Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 526 Guide to Firearms Development

Although it was a pleasant experience to stroll through the garden with Daiyu and the others, Jia Lian knew all too well that he was far from being able to indulge in romantic pursuits.

The reason he has achieved his current status and success, and can wield great influence within his family, lies primarily in the fact that he has gained the favor of Emperor Ningkang and is able to serve the emperor.

If one forgets this point and, like Jia Baoyu, indulges in the pleasures of the Grand View Garden, then everything will be castles in the air, and it would not be surprising if one ends up like Jia Baoyu.

Therefore, he had to prioritize Emperor Ningkang's affairs. For example, the boast he made to Emperor Ningkang about firearms had to be put on the agenda.

The Shenji Battalion, as one of the few organized military units in the capital, did not hold a high status.

There weren't many combat personnel either. According to the data Jia Lian obtained, the entire Shenji Battalion only had two or three thousand officers and soldiers, which was about the same as the number of officers and soldiers in a military command!

It should be noted that, strictly speaking, the Military and Horse Divisions were not considered part of the military, since their duties were not much different from those of the yamen runners of Shuntian Prefecture. Moreover, there were as many as five Military and Horse Divisions.

In comparison, the status of the Shenji Battalion is self-evident.

Bian Hong, the commander of the Shenji Battalion, is an old general with little future and will most likely remain in the Shenji Battalion until his retirement.

At first, when he learned that the emperor had parachuted a deputy commander into his territory, he was somewhat worried that the court might be dissatisfied with him and wanted to seize his military power. However, after several encounters with Jia Lian, especially after hearing Jia Lian say that he was only ordered to modify firearms, Bian Hong felt much more at ease.

With a wave of his hand, he declared that the entire firearms battalion would be handed over to Jia Lian for his care, and that he could make any requests he had, which Jia Lian would comply with without question.

Furthermore, they sent people to assist him throughout the process so that Jia Lian could become familiar with the affairs of the Shenji Camp more quickly.

Jia Lian was naturally pleased with Bian Hong's attitude. He didn't want to repeat the mistakes he made in the Military Affairs Bureau, where he had to fight with his colleagues after taking office, which was a waste of time and energy.

In truth, a Shenji Battalion like this held little appeal for him at present. Although the Shenji Battalion was one rank higher than the Bingma Division in terms of official hierarchy, it paled in comparison to the Bingma Division in terms of both importance and lucrative opportunities.

Therefore, he naturally disdained to compete with Bian Hong for territory.

As for the Shenji Battalion developing and becoming important in the future according to his plan, that's another story.

However, that's probably not something to consider right now. If that day ever comes, as long as Bian Hong is sensible and doesn't cause trouble for him during the process, then on the day of success, Jia Lian wouldn't mind giving him a great opportunity and sending him to a different place to retire by means of a promotion.

This wasn't Jia Lian boasting. According to his speculation, the Age of Exploration had already begun, and powerful Western nations were gradually appearing on the territory of Wei and reaching the ears of Wei's rulers. This was the basis for why Emperor Ningkang was able to be persuaded by Jia Lian so easily, as Emperor Ningkang was not entirely ignorant of foreign countries.

Therefore, if Jia Lian can truly make significant progress in the development of firearms in the Great Wei and make them effective on the battlefield, the credit for this achievement, even if shared among others, would be enough to benefit them immensely.

"Sir, this area is where our firearms battalion is located. I wonder what you would like to see today, or if you would like them to assemble for your instructions?"

A deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion named Su Keguang, following Bian Hong's instructions, led a few men to inspect various parts of Jia Lian's Shenji Battalion and familiarize him with the battalion's affairs.

Hearing that Jia Lian was interested in firearms, he naturally took Jia Lian to inspect the area where firearms were stored and manufactured.

"No need. Just take me around to the various barracks and give me a detailed introduction to the types and power of the firearms currently in our Shenji Battalion."

"Okay."

Accompanying superiors on inspection tours is an easy job, especially since everyone knows that Jia Lian is a favorite of the emperor. As long as you serve Jia Lian well, he can easily promote you in the future, which will be much faster than if you had to work hard to get promoted yourself.

So one by one, they did their best to introduce the firearms that were still kept in the Shenji Camp to Jia Lian.

"My lord, look, these cannons are the most powerful cannons currently in our Shenji Battalion, and many of them are equipped by the army."

For example, this breech-loading cannon came from the far west, and its power is far greater than that of the cannons of the previous dynasty.

Arriving at a warehouse, Su Keguang pointed to four cannons displayed inside, his face beaming as he introduced them. Clearly, these were cannons worthy of being publicized.

Jia Lian stopped, went inside to take a look, and found that this thing was indeed tall and mighty, with a truly impressive appearance, so he asked about its specific power.

"It's incredibly powerful; I heard one shot can blast through half of a city wall!"

"I heard?"

"Well, I haven't seen it with my own eyes either. But Commander Bian once took this thing outside the city to demonstrate it to the officials of the Ministry of War. The newly built earthen wall could indeed be easily blown down with a single cannon shot."

Seeing Su Keguang's embarrassed expression, Jia Lian knew that given the Wei Dynasty's disregard for artillery, it would be difficult for an official to be knowledgeable about all firearms.

After learning about the ammunition loading process, Jia Lian was greatly disappointed.

The operation was complicated, the ignition method was primitive, and most importantly, the shell was just a huge iron ball. It was assumed that the destructive power relied entirely on the impact force of inertia. It was completely different from the cannon that Jia Lian remembered, which could explode in all directions.

It seems that improving artillery is a long and arduous task.

So they temporarily set aside their focus on the cannons and asked the others, "How are the muskets in our Shenji Battalion?"

"Musketeers? You mean hand cannons, sir? Yes, we have many different kinds. Would you like to take a look?"

"Take a look."

Su Keguang was somewhat suspicious, wondering why Jia Lian was so fond of firearms. After all, their Shenji Battalion possessed all sorts of weapons, especially their newly developed ballista, which was not only simpler to operate than previous ballistas but also incredibly powerful.

One crossbow bolt is enough to string seven or eight enemies together. Isn't that much more powerful than these dark, clumsy things?

He was even planning to give Jia Lian a long lecture on crossbows, but who knew that Jia Lian had absolutely no interest in those things.

"Sir, this is the musket bureau. The best muskets in our Shenji Battalion can basically be found here."

Su Keguang and the others led Jia Lian to a huge barracks where about a dozen craftsmen were busy at work. The firelight and the sound of hammering mingled, creating a bustling scene that made Jia Lian's eyes light up slightly.

This atmosphere is nice; there might be a surprise.

With this in mind, Jia Lian went inside, his gaze naturally lingering on the various muskets hanging on the wall.

Suddenly, Jia Lian took a gleaming, polished musket from the wall and began to play with it, startling Su Keguang and the others who cried out in alarm, "Sir, be careful it doesn't go off accidentally!"

Judging from Jia Lian's demeanor, they knew he had never handled a musket before. If it accidentally went off and killed them, who would they complain to?

Jia Lian had indeed never used a musket. During his several trips to the battlefield, none of his soldiers used firearms, demonstrating their unpopularity.

Seeing him handle the gun, several of his subordinates turned pale with fright. Jia Lian didn't deliberately tease them, but instead handed the two-foot-long gun to Su Keguang and instructed him to find someone to demonstrate it to him.

"How about next time, sir? There's not much room to maneuver here, and it wouldn't be good if you were startled..."

Su Keguang and the others wanted to try to persuade him further, but seeing Jia Lian's gaze darken, they dared not say anything more. They found the most skilled musketeer and tested the gun at a dilapidated shooting range outside.

"Bang!"

The musketeers completed the firing rehearsal with the most standard procedures, then turned back to Jia Lian with hopeful expressions, trying to gain praise from their superior.

But Jia Lian's brows were furrowed into a deep frown, his face full of disappointment.

Su Keguang and the others were puzzled. "Sir, what's wrong?"

"Do the muskets of the Shenji Battalion all require three people to operate?"

Jia Lian voiced his doubts. Although he knew from the design of those muskets that firing them wouldn't be simple, he still felt a sense of disappointment after seeing the soldiers' demonstration.

Putting everything else aside, just the firing process alone requires one person to hold the gun, one person to load the gunpowder and fuse, and a third person to light it with a torch...

Damn it, it's almost the same as the firing process of artillery.

As you can imagine, by the time you finish this series of maneuvers on the battlefield, the enemy will be right in front of you! Su Keguang slapped his forehead and laughed after hearing Jia Lian's complaint: "Sir, you're complaining that this musket requires three people to operate? We also have some that are easy to operate."

After saying that, Su Keguang immediately turned to his men and said, "Quickly, fetch that 'Fire Serpent Spear' that only one person can use!"

Hearing that there was a solution that could be used by one person, Jia Lian was slightly relieved.

However, after Su Keguang and the others brought out the guns to demonstrate, Jia Lian sighed heavily.

It turns out that this so-called "fire snake gun" is simply a burning match tied near the ignition port. When the trigger is pulled, the burning match ignites the gunpowder in the barrel, thus completing the firing process!

This thing does look simpler than the long gun that three people used to operate; one person can operate it.

However, the launch speed was slower than that of the previous three people, and its only advantage was that it saved two people!

The key point is that even from Jia Lian's layman's perspective, the "Fire Serpent Spear" has too many drawbacks.

Leaving aside the crucial aspects of a musket's firing rate and power, consider the matchlock. Although it's specially made, it's still just a rope. If the weather turns bad, like rain, and the matchlock goes out, what's the difference between a musket and a fire poker?

Therefore, Jia Lian couldn't help but wonder: "Is this all there is in our Shenji Battalion? Nothing like... flintlock muskets?"

Su Keguang and the others looked at each other, clearly not understanding the meaning of "flintlock gun".

"The flintlock musket you mentioned, sir, is it a type of firearm? I wonder where you heard about it? How fast does it fire, how powerful is it, and is it possible to replicate it?"

When Su Keguang and the others questioned him, Jia Lian fell silent.

Although his knowledge of firearms was very limited, and he only knew the concept of a flintlock musket, he was certain that it was far more advanced than this damn "fire snake gun".

Moreover, in his impression, flintlock guns should not be difficult to manufacture. He did not expect that the development of firearms in the Great Wei Dynasty had not even reached this stage!

"Alright, summon all the artisans from the arquebusiers bureau. I need to give them a lecture."

Since the readily available firearms were in such a terrible state, Jia Lian had no choice but to abandon the idea of ​​taking shortcuts and start from scratch.

At the same time, Jia Lian couldn't help but feel a genuine sense of urgency.

Although he had never dealt with the powerful Western nations and did not know how advanced their firearms had become, his intuition told him that the firearms of those potential enemies were definitely more advanced than those currently in use by the Great Wei!

This is a very serious problem.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Jia Lian doesn't want to travel back in time and experience being bullied by foreign powers!

At this moment, all thoughts of romance and currying favor with Emperor Ningkang vanished. All Jia Lian had in his mind was to elevate the development of firearms in the Great Wei to a new level, ensuring they didn't fall behind the enemy! Fortunately, although he didn't understand guns or cannons, he at least possessed some basic, yet remarkably advanced, concepts compared to this world!

He also believes that a great nation like China has never lacked talent.

Given time, and with sufficient support and guidance for his artisans, he will surely be able to create firearms that are more advanced and powerful than the matchlock gun and the breech-loading cannon!

The most urgent task is to develop guns before cannons.

The simplest way to make guns is to first develop the concept of a "flintlock gun".

"The flintlock musket you mentioned, sir, does it mean one that uses something like a flint to strike a spark, which ignites the gunpowder and launches the weapon?"

Within the arquebus workshop, there were still many craftsmen who were very knowledgeable about arquebuses.

Jia Lian had only explained the principle of the flintlock musket when an old craftsman asked a question.

Jia Lian thought about it and agreed with what he said, so he nodded.

To everyone's surprise, the old craftsman chuckled and said, "We had a young man in our musket workshop who suggested mounting flint and steel on the muskets. He even assembled a short musket himself. But the flint and steel always failed to ignite, and the chamber wasn't sturdy enough; it fell apart after a few uses, so it wasn't taken seriously by the higher-ups..."

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's expression brightened, and he hurriedly asked where the person was.

Doing research requires both talent and effort.

Jia Lian felt he didn't have enough energy to study these things himself, so having a few talented people who loved firearms to help him was the most important thing for him at this time.

"That young man's name is Wu Youquan. As for where he went... let Lord Su tell us."

Seeing that Jia Lian was interested in a craftsman, Su Keguang dared not hide anything and quickly replied, "There was indeed a young craftsman here before named Wu Youquan. Because he was clever and resourceful, he was transferred away by the Bureau of Bows and Arrows."

Of course, Jia Lian knew that there was a crossbow bureau in the Shenji Camp, and it was even his own son's business, so it was much more favored than the musket bureau!

He was utterly speechless. If even the Divine Machine Battalion was like this, it would be a miracle if the Great Wei's firearms could even get going.

So he immediately ordered that the man be transferred back to him! Putting aside Jia Lian's other identities, Jia Lian was also the deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion, so transferring someone was very easy for him, and no one dared to say a word.

So Jia Lian soon met this young craftsman named Wu Youquan.

When he heard Jia Lian talk about the concept of flintlock muskets, he became very excited, especially after learning Jia Lian's identity and purpose.

"Your words have cleared up many of my doubts and concerns. If you give me time, I am confident that I can build a musket that does not require any fuse, just as you have said!" Wu Youquan made a very generous guarantee.

Jia Lian was even more generous.

"Very well, if you can accomplish this, I will not only reward you with one hundred taels of silver, but if you do a good job, I may even petition His Majesty on your behalf to grant you an official position!"

The research on firearms in the Great Wei Dynasty had been stagnant for too long. Jia Lian wanted to use a large reward to arouse the enthusiasm and fighting spirit of these grassroots craftsmen.

"Apart from Wu Youquan, the same applies to all of you. Starting tomorrow, I will inspect the arquebus bureau at least once every three days to check your research progress. Anyone who makes a contribution to arquebus development or offers useful suggestions will be rewarded!"

After encouraging all the craftsmen, Jia Lian beckoned Su Keguang over, pointed at Wu Youquan, and instructed him: "From today onwards, arrange a separate barracks for him, equipped with the best facilities. Moreover, he can freely draw upon up to ten men from the entire firearms battalion if he needs them, and no one else may refuse. I'll trouble Lord Su to handle this matter."

Su Keguang had always wanted to curry favor with Jia Lian, and now that he could do things for Jia Lian, he naturally had no objections.

Wu Youquan, who was standing nearby, felt uneasy when he heard that Jia Lian had given him such high honors and treatment, and he quickly knelt down to express his gratitude.

To this, Jia Lian simply said to him, "As long as you can create something useful, you deserve all of this, and you will receive even more in the future. So, don't disappoint me."

"Yes, I will certainly not dare to disappoint your high expectations!"

……