Chapter 102: Sending equipment and firearms, at this time, has already made a name for itself...
Firearms had already come to the fore at this time. When fighting against Galdan, the Qing army used cannons and muskets.
Previously, when she was in the Guihua Army Camp, Mu Xue had also seen today’s artillery and muskets. How should I put it... they were useful, but not that powerful.
The main weapons used in the military camp are: the red cannon, which is made of copper, a bit heavy and troublesome to load; and the bird gun, which is mostly a matchlock gun and can only fire one bullet at a time. In short, it is still a relatively primitive form.
But the one carried by this Russian is different. The gun body is visibly more advanced.
Mu Xue was very interested in this.
Alexander listened to the translation, raised his eyebrows in surprise, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect the princess to be interested in this. Yes, this is a new gun I got from Europe."
Mu Xue said, "The sun is shining brightly outside. I want to try out the power of this new gadget."
"Can I refuse?" Alexander bowed. "As the princess wishes, I will demonstrate."
Dorji said coldly: "The princess is so noble, how can she let you hold this firearm in front of her? Monk——"
"I am here?"
"Try it for your mistress."
Surrounded by the crowd, Muxue moved outside the tent to an open area. Dorji held her hand tightly.
Mu Xue asked him quietly: "Does Monk still know how to shoot?"
"During the war, he learned a few tricks from the firearms battalion." Dorji originally wanted to ask her a few more questions, why she was so interested in firearms, but there were so many people around and it was inconvenient to ask, so he had to suppress his question.
The people below had set up a target in the distance, and they formed a semicircle, surrounding Muxue in the middle.
The sunlight was so bright that Mu Xue was dazzled. The eunuch serving at the back hurriedly took out the canopy and held it high so that the master could watch the rehearsal more conveniently.
This was the first time Monk used such a firearm, and he studied it for a long time. If you were unlucky, a shotgun could explode, so you had to be extremely careful.
Alexander looked at his expression and knew that this man was somewhat unfamiliar, so he conveyed some key points to him through an interpreter.
After roughly understanding the usage, Monk loaded the ammunition, gestured a little, and prepared to test the gun.
Mu Xue watched patiently, and Dorji's voice rang in her ears: "The gun is quite loud, don't be scared."
"It's okay." Mu Xue said, "I'll just treat it as a firework display."
Everything was ready. Monk looked at Muxue and Dorji. Seeing the two masters nodded, he raised his gun and aimed steadily.
With a "bang", the bullet was ejected from the sheath. With a loud bang, the target exploded with grass debris flying everywhere, and the target was hit.
One shot is not unusual, but three shots in succession are unusual.
Mu Xue's eyes lit up and she clapped her hands: "Good!"
She likes it, she wants it, and she wants to get it.
Her thoughts raced at this moment. How could she get the advanced equipment that was delivered to her door? How could she do business with these Russian merchants? How much private silk did she have now? How could she ask Emperor Kangxi for permission...
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance left and right, looking for the figures of the Lifanyuan attachés.
Li Wen from the Lifanyuan was naturally also among the crowd watching the excitement. When he noticed the princess looking at him, his heart skipped a beat.
Why is the princess looking at herself?
What is this? What is this plan?
No? Isn’t it?
Can I pretend I didn't see it? Li Wen froze for a moment, thinking of the time when he was in the capital, the Minister of the Lifanyuan happily introduced him to the Rong'an Pawnshop, which was under the name of the fourth princess, and he sighed in his heart. Originally, he thought that the princess was not as important as the prince, so even if she was involved, it wouldn't cause any big trouble, but now... Alas, interest is not so easy to get.
Li Wen stepped forward bravely and said with a chuckle, "The power of this musket is indeed better than that of an ordinary shotgun."
Mu Xue switched to Chinese and asked quietly, "What do you think of presenting such a treasure to Khan Ama?"
"Your Majesty will surely be delighted that the princess is so filial and devoted to the court." Li Wen first praised her casually, and then said, "But——"
"But what? Just say what you want to say. Don't be hesitant and beat around the bush in front of me." Mu Xue frowned.
She said this very quickly. Dorji, who was standing next to her, might not have understood everything, but he clearly saw her frowning, so he looked at Li Wen coldly.
When the Khan looked at him like this, several burly Mongolian men behind him also glared at him with their tiger eyes, which was very intimidating.
Li Wen swallowed his saliva and immediately bowed his hands and said, "Before, there was a man named Dai in the capital who made this kind of firearm. It's not that there is no such thing. But he competed with the Westerners and angered some people. Later, he was exiled for his crime."
Without waiting for the princess to ask further questions, he did not dare to keep her in suspense and told her the whole story.
Princess, this matter of firearms is not so easy to deal with.
Mu Xue put her hands around his chest and smiled: "So there is such a story."
Before he could ask more, the Russian merchant had lost his patience. From a distance, Alexander shouted loudly, "Your Highness, what do you think of this repeating rifle?" The translator also tried to shout out that momentum.
After hearing this, Mu Xue simply said, "Not bad."
Alexander was stunned.
Why did she suddenly become cold in her response? Wasn't this princess from the Far East quite interested just now?
He thought about it and wanted to make friends with this princess who had a noble status both in the Qing court and in Khalkha, so he said: "I would like to give this musket to the princess as a gift."
After listening to what the translator said, Mu Xue nodded slightly: "Okay."
Monk respectfully brought up the rifle that had been taken out of ammunition and wiped clean. Mu Xue picked up the rifle, and even found patterns carved on the gun body.
She ordered Rong'er to put away the musket, and then said, "Friends have come from afar, and they are so polite, so we should treat them well and prepare a rich dinner for today."
After saying this, he turned around and went back to the tent, making the excuse that the sun was too bright outside.
Since the princess had given the order, the servants were polite to the Russian merchants and cleared two tents for them to stay in. They also brought in a lot of food and drinks to serve them.
Alexander entered the tent and sat down on the felt rug without any courtesy. The bearded merchant next to him felt a little uneasy. He looked around. Although these Tatars were polite, there were still people standing guard outside the tent, and it was obvious that they were watching them.
This made the bearded merchant very uneasy, and he whispered to Alexander: "We'd better leave here as soon as possible. There are too many of them, and we're afraid something might happen."
Alexander raised his head and took a few sips of milk tea, then picked up a small milky white cake and took a bite. "It's delicious, a milk cake mixed with sugar, but not very sweet. Don't they want to put sugar in it? Strange, do you want to have a bite?"
The bearded businessman said anxiously: "I am talking to you about serious matters. Otherwise... ——"
He lowered his voice and said, "We will escort you away quietly."
Alexander ate a whole white sugar pancake without any hurry, and then said, "Look at the situation outside, can we leave quietly? Since the princess and the Khan are willing to send people to rescue us from danger, it can be seen that they are not bad people. Even the princess looks kind. They should not do anything to us for a while."
He picked up another white sugar pancake and ate it while saying, "Oh my God, they really know how to make this kind of snack. Besides, didn't you always complain before that we couldn't get any benefits from the Qing Dynasty when doing business with them? Now there is a big business in front of you. Once it is done, I don't know how much money we can make."
"You mean firearms?" The bearded businessman thought for a moment and shook his head violently. "Not very good. When Zhenzhen first evaluated me and contacted them, she also thought of this idea, but first of all, they don't think this thing is more useful than riding and shooting. According to the Qing Emperor, it is forbidden for Mongolian Taijis to privately own firearms. Even the guards around them are limited. They are all on guard."
Alexander finished the second white sugar pancake and patted the crumbs on his hands. "If it was just this Khan, things would be really difficult, but isn't this an extra princess? This princess is the biological daughter of the Qing emperor. Don't underestimate the ability of a princess, you and I both know that."
The bearded businessman was silent for a while. "That's not quite the same. This princess from the Far East looks weak and gentle like a lamb."
As docile as a lamb? Alexander chuckled. "Whose lamb wants to play with a gun as soon as it rushes up? Really? What an interesting princess. She seems to be very smart too."
He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth with the elegance only available to aristocrats.
"I like smart people. Dealing with smart people will always bring you unexpected surprises. Let's wait and see."
The smart man he mentioned was playing with a musket in the big tent.
Dorji held his chin with one hand and watched her gesticulating with the new firearm, feeling a little funny.
The princess looked like a child who got a new toy, except that this toy was a little special.
"You like it that much?"
Mu Xue looked at him and said with a smile, "I like it."
She put down the rifle, came over and hugged his arm affectionately and shook it: "But my favorite is still the silver knife you gave me. It has a different meaning."
"You just know how to coax me."
"What? You don't like me to coax you? This is an exclusive treatment. Others can't enjoy it."
Dorji pulled her into his arms and held her in his arms: "I like it, of course I like it. I am glad that the princess can coax me. But why are you so interested in firearms? In fact, they are rarely used in wars on the grasslands. When it comes to meeting the emperor, many horses will rush forward at the same time, and shotguns and the like will not be of much use."
Mu Xue raised her eyebrows and said, "I won't fight on the battlefield. I just think it's small and exquisite, and it's very suitable for protecting myself. You know, I can't pull a big bow, but this thing doesn't require a lot of strength."
Dorji thought for a moment and said, "You're right. It's a good opportunity to win a few, so you can keep them for fun."
"One may not be enough. I was wondering if I could get a few more from the Russian businessman. It would be best if I could get the blueprint as well," Mu Xue said, "Then I can give Yunqi and the others one too. I'm always a little worried about them traveling back and forth on the grassland. If they are attacked by so many wolves like those unlucky Russian businessmen, they won't panic if they have weapons in their hands."
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