Chapter 239 Seeking Help from Gongshu Tianyuan

"Not bad at all..." means generally satisfactory. For an ordinary person, receiving such a comment from the battalion commander is not bad at all.

But if the person who received this evaluation was proud of the "Tuhuo Qiang", he would be the honorary number one firearms craftsman in Dayu.

It becomes derogatory.

Blatant derogation.

At this moment, the smug smile on Chen Gui's lips froze instantly.

He turned his head to look at the tall and handsome Zhao Duan next to him. His expression became visibly ugly and his goatee began to tremble.

"My Lord... do you think it's just passable?"

Chen Huoshen stared at Zhao Duan, and the slight good impression he had for his new boss disappeared in an instant.

He was extremely proud, at least in the field of firearms, he believed he was the best in the world.

And at this moment, his most proud work was being perfunctorily evaluated by a young man who was several decades younger than him.

How could Chen Huoshen not be angry?

It is only natural that Lenovo deliberately suppressed the other party... Is it really as the clerk said, that they are punishing me because I didn't go to greet them?

But thinking of the other party's power...

Chen Huoshen suppressed his anger and said indignantly:

"Your Excellency's martial arts cultivation is unmatched by ordinary people, so naturally he finds this firearm unworthy. However, among the people in the world, only a very small number of people possess martial arts prowess. When large armies engage in battle, most of the time, it's just ordinary soldiers..."

Zhao Duan stood with his hands behind his back, glanced at the angry old craftsman, smiled, and said:

"I mean, for the military, this thing is just barely adequate."

Then, before Chen Gui could get angry, his next words were like a bucket of cold water:

"When two armies engage in battle, the key is to kill the enemy effectively. Just as an iron-framed bow is many times more powerful than a wooden bow, there are also soldiers with amazing physical strength available in the army.

But when it comes to real battle, even the son of the Duke of Zhenguo would not use the powerful iron-framed bow, but only the inferior yellow pear wood bow.

Because the former is too laborious, heavy and difficult to carry, and the time it takes to shoot one arrow is enough for an ordinary light wooden bow to shoot two arrows..."

He reached out with emotion and patted the smoke-filled, warm "gun barrel" beside him, making a thumping sound.

"From what I've just observed, the amount of work required to load the gunpowder into this thing far exceeds that of an ordinary bow and arrow. This alone determines that this thing is flashy but not practical."

These words were spoken lightly, but they were like a heavy punch that hit Chen Huoshen's heart.

This left the Firearms Bureau chief unable to refute for a moment.

Yes!

This is indeed the biggest drawback of the arquebus, it is too troublesome to reload!

"...What Zhao Chenshi said is indeed a drawback. However, any weapon upgrade cannot be completed all at once; it requires gradual improvement...

This musket was invented not long ago, so it is still a little complicated. Give me some time, and I will definitely..."

Chen Gui explained with a stern face.

Zhao Duan interrupted him: "Six hundred years."

Chen Gui was stunned.

Zhao Duan stroked the muzzle of the gun, turned his head and looked at him calmly, his eyes complicated:

"When I came here, I looked through the information. Firearms were first used in the military during the reign of Emperor Taizu six hundred years ago. However, their use at that time was extremely crude and unsuitable for major use.

At that time, many people must have thought that given time, it would be of great use... But six hundred years later, the mainstays of battle formations were still the infantry's spears and shields, and the cavalry's swords and horses...

"Master Chen, how many hundreds of years do you think it will take for your musket to be useful?"

Chen Huoshen was choked and speechless.

Zhao Duan didn't mean to argue with him. He held the warm copper tube in his hands, stroking it, and suddenly said:

"A musket... with a barrel this thick, it's not an exaggeration to call it a cannon. Sir Chen, you probably have some further ideas for it, right? Could you share some?"

Chen Huoshen was silent for a moment, gritted his teeth, and decided to go all out. He said:

"Indeed, there are some ideas. In my opinion, this musket is just a prototype. In the future, firearms will move in two directions.

One is extremely large, much larger than this one, and can shoot iron bullets or guns farther at a time, and can blow open the city gate.

One is extremely small, as small as the sword worn by a scholar at his waist. Each soldier carries one, which fires even smaller iron bullets that can kill the enemy from a distance of a hundred meters..."

As he spoke of his idea, the eyes of this already quite old craftsman were shining.

It was as if he had forgotten that he was the listener next to him.

Hou Renmeng and Qian Kerou were also brought in.

I thought that if this could be accomplished, the battle formation would really have to be rewritten.

Zhao Duan was slightly surprised.

The direction judged by the other party is indeed correct.

Sure enough, true industry leaders always have accurate judgments about the future.

"Then why only make this prototype? What difficulties hinder your vision?" Zhao Duan asked casually.

Chen Huoshen suddenly fell back to reality from his dream.

The fifty-year-old master craftsman shook his head, looking dejected.

"Too many. Not to mention, there are still some problems with the smelting process. Just regarding these two ideas, although I am sure that they are the right direction, I have no idea how to implement the many details..."

As he said this, he suddenly laughed at himself:

"Perhaps what you say is correct. I can't say for sure when I can improve it to the point where it's more powerful than a bow and arrow in battle. Perhaps I'll have an epiphany one day, and after a few years of practice, I'll be able to achieve it. Or perhaps... I won't even see that day until I die."

Zhao Duan pondered for a moment and asked:

"Based on your knowledge, how can we accelerate its evolution?"

Before I knew it, the atmosphere became weird.

It seems that they are not observing but discussing.

Chen Huoshen was put into the rhythm, thought for a moment, and said:

"The most likely and fastest way I can think of is to seek the help of a sorcerer."

"Warlock?"

"Indeed, I have heard that among the gods of the heavens, there is one called the 'God of Craftsmanship.' Those who cultivate the God of Craftsmanship can master all kinds of creative abilities, gain insight into the principles of heaven and earth, and create wondrous things that far surpass common sense."

Chen Huoshen had some aspirations:

"Unfortunately, I don't know much about those Xuanmen masters. I've tried to inquire from various sources, and I learned that the most powerful craftsman in the capital seems to be named Gongshu Tianyuan, and he is a disciple of Zhang Tianshi..."

Zhao Duan's expression became strange:

"Do you think Gongshu Tianyuan can help you? If so, why not ask the court for help?"

Chen Huoshen exhaled and said bitterly:

"Tried, how could they not have tried? But after the message reached the Heavenly Master's Mansion, there was no response. Later, the generals above came back with a reply saying that the Heavenly Master's disciples were researching magical instruments, which were different from ordinary gunpowder, and they were powerless...

This humble official pondered, it wasn't necessarily because they were powerless, but more because they didn't want to waste their energy on this matter...

After all, he is a disciple of Zhang Tianshi, what a divine figure! Not to mention me, even if Envoy Xue went to invite him, he would still not give him any face. "

The Tianshi Mansion has an extraordinary status.

The so-called court officials are really useless.

If people don't give you face, they won't give it to you, and there's nothing you can do about it.

No... that fat guy Gongshu Tianyuan might really be "powerless" because the ideas behind the things he created are too weird...

They don't understand design at all... I'm afraid the guns and cannons they come up with will be weird things from the "mysterious side"...

Unless... someone gives him the blueprints and explains the general idea, this descendant of the God of Craftsman can use his extraordinary talent to implement it.

Thinking of this, Zhao Duan had an idea in mind.

"Bang."

He casually threw the heavy bronze pipe on the ground, which made Chen Gui feel distressed.

——Even though he is just a piece of iron, I don’t know why he feels so sorry for him.

"Yes, I've seen enough. Sir Chen, how about going out with me?"

Zhao Duan clapped his hands and said.

Chen Huoshen suddenly came back to his senses, his eyes alert: "What do you mean, sir?"

Zhao Duan smiled and patted his bony shoulders, saying:

"You'll know when you get there."

…

…

Chen Gui, a sixth-rank official, could not resist the orders of the deputy commander.

Feeling uneasy, he and Zhao Duan and his group of four rode out of the Firearms Bureau and went straight into the South City Gate.

We drove along the streets of the city, making many turns, and finally stopped outside the towering Tianshi Mansion.

"Sir, you are..."

Chen Huoshen was riding on his horse, terrified.

Zhao Duan smiled and said:

"Didn't you say that Gongshu Tianyuan might be able to help? Since I've joined the Shenji Camp, I naturally want to work for the Shenji Camp, so I'll help you connect with them."

Chen Huoshen was shocked, but he was not happy. Instead, he waved his hand and said:

"I appreciate your kindness, sir. But it's not easy to meet a disciple of the Heavenly Master... Even when Privy Councilor Xue came before, he failed..."

He naturally felt that Zhao Duan was too arrogant.

They think they are powerful, but the Tianshi Mansion does not recognize any "high-ranking officials" of the court.

"Master Chen, since you are here, make the best of it. My master said he would help you, so he will naturally help you."

Behind him, Qian Kerou dismounted and said with a smile.

Hou Renmeng also dismounted and said coolly:

"My master is familiar with Priest Jin Jian, who is also a disciple of the Heavenly Master."

They just thought that Zhao Duan wanted to borrow Jin Jian's connections.

Chen Huoshen still didn't believe it.

He dismounted nervously, sighed, and thought about how to save Zhao Duan's face later.

At this time, Zhao Duan had already walked forward.

After whispering a few words to the priest guarding the gate, the latter hurried in.

Not long after, a short and fat figure came out of the Tianshi Mansion at a trot.

The man was wearing a dirty priest's robe embroidered with gold thread and carrying a bamboo tube on his back.

On his round, fat face, his small eyes were as big as soybeans. He ran out laughing and said:

"Envoy! Why didn't you send someone to inform me of your arrival earlier so I could pack up and come pick you up? I've been waiting for so long..."

As he spoke, he habitually extended his greasy, chubby hand for a "handshake."

Zhao Duan smiled reservedly.

After a brief greeting, he called the three people waiting behind him over and explained:

"Gongshu Shen..."

"Hey, sir, you can just call me Tianyuan, or call me brother. Don't be so formal." Gongshu Tianyuan said unhappily.

"...Oh, that's fine. Brother Gongshu, this is Chen Gui from the Firearms Bureau of the Shenjiying Camp. I brought him here to ask for a favor."

"No problem, it's all easy!"

Gongshu Tianyuan patted his chest loudly:

"I was just worrying about how to repay you, sir. Come in and sit down with me and we'll talk."

beside.

Chen Huoshen was completely stunned.

He swallowed slowly and whispered to the two people beside him for confirmation:

"This person is really..."

Although the two generals of Lihuatang were also surprised, they were already used to it and were fine with it. They nodded immediately.

"Of course it's Gongshu Tianyuan."

Chen Huoshen felt dizzy and pinched his thigh hard with his right hand.

pain!

Not a dream!

But... why is it like this?

Why would a disciple of Tianshi, who didn't even give any face to Privy Councilor Xue, be so close to Zhao Chenshi?

Don't say it's aloof, there's even a hint of...

Flattery?

Chen Huoshen was in a trance and felt that the entire Shenji Camp might have misunderstood some things.

(End of this chapter)