I, the grandson of the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty, earned 100 million taels at the beginning

As for other times, well, what his father taught him was to do more and talk less, so as not to offend people.

Looking at the simple and nervous Zhou Xuan, Zhu Zhangui smiled slightly and clapped his hands at all the craftsmen.

"Everyone, come here, I have something to announce."

The people who were manipulating the steam engine quickly surrounded them.

Zhu Zhangui looked at all the craftsmen and announced loudly.

"Master Zhou has researched the steam engine that is crucial to the future, and he has contributed a lot to Daming and Shenzhou."

"Now I announce that Zhou Xuan will be appointed as a doctor of the Ministry of Industry, responsible for the development and management of steam engines."

"A reward of ten thousand taels of silver, a mansion, ten servants, and four accompanying guards!"

The reward announced by Zhu Zhangui made Zhou Xuan tremble with excitement.

The other craftsmen around also looked at Zhou Xuan enviously.

But no one is jealous.

How much effort Zhou Xuan put in for the steam engine was obvious to all present.

The fact that the steam engine can be built so quickly is due to Zhou Xuan working day and night in the artisan camp.

Zhou Xuan is worthy of this reward.

"I...I...I..., thank...thank...thank...Dia...Dia...His... Your Majesty..."

Zhou Xuan was so excited that he burst into tears, he was so nervous that he couldn't even speak, and just kowtowed to Zhu Zhangui.

He was just an ordinary craftsman before, but now he has become a master of the Ministry of Industry by virtue of his research on steam engines.

Zhu Zhangui helped him up with a smile, patted the dust on his body and smiled.

"You are an official of the imperial court now, you must remember to be a minister in the future, and don't talk about me anymore, otherwise the guys at Yushitai will impeach you for your misbehavior."

Zhou Xuan, who was still excited, wiped the tears and snot from his face and nodded vigorously.

Patting the hero on the shoulder, Zhu Zhangui smiled.

"For your internal rewards, you can discuss them with Lao He, and report them to me later, and I will approve them all!"

"Yes, Your Highness, I... No, it's my minister, I understand."

Zhu Zhangui was amused by his appearance, looked at the steam engine for a while, and after saying something like keep working hard, he went to inspect other places.

Seeing the back of Zhu Zhangui going away, and hearing the congratulations from his friends around him, Zhou Xuan excitedly looked in the direction of his hometown.

"Father... have you seen it? I have become an official, and I am still a senior official in the Ministry of Industry. Your son, I am no longer a stinky car builder. Your son, I am promising!"

Chapter 202: The appearance of the mysterious old Taoist priest and the second-generation gun.

The surprises did not come in succession.

Zhu Zhangui inspected the artisan camp next, but did not get a surprise report.

The department in charge of researching paper shell bullets has not yet researched mercury fulminate. Although it has intensified research on this aspect, but for some reason, it often ends in failure at the last step.

The accidents caused by the experiment also injured many craftsmen.

Other departments also have few results and not much research results.

Some small achievements have been made in the steelmaking department, and a small blast furnace has been developed, and preparations for steelmaking have recently begun.

And the worst department is the glider department.

For future aircraft, Zhu Zhangui first set up this department and asked them to study gliders and hot air balloons.

From the establishment of the department last year to today, this department has conducted a total of more than a dozen experiments, all of which ended in failure.

More than a dozen death row prisoners who were in charge of the test flight fell to their deaths.

A few days ago, when they went to Jinyiwei to raise another death row prisoner, the prisoners were so frightened that they refused to come.

They would rather be slashed with a knife than fall from the sky and die alive.

Nima, that death is too tragic.

Not even a whole body can be found.

Walking out of the artisan camp, Zhu Zhangui instructed Lao He and several stewards who followed behind.

"Tell everyone not to be impatient. You can't do it in a hurry to study this aspect. If you have any needs, masters, you can satisfy them as much as you can. If you can't, you can write to me."

"The situation of each master's family should also be taken care of. Other people's family gave us hard research. If there is a problem at home, then we will be sorry for them."

Old He and the others listened carefully.

When Zhu Zhangui mentioned the master's family members, Lao He promised: "Your Highness, don't worry, the old slaves are watching this aspect personally, and will not wrong the master's family members!"

Zhu Zhangui nodded, took the reins from Hu Yu, and was about to mount his horse and return to the East Palace.

"Wuliang Tianzun, but His Royal Highness Taisun is in person."

A loud shout sounded from afar.

The guards of Zhu Zhangui's guards drew their weapons and flintlock pistols at their waists one after another.

Lao He even stood in front of Zhu Zhangui, looking warily at the direction of the sound.

The Artisan Camp is a secret place of the Ming Dynasty, surrounded by the Fifth Army Battalion and the Three Thousand Battalion, and the guards of the Artisan Battalion also patrol at [-] o'clock.

Without the warrants of the emperor, prince and grandson, not to mention ordinary people, even a vassal king like King Zhao of Han would not be able to enter.

But today, no notification was received, and a stranger came in.

Zhu Zhangui looked at the place where the sound came from, and saw a thin old Taoist priest raising his hand to salute him.

"Dare to ask where the chief came from, and what is the purpose of looking for someone."

Zhu Zhangui didn't ask how the other party broke in.

If someone can come in, it means that the other party has the ability, and if there is a problem, it is also a problem of guarding.

The old Taoist chuckled and walked over slowly.

Hu Yu and the others aimed their guns at the old Taoist priest.

Being pointed at by so many guns, the old Taoist didn't change his expression, still looking at Zhu Zhangui with a smile on his face.

So bold.

With the feats of Shenjiying in the Northern Expedition and fighting Japanese pirates, the reputation of muskets spread all over the world.

In addition, Jin Yiwei also issued flintlock pistols, and many ordinary people already have a deep understanding of this weapon.

Everyone knows that this kind of weapon called a gun can knock people down with a single sound from dozens of steps away.

The old Taoist priest in front of him seemed to be a wandering Taoist priest, and he must have understood the power of this weapon.

But being pointed at by so many guns, the old Taoist priest didn't change his face, which shows that the other party either didn't know him, or didn't care at all.

"Don't be rude to the Taoist priest!"

After waving for Hu Yu and the others to put down their guns, Zhu Zhangui cupped his hands at the old Taoist priest.

Zhu Zhangui admires capable people very much. From the fact that he calls his craftsmen masters, it can be seen how much he values ​​these capable people.

It is also because of Zhu Zhangui's respect for craftsmen, craftsmen.

They will give him a job wholeheartedly.

You must know that before Zhu Zhangui, the status of craftsmen was very low.

Not to mention people of Zhu Zhangui's status, even the humblest petty officials are arrogant when facing craftsmen like them, and they don't treat them as human beings at all when they work.

"I don't know what advice the boss has!"

Zhu Zhangui's humble and polite appearance made the old Taoist nod slightly.

The rumors in the world are indeed true.

Although Zhu Zhangui, the grandson of the emperor, is a decisive figure, as long as he is not provoked, he is very kind when facing anyone.

"The old man has a request, please His Highness satisfy it!"

Zhu Zhangui raised his eyebrows, looked the old Taoist up and down, and asked with a smile.

"I don't know how I feel that I will fulfill your request."

The old Taoist smiled slightly, and took out a fixed bullet from his sleeve.

Swish!

Hu Yu and the others raised their guns again.

The kraft paper used by the old Taoist priest was loaded with bullets, but the standard ammunition of the Shenji Camp can only be produced here in the Artisan Camp, and it is simply not available outside.

Every round of ammunition that goes out must be counted and registered. As long as the quantity does not match, the officials who transported it and those who manage it will all be punished.

Therefore, since the appearance of this kind of fixed medicine, except for those lost on the battlefield, there has been no loss at all during transportation.

Even if it is lost on the battlefield, the soldiers who clean the battlefield will pick it up again.

The delivery by Jinyiwei and other departments is also strictly registered. Every time a shot is fired, it must be recorded, when the shot was fired, and why the shot was fired.

If there is no shooting record and the ammunition is lost, the punishment will be heavier than that of Zhu Zhangui.

Therefore, no matter which channel this old Taoist priest obtained this kind of fixed ammunition, it was an illegal act.

The New Firearms Criminal Law of the Ming Dynasty stipulates that those who are not allowed by the imperial court are not allowed to use items such as gunpowder and firearms, and offenders will be sentenced to death.

The reason why the punishment was so severe was that the imperial court was worried that someone would take firearms and sell them to other countries or manufacture them privately, which would bring harm to Ming Dynasty.

The artillery manufacturing process is actually not complicated. As long as the barrel problem is solved, any country can manufacture it.

Daming Shenji Battalion is invincible vertically and horizontally, relying on the sharpness of firearms.

If other countries also possess such firearms, it will not be a good thing for Daming who intends to be the captain of the ball.

Zhu Zhangui did not stop Hu Yu and the others, but looked at the old Taoist with a serious expression.

"Daoist, this is a prohibited item, you have broken the law!"

The old Taoist smiled, stretched out his hand to break off the fixed bullet, and a wisp of white powder slipped out from it.

"Your Highness, don't misunderstand, this is something that the old Taoist imitated from a distance, and it is filled with flour."

"The reason why the old Taoist took out this thing is because the old Taoist wants to change the requested thing has something to do with it!"

Hearing this, Zhu Zhangui stretched out his hand to make several people retract their guns.

"I don't know what the chief is talking about?"

Zhu Zhangui was a little curious, this old Taoist priest.What can you come up with in exchange for your promise.

The old Taoist smiled slightly, took out a bamboo tube from his sleeve, and poured out a lot of white particles the size of millet.

"An old man has a way to ignite gunpowder without flint!"

Zhu Zhangui's calm expression froze for a moment.

Before Zhu Zhangui could speak, the old Taoist took out another stick with a thick thumb and a long stick.

"The old way has a blade, the sharpest weapon in the world, which can cut through any steel in the world!"

Zhu Zhangui raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

Without explaining, the old Taoist took out another book and put it next to the two things.

"There is a book in the old way, which records countless magic tricks. If you study it thoroughly, you can create any magical thing!"

After finishing speaking, he looked up at Zhu Zhangui, "Can you ask Your Highness for a promise for these three things?"

Under the protection of Hu Yu and the others, Zhu Zhangui strode forward and picked up the book first.

On the cover is the seal script of the Qin and Han Dynasties, with three big characters written on it.

Mechanism.

.

Opening the book, there are various organs and strange gadgets that Zhu Zhangui has never seen before.

Glancing at the old Taoist priest who smiled and said nothing, Zhu Zhangui put the book aside, picked up the black stick and struck a sharp blade under the guidance of the old Taoist priest.