novelSusiti Chapter 018 Chain Thunder Cannon
Chapter 018 Chain Thunder Cannon
Chapter 018
Chen Ying looked at the assembled Thunderclap Gun and was very satisfied. No matter what kind of general or powerful figure they were, they were all trash in front of the Thunderclap Gun, which could fire in rapid succession.
Chen Jide swallowed hard. "Commander, according to the Great Ming Code, civilians who privately possess fire tubes, cannons, or other prohibited military weapons are punished with eighty strokes of the cane for each item, and the punishment increases by one degree for each additional item. Those who manufacture such weapons are punished even more severely, with one hundred strokes of the cane and exile for three thousand li..."
"Look at where we are!"
"Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau!"
"Good to know, we are an official construction supervision bureau!"
Chen Ying retorted irritably, "Would I be doing this for no reason without the magistrate's permission?"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding craftsmen breathed a sigh of relief. They believed Chen Ying's words. Although they worked at the Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau as laborers, as long as they worked for a month, they could be exempted from a year's labor service.
At the same time, they could also receive grain, some six dou, some nine dou, and some even more. For example, Chen Ying received one shi and five dou, a salary equivalent to that of the Sixth Office Clerk.
Chen Ying used the rotating wheel and the gears to adjust the firing angle up, down, left, and right.
He was very satisfied with the adjustments made so flexibly.
"What a pity, no cannon!"
Chen Ying has no way to conduct experiments yet. The biggest problem is the shells. He didn't follow Zhao Shizhen's example and directly load loose cannons and fire lead bullets.
He adopted a method similar to that of the breech-loading cannon, producing a one-inch caliber cannon, which was also the prototype of the cannonball.
When Chen Ying saw the actual object, he realized that the bullet was not like the cannon shells of later generations, but rather like the bullets of later generations, consisting of two parts: the projectile and the cartridge case.
The cartridge case is slightly larger than the bullet. After the gunpowder is loaded, the bullet is then inserted into the cartridge case, and the process is complete.
However, the primer has not yet been invented. The current bullet gun is like a big firecracker with a fuse inserted at the rear.
Chen Ying did not immediately develop a primer, but instead first solved the problem of whether or not it existed. Even if it was a fuse, so be it. Just as Chen Ying was preparing to conduct the experiment, Wang Jian arrived at the Manufacturing Bureau.
"Boying, the county magistrate requests your presence!"
"Okay, I understand!"
Half an hour later, in the second hall of the backyard of Yongcheng County Government Office, Sun Chuanting sat at a dining table with eight dishes, four cold and four hot.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
"Boying, have you eaten? If not, let's eat together!"
Sun Chuanting was just being polite, but Chen Ying didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on the opposite stool, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.
Li Yuanzhen frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "This Chen Boying is so ignorant of etiquette!"
However, to Li Yuanzhen's utter surprise, Sun Chuanting showed no displeasure whatsoever. Instead, he picked up his chopsticks and served Chen Ying some food: "This is braised meat made according to the Liuweizhai secret recipe. Try it..."
Chen Ying picked up a piece of braised meat and chewed it gently: "It's fatty but not greasy, tender but not falling apart, amazing, amazing."
During the Ming Dynasty, castrating piglets became a common practice to remove the unpleasant smell of uncastrated pork, making it more acceptable to the upper class.
Sun Chuanting watched Chen Ying without any hesitation, even putting food on Chen Ying's plate from time to time. He didn't mind Chen Ying's humble origins. Perhaps it was because they both came from military families that they had a natural sense of closeness. Most importantly, Sun Chuanting benefited from Chen Ying's influence.
After Chen Ying had eaten and drunk his fill, he asked, "I wonder what orders Your Excellency has for me?"
Sun Chuanting said earnestly, "Boying, this county magistrate is leaving!"
"Walk?"
Chen Ying knew history; Sun Chuanting would indeed be promoted to magistrate of Shangqiu County. Shangqiu County was a superior county, which meant high tax revenue and good performance evaluations. Even if he did nothing, it was easy for him to get promoted.
"This official has been transferred to Shangqiu County as magistrate, and will depart in three days!"
"Congratulations to the county magistrate on his demotion!"
"It's just a lateral transfer, it doesn't count as a demotion!"
"Your Excellency has rendered meritorious service in disaster relief in Yongcheng, saving countless lives. The imperial court will surely show its appreciation!"
Sun Chuanting looked at Chen Ying with a serious expression and said, "This county..."
Chen Ying knew what Sun Chuanting wanted to say; he definitely wanted to take him to Shangqiu. Even though he had offended the Liu family, one of the most powerful families in Yongcheng, the problem was that he really didn't want to go to Shangqiu.
Unlike Yongcheng, Shangqiu was a place where the waters were shallow and turtles were plentiful, and big shots were everywhere. Guide Prefecture had four prominent families: Tang, Wang, Yuan, and Jiang. The third most prominent family was Yuan Keli, the current governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou.
Besides the four prominent families, there were eight other prominent families. The Shen family, headed by Shen Li, the former Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, was the main branch of Song Xianze. The Song family, headed by Song Xun, the former Minister of Revenue and Minister of Personnel, was the third largest family. The Hou family was the family of Hou Fangyu, one of the Four Gentlemen of the late Ming Dynasty.
Other families included the Ye family, headed by Ye Tinggui; the Yu family, headed by Yu Cheng, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) during the Zhengde era and governor of Yunnan and Guizhou; the Liu family, whose title of Zhaoyong General and commander of Guide Guard was hereditary; the Gao family, headed by Gao Di, the general of Shanhaiguan; and the Yang family, headed by Yang Hao, the vice minister of the Ministry of War and the Liaodong military commissioner.
There's even a saying that half of the civil and military officials in the court are from Jiangxi, and that there are four ministers from Guide. Not to mention that Sun Chuanting would become a submissive wife in Shangqiu County, even the prefect Zheng Sanjun wouldn't dare to say that his word is law.
Chen Yingzhen did not want to go to Shangqiu, also known as Guide Prefecture, with Sun Chuanting.
"Your Excellency, this is perfect timing! I have a gift to congratulate you on your demotion!"
Interrupted by Chen Ying, Sun Chuanting understood Chen Boying's meaning. He was actually well-intentioned and knew that Li Xiaojie was backed by Liu Chao, one of the powerful figures in Yongcheng. But was going to Guide Prefecture a good thing?
If it weren't for Prefect Zheng Sanjun pressing the officials of the Guide Guard Commandery, this agricultural implement manufacturing bureau would probably have been completely wiped out long ago.
"Could it be that the cannon has been successfully forged?"
"The casting is complete, but we haven't had a chance to test it yet!"
Chen Ying stood up and said, "This humble official dares to request that Your Excellency, the County Magistrate, participate in the cannon test!"
"New cannons? What new cannons?"
"This... an eleven-barreled rotary cannon with a one-inch repeating rate!"
Sun Chuanting put down his chopsticks, his eyes gleaming: "Boying, you've really prepared a grand gift for this county."
"Your Excellency has shown me great favor; without your protection, this construction bureau would have been devoured long ago. Although this cannon has not yet been tested, I humbly offer it to Your Excellency to bolster your reputation."
Sun Chuanting pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Very well! I'll go and see your new cannon!"
Southwest of the Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau was a brick kiln site, which was temporarily set up as an experimental field. In the surrounding fields, the newly planted autumn grains had already grown to half a foot tall.
Sun Chuanting looked at the crops and smiled slightly: "Boying, this is all thanks to you!"
"I dare not accept such an honor!"
Chen Ying laughed and said, "Without the support of Your Excellency, I would be powerless and might have starved to death long ago!"
Inside the testing ground, more than fifty craftsmen were busy around this strange cannon. Eleven one-inch caliber barrels were arranged in a ring, like lotus petals surrounding a thick rotating shaft in the center.
The gun carriage is fitted with two iron wheels, and the shovel is movable and fixed to the ground in an outward V-shape. This shovel has two functions: when the cannon is in firing position, it can fix the cannon body to prevent the cannon from firing randomly due to recoil.
When in motion, simply twist the spade so that it is aligned with the axle, insert the pin, and it can serve as the shaft of the gun carriage, which can be pulled by people or dragged by mules and horses.
The cannon is not directly mounted on the axle, but rather on the steering mechanism above the axle. It can move left and right via the steering gear, and up and down via the elevation mechanism.
The most exquisite part is the breech, a rotating wheel made of fine steel that is connected to the barrel assembly via gears, and there is also an arc-shaped scale with fine angle markings on the side.
Although Sun Chuanting has not yet become the Governor-General of the Three Borders, he is no stranger to artillery as he comes from the Zhenwu Guard of Daizhou. The Zhenwu Guard is different from the Guide Guard. The Zhenwu Guard is a border army, with three parts farming and seven parts guarding the border.
However, Guidewei was seven parts land reclamation and three parts stability maintenance. Sun Chuanting had not only seen cannons, but also various kinds of cannons, such as the Hongyi cannon, the Frankish mother-and-child cannon, the tiger squat cannon, the bowl-mouth cannon, and the sling cannon (which can also be called a sling cannon with a caliber of 40 mm).
"This is... an eleven-barreled repeating cannon?"
Sun Chuanting approached and examined the cannon closely. It was completely different from the standard cannons of the Ming Dynasty. This cannon not only had a shovel to fix it in place, but also wheels to make it easy to move.
Please don't underestimate this wheel. In fact, everyone has been fooled by movies and TV dramas. Most of the cannons in the Ming Dynasty did not actually have fixed wheels because they were useless. The powerful recoil of the cannon would shake the wheels apart with one shot.
There is also a spring-loaded recoil brake, which makes it easy for the gun barrel to return to its original position.
Chen Ying stepped forward and explained, "Your Excellency, please take a look. The core of this cannon lies in combining the Swift Thunder Cannon with the Frankish Mother-and-Child Cannon. Each barrel is actually an independent sub-cannon chamber, pre-loaded with gunpowder and projectiles."
Under Chen Ying's operation, the cannon barrel also began to rotate as he turned the revolver. In fact, Chen Ying could have designed the cannon as an extra-large revolver, using one barrel, instead of manufacturing eleven barrels.
The problem is that this sacrifices airtightness, making the explosive power of gunpowder far less than that of smokeless gunpowder. The range is already short, and further waste will shorten it even more.
As the rotor rotates, the planned firing source is activated. Once the surface fuse on the rotor comes into contact with the firing source, the firing will be completed.
"Your Excellency, these are the bullets. They are six inches long and one inch in diameter. They are filled with three types of gunpowder: nine ounces, one pound and four ounces, and two pounds (the data is estimated by the author and is not accurate). Each bullet has a fuse inserted at the tail."
Sun Chuanting picked up a bullet and examined it closely. One end of the bullet was closed, while the other end was open. There was a small hole on the side of the tube for inserting the fuse. The lead bullet was cylindrical with a slightly rounded head, fitting perfectly into the tube opening.
"During loading, insert the sub-gun into the breech and lead the fuse out through the small hole."
Chen Ying turned the breechblock, and with a soft click, the breech closed: "All eleven barrels rotate. When one barrel fires, the side barrels are ready to fire, so eleven shots can be fired in an instant."
Li Yuanzhen gasped: "Isn't this equivalent to seven breech-loading cannons?"
"more than."
Chen Ying said solemnly, "It takes time for the Portuguese to change their cannons, but this cannon rotates continuously, providing sustained firepower. What's even better is that if it's positioned on the city walls or in a wagon formation, it can form a fan-shaped fire net."
"What about the range? What about the accuracy?"
"Sir, according to the design, nine ounces of medicine, when fired horizontally at 800 paces, is effective in killing enemies within 500 paces. Accuracy..."
Chen Ying smiled wryly: "I haven't tested it yet, so I dare not speak rashly."
Sun Chuanting remained silent for a long time before saying, "Let's test the cannon."
The craftsmen quickly prepared.
Chen Jide personally operated the cannon, with two assistants standing on his left and right. One was responsible for turning the cannon barrel, and the other held a torch. Five hundred paces away, three wooden targets covered with white cloth were erected on the earthen wall, each target being three feet wide.
"Load!"
Chen Jide quickly inserted a cannonball into the top cannon barrel, with the fuse protruding from the small hole and hanging down an inch.
"First shot, test firing and calibration!"
The torch was brought close to the fuse, and with a hiss, the fuse ignited, and everyone held their breath.
"boom!"
The deafening roar was deafening. Flames eight or nine feet long shot from the muzzle, white smoke billowed up, the cannon shuddered slightly, and the shock-absorbing springs creaked. Almost simultaneously, a cloud of dust rose from the earthen wall five hundred paces away, veering off the leftmost target by about five feet.
Sun Chuanting squinted to observe the point of impact, remaining calm and composed.
Chen rushed forward and personally adjusted the scale, turning the steering gear: "Increase the elevation angle by half a degree, turn two degrees to the right!"
"Prepare for the second shot!"
Loading and ignition were completed in one smooth motion.
"boom!"
The shot hit the edge of the wooden target on the left, and the white cloth was pierced with a hole the size of a bowl.
"good!"
Li Yuanzhen couldn't help but cheer.
Chen Ying frowned: "The trajectory is still veering to the right. Third shot, elevation unchanged, turn one degree to the right again!"
The next three shots: one missed the target, two hit the target, and the best shot hit near the bullseye.
Sun Chuanting suddenly spoke up: "Stop. Boying, can we fire a double-barreled cannon in rapid succession?"
Chen Ying was taken aback, but then he understood Sun Chuanting's intention: he wanted to see the longest range.
"Can!"
Chen Ying turned and ordered, "Chen Jide, eleven rounds fully loaded, rapid fire, target the three centers!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sun Chuanting saw it very clearly: in the overall loading method, eleven bullets were placed in a frame, and all eleven bullets were stuffed in one go, with the fuses all exposed.
Chen Jide lit the fire source (a specially made fire rope) and began to turn the wheel, and the first tube was in place.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."
The eleven loud explosions almost came in one continuous burst, with flames constantly spewing from the muzzles and white smoke billowing like mist.
The cannon trembled violently under the continuous recoil, but the spade gripped the ground firmly. The earthen wall in the distance was riddled with dust, the three wooden targets in the middle were riddled with holes, and the rightmost one even had its pillar broken and collapsed with a crash.
After the shooting stopped, the field fell silent.
Sun Chuanting was dumbfounded, Li Yuanzhen was stunned, and everyone stared in disbelief into the distance.
With a maximum of two pounds of gunpowder, the cannonball flew as far as 1,380 paces, and at its closest point, it was still over 800 paces. He exclaimed in astonishment, "This range is comparable to that of the Red Barbarian Cannon!"
Sun Chuanting walked to the earthen wall, reached out and touched the bullet hole; the lead bullet was embedded two inches deep in the brick and soil.
If it were aimed at an unarmored human body, it would surely cause blood and flesh to fly everywhere. Even if the person is armored, such continuous bombardment would be enough to shatter their internal organs.
"How long does it take to load eleven rounds?"
"My lord, this is thirty breaths now. Once you're more proficient... it will be about twenty breaths."
"Twenty breaths?"
Li Yuanzhen's eyes lit up instantly. Even the best Tartar warhorse would take at least sixty breaths to charge from eight hundred paces to the front of the battle line. The eleven-shot cannon could fire three rounds, or at the very least two.
"If this cannon is used to suppress bandits, within 800 paces, any bandit charge will be nothing but suicide. If used on the border walls, its continuous firing can suppress a Tartar cavalry raid. If..."
Sun Chuanting paused, then asked without continuing, "Boying, has this cannon been named?"
"No, please, Your Excellency, bestow a name upon me!"
Sun Chuanting pondered for a moment: "The eleven pipes rotate in rotation, producing a sound like a series of thunderclaps... Let's call it the 'Chain Thunder Cannon'."