"Ignition!"

With Chen Ju's slightly trembling shout, the ten wrought iron cannons were ignited together, and with the sound of the fuse, everyone all looked at the barrels with bated breath, waiting to see the launch of the wrought iron cannons.

"Bang bang bang!"

With the sound of the iron cannon, the cannonball rushed out of the barrel and flew into the distance, and after landing, it smashed a large crater in the ground, and then jumped away into the distance. The wooden target that stood in front of the full force was instantly smashed and shattered to the ground.

Zhu Yijun saw this scene through the telescope and nodded with satisfaction.

Yu Dayou, who was beside Zhu Yijun, became excited, turned his head to look at Chen Ju, and asked loudly: "Gonggong Chen, how far can this cannon hit?" Have you ever tested it? After asking this question, Yu Dayou stared at Chen Ju with burning eyes.

Yu Dayou didn't expect that Zhu Yijun would have such a place, and he was fascinated by this kind of secret artillery!

"Back to Admiral Yu, the range of this cannon is about 2 miles, and it weighs 300 catties, compared with the copper cannon with the same range, the weight is only 40% of the copper cannon. Two people can push it, and it can also be pulled by a horse, which is very convenient. ”

"Casting cannons possible?" At this time, Zhu Yijun asked beside him.

This range is still a bit short for Zhu Yijun, but it is enough to be used as a mortar, after all, he is light enough and easy to pull. Although the range is only 2 miles, there are many of them, and the power is also very high.

"Back to the emperor, the slave is arranging for someone to make the Franco cannon, but it won't work for the time being." Chen Ju hurriedly explained.

Zhu Yijun nodded, he knew that the Furlong cannon was different from the front-loading gun, it was a rear-loading smoothbore cannon. This thing is indeed what Zhu Yijun wants, cast in wrought iron, and it can definitely cast a light-weight and long-range Franc cannon.

"How's the rifling you've studied?" Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Ju and asked another question.

Zhu Yijun knew that in the later era, rifled guns were the mainstream, and smoothbore guns were no longer used except for mortars. It would be great if a rifled cannon could be made on the basis of the Furlong cannon.

Of course, this Zhu Yijun just said this, and let the War Bureau be a research direction.

"Back to the emperor, there are not enough people in the War Bureau!" Chen Ju said with a sad face and some embarrassment.

Zhu Yijun was silent for a moment and nodded, he also knew that Chen Ju was telling the truth, but that was before, and it would definitely not be like this in the future. It seems that his hand is going to reach out to the military department first, the arsenal division of the military department!

The Arsenal Division was in charge of the casting of Ming weapons, including cannons and firearms.

Under the Arsenal Division, there are many workshops and craftsmen in charge, and these are what Zhu Yijun wants. These craftsmen who have been engaged in weapon manufacturing for generations are definitely the treasures of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yijun is ready to organize them all.

"I'll find you someone!" Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Ju with a smile and said softly.

"Chen Ju obeys the order!" Zhu Yijun's face became serious, and he spoke directly.

Chen Ju directly knelt on the ground and said loudly: "Slave Chen Ju takes the order." ”

"Chen Ju has made meritorious contributions to the military battle, and he is given a bullfighting suit, a reward of 1,000 taels of silver, a hundred taels of gold, and a seal of the eunuch of the ceremonial eunuch!" Zhu Yijun looked at Chen Ju and opened his mouth to tell his reward, which can be regarded as a reward for Chen Ju's merits.

"Slave and maid are grateful!" Chen Ju knelt on the ground and said loudly, but he was already crying.

"All the craftsmen who participated in the casting of cannons will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver, and they will work hard in the future, and I will not hesitate to reward!"

If you want the horse to run, you must feed the grass well, and Zhu Yijun understands this truth. These people have been busy here for several years, and it is not okay to be too stingy with rewards. Fifty taels of silver, in this era, is really a lot of money.

"Thank Emperor Longen!" The surrounding craftsmen also knelt down and said loudly.

Glancing at Chen Ju, Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Work hard, I won't treat my own people badly!" As he spoke, he reached out and patted Chen Ju's shoulder.

A wrought iron cannon doesn't mean anything, Zhu Yijun wants more, but this represents a good start. Leaving the Huangzhuang, Zhu Yijun returned to the Forbidden City in the imperial chariot, and Zhu Yijun was pondering the arsenal division of the military department along the way.

The establishment of the new weapons department of the Ming Dynasty is already imminent, but where to put this yamen is a problem.

It is definitely not possible to put it in the hands of eunuchs, eunuchs can participate, but it is absolutely impossible to say that all the weapons casting are in the hands of eunuchs. It is not good to put it in the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, and it continues to be placed in the Ministry of War, but those civilian officials in the Ministry of War have already played the Treasury Division badly.

After pondering all the way, Zhu Yijun didn't think of any good way, so he could only put this matter aside first.

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, the cabinet sent a message, a piece of news that surprised Zhu Yijun a little. The news is that Altan Khan is dead, and the king of Shunyi, who was canonized by the Ming Dynasty and the overlord of the northern steppes, is dead!

This matter is definitely a big deal for Da Ming, and a little carelessness will definitely cause serious consequences.

Sitting on the dragon chair, Zhu Yijun thought of a person, to be exact, a woman, this woman is the third lady who has been around the Ming frontier for a long time. The princess of Altan Khan, the de facto ruler of military power in the steppe.

"Interesting!" Zhu Yijun showed a smile on his face, and said to Zhang Whale beside him: "Wu Dui, the secretary of the Xuanbing Department, has entered the palace. ”

If there is anyone who knows Xuanda best, it is naturally Wu Dui, when Wang Chonggu was the governor of Xuanda, he was the governor of Shaanxi at the time, and Wu Dui was the governor of Xuanda. After Wang Chonggu left Xuandazhi, Fang Fengshi became the governor of Xuanda, and after Fang Fengshi left, Wu Dui was the governor of Xuanda.

Wu Dui is definitely the longest-serving and longest-serving official in Xuanda.

The key is that Zhu Yijun also knows something that has something to do with Wu Dui, that is, the relationship between Wu Dui and the third lady is very good. Back then, Dongchang also mentioned to Zhu Yijun that the three ladies could freely enter and leave Wu Dui's tent, and even danced and lay on Wu Dui's lap.

Although the truth of the matter is uncertain, after all, Altan Khan was still alive at that time, and Wu Dui was also a Ming literati no matter how he said it, so nothing dirty would happen, but the relationship between these two people was indeed very good.

Now it is really appropriate to ask Wu Dui to inquire about this matter.

Zhang Whale ran to call Wu Dui, and Wu Dui naturally heard about the death of Altan Khan, he is the secretary of the military department. When he got the news of Altan Khan's death, he felt that the emperor was going to summon him, and by the time Zhang Whale arrived, Wu Dui had already made preparations.

Looking at Wu Dui who walked in, Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "Okay, you don't need to salute, you also know what I'm looking for you, right?" ”

"Back to the emperor, the minister knows!" Wu Dui hurriedly bowed down and said, he had already guessed this.