Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 564 The Person Who Can Grant You an Official Position

"I heard that when the Emperor appointed you as the Deputy Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion, you made a pledge that you would achieve results within three years?"

Riding alongside Jia Lian, Princess Zhaoyang asked with a smile.

"That is true, but it wasn't a pledge I made voluntarily. Rather, His Majesty ordered me to show results within three years, or else he would simply remove my official hat."

"Oh, judging from Erlang's relaxed expression, and the fact that he's testing his gun here today, it seems he's achieved something?"

Jia Lian then laughed.

Upon seeing this, Princess Zhaoyang immediately cupped her hands in congratulations: "I knew it, nothing can stump Erlang. Although I don't understand firearms, I know that their power is far superior to ordinary swords, spears, and arrows. However, firearms have been around for hundreds of years. If they could be easily modified properly, neither the previous dynasty nor this dynasty would have regarded them as useless."

I really want to see the day when Erlang's firearms are widely used and become a powerful weapon on the battlefield.

Since Princess Zhaoyang fell in love with Jia Lian, she had tried every means to study him and knew that he had many strange qualities.

This is also an important reason why Jia Lian was able to attract her so much; otherwise, how could she, a noblewoman, act like a little woman in front of Jia Lian?

She had practiced martial arts since childhood and read extensively. Although she was not proficient in firearms, she knew that weapons such as cannons were incredibly powerful in sieges and positional warfare, capable of playing a role that ordinary weapons could not match.

She was initially drawn to Jia Lian's exceptional talent and literary brilliance, which even impressed her grandmother. Therefore, she thought that if Jia Lian could overcome the shortcomings and maximize the strengths of such mundane matters, then he would be a divine being sent from heaven, someone that would be difficult for even the most influential figures throughout history to match.

If that's the case, she would gladly follow him even unto death.

Therefore, she did have doubts in her heart, but given all that had happened in the past, she was willing to believe that Jia Lian could accomplish things that others could not.

Jia Lian turned around and smiled earnestly at Princess Zhaoyang, "Someone once said, 'Qingran, you're very good with words,'"

Princess Zhaoyang smiled brightly, "Yes, my grandmother always says I have a sweet tongue and know how to coax people... But the one who knows how to coax people the best is Erlang. You coaxed him so much that he lost all his reserve and came all this way to see you."

Jia Lian secretly shook his head. If he hadn't experienced two lifetimes and stood on the shoulders of countless giants, looking down from a high position, he would have easily fallen at her feet and willingly submitted to her commands.

How could I possibly expect them to compromise for my sake?

Even in front of Sister Feng, although he tried to teach her many times and it seemed like he was struggling, he actually handled it with ease. It was only in front of this woman that he often felt at a loss, fearing that he might be careless and fall into a disadvantageous position.

According to Jia Lian, Princess Zhaoyang was definitely one of the most intellectually and emotionally intelligent figures of her time.

To win over a woman like this, one must demonstrate sufficient strength, both in terms of soft and hard power.

"Don't worry, that day won't be far off."

Jia Lian smiled slightly, uttered these words with extreme confidence, then lightly spurred his horse and went alone to the shooting range.

He had long observed You Sanjie, who was the center of attention, but paid her no heed. Jia Lian had no intention of keeping all his women confined within his household; that would be a selfish and insecure approach.

On the contrary, if his woman truly possesses unique abilities in certain areas, he is willing to grant her freedom within the limits of his power.

Zhang Yong and a few others who had followed Jia Lian to the Oirat Mongols had mostly met Princess Zhaoyang before. Therefore, even though Princess Zhaoyang was dressed as a man, they recognized her at a glance and were all shocked.

Even Liu Xianglian and the others, who were unaware of her identity, knew that the woman at the head of the group must be of extraordinary origin, as she rode alongside Jia Lian with such ease. Seeing her stop and watch from the sidelines, everyone immediately abandoned their laziness and quickly lined up in several rows, their expressions becoming solemn.

They were Jia Lian's soldiers, and their military bearing and discipline represented Jia Lian's reputation. Since distinguished guests had arrived, they naturally could not tarnish Jia Lian's name.

Jia Lian was quite satisfied with what he saw, so after the room fell silent, he said loudly, "I know that many of you are unwilling to practice shooting skills. If it weren't for my order, you might not have come here today."

However, I hereby clearly tell you that in the not-too-distant future, all the skills you are so proud of, whether they are swords, spears, or halberds—these conventional weapons—will be completely replaced by firearms!

Upon hearing Jia Lian's words, a slight commotion arose within his personal guard of over fifty men.

Many people looked at each other in disbelief. Weapons such as swords, spears, and halberds have been around for thousands of years and have stood the test of time. Although they each have their strengths and weaknesses, they have never been completely replaced by one another.

Many people glanced at the muskets their companions carried on their backs, finding it hard to believe that these dark, grimy things could completely replace them!

Does that mean that in the future, generals and soldiers will be carrying such slow, cumbersome machines into battle? That would be utterly ridiculous.

If it weren't for Jia Lian saying these words, they probably wouldn't have been able to resist making sarcastic remarks.

Meanwhile, the firearms craftsmen, including Wu Youquan, listened with great excitement. If this were truly the case, wouldn't those of them who were currently dedicated to researching and improving firearms easily achieve historical fame?! Jia Lian didn't care what his subordinates were thinking; he only needed to instill these ideas, keeping those who could accept them and replacing those who couldn't with others—that was all.

"Therefore, if you still want to follow me and make great achievements on the battlefield, each of you must learn to use firearms skillfully."

"This is my request. If you cannot comply, you may apply for retirement and return home now."

No one spoke. Faced with Jia Lian's unquestionable gaze and words, even those who had doubts put aside their doubts and their gazes became firm.

"Very good. Where is Deputy Captain Liu?"

"Your humble servant is here."

Liu Xianglian stepped forward in response.

"On behalf of everyone, please share your thoughts on these firearms."

Faced with Jia Lian's order, Liu Xianglian thought for a moment and said, "My lord, I believe that these muskets, in terms of power and range, are superior to ordinary one-stone bows. However, their shortcomings are also obvious. The bullets fired from the muskets have very poor accuracy. If two people were to fight, I'm afraid it would be difficult for them to hit each other."

Secondly, the preparation time after each shot is too long.

Finally, sometimes the shots failed to fire, but Foreman Wu said this could be improved. He and his team had already collected the muskets that were prone to misfires, saying they were taking them back for research.

Liu Xianglian was skilled in martial arts from a young age, proficient in both swordsmanship and archery, so he was hesitant about the practicality of firearms.

However, seeing that Jia Lian trusted the muskets, he did not reveal it.

Jia Lian was very satisfied with Liu Xianglian's summary. He said, "The shortcomings you mentioned do exist, and I admit that with the current level of firearms in our Great Wei, they are not enough to replace ordinary swords and spears."

However, I hope you can face up to and even value the firearms in your hands.

Now, I'll show you how muskets are truly used in battle.

The poor accuracy of muskets at this time was due to manufacturing defects; the bullets were of inferior quality, and the barrel and receiver could not be sealed properly, causing the bullet's trajectory after leaving the barrel to easily deviate. However, Jia Lian did not intend to explain these issues in detail; he only wanted them to know the terrifying power of firearms on the battlefield and to make them take it seriously.

So he selected three of his personal guards to step forward, and then selected three more of each of them in turn, arranging them into four columns. He had them load ammunition, and after they had all finished, he ordered, "First column, aim at the target in front and fire."

Upon hearing the order, the three men pulled the trigger. Just as they were wondering if they had hit their targets, they suddenly heard Jia Lian order them to crouch down and reload their pills, and then order the second column to fire.

When the gunshot rang out overhead, the three of them jumped in fright, almost dropping the ammunition pouches in their hands.

"Last column, aim at the target and fire!"

After all twelve men in the four rows had finished firing, the scene became somewhat quiet for a moment.

Liu Xianglian and the others looked surprised. If they still couldn't understand the true use of Jia Lian's so-called musket battle formation against the enemy by this point, they would be considered dull-witted.

They always complained that the muskets were too slow to reload, but if they were fired this way, it seems that this biggest shortcoming could be effectively solved!

After all, apart from a very few exceptionally talented archers, it takes the average archer some time to nock an arrow, aim, and fire.

The interval between the firing of those four rows of twelve men didn't seem to be that long.

Many people looked thoughtful.

Jia Lian said, "You were worried that the musket ammunition would take too long to reload, and that the enemy might rush over and slaughter you during the gaps."

If this method is used, with ten or twenty men in a row, repeating this process several times, firing in separate columns, and after practice until proficient, by the time the last column has finished firing, the first column will have almost finished reloading ammunition, and the second round of firing can begin. In this way, firepower can be distributed, causing the enemy to panic and lose their composure before they even reach the front lines, thus defeating them without a fight.

Most people understand what Jia Lian meant.

Even on the battlefield, people are afraid of death. If they know you have the weakness of "long gaps" (i.e., slow attacks), they can naturally charge forward in one go. But if your firepower is continuous, and the enemy watches helplessly as their comrades fall one by one, they will probably be terrified and lose all will to fight.

At this moment, Sister You, who was standing to the side unwilling to be invisible, interjected: "What if the enemy is all fearless and does not panic? In my opinion, the range of this musket is only two or three hundred paces. If it is cavalry, I'm afraid you won't be able to fire two rounds before they charge over."

Jia Lian glanced at her and thought the question was just right.

"A general should assess the situation and adapt accordingly. If he encounters a fearless enemy, he can arrange his troops in a staggered formation, with long spearmen and heavy shield bearers at the rear. If the enemy is cavalry, he can add chevaux-de-frise. After the musketeers have finished firing, they can retreat into the formation in order to protect themselves."

You Sanjie stuck out her tongue. She had only asked because she saw that the women Jia Lian had brought back all had an extraordinary air about them, which made her feel insecure and unwilling to be ignored. She didn't expect Jia Lian to answer her so seriously.

She couldn't understand much of what she was hearing; she didn't even know what a barricade was.

Once her psychological needs were met, she obediently shut up.

Those with some knowledge, like Liu Xianglian, after careful consideration, began to nod in agreement. "If what the Marquis says is true, then these muskets are indeed very useful!"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Liu Erlang has practiced martial arts since childhood and his archery skills are superb, needless to say."

However, the advantage of this musket lies in the fact that it can kill enemies on the battlefield without requiring advanced shooting skills.

It should be noted that even among the border troops, archers capable of killing enemies from 80 paces away are few and far between.

And among you, very few can actually do that.

These muskets, without the need for selecting marksmen, could inflict heavy casualties on the enemy on the battlefield.

Not to mention, the technology of firearms is not yet mature enough and there is much room for improvement, while the art of archery and horsemanship has been developing for thousands of years and has long since reached its limit.

The superiority of one over the other is quite obvious.

Liu Xianglian looked on with a hint of resignation, bowed, and withdrew.

Seeing that even Liu Xianglian, who was usually praised by Jia Lian, was humbled, the others naturally put away their contempt. Those who were assigned muskets even instinctively gripped them tightly, fearing that others might try to snatch them.

Having successfully aroused the guards' awareness of the importance of firearms, Jia Lian instructed everyone to train on their own before turning to Princess Zhaoyang.

Princess Zhaoyang clapped her hands and praised, "Although I already knew that Erlang was gifted and talented, I was still amazed by his brilliant theory."

Especially the theory just now about having rows of soldiers line up and take turns firing—it was a stroke of genius! It perfectly solved the problem of slow ammunition reloading for firearms. Such a concept could probably only have come up with by Jiro.

Jia Lian, however, did not accept Princess Zhaoyang's flattery and laughed, "It is not my own idea, but the theory of the ancients, which has just not been valued."

"Oh, I see. I was unaware of that. I'm sorry you had to laugh at me, Erlang. However, this brilliant theory has not been taken seriously, which is a mistake of our predecessors. Now that Erlang has revived it, we are sure that the fame of firearms will reappear on the battlefield."

"It's a pity that today's test of results at the drill ground should have been shown to His Majesty. That way, not only would Erlang have been able to complete his task, but he might have even gained more favor, wouldn't he?"

Jia Lian said, "Although the improvements to firearms have yielded some results, they are not enough to attract His Majesty's full attention. I plan to wait until we have made breakthroughs in several key areas before asking His Majesty to inspect them. At that time, I will request His Majesty to establish a musketeer army. It would not be unreasonable."

Princess Zhaoyang gave a thumbs-up, expressing her admiration for Jia Lian's composure and long-term planning.

Being able to personally establish a unit is a significant undertaking in any era. This also shows that Jia Lian had been planning this for some time. Princess Zhaoyang thought to herself, "Jia Lian has been preparing all along; I should also speed things up."

We really can't let this opportunity slip by...

Suddenly, the only girl from the shooting range walked over and approached Jia Lian. Princess Zhaoyang immediately raised her eyebrows and asked with a smile, "Who is this little sister to Erlang? She is so cute."

Princess Zhaoyang had naturally seen You Sanjie long ago. There was no way around it; such a beautiful girl would stand out from the crowd on the training ground, making it difficult for her not to notice her.

Jia Lian said without changing his expression, "This is my eldest sister-in-law's younger sister. She is the third child in the family. Because she has loved martial arts since she was a child, she has repeatedly begged to come with me to the training ground to watch."

I was tired of hearing about it, so I brought her here today for a short visit.

"Oh, really? This little sister seems quite hostile towards me. Hehehe, you're the third sister, right? If I've offended you in any way, please let me know."

When You Sanjie heard Princess Zhaoyang address her as "Third Sister," and since she didn't know her, it was clear that Princess Zhaoyang was tacitly acknowledging her relationship with Jia Lian and the like. Therefore, she was even more displeased, but since she couldn't figure out the other party's identity, she didn't dare to express her displeasure and simply remained silent.

Although Jia Lian knew that Princess Zhaoyang was magnanimous, he could not let this ignorant young girl offend him. Therefore, he explained to Princess Zhaoyang that she was "young and didn't know any better" and then asked Aqin to send You Sanjie back to the carriage.

Princess Zhaoyang, fully aware of the situation, did not hinder Jia Lian. Instead, she said frankly, "I see that Erlang still has some matters to attend to. Why don't I take a stroll around the horse farm first, and after Erlang has finished his other business, we can enjoy a drink together?"

Jia Lian bowed to express his gratitude, and Princess Zhaoyang smiled and rode off elsewhere.

"Zhao'er, take a few people and send Third Aunt back first."

Jia Lian hadn't expected Princess Zhaoyang to come today; otherwise, why would he have brought You Sanjie with him?

Even the most magnanimous woman would find it hard to bear seeing her lover being affectionate with another woman, so Jia Lian naturally wouldn't let You Sanjie continue to cause him trouble here.

Dissatisfied with being sent away, You Sanjie lifted the curtain and looked at Jia Lian with some anger, saying, "Who exactly is that woman? She looked so smug, humph..."

After Princess Zhaoyang returned to the capital, she established the Grand Princess's residence, which housed countless officials, palace servants, and slaves, and naturally, she became increasingly dignified and imposing.

For You Sanjie, a commoner maid, this was a crushing defeat that transcended a large class. Therefore, it was normal for You Sanjie to think that Princess Zhaoyang was "proud".

She even felt that Princess Zhaoyang was showing her a challenge, and that they both guessed each other's identities!

Jia Lian glanced at her and said seriously, "Who is she? She is the person you've been dreaming of who can grant you an official position."

Sister You wasn't stupid after all; she immediately remembered what she had said to Jia Lian before, and was so shocked that she covered her mouth.

Good heavens, the... the... the eldest princess?!

There's no way around it; a girl from a poor, rural gentry family would tremble with fear upon suddenly seeing a legendary prince, especially since she herself hadn't seemed to show him much respect just moments before.

So, Sister You dared not stay there any longer and fled as if she were escaping.