[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army":3,"chapter-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-816":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Little Soldier of the Late Ming Border Army",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1206105,1561,"Chapter 816: Rockets","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-816",816,"\u003Cp>Since the iron-mold method was adopted, from the ninth month of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the Yongning City cannon foundry has been capable of producing five Hongyi cannons per month. Of course, these are all small and medium cannons firing five-jin and three-jin shot, with ranges of just over two li and nearly two li respectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the sixth month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, after the garrison city cannon foundry was established, the army possessed one hundred and forty Hongyi cannons, including five heavy cannons firing shot over ten jin, and thirty heavy mortars firing twenty-jin shot, all with ranges of three to four li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the continuous improvement of cannon smiths and the constant addition of craftsmen, now if all three foundries operate simultaneously, they can cast twenty light and heavy Hongyi cannons per month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, being able to cast them does not mean they all must be cast, because the army still has other types of cannons to cast. So besides these two hundred small and medium Hongyi cannons and fifty heavy Hongyi cannons, the cannon factory has also cast one hundred heavy mortars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are also one hundred large general Franco cannons and five hundred small and medium Franco cannons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Franco cannons have a maximum range of one li, and not all were cast by the foundry; many were collected from various places across the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Ming does not have many other types of firearms, but it does not lack Franco cannons. From the third year of Jiajing when imitation production began, up to the current Chongzhen years, the various types of Franco cannons cast probably number no less than ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Wang Dou felt that one hundred large Franco cannons and five hundred small and medium Franco cannons were already sufficient. The future still belongs to the Hongyi cannons with their range advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xuan's cannon battalion is now extremely vast; it is time to split the battalion. If by next year the Hongyi cannons and mortars can double again, splitting the battalion will be absolutely necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, there were also the Zhou-style rockets that Wang Dou was paying attention to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the eleventh month of last year, after Wang Dou drew the rocket diagram, Zhou Xianglu and others received great inspiration. The main technical problem with the iron arrow body was the difficulty in rolling the tube. Their final solution was to use a hydraulic forging bed. With a stable water source, the problem of uneven thickness in the iron sheet body could be largely resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the accuracy of the rockets they ultimately produced still had room for improvement, Wang Dou considered it sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rockets are used against enemy camps and military formations, all of which are massive targets. They do not require very high accuracy; they only need to avoid being like the Divine Fire Flying Crows, which fly off to who knows where with a bit of wind, or even fly back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, after solving the problems of the propellant charge, the explosive incendiary in the head, and the fuse, in the fifth month, large-scale production of Zhou-style rockets began. Wang Dou observed several live-fire tests and was quite satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The finished rocket was about one meter long, with a slender body and a pointed head. Its diameter was over ten centimeters, it weighed about thirty jin, and it contained seven jin of gunpowder. The tail had many small holes and three inclined stabilizing spiral plates, making its style quite close to later-generation rocket missiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Wang Dou had forgotten to mention the launch rack, but Zhou Xianglu and others had already solved it, using a semi-circular elongated launch trough with a bipod at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The semi-circular launch trough was over one meter long, with a diameter slightly larger than the rocket. Made of hardwood and polished very smooth, not far from the tail end there was a thick iron-clad blast shield. In the center of the shield was a round hole, which precisely exposed the three spiral plates and the ignition hole line at the tail, while firmly supporting the entire rocket body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bipod could be moved forward and backward or even folded up, making transport easy, and it could also be used to adjust the rocket's launch elevation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing the launch trough, Wang Dou was quite moved. The wisdom of the ancient people cannot be underestimated. How close was this launch trough design to the mortars of later generations?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rocket weighed thirty jin, and the launch trough similarly weighed only a few dozen jin. Soldiers could carry it and walk, making it convenient and flexible. If vehicles or pack animals were used for transport, even more could be moved at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final test results showed that the rocket achieved a range of five to six li, with fairly high accuracy and stable flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was extremely satisfied with this result. At present, no firearm could fly this far; his rockets were unique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this was only the light rocket. Zhou Xianglu and others were still researching heavy rockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou saw a heavy rocket prototype. That rocket was about two meters long and weighed sixty to seventy jin. When launched, it used a rocket cart with three slots inside, capable of holding three rockets simultaneously. At the rear, a crank and screw mechanism similar to that of the Hongyi cannons was used to adjust the cart's vertical elevation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final test results showed that this rocket's maximum range reached over ten li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou was already considering forming a dedicated rocket battalion. Compared to cannons, the advantages of rockets were obvious: they had a fast rate of fire, the manufacturing process was not complicated, they did not have the overheating and barrel bursting problems of firearms and cannons, and with the spiral plates attached, the accuracy problem was also effectively solved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, rockets were light and flexible. Not to mention the light rockets, even the heavy rockets, when fully loaded in all three slots of the rocket cart, only weighed as much as a single light cannon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rockets could also serve multiple purposes by using different warheads: incendiary shells, poison shells, ash shells, and explosive shells. Not to mention the first three types, which were already widely used in Ming army mortars and large Divine Fire Flying Crow rockets; only the explosive fragmentation shell was difficult to solve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was not power. When the quantity of black powder reached a certain level, its power was considerable. With the charge weight of the Zhou-style rocket, the explosion was enough to shatter the warhead into fragments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key was the fuse. It had to correspond to the rocket's flight time and then detonate upon reaching the designated location. This was a severe test of the fuse technology at the Protectorate military workshop, and clearly, the subordinates currently lacked the capability to solve this problem. This would require a long period of research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Dou was already satisfied. His technological strength had already greatly surpassed this era by a large margin. He could imagine the effect of rockets launched into enemy formations and camps: rockets falling like rain, raging flames, and spreading poison gas and white ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This era placed extreme emphasis on military formations. The slightest disturbance could even risk total collapse. No army could withstand rockets falling like hailstones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Military Administration Department reported that large-scale manufacturing of Zhou-style rockets began in the fifth month. To date, there were already fifteen hundred light rockets in inventory, with a monthly production capacity of five hundred. There were sixty heavy rockets, with a monthly production capacity of twenty. Wang Dou felt this was still too few and that more manpower should be invested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of rockets lies in large-scale use. Wang Dou remembered that when Congreve attacked the Danish capital of Copenhagen, he launched twenty-five thousand rockets in one go, nearly razing the entire city to the ground and burning it into a sea of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He very much looked forward to the day when he could set a chain of enemy camps ablaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu had always hoped for a chance to go out hunting and playing with Wang Dou, but after the establishment of the Protectorate, numerous affairs kept Wang Dou too busy. It was not until the beginning of the eighth month that matters finally came to a temporary close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, at Zhong Susu's invitation, Wang Dou gladly agreed. He also wanted to relax, so under the protection of the Guard Battalion, he set out with Zhong Susu beyond the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the most beautiful season beyond the frontier. The scenery of the golden grasslands, the birch and larch trees gradually turning golden yellow. On the grasslands, many herdsmen were controlling their horses, grazing cattle and sheep, and collecting forage. By some rivers and lakes, golden wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see, and many joyful soldiers and laborers were busy harvesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wheat had been planted everywhere arable earlier, and now it was the harvest season. Those rapeseed, soybean, and flax crops were also growing gratifyingly well, approaching their harvest time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at this scenery before him, Wang Dou's mood became even more cheerful. Land was still being reclaimed, and by next year, the waves of wheat would be boundless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the road, merchant caravans came and went in an endless stream, showing that this land was radiating tremendous vitality and vigor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu's mood was also excellent. Today she wore no official hat; a carefree kerchief was tied around her hair bun, she wore felt boots, and a cloak was fastened over her yesa robe, giving her a distinctive charm and bearing. She had also meticulously prepared for this hunting trip, not to mention bringing the firearms she had crafted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once outside the city, she smiled and said to Wang Dou, \"Grand General, your subordinate knows that there are quite a lot of gazelle prey over by Lingzhao Temple. Why don't we go there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou laughed heartily, \"Everything will follow Brother Zhong's arrangements.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine horses galloped across the vast grasslands. The group spurred their horses on at full speed. Sometimes Zhong Susu rode alongside Wang Dou, sometimes she raced ahead, cheering and leaping with joy. Seeing Zhong Xiancai's shouting and yelling manner, the various guards all looked at each other in dismay, and could only silently follow and protect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group arrived near Lingzhao Temple. Here there was a large grove of red trees, as brilliantly red as fire. The hillsides were also covered with pines, junipers, cypresses, and firs. Springs murmured, the wind howled through the pines, and in the distance the Great Qing Mountains stretched on endlessly, vast and majestic, towering with great momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This area had many lakes and ponds, with mountains and waters. As expected, there was no shortage of game, and from time to time, herds of gazelles could be seen drifting past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu took out a large bundle of firearms and gave half to Wang Dou. She fired first, aiming at a running gazelle. With a boom, she brought the gazelle down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou praised, \"General Zhong has excellent marksmanship!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the firearm in his hand. Like the one he had seen that day, the gun in his hand was extremely fine, a top-grade piece among cavalry firearms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also aimed at an animal that looked like both a deer and a goat, then pulled the trigger. With a gunshot, the animal whimpered and fell to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu cheered loudly, \"Grand General is mighty!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards nearby had originally wanted to cheer, but seeing this situation, they could not bring themselves to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gunshots rang out one after another. Wang Dou and Zhong Susu continuously hunted game in the woods, by the lake, and on the hillsides. Zhong Susu, in particular, constantly chased after prey, running back and forth, shouting and yelling, her face flushed with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By nearly noon, the two had shot several dozen gazelles, mountain hares, and squirrels, reaping a rich harvest. Only the guards beside them, busy reloading, were worn out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Wang Dou handed his cavalry firearm to a guard beside him, dismounted by a small lake, gazed at the lake water, and let out a long sigh, feeling immensely exhilarated and that the trip had been well worthwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu rushed over and said loudly, \"Is the Grand General tired?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also wanted to dismount, but let out an \"Ah!\", having slipped and fallen off the horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou cried out, \"Careful!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward and caught Zhong Susu just in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu’s face flushed crimson in an instant, the pink spreading all the way to her ears and neck. She quickly steadied herself and said in a low voice, “Many thanks, Grand General.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou smiled faintly. “Be careful — losing your footing on horseback is no small matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Susu gave a soft “mm,” her voice gentle, shy and timid. Where was any trace of the usual Grand General Zhong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards nearby watched it all clearly, exchanging wordless glances. Some whispered among themselves in the distance: “Do you think General Zhong is really…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What we know in our hearts is enough; there’s no need to say it aloud… after all these years, best to avoid embarrassment…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Diaoyang had been standing silently to one side the whole time. Seeing the guards’ expressions, he coughed once and said quietly, “What are you looking at? Stay alert.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon the group ate a hearty barbecue feast. Zhong Susu attended to him with devoted care, glancing at Wang Dou from time to time, her eyes tender. A thousand thoughts seemed to turn in her heart, many words she wished to say, yet in the end she said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, just as the group was about to pack up and set off, a fast horse suddenly arrived and was led before Zhong Diaoyang. After only a few words, Zhong Diaoyang’s expression changed. He took a dispatch and hurried over to Wang Dou, his face grave. “Grand General, a plague has been discovered in Yingzhou. All of Shanxi may face a great epidemic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou took the dispatch and read it. After a long while, he sighed inwardly: So it has come after all?\u003C\u002Fp>",2405,"2026-06-03T14:06:27.906Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","a666342e883a817584841327aa20e100c87d2980ccba8b554123ce33efc6551d","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-817","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-815",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]