A group of civil and military officials were sitting or standing below, pointing and talking, some were shocked by the power of the Red Barbarian artillery, while others were surprised by the appearance of the more than 20 Portuguese gunners.

In accordance with the order of demonstration, the musket has been tested.

Among them, the large guns, also called Eagle Gun, Eagle Gun, Turtle Dove Gun, etc., are all heavy matchlock guns, and they are indeed the fork guns that Zhu Youxiao imagined.

Because the gun is heavy and has a large recoil, the physical requirements for soldiers who can operate it are relatively high, and they must be strong and sturdy.

The bullet of the Rumi gun weighs about three cents, which is about fifteen grams; while the bullet of the fork gun weighs nine cents, which is almost forty-five grams.

If this shot hits the body, it would probably have the same effect as the heavy sniper rifles of later generations, which could even blow off arms and legs. It would be a death sentence if it touched the person.

Forget about heavy armor, even a shield cart can be destroyed with a few shots, right?

As for the range, it can still have great destructive power against heavy armor within a hundred meters, and it should have no problem causing damage to lightly armored archers at a range of one hundred and fifty or sixty meters.

Zhu Youxiao was very satisfied with the effect of the fork gun. On the table in front of him were two lead bullets, which were about the same size as the ones he used to shoot when he was a child.

"I know Mr. Shen is also an expert in firearms." Zhu Youxiao watched the artillery demonstration and asked Shen Yourong, who had been summoned to his side, "Look, if this cannon is placed on a ship, the strength of our Ming navy will be greatly improved, right?"

Shen Yourong bowed and replied, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. This Red Cannon is several times more powerful than the Portuguese Cannon and has a longer range."

After a pause, he added, "But with the current fleet of the Ming Dynasty Navy, I'm afraid we can't accommodate many."

The cannon was heavy and had a strong recoil. Zhu Youxiao understood this and nodded slightly, saying, "Then we should build a big ship. At least it can't be much smaller than the Dutch plywood boat."

After reading the documents given by Zhu Youxiao, Shen Yourong was deeply impressed by the young emperor's courage and ambition. He was so excited that he did not sleep for half the night and wrote a long memorial.

But he also knew that this was not a task that could be completed overnight, and the amount of money required was difficult to estimate.

"Cannons—" Zhu Youxiao seemed to be able to guess Shen Yourong's concerns, pointed his finger, and said, "It will be there soon."

"As for ships, even if we have to buy them, we must have fifty within three years, each capable of carrying at least thirty Red Barbarian cannons. I will fully equip you with the money; you will simply train the navy well and ensure peace along the coast of the Ming Dynasty."

Fifty ships, thirty guns, that is, fifteen hundred red-haired cannons, plus a large number of small and medium-sized ships, are enough to compete with the red-haired barbarians along the coast of China, right?

First, control the East Asian seas, make the red-haired barbarians pay a bribe, and then control the South China Sea...

Shen Yourong had not expected that the young emperor would be so determined. According to his estimation, this would almost require the entire country's strength.

What about Liaodong, what about Mongolia outside the Great Wall, and what about the She'an Rebellion? Will there be relief if there is a famine?

A series of question marks filled Shen Yourong's forehead. He opened his mouth, not knowing whether to praise or ask questions, but heard a loud noise.

As the fireworks rose, everyone looked over and saw that a cannon had exploded and several Portuguese gunners had fallen.

Xu Guangqi, Sun Yuanhua and others were shocked and looked under the yellow umbrella at the same time, then hurried to the scene of the accident to check.

The emperor is very fond of Western barbarian firearms, and the plan to import imitations to counter the Eastern barbarians has been basically implemented. But with this incident, will there be any changes?

Xu Guangqi and others were extremely worried, fearing that the emperor would change his mind. Moreover, how could the conservative officials in the court not use this as an opportunity to impeach and criticize him?

In history, it was precisely because of the accident that the conservative forces in the court impeached Xu Guangqi and others for playing with "strange skills and tricks" and not following the right path. The heavens warned that killing foreigners was an ominous sign, and foreign soldiers and weapons must not be used.

Under constant criticism and exclusion, Xu Guangqi had no choice but to resign and return home unemployed. All the Portuguese gunners were also sent back to Macau.

As a result, the Ming Dynasty's introduction of red cannons was delayed for several years. It was not until after the Battle of Ningjin that Xu Guangqi was re-employed and the purchase and manufacture of cannons began again.

Five or six years have been wasted, all because of the nonsense of conservative civil servants.

Not long after, Xu Guangqi rushed back to report to the emperor that the Portuguese gunner John Correa was killed on the spot, while the others were only slightly injured and their lives were not in danger.

Looking at the anxious Xu Guangqi, Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly and said, "Please show great respect to the Portuguese who died and convey my condolences. Tell Gonzalo de Shera that I have decided to hire them to train artillerymen for the Ming Dynasty."

After a pause, the young emperor said in a deep voice, "The Portuguese artillerymen and gunners accompanying us will be hired by the Ordnance and Gunpowder Bureau. The court will purchase all of their artillery and muskets. We will also order another twenty artillery pieces and a hundred muskets, the sooner the better."

Shen Yourong's eyes flashed, and he was deeply impressed by the emperor's calmness and determination. The accident and the death of people did not shake the emperor's determination at all.

Xu Guangqi bowed deeply, feeling as if a stone had fallen to the ground. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "Your humble servant obeys my order."

The emperor's decision silenced the conservative officials and shielded him from criticism. Xu Guangqi was unable to repay this imperial grace and favor.

In fact, whether the firearms demonstration was successful or not, it would not have shaken Zhu Youxiao's resolve. But he made his decision after watching it, which not only gave him a clear mind, but also showed prudence and was not a hasty decision.

As for the accidental accidents, weren't there enough cases of the bird guns made by the Ordnance Bureau exploding before, causing the Ming army soldiers to dare not use them, and the civil officials didn't come out to say a word and find a solution.

This is a warning from heaven, and it's an ominous sign. Why not strike with thunder to kill all of you ignorant bastards?

A total of 26 cannons were purchased from Macau this time, 22 of which were handed over to the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Hu Yingtai, for processing. After they were made, they were immediately transported to Tianjin.

After one gun exploded, there were still three left, plus the thirteen guns that were left in the capital after salvaging the sunken ship. Zhu Youxiao planned to give all of them to Shen Yourong and quickly build a decent naval force.

After the subsequent 22 cannons arrived, Zhu Youxiao planned to transport another 10 to Ningyuan, and the rest would continue to strengthen the navy.

The dozen or so red-haired cannons in Zhaoqing were to be transferred to the Fujian Navy. At the same time, a cannon factory was to be established in Zhaoqing, employing Portuguese technicians to cast cannons specifically for the Southern Xinjiang Navy and coastal artillery batteries.

According to the Portuguese quotation, a cannon weighing 5,000 jin would cost 2,500 taels of silver, a cannon weighing 3,000 jin would cost 1,500 taels, and a cannon weighing 1,000 jin would cost 900 taels.

As for the ten thousand jin heavy artillery, Zhu Youxiao was not interested in it at all. It was too heavy and could only be used in fortress artillery positions. It was not particularly needed at the moment.

According to its performance, the 1,000-pound gun was sufficient for defending the city, and it could also replace the 1,000-pound falconet for use in naval artillery. The replaced falconets would not be wasted and would be given to the army to strengthen its firepower.