Chapter 131: Test Gun

The fifteenth day of the first month, Lantern Festival.

The workshop makes an exception and gives a one‑day holiday; the artisans may return home to reunite with their families, but must be accompanied by a Jinyiwei.

Zhu Yong also returned to Wu Wang Fu.

In the Wang Fu, lanterns were hung and decorations strung; Guanyin Nu held Huanhuan in the Tingyuan, watching lanterns.

Huanhuan is almost ten months old; she can stand steadily while holding the railing, babbling as she learns to speak.

"Dad… dad…" Huanhuan opened her little hands upon seeing Zhu Yong return.

The little girl has already learned to call "daddy", all thanks to Guanyin Nu's good teaching.

Zhu Yong scooped his daughter up, kissed her cheek and said, "Huanhuan miss dad…"

"Miss…" Huanhuan said vaguely.

Guanyin Nu smiled and walked over, saying, "Today is Lantern Festival; the palace bestowed glutinous rice dumplings, and I had the kitchen cook them, waiting for you to come eat."

"Alright." Zhu Yong held Huanhuan in one arm and led Guanyin Nu by the other toward the house.

The hall displayed steaming hot glutinous rice dumplings and a few side dishes.

"Is everything still going smoothly over at Xiyuan?" Guanyin Nu asked while serving tangyuan.

"Smooth; the artisans are all very skilled, and I estimate that in another month the prototype gun can be completed," Zhu Yong said.

Guanyin Nu handed him the bowl: "That's good, but don't overexert yourself; you go out early and return late every day, and Huanhuan is about to stop recognizing dad."

Zhu Yong looked at his daughter, who was clutching his collar in his arms, and chuckled, "No, Huanhuan remembers me."

While eating, footsteps came from outside.

"Second brother! Is second brother at home?" It was Zhu Biao's voice.

Zhu Yong rose to greet him, and saw Zhu Biao wearing a cloak, holding a food box in his hand.

"Elder brother, why did you come?"

"The palace bestowed glutinous rice dumplings; mother asked me to bring you a portion, saying you love sesame‑filled ones. It works out, I haven't eaten any, so I'll share a meal with you."

Zhu Biao handed the food box to the nearby maid, removed his cloak, and said.

The two brothers returned to the hall, and Guanyin Nu added bowls and chopsticks.

"How is the progress over at Xiyuan?" Zhu Biao asked while eating.

"Quite fast; the firearms team has already begun assembling the first prototype gun, and the ammunition team has trial‑produced several batches of bullets, which are now being tested," Zhu Yong said.

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "That's good; dad was still saying today that if this Flintlock Gun truly succeeds, next spring we will have the Longxiang Army begin re‑equipment training."

"That fast?" Guanyin Nu was somewhat surprised.

"Not fast; although the north is temporarily stable, the Oirat and Tatar forces still exist, and… you have also seen the map that second brother presented; the world is so vast, Great Ming cannot only guard Zhongyuan."

Zhu Biao said with a serious expression.

He paused, lowered his voice a bit, and said, "Dad is worried; he's concerned that at his current age he won't be able to endure… Though he doesn't say it aloud, mother and I can see it."

He wants, within his lifetime, to lay a firmer foundation for Great Ming.

Zhu Yong fell silent.

He remembered that in the previous life's history, Zhu Yuanzhang lived until the 31st year of Hongwu, but now it's only the 6th year of Hongwu; you all won't outlive the old man! Still fearing the old man will go first…

However, in this life, because of his own appearance, history has already changed a lot.

Perhaps dad can live even longer?

"Elder brother, don't worry, I'll help dad," Zhu Yong said earnestly.

Zhu Biao laughed, patted his younger brother's shoulder and said, "I know you'll do it, but don't push yourself too hard; rest when you should, Huanhuan is still young and needs dad to be with her as she grows."

As he spoke, he took a small golden lock from his bosom, hung it on Huanhuan's neck, and said, "This was given by your elder sister‑in‑law for Huanhuan, said to ensure safety."

Huanhuan clutched the golden lock, giggling.

After finishing the tangyuan, Zhu Biao sat for a while longer, then rose and returned to the palace.

After seeing off his elder brother, Zhu Yong and Guanyin Nu held Huanhuan in the Tingyuan, watching the moon.

The fifteenth day of the first month's moon was round and bright, scattering a wash of clear radiance across the ground.

"Brother Yong." Guanyin Nu suddenly called him softly.

"Hmm?"

"When Huanhuan gets a bit older, I want to have another child; one is too lonely, having a younger brother or sister as a companion would be nice," Guanyin Nu said, leaning on his shoulder.

Zhu Yong pulled her close and said, "Alright, after we finish this busy period, we'll have a child."

Huanhuan fell asleep in Zhu Yong's arms, her little mouth slightly open, sleeping soundly.

Guanyin Nu looked at her daughter, then at her husband, her heart full of peace.

She knew her husband was no ordinary man; he was the Wu King, Great Ming's war god, and might still have greater deeds ahead.

But she only hoped that, no matter how far he roamed or how high he flew, this home would always be his return.

The sixteenth day of the first month, the workshop resumed work.

The progress was faster than expected.

On Erchu Ba, the first Flintlock Gun prototype was assembled.

It was a fire‑arm about four feet long, its barrel forged from Refined Iron, the interior polished smooth as a mirror.

The Flintlock mechanism was intricate and complex; the hammer, spring, trigger, and powder pan each were crafted strictly according to the Blueprint.

The ammunition team trial‑produced three types of bullets: round‑head lead bullets, pointed lead bullets, and a special "flower" bullet, essentially a crude shot shell filled with small iron beads.

The test of the prototype gun was scheduled for the twelfth day of the second month at the Xiyuan shooting range.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, Zhu Yong, as well as Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, Tang He, and several other senior generals, all arrived.

Li Bin personally served as the shooter.

Ten wooden targets (Mubiao) stood fifty steps away, each wrapped in leather armor to simulate enemy troops.

Load the ammunition, tamp it down, raise the gun, aim.

"Bang!"

A crisp crack sounded, unlike the dull thud of a musket; the Flintlock Gun's noise was sharper.

The white smoke cleared, and the Mubiao fifty steps away had an extra hole.

"Good!" Chang Yuchun was the first to cheer.

Next came the rapid‑fire test.

Li Bin quickly reloaded, fired, reloaded again, and fired again.

In thirty seconds, five bullets were fired.

All five hit.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up as he said, "Load that fast?"

Li Bin set the gun down, excitedly saying, "Your Majesty, this Flintlock Gun requires no cleaning of the priming hole, no lighting of a fuse, and its loading speed is more than twice that of a musket! Moreover..."

He loaded another bullet, moved to a position eighty steps away, and aimed.

"Bang!"

The Mubiao eighty steps away fell with the sound.

"The range is farther too!" Xu Da exclaimed.

Tang He walked straight over to inspect the Mubiao, and returned with a shocked expression.

"Eighty steps, the lead bullet penetrates three inches into wood! If it hits a person..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood.

Next they tested the flower shot.

This time the group target was a hundred steps away, ten Mubiao arranged in a line.

"Bang!"

The gunfire rang out, and white smoke billowed.

When the smoke cleared, the ten Mubiao were densely covered with tiny holes.

Chang Yuchun gasped, "If this were on a battlefield, one shot could bring down a whole area!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Yong, his eyes full of satisfaction, and said, "Yong Er, the treasure you presented is more useful than a hundred thousand troops."

Zhu Yong smiled and replied, "The craftsmen did well."

"All shall be rewarded: every participating craftsman receives a hundred taels of silver, promotion one rank; Dan Anren, Li Bin, Chen Youzhi each receive a thousand taels of silver and a mansion!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gestured broadly and said.

Because each time Zhu Yong went into battle, he brought back plenty of Gold and Silver, so now they are not really lacking.

Everyone knelt in thanks.

Xu Da stroked the gun, then suddenly said, "Your Majesty, if an entire army were equipped with this gun, supplemented by artillery… who in the world could stand against Great Ming's spearhead?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked toward the Northern Region and slowly said, "Indeed, who else could block?"

But what he thought of was more than just the Northern Region.

He recalled the World Map, the distant nations, and Yong Er's words, "The world is vast."

The successful prototype of the Flintlock Gun was like a key, opening a new door.

From this day onward, Great Ming's army will begin a silent yet profound transformation.

And in the Xiyuan Gongfang, the craftsmen have already begun developing the second‑generation Flintlock Gun—lighter, shorter, and more suitable for cavalry.

In the spring of Hongwu 6th year, thus, amid the tempering of steel and the smoke of gunpowder, a new chapter quietly unfolded.