Zhu Yunying was getting ready to rest; it seemed her day's work was indeed over. But for some, rest was clearly out of the question; they still had a lot of work to do.
For example, Jiang Huan of the Eastern Depot, nominally the second-in-command but actually the head, was constantly scheming to gain the emperor's trust. His promising future changed when the "late emperor" passed away, and he was replaced by Song Zhong, whom he had once looked down upon.
Jiang Huan could never return to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but he felt pretty good about being able to do what he was good at in the Eastern Depot.
These days he's been organizing information, compiling data from various sources about the countries of Southeast Asia, and sending spies to those places. Inevitably, he's also been providing intelligence promptly when the emperor or high-ranking military officials request it.
Just as Jiang Huan was about to rest, he was interrupted by a small scout who suddenly called out, "Second-in-command, intelligence has arrived from the Ministry of Works."
Jiang Huan remained noncommittal, only asking, "Oh? What is it?"
“It’s the Ministry of Works Academy,” the junior officer quickly replied, as he was very perceptive. “It seems that the Bureau of Armory and the Directorate of Palace Attendants are also involved, so we dare not be negligent.”
The Bureau of Armory, needless to say, belonged to the Twenty-Four Offices. The Ming Dynasty had twelve directorates, four departments, and eight bureaus, collectively known as the Twenty-Four Offices, all of which served the emperor and his family. Each of these was headed by a specially appointed eunuch.
Wang Chengen was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a nominal Grand Eunuch, but also a trusted confidant who truly served the emperor.
The Imperial Household Department also had ten gunpowder workshops, and the Bureau of Weapons was in charge of manufacturing military equipment. The Gunpowder Division was a subordinate department.
Jiang Huan sat up abruptly, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Everyone knew how much His Majesty the Emperor valued the Ministry of Works Academy.
After quickly glancing at the intelligence report, Jiang Huan knew his chance to make a contribution had arrived. He hurriedly got up, intending to immediately go to the palace to report to the emperor. Although this might disturb the emperor's rest, Jiang Huan knew that if he didn't act quickly, Song Zhong might try to curry favor with him, and he couldn't miss such an opportunity.
As Zhu Yunying's personal eunuch, Wang Chengen practically never kept watch at night. While he did serve Zhu Yunying, back in his side palace, many other junior eunuchs attended to him. Even though Wang Chengen was only in his early thirties, there were far too many people who wanted to be his adopted son, and some even wanted to be his adopted grandson.
Wang Chengen was dismissive; his younger brother had many children and knew how to be grateful. For example, his eldest son was adopted by Wang Chengen, which meant Wang Chengen had an heir. If he weren't worried about displeasing the Emperor, Wang Chengen would have brought his son to Yingtian Prefecture.
Suddenly a eunuch came to deliver a message, and Wang Chengen immediately got up, seemingly unable to rest any longer.
Wang Chengen rose and went to the gate of Chunhe Palace. He looked at Jiang Huan and said, "Lord Jiang, is there anything you wish to report? His Majesty has already retired for the night. Can't we wait until tomorrow?"
Jiang Huan quickly said in a somewhat obsequious tone, "Master, this is a matter concerning the Ministry of Works Academy, and it involves gunpowder. I dare not neglect it."
As someone who served Zhu Yunying closely, Wang Chengen was naturally even more aware of the importance Zhu Yunying placed on the Ministry of Works Academy, especially the emperor's emphasis on firearms and gunpowder. This immediately made Wang Chengen take it seriously, and he dared not be negligent.
Although they were all acquaintances, the palace gates were already closed, so thorough checks would still be necessary. Especially since it was a meeting with the Emperor, extra care was required; there could be no room for negligence.
Zhu Yunying, whose sleep quality was generally good, was quietly woken up by Wang Chengen. Anyone would be unhappy to be woken up while sleeping. Zhu Yunying simply remained silent, his face sullen. This showed his strong self-control and high moral character; otherwise, Wang Chengen would have definitely been given a severe scolding.
However, Zhu Yunying was certain that unless something important happened, he would definitely cause trouble for Wang Chengen afterwards.
Wang Chengen whispered, "Your Majesty, Jiang Huan has arrived. He says the academy has developed some good gunpowder."
This gave Zhu Yunying a sudden burst of energy, and he decided to spare Wang Chengen for the time being. The matter of gunpowder was indeed a matter of utmost importance, affecting many of Zhu Yunying's plans and also serving as a reflection of the Ming Dynasty's military strength.
Zhu Yunying quickly got up, put on her clothes, and left the palace. Xu Miaoqing had also woken up, but she knew it was best not to say anything at this time; these matters were not her place to get involved.
Seeing Zhu Yunying stride towards him, Jiang Huan knew he had made the right bet. Disturbing the emperor's slumber was certainly undesirable, but bringing some good news might slightly increase his standing in the emperor's eyes.
Jiang Huan immediately knelt down, holding up the intelligence report, and said, "Your Majesty, our Eastern Depot spies have received information that the Academy has produced pellet gunpowder."
Wang Chengen quickly took the intelligence report and handed it to Zhu Yunying, who had already sat down.
The firearms of the Ming Dynasty were advanced enough for that era, and many troops were equipped with them. The Shenji Battalion, in particular, was a professional firearms battalion.
Gunpowder in the Ming Dynasty was primarily composed of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The good news from the Ministry of Works this time was that, through the exploration of craftsmen and by incorporating the experience of their predecessors, they had developed granular gunpowder.
Gunpowder used to be mostly powder, but granulated gunpowder existed during the Yuan Dynasty.
Currently, the Ministry of Industry's Academy is conducting continuous research, and information relayed from the military is increasingly confirming that increasing the proportion of saltpeter enhances the power of gunpowder, while impurities other than saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal reduce its power. More importantly, it is becoming increasingly clear that granulated gunpowder is more powerful than powdered gunpowder.
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