Some rumors, through Tian Ergou's informants, reached Lin Fan's ears.

Lin Fan didn't make a fuss, but quietly reminded Li Zicheng.

"General, things haven't been quite right with Chief Liu lately."

Li Zicheng glanced at him and said, "I know."

Lin Fan was taken aback.

"Do you think I'm blind?" Li Zicheng said calmly. "I've seen all his little tricks."

"That general..."

"No rush," Li Zicheng waved his hand. "He can't turn the world upside down."

Lin Fan said no more.

He knew that Li Zicheng had his own plans.

---

A few days later, Gu Jun'en found Lin Fan and gave him a special task.

"Master Lin, could you make a batch of... special weapons?"

"A special weapon?" Lin Fan asked, puzzled.

Gu Jun'en lowered his voice: "These are for the general's personal guards. They need to be better and more refined than ordinary swords and spears. A few dozen will suffice."

Lin Fan understood.

Li Zicheng was cultivating his own core military force.

Liu Zongmin's disloyalty made Li Zicheng realize that he could not rely solely on these "old brothers".

He needs an elite force that is completely loyal to him as his last resort.

"Yes," Lin Fan nodded. "Give me a month."

---

Over the next month, Lin Fan, along with Han Jinhu and several of his most trusted craftsmen, secretly forged a batch of "special" weapons in a separate workshop deep inside the blacksmith shop.

The best iron was used – wrought iron and steel selected from captured government troops' weapons.

The best craftsmanship is used – repeated forging and careful quenching, with each process being meticulously executed.

The blade is engraved with fine cloud patterns, which serve both as decoration and as proof of the number of times it has been forged.

The handle is made of fine hardwood and wrapped with oil-soaked silk rope, making it feel solid and powerful in the hand.

Each knife was paired with a meticulously crafted scabbard—the craftsmanship of Zhao the carpenter and Ma the leatherworker was on full display at this moment.

A month later, thirty finely crafted waist knives were placed in front of Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng picked up a knife and drew it out.

The blade reflected a cold light in the sunlight, and the cloud-like patterns flowed like ripples on water.

He bent his knuckles and flicked the blade lightly.

Ding--!

The sound was clear and resonant, like a dragon's roar.

"What a fine knife," Li Zicheng exclaimed.

He swung his knife at a wooden stake.

With a flash of the blade, the wooden stake snapped in two, leaving a smooth cut.

"What a fine knife!" Li Zicheng laughed heartily. "Master Lin, you have never disappointed me."

He distributed these thirty knives to his most trusted personal guards.

Each of the guards cherished the knife they received, and their loyalty to Li Zicheng deepened even further.

Lin Fan stood aside, silently watching all of this.

He knew it wasn't just thirty knives.

These are thirty seeds of loyalty.

It was a dike that Li Zicheng built for himself amidst the undercurrents within his own ranks.