The Ming Dynasty called Portugal the Franc machine, and the cannon introduced into China by its country was called the Franc machine gun.

Liangchen was not a military enthusiast in his previous life, so he didn't know much about artillery, but he only knew that unlike the pre-Ming Dynasty charge-gun cannon, the Franc cannon was a rear-loading gun, with a front sight and a light door, which was somewhat similar to a cannon.

In terms of weight, compared with the Hongyi cannon that is only two or three thousand catties at every turn, the Franc machine, which is not more than 1,000 catties, is obviously much lighter, and the Franc machine has four guns, which are very fast to fire, and are suitable for fighting on sea ships.

According to Eunuch Lu, these Franc cannons were imitated by the War Bureau according to the drawings submitted by He Ru during the Jiajing period, and He Ru saw this kind of artillery on the merchant ships of the Portuguese at that time, and felt that it was very suitable for the Ming Dynasty sailors to fight, so he wrote to the imperial court to introduce imitations.

Since then, the War Bureau and the Ministry of Industry have copied this kind of Franc cannon on a large scale, which is used for coastal preparation, and there are probably thousands of them before and after. Later, after the Japanese were pacified, the Franc cannon became not too important, and the Hongyi cannon that was larger, longer range, and more powerful than the Franc machine was imported, and the Franc cannon was officially withdrawn from the Ming army's equipment.

After all, in the Ming Dynasty, the north was always the focus of the Ming Dynasty's defense and attack. Compared with the Franc machine, the more powerful Hongyi cannon was more popular with the Ming army guarding the border.

When the military mutiny was closed, Liangchen saw dozens of Hongyi cannons on Shanhaiguan, and a statue was placed there, which was scary to look at, and there were also many on the head of Shenyang City, and there were many of them.

The reason why the Ming army was defeated in the Battle of Hunhe was because these cannons in Shenyang City fell into the hands of the Qing army, and the Ming army stationed in Hunhe was too close to Shenyang City and was directly within the range of the cannons. Otherwise, the battle of the black-faced old man will be called back to its original form.

It's just that the Hongyi cannon is powerful, but it is not suitable for naval warfare, it is too heavy, and a single shot may be able to overturn the ship. At present, no matter which country it is, there is no such thing as ironclad ships, whether it is a merchant ship or a warship, it is mainly sail wood. This meant that the guns of the ships must not be too heavy, otherwise the hull would definitely tilt.

The sea can not be used, in addition to defending the city on land can not be used in field battles, Hongyi cannon in the Ming army, in fact, is a chicken ribs, but people are superstitious that the bigger the cannon the better, the heavier the better, and the later aircraft carriers did not appear before the cannon giant ship of the same idea, directly led to the field can be used for the light artillery has not been able to get normal development.

However, the large-pole gun and the Tiger Squat Cannon, which are similar to light small cannons, have been somewhat improved, but unfortunately they are ruined due to quality problems. And the culprit is still the reason for money.

"This cannon has a range of 2,000 feet, Xiao Wei might as well buy some and put them on the ship when he goes to sea, how can it be farther than the Japanese slave firecracker. As the old saying goes, an inch is long and an inch is strong. ”

Eunuch Lu actually didn't know much about naval warfare, and the sea thieves he knew were only the inherent impression of Japanese slaves, but he knew that the artillery must be farther than the firecracker, so he was very enthusiastic to sell it to the good ministers.

He is also kind-hearted, Xiao Wei spent money to buy a better Franc cannon than a firecracker, and when he went to sea and made a fortune, he had more money to customize all kinds of ordnance from his military bureau, which was a win-win situation.

Artillery, of course, Liangchen wants to buy it.

The firing range of the Franc machine is 2,000 feet, which is more than 600 meters, more than a mile, and the longest range of the current firearm is only more than 100 meters, which is equivalent to being able to fire outside the enemy's range and form a firepower suppression, whether it is a naval battle or a land battle, it is a lot of benefits.

The problem is that the Franc machines in front of him have not been carefully maintained by the eunuchs, not only are they rusty, but the gun carriages look like they are about to rot, and some of them are directly falling apart.

This kind of old cannon, what's the use of him buying it back, can't he turn it into a copper coin and a bronze statue?

What's more, he won't put it back when he buys it back.

Gunners, craftsmen, without a matching team, what is the use of just having cannons.

Liangchen didn't want to spend any more money, the batch of things just now cost more than 10,000 taels, not to mention that he wanted to go to Nanzhen to buy firearms, the gunpowder bureau to buy medicines, and the money to recruit troops and horses, the expenses were really big, and he had to save some money.

There is no way, the opening of the sea in Western countries is the power of the whole country, but when it comes to his father-in-law of Xiao Wei, it is the power of one person. In other words, he is now fighting the whole world with the power of one person.

It can't be said that it is not hard, it cannot be said that it is not desolate.

After thinking about it, he decided not to want these cannons.

He pondered that he could go to the south to dig a corner on the side of the naval division, and the military bureau could have artillery, and of course there would be one on the naval division's side. As long as the money is in place, the sailor can even provide himself with a cannon, so why throw a pen into the water now.

However, Eunuch Lu was old and sophisticated, and a sentence made Liangchen change his mind.

"Xiao Wei, rest assured, our family won't cheat you. Don't look at these cannons and look old and rusty, as long as you want them, our family will ask the craftsmen to polish and repair them for you, and it won't take two or three months, and they will be all new cannons. At that time, not only will the cannon be given to you, but our family can also discuss with the prince and transfer some craftsmen to help you protect the cannon and raise the cannon, which will not charge you money, what do you think? Eunuch Lu's desperate sales look was more enthusiastic than Liangchen's enthusiasm for Meng Guozhong that day.

It is better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish.

Liangchen was moved, compared to these old cannons, the craftsmen who understand the cannons are undoubtedly the real wealth. If you can get a group of cannon casting masters from the War Bureau, this deal can be done. So, I asked Eunuch Lu how much these Franc cannons cost, and if the price was appropriate, Liangchen was ready to eat them.

However, despite the psychological preparation, knowing that the Franc cannon was cast in copper, and copper itself was one of the coins, and the cost of a cannon was definitely not small, the price quoted by Eunuch Lu was still difficult for Liangchen to accept.

A Franc machine, Eunuch Lu asked for 1,200 taels.

Thirty or so Franc machines, Liangchen really had to pack them at one time, at least nearly 40,000 taels of silver, not to mention the medicine for training and firing, and the maintenance costs of gunners and craftsmen. The whole set is perfected, and the 50,000 taels invested by Liu Jixiang are not enough.

If the issuance of maritime bonds is not effective, his father-in-law Wei will go to mess with Zhang Meier, and he may only earn one or two cannons when he is old. Of course, if the market is inflated every year and prices rise, he may not be able to earn a few more. After all, in the past and present life, the market of the brothers is always better than that of the girls.

However, the good minister is not ashamed of this, so why not.

………

As soon as the cannon sounded, it was not unreasonable to have ten thousand taels of gold.

The offer of 1,200 taels is really shocking, and the good minister has nothing to say.

It is no wonder that the generals of the late Ming Dynasty were committed to building their own families and refused to spend more money on other soldiers and other places, on the one hand, because these generals needed to drink the blood of soldiers, and on the other hand, because the prices were too high.

Inflation, more silver flowed into the Ming Dynasty, but domestically produced goods and grain products continued to decrease, which directly led to inflated prices in all walks of life, and the performance of ordnance was particularly obvious.

1,200 taels to buy a Franc machine, counting Liangchen only lost half, after all, this cannon is made of pure copper, and it is worth a lot of money. However, even so, the price is not something he can afford. But he didn't know that if he went further, the high price of the red cannon made of copper and iron could scare people to death.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were only more than 200 Hongyi cannons purchased and imitated from Westerners, and no more than 500 other Western cannons were imitated. That's it, Chongzhen was about to take off his pants.

Sun Yuanhua trained the new army in Denglai, and the expenditure on firearms alone was nearly one million taels, of which only eight Hongyi cannons were bought, and the rest were muskets and other Western light artillery.

For the sake of this new army, Chongzhen can be said to have poured everything into his inner treasury, but he was stunned to call a Wuqiao mutiny and waste all the inputs, and cheapened the Manchu Qing. After that, the Ming Dynasty's investment in firearms completely stopped. Because, financially, the emperor is already bankrupt.

Compared with Chongzhen's market at that time, Liangchen would be much cheaper.

However, money is not the problem, the problem is that there is no money.

Eunuch Lu didn't think that the good minister had no money, he didn't know the specific situation of this maritime affairs, but he said that this kid was sent by the emperor, and he was supported by Grandpa Zhang, and the palace must have allocated a lot of money. To go to sea, you must have armaments, and the battle is not small, this kid holds a lot of money, and he doesn't earn it in vain.

In that burst of boasting, the Franc machine in front of him was blown into an artifact of going to sea, and the eunuchs on the side couldn't help but praise, but the buyer didn't move.

Eunuch Lu finally realized that the buyer didn't seem to be able to buy it, and looked at Liangchen with some astonishment: Didn't you say that as long as the things are good, money is not a problem?

Liangchen smiled bitterly, and did not hide it from Eunuch Lu, and said: "Father-in-law, these cannons are good, but I don't have so much money on hand." So... Forget it. ”

"So?" Eunuch Lu was not discouraged, "It's inconvenient and not tight, let's discuss it with the prince, how about you pay in installments?" ”

"Installments?"

Liangchen is very familiar with this term, and he is happy in his heart, and thinks it is a good thing, but after thinking about it, since he entered the armory, it seems that every word and deed, every move is led by others, and he has not returned the price from beginning to end, it is what Eunuch Lu says. This is really unreasonable, so I shook my head decisively, saying that I really didn't have enough money and didn't buy it.

I thought that when Eunuch Lu heard him say this, he would definitely lower the price, just like when he went to the merchant market to buy clothes in his previous life, the store offered a price of 100, which was too expensive, and quoted 50, but the store refused to sell it, so he slapped his ass and left.

As a result, I didn't take a few steps, and the voice of the store came after the voice: "Forget it, handsome guy, I just opened today, and I sold you at a loss for the first order, remember to come to my house next time." ”

It's a pity that Eunuch Lu didn't call the handsome guy to stay.

This father-in-law is also a solid eye, and he really thinks that the good minister has no money to buy it, so he doesn't think that the other party can buy it if it is cheaper.

Liangchen was slightly disappointed, he was affectionate, but others were unrighteous. After returning to Dacang with Eunuch Lu, the eunuch of the treasury made a list of them, and the good minister looked at it, nodded, and asked the eunuch of the treasury to take a deposit of three thousand taels from the carriage outside, and then the two parties signed a contract and agreed to pay the rest of the money within half a month.

Although he failed to sell the Franc machine, it was also a business of more than 10,000 taels, and Eunuch Lu was in a good mood, and after receiving the deposit and issuing a voucher to Liangchen, he sent Liangchen out of the warehouse.

Before leaving, Liangchen suddenly turned back to Eunuch Lu and said, "Father-in-law, I don't have the money to buy those cannons at the moment, but can my father-in-law give these cannons to me on credit first, just at my father-in-law's price, and I will pay interest according to the interest of the money shop outside." ”

"Huh?"

Eunuch Lu was stunned and borrowed a cannon to eat?

"This... Our family can't be the master, so we have to discuss it with the prince. ”

According to the previous price, if more than 40,000 taels of silver is eaten, according to the highest calculation outside, at least 5,000 taels a year, which is also a lot of input.

Eunuch Lu felt that this operation was not impossible, anyway, it was a waste of those cannons placed there, but this matter was really not something he could call the shots.

Liangchen was not in a hurry, and after asking Eunuch Lu to go back and discuss with the prince, he would give a clear word when he came to fetch the ordnance in a few days. At that moment, they called out to Chen Mo, and they got into the car and left the armory.

When I returned to the Zuo'anmen office, it was getting dark.

As soon as he entered the door, Zheng Duo came to say that Aunt Liang had made trouble again, and she had bitten the old woman who delivered the food.

Liangchen had a headache, and he didn't know where to send Aunt Liang now.

Except for the Huanyi Bureau, the rest of the yamen are in charge of eunuchs, and the female officials in the palace are the imperial concubines. This means that he will either send people directly to Concubine Zheng, or he will have to send people back to the princess's mansion.

The princess's mansion must not be able to send it back, and the good ministers on the side of the concubine can't see it, so if you really want to send Aunt Liang into the palace like this, maybe this mother-in-law will make up bad things about his father-in-law Wei.

I don't know if Princess Yongning has done something for her niece after entering the palace today, if Wanli knows about the affairs of her daughter's house, this matter will be easy to do.

"Go and beat that woman, and we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Liangchen was a little tired, too lazy to teach Aunt Liang in person, after running for a day today, he just wanted to go to the Guerjia clan to sleep beautifully.

and Zheng Duo talked about Chen Mo again, and asked Zheng Duo to arrange a room for Chen Mo, but when he was talking, someone knocked on the door outside, and Liangchen asked Chen Mo to go over to see who it was.

After a while, Chen Mo led a person in, and when the man saw the good minister, he hurriedly said: "Father-in-law Wei, the younger one is from Princess Shouning's mansion, and on the orders of His Royal Highness, I have come to invite my father-in-law to the banquet." ”

"To a feast?"

Liangchen was stunned, and immediately realized that Yongning must have gone to Wanli to get things done, so Shouning specially invited himself to a banquet to thank him for the ancient way of his father-in-law Wei.

"Okay, wait a minute, let's change our clothes, lest His Highness and the Horse Master laugh at our family." Liangchen said that he was going to change into clean clothes, he had been wearing this one for several days, and when he got closer, he smelled it faintly, and there was a faint smell of deer blood wine.

"Father-in-law, you go and change, the little one is here, but my concubine is still in the country."

"Didn't the colt go back?"

"Yes, Your Highness said that the master of the horse still has to bother your father-in-law for a thing or two."

Liangchen said "oh", a little surprised, since Wanli knew what happened to his daughter's family, why did he still put his son-in-law in the Guozijian.

I was confused, so I didn't ask much, because the man probably didn't know much about it, and after entering the house and changing his clothes, he got into the carriage of Princess Shouning's mansion.

When I arrived at the princess's mansion, I saw Shou Ning setting up a table in the hall, but except for Shou Ning himself, there were no other guests.