Although the river surface of Humen is wide, there is only one main channel, that is, it is sandwiched between Rung Island and A-Niang Shoe Island, under the nose of several forts, and the position is marked on the main channel in advance, and the artillery training is carried out, and all the records of the Zhuyuan that should be shot are memorized, and once the enemy ship enters the calibrated position, the artillery on the battery does not need to be aimed, and the guns can be fired quickly by adjusting the shooting Zhuyuan, which is not only accurate, but also fast.

This method is actually very simple, the question is just whether you want to get this, Yi Zhixin pierced this layer of paper, all the generals have been trained for a long time, and naturally they understand the benefits of this as soon as they hear it, and Guan Tianpei, who listened to it, praised it loudly and echoed it.

The praise of the wait was quiet, and Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "Now that all kinds of specifications of artillery have been standardized, the unified standard of charge and shells is not a difficult thing, all kinds of specifications of artillery shells, Changle Machinery Factory can make them, but gunpowder has to be closed by the military."

However, I have heard that there is a difference between the gunpowder used in Western muskets and artillery, and the formulas of the two are different. ”

And gunpowder specifically for artillery? Guan Tianpei heard it for the first time, and when he asked, "What's the difference between the two?" ”

"Naturally, it's more powerful." Yi Zhishu said with a smile: "Not only are the formulas different, but also the Western gunpowder is produced by machines, which is not only more powerful, but also has better moisture-proof performance, which is conducive to storage." ”

As soon as he heard that it was conducive to storage, Guan Tianpei immediately became interested, the climate in Guangzhou was humid, and the gunpowder produced by the Humen gunpowder workshop could not be stored for a long time, and it would be wet if it was not used within a month, and he had a headache for this. It is easy to know the meaning of the words. How could he not understand? He immediately turned around and waved his hand. He said to the generals: "They are all dispersed, strictly supervise the installation of artillery on each fort, and Lord Qincha and Master Zhangtai will come to Humen to inspect and pay cigarettes in the next few days, and they will cheer me up." ”

"The last general will obey." The generals responded with a bang, and then saluted and retired.

Guan Tianpei took Yi Zhifen to the west side of the rather clean fort, and then spoke: "Contentment wants to start a factory that uses machines to make gunpowder?" ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhizhi knew that he had the intention of reciprocating the peach, and smiled slightly. Cai said: "The American merchant ships carry special gunpowder for artillery, and you might as well compare it with the military gate." ”

Comparison is naturally to be compared, Guan Tianpei said with a smile: "Contentment is so certain, it seems that the gap must not be small, you don't have to hide it, just say it." ”

"It seems that this little bit of caution can't be concealed from the military gate." Yi Zhishu said with a smile: "As far as I know, the Eight Banners Green Camp Sailors in each province have their own gunpowder production workshops, and the gunpowder formula ratio is also different, and the gunpowder produced is quite different.

I want to start a large gunpowder manufacturing plant, all with machines. Citi mechanics were hired to produce a wide range of specialized gunpowder. Musket medicine, artillery medicine, firecracker medicine, fireworks medicine, mining drugs are not only for Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, but also for other provinces. ”

"The appetite for contentment is not small." Guan Tianpei joked with a smile before saying, "The scale of machine production is not small, right?" ”

"That's nature." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "If Guan Junmen doesn't mind, I am going to use the signboard of the Guangdong Navy Division, just call the Guangdong Navy Division Ammunition Bureau, Guan Junmen will be on any day, and the gunpowder of the Guangdong Navy Division will be supplied by the Gunpowder Bureau for free, including all kinds of shells." ”

"It's a deal." Guan Tianpei said with a smile: "Although you are content, although you are prepared, the old man will take care of everything." ”

"Xie Junmen." Yi Zhisuff smiled and said, with Tianpei in charge, he doesn't need to secretly produce gunpowder, and he can build an ammunition factory to produce all kinds of ammunition on a large scale, which will naturally include Mini bullets.

On February 27, Lin Zexu led Deng Tingzhen, Yu Kun and other senior officials to Humen and began to collect tobacco and soil, but Yi Zhizhi left Humen and returned to Guangzhou.

In the morning, the two clippers slowly docked at the Luoxi Island pier, Yi Zhishu went ashore with a few guards, and on the other clipper, Consul Snow glanced at Weitmo and said, "Mr. Yi asked us to come here today, shouldn't it be to inspect the Citi Village under construction?" ”

"I bet." Wetermo laughed, "It must have something to do with muskets." ”

Hearing this, Snow looked at the muskets on the shoulders of the guards who followed Yi Zhicontent, which was the Hall M1819 they were familiar with, Snow frowned and said: "There are many arms dealers in Macau, from whom you can buy the best and latest muskets in the world, Weitmo, don't always sell this kind of old-fashioned obsolete goods, Mr. Yi is not stupid." ”

"It's not that I don't want to sell new muskets, it's that Mr. Yi is particularly fond of Hall." Wetmo shrugged his shoulders and said with an innocent expression: "This Mr. Yi has ordered another 3,000 Hall-style rifled barrels, and he has specially stated that he wants a front-loading style." ”

As they spoke, the two boarded the dock, Yi Zhishu smiled and stepped forward to shake hands with the two, Snow said with a smile: "Every time I see Mr. Yi, I have unexpected gains, I don't know if Mr. Yi will bring us a surprise this time." ”

"Surprise?" Yi Zhixiang smiled: "Of course there is, but this time it will not only surprise the two of you, but also give the United States a surprise." ”

Hearing this, Snow said expectantly, "Oh, is it about the musket?" ”

"Yes." Yi Zhishu smiled and said, "Please allow me to keep it a secret first." ”

Walking with the two of them to a remote and open place, Yi Zhizhi stopped and ordered: "Set up a humanoid target, measure the distance, four hundred yards." ”

Four hundred yards? This is the range that can only be achieved by a front-loading rifled gun, Wetmo hurriedly looked at the musket on the shoulders of the guard, and immediately noticed that this was not the original Hall-type M1819, but a modified one, it was obviously a front-loading gun, but he didn't understand, what did Yi Zhi's contentment mean by this move?

What made them even more depressed was that as soon as the preparations were done, Yi Zhizhi said that it was for safety reasons, and politely asked the two of them to retreat thirty yards, and the five guards who had been prepared immediately erected a wooden plank behind them, completely covering their figures.

In the puzzled expressions of the two of them, the dull gunshots rang out one after another, a distance of more than four hundred yards. Snow and the two couldn't see if the target was hit. But. Soon, they were attracted by the sound of gunfire again, and Wetmo was the quickest to react, and then pulled out his pocket watch, the guards were shooting faster than he expected, which was simply not possible for a front-loading rifled gun to achieve.

The gunshots rang out unhurriedly and methodically, and Wetermo, who was staring at the statistics of his pocket watch, frowned and said loudly, "Mr. Yi." Can only one gun be fired, the sound of gunfire is chaotic, and it is easy to make statistical mistakes. ”

Yi Zhizu nodded, one of the guards hurriedly trotted forward to give an order, and the four guards immediately turned to the plank to rest, leaving only one guard to shoot unhurriedly, and after a few minutes, the gunfire stopped, and the results of Wetmo's statistics also came out, with an average of three and a half rounds a minute!

Snow and Wetmore were shocked, it was impossible for a front-loading rifled gun to reach such a high rate of fire! This is a front-loading smoothbore gun. And it is also the rate of fire that can be achieved with a firing gun. The two quickly reacted, and Snow stammered, "Mr. Yi, can you look at the target card and see that soldier's musket?" ”

Soon, the target card was taken, looking at the dense holes on it, and then looking at the modified front-loading Hall M1819 in his hand, Wittmore said in disbelief: "This is impossible!" ”

Snow was excited, four hundred yards! With the exact same rate of fire, the range can reach four hundred yards, and the hit rate is so high! What does this mean? Slaughter!

You must know that the mainstream musket in Europe is still a front-loading smoothbore gun, in order to ensure the hit rate, it is generally at a distance of 100 yards before starting to shoot, once it exceeds 150 yards, the hit rate is not even 30 percent, more than 200 yards, it is almost a hollow gun, the latest standard musket equipped by the British army - Brunwick type firing gun, the performance is already very superior, but it is also at a distance of 150 yards to ensure the hit rate, more than 200 yards, only 30% of the hit rate, there is no comparison at all.

Weetmore immediately realized that the reason was the bullet, but unfortunately, the target was very thin, and the bullets were all penetrated, so he couldn't see the deformed bullet, and only after a little hesitation did he say: "Mr. Yi, can you try firing again." ”

"Absolutely." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "Mr. Wetmore can personally measure the distance and erect a new target." ”

Wetermo was not polite, he measured the distance with his own steps, and erected a new target, and the result was still the same, the rate of fire was more than three rounds per minute, the distance was four hundred yards, and the hit rate was as high as eighty.

The gunfire stopped, and after examining the target card again, Snow said eagerly: "Mr. Yi intends to exchange this technology with the United States?" ”

"Yes." Yi Zhizhi nodded with a smile and said: "I don't say that the two of you also understand, the key to this technology is the bullet, I named it Mini bullet, the importance of Mini bullet, you have all seen it, no need for me to say more, to be honest, for this invention, France and Prussia should need the most urgent, England may bid the highest, but I still give priority to the United States." ”

"Thank you very much." Snow said with a sincere face, Yi Zhi's words can be said to be without a little water, and now the most likely war in Europe is France and Prussia, and England may indeed buy it at a high price in order to maintain its hegemony.

Wetmore naturally knew the great value of the Mini bomb, which meant land and wealth for the emerging United States, which was in the midst of rapid expansion, and he said with enthusiasm: "It is the luck of the United States to have such a generous and sincere friend as Mr. Yi. ”

Yi Zhishu smiled and said: "In exchange, I need to forge the barrel, the machinery and equipment for drawing and cutting rifling, as well as the sand casting of artillery, various drilling, cutting and other lathes, of course, the machinery and equipment for making gunpowder and fire caps and chemical technicians are also indispensable, in short, Guangzhou needs to be able to produce artillery muskets and ammunition on its own." ”

This is a real lion opened his mouth, Snow and Wetmore couldn't help but look embarrassed, and didn't dare to agree rashly, although the two knew the huge value of Mini's bullet, but the exchange conditions of Yi Zhi's contentment were also really harsh, and he groaned slightly, Snow said: "What Mr. Yi needs, those politicians and military bigwigs in the United States are afraid that they will not agree." ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled, pointed to the Hall M1819, and said: "The large hydraulic press forging machine that can forge rails can naturally forge the barrel, and the barrel of this Hall M1819 is forged by a hydraulic press, right?" How many years, twenty years! You don't think that only England and the United States have hydraulic press forging machines, do you?

This is no longer an advanced secret technology, the solid drilling of artillery, cutting and scraping and other machine tools are also not a secret technology, I bought a small number of French artillery in Macao, and they are also mechanical hammer processing products, you should all know this.

How much is Minnie Bullet worth? You should also know that you will not calculate this account by exchanging the processes and machinery and equipment that many European powers have for a unique and valuable technology, but the shrewd politicians and military bigwigs in the United States will calculate it, and give you more than half a year, and before January 1 next year, if you can't see the machinery and equipment I need and the relevant technical personnel, I will resell it to other countries. ”

Snow hurriedly said, "Mr. Yi, time is too short. ”

"I can't afford to wait." Yi Zhizu glanced at the two of them and said, "For me, time is money. ”

Seeing that there was no room for maneuver, Snow thought for a moment and said, "Can Mr. Yi pay silver dollars for this batch of machinery and equipment?" Do the technicians in question also enjoy triple pay? ”

Yi Zhishu said without hesitation: "You can pay silver dollars to buy, and triple the salary is not a problem." Speaking, he smiled and said: "Yuanqi is not short of silver, what is lacking is talent, I hope that the two can return to China to publicize, all scientific and technological talents who are interested in invention and creation, no matter which field, as long as they are willing to come to Guangzhou, I will provide research and experimental funds free of charge, of course, the patent rights still belong to them, willing to sell, I am happy to buy." ”

Hearing this, he was willing to pay for the purchase, and Snow immediately said cheerfully: "Then please ask Mr. Yi to wait for our good news." ”

Yi Zhixiang glanced at Wetmo, saw that he was silent, and estimated that he was worried that the arms business would not be successful in the future, so he immediately smiled at him and said: "The most important thing that Yuanqi lacks is business, Mr. Weitmo doesn't have to worry that there will be no business to do in the future, and Yuanqi will not treat his friends badly." ”

Hearing this, Wei Temo was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "I am happy to serve Mr. Yi, but this time the time is too rushed." As he spoke, he smiled, "Can Mr. Yi lend the clipper boat he brought this time to Wertmore?" ”

Wetmo brought four merchant ships, a flying clippers, and a light cruiser this time, because during this period of time, the sailors patrolled strictly, and the situation was also a little sensitive, Wu Bingjian sent people to the sea overnight to directly lead all the ships to Hainan, Yi Zhicontent didn't even see a glance, listening to Wittmore to borrow, he nodded without thinking, and said: "No problem, after a few ****, let the clippers anchor to Macao." (To be continued.) )