Chapter 194: Artillery

On the second day of the first lunar month, Chen Xin rose early, planning to return visits to his subordinates today. Stepping outside, he heard the sound of cannon fire to the east. After thinking it over, he went back inside to fetch his waist tablet, then had Hai Gouzi bring some gifts and rode with his personal guards toward the Diaowo Shan area.

They soon reached a checkpoint, where a small stone watchtower stood with several sentries on duty. Chen Xin and his party produced their waist tablets; the sentries inspected each one, saluted, and let them pass. After traveling a bit farther, they came to a long perimeter wall. At the gate, more sentries checked them again, and finally Chen Xin entered this weapons testing ground.

This was the proving ground for all new weapons of the Wendeng Battalion, guarded by troops from a detachment stationed at Weihai. Inside the firing range sat six cannons. Tang Kun and several assistants were busy there, all in plain clothes, apparently about to begin the next round of testing.

Chen Xin rode up close and dismounted. Tang Kun, seeing it was Chen Xin, hurried over to pay his respects.

Chen Xin politely exchanged New Year greetings with them and asked Tang Kun to introduce the other craftsmen one by one. Hai Gouzi presented Chen Xin's gifts to each. Though they were all small items, the craftsmen were thoroughly delighted; they had never imagined a superior officer would come to pay them New Year respects.

"Why are you gentlemen not resting at home, but already back at work on just the second day of the year?"

"Replying to my lord, this humble one has few relatives or friends in Weihai, and rested for several days before the new year — that was enough. This bronze cannon is urgently needed, so this humble one came to press on with the work, so it can be finished sooner."

Chen Xin then recalled that Tang Kun was from Macau and naturally had no relatives or friends here. He exchanged a few words with each of the others in turn. They were all now in the firearms research workshop, aside from Tang Kun. The others had originally been craftsmen making firearms as well, and had attended Liu Minyou's former literacy class. Now, under Tang Kun's leadership, they were building light bronze cannons.

These craftsmen were highly sought after in Weihai. There were no gentry families here; the craftsmen could read and earned high wages, making them the most desirable connections for newly arrived refugees. As soon as someone entered the workshop, many refugee families would come proposing marriages. So although Tang Kun had not been here long, he already had a wife and a concubine. In addition to a fixed annual salary of thirty taels, there were project bonuses for the cannon, plus a master craftsman's wage for taking on apprentices. Sometimes the workshop posted rewards for solving technical problems with other weapons; having seen more in Macau, he occasionally managed to earn an extra sum. He was quite satisfied with his current life, but later Sun Yuanhua sent three more Portuguese men, also from Macau. Although they were mainly responsible for iron naval guns, their presence made Tang Kun feel the pressure. So he had not rested even during the Spring Festival, bringing his team members here to press on with the work.

After the pleasantries, Chen Xin began examining the cannon. It was much smaller than a red-barbarian cannon, with a very short barrel — just over one meter — and indeed very light and handy. On the march, two horses could pull it; in battle on flat ground, two or three men could push it.

Tang Kun stood to the side and explained, "My lord, this is a four-pounder, firing a four-pound iron ball. By our Great Ming weights, that is three jin (each Ming jin equals 1.33 pounds). Total weight is a bit over four hundred seventy jin. The barrel is four chi long, made of bronze — eight parts copper to one part tin. When making the mold, Mr. Huang from the copper coin workshop also came to assist."

Chen Xin first asked about combat performance. Tang Kun replied with considerable confidence, "My lord, this cannon uses fixed cotton-bag cartridges and fires even faster than a musket. It requires only three or four gunners — two at minimum will do. If the gunners are skilled, while a musket fires six rounds, this cannon can fire eight or nine. The ammunition uses two types: iron ball and canister. The iron ball is three jin, with a charge of one and a half jin. Within three hundred paces, it can utterly smash a shielded cart. Canister is best used within a hundred paces, but can still kill or wound unarmored enemy troops beyond a hundred fifty paces. The original sighting bar has been moved to the gun carriage, making aiming more convenient. For rapid fire, the simple sight on the barrel itself can be used."

"Have the artillerymen been trying it out?"

"The artillery has ten gun crews. They have been rotating through trials, conducting dry-fire drills according to the gun drill manual we set."

Chen Xin was thoroughly pleased and praised him, "Tang Kun, you have done well." Then he addressed the other craftsmen, "You have all done well too. Once this cannon is finished, we will build even larger cannons. Artillery is as important to my Wendeng Battalion as muskets, and it must be greatly developed. In the future, you gentlemen will be the artillery founders of our Wendeng Battalion. Rank and income will come, and you will not be inferior to those civil officials or military officers."

The gunners all listened with elation. Chen Xin continued, "When you make weapons well, that too is a kind of victory. In the future, I will also award you medals, just like those brave combat soldiers."

Tang Kun and the other craftsmen's eyes lit up. Although Tang Kun had only recently arrived, he knew the Wendeng Battalion placed great importance on medals as symbols of honor, and they were awarded very sparingly. In last year's campaign to relieve the capital, only a few dozen had been issued in total. Ordinary soldiers generally received campaign commemorative medals. The unit that performed most outstandingly in a particular battle could receive a commemorative armband, sewn onto the sleeve. For example, in the Battle of Luanzhou, the First Regiment's Second Battalion was the first to cut off the Jianzhou bandits' retreat; in the entire army, only they wore the armband for the Four Cities battle, while other units had only commemorative medals. These items could all be worn on the uniform, letting the common people see their meritorious service at any time. So many soldiers wore them when going to matchmaking meetings, which greatly improved their chances of success.

After his words of encouragement, Chen Xin then offered his opinion to Tang Kun, "The cannon itself is good enough as it is, but you need to prepare the other supporting equipment well. First, fixed ammunition: number the iron ball and canister rounds separately. Have the artillerymen estimate how much ammunition is needed to repulse one assault, or when they need to stop to let the barrel cool — use that as a base unit. Second, the ammunition cart: it need not carry much ammunition, just one base unit, but it must be able to seat the gunners. The ammunition cart hitches behind the horse, and the gun carriage hitches behind the ammunition cart. This way, only two horses are needed for rapid movement, and upon reaching the position, they can immediately go into action. Also, the wheels and other components of this ammunition cart must be interchangeable with those of the gun carriage, and roughly the same size, to facilitate maintenance."

Tang Kun nodded repeatedly and had an assistant take up a brush to note everything down. Chen Xin waited until he had finished writing before asking, "When can the design be finalized and production begin?"

Tang Kun paused briefly and said, "As long as the carpenters and blacksmiths for the gun carriage are secured, mass production can begin within a month."

Chen Xin calculated in his mind. He planned to assign one or two four-pounder cannons to each peasant-soldier unit as battalion-level support firepower. The combat troops likewise needed this type of light cannon. The previous crouching-tiger cannons, though very light, required the mount to be fixed to the ground with iron spikes each time a position was set up; their battlefield mobility was inferior to the wheeled four-pounder. However, they were still useful in mountainous and similar terrain. He planned to keep the crouching-tiger cannon for now as a firepower supplement at the regiment level, then give each battalion one or two four-pounders under the direct command of the squad commander. At the company commander level, a separate gun platoon would be established, using larger-caliber six- or eight-pounder cannons in the future. Finally, there would be an artillery company directly under the central army staff, to be reinforced to a particular battle line as the situation demanded.

By this calculation, they currently needed to prepare about twenty four-pounder cannons. After equipping them, they would also need to conduct combined drills with the infantry to refine tactics, revise regulations, and so on.

"Begin mass-producing the barrels as soon as possible; no need to wait until the carriage design is finalized. The carriages can be made very quickly. Have the gun crews begin live-fire practice as soon as possible."

Chen Xin reached out and touched the ice-cold barrel. His god of war was finally beginning to take shape.

Huang Gongcheng was in his study, holding a maidservant in his arms while reading a book. One hand held the book; the other burrowed beneath the maidservant's clothing. The maidservant's body writhed in his embrace, making soft cooing sounds.

Although the maidservant was doing her utmost to please him, Huang Gongcheng's mood was still not particularly good. He had originally been reselling some smuggled grain in Jinghai, and his family also owned considerable farmland. Life had been comfortable. Now that the Wendeng Battalion had arrived and intercepted most of the smuggled grain, his profits were severely affected. The only thing that set his mind at ease was that the Wendeng Battalion now sold grain only to their own settlement households, with a fixed monthly quota per household, and did not sell to outsiders. Otherwise, who in Jinghai town would still buy grain from Huang Gongcheng?

The last time he went to block the road and file a complaint, he had ended up with a face full of dust. Not only was the matter unresolved, but that clerk from Wendeng kept coming to harass them, which he found unbearably irritating.

Now the Wendeng Battalion was carrying out large-scale construction in Jinghai, inevitably affecting the lives of the local people — land, water sources, marriages, and so on. Conflicts with the locals were frequent, with brawls breaking out every few days. At first, it was just the common people fighting among themselves; later, the Wendeng Battalion's garrison troops joined in, and the locals could no longer win. The Guard Commander never dared say a word against the Wendeng Battalion and kept suppressing his own people. But Huang Gongcheng saw the situation clearly. Since before the new year, he and other licentiates had been secretly organizing households from other areas, preparing to act together and stir up a major disturbance, then go to Ninghai Department to file a complaint, and at the same time ask two censors in the capital to impeach the Wendeng Battalion. He was not afraid that Chen Xin would not bow his head.

Huang Gongcheng, envisioning this bright prospect, squeezed hard in his excitement. The maidservant cried out in pain, "Aiyo," and cast him a coquettish glance, asking, "What fine thing is Master thinking of, to be so vigorous?"

"Your master is thinking of taking you as a concubine, so my little darling can serve your master even more comfortably every day."

The maidservant pressed herself against him and whined, "Then Master should hurry up. Serving Master like this every day, Third Madam looks at this slave with displeasure. This slave is afraid in her heart, and naturally her service suffers..."

Huang Gongcheng gave a hearty laugh and was about to take the maidservant on the spot when a servant outside shouted, "Master, Third Master has arrived."

Third Master was that Huang Yingchang, also a ringleader in stirring up trouble. Huang Gongcheng shoved the maidservant away with one push. The maidservant fell to the floor, crying out, "Aiyo."

"Get out, get out, get out! Your master has business. Out!" Huang Gongcheng impatiently cursed the maidservant out, then straightened his attire. Just as he finished, Huang Yingchang barged in headlong.

Huang Gongcheng went to greet him, cupping his hands, "Third Brother..."

"Elder Brother, trouble! That Bai Er has been killed."

Huang Gongcheng froze for a moment. Only after a long pause did a smile appear on his face. "Bai Er killed? A good killing. I was just finding him a nuisance."

Huang Yingchang studied Huang Gongcheng's face. "Elder Brother, you didn't send someone to do it, did you?"

Huang Gongcheng hastily denied it, "How could I do such a thing? I merely found his constant pestering annoying and spoke from the heart. How did he die?"

Huang Yingchang eyed him suspiciously. Seeing that he did not seem to be lying, he said with a face full of anxiety, "He died a few days ago in a teahouse in Wendeng County town, and I was right there." He lowered his voice. "The death was strange. That day I agreed to meet him and give him some silver, so he'd stop coming around to make trouble for us. We sat down in the teahouse, the three of us drinking tea. Some guests in the teahouse started fighting, and I went over to watch. When I turned back, I saw him slumped over the table. His neck — his neck had been twisted and broken. There was also a knife wound in the middle of his back. Amidst all the commotion, he was killed without a sound."

Huang Gongcheng's mouth gaped in shock. "Could it have been done by those people from the Wendeng Battalion?"

"I also think it was the Wendeng Battalion, but others don't see it that way. The day before yesterday, word spread everywhere that we hired the killer. His family raised a huge ruckus. Then the night before last, someone wrote some words in blood on the back wall of their house, warning them not to come pestering anymore. Look, everyone knows he's been constantly seeking us out lately, and that day it happened to be me meeting him. So everyone says we did it... You know the Bai family is a large clan in the county; there will always be someone to stand up for them. I've heard that a distant relative has already agreed to provide silver for his family and has hired a litigation trickster to sue me. Now the whole county is buzzing about it. The County Magistrate has even canceled his holiday leave, had the coroner conduct an autopsy overnight, and plans to hold court tomorrow, summoning me for questioning."

Huang Gongcheng felt a chill on the back of his neck. He was not worried for Huang Yingchang, but rather feared further retaliation from the Wendeng Battalion. Turning and seeing Huang Yingchang's face full of anxiety, he hurriedly consoled him, "Third Brother, you needn't worry. They only suspect you; can they really convict you? They've hired a litigation trickster — we'll hire one too..."

The study door was suddenly shoved open. A household servant burst in and said urgently, "Master, the County Magistrate and the Jail Warden have arrived. They say someone has reported that the murderer is here in our house."

Huang Gongcheng and Huang Yingchang exchanged a glance and hurried to the door. The County Magistrate had already entered with several constables. The two men hastened to bow. Seeing Huang Gongcheng, the County Magistrate was still polite: "Master Huang, someone delivered a letter to the county office, reporting that the murderer of Bai Er is in your household. I naturally do not believe it, but with a homicide occurring during the New Year festival, my duty compels me to come and look. Master Huang, please regard this as merely going through the motions and allow me to look around your courtyard."

Huang Gongcheng was not afraid of a search, but he was still thoroughly displeased. The Jail Warden, who had no particular friendship with Huang Gongcheng, waved his hand and led several constables inside. Huang Gongcheng went over and called out, "Do not alarm my family members, and do not damage anything."

The constables searched quite diligently. A murder case like this was important; secondly, Huang Gongcheng's household was relatively wealthy and he was himself a suspect. If they could find any clue, they could extort a fair amount of silver. They searched every room, looked under beds and in cabinets, but found nothing. The Jail Warden, unwilling to give up, examined every corner carefully.

Huang Gongcheng said to the County Magistrate with displeasure, "My lord, they have looked everywhere. Can you now clear this student's name? This is clearly a malicious false accusation by someone with an agenda. In the future, I beg Your Honor not to act so rashly..."

The County Magistrate, having found nothing, had lost his bluster and was about to apologize when the Jail Warden suddenly shouted, "Here is a patch of freshly turned earth! Dig it up and have a look."

The County Magistrate and Huang Gongcheng hurried over to look. Beneath a flowering tree in the garden, there was indeed a patch of fresh soil, its color different from the surrounding area. Two constables found a shovel and began digging. Huang Gongcheng was just wondering who had turned the soil when one constable yelled, "There's something! It's a knife..."

Huang Gongcheng watched helplessly as a short knife was unearthed from the soil. The Jail Warden took the knife, unwrapped the cloth strip around it, and presented it to the County Magistrate, saying, "There are still bloodstains. The blade edge seems roughly the same size as the wound on Bai Er's back. My lord, look..."

The County Magistrate pointed at Huang Gongcheng and his companion. "Huang Gongcheng, you saw with your own eyes this being dug up from your courtyard. What have you two to say for yourselves? Ai, how could you do such a thing?"

Huang Gongcheng was tongue-tied. Beside him, Huang Yingchang suddenly turned and cursed him, "So it really was you? And you lied to me!"

The Jail Warden, seeing a chance for profit, waved his hand to summon the constables. "You two, stop pretending. Take them both back to the jail."

Huang Gongcheng glared fiercely at the County Magistrate and the Jail Warden, then said to the household servant behind him, "Go quickly to Jinan and find my cousin. Tell him to take up my case."