Due to the fact that the current artillery structure is not too complicated, and there are already many mature technologies to support it, the Firearms Bureau has made rapid progress in the development of the new naval cannon.

More than a month later, with the sound of several explosions on a hillside outside Nanjing, the new generation of navy-specific Shenwu cannon was successfully tested.

The new generation of Shenwu cannon, weighing 2,000 catties, is equipped with an anti-recoil device, with a range of more than 5,500 meters, and more than twice the power of the red-coated cannon, with an interval of 20 breaths between each launch.

Originally, Chen Xin could also increase the range and power of the cannon even more, but the weight of the cannon itself should also be increased.

Zhu Ciyan was already very satisfied with the performance of the new Shenwu cannon, and he was sure that it was definitely the most powerful cannon in the world at present, which was enough for the navy.

"Your Majesty, news from the Academy of Science and Technology that clairvoyance has been developed!"

Zhu Ci's eyes lit up, and the telescope also came out?

"Bring me the real thing!" Zhu Ci said with some excitement in his tone.

"Yes!"

Half an hour later, Song Yingxing, director of the Academy of Science and Technology, personally brought clairvoyance into the palace to meet him.

"Minister Song Yingxing sees the emperor"

Song Yingxing was pulled up by Zhu Ci before he finished paying homage.

"No need to be polite, show me something!" Zhu Ci said with some eagerness.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Song Yingxing took out a wooden box that was seven inches long and three inches wide.

The wooden box was opened, and there was a large and small wooden tube inside, which must be the clairvoyance made by the Academy of Science and Technology, commonly known as the telescope!

Zhu Ci took out the clairvoyance in the wooden box and looked at it carefully, and at the same time tried the effect, as he expected, although this clairvoyance was made, it still looked a little rough, and some details still needed to be improved, but it was okay, at least Zhu Ci thought that the clairvoyance made by the Academy of Science and Technology was no worse than that of a foreigner.

"Yes, that's it!" Zhu Ci tried it and laughed loudly: "The developer has merit!" Spread my will, all the craftsmen who participated in the development of clairvoyance will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver! ”

"Minister Song Yingxing, wait for all the craftsmen who participated in the development, thank the emperor for Longen!" Song Yingxing thanked him.

Zhu Ci staggered and nodded, clairvoyance is a must-have for the navy, this kind of thing, if it is not necessary, Zhu Ci naturally does not plan to buy it with foreigners, it is best for Daming to make it himself, he also believes in the strength of the Academy of Science and Technology, and the Academy of Science and Technology did not disappoint him, and successfully created clairvoyance.

Science and technology come from experimentation and exploration, as long as you know the theory and then do it, there is nothing that cannot be done.

After Song Yingxing left, Zhu Ci asked the people in the Ministry of Industry to immediately start mass production of clairvoyants according to the drawings provided by the Academy of Science and Technology.

He not only has to be equipped on a large scale in the navy, but also in the army such as the Ying Long Army.

Because the 2,000-pound new Shenwu cannon was finally auctioned by Zhu Ciji, in the next period of time, the Firearms Bureau began to mass-produce this kind of artillery, and continued to deliver it to the Navy for installation on ships.

Of course, it is impossible for the navy's 12 ocean-going ships to be equipped with only 2,000-pound new-style Shenwu cannons, and 400-kilogram field Shenwu cannons are also equipped.

Due to the fact that more than 400 catties of field Shenwu cannons were already in stock, under the full force of the Firearms Bureau, in less than a month, the first gunboat of the Ming Navy was assembled!

In September of the second year of Zhongxing in the Ming Dynasty, the weather was fine, and the navy tested the firepower of the first gunboat on the water surface of the Yangtze River.

"Reload!"

On the ship, with the command of the commander, the gunners on the ship began to reload their ammunition in a well-trained manner.

These gunners have been training in the Yinglong Army Artillery Battalion for more than two months, and they can finally come in handy.

In a moment, all the cannons were emboldened.

"Seventy-five degrees northeast, prepare, fire!"

The flag fluttered suddenly.

Thirty-two deafening cannon shots rang out, and both sides of the ship fired at the same time, one to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the other to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

"Bang! Boom! Dozens of huge water columns were blown up, and the power was so great that the faces of many guards on the shore were frightened, and even the sailors on the ship themselves were stunned by such power.

The division of the city into east, west, north and south by 360 degrees was taught by Zhu Cizhen to the navy, and under the positioning of the compass, it was better to quickly standard the enemy.

The shelling is not over.

"Reload!" The ship's commander shouted again and ordered.

The sailors and gunners quickly woke up and immediately began to reload their ammunition.

In ten breaths, the 400-kilogram field Shenwu cannon was the first to be loaded, and in 20 breaths, the heavier 2,000-kilogram new Shenwu cannon was also loaded.

"Forty degrees northeast, prepare, fire!"

"Boom Boom"

Five rounds of shelling in a row, showing the majesty of the Ming gunboats!

Admiral Shen Jingchao's eyes were red with excitement, he never dreamed that the sailors under his command could have such a sharp weapon, and he was full of confidence in leading the Daming sailors to reach thousands of miles overseas in the future!

"Your Majesty, the naval test ship gun has been successfully completed, please show the emperor!"

"Hahahaha, Wang'er will be able to make my Ming Navy famous overseas in the future!" Zhu Ci staggered and laughed.

"The ministers will definitely live up to the emperor's high expectations!" Shen Jingchao and several other high-ranking naval officials said loudly.

"Good!" Zhu Ciji seemed to have seen the arrival of that day, and he firmly believed that the Ming Dynasty would be prosperous in the future, not only to regain domination of the world, but also to all the oceans in the world under the majestic shadow of the Ming Navy.

On the other day, the Daming Daily reported the news of the test gun of the first gunboat of the naval division.

The people were a little surprised by this, some of the people who happened to pass by the river yesterday had witnessed the explosion of the water column on the river, and remembered that they were almost scared to pee their pants at that time, and now they saw the report of the Daming Daily, they knew that yesterday was the first gunboat test run of the Ming Navy, and these people who saw it with their own eyes immediately boasted.

The common people talked a lot, but most of them focused on the power of the gunboat's cannons, and they didn't have the slightest feeling about the navy as they did when the navy was established.

The ocean is ultimately indifferent to the majority of the people.

It seems that the Navy still has a long way to go in order to penetrate the maritime consciousness into the hearts of the people!

...