Chapter 228 Princess Changle

"Really? Your Highness."

When Wang Chong heard this, he immediately became energetic.

The two came to the courtyard dedicated to Wang Chong in the Military and War Department.

On the stone table in the yard, he spread out the drawings.

"In addition to artillery, I am planning to develop these firearms. The principles are similar to artillery, but they are much smaller and can be held by soldiers." Zhao Xu said, pointing to the flintlock gun on the drawing.

This was drawn by his own hand.

Wang Chong's eyes were fixed on the things on the drawing, and he was quite shocked.

Even though it was just a picture, he could imagine how gorgeous it would be once it was made.

"Is this official really responsible for building this?" Wang Chong's excited voice was distorted.

When he entered the Bingzhan Division, he had never completed anything independently. He had only made some small attachments.

Zhao Xu shook his head, "No, this kind of firearm involves a variety of processes. What you need to do now is this part of the firearm, the firing device."

Wang Chong's smile froze. After all, he was only partially responsible.

"Your Highness, I want to make this thing independently."

Looking at the drawings, Wang Chong's eyes were full of pleading.

Zhao Xu shook his head, "It's not that I underestimate your ability, you can't do it."

As the popular saying goes, the principles for building nuclear bombs are open to the world.

Why are only a few countries able to independently manufacture nuclear bombs?

It can be seen that behind an achievement, it needs the support of a strong industrial system, and it cannot be created by just making it.

In this purely agricultural era of Dasong, the industrial base was almost zero.

Therefore, before building artillery, he must first solve the problem of making iron and steel.

Then came the issue of the artillery model. Once these two were complete, the War Division had the ability to manufacture artillery.

In contemporary times, the flintlock gun was born in Europe in 1547 and was installed for two hundred years.

But flintlock guns could be made during this period because the fine watch industry was already prosperous.

Have the ability to manufacture fine accessories.

Same thing.

Yanzhou's flintlock gun, barrel, firing device, and flint all need to be solved before manufacturing can go smoothly.

As for this problem, he plans to drill out the barrel directly from cast iron to solve the problem of the barrel exploding and the inner wall being uneven and weakening its power.

But in this case, a water-driven drilling machine must be developed first.

The firing device is the core component of the flintlock gun.

The flint is clamped on the firing device, and when the trigger is pulled, the flint falls, striking a spark and igniting the gunpowder.

The structure of this component is relatively complex and has a spring wheel structure.

What he wanted Wang Chong to do was to make this thing wholeheartedly.

As for flint, it is relatively simple. The fire sickle used by the ancients requires flint to strike sparks to ignite it. There are many smooth stones on the river bottom.

All of the above require multiple techniques, so he said that Wang Chong could not do it alone.

Even if he did it alone, it would take a lot of time.

The most important thing is that the firing device cannot be made by copying the drawings.

The steel required for the spring wheel structure requires spring steel.

"Your Highness, do you still not trust me?" Wang Chong became more and more aggrieved, but still refused to give up.

Zhao Xu remembered that Wang Ying said that Wang Chong was complacent because of some small achievements during this period.

So he laughed twice and said, "Then you make this firing device first. Once it's done, I will give it all to you."

"Yes, Your Highness." Wang Chong was delighted.

After ordering this matter, Zhao Xu returned to the palace.

At the gate of the palace, he saw a carriage.

The carriage was hung with bead curtains and the inside was red curtains. It looked like a carriage for my daughter's family.

With a trace of doubt, Zhao Xu entered the palace.

I saw Xu E standing in the middle of the yard, looking at him with a smile.

"Miss Xu." Zhao Xu called.

When Yancheng was besieged, he heard from Feng'er that Xu E and the people from Tianxiang Tower helped guard the east gate.

He was originally going to come to express his gratitude, but he had so many things to do that he forgot about it.

"Your Highness." Xu E bowed with a low body and a hint of reluctance in her joy.

During this time, she witnessed with her own eyes that King Yan grew from a crazy and foolish prince who even the Zhang family looked down upon to a vassal prince who could not be ignored and was in charge of the four counties.

It's just that the more noble King Yan is, the farther she feels the distance between herself and King Yan.

"Your Highness, I was ordered to meet with the capital, and I came here specifically to say goodbye to Your Highness."

When Zhao Xu was about to speak, Xu E said.

"Miss Xu is leaving?" Zhao Xu was stunned for a moment, feeling slightly disappointed.

After all, Xu E helped him a lot during this period, and there was also ambiguous warmth.

Xu E nodded, "Tianxiang Tower was originally in Yanzhou to help His Highness and fight against the Yuan family. Now that the Yuan family has suffered heavy losses and is no longer His Highness's opponent, there is no need for Tianxiang Tower to be in Yanzhou."

Zhao Xu heard this and said: "In this case, can't we still tell who the owner of Tianxiang Tower is?"

Xu E nodded, "In addition to saying goodbye, I came here for this matter. The owner of Tianxiang Tower is actually an old friend of His Highness."

"Old friend?" Zhao Xu was slightly surprised.

Xu E chuckled, "Your Highness, remember Princess Changle!"

"Princess Changle!" Zhao Heng was surprised when he heard this.

The princess of Changle was originally named Nian Yujiao. After being adopted as an adopted daughter by King Chun, she changed her name to Zhao Yujiao.

His father Nian Heng was born into a poor family, but because of his outstanding talent, he was appreciated by Zhao Heng and became the Minister of War.

This is rare in Dasong.

Five years ago, when Zhao Xu was not yet mad, Zhao Heng suddenly decided to let Zhao Xu, who was not yet mad, and Nian Yujiao make an engagement.

After all, other princes from powerful families would not marry Nian Heng's daughter.

But the good times did not last long. The next year, Nian Heng was collectively impeached by powerful officials and falsely accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of taels of military pay.

Then, Nian Heng was executed in autumn.

Nian Yujiao's mother was too sad and died within three months.

At this time, Princess Chun came forward and adopted Nian Yujiao.

Zhao Heng's mother Mi took the initiative to withdraw from the engagement after knowing it.

After all, Nian Yujiao was nominally Zhao Xu's cousin.

"I didn't expect it to be her? It's just that he is a weak woman, how can he have such a skill? It's really surprising." Zhao Xu's mood fluctuated.

Xu E did not answer, but said: "Now Your Highness can trust me, right?"

Zhao Xu nodded and shook his head.

Although he and Nian Yujiao had been engaged, they had only met a few times and had no friendship.

Nian Yujiao's Tianxiang Tower was definitely not built for him.

And he didn't believe that Nian Yujiao alone could establish such an intelligence network throughout Dasong.

After thinking for a while, he said, "I'm afraid there is someone behind Princess Changle, it must be Prince Chun!"

Recalling the naive Prince Chun who arrived in Yancheng with the military supply list, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his back.

The water in Dasong seems to be deep.

"I don't know about this. I am only sent by Her Highness the Princess." Xu E refused to admit it directly.

Zhao Xu stared at Xu E, "You told me this, they must have been prepared to reveal their identities. Aren't they afraid that I will tell the court about this?"

"I was not sure before, but the emperor lightly spared Yuan Li and let the Yuan family check your highness, so the princess was sure that your highness would not betray her." Xu E also looked directly at Zhao Xu, "The princess also asked me to bring a message to your highness."

"What message?" Zhao Xu tried to recall the appearance of Princess Changle, but it seemed always vague.

"The emperor loves only himself the most, twenty years ago, four years ago, and in the future. I just hope your highness will take care of it." Xu E said slowly.

Zhao Xu was stunned for a moment. Twenty years ago was the time when Zhao Heng ascended the throne.

Four years ago was the time when Nian Heng was executed.

Major events happened at these two time nodes.

After saying this, Xu E bowed, "Your Highness, I'm leaving."

"See you later." Zhao Xu opened his mouth, and finally only said this.

This time, Xu E came without the charm she had in the past, but was more distant.

Perhaps, everything was just a show.

Nodding, Xu E left the palace and got on the carriage.

She looked up at the plaque of the palace.

She put down the pearl curtain and asked the coachman to drive to the South Gate.

In the carriage, Xu E seemed to have no strength in her body and leaned against the wall of the carriage.

Xiaohuan sighed and said, "Miss, you should have known that this day would come. You and I are just tools like all the women in Tianxiang Tower. No matter how true our hearts are, they are fake in the eyes of others."

Xu E said in a daze, "I know, so what? The moth knew it would die, but didn't it still fly into the fire?"

As she spoke, she shed tears.

The carriage left the South Gate and continued to go south along the official road.

Less than a mile away, there was a sudden sound of horse hooves.

Then Xu E heard a familiar voice, "Miss Xu, please stop the car."

"It's Xu Lie." Xiao Huan lifted the beaded curtain, and Xu Lie was sitting on the horse.

"What's the matter, Commander Xu?" Xu E wiped her tears in the carriage and got off the carriage.

"Your Highness asked me to give this to Miss Xu." Xu Lie got off the horse and took out a pair of golden hairpins from his arms.

"Your Highness also said that he would thank Miss Xu for her kindness and that he would never forget her. If Miss Xu has any difficulties in the future, she can come to Yanzhou to find him."

Xu E took the golden hairpins and suddenly a bright smile appeared on her face, "Please ask Commander Xu to thank Your Highness for me."

Xu Lie nodded, glanced at Xiao Huan, and reined in his horse to gallop back.

After staring blankly at Yancheng for a while, Xu E got on the carriage.

Touching the golden hairpins, she smiled slightly.

The palace.

Zhao Xu was still savoring the advice that Princess Changle asked Xu E to give him.

He suddenly had a premonition that he might not get any good response to the memorial he submitted this time.

Sure enough, seven days later, a handwritten letter from the capital confirmed his guess.

At the same time, there was also news from Dong An.