Machine guns and gun mounts

  80,000 troops? Upon hearing this number, Zheng Kezang couldn't help but start calculating. However, before he could even come up with a preliminary plan, he noticed that Chen Yonghua's expression wasn't quite right. He was taken aback - could it be that the other party thought there was something off about this sudden influx of labor?

  Before Zheng Kezang could ask, Chen Yonghua had already pointed out the key to the problem: "Descendant, these more than 8,000 surrendered soldiers are only surrendering due to being overpowered, and among them there are no lack of die-hard Tartars. Since it is impossible to distinguish between them, it is necessary to have military supervision. However, this is what Dongning lacks most - an army. If something unexpected happens, that would be a disaster for the nine provinces!"

  "Mr. Chen's words seem to be boasting, what is lacking in Dongning? I think everything is lacking, not just a lack of soldiers."

  Zheng Kezang smiled and said a sentence, then fell into contemplation. Chen Yonghua was right, Dongning currently only has three battalions of the Imperial Guard, four brigades of the Brave Army, remnants of eleven brigades that were crippled on the mainland, scattered soldiers from various units, as well as his own elite troops, including the Tongzi Army's A Battalion and the Kunlun Banner, totaling less than 9,000 men.

  Among the more than 9,000 troops, the 1,200-strong Imperial Guard was responsible for guarding Anping City and could not be easily mobilized. The total number of soldiers in the garrison was only over a hundred, with about 2,000 people mainly distributed along the southern and northern routes to maintain law and order in newly built settlements and intimidate local bandits, making it impossible to lightly dispatch them. Although the Brave Guard had the strongest military strength, they were responsible for defending Dongning Prefecture and two states, so only one of its battalions with about 1,000 people could be mobilized as a mobile force, and they also had to prepare at any time and place to cooperate with the garrison soldiers in suppressing the resistance of the two routes. As for the Kunlun Banner and the Boy Soldier Army, one was not fluent in language, physically just recovering, and training had not been conducted, while the other consisted of only 17- or 18-year-old boy soldiers, neither of which inspired much confidence.

  "Mr. Chen, I've thought it over, and we can send the surrendered soldiers who are above the rank of battalion commander or severely injured to various places for garrison duty, where they will be supervised by local officials. This way, the number of people will decrease, let's say to around 7,000. The true slaves and Mongolian slaves will be sent to work in mines, and with the skills of those mine owners, I don't think they'll cause any trouble.

  However, there are only about 3,000 Manchu and Mongolian soldiers in Haizhou, and only about 500-600 who were captured after being starved and dizzy. So, the main force is still intact. 'The Brave Guard Army will send one battalion from each garrison to guard the surrendered soldiers.'

  According to Zheng Kecang's plan, using 1,000 people to guard is not much different from using 800 people, but this way, we can squeeze out over 800 mobile troops. 'If something happens, the Child Soldier Camp will take the lead first, and if they can't hold on, we'll send in the last battalion of the Brave Guard Army.'

  As he said this, Zheng Kecang narrowed his eyes. 'Mr. Chen, things don't always go as planned, so for now, we'll just have to endure for a while. Once our slave soldiers are trained, we can rest easy.'"

  Chen Yonghua listened to Zheng Kecang's arrangement and counted it in his heart for a while, then nodded: "It can only be like this for now"

  ??”

  After negotiating how to dispose of the troops, Zheng Kezang went to the arsenal under the ironworks. Now for Taiwan, as long as the source of cast iron is solved, making cannons is not a big problem, but Zheng Kezang's requirements for the frequency and effectiveness of the Boy Scouts' A-team firearms shooting team have put the issue of firearms on the agenda again.

  "The bird gun is too long and thin, with little ammunition, so it's useless even from a distance. The musket may have more power, but it's heavy and cumbersome to make." The craftsmen from the Ministry of War chattered on. "As for the English-made guns, they don't use fire cords, but the firing is unstable, two or three out of ten guns won't fire at all."

  ??”

  "What you said, I understand," Zheng Kezang interrupted. "I'd like to ask you, what's the most difficult part of making this fire lance?"

  "If we go back to the country," the craftsman replied without thinking. "The most difficult thing is to drill the gun barrel." It turned out that at that time, in order to avoid blasting, the manufacturing process usually started by wrapping a large and small iron pipe with precision iron, wrapping the larger one around the smaller one, making them tightly attached, and then using a steel drill to drill the inner wall of the gun barrel. The drilling process was very precise, and if it wasn't done well, it would be scrapped, so each person could only drill about an inch or so per day. "It takes about ten days to a month to drill one."

  "In other words, as long as the problem of the gun barrel is solved, the English flintlock can also be copied?" Zheng Kezang's question got a positive answer, and he formally issued an order. "You try to make a gun for me, with a muzzle diameter of 7 fen (about 23mm), and the length is calculated according to the 4 chi 5 cun of the Lu Mi gun, but the firing mechanism and ignition are made in the style of the English flintlock. I give you half a month's time, can you do it?"

  The craftsman nodded hesitantly and then spoke up: "Your Majesty, in that case this fire lance will be too heavy."

  "This is already known." With a bit of weight, it can shatter the double-layered cotton armor. Zheng Kezang calculated this account more clearly than the craftsman. "You only need to say whether you can or cannot do it." The second-ranked boss spoke up, and as a careful craftsman, how could he dare say no? Of course, he would be able to deliver on time. "You may go now, if it's done early, I will reward you myself." The craftsman retreated obediently, and Zheng Kezang's gaze shifted to Du Doushi's head beside him. "Lord Du, this matter is going to trouble you again."

  Du Du had been listening to the conversation from the side, and now that Zheng Kezang had called his name, he rubbed his hands together and put on a very difficult expression: "Shi Sun, casting cannons is indeed feasible, but the gun barrel is so small, I'm afraid it can't be made using the pouring method. If you want to cast a solid one, wouldn't we have to re-drill the hole? Your humble servant really doesn't have the skills."

  "This time, we really need to think of a way to drill," said Zheng Kezang, who didn't have the skills to do it himself, but when it came to talking, he had enough things in his memory to show off. He casually drew a diagram. "Does Lord Du understand? Human strength is limited, but this water is endless. A person can only drill an inch or two per day, but with a drilling rig, who knows, maybe we can drill half a foot or even a whole foot." Du Doushi looked like he had just woken up from a dream, but before he could even start to flatter Zheng Kezang, the latter continued. "However, even with a drilling rig, it's not guaranteed that the drilling process won't go off track, so I'm leaving this matter to you. Drill ten pipes and at most three will be crooked." Du Doushi was about to complain when Zheng Kezang waved his hand. "Can't you just coordinate with the craftsmen from the Ministry of War?"

  Du Du's eyes lit up and he hastily said: "I understand, Your Majesty can rest assured, I will make proper arrangements."

  "Lighting alone is not enough," Zheng Kezang added. "The method of camp construction, has Master Du seen it?"

  Compiled during the Xining period of Emperor Song Zong (1068-1077), completed in the third year of Yuanyou of Emperor Zhezong (1100) and published in the second year of Chongning of Emperor Huizong (1103), "Yingzao Fashi" was compiled by Li Jie on the basis of "Mujing" by Yu Hao, a craftsman from Zhejiang Province. It is an official book of architectural design and construction regulations during the Northern Song Dynasty and the most complete ancient Chinese book on architecture technology. As a government official in charge of public works, Dou Tao naturally had read such a famous work.

  "Does Mr. Du still remember how to polish objects among them?"

  "What does 'descendant' refer to?" Du Du immediately responded. "Isn't it also going to be used for the outer tube of the fire lance?"

  "Of course not," Zheng Kezang smiled lightly. "It's for the inner wall to be polished." The inner cylinder needs to be smooth, which is a common requirement for both cannons and firearms. However, with the use of iron molds and central cooling methods, the inner diameter no longer needs to be polished after the cannon is made, so much so that Du had temporarily forgotten that the gun barrel also needed polishing.

  "Replace the grinding head of the grinder with a fine iron drill bit, and you can have someone try it out later." As he said this, Zheng Kezang suddenly remembered something. "Right, polishing might enlarge the caliber, so when drilling, leave some room for error. As for the specifics, you all figure it out yourselves, I just want results."

  Du Du hastily agreed, to be honest, today he learned another trick. Of course, just learning is not enough, he still needs to show off his skills in front of Zheng Kezang, otherwise he would only be able to make it to the sixth rank for the rest of his life: "Young Master, the cannon car you ordered last time is done, are we going to take a look at it today?"

  "Oh," Zheng Kezang's face lit up with joy, for the transportation of artillery, that French deserter had not been stingy with his advice. "Pull it over." The gun carriage and gun mount are the general terms for the various components that support the barrel of a cannon, which can guarantee the stability of the cannon during firing. However, at this stage, the main function of the gun carriage is to provide a means of transportation for the artillery. "Let me take a closer look."

  What came was not only a double-wheeled gun carriage, but also a two-inch caliber long cannon had been set up on it. However, what Zheng Kechang loved most was the style of the gun carriage, which was completely in line with the Westernized slim body, and the screw at the end of the gun provided an unprecedented adjustable shooting range. As for the long tail of the gun carriage, it could be hung on a suitable transportation tool to tow or stand on the ground as a support wheel.

  "The total weight of the cannon car is 408 catties, all made of high-quality ironwood, with key parts reinforced with iron hoops and iron fittings. It has been tested and can withstand the explosive force of a two-inch cannon without disintegrating." Du said proudly. "With the addition of wooden screws, it can move up and down within 14 inches, and considering the weight of the two-inch cannon itself, the total weight is 830 catties and a half. If we add the front car that is currently being made, it will require four Yunnan horses or two northern big horses to pull."

  Horses! Zheng Kezang nodded and then shook his head, this problem was also serious. The reason why the Zheng army couldn't beat the Northern Army was largely due to a lack of horses. Although Zheng Kezang had ordered European thoroughbreds from the British twice before, only one male and one female horse had arrived so far, which was really slow!

  But this little setback did not make Zheng Kezang's mood worse, he pointed to Du Dou Shi's shoulder: "Although the emperor has appointed a new official, I think Li Jing Li will not fail to give me some face, so congratulations, Du's front chest badge can be changed, as for others who have made contributions, Du can also list a promotion list."

  Du Du was overjoyed beyond his wildest dreams. Wasn't this the very purpose: "I, your subject, thank you for your cultivation, I am willing to die for the country."

  "Will you have to die for it? As for the cultivation, what's the point?" Zheng Kecang's face suddenly turned serious. "If it's done well, naturally, you won't be treated unfairly, but if things related to the safety of our clan, such as drilling into the bedrock, digging tunnels and making cannons, are revealed to outsiders, do you understand the consequences?"

  Du Du deeply bowed his body: "I dare not betray the trust of future generations!"