novelaction Chapter 1388
Chapter 1388
And he didn't forget either.
As our master once mentioned, the most crucial element in becoming the "sun never sets at sea" is the "naval guns"!
He just felt it was a bit unrealistic at the time.
The bowl-shaped cannon was heavy, and mounting a large number of them on ships would not only make the ships themselves much heavier, but also make it more difficult for them to maintain their balance.
Moreover, each time the bowl-shaped cannon was used, a great deal of effort had to be plucked out of the gunpowder residue inside the barrel... It was already very troublesome to use, let alone mount it on a ship...
So afterwards, they honestly focused on how to build a good ship.
Let's put this matter aside for now.
"Since His Majesty has brought this up with me, then it means..."
Thinking of this, Ma Sanbao's heart began to pound wildly. He tentatively guessed, "So His Majesty has now solved the many drawbacks of the bowl-mouth gun, allowing such a powerful weapon as the bowl-mouth gun to be mounted on ships?"
"That's true! The flintlock musket that His Majesty used with the Divine Machine Battalion before... not only could it be used indefinitely without exploding, but it also seemed much lighter than ordinary handguns. Handguns and muskets are based on similar principles..."
"Since His Majesty has been able to improve the old muskets into such a powerful form, the bowl-shaped musket... is not out of the question!"
Zheng He, who led seven voyages to the Western Ocean, was undoubtedly a man of exceptional intelligence and vision. With just a slight hint from Zhu Yunwen, he immediately grasped the gist of everything.
Zhu Yunwen nodded in agreement:
"Yes, the improved bowl-shaped cannon, I call it a cannon."
"Now is about the right time. Today I brought you to the Alchemy Department. From now on, you can directly contact and communicate with the people in charge of artillery research and production at the Alchemy Department regarding matters such as the size, weight, caliber, and compatibility with ships."
Zhu Yunwen trusted Ma Sanbao completely, based on his historical experience and their childhood friendship. He hadn't mentioned it before simply because Ma Sanbao's affairs were unrelated to the Alchemy Department, and Zhu Yunwen was used to the habit of "secrecy in business."
Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's affirmative answer, and even the fact that he had already arranged for him to make contact with the alchemy team, Ma Sanbao's expression became even more excited: "Yes! Since Your Majesty can solve even such a huge problem, this servant will naturally do my best as well."
The two talked as they walked.
Soon they arrived at the spacious and empty training ground. With the major incident involving the Huai Xi nobles today, the Shenji Battalion was busy dealing with surrendered soldiers and generals, leaving the entire firearms department rather deserted. However, perhaps because people practiced marksmanship here every day, a faint smell of gunpowder permeated the air.
Wang Jinnian has always been highly efficient.
The master and servant waited only a moment before Wang Jinnian led his men out of the warehouse next to the drill ground and skillfully brought out five cannons.
Ma Sanbao, who had been looking forward to it for a long time, looked at the five cannons that were pushed out with great curiosity, his eyes almost shining - they were indeed much more exquisite! Moreover, some devices that he had never seen before were also added to the cannon barrels.
In the past, he probably wouldn't have dared to imagine how effective this cannon could be.
But having seen the flintlock muskets in the hands of the Shenji Battalion today, he certainly dared to dream of it.
"Your Majesty, the five cannons randomly selected are ready. Shall we have them loaded with gunpowder and fired immediately for Your Majesty's inspection?" Wang Jinnian approached Zhu Yunwen and reported.
Zhu Yunwen nodded calmly: "Yes, just use it the way you normally would. I will know what to do when I see it."