Chapter 245: Your Majesty, Shenji Camp...
This is what I do!
Under the pergola, the autumn wind blew across my cheeks, and the wind was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder explosions.
The aftertaste of the sound of artillery and continuous gunfire still lingered in the eardrums of all the officials.
But after hearing Zhao Duan's words, everyone was moved.
At this moment, they suddenly recalled the conversation that happened not long ago.
Zhao Duan once said that he came to Shenji Camp to do things that were beneficial to the soldiers.
At that time, they scoffed at this statement, thinking it was just a nice word for the occasion.
Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Zhao Duan's "slap" would hit their faces.
New firearms!
A new type of battle formation that has never been seen before.
All of this was far beyond their expectations. They thought it was a gold-plated performance, but they didn't expect it to be like this...
"Amazing!"
I don’t know who made this sigh.
It quickly resonated with everyone.
Frankly speaking, if we only talk about power, this seemingly lively performance is not really that powerful due to its small scale.
But...the scene before them gave these military generals a glimpse of a possibility.
If... one day, this new weapon is distributed to the entire army, and the scale of the battle formation is much larger, what will it be like?
You must know that the greatest advantage of firearms over bows and arrows is not their power, but their ease of use.
Not every soldier can draw a bow and arrow, but this thing is easier to master than crossbow arrows, and it can cover a longer distance than crossbow arrows... Even if the shot is not accurate, as long as it is densely packed, it will be enough.
"This...is what you have been doing these days?"
Xue Shence stared deeply at this favored minister whom he had once despised, and suddenly understood something.
Zhao Duan said before that the firearm blueprints stolen from Prince Jing's Mansion are no longer important.
Yes, with this new firearm, what if the previous rifle... was stolen?
So, he is indeed not investigating the case, because he has done more important things.
Ridiculous, everyone was hidden from him.
At this moment, thinking about the criticisms against Zhao Duan in the Beijing camp, it suddenly felt like a joke.
This new firearm alone is enough to silence everyone.
Who said it was inappropriate to command Qian Shi to airborne? Unconvincing?
With such merit, which fourth-grade military officer can compare?
"The drill is completed, Chen Gui, the chief officer of the Firearms Bureau, is here to return!"
At this time, Chen Huoshen, who had a goatee and a goatee, also came over. He saluted Zhao Duan first, and then turned to Xue Shence and others:
"I have met you all, sir!"
Everyone recognized this "God of Firearms", and Governor Wang couldn't help but said: "Chen Gui, what are these two firearms called? How did they get them? Why didn't anyone in the Privy Council know about them before?"
This is also everyone's doubts.
Chen Gui said nothing.
"..." Governor Wang was silent for a moment, feeling blessed in his heart, and turned to look at Zhao.
Zhao Duan smiled: "When Governor Wang asks you, tell the truth."
"Yes," Chen Gui then raised a gun in his hand:
"This is a matchlock gun. The one in the distance is called the Artillery Shenwei General. It was not made by our firearms bureau. It was made by Zhao Qianshi through a personal relationship, in exchange for the help of the Tianshi Palace Priest Gongshu Tianyuan, and supplemented by Zhao Qianshi's suggestions. It’s something worthy of being created as an ‘experiment’…”
In Chen Gui's narration, Gongshu Tianyuan was emphasized.
However, Zhao Duan's contribution to firearms design was briefly mentioned.
This was Zhao Duan's deliberate instruction. After all, it was his credit for facilitating this matter.
As for the design of firearms, instead of insisting on grabbing such a name, it has attracted many people's doubts.
It would be better to pass it on to Chen Gui, which would be more authentic and credible.
Greed for merit... is definitely not a good thing. Sometimes, appropriately reducing one's sense of existence is the way to maximize benefits.
At the same time, giving the credit to Gongshu Tianyuan can not only stop many people from questioning and exploring, but also bind Gongshu Tianyuan's name to firearms, helping him to advance better.
Using a false name in exchange for real favors from a disciple of the Heavenly Master, Zhao Duan's abacus clicked.
After listening to the narration, Xue Shence and others felt astonished and felt that the matter was real.
The disciples of the Heavenly Master took action, coupled with Chen Gui's accumulation for most of his life... and according to what he said, the firearms he saw today were made as quickly as possible and catalyzed by sorcerers... It would take at least at least 100 seconds to completely hand them over to ordinary craftsmen. One year’s time…
Moreover, the matchlock gun also has many disadvantages, such as being afraid of rainy days, etc...
This actually makes them feel "reliable".
"Okay! Okay!"
The old Minister of the Ministry of War was overjoyed, stroking the musket, his eyes full of joy:
"Although this is the case, it has improved by leaps and bounds compared to before!"
He turned his head, looked at Zhao Duan, and said sternly: "What Zhao Qian did today will be of great benefit to the future, and will benefit the country. I will personally write a letter to ask for credit for you!"
What I saw today really gave the minister too many surprises. The old man was so excited that he couldn't help but said:
"Can you bring this musket back to me to play with?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said nothing.
The Minister of War suddenly reacted and shook his head with a wry smile: "It's because I didn't think carefully."
Immediately, he reluctantly handed the gun back to Chen Gui.
The rest of the Privy Council military attachés also woke up.
According to common sense, the drawings of such important things must be submitted to the Privy Council for preservation.
But it hasn’t been long since the last time firearms were stolen, so how could anyone dare to take them?
If it is stolen again, who dares to take the responsibility?
Xue Shence immediately made the decision: "The development of new firearms is classified as top secret and is under the Firearms Bureau. Except for Zhao Qianshi, all other battalions and offices are prohibited from contact and will only provide full cooperation and defense to avoid repeating the same mistakes." will claim to be.
Only then did a smile appear on Xue Shence's solemn and solemn face.
He glanced at Zhao Duan and said:
"I will also ask for credit from Your Majesty for you. In addition, to celebrate, I will hold a celebration banquet in the city tonight to clear your name. "
The others were stunned for a moment, looking at each other, thinking that Mr. Xue seemed to be in a really good mood.
As long as this celebration banquet is held, the news will spread to every guard and camp of the Imperial Army tomorrow.
Xue Shence wanted to use his own prestige to resolve the slander and slander for Zhao Duan.
Zhao Duan was also stunned for a moment, cupped his hands and clasped his fists:
"Thank you, Privy Councilor."
Xue Shence glanced at him, waved his hand, and said calmly:
"You deserve it, no need to say thank you."
After saying that, he turned around and left, still looking cold.
This time, Zhao Duan suddenly realized that he could no longer feel the "pressure" coming from the other party.
…
The crowd gradually dispersed, everyone eager to leave excitedly and share the incident with their colleagues.
The young father-in-law Tang Ping was lost in his thoughts and walked among the crowd.
Before leaving, he turned his head and glanced at Zhao Duan's back, and suddenly lost his fighting spirit.
He began to waver.
He wondered whether his doubts and hostility towards Zhao Duan were really provoked by others.
Tang Ping pursed his lips and walked away.
I secretly decided to check carefully to see which of the words I heard were true and which were false.
…
"Sir? Are you looking for me?"
Under the pergola, as the people gradually dispersed, Hou Ren came over suddenly and asked.
Zhao Duan squinted his eyes and did not say a word. Instead, he glanced at him and returned to his room with two direct subordinates of Lihuatang.
After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he whispered: "I have something to ask you to do as soon as possible without alerting outsiders."
Then, he picked up a pen and wrote a line of words on each paper and handed it to the two of them.
The two of them looked down and were both stunned, a little surprised:
"Sir, are you trying to..."
Zhao Duan slowly walked to the window, but did not open it. He just looked through the crack in the window at the group of figures retreating away from the door of the barracks.
His well-proportioned right hand rested on the back of the chair next to him, tapping gently.
His eyes were full of concentration, and he said softly:
"Tell me, who is the spy in Prince Jing's Mansion?"
The two of them were stunned, and Qian Kerou said subconsciously: "You didn't mean not to investigate..."
Then the round-faced female warrior covered her mouth and realized something.
Zhao Duan sighed softly, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up:
"The mole? I've been checking... The groundwork has been laid, it's time to try to close the net... The celebration party is just what I want."
Then, he murmured in an inaudible voice: "I just don't know what the success rate is."
…
…
The military attaches dispersed.
The news of the drill was like a whirlwind, quickly spreading to the desks of various important figures in the capital.
royal palace.
In the Imperial Garden, Dang Mochou hurriedly arrived at the Imperial Garden holding the hem of his official robe.
Far away, I saw a famous waiter standing around.
And in the middle of the garden, in an open space, a figure who looked like a fairy was dancing a sword.
If the empress dances with her sword without letting up her momentum, the world will be in turmoil.
Therefore, when Xu Zhenguan practiced swordsmanship, he often reduced his cultivation to the ordinary.
But even so, the sword edges that cut through the autumn wind also give people an indescribable sense of beauty.
Mochou approached in a daze and stopped at a distance.
There is a kind of tree in the palace called autumn tree, which will wither and die first in early autumn.
At this moment, the empress stood in the autumn forest, with golden fallen leaves covering her feet, which was in sharp contrast to the still green trees outside.
"Woo——"
The blade of the sword passed by, and Xu Zhenguan slowly sheathed the sword. The fallen leaves pulled by the blade of the sword rotated under her feet, slowly coiling into a Tai Chi fish pattern.
"What happened?"
The empress' voice floated far away, more refreshing than the autumn wind.
Mochou bowed his head respectfully and said:
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of War and the Privy Council have simultaneously submitted a report on the firearms drill at the Shenji Camp today."
"Oh?" Xu Zhenguan looked up and tilted his head:
"Has he made any progress?"
(End of chapter)