Chapter 765: Accident

In the intercalary eleventh month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, at the artillery training ground in the garrison city.

Laid out before Wang Dou and the others were over a dozen enormous Divine Fire Flying Crow great rockets. The crow bodies were mounted on stands, fuses extended from their bellies and linked to the booster rocket fuses. Several assistants held long, red-hot iron hooks, ready to ignite them.

Developing military technology was a key focus for Wang Dou, so he often made time to tour the facilities. At his side now were Han Chao, Zhong Diaoyang, Zhao Xuan, Qi Tianliang, and others, along with Military Science Division researchers Lai Yuanlong, Li Maosen, Li Zhifen, Zhou Xianglu, and others.

After returning from the great battle at Songshan, Wang Dou had developed a strong interest in large rockets like the Divine Fire Flying Crow. The military workshop promptly initiated a project to manufacture this type of large rocket, with Zhou Xianglu, the former deputy manager of the cannon foundry, placed in charge of improvement and research.

After Zhou Xianglu pledged himself to Wang Dou in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, several years had passed and he had trained a large group of technicians. In cannon casting, he no longer needed to handle everything personally and could devote himself specifically to research and improvement of artillery.

After the Military Science Division was established, Zhou Xianglu entered the division and became a mid-level researcher, a position of high status.

To show his regard for these research talents, Wang Dou had specially decreed that anyone holding the title of "Researcher" or "Designer" need only bow to him without kneeling, just like officers and soldiers with honorary ranks in the army, enjoying full dignity.

Repaying kindness with loyalty, Zhou Xianglu and the others, overwhelmed with gratitude, served Wang Dou with absolute devotion.

For they knew that as craftsmen like themselves, anywhere outside this Xuanfu Garrison, they would not be treated as human beings, or even looked at with respect, let alone enjoy the status, position, and prosperous life they had now.

At present, Zhou Xianglu was in charge of the cannon group's research and improvement, commanding a large staff of assistants and clerks, and now had also taken on rocket research.

Compared to casting Hongyi cannons, large rockets like the Divine Fire Flying Crow actually had little technical complexity, nor were they as intricate to make as small rockets. Yet while they were easy to manufacture, improving the rocket's range and wind-drift issues had continued to trouble Zhou Xianglu and his team.

He had already adjusted the crow's head, tail, and both wings, but the problem of erratic flight remained. Moreover, if too much gunpowder was loaded, the crow's range was short; if too little, it was better to just build Frankish breech-loaders and Hongyi cannons instead.

The artillery training ground was quite vast; a large area in the southeast of the parade ground fell within its bounds. The terrain here was complex, with flat plains, mountains, and hills, suitable for analyzing artillery training in all kinds of battlefield conditions — equally suitable as a rocket training ground.

Zhou Xianglu wore spectacles, giving him a somewhat scholarly air. Of course, what he wore now were no longer the old aidai — a single lens tied by a cord around the ear — but glasses indistinguishable from later ages, an improved version Wang Dou had developed.

Watching his assistants await his command, he barked: "Ignite!"

The fuses hissed, then orange flames leaped up. With whooshing sounds, one after another, the Divine Fire Flying Crow great rockets streaked into the sky trailing fire.

Watching the large rockets dragging green smoke, everyone involuntarily raised their heads. Zhao Xuan murmured, "How spectacular."

Qi Tianliang said, "A single rocket consumes so much gunpowder — how could it not be spectacular? This kind of development costs far too much..."

Everyone watched the many green-smoke points of light in the sky fly toward the designated target, but then...

The cold wind was quite fierce at that moment. Some of the rockets were seen twisting and turning wildly in the air, and a few even curved around and came flying back toward the crowd.

Everyone was frozen in shock. Zhong Diaoyang bellowed: "Protect the Grand General!"

Instantly a chorus of voices rang out: "Protect the Grand General... get the Grand General away, quickly..."

Soldiers of the Guard Battalion, along with Han Chao, Qi Tianliang, Zhao Xuan, Lai Yuanlong, Li Zhifen, and others, all threw themselves forward recklessly, shielding Wang Dou on all sides.

Zhong Diaoyang seized Wang Dou's hand and ran with all his might. Zhou Xianglu's face turned ashen. If any mishap befell the Grand General, not only would he be plunged into eternal damnation, but everything he dreamed of, everything in Xuanfu Garrison, would also turn to nothing.

He cried out and lunged forward, intending to use his own body to shield Wang Dou from any possible danger.

Fortunately, those rockets, trailing flames, swerved several more times in the air and flew off at an angle, then struck the ground one after another over a hundred paces away. With booming sounds, enormous bursts of flame erupted, and a few even exploded in midair.

The crowd watched, still in shock. Zhong Diaoyang barked: "Men! Seize Zhou Xianglu!"

Tears streamed down Zhou Xianglu's face. The incident just now had frightened him out of his wits. Fortunately, the Grand General was unharmed; had anything happened, ten thousand deaths could not atone for his fault. He knelt and said, "This lowly one deserves death for startling the Grand General. This lowly one willingly accepts punishment."

Li Maosen and the others also glared resentfully at Zhou Xianglu. If anything had happened to Wang Dou, they dared not imagine what would follow. Perhaps everything they possessed would cease to exist. They turned their heads away, none willing to plead for Zhou Xianglu.

Lai Yuanlong, too, was livid. The life he now led was one he loved, one he had dreamed of. Although he nominally held the title of Division Head in the Military Science Division, their division was in fact all technical researchers — no scheming, no lip service, no tedious mundane affairs, only ceaseless research, research, and more research.

He was still as slovenly as ever, but his face glowed with health every day, brimming with drive, utterly absorbed in his research work, wishing only that this could go on forever. Zhou Xianglu had nearly destroyed his ideal life; it would be strange if he felt any goodwill toward him.

He further thought: "I have been too lax in disciplining my subordinates; it nearly led to a grave error."

Wang Dou himself felt a heart-pounding sensation. The shadow of death had been so close to him just now. For the first time, he realized he was not as fearless of death as he had imagined. Perhaps it was more a sense of unwillingness — he still had so many ambitions yet to fulfill.

Seeing several guards rush forward to seize and bind Zhou Xianglu, he waved his hand: "Enough."

Wang Dou exhaled and said slowly, "This is not Technician Zhou's fault. Some accidents are unavoidable. If we fear mishaps, then we need not do anything at all from now on."

He said gravely, "However, we must take this as a lesson. Every one of you technicians is valuable; this general does not wish any harm to befall you. You must also draw up detailed safety regulations in the future, to prevent such incidents from happening again..."

Qi Tianliang said uneasily, "Rest assured, Grand General, such incidents will absolutely never happen again!"

He was directly responsible for military manufacturing. If Wang Dou had come to harm here, he dared not imagine the consequences.

Han Chao also frowned and glanced at him, saying, "Old Qi, you have done poorly."

Qi Tianliang gave a bitter smile: "Yes, yes, yes."

Inwardly he sighed at his bad luck, and at the same time, thoughts of retirement stirred. In the past, his old wife, Madam Tao, had caused trouble, and only the Grand General's magnanimity had spared her life. But even the deepest old bonds would one day wear thin.

He knew his own affairs best: his talents were merely mediocre. Only through Wang Dou's patronage had he risen step by step to where he was now. He already felt his abilities were stretched thin. Today's incident was merely a warning bell. What if something went wrong again someday?

Better to retire at the height of his career and peacefully enjoy future wealth and honor. After all, only by doing nothing could one avoid mishaps.

Zhou Xianglu wept bitterly. Had this incident occurred anywhere else in the Great Ming, dismissal from office would have been the lightest punishment; a mass beheading would have been normal. Wang Dou not only did not blame him but also showed concern for their safety. Together with Lai Yuanlong, Li Maosen, and the others, a feeling surged within them — the willingness to die for one who truly knows you.

Zhou Xianglu knocked his head heavily on the ground: "Many thanks to the Grand General. The Grand General's great kindness — this lowly one could not repay it even with ten thousand deaths..."

Wang Dou spoke gently, bidding him rise: "Do not carry this mental burden. Continue doing what you do, just as before."

Everyone continued watching the Divine Fire Flying Crow great rockets being launched, but this time Wang Dou and the others kept far away, retreating to a sufficiently safe distance.

After several more batches of rockets were fired, Wang Dou remained silent and pensive. Unless the problems of the Divine Fire Flying Crow's unstable flight and short range were solved, it would remain difficult to employ effectively on a large scale.

In later ages, rockets were indispensable weapons in all kinds of warfare. They possessed formidable power, were flexible and versatile in application, and were most prized for their precision strike capability. The combination of these advantages made rockets a terrifying offensive weapon on the battlefield.

But the rockets at present...

They arrived at the Military Science Division research institute, a vast compound of spacious courtyards not far from the training ground. After all, the military workshops and the garrison city cannon foundry were nearby; establishing it close by facilitated turning theory into practice and testing various theoretical products.

People came and went everywhere in the compound. Numerous elite military craftsmen gathered here, researching all kinds of weapons, serving as the intellectual soul of every military industry project.

Because the Military Science Division's budget was very high, designers and researchers could freely unleash their inspiration here.

Besides conventional weapons, many had also designed a heap of bizarre and exotic arms. Some even researched loading arquebuses from the rear, which became a laughingstock. Opponents retorted: "Just as we can only eat through our front mouth, how can the rear end take food?"

Within this compound, behind every weapon validated by actual combat lay a mountain of discarded designs.

Take Zhao Shizhen's rapid-fire gun, for example. This type of multi-barrel matchlock combined the advantages of the arquebus and the three-barrel hand cannon, and seemed promising. But after testing, many researchers abandoned it; in their words, this firearm was impractical.

Zhou Xianglu also had his own independent courtyard. Everywhere here were blueprints and drawings; one could see he was also a workaholic, a research fanatic.

Coming before a drawing on the desk in the main hall, Wang Dou saw a large sheet covered with rough sketches, depicting various forms of the Divine Fire Flying Crow.

Most ordinary craftsmen were illiterate, but after Zhou Xianglu entered Xuanfu Garrison, he had learned to read, write, and draw. It was just that the drawings he produced were mostly of the abstract school.

His assistant, on the other hand, drew quite well. After all, these people in Xuanfu Garrison all studied reading and writing and had a standard concept of weights and measures. However, these individuals had little experience and insufficient practical knowledge, so they could only serve as assistants and gradually improve over time.

"In Elder Zhou's opinion, where do the current rocket's flaws lie?"

Gazing at that impressionistic blueprint, Wang Dou slowly asked a question.

Everyone fell into deep thought. Zhou Xianglu pondered for a while, then replied, "In reply to the Grand General, this humble one believes that short range, and especially unstable flight, are the great defects of the Flying Crow. This humble one has already modified the two wings, but still cannot avoid the affliction of erratic flight..."

He muttered to himself, "Could it be that the rocket is too light? The crow body, made of bamboo and wood, is easily affected by the wind's direction?"

Listening to Zhou Xianglu talking to himself, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Wang Dou, and some later-era data stored in his memory surged into his mind. (To be continued...)