Zhang Yanling left the West Courtyard with great joy. Today was definitely a big day for him. The success of the flint-haired bird gun was self-evident to him. It didn't take much to equip a hundred-man team with it, and it would exert great power.
In a fierce face-to-face battle, it is not an exaggeration to say that a hundred-man army equipped with muskets can defeat one enemy at eleven and a half points. If the opponent's firearms cannot reach far, the only result is to line up and shoot them.
Of course, the flintlock muskets that are successfully equipped today actually still have many areas that need to be improved. For example, there must be a place to install a purge under the barrel, and the front sight of the barrel needs to be set according to the offset distance of the gun. It must be equipped with a holster and carry it with you.
Ammunition pouches and priming powder cans, making paper-wrapped bullets, and flints that need to be constantly replaced in flintlock guns. There are also polishing and aesthetics of the gun's shape, finding ways to make goggles, etc.
A flintlock musket comes with many accessories and consumables in addition to the gun itself. You can’t just build a musket and be done with it. This is just a flintlock musket. My plan is to equip at least one in the future.
Hundreds or thousands of people are enough to have a basic sense of security and fighting strength. It is still far out of reach to achieve such a goal.
Xu Youtang has spent more than two thousand taels of silver during this period, and only made two flintlock muskets, one large and one small. Of course, many of these were the tuition fees paid by the school and the losses caused by various reworks and discards.
.But even so, the cost is staggeringly high.
If Zhang Yanling's idea was to build hundreds or thousands of them, that would be an astronomical figure. Therefore, money is a big problem.
Moreover, the alloy steel Xu Youtang used to make the gun barrel was stolen from Xu Gao, but he would need to smelt the steel himself later. Xu Youtang said that she would pester Xu Gao to ask about the amount and timing of adding clay.
It is possible to smelt this kind of steel. But this means that Zhang Yanling has to build a smelting furnace. This is another big expense.
Zhang Yanling figured it out. If he wanted to continue making and perfecting firearms, he had to build a smelting furnace, hire craftsmen, and open a smelting workshop. No matter how much money he spent, he had to continue doing this. This was what he had to do.
Otherwise, this matter will not be able to proceed. As for money, I'm afraid it won't be possible to make money by relying on the harvests of the two manors. In fact, I already owe a lot of foreign debt. I have to think of some more ways to make money.
However, the shortage of money is not at the same level as the bottlenecks in technology and manufacturing. These days, there are many ways to make money. As long as you are unscrupulous and have your own status and identity, it is not difficult to make money.
Money can be earned slowly, but the technical bottleneck may not be overcome for decades and a lifetime. And with helpers like Xu Youtang, some of Zhang Yanling's other ideas can be put into practice. Who would have thought that in the end, he would help himself complete it?
The person who made the improved firearm was actually such a delicate and lovely girl like Xu Youtang. It is truly unpredictable and a wonderful thing created by nature.
…
As we enter March, the weather becomes warmer and warmer day by day. Even for northern cities like Beijing, March is already the season of brilliant spring. The scenery in the capital changes day by day. Within a few days of entering March, the streets of the entire capital
The alleys are already full of spring.
Spring is in full bloom, and several major events have been accomplished recently, so Zhang Yanling is in a good mood. She hangs out in the yamen every day, drinks tea and brags, and then goes home after an hour or two. Sometimes she rides a horse with her.
Chen Shiyi and others spent some time wandering around the streets, admiring the scenery, and spent a few days enjoying themselves.
On the morning of March 9th, when Zhang Yanling was about to go to the Yamen, she was blocked in front of her home.
Xu Yande, the young prince of the Duke of Dingguo, came. Xu Yande came with more than a dozen soldiers. They were fully armed, as if they were on some official business.
"Hey, what brought my brother here? Please come into the house to talk." Zhang Yanling greeted warmly.
Xu Yande had a dark face and seemed to be unhappy. He followed Zhang Yanling into the front hall, sat down awkwardly, stared at Zhang Yanling and said nothing.
After Zhang Yanling ordered people to serve tea, when he saw Xu Yande's appearance, he was so shocked that he stared at him and said with a smile: "Brother, what can I do if you are here?"
Xu Yande said coldly: "Can't you come if you have nothing to do? Master Zhang, you have been very proud of yourself recently."
Zhang Yanling hurriedly apologized and said with a smile: "Brother, what do you mean by this?"
Xu Yande snorted and said: "What do you mean? Zhu Lin invited you to a party at the end of the first month, but you declined. Last month I invited you to my house for a drink, but you also declined. A few days ago, Zhang Lun invited you, and you declined again.
Rejected. Okay, Mr. Zhang, are you taking our brothers seriously? Zhang Lun was so angry that he scolded you."
Zhang Yanling said hurriedly: "Oh, it turns out it's because of these things. Then you have misunderstood me. During the period after the new year, I was very busy with things in the yamen, and I was exhausted. I really didn't have the time or mood. That's why...
"
"You're so busy! You think I don't know? What's there to do in Nanzhen Fusi Yamen? It's just the Yamen. It's already three o'clock in the morning, haven't you gone to the Yamen yet? I didn't even bother you to get up early, you're busy
Bullshit!" Xu Yande cursed.
"This..." Zhang Yanling was speechless.
Zhu Lin did invite him to a party at the end of the first year, but at that time he was busy investigating the details of Little Jasmine and finding out the details of the Zhou family. How could he be in the mood to eat and drink with them.
As for Xu Yande inviting her to his house for a drink, she was free, but she didn't want to go. Because she had a ulterior motive in her heart. After bullying Xu Wanyi last time, Zhang Yanling regretted it when she turned around. She treated Xu Wanyi like that, and when she turned around she followed him
When her father and brother said that they didn't know what Xu Guangzuo would say, Xu Yande would definitely be furious. Xu Yande invited her to have a drink without any end. Zhang Yanling suspected that he knew about it, so she just avoided going. In her heart,
After the ghost, he even declined Zhang Lun's invitation. Unexpectedly, Xu Yande came to investigate for this.
"Brother came here today...for this matter?" Zhang Yanling asked tentatively. If it was just for this matter, it would be easier to handle.
Xu Yande snorted and said nothing. Zhang Yanling thought he had acquiesced, so he hurriedly said: "Brother, don't be angry, the yamen is indeed busy. I have just taken office, and everyone in the yamen's personnel relations must be familiar with it, right? Some things happened before.
Do you want to deal with it? It doesn’t look like anything, but there are a lot of things like Chen Sesame and rotten millet. My predecessor, Wang Rui, hasn’t come to the Yamen for half a year, and there are many things backlogged there. Even though they are small things, you have to do something about it. So.
I just wanted to give the superiors and subordinates a good impression and show that I am a diligent and good official. That’s why I pushed back. Brother, you have to understand me, right?"
Xu Yande curled his lips and sneered.
Zhang Yanling was immersed in her own lies and said: "Well, tomorrow I will treat you to guests in the luxurious private room of Chunfeng Building. I will apologize to the young gentlemen in person. I will scold you and punish you. How about that?"
Xu Yande slapped his hand on the table and shouted loudly: "Zhang Yanling, will you marry my sister or not?"