Chapter 774: Test-Firing the Bird Guns

The Student Corps now numbered over three hundred, with more than a hundred aged sixteen or above and the rest still children. In the past, the Student Corps had been a place to win over various factions and settle "hostages," but now it was a reserve force utterly loyal to Zhao Jin. Among them were over twenty sons of the Cheng family, over ten from the Jiang family, and more than a hundred from the Xuzhou Guard. Though the current Student Corps was on the young side, it was a unit that could be pulled out at any moment for desperate, bloody combat.

After arriving, Zhao Jin did not summon anyone first. Instead, he went to a barracks and carefully examined the bird guns. For crafting one bird gun, the artisan responsible could earn one tael of silver. By the same token, that artisan had to engrave his own name onto the gun. If any malfunction or flaw turned out to be a manufacturing defect, that artisan would pay with his life.

With silver as incentive and beheading as punishment, every bird gun was crafted with utmost care. Each looked like a work of art — refined in every detail, with not a single flaw to be seen. Even the black powder delivered with them had been carefully sifted through a sieve to ensure it was easy to use. Zhao Jin turned the guns over and over in his hands. Indeed, he could find no fault — but they were merely bird guns without fault.

The grip was too small, about the same size as the hilt of an Embroidered Spring Saber, which made it hard to hold steady when firing; accuracy was bound to be poor. The barrel was too thin and too long. Never mind how much effort it took to forge such a barrel — it would easily deform under impact, and the excessive length also made loading the lead ball and tamping the powder relatively cumbersome. As Zhao Jin examined the gun from every angle, the steward of the Xu family who had delivered them grew extremely nervous. The son-in-law was scrutinizing them far too closely, and from the look on his face, he was clearly not very satisfied.

In Zhao Jin's memory, firearms had shorter barrels, larger bores, and bigger, longer stocks that could be braced against the shoulder. But knowing such specifications did not mean they could be manufactured immediately — details and proportions could just as easily determine success or failure. Zhao Jin also did not want the Xu family to attempt trial production. His control over that side was not yet strict enough; if this set of designs were learned by others, it would certainly pose a great risk.

Moreover, at present, Zhao Jin did not want the household troops to adopt firearms too early. The core units of the Zhao Battalion already saw little combat; they needed to forge their courage and bloodlust in every close-quarters engagement. Many of the household troops had yet to see blood or experience real battle. He could not allow them to develop laziness and cowardice by firing guns from a distance too soon. If combat were frequent, that would be one thing, but under the current circumstances, he could not let them be exposed to firearms prematurely.

Matters must be viewed from both sides. He knew his own affairs best. Zhao Jin understood that the greatest weakness of his pike square formation right now was ranged attack and defense. With the Zhao Battalion's scale of three regiments and five large companies, the number of archers was under three hundred. In a real fight, these three hundred could barely cover two regiments, and even that might not be enough. The only reason they had not suffered for it was that they simply had not yet encountered a truly formidable enemy.

The Student Corps had its own training ground. Because firearms drill was also taught here, the perimeter was enclosed by earthen walls. Zhao Jin issued his order, and very soon, a company of students assembled on the training ground.

"... These fifteen bird guns — one per man. Load and fire. Keep firing until the guns can no longer shoot..."

After about seven consecutive shots, a bird gun's barrel would become scalding hot and overheated, making further loading and firing impossible. Those in the know would wipe the barrel with a damp, thick cloth to cool it down. The Zhao Battalion had also passed on this experience, though most of the time it remained theoretical knowledge, rarely put to use.

Seeing Zhao Jin arrive in person, the entire Student Corps was exceptionally solemn and disciplined. They were all the more eager to perform well before him. If outstanding performance led to an early assignment to serve in the household troop units, that would be an unexpected joy.

"Ready!" the company commander bellowed. The students immediately began loading ammunition according to drill manuals and training experience. First, pour powder into the barrel and tamp it firm with the ramrod. Then insert the lead ball, followed by a wad of coarse paper to prevent the ball from sliding out if the muzzle tilted downward. Then pour priming powder into the flash pan, clamp the lit match cord in the serpentine, and rest the bird gun on its forked rest.

The company commander swept his gaze across the line, raised the long blade in his hand high, and slashed it down with a great shout: "Fire!"

A series of muffled booms rang out in succession. White smoke billowed, and the smell of sulfur and saltpeter filled the field. The company commander immediately shouted "Ready!" again. The students methodically began cleaning their barrels and reloading. Another volley rang out. The training ground echoed with continuous bursts like firecrackers, and the gunpowder smoke grew thicker and thicker. Fortunately, the spring wind in Xuzhou was strong enough to disperse the smoke.

Each gun fired eight times. The barrels had become scalding hot, but this time they were not wiped with damp, thick cloths — they were simply left to cool naturally. Zhao Jin still had much to do. Thick wooden plank targets were brought before him and inspected one by one. Each target had three or four hits. This hit rate seemed low, but the students had never had many chances to train with real firearms, and given the bird gun's inherent accuracy, such results were already quite decent. Looking at the depth the lead balls had embedded into the wooden targets, it was likely that neither plate armor nor chainmail could stop them.

After observing carefully for a while, Zhao Jin spoke again: "Bring a set of our own iron armor, and a complete set of cotton armor. Fire one shot to test the armor, then move ten paces closer and fire again. Start from eighty paces out."

"Our own iron armor" referred to the type assembled from individually forged iron plates. As for the cotton armor, that went without saying — it was still standard military equipment of the Great Ming. However, compared to the Zhao Battalion's iron armor, this type was far too heavy and bulky, yet its protective power was inferior. Thus the Zhao Battalion had long ceased using it. These cotton armor sets had never been newly manufactured; they were simply the batch captured back then from He Village and Cloud Mountain Temple.

This round of shooting was no different from the last, and the same mishaps occurred again. For example, because the barrel was too long, the bird gun had to be tilted when using the ramrod. Because the barrel was too thin, sometimes the ramrod would jam inside if the angle was slightly off. If the company commander barked his orders too hastily and the students panicked even slightly, they would raise the bird gun and send the ramrod shooting out along with the shot. From firing repeatedly, their shoulders and arms grew sore and numb, and their upper bodies became unsteady.

The faces of the several household troop company commanders responsible for training the students were all grim. They felt they had lost face in front of Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin, however, showed neither pleasure nor displeasure. He simply watched the students' firing motions and examined each target sent over.

At eighty paces, not a single lead ball inflicted damage on the Zhao Battalion's iron armor. The damage to the cotton armor was also minimal — at most, breaking through the surface cloth and embedding in the first layer of cotton padding. At seventy paces, there was no change. At around sixty paces, scratches and white marks began appearing on the Zhao Battalion's iron armor, while the lead balls started penetrating layer after layer of the cotton armor's padding. Most were stopped by the iron plates embedded within the cotton armor, but a small number pierced straight through. At fifty paces, the lead balls dented the Zhao Battalion's iron armor, while the cotton armor was penetrated. At around forty paces, the cotton armor was still being penetrated — the embedded iron plates and the chainmail worn inside could no longer stop the shots — while the Zhao Battalion's iron armor showed relatively large dents, though a man inside would not be injured.

Finally, the bird guns were brought to point-blank range at twenty paces and fired. The Zhao Battalion's iron armor was hand-forged; the breastplate was hammered out blow by blow by a master smith, so uneven thickness was inevitable. At one weak spot, the bird gun punched through, but the lead ball lodged in the small hole without fully penetrating.

However, at this range, fewer than eight bird guns fired simultaneously each time. It was not because the guns themselves malfunctioned, but because the students were beginning to falter. When their stamina was full, their movements were naturally precise and their bodies steady. As stamina waned, their movements became unsteady, their bodies began to sway, and errors and omissions crept into the standard drill motions. To make matters worse, with Zhao Jin watching from the side, the flustered students grew even more nervous. Three of them fumbled and spilled the lead balls from their pouches onto the ground. Because they were firing at close range, everyone was packed tightly together, and several men's lead balls mixed together. When they picked them up and tried to load, some lead balls would not even fit into the muzzle.

At this sight, Zhao Jin's brow furrowed. Behind him, the master craftsman and steward from the Xu family grew increasingly uneasy. And it was not only he who was uneasy — the students who had blundered were all terrified, and the company commanders responsible for training were also tense. Yet from start to finish, Zhao Jin did not rebuke anyone or show anger.

This surprised everyone as well. In training, Zhao Jin had never been known for his patience or mild temper. Meet the standards, and all was well. Fail to do so, and his scolding and military law were equally unambiguous. Today's bird gun shooting, riddled with blunders as it was, had somehow not provoked his fury.

"Resume normal training!" Only when this order was given could everyone truly be certain that Master Jin indeed had no intention of pursuing the matter. The company commanders responsible for training these students, however, were all silently gritting their teeth — they would thoroughly drill these disgraceful lads later.

Zhao Jin did not leave the Student Corps encampment. He stayed directly in a nearby room, accompanied only by his three guards: Niu Jinbao, Sun Dalin, and Meng Zhiqi. He then summoned the Xu family steward inside as well.

"You hurry back to the Xu family. Tell them that all bird gun production is to stop immediately. Then, pick out the best half of the blacksmiths who forged the bird guns and have them move their entire families to the vicinity of He Village," Zhao Jin said with a grim face.

"Son-in-law, is there something unsatisfactory? This humble servant will certainly go back and have them correct it at once, and ensure you are fully satisfied," the Xu family steward said, trembling with fear.

A trace of irritation crept into Zhao Jin's tone as he said flatly, "Do as I have instructed. There is no need for you to worry about anything else."

At these words from Zhao Jin, the steward's body shuddered, and he hastily agreed. Zhao Jin did not say anything further to him, only urging him to return quickly.

"Xiao Meng, gather up all the bird guns and have the armory keep them under strict guard," Zhao Jin instructed. Meng Zhiqi hastily acknowledged the order. Among Zhao Jin's personal guards and attendants, Meng Zhiqi played more of a personal aide role — recording and relaying orders — and his status within the Zhao Battalion was quite high.

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