Chapter 83 Musket

"So, what did the Emperor summon us for today?"

Walking along the palace path, Yunzhen couldn't help but ask.

Recently, he has been in charge of training the Eight Banners army. The generals he has been training have not yet fully matured, so he has to do two jobs at once and is extremely busy.

It wasn't just him; the girls' school was attracting attention, but in reality, the emperor's actions in the previous court were also quite significant. His brothers all held multiple positions, practically treating the government offices as their homes.

Fortunately, the Emperor was understanding and rarely summoned them unless necessary. Even when there was something to discuss, he would do so when they were free.

It's quite rare to summon all of them at once.

"Going to the training ground, do you mean you want to spar with us?"

Yun hesitated before speaking, and Yun Tang rolled his eyes. "Still gesturing? Tenth Prince, have you been spending too much time in the barracks lately? Why aren't you using your brain? What is the Emperor gesturing to us about?"

Yun retorted, "Then tell me, Ninth Brother, what else could the Emperor have summoned us to the training ground for?"

"We'll know when we get there." Yun Tang didn't know, but she was stubborn.

"That's... Ning Chuke from Tenth Brother's family, right?"

Looking at the girl standing at the edge of the training ground, waving her handkerchief enthusiastically at them, Yunli asked hesitantly.

"Hiss—" Yun gasped, "It really is! Is the Emperor here to criticize me today?!"

It's no wonder Yun thinks that way; Ning Chuke really is a problem student. Not only is she eager to learn, but she's also incredibly destructive.

He tried to learn a musical instrument, from the pipa to the guqin, and later even sawed wood. No, he tried playing the erhu, but he never mastered any of them. Not only did he have to endure ear torture in the palace, but he also had to accept subtle hints and criticisms from the teachers at parent-teacher meetings from time to time.

Ever since the girls' school came up with these new things, like monthly and quarterly assessments, followed by a parent-teacher conference, this period has become the most awkward and difficult time for Yun.

Doesn't Prince Dun have any pride?

But he only had one daughter, what could he do? He did persuade her to learn archery, but Ning Chuke didn't give up her musical instruments either. After learning archery, her destructive power became even greater.

Other girls attending girls' schools might get scholarships, but Ning Chuke went to a girls' school and lost countless musical instruments. At first, he was willing to give Ning Chuke some famous instruments, but later he just bought the cheapest ones.

There's no way around it; those pipa, guqin, erhu, and the like, in Ning Chuke's hands, aren't musical instruments, they're consumables!

It's heartbreaking to think about, no wonder Yun is reacting so strongly now.

"Tenth Brother, you're overthinking it. It won't happen." Yunxiang smiled and reassured him. Their emperor did have a bit of a quirky sense of humor, but he wouldn't go so far as to criticize the tenth prince in front of so many people because of his children.

“Father! Eighth Uncle! Ninth Uncle! Thirteenth Uncle! Fourteenth Uncle! Seventeenth Uncle!”

Ning Chuke excitedly greeted the group of people who walked up to him.

Yun Si smiled gently and asked, "Ning Chuke, what are you doing here?"

"It was I who sent her."

Hongli strode over with his men.

"Greetings, Your Majesty..."

"No need for formalities." Hongli waved his hand and, before everyone could finish their greetings, called out, "I've come today to invite my uncles to appreciate some new items. Wang Qin!"

As Wang Qin walked in carrying a tray, the contents on it came into view, and Yunzhen blurted out, "A musket?"

Yun Tang, who had the most contact with Westerners, observed carefully for a while and said hesitantly, "This seems to be different from the existing firearms?"

“Your Imperial Uncles will know once you try it.”

Hongli kept everyone in suspense.

"Then I'll give it a try first."

Yunli was the first to step forward and took a musket from the tray.

“How could I be left out of something like this?” Yunzhen retorted, not to be outdone.

At this moment, only one musket remained on the tray, and out of their complete trust in Hongli, the remaining people all wanted it.

Yun-tang's reasoning was sound: "I know the most about firearms, so let me try this last one."

Yun's mind raced at that moment. "I'm in charge of military affairs. Firearms are powerful weapons and suitable for equipping military camps. I'll try them out."

Yunxiang came up with a unique idea: "I tested my archery skills against the target."

Yinzhi, on the other hand, relied entirely on his age to his advantage. He said, "I am older, and as the eldest brother, I am like a father to everyone. They all listen to me. You can't handle such a powerful weapon, so let me do it."

The tension between the four was palpable. Fearing repercussions, Yunzhen and Yunli grabbed their muskets and headed to the training ground early.

Hongli quickly stepped forward to stop them, "Uncles, there's no need to rush. It was just a test, so I only had them bring out three. Since you're interested, I'll have them bring out a few more."

“The Emperor is right. Ninth Brother, Tenth Brother, Thirteenth Brother, don’t worry, you’ll get it soon. I’ll try it for you first.”

As they spoke, Yunsi picked up a musket from the tray and quickly walked to Yunzhen and Yunli's side. The remaining three were too slow to react and could only watch helplessly as he seized the initiative, sighing involuntarily.

"Three royal uncles, please don't be in a hurry. Let's take a look first."

Hongli offered a reassuring remark, and the three of them, including Yuntang, said nothing more and followed him to the stands.

"Bang bang bang"

Holding the telescope handed to them by the Emperor's men, the three were surprised to find that the target a hundred meters away was clearly visible through the telescope.

But the next second, all attention was drawn to the musket being tested.

"Is this a repeating flintlock musket?"

Yun Tang looked through the binoculars at the straw target that had been shattered by Yun Si's three shots, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Indeed, the improved repeating musket can fire 32 lead bullets in a single load, with a maximum effective range of 250 meters and more than double the power."

After Hongli finished speaking, the three people on the training ground also finished firing all their ammunition and returned to the stands, full of energy.

"Great stuff!" Yunzhen couldn't help but exclaim. "Who improved this? Is it possible to mass-produce it? Could it be issued to the military?"

The others shared the same thought; upon seeing such a powerful weapon, their first reaction was to expand their territory—a desire for plunder and possession ingrained in the Aisin Gioro clan.

“It can be mass-produced. I do indeed have plans to build a firearms battalion.” Hongli answered his question truthfully, then curled the corners of his mouth, meaning meaningfully, “As for the improvers, they are both far away and right in front of us.”

Following Hongli's gaze, everyone saw Ning Chuke, who was as proud as a little peacock, and they were all shocked.

Yunxiang asked in surprise, "Was it Ning Chuke who changed it?"

“Not bad.” Hongli nodded.

Yun seemed to have just come to her senses when she asked, "What? Ning Chuke changed this?"

"Yes, Father, it was me who changed it."

Ning Chuke stepped forward triumphantly; it was finally her turn to show off.

Yun was puzzled and shocked. "When did you come into contact with firearms? Playing the erhu is like trying to kill someone, and you can even improve firearms?"