A blind cat meets a dead mouse
"You are all sweaty. Have you been naughty again?" Shujia looked at her little son with a squint while holding a book.
Hong Zao was eight years old this year, already enrolled in school, and had even mastered the art of archery and horsemanship. He chuckled and said excitedly, "My son went to a martial arts demonstration with Khan Ama! The new cannons made by Master Dai are really fun!"
Shujia's face was filled with gloom; she knew about this. Yinreng had mentioned it a couple of days ago: "Dai Zixin's new cannons have been cast and tested, and the reports say they're even better than the old ones. I'm going to go see them myself one of these days. I'll also bring Hongdan and the others along so we can see for ourselves."
Shujia hadn't expected Yinreng to place such importance on firearms, and she couldn't help but ask tentatively, "What are you planning to do with the cannons?" How could he allocate funds to forge cannons when the country was so short of money? Arms and ammunition were always expensive, and weapons research and development were especially so. Knowing that he was considered an "enlightened person" who valued science and technology, she had never imagined that he would still support the development and improvement of weapons at this time.
Yinreng's heart was bitter: "It is used for martial arts practice." He did not tell his wife too much about the country's war. He added casually, "You must sharpen your weapons first."
As the monarch of a minority regime, ruling such a large country, he worked diligently and did not dare to be negligent in the slightest, but he could not overcome the decline of his nation's military strength and could not cover up the fact that the population base was still small.
He had no desire to wait until Tsewang Arabtan, following Naishu's example, reached the territory of the Mongol Banners and marched his army directly towards Beijing before hastily responding. He wanted to push the battlefield further and further away, which would raise a problem: the overall strength of the Eight Banners Army.
Although the Eight Banners Army was currently stationed in places like Hangzhou, the proportion of purely Han Chinese soldiers in the national armed forces was increasing. This was not good, very bad, and could easily affect the rule of the Qing Dynasty. If troops were to be dispatched, the Eight Banners Army would still be an important support.
Unfortunately, these men's fighting ability was declining. Before entering the Pass, life was hard. They would mount their horses, draw their bows, pick up their weapons, rob their southern neighbors, or go hunting to supplement their income. This was better than training without intensive training, practically like sleeping on a cold jade bed and practicing internal skills. After entering the Pass, everyone lived a good life. They didn't have to work to eat, and if they had a job, they could get some benefits. Even though the emperor kept emphasizing that they were a nation of cavalry and archery, the Eight Banners men continued to become more and more dissolute.
Add to that the "ghost pay" incidents, and even if a time traveler were to deploy the current Eight Banners to fight the ordinary Ming army of the Chongzhen era, they wouldn't be much better. If they were to encounter Li Zicheng's peasant army, they probably wouldn't be able to handle it, and if they were to encounter the Guan-Liao cavalry, they would definitely not be able to defeat them. However, they are absolutely necessary now—they are the foundation of rule! If one day, suppressing bandits and resisting enemies requires relying on troops composed of Han people, the rule of the Qing Dynasty will soon be coming to an end.
But Tsewang Arabtan had to be dealt with. Yunxiang from the Ministry of War now expressed everyone's real concerns: "Tsewang Arabtan is nothing to worry about. The real concern right now is that he has detained Lazang Khan's son (as mentioned above). Tibet is cold and impoverished, and its benefits to the court are minimal. However, with two Living Buddhas, the court must intervene!"
Lazang Khan made great contributions to the imperial court. He entered Tibet and killed the Diba who was unfriendly to the imperial court. He was also willing to deport the "fake lama" to Beijing (although Tsangyang Gyatso's whereabouts were unknown halfway through). In the end, he controlled Tibet.
Tibet wasn't truly that important to the imperial court; what mattered were Tibet's two great Living Buddhas—the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. It would have been fine if these two were merely the leaders of Tibet's theocratic integration, but the crucial point was that they not only dominated the Tibetans, but also the Tibetans themselves. Throughout Qinghai, Mongolia, and even Manchuria, from the northwest to the northeast, countless Tibetans worshipped them as demi-gods. While the emperor's words might be disregarded, the Living Buddha's words were undeniable. If Tsewang Arabtan were to take Lazang Khan's son into Tibet and gain control of the two Living Buddhas, it would be uncertain whether Mongolia would still be an ally of the imperial court. Therefore, the imperial court had to control Tibet.
If Tsewang Arabtan made a move, his first move would likely be to invade Tibet, advancing with the intention of annexing the entire region. This posed a major dilemma for the imperial court: how to attack? Forget Tibet, even in Qinghai alone, with its high altitude, "beautiful natural scenery but harsh geographical conditions," could the soldiers withstand it?
We can't make full use of the more hardworking and diligent Green Camp and other Han troops, and we can't let all the Mongolian kings lead the charge, right? When Galdan rebelled, it's hard to say whether the Mongolian nobles were fence-sitting!
After learning from his mistakes, Yinreng had no choice but to believe that "science and technology are the primary productive forces." When Kangxi personally led the army, facing Galdan's camel city, the soldiers felt like they were "a dog biting a turtle but couldn't find a place to bite." It was only the cannons that performed a miraculous feat and directly blasted open the camel city, which led to that great victory.
If you can't tear open their tortoise shells, then blast them open! Our own cavalry is inferior to the Junggars in horse archery, so we use advanced weapons to fill the gap!
But Yinreng stubbornly refused to tell his wife about this bitter fruit, not wanting to lose face as a man—ruling the country and the army like this was truly shameful.
Shujia, however, didn't dwell on it; she simply guessed that military action was necessary. Yinreng's words were a stark reminder: the nation was going to war. Comparing this with the information recently revealed by Yinreng, Hongdan, and others, it seemed likely that the conflict would be with the Dzungars. Shujia had brushed up on her knowledge of the Dzungars, knowing they were a formidable foe. She thought, "More strength means more confidence." This wasn't a bad idea. If the imperial court, having tasted the benefits of technology, were willing to develop it, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
Thinking of this, Shujia said repeatedly: "More preparations before the war, fewer casualties during the war." Isn't it wise to exchange the smallest cost for the greatest benefit?
Yinreng could only smile bitterly.
Shujia was quite supportive of Yinreng's emphasis on firearms and his willingness to use them in wars, but she could not help much. She had not studied the principles of movement, the methods of making gunpowder, or the structure of guns and could only give him some encouragement with words.
Seeing her son actually treating this weapon of war demonstration as "play," she was in a state of confusion. She wanted to offer some advice, but she also didn't want to stifle her child's interest in firearms. Her child's interest could indeed influence the development of this science.
He poked Hongzao's forehead and scolded him jokingly, "You only know how to play! The sound of the firecrackers was quite loud, didn't it scare you?"
Hongzhao was delighted: "No! My son wasn't scared at all! Master Dai told us to cover our ears, but we were far away, so it was okay if we didn't cover them."
"So you didn't cover it up and got scared."
"How do you know that?"
Shujia was helpless. You said it yourself. What do you mean by "it's okay if it's not covered"?
Hongxiu fetched water herself and washed Hongdan's face. Hongdan's wet nurse had been sent home after he went to school. The eunuch beside him saw what was happening and quickly came up with a washbasin. Hongxiu wiped Hongdan's face, but he was still not honest: "I haven't seen my aunt for a while. Where has my aunt been?"
Hongxiu was ordered to go to the Eastern Palace to inspect and assist in the preparations for the wedding. She also said with a smile: "The Master has sent me on an errand."
After wiping his face, Hongdan grinned: "Mother~"
Shujia knew that he had something to ask for, and it was not a serious matter.
really.
"Mother~ I heard... there are hand cannons in the palace?"
"……what are you up to?"
Of course I want to ask for it for fun.
"No, swords and arrows have no eyes." Who would give a seven-year-old a gun? It violates the law protecting minors.
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In Kunning Palace, Hong had been pestering his mother, hoping to hit a wooden bell to get some hot weapons to play with.
In the Qianqing Palace, Hongdan was detained by his father to discuss the issue of hot weapons.
The atmosphere in the Palace of Heavenly Purity was much more lively than that in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Today's artillery test firing had been a great success, and Dai Ziren's skills had only improved. The artillery's range, accuracy, and lethality had all been greatly improved, and the firing range was in a state of chaos.
The princes, kings, the Ministry of War, and the commanders of all the banners worked together to flatter the emperor.
Yinreng smiled and said: "This is also Dai Zi's ability. I will first credit you with this achievement!" After saying this, he rewarded Dai Zi with a thousand taels of silver and a double-eyed peacock feather. Dai Zi hurriedly thanked him.
Yinreng waved his hand and asked him to stand aside. Seeing that the kings and ministers had nothing else to say, he waved away most of them and left some who knew confidential matters to continue the discussion.
Yun'e, who was later assigned to the Ministry of War, said, "Looking at the artillery today, Tsewang Arabtan will definitely not gain any advantage."
Yunxiang was also very happy: "When the late emperor led the army in person, I only regretted that I was too young to experience it firsthand. Now that I can see the mighty general show his prowess again, it has made up for a regret."
Yinreng listened to his suggestive words of requesting a fight but did not take the opportunity to respond. Instead, he said to Dai Zi, "I see that you seem to be unwell today (tired from studying and supervising the manufacture of weapons for days). I will select two eunuchs to take care of your food and daily life, and ask a few more people to help you." He did as he said. He asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to select two eunuchs to serve Dai Zi, and ordered him to select young disciples from the banner who were smart and interested in this kind of knowledge to follow him.
It just so happened that Shuxian's son, who had studied with Dai Zi, was left in Beijing to attend the Banner Imperial Academy. Yinreng said with a flourish: "He was once your disciple, and he still follows you now."
Dai Zi had completed a great task, feeling very tired and satisfied. He repeatedly declined Yinreng's "great grace" and asked why he should send a eunuch to take care of him. Yinreng smiled and said, "You don't have to refuse. I still have something for you to do."
He also had another concern: this "science and technology" was still far from perfect. The cannon they used back then was made by Dai Zi before he was exiled. There had been no improvements in weaponry in recent years. Old man Dai was in his seventies or eighties, so who knew how long he'd live? If he didn't use him, he worried he'd die, his craft would be lost, and he wouldn't be able to handle emergencies. But if he did, he worried he'd work himself to death! So he assigned someone to take good care of him and sent his disciples to learn from him.
Dai Zi had no choice but to obey the order. He was a scholar, and although making firearms was his hobby, he also liked to manage rivers. However, the emperor did not use him to maintain peace, but instead used him to quell rebellion.
Prince Yong had remained silent until he spoke up: "How many cannons should be built? What will the final cost be? How will they be transported to the front lines? When will they be used? What if they are damaged along the way? And what about gunpowder? It's a dangerous commodity."
The emperor and his ministers finally calmed down, and Yinreng asked Dai Zi, "Are cannons easily damaged?"
Dai Zixin said, "The more delicate something is, the more afraid it is of falling. He had made some minor adjustments to the cannon's structure, making it a little more delicate than before, but there was no need to worry too much. It was just that transporting the gunpowder was indeed difficult." He answered truthfully and reported the cannon's various data again.
These cannons are of different sizes and weights. Some small cannons are easier to transport, while the larger ones are very heavy and have relatively high requirements for road transportation.
The crowd engaged in a thorough discussion about this, all of them possessing only a passing knowledge of firearms. The only true expert was Dai Zi. Old Dai, caught in the spotlight, broke into a sweat despite his weathered demeanor and a composed demeanor.
"The rest is fine," Dai Zi said professionally, "but we also have to be careful of the barrel exploding."
While barrel bursts are no longer a common occurrence in modern weaponry, they remain a significant problem in this era. While modern firearms have evolved, they still rely on a rather primitive system of matchlock, muzzleloader, and pre-loaded gunpowder. Operators typically load the barrels with gunpowder, iron pellets, gravel, and other materials, then ignite them. This is essentially a matter of igniting a fire. If a strong wind blows out the lighter, the consequences are unimaginable. Underload the barrel, and the range is limited; overload the barrel, and the barrel bursts. Furthermore, due to the limited material of the barrel, the friction can easily heat it up and cause it to explode.
If a cannon like this explodes, it will cost a lot of money and several lives. If there is still some gunpowder next to the barrel, it will cause a chain reaction.
But it won’t work if we don’t use it!
There is also the issue of transportation, which is obvious. A cannon can weigh over a thousand pounds, and a light one can weigh over a hundred pounds. How can it be carried? It would not be flexible enough on the battlefield, even if each cannon was equipped with a vehicle.
Therefore, Yinreng instructed Dai Zi to continue overseeing the production of hand cannons for use in conjunction with the Qing army. The Dzungar army also employed a small number of firearms, but their archery prowess on horseback was undoubtedly superior to that of the current Eight Banners. Effective countermeasures to cavalry generally included heavy armored infantry, which relied on sheer size, and cunning tactics like tripwires and traps. Another effective countermeasure was long-range strikes. Qing troops no longer routinely wore heavy armor, and tripwires were of limited use in open-field engagements. This left them with only long-range strikes, and bows and arrows were no match for them, so hand cannons were the only option.
Dai Zi faced immense pressure, and the old man, wary of the situation, carefully articulated the problem, adding, "I, your humble servant, will do my best." "Don't blame me if the results aren't good." The reason this top expert struggled was that the level of firearms manufacturing and R&D at the time was so low, the foundation so poor.
In reality, the armies at this time weren't generally equipped with hand cannons. The main reason was that they were inconvenient to use! First, the range wasn't long enough; inferior hand cannons were even inferior to longbows. Second, the accuracy wasn't good enough; hand cannons at that time generally didn't have a sight. Finally, reloading was inconvenient and time-consuming. After firing a round, the ammunition wasn't properly reloaded, and cavalry approached and killed the gunner. Old Man Dai did have an invention for the last point, but it required a high level of manufacturing craftsmanship, was too heavy, and not very convenient to carry, and was also expensive.
This is also the reason why Yinreng asked Dai Zi to "supervise the production" and make improvements.
This matter, in turn, was related to the Firearms Battalion, and Qingde was also involved. Hearing that his men would be equipped with advanced equipment, and having witnessed Dai Zi's firearms prowess with his own eyes today, he beamed with joy. He patted his chest and promised, "I will not let these fine things go to waste." Military action in the west was essential, and whoever was prepared would have a greater chance of success!
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Shujia was looking at the pistol from head to toe. Hong had been asking for it for a long time, but Shujia still didn't feel comfortable handing it over to him: "How can you give a weapon like that to a child?"
"A bow and arrow is considered a weapon, and doesn't my son play with it every day?"
“…” The mother, who was said to be speechless, decided to fight and drove her son away.
After Hong left, Shujia, intrigued by him, took the pistol from the vault to study. From her limited knowledge, the pistol was exquisite, though not technologically advanced. She didn't dare fill it with gunpowder, but simply turned it over and over—this muzzle-loading rifle was truly primitive!
As she watched, a soft whistle rang out from outside. Of course, there were guards at the entrance to Kunning Palace, and since the ground in front of the gate was flat, she could see the emperor approaching from a distance. Shujia lowered her musket and stood to greet him.
Yinreng had been in a meeting all day discussing this thing, and when he saw it again at his wife's, he was shocked: "Be careful, this is worse than a knife or an arrow." He spent an hour discussing various explosion accidents, and he was quite frightened.
"It's not loaded with gunpowder."
"Fortunately I didn't install it! Why did you do this?" Isn't the globe enough for you to play with?
"You're blaming me! What did you do with those guys today? I could hear that noise from far away, like thunder. It made Hongzao come back to make trouble with me, and he insisted on getting a pistol!"
"..." It wasn't unacceptable that his son wanted to play with a pistol, but the emperor spitted at his wife with sexism, "When he grows up a little, I'll naturally let him learn. You shouldn't play with this thing anymore, or you might get hurt!"
Shujia gave him a look of disdain: "I wouldn't be careless, I just took it to have a look."
"What can you tell from this?" Yinreng began to scare his wife, and brought up the knowledge about gun barrel explosion that Mr. Dai had said: "If you put too much gunpowder in, the barrel will explode... Don't look at the muzzle of the gun!" He said that dangerous weapons should not be given to his wife!
Shujia put down her pistol and said, "Since you sound so dangerous, I can't let my child play with this. It's such a shame."
Yinreng said, "He has to learn a little bit. Just be more careful when packing the medicine."
Shujia played with her handgun. She'd had it in her vault back in the Eastern Palace, but she'd been reluctant to take it out for "study" due to circumstances. Now, she felt less reserved. Having just figured out a trick, she tentatively said, "Putting the gunpowder in from the front is too tiring and time-consuming. How about putting it in from the back..."
After a pause, she remembered that bullets in later generations were not like these! Whether it was the Communist Party, the US imperialists, or the Soviet revisionists, they all used breech-loading rifles, and they used bullets! They were loaded copper-jacketed bullets! You could just push the magazine in and pull the trigger. No need to squint and weigh them like a pharmacist!
There is no hope for a breech-loading rifle, if the gunpowder is not divided into small portions within the critical amount, it will save the trouble of temporary reloading and avoid the risk of explosion to a large extent.
"What's wrong with you?" Yinreng touched his wife's arm.
Shujia excitedly grabbed Yinreng's sleeve and said, "I figured it out!"
"Huh?"
"Why are you afraid of a bullet exploding? Weigh out the gunpowder first. Just use as much as you need to avoid a bullet exploding. That way, you won't have to rush at the last minute." Too bad she didn't know how to make bullets. What a failure! Other time travelers were able to make gunpowder on their own, open factories, and start the Industrial Revolution, but she only knew how to separate gunpowder.
Yinreng couldn't help but slap the table and said, "This is good," and then hummed, "You really see some tricks."
Shujia was at a loss for words and felt a little guilty. This was not something she could see through.
Yinreng looked down on his wife in person, then turned his back and continued to show off the fixed ammunition. He concealed his wife's name and only asked Dai Zi: "I heard someone say that the gunpowder can be weighed into small portions in advance..."
Dai Zi listened carefully to Yinreng's explanation and immediately grasped its essence. Inspired by this, he also came up with the idea of packaging the gunpowder and projectiles together. This was a major innovation in the history of firearms: fixed-load ammunition. While it might not work for artillery shells, it was certainly feasible to use it to make bullets for hand cannons.
Seeing that there was a way, Yinreng asked with a try-it-out attitude: "Can this ammunition be loaded from the back of the barrel?" After saying this, he laughed again. Obviously, it couldn't be. At that time, the entire back of the barrel was sealed!
Dai Zi was inspired: laymen watch the excitement, experts see the details. He was very happy and continued to say that he would go back to study it.
Yinreng was left dumbfounded, thinking: How could a blind cat really catch a dead mouse?! So he added, "What about the sight?"
Anyway, our incredibly unlikely time traveler finally made a modest contribution to advancing social productivity (?), at the cost of being looked at curiously by Yinreng for several days. In Yinreng's opinion, his wife's ability to manage the household, her reliable handling of domestic affairs, and her academic merits were all perfectly normal. It was this weapons research... that was a bit peculiar.
Shujia pushed his big head several times after seeing this.
Yinreng exchanged two chestnuts with his wife and ran back to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to continue the meeting. The theme of the meeting was: When will our equipment be in place, when will Tsewang Arabtan send troops, and - can we act in advance?
The result was unanimous opposition.
Yinreng was a spontaneous person by nature, with a certain romanticism and literary spirit in his bones. To put it more kindly, he had some traces of the elegant style of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Simply put, when he was not restrained, he would act on his own accord.
Originally, we were ill-prepared, but now, after hearing the Ministry of Revenue's report, we know that even without the land tax, the salt tax is now 20% higher than the same quarter last year due to the salt administration reform. It seems that the money is there, at least for the military expenses of this war.
Also, because of the manpower and weapons, with the presence of Old Man Dai, the combat effectiveness has been effectively improved.
Yinreng was thinking: Can we strike first? "Lazang Khan is seriously ill, his men are in a state of panic, and Tsewang Arabtan is also a powerful figure. If they really want to attack, it will be swift and swift. If the court waits to make arrangements after receiving the military report, the opportunity will be lost!"
As soon as the words came out, they were met with ruthless opposition.
Ma Qi asked: "What should we do if we launch an attack without a legitimate reason?" If you take action without a legitimate reason, then you are not attacking Tsewang Arabtan who has invaded other people's territory. Just wait for Tsewang Arabtan to attack you!
Prince Yong pursed his lips and asked, "Where will the battle begin? How will the supplies be delivered?"
Yun'e and Yunxiang, who were originally very enthusiastic about fighting, also asked: "How do we explain to the Mongolian kings?" Yes, the Manchu-Mongol alliance, if you use the excuse of destroying Guo as a pretext, you have to give a reason.
Yinreng was silent. He was quite anxious. The focus of his rule was still the Central Plains and the vast expanse of the Yangtze River. Now this land of wealth was in urgent need of reform, but it was being held up by a war that was bound to come, but no one knew when! He wanted to resolve this war in advance so that he could focus on his domestic reforms, so that the country would be prosperous and the people would have enough food to eat, so that they would not rebel and no longer produce another Prince Zhu San.
Once he was opposed, his heated mind calmed down: "I know." He quickly changed the subject and talked about the princess's marriage again.
The marriages of the two princesses had already been arranged, and the Imperial Household Department had begun the work, preparing clothing, ceremonial equipment, building a house, and preparing dowries. The auspicious date chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory for the eldest princess's wedding was the end of September this autumn, so time was a bit tight. The only thing left to do now was to choose the escort.
Normally, the princess and her husband would marry in the capital and then return to their banner territory together. They would be escorted back by a prince or a member of the imperial clan. Kangxi had many sons, and it was usually the princes who were responsible for escorting the bride. Yinreng glanced at his fourth brother and said thoughtfully, "Ask Hongxi to escort the princess."
Prince Yong's ears twitched, and he felt relieved. He was currently burdened with a lot of things and couldn't leave. Hongxi was a good choice.
Yinreng thought for a moment and added, "Hongxi is young after all, so it's better for Prince Dun to lead the team, and Hongxi to be his deputy."
Yun'e was delighted. This was a pre-war reconnaissance. Although the battle might not be fought there, it was still a good opportunity to observe the situation along the way.
The second princess's wedding date was slightly later than the eldest princess's. With the war imminent, Yinreng was eager to put an end to it, so the second princess's wedding was a month after her elder sister's. This was just in time for the eldest princess to enjoy her sister's wedding before returning to her banner land. The second princess's farewell was carried by the currently quite free Yunyou and his grandnephew Nersu.
The author has something to say: Hello everyone, I am back again. I have been sick for a few days and have deeply understood what it means to be worse than death TT
Reflect on yourself and take care of your body, eat well, go to bed early and get up early.
Updates will be resumed slowly.
After thinking about it carefully, I still have to say the following words.
Frankly speaking, I really don't like the comments that have been making me think a lot these past few days when I haven't updated. Especially when I'm seriously ill, seeing such speculation is really not conducive to my recovery.
I also follow the articles. In some articles, I saw the authors describe their recent situation and communicate with everyone in the comments, but I didn’t see any imagination. I don’t know if my words were ambiguous or for some other reason, but it made everyone imagine like this.
If it was just a casual chat about a particular issue, it wouldn't be a big deal, but the topic escalated beyond the limit. After careful consideration, I decided it would be better to intervene and put a stop to it.
I hope this is enough gossip about my personal issues. It's better not to spread rumors about things that haven't happened. I don't want to see such discussions again.
Reflecting on this, I feel responsible and shouldn't have discussed these topics. I'm really imitating others and I'm sorry to have embarrassed everyone.
**After the revision, this section is called "Anything else to say about this chapter." I think I should abide by this rule now. It's better for health to refrain from nonsensical talk. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.
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