The Emperor of the Apocalypse nodded lightly, with a smile on his face, and Wang Chengen on the side felt that it was very meaningful. After pondering for a moment, the Emperor of the Apocalypse said, "Has there been any minister who has asked to see you recently?" ”

"Back to the emperor, yesterday the cabinet scholar Xu Guangqi came, he said that the firearms factory has some research results, I hope the emperor has time to take a look! But yesterday the emperor was in the harem, and the slave didn't dare to disturb His Majesty! Wang Chengen bowed and stood aside, looking at the Emperor of the Apocalypse with some apprehension.

I don't know if it's because of Empress Zhang or because of Jiannu, Emperor Tianqi doesn't seem to be in the mood for a few days, but Wang Chengen is used to being cautious.

Slightly stunned, the Emperor of the Apocalypse nodded incomprehensibly, and said, "Then go and have a look!" Take a few people out of the palace and go to the firearms factory, I want to see what new achievements the firearms factory has. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, the slave will arrange it!" Wang Chengen didn't dare to stop at all, turned around and walked out quickly.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse walked to the gate and looked up at the sky, his eyes becoming a little misty. Soon Wang Chengen arranged everything, and the Emperor of the Apocalypse set off to the firearms factory.

At the same time that the Emperor of the Apocalypse rushed to the firearms factory, a group of people had just arrived at the gate of the capital. The leader was on a horse, dressed like a general, and behind him was a carriage.

Immediately walked to the gate of the city, the military general turned over and dismounted, came to the front of the carriage, opened the curtain of the carriage, and said respectfully to the people inside: "Uncle Shi, I have arrived in the capital!" After speaking, he moved the dismounter placed on the car and put it on the ground, and stood respectfully aside and waited for this person to come down.

A hand stretched out from inside the car, and the emerald green wrench on it was very conspicuous, and then a person came out of it. This person is not very old, and he looks like he is in his thirties. Dressed in white, holding a folding fan in his hand, he looks like a beautiful son.

"Senior nephew Yu, this time your uncle asked me to help you, and my uncle naturally can't disagree, but if it's different from what you said, don't blame my uncle for not thinking about the same family." Gently unfolding the folding fan in his hand, the young man looked at the military generals beside him, and put away his words but was not polite at all.

"Yes, uncle, nephew knows!" The military general is none other than Yu Zhigao, who went to invite someone, and it is no one else beside him, it is his uncle Zhang Yukun.

Nodding with satisfaction, Zhang Yukun stepped out of the carriage and said with a smile: "Let's go!" It's been a hard journey along the way, first find a place to take a good rest, I heard that the cheap shop in the capital is a good place, let's go! ”

Zhang Yukun looked light and breezy, and although Yu Zhigao on the side greeted him with a smile, he didn't feel very comfortable. Although the name of this bargain shop is cheap shop, it is not cheap at all. This uncle of his own is the kind of person who doesn't get tired of eating and being fine, and his own life will be miserable in the future.

Walking leisurely on the streets of the capital, Zhang Yukun looked indifferent, smiling at the people on the side of the road from time to time. Suddenly, she turned to Yu Zhigao and said, "Senior nephew Yu, will the emperor see Uncle Yu?" ”

"Uncle Hui, before my nephew left the capital, I told the emperor that of course I didn't tell all the things about the master. The emperor is very interested in Uncle Shi, and knows that Uncle Shi is coming, and he will definitely see him. Yu Zhigao pondered slightly, and said to Zhang Yukun, with Yu Zhigao's understanding of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, this matter will definitely be possible.

Nodding, Zhang Yukun didn't say anything, his face was still light and light, and he walked forward as before.

Yu Zhigao was helpless against this uncle, and sometimes he doubted whether what his father said was right, this uncle really had so much ability. However, Yu Zhigao didn't show it at all, and he still had this point.

When Yu Zhigao was wandering around with his uncle, the Emperor of the Apocalypse had already left the Forbidden City, and his destination was Huangzhuang on the outskirts of Beijing, which had of course been converted into a firearms factory.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse quietly came to the firearms factory, and Xu Guangqi and the others inside did not know, but after the news came in, Xu Guangqi immediately brought someone to greet him, and it was Bi Maokang who followed Xu Guangqi.

"Minister Xu Guangqi see the emperor, long live my emperor, long live long live!" Xu Guangqi respectfully picked up his clothes and knelt on the ground, looking very excited.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse was slightly stunned, how could this Xu Guangqi have such an attitude? However, the Emperor of the Apocalypse didn't think much about it, nodded slowly, and said, "Aiqing, let's be flat!" I knew that Aiqing had new achievements, and I couldn't wait. ”

Standing up from the ground, Xu Guangqi led the way in front of the Emperor of the Apocalypse as a guide, with an excited smile on his face and a little cautious. In fact, Xu Guangqi invited the Emperor of the Apocalypse, although it was to visit the latest achievements of the firearms factory, but there was a more important thing, that is, to ask for money.

Since its establishment, the firearms factory has made a great contribution to the imperial court, whether it is a broken hair gun or an improved artillery, Xu Guangqi has made great contributions. However, this is also related to the investment of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, you must know that the silver consumed by the firearms factory this year is more than three million taels.

With such a small investment, if the firearms factory does not come up with something, it is really impossible to say. This time, Xu Guangqi invited the Emperor of the Apocalypse, and let the Emperor of the Apocalypse see the latest product of the firearms factory, the latest musket.

Following Xu Guangqi to the testing ground, the Emperor of the Apocalypse had a smile on his face, although he could see that Xu Guangqi had something on his mind, but the Emperor of the Apocalypse would never say anything. What the Emperor of the Apocalypse needs to do now is to wait for Xu Guangqi to cover himself up.

"Your Majesty, according to the use of the rifle some time ago, and the plan that the emperor handed over to the ministers on the improvement of muskets and artillery, the ministers and the adults of the firearms factory studied it, and finally researched a new type of musket a few days ago." The plan of the Emperor of the Apocalypse that Xu Guangqi said was actually written down by the Emperor of the Apocalypse according to the knowledge of his later generations, and it was naturally accompanied by pictures.

However, because of the study of liberal arts, the Emperor of the Apocalypse did not know anything about the manufacture of artillery and firearms, and only drew them according to his own memory. Among them, the big revolver, the Emperor of the Apocalypse, really wanted to make it, but he didn't have much hope.

After listening to Xu Guangqi's words, the Emperor of the Apocalypse nodded slowly, and said to Xu Guangqi with a smile: "Xu Aiqing has always been cautious and cautious, and there must be something good when he says this." Alright, don't hide it, take it out and show me! ”

Stretching out his hand to greet a person over, Xu Guangqi instructed: "The emperor is watching, don't be ashamed!" ”

The man nodded vigorously, and after saluting the Emperor of the Apocalypse, he brought a musket from behind, which was the new type of hair breaker. The barrel is dark and cold, and the faucet behind it is very eye-catching.

I saw that the man took out a paper tube from his waist and poured gunpowder into the barrel of the gun, but his bullet attracted the attention of the Emperor of the Apocalypse. It was no longer a round warhead, but a conical one, and there seemed to be a pit underneath. Emperor Tianqi knew very well that this kind of bullet was called a mini bullet in later generations, but he didn't expect Xu Guangqi to be able to create such a bullet.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse on the side finally had a look of ecstasy on his face, he knew something that no one else knew, but he still knew if he could do it. Suppressed by the excitement, the Emperor of the Apocalypse quietly looked at the man with the gun.

With a crisp gunshot, there was an additional hole in the target two hundred meters away. The man who had finished shooting stood respectfully to the side, waiting for the Emperor of the Apocalypse to ask.

Xu Guangqi nodded slowly, looking at the Emperor of the Apocalypse with a little apprehension on his face, and his heart was not at the bottom. Although he had confidence in this kind of gun, Xu Guangqi himself felt a little blushing when the Emperor of the Apocalypse was increasing his investment in the firearms factory. But he also knew that this had to be put in, and there was no room for delay. Be sure to do it as soon as possible. Although there are many places where the country uses money, Xu Guangqi feels that he should use it the most, and of course he feels the same way.

Without speaking, without looking at the eyes of the people around him, the Emperor of the Apocalypse beckoned to the person who fired the gun and motioned for him to bring the gun. When the gun reached the hands of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, the Emperor of the Apocalypse did not look at anything else, and hurriedly turned the barrel of the gun upside down.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse saw what was inside, and it was a spiral-shaped rifling, which made the Emperor of the Apocalypse feel like crying. Stretching out his hand to ** the rough feeling above, the Emperor of the Apocalypse slowly raised his head, his face full of joy.

After calming down his emotions, the Emperor of the Apocalypse said to Xu Guangqi beside him: "Bring me that kind of gun and bullet!" ”

Xu Guangqi saw that the Emperor of the Apocalypse saw the difference, his heart suddenly let go, and there was a smile on his face, he took the cone-shaped bullet and respectfully handed it to the Emperor of the Apocalypse.

Gently pinching the bullet in his hand, the excitement in the heart of the Emperor of the Apocalypse was simply beyond the added, he knew that a new era was coming. You must know that whether it is a shredder or an arquebus, it is all in the category of front-loading guns.

Since the birth of the front-loading gun, although it has been constantly improving and improving, it has always been able to defeat the cavalry head-on. This is also the key to the development of cavalry in the end, although there are guns, but it is still the reason for the era of cold weapons.

However, the Emperor of the Apocalypse knew very well that if the rifled musket could not make mankind enter the era of all firearms, then the front-loading rifle with Mini bullets really opened the era of human hot weapons.

With this kind of gun, the Emperor of the Apocalypse knew that he no longer needed cavalry, no longer needed to raise horses with great effort, and he could build a modern army on his own. It was a soldier with a steel helmet, neatly dressed military uniform, and carrying a gun on his back.

After a long time, the Emperor of the Apocalypse calmed his excitement, handed the gun in his hand to Xu Guangqi on the side, and said, "How much does this gun and bullets cost?" ”

"Back to the emperor, the cost of one such gun is about fifteen taels of silver, and one tael of this kind of gun ammunition can make about 100 rounds." Xu Guangqi looked at the Emperor of the Apocalypse cautiously and quoted his cost. He knew the advantages of this gun, but the price was too expensive, and the Ming Dynasty couldn't afford it now.

Xu Guangqi didn't expect that the Emperor of the Apocalypse didn't question it, he just nodded lightly, and then fell into deep thought. Although he wanted to know what the Emperor of the Apocalypse was thinking, Xu Guangqi didn't dare to speak.

At this time, the Emperor of the Apocalypse was constantly calculating, a gun was fifteen taels of silver, which was really not ordinarily expensive. 100,000 guns is 1.5 million taels, plus bullets, if you want to arm an army of 100,000 people, the total cost is probably around 3 million.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, although he would not give up the manufacture of this kind of gun and bullet, the Emperor of the Apocalypse also had to think about it. It's almost the end of the year, this is the end of the third year of the Apocalypse, and the Emperor of the Apocalypse has been on the throne for three years.

Turning his gaze to the northwest, if he can recreate slaves this time, then there will be no external pressure, and the Emperor of the Apocalypse will finally be able to start internal reforms. The Emperor of the Apocalypse believed that as long as the reform was successful, he would have enough money to replace all his armies with such equipment.

Looking at Xu Guangqi with an expectant face, the Emperor of the Apocalypse also understood why he had this attitude, pondered for a moment, and said, "Xu Aiqing, it's October now, and the New Year is coming soon, you need to take a good rest." Seeing what Xu Guangqi was about to say, the Emperor of the Apocalypse waved his hand and said, "This time is not for you to rest at home, I have important things to hand over to you." ”

Xu Guangqi saw that the Emperor of the Apocalypse had a serious face, nodded, and stood aside respectfully, waiting for the Emperor of the Apocalypse to give him the task.

During this time, Xu Aiqing needs to do several things, and the first thing is to reduce the cost of this gun. The cost of fifteen taels is too high, and I hope that you can reduce the cost on the basis of the same surname. I don't need to know what method to use, I'll leave this matter to you! The Emperor of the Apocalypse looked at Xu Guangqi with burning eyes, this matter must be on the Cheng Cheng, this is to save money.

Listening to the words of the Emperor of the Apocalypse and looking at the expectant eyes of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, Xu Guangqi nodded slowly, and said with a serious face: "The emperor can rest assured, the ministers will do their best." ”

Nodding with satisfaction, the Emperor of the Apocalypse suddenly remembered something and said, "This kind of gun will be called the Guangqi rifle from today onwards, and it will be used to commend Xu Aiqing's merits." In addition, all the people in the firearms factory are rewarded, and those who participate in the development of this gun are doubled! ”

"Thank the Emperor for your grace!" All the people present knelt on the ground, looking extremely excited. Xu Guangqi was even more excited, his lips trembled and he couldn't speak.

Helping Xu Guangqi up, the Emperor of the Apocalypse said with a smile: "I remember Aiqing's contributions, and I believe that the people of the Ming Dynasty will also remember it, and they will definitely be able to go down in history in the future!" ”

"Your Majesty, the ministers must do their best, and then die!" Xu Guangqi is full of tears, and it is already rare to be able to show what he has learned in his chest in this life. The Emperor of the Apocalypse valued himself so much, Xu Guangqi no longer knew how to express his feelings.

The Emperor of the Apocalypse stood aside, waited for Xu Guangqi's mood to calm down, and then pulled Xu Guangqi to find a confidential room, and said: "Aiqing, the second thing is that you have to sift through it well, Daming's firearms are very miscellaneous, and there are many types. In the future, do not distract yourself from firearms that have no potential, and mainly set the direction. Naturally, artillery should be grasped. Aiqing can pick and choose from existing artillery and classify them according to their range and power, so that they can be better studied. As for the musket, the same is true, and although the Light-Inspired rifle is very good now, it can definitely be even better. ”

Xu Guangqi listened carefully, nodding his head from time to time, and the Emperor of the Apocalypse said with a smile: "As the so-called sharpening knives do not mistake woodcutters, these things are done well, and it is much more useful than starting production immediately." I am going to carry out the restructuring next year, and the Ming Dynasty wants to prosper, and it is useless to have a strong army. There are many things to do, and enriching the people is the top priority. ”

Now Xu Guangqi finally understands that the Emperor of the Apocalypse is not not not giving him money, but has set his sights further away. Regarding the restructuring that Emperor Tianqi said, although Xu Guangqi didn't know what was going on, he was very looking forward to it in his heart.

According to Xu Guangqi's understanding of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, this emperor is only if he does not move, and if he moves, it will be thunderous! Zhang Juzheng's reform was fruitful, and now that the Emperor of the Apocalypse wants to reform, it must be more effective.

Xu Guangqi knew that he shouldn't ask, but changed the topic and said, "Your Majesty, I don't know what else I need to explain to my ministers?" ”

The Emperor of the Apocalypse lowered his head and thought for a while, and said with a serious face: "Aiqing still wants to report the cost and maximum output of the firearms factory now, I want to know more about it." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty! Ministers must do their best. Xu Guangqi didn't know how many times he had said his best, and he was now full of energy, as if he was ten years younger.

Nodding, there seemed to be no problem with firearms, and the Emperor of the Apocalypse shifted the topic to shipbuilding again, and asked in a deep voice: "Xu Aiqing, the shipbuilding matter has always been in your charge, how many ships can be handed over to Qi Jiguang by the end of this year?" ”

"Back to the emperor, by the end of the year, there will be five warships of the main force, two more supply ships, and the rest are three escort clippers. This is ten warships that can be used as a fleet, according to the way the emperor said to fight together. The minister knew that the emperor hoped that the sailors could form combat power in a short period of time, and this shipbuilding method could ensure that a batch of buildings could be used. The expression on Xu Guangqi's face became very indifferent, and he explained the matter to the Emperor of the Apocalypse.

Although there was no expression, the Emperor of the Apocalypse's mind was constantly flipping, and he needed a strong navy, which was the basis for his next move. However, the Emperor of the Apocalypse also knew that this matter was in a hurry, so he didn't ask Xu Guangqi anything again, and said: "Aiqing is doing a good job, and that apprentice of yours is also good, let the cabinet draw up a holy decree and promote him to the head of the Ministry of Industry." ”

"Thank Emperor Longen!" Xu Guangqi hurriedly thanked his apprentice with a satisfied smile on his face.

Just when the Emperor of the Apocalypse was about to say something, Wang Chengen outside suddenly ran in, knelt on the ground with a happy face, and said loudly: "Your Majesty! The queen is about to give birth, please return to the palace soon! ”