Chapter 521: In Person
As Zhou Da was writing, his hand holding the pen suddenly stopped. He suddenly raised his head and after a while he said in confusion:
"Aren't you in Lingnan? When did you come back?"
Zhu Lan looked at Zhou Da with some concern, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked:
"…Do you have a doctor in the Arms Department? I mean, the kind that can treat mental problems."
"No." Zhou Da said, and continued writing.
It seems that what Zhao Sicheng said was right. In order to make a satisfactory cannon, Zhou Da has really reached a point of madness.
Zhu Lan was really worried about his mental state.
"I just returned to the capital this morning."
Zhu Lan answered his previous question, but Zhou Da seemed not to hear it and was still concentrating on the task at hand.
Zhu Lan then brought up some other topics, trying to divert Zhou Da's attention. Unexpectedly, Zhou Da had no reaction at all. He only responded a few words when artillery was mentioned.
Seeing Zhou Da like this, even Zhu Lan, who was always eloquent, was at a loss for a moment.
Finally, she got to the point and said:
"The three cannons that Qingyan brought to the northwest last time are no longer usable, and the 'Wanjun' one of them even exploded."
Zhou Da suddenly raised his head, obviously a little annoyed.
"I told her over and over again that the material of the gun barrel that can be made with current technology is not good enough and can only withstand the impact of ten shells at most. Didn't she listen to me?"
"No." Zhu Lan shook his head slightly.
"It is said that the seventh shell was being loaded when it exploded."
"The seventh one?" Zhou Da looked very surprised.
Zhu Lan hummed and said:
"Maybe there's something wrong with the material of the gun barrel. She has ordered someone to bring back the broken pieces of iron. They should be delivered to you soon. You can see if the materials used in smelting iron can be improved.
The war in the northwest is intense right now. If the Military Equipment Bureau can develop durable artillery as soon as possible, the war can be settled sooner."
"Boss."
Zhou Da put down the drawings helplessly, with a hint of frustration in his eyes.
"I am a human being, not a turtle in a wishing well. I can't make a cannon just by saying so.
This unfortunate place we traveled to is not up to standard in terms of ore dressing and mining as well as smelting technology. I have to reform everything one by one from the beginning.
Have you ever seen a chef cook? They put the raw rice directly into the pot, but I start from growing rice, how can the difficulty be the same? "
"I know your difficulties..."
Zhu Lan looked at Zhou Da's current appearance and knew that he had really tried his best. He really couldn't say anything more and could only sigh.
“However, fortunately, His Majesty has brought another 50,000 troops to personally lead the army to the northwest to provide assistance. In addition, Chaoyang is also there, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
You should also take more rest. Now that I am back to assist in the administration, if the Military Equipment Bureau needs anything, just let me know and I will have people do their best to cooperate."
…
When Yan Xiuyun and his men arrived at Qingshi Pass, they saw devastation everywhere. Many people were carrying the bodies of the dead soldiers down from the city wall. It was obvious that the process of guarding the pass was extremely difficult.
"Look, Your Majesty, the Emperor is here!"
"The Emperor is actually going to the battlefield in person. He wants to stand with us!"
"I swear to be loyal to your majesty until death, I swear to be loyal to your majesty until death!"
The wounded soldiers who were recuperating inside the pass were immediately excited when they heard the news that the emperor was leading the army in person, and their eyes lit up again.
Yan Xiuyun immediately summoned Zhu Qingyan and Long Buqi to inquire about the situation at Qingshi Pass.
Murong Jing followed Zhu Qingyan in, knelt on one knee and said:
"Your Majesty, I, Murong Jing, pay my respects to you."
Yan Xiuyun looked at her with a complicated expression, and spoke after a moment:
"Get up, your beloved has already written to me about your situation.
Since you have been able to turn back from your mistakes and join the light, you have helped the Qingshi Pass defenders resist the rebels.
The merits and demerits offset each other, and I will not blame you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Murong Jing stood up and stood aside silently.
Yan Xiuyun walked to the upper seat and sat down, followed by three black-clad guards, including Xiao Yuan.
Yan Xiuyun asked: "What is the current situation of the Sky-Breaking Army led by Dong Changjun?"
Long Buqi said, "The King of Zhenbei sent out twelve brave guards to occupy Xiaoyao Mountain, blocking the Potian Army's way to Danzhou and Qingshi Pass. Now the armies on both sides are holding each other back, and no one is in a good position to act rashly. So... I'm afraid that the Potian Army won't be able to get here for a while."
Seeing Yan Xiuyun frowning slightly, Long Buqi immediately explained:
"The artillery that His Majesty ordered Lord Zhu to bring last time has been used up. The difficulty of Qingshi Pass now is that there are only 150,000 defenders, while the King of Zhenbei has more than 400,000 troops, excluding those who stayed in Danzhou and held back the Potian Army. The enemy is numerous and we are few, so I dare not attack rashly.
Seeing that our army was holding out, the King of Zhenbei sent troops to launch several night attacks. Fortunately, the defenses of Qingshi Pass were strong, the army and the people were united, and Princess Ningyue was guarding the city, so the rebels failed.
He wanted to force us to fight, so he sent people to the city every day to yell and curse, using the most abominable words. The soldiers were excited and wanted to go out of the city to fight, but I didn't dare to take the risk, so I forced them to hold on. After a long time, the morale of the army was inevitably shaken.
Fortunately, His Majesty has come to the battlefield in person and brought 50,000 reinforcements. In this way, we may be able to form a surprise force..."
Yan Xiuyun tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers and said in a deep voice:
"The artillery has been used up... Is it possible that even the power of the artillery cannot deter them?"
Long Buqi lowered his head and looked at Zhu Qingyan with some embarrassment.
Zhu Qingyan whispered:
"It is my incompetence. During the exchange of fire with Muza... it was probably because the King of Zhenbei saw the problem of insufficient artillery fire that the rebels dared to act so recklessly. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Before Yan Xiuyun could speak, Murong Jing knelt down and said:
"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops out of the city and make amends for my crime. But there is one thing..."
Seeing that she was hesitant to talk, Yan Xiuyun told her to go ahead.
Murong Jing lowered her eyes and kowtowed slowly with a voice that contained a hint of suppressed pain.
“I am willing to capture the King of Zhenbei alive for Your Majesty to resolve the chaos in the northern border.
My father committed treason and caused chaos, and he cannot escape the blame. But I beg Your Majesty to spare my father's life for the sake of his humble contribution.
I am willing to bear all the blame."
Yan Xiuyun stared at her deeply, and after a long time, he finally said:
"If you can really capture the bandit leader alive, I can consider giving him a chance to live.
But whether he can seize the opportunity depends on his own choice."
"...Thank you, Your Majesty."
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