Chapter 266: The Slaughter of Severe Winter

The calendar entered October, and the progress of the firearm workshop had stabilized.

The number of finished porcelain thunderbolts rose steadily, with three thousand units nearing the halfway mark.

Mass modification of the Lu-mi muskets was also underway, with an estimated total of five hundred completed by late October.

This was precisely the number of firearms the Ministry of War planned to transport to Liaodong Garrison for reequipping.

According to battlefield reports received by the Ministry of War, the thousand firearm troops from the Five Armies Firearm Camp had already seen combat multiple times.

Thousands of musketeers formed massive gun formations, supplemented and covered by archery units, delivering powerful long-range suppression against the Jurchen cavalry's swift charges.

Moreover, these fierce Jurchens, accustomed to the white mountains and black waters, had no prior experience countering organized firearm formations, allowing the musket arrays to fully exploit their combat effectiveness.

The muskets used by these troops were modified based on Jia Cong's conceptual designs—extending their range and equipping them with foldable blades.

This modification greatly enhanced the musketeers' survivability on the battlefield.

Now, through various channels, many had begun to learn that the rise of Zhou's firearms was driven almost entirely by this Jia family scion from Lady Rongguo.

He did not wish to be a lowborn son content with mediocrity in the Eastern Academy, nor a lifetime servant tending to carriages and horses.

More and more generals, once fixated solely on archery and horsemanship, were beginning to recognize the unique, transformative role of firearms in battle formations.

Even if Jurchen cavalry charged to the front lines, the musketeers were not defenseless—muskets paired with blades, deployed in formation, could still inflict lethal damage on horsemen.

The Lady Rongguo Jia family, once isolated and declining, now seems to be showing a glimmer of brilliant light.

Although several battles had cost them many musketeers, the Zhou army's firearms had already gained a formidable reputation along the Liaodong frontier.

Yet this man, still no older than twenty, was already surrounded by glory, and recently appointed by His Majesty as Regional Commander's Assistant for Nine Provinces.

But recalling the moment he had sent Guo Zhi to join the firearm camp, the satisfaction and longing in Guo's eyes had quickly dispelled Jia Cong's doubts.

Thus, countless inexplicable banquets and so-called literary gatherings, through convoluted connections, sent invitations into Lady Rongguo Prefecture.

This emerging awareness, relayed back to the capital via Ministry of War reports, gradually entered the Shiye of officials in various departments and diverse power factions.

Being able to choose one's own path was already a great fortune.

The feeling of distance—knowing a familiar person, thousands of miles away, whose life or death remained unknown—had once made Jia Cong question whether his decision to support Guo Zhi's enlistment had been right.

More and more people were beginning to notice the Ministry of Works' Firearm Bureau, the firearm workshop beyond the western suburbs of the capital, and its supervisor, Jia Cong.

Because the Zhou's firearm development had always remained semi-secret, few knew its detailed inner workings.

And what Jia Cong cared about most was whether Guo Zhi was still safe—whether among the thousand musketeers deployed, he had been wounded, or worse, killed…

Whether it was himself or Guo Zhi.

There was no shortcut but to fight with one's own strength.

As for the fate of glory or disgrace that followed, it rested with heaven and earth—no regrets, no remorse!

…

Since the deaths of Jia Jia Daihua and Jia Jia Daishan, the Ning-Rong Jia family had suffered a sharp decline in talent; even the Ning branch had been stripped of its title. All had assumed it would never recover.

Some sought to curry favor through him, but many more used him as a source of intelligence on firearm developments—this carried the danger of verbal disaster.

…

Thus, Jia Cong never accepted a single invitation—first to avoid trouble, second because he had no habit of engaging in idle chatter with strangers.

In his spare time, he preferred to linger in Qingzhi Studio, chatting and laughing with the maidservants, passing the hours more pleasantly.

…

By mid-October, progress had been made in purchasing Portuguese cannons.

The Portuguese firearms and warships were scheduled to arrive in Jin Ling by late November, requiring personnel from the Firearm Bureau to travel there for inspection and acceptance.

Jia Cong had originally intended to go to Jin Ling himself, and the Emperor Jia Zhao Emperor had even issued an imperial decree entrusting the Firearm Bureau supervisor with this duty.

It would also allow him to attend to personal matters—visiting Qu Qu Hongxiu and Qin Qin Keqing, and checking on the progress of Xinchun Company's commercial network in the south.

But plans could not keep pace with change.

As winter deepened.

Based on incoming battlefield reports, the Ministry of War judged that before the harsh winter arrived, the Jurchen tribes, desperate for winter provisions and food, would launch a peak wave of raids within fifty li of the border.

Liaodong Garrison, extending to Liaojizhou and Qiu Xuanfu Garrison, must all prepare for defense.

Surviving this winter would greatly weaken the Jurchen tribes.

For under conditions of scarce food and supplies, the bitter cold of the white mountains and black waters would claim as many lives as any battlefield slaughter.

When the bitter winter neared its end and spring had not yet come, the Jurchen tribes would be weakened—then a decisive, fatal strike could be delivered.

In recent days, upon deliberation by the Emperor Jia Zhao Emperor and the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of War had begun transporting vast quantities of funds, grain, cotton garments, and weapons to Liaodong without interruption.

Now, among the nine northern frontier garrisons, only Liaodong faced Jurchen incursions; the rest remained largely quiet, and the nation's resources were still ample.

The Zhou could afford to conserve strength, waiting for the enemy to tire—its capability and confidence were undeniable.

The Zhou court had resolved to adopt the strategy of using the brutal northern winter to wear down the Jurchen tribes' combat strength, awaiting the moment for total victory.

Traveling to Jin Ling to receive the Portuguese cannons would take at least one month, possibly two.

With the evolving situation, the Nine Provinces Commander's patrol schedule might be finalized at any moment, leaving no room for Jia Cong to leave the capital lightly.

In the end, Deputy Supervisor Liu Liu Shizhen, accompanied by the English gunsmith Masiduo, was dispatched south to Jin Ling to receive the Portuguese cannons and escort them in batches to the capital and Dengzhou.

Finally, Liu Liu Shizhen, deputy director of the Firearm Office, was sent south to Jin Ling with the English gunsmith Masiduo to receive the Folangji cannons and transport them in batches to Love Shenjing and Dengzhou.

Since the establishment of the firearm workshop, coupled with the demands of Liaodong's military preparations, Jia Cong had devoted much of his energy to these tasks.

After Liu Liu Shizhen departed, he promoted a gunpowder specialist named Guo Zheng to oversee the workshop's production.

Before joining the Firearm Bureau, Guo Zheng was a renowned fireworks master from He Xi, inheriting an ancestral craft of extraordinary skill.

After entering the firearm workshop, Guo Zheng quickly formulated qualified detonating gunpowder using the post-era formulas provided by Jia Cong.

Moreover, he was steady in character, quick-witted, well-liked among craftsmen, and held considerable authority.

As the Five Armies' musketeers began to shine on the Liaodong battlefield, the use of firearms in the Zhou military would inevitably grow in importance and prevalence.

The firearm workshop beyond the western suburbs would soon expand in scale; relying solely on himself and Liu Liu Shizhen for round-the-clock supervision was no longer feasible.

Nor could he remain Firearm Bureau supervisor for life—promoting and cultivating capable craftsmen was inevitable.

And someone like Guo Zheng, a practical craftsman managing practical affairs, would achieve the fullest efficiency.

In the near future, he would need more and more capable talents like Liu Liu Shizhen and Guo Zheng—those grounded in real-world expertise.

In the near future, he would need more capable talents like Liu Liu Shizhen and Guo Zheng, men with solid practical foundations.

(End of chapter)