Chapter 503: Clouds Over the Sea

"Let's go, let's go find the bullet together." Feeling a slight stinging sensation on his shoulder, Zhao Xu was somewhat excited.

It was very clear that the recoil of the rifled musket was greater than that of the flintlock.

This point was enough to show that the power of the gun had increased.

In fact, Wang Ying and the others had long since tested the rifled musket.

They were very clear about the power of the rifled musket.

However, so as not to dampen Yan Wang's spirits, they still followed him over.

Walking out for five hundred and forty meters, a distance of one li, Zhao Xu found the silver-black lead bullet in the soil.

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad." Zhao Xu picked up the lead bullet and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The improved rifled musket exceeded his expectations.

Currently, the maximum range of the flintlock used by the Prince's Personal Army was about two hundred and fifty meters.

But the effective range was only about one hundred and twenty meters.

At such a distance, it had not yet formed an absolute advantage over archers.

But this time, the rifled musket was different.

With a maximum range of over five hundred meters, the effective shooting distance should be around two hundred and thirty meters.

And most importantly, compared to the smoothbore gun, the rifled musket had gained a great improvement in accuracy.

During an exchange of fire, soldiers equipped with rifled muskets could kill more enemies in one volley.

At the same time, the appearance of the rifled musket could also bring about changes in Firearm Tactics.

From now on, the Prince's Personal Army could train a group of skirmishers.

These skirmishers would be able to move flexibly on the battlefield and kill the opposing soldiers.

"Your subordinate has measured it; within two hundred and thirty-five meters, the bullet can penetrate wooden boards, so killing enemies on the battlefield will be no problem," Wang Ying said, verifying Zhao Xu's guess.

"Very good. Since that's the case, start mass-producing the improved flintlocks now." Zhao Xu returned the rifled musket to Wang Ying.

At present, the situation facing Yanzhou was still very grim.

The Northern Di was a powerful Grassland empire.

Although he had won all three battles against the Northern Di and had also killed and wounded many Northern Di soldiers,

the Northern Di was, after all, a powerful nation that even the Great Song could not cope with.

Losing twice or three times could not shake its foundation.

Now that the Northern Di was putting everything into targeting him, it was impossible for him not to be worried at all.

After all, the Great Song was currently suffering from both internal troubles and external aggression, not just external aggression.

This forced him to face the Northern Di alone.

Therefore, without an absolute advantage, he had to keep his heart on edge.

But if the rifled musket were equipped to the Prince's Personal Army, the situation would be different.

To him, the Ningjin Dusi would no longer be a forbidden area he could not set foot in.

Instead, it would be a piece of fat meat he could take a bite of at any time.

"Yes, Your Highness, but the Steam Engine must be given to the Armory Bureau first." Wang Ying had not forgotten this matter.

When Wang Chong boasted to him about the Steam Engine,

he had felt a yearning for it.

With this opportunity, he naturally would not let it slip by.

"This matter is very urgent; you use manual labor first. Once the Steam Engine is built, it will be sent over," Zhao Xu said.

Although this Steam Engine test was a success, they had not yet built one that was truly practical.

However, from Wang Ying's enthusiasm, he could already imagine what kind of sensation the official deployment of the Steam Engine would cause.

Jin City.

Mule Hongzhen was inspecting the Jin City camp.

For the past few days, his mood had been quite good, a complete change from his previous dejection.

Wulanba accompanied him, while Ivan was telling Mule Hongzhen something.

"That thing the Yan Wang used must be a Hot Air Balloon. My God, he is actually capable of building such a thing; it is truly incredible," Ivan said, his mouth agape in shock.

After he proposed the plan to poison Yanguan, Mule Hongzhen had become much friendlier toward him.

Today, he even described the Battle of Xian City to him, as well as the thing that flew in the sky.

"Can you build it?" Hearing this, Mule Hongzhen fixed his eagle-like eyes on Ivan.

Shaking his head, Ivan said, "I have only seen it, but I do not know how they manufactured it."

Mule Hongzhen showed a look of disappointment, "You Europeans are nothing more than this; you are not even as good as a Yan Wang of the Great Song."

"There must be a Missionary like me by your Yan Wang's side assisting him, otherwise it would be impossible for him to build these things," Ivan said.

During his time in Jin City, the name of this Yan Wang had constantly reached his ears.

He already knew that it was this Yan Wang who had built the Artillery, then the firearms, and now even the Hot Air Balloon.

But to him, it was impossible for this Yan Wang to have built these things independently.

Because this place, like the New Continent, was entirely a land of barbarians.

They didn't even understand that the earth was round.

"Perhaps that is the case," Mule Hongzhen said.

For a mad and foolish Yan Wang to arrive in Yanzhou and then sit firmly in Yanzhou to this day, it was impossible without the guidance of an expert.

It was just that if that were the case, the people by the Yan Wang's side were far better than Ivan.

Thinking of this, he could not help but feel the urge to send an envoy to Ross.

If he could find someone more capable than Ivan, perhaps he could defeat Yan Wang.

However, Ivan was not bad either; compared to casting cannons, he seemed more proficient in medicine.

Just as he was thinking this, a Cavalryman hurried over.

"Khan, there are sea bandits claiming to be from Wufeng Island asking for an audience," the Cavalryman said.

"Wufeng Island?" Mule Hongzhen frowned.

Wulanba said, "Great Khan, Wufeng Island is a powerful group of sea bandits; Gaoli Merchant Ships must pay them passage money when heading south."

When he was in Gaoli, he had heard of the deeds of Wufeng Island.

Now that Wufeng Island had come to them, he realized that this must be related to the Black Shark Sea Bandits.

"Is that so?" Mule Hongzhen also thought of something, "Let them in."

Before long, a thin man was brought in by the Cavalryman.

Behind the man were two young sea bandits.

"Vice Island Master of Wufeng Island, Hua Chen, pays respects to the Khan," the leading man said, cupping his hands.

Mule Hongzhen glanced sideways at Hua Chen, "What is your purpose in coming here? You might as well speak plainly."

"The Khan is truly a straightforward person," Hua Chen said loudly.

After receiving the order from Island Master Lu Zheng, he had led men from the sea to Ningjin Dusi.

However, the Black Shark Sea Bandits were patrolling tightly, and several of their Warships had been sunk.

But the sea was vast, and the Warships of the Black Shark Sea Bandits could not control every place after all.

His Warships still managed to evade the Warships of the Black Shark Sea Bandits.

"The Khan must be very clear about the recent affairs of the Black Shark Sea Bandits; this time, we of Wufeng Island wish to join forces with the Northern Di to wipe out the Black Shark Sea Bandits," Hua Chen said.

Mule Hongzhen and Wulanba exchanged a glance.

One hundred thousand Northern Di soldiers buried in the sea—this was a pain that he and Wulanba could not forget.

Naturally, they hated the Black Shark Sea Bandits to death.

"But we Northern Di have no Warships, don't you know that?" Wulanba said.

"The Northern Di do not, but Gaoli does; as long as the Khan is willing to let the Gaoli Navy join Wufeng Island in encircling and suppressing the Black Shark, that will suffice," Hua Chen said.

Mule Hongzhen and Wulanba exchanged glances once again.

The poisoning plan was aimed at Yanguan, but the Black Shark Sea Bandits at sea would not be affected.

Currently, since Wufeng Island had come forward to wipe out the Black Shark Sea Bandits, they naturally had to support them.

And this was also the first step in their destruction of Yan Wang.