Iron Dynasty

The spring breeze blows the peach blossoms outside the imperial study, bringing a faint fragrance.

After sending Princess Pingyang away, Xiao Ming slackened his body. It has been a month since he returned from Shanhaiguan, and Qingzhou is already full of spring.

Looking at the peach trees full of crimson flowers at the sunset, Xiao Ming was ready to accept a day's government affairs and prepare to go back.

This is Qian Dafu trotting over, Your Majesty, Lu Tong and Chen Qi are asking to see you?

They? Xiao Ming showed an interested look. He said, Let them come in. There must be something new for the two of them to come together.

Yes, Your Majesty. Qian Dafu also had a smile on his face. In fact, he liked people like Chen Qi more than Pang Yukun because they brought good news every time.

Qian Dafu responded and went out, and after a while Chen Qi and Lu Tong entered the imperial study.

The two looked excited, and after saluting, they said, Your Majesty, the fuse is ready.

I just said that there must be good news for you to come. Xiao Ming said to Qian Dafu, who was also smiling.

Chen Qi and Lu Tong looked at each other with a smile, Chen Qi took out this small stick at this time, Your Majesty, this is a triggering mechanical fuse.

Lu Tong explained: The success of the fuze this time is also thanks to the flash cap. After thinking about it, Xiaguan and Chen Qi found that the principle of the fuze is similar to that of the flash cap. It just needs an external force to hit the mercury, so we A firing pin is installed outside the letter tube that hit the fulminate, as long as the external force hits the firing pin cap, the firing pin will hit the fulminate, which will then ignite the detonating gunpowder in the fuze, thereby igniting the shell.

Taking the fuse carefully, Xiao Ming looked at it carefully and was very satisfied.

The fuze Chen Qi gave him was a thin metal cylinder, and on the outside of the cylinder was a metal cap with a firing pin.

Opening the metal cap reveals a thin spring inside, which is to ensure the fuze does not explode due to mishandling.

In the middle of the spring is an ignition device similar to a flash cap. When the firing pin cap is hit, the firing pin will ignite the mercury downward, and the fuze will cause the shell to explode.

In the past, the difficulty of the fuze was the spring and the mercury fulminate. Now Qingzhou Industry has been able to produce these two, and the manufacture of the fuze has been completed smoothly.

However, compared with modern fuzes, the error rate of trigger fuzes is relatively high. If the impact point is wrong, it is likely to cause duds.

But even so, the birth of the fuze is trans-generational, because in addition to being used in artillery shells, fuzes can also be used in mines.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ming suddenly had a very evil thought in his heart. For a trigger fuze, the shells formed by the round hollow bullets are actually no different from landmines.

Only one needs to be launched to strike, and the other needs to be stepped on. The real difference is only the sensitivity, and the force of the spring needs to be reduced.

He said: Now you will immediately manufacture a batch of fuze-mounted hollow shells for the Jinzhou city front line, and I will order Lu Fei to attack the city one month later.

Chen Qi and Lu Tong looked at each other, the evil look on Xiao Ming's face made them tremble, and the two agreed.

Sending the two away, Xiao Ming showed a strange smile on his face. In fact, landmines have long been recorded in history books.

The earliest documents can be traced back to 1130, when the Jin army of the Song Dynasty attacked Shanzhou. At that time, the Song army used gunpowder guns buried in the ground, that is, iron-clad mines, causing heavy casualties to the Jin army.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, real mines with mechanical ignition devices appeared in Daming. According to the first collection of Fire Dragon Classic written by Jiao Yu in 1413: The blasting process is made of cast iron, empty stomach, put the medicine in a pestle, put it into a small bamboo tube, pass the fire wire inside, and use a long wire to pass the fire groove externally. Dozens of them are buried in the pit, the medicine tank is connected to the steel wheel, and the soil is covered, so that the thief does not know, when the engine is stepped on, it vibrates, the iron blocks fly like flying, and the flames shoot into the sky.

The mines recorded in the classics have the characteristics of contemporary pressure mines, but this type of mine uses a steel wheel and flint to ignite friction, like the principle of a lighter, and its reliability is still a bit poor.

In Europe, mines also began to appear in the defense of fortresses in the 15th century. Only after the mid-19th century, with the emergence of various high explosives and detonation technologies, landmines were used in wars on a large scale.

Now the fuzes made by Chen Qi and Lu Tong are basically close to the fuzes of the 19th century, and making landmines with such fuzes will be much more reliable.

In the process of attacking Pingzhou, the army of the Great Yu Kingdom has been hampering the cavalry. This time, it may be possible to use mines to experiment.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ming became more and more looking forward to it.

After imagining for a while, Xiao Ming returned to his bedroom before the sky was completely dark.

At this time, Fei Yue'er was following Xiao Yi, who was staggering and learning to walk. Xiao Yi was now one year and three months old, and it was time for him to learn to walk.

Seeing Xiao Ming's arrival, Xiao Yi's face was full of smiles, and he rushed towards Xiao Ming with a crisp laugh.

Cui Xueer and Luluo Ziwan stood beside them, and they all smiled when they saw it.

The emperor went to Shanhaiguan this time, and Xiao Yi liked to stick to the emperor more and more after he came back. Aster smiled all over her face.

Luluo said: No, I don't care about us now.

Cui Xueer is now also familiar with the environment of the palace, playing mahjong with the three of them every day, and this relationship is also like sisters, without the unhappy feeling when she entered the palace.

She glanced at Xiao Ming, It's just that the emperor is busy with government affairs and can rarely accompany Yi'er. It would be nice to have a prince of the same age to accompany him.

As soon as her voice fell, Luluo and Ziwan both looked at Xiao Ming with bold and hot eyes.

They and Xiao Ming had been married before, so naturally they were not as shy as a young girl, speaking of this matter as a matter of course.

Fei Yue'er said with a smile: You are not ashamed of each one, but don't frighten the emperor.

Xiao Ming was a little helpless. Now he finally realized the difference between a young girl and a young woman, but it was really painful and happy.

After laughing with the four of them for a while, Xiao Ming noticed that Xiao Yi had a beautiful jade pendant hanging around his neck, and he asked, Where did this come from? Why have I never seen it before.

Fei Yue'er said: Today, Princess Yong entered the palace to visit the queen mother, and later came to visit the concubine. When she left, she gave this jade pendant to Yi'er.

Princess Yong. Xiao Ming raised his brows, Princess Yong has always been to the Three Treasures Hall, so she must have something to ask for this time.

The victory of Pingzhou, the emperor defeated the barbarians, and the power in Dayu was unparalleled for a while. This King Yong must be at ease.

Xiao Ming nodded lightly. Concubine Yong entered the palace at this time, and anyone with a discerning eye knew that it was no accident. Since Princess Yong first went to the Queen Mother, it is estimated that the answer was with her.

When the two were talking, Cui Xueer's eyes flickered and she lowered her head.