"Mr. Wang, is what this battle report says true?"

In the Forbidden City, Wanli and Wang Xijue sat opposite each other, Wanli held a battle report just sent by Huai'an Mansion in his hand, and looked at Wang Xijue with an inquiring gaze, hoping that the other party would give him a clear answer. His face was filled with joy, clearly hoping that this battle report was true.

Wang Xijue said: "Your Majesty, after the old minister saw this war report, he went to the military department to verify it, and they received the war report from Huai Anwei, which was not much different from what this war report said. The difference is nothing more than that Huai'an Wei slightly exaggerated some of the roles they played in this battle, Rao is so, and they also admit that Su Hao's survey battalion is the first merit in this battle. ”

"What did I say! I only met Su Hao once, and I decided that he was different from my ordinary officials, and he must be someone who could surprise me, you see, it was true! Wanli slapped the case with his hand, as if it was not enough to express his excitement.

Wang Xijue said: "The emperor knows people with a discerning eye, and the old ministers can't reach him. The battle report said that in the face of more than 100 ferocious and vicious widows, Su Hao personally went to the front enemy, and was only more than ten steps away from the bandit leader, and later paralyzed the bandit leader with a plan, which enabled others to shoot the bandit leader with a fire gun and establish a miraculous feat. ”

"This Su Hao is indeed courageous and knowledgeable, and he can be a model for my Ming officials. By the way, I read that the war report said that he used not an ordinary firearm, but a firearm called a flintlock pistol, and Mr. Wang knows what this firearm looks like? Wanli asked with gossip potential.

Wang Xijue shook his head and said: "This old minister doesn't know, and the military department doesn't know who created this firearm and which craftsman's workshop made it. ”

"The old slave knows a little about this." Li Long, the eunuch standing aside, lowered his head and said.

"Oh, how does Gonggong Li know about this, tell me quickly." Wanli said.

Li Long said: "Back to the emperor, when the old slave was a mine supervisor in Jiangxi, this Su Hao once went to find a gold mine for the old slave. At that time, he told the old slave that he needed to be active in the deep mountains and old forests often in the mountains and forests for prospecting, so he wanted to find a firearm for self-defense. The old slave saw that he was already a hundred households in the army at that time, so he agreed to his request. ”

"Oh......" Wanli nodded. According to the law, it is necessary to report to the Ministry of War to equip the army with firearms, and Li Long, as a eunuch, directly promised Su Hao that he could have firearms, which was a deceitful move. But Wanli also knew that these regulations were only strictly implemented in the early Ming Dynasty, and by the time of his grandfather and great-grandfather, these regulations were already useless. In the border army of the nine sides, it is not uncommon to privately cast cannons, but everyone does not say anything about it.

"So, where did Su Hao's firearm come from?" Wang Xijue asked.

Li Long said: "This flintlock pistol was invented by Su Hao himself and made by a skilled craftsman. The old slave has seen its real thing, it is smaller than the ordinary firearm, and the most amazing thing is that it does not need to be ignited with an arquebus, but relies on the skill to fire the flint, so the firing speed is faster than other firearms, and it can also achieve the effect of surprise to the enemy. ”

Li Long knew about Su Hao's flintlock pistol because Su Hao had used this kind of gun to injure a subordinate of Dong Tianzhang and Yang Laizhen, which shocked Dong and Yang. Su Hao also said that he would send a gun to Li Long for self-defense, but how dare Li Long, as a eunuch in the palace, have such a weapon.

"Hit with flint...... This is a good idea, how could the craftsmen of the Armory Bureau and the Staff Bureau not think of this method? Wanli asked, he was a very knowledgeable emperor, the principle of the flintlock pistol was not complicated, he understood it after a little thought, and then questioned why no one else had come up with such a thing.

Wang Xijue said: "The reason for hitting with flint is simple, but it is not easy to make machine springs and other things. I now understand why Su Hao told me that industry is a system and needs overall planning. If Lao Chen didn't guess wrong, the factories he built in Liangxiang should be doing this. ”

"Liangxiang Factory, what does this mean?" Wanli asked in surprise.

Wang Xijue said: "When Su Hao was waiting in Beijing, he found a piece of wasteland in Liangxiang and built some workshops, which he called factories. These days, the vanity mirrors used by women in the capital, as well as the high-fierce steel waist knives used by military generals, are said to be produced by Su Hao's factory. The old minister wanted to visit the site, but he has not been able to make the trip because of mundane things. Combined with the strategy that Su Hao handed to Lao Chen, Lao Chen guessed that he was practicing his concept of technology in those factories. ”

"Is that so?" Wanli said, "Hearing Mr. Wang say this, I also want to visit." This Su Gaizhi has some whimsical ideas, and I want to see what he has come up with. ”

"Okay, Lao Chen, I'll arrange it." Wang Xijue said.

The emperor wants to leave the palace, so naturally there are some cumbersome security procedures. However, Liangxiang is next to the capital, and it is not difficult for the Jingwei battalions to protect it. A few days later, under the protection of heavy soldiers, accompanied by Wang Xijue and Li Long, Wanli came to the Sushi Industrial Park in Liangxiang.

The emperor is here, and this movement is not small. Xiong Ji, Xu Guangqi and others, who were in charge of the work of the industrial park, hurriedly came out to greet them, knelt on the ground and kowtowed in fear. A manager like Hao Qing, who was born as a craftsman, simply didn't dare to come forward. After Wanli said some words, he ordered Xu Guangqi to lead the way and introduce them to the development of the industrial park.

"Your Majesty, please see, this is our steelmaking plant, a kind of steel we mainly smelt is called Gao Meng Steel, its formula is different from other steel, the biggest feature of the steel is extremely hard, wear-resistant, and the quality is better than Xuantie."

"This is our glass factory, and the vanity mirrors used by the ladies of the capital are produced in the glass factory. Another product of our factory is telescopes, which are currently ordered by the Ministry of War, mainly for the use of the commanders of the border army. ”

"This is a machinery factory, and now the students are in charge, mainly according to the ideas and drawings provided by Director Su, and some machinery is being trial-produced. Not long ago, we have successfully trial-produced a deep-hole drilling machine that can be used to drill the barrel of a musket ......"

Xu Guangqi walked all the way and introduced the situation of the industrial park to Wanli all the way. After more than half a year of construction, Su's Industrial Park has become quite large-scale, with dozens of workshops, as well as workers' dormitories, canteens and other buildings. Wanli walked in the meantime, and there was a lot of freshness of Grandma Liu's entry into the Grand View Garden.

The workers in the park all stopped what they were doing, stood far away, and watched the emperor inspect, all of them were very excited. Groups of brocade guards watched over the workers with spears in hand, and if anyone made the slightest move, the brocade guards would stop them with stern eyes.

According to Xu Guangqi's introduction, Wanli personally tried out high-manganese steel knives, binoculars and other objects, and also visited the drilling machine performance operated by workers. Wang Xijue followed behind Wanli, asking questions about everything, and then introducing to Wanli the significance of these things to the entire national economy and people's livelihood. As a deputy to the cabinet, he was able to think of much more things than Wanli, and he was more shocked.

"Your name is Xu Guangqi? Can you have a reputation? Wanli suddenly asked Xu Guangqi.

Xu Guangqi said: "Back to Shengshang, the student has a reputation for showing talents, and he has also participated in two township examinations, but he failed to win. ”

Wanli said to Wang Xijue: "True knowledge does not necessarily have to be displayed only in the examination room. Xu Aiqing is knowledgeable and extraordinary, why can't such a talent be reused? Mr. Wang, passing on my will, Xu Guangqi, a member of the Ministry of Engineering, was awarded the title of six grades. ”

"This ......" Xu Guangqi was stunned, and he didn't know what to say with his mouth open.

Wang Xijue glared at him and reprimanded, "Xu Guangqi, why don't you hurry up and thank you?" ”

"Student...... Ah, no, the minister Xu Guangqi thanked the Holy Grace. Xu Guangqi had to kneel down obediently.

"Excuse me, get up." Wanli said.

Xu Guangqi still knelt on the ground and said: "Shengshang, but the minister prefers to stay in this Su family factory and study these machinery, so the minister wants to implore the Shengshang to take back the position of the director of the Ministry of Works." ”

"How can it be?" Wanli said angrily, "How can I take back my will. You are the head of the Ministry of Works, and you can still do things in Su's factory. This factory...... Even if it's a joint venture between me and Su Hao. ”

"This ......" Xu Guangqi was embarrassed, Wanli turned Su Hao's factory into a public-private partnership with a word, how could Xu Guangqi be qualified to agree to this matter. But if you want to say no, the other party is the emperor who is full of words, and judging from the stumble that Wanli hit just now, he originally wanted to directly announce that the factory was owned by Ouchi, but after hesitating for a while, he changed it to say that it was jointly organized by the two parties. The emperor has already given a step, does Xu Guangqi still dare to contradict it?

"Master Xu, you don't have to be embarrassed about this." Li Long came forward to play a round, "Change to run this factory, our family knows." Originally, this factory was jointly established by Kanzhi and Ouchi. There is still a part of the silver for setting up a factory, and the emperor asked our family to change it. ”

"I see." Xu Guangqi was suspicious, but he also knew that Su Hao and Li Long had a very close past, maybe this matter was really as Li Long said. Thinking that he couldn't get anything for Su Hao, he said again: "Holy Lord, the minister has a reluctant request. ”

"Say it." Wanli is in a good mood today, and he is not dissatisfied with Xu Guangqi's crime.

Xu Guangqi said: "As far as the minister knows, Director Su is only the director of the Ministry of Industry, and the official residence is six grades. The minister is not as capable as Su as the director, and he is also a six-grade, and the minister is deeply frightened. ”

Wanli laughed: "There are still people who think their officials are too big, Xu Guangqi, you really opened my eyes." Don't worry, Su Hao has made miraculous achievements in Huai'an, how can I not promote him to an official? Talents like you should be promoted as soon as possible, and the court should also sweep away some of the dying atmosphere. ”