Chapter Three: The Armory

The next morning, after breakfast, Li Jinzhong led Zhu Xiaoqi to the Armament Bureau. As they reached the entrance, they saw the chief eunuch, the overseer of the Armory, and several dozen officials—managers, recorders, scribes, supervisors, and clerks—all kneeling in unison, calling out, “Welcome, Your Highness the Imperial Grandson!” Zhu Xiaoqi glanced at Li Jinzhong, realizing he must have arranged this in advance. He raised his hands slightly in a gesture of acknowledgment. “Please, everyone, rise.” The crowd repeatedly insisted they dared not. The chief eunuch stepped forward and introduced himself, “Your humble servant, chief seal-holder of the Armament Bureau, Li Chaoqin, awaits Your Highness’s instructions.” Zhu Xiaoqi smiled and replied, “Let’s begin by looking at the firearms.”

The group proceeded to the Gunpowder Bureau. Upon entering, they found a vast hall filled with cannons and muskets of all shapes and sizes. Clearly, Li Chaoqin had put thought into currying favor with the imperial grandson.

Zhu Xiaoqi picked up a musket, aimed into the distance, and pulled the trigger—nothing happened. Li Chaoqin hurried forward and said, “Your Highness, forgive me. I was unaware you would wish to test the musket and did not have the match cord lit. I await your punishment.” Zhu Xiaoqi realized Li was giving him a way out and simply smiled, handing the musket over. Li Chaoqin lit the match cord with a tinderbox, leveled the musket, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger. With a loud bang, a neat hole appeared in the target.

Zhu Xiaoqi clapped and laughed. “Excellent marksmanship, Director Li!” Li Chaoqin handed the musket to an attendant and bowed. “Thank you for Your Highness’s praise. There are other muskets here for you to inspect.” Zhu Xiaoqi noticed all the firearms here were single-shot matchlocks and asked, “Why isn’t the so-called ‘Thunderbolt Musket’ here?”

“Your Highness, the Armament Bureau only manufactures single-barreled muskets. The Ministry of Works’ Armory produces triple-barreled guns. As for the Thunderbolt Musket, even the Armory doesn’t make those—they’re complicated to produce and their effectiveness is mediocre.”

“I see. Director Li, do all these muskets rely solely on match cords for ignition? Are there any other firing mechanisms?”

Li Chaoqin was dumbfounded. Matchlocks, by their very name, use a burning match cord for ignition—were there truly other ways? But since the imperial grandson had asked, there must be alternatives. Thinking quickly, he bowed again. “I am only aware of this method, but there are some veteran craftsmen in our bureau. Perhaps they know of other techniques.”

With permission, he summoned three elderly men from a large workshop nearby. They were weathered and in their fifties, each with a beard. Zhu Xiaoqi was surprised and asked, “Aren’t they eunuchs?” Li Jinzhong whispered, “No, they’re master craftsmen. Within the twenty-four departments of the Imperial City, only the managers are eunuchs; the rest are artisans.” Zhu Xiaoqi realized his mistake.

Li Chaoqin explained, “His Highness wonders if there are other methods of igniting muskets besides the match cord.” Two of the old men shook their heads, but one knelt and said, “I once heard that someone in Guangzhou saw a musket used by the Franks—it could fire without a match cord. I do not know how it worked.” Zhu Xiaoqi was delighted, stepped forward to help him up, but the old man respectfully stood by himself.

Upon asking Li Chaoqin, Zhu Xiaoqi learned these three were technical supervisors in the Gunpowder Bureau. He understood that technical innovation could not be achieved overnight. Knowing from the Parallel Timeline Administration’s report that he would ascend to power in just over a year, he realized the urgency of building a technological foundation. He instructed Li Chaoqin to prepare a room, and once inside, invited the three elders to sit. They refused until Li Jinzhong, growing impatient, insisted, whereupon they perched hesitantly on the edge of their stools.

Zhu Xiaoqi spoke: “I am aware of another ignition method—using steel to strike flint, generating sparks to ignite the powder. However, I do not know how to design a striker mechanism. You have all spent decades in this field, so I entrust this task to you. Director Li, select some sharp-witted workers from the Gunpowder Bureau, divide them into three teams, and let each elder lead a group. Teach them the principle of spark ignition and have them develop a prototype. The team that succeeds first, or achieves the most reliable ignition, will be handsomely rewarded.”

“The current matchlocks must also be improved. Focus on four aspects: increasing range, improving accuracy, speeding up the reload process, and reducing the number of parts. Progress in any of these areas will be richly rewarded. Director Li, you too will be rewarded, and I will provide the funds myself. Furthermore, all of this must be kept strictly confidential. Draft a memorandum outlining the teams and reward system for my review tomorrow.” Though some of Zhu Xiaoqi’s terms were novel, the general meaning was clear enough, especially the promise of rewards.

In scientific research, the challenge lies not in execution, but in conception. Now that His Highness had provided the method, building a working model would not be too difficult. The reward seemed within reach. The group rose together and declared, “We will obey Your Highness’s command.” Li Chaoqin, overcome with excitement, even pledged to serve unto death.

Zhu Xiaoqi continued, “From now on, Li Banban will oversee this place for me. Any requests can be made through him; I want only results. Today is April 28th. In three months, on July 28th, I expect to see a usable new-style musket.” The group nodded eagerly, “We will not fail Your Highness’s expectations.”

They left the room and went to inspect the cannons. Zhu Xiaoqi asked, “Which one is the Red Barbarian Cannon?”

“I am unlearned, Your Highness, and have never heard of such a cannon. The Armament Bureau only has the Tiger Squat Cannon, the Bowl-Mouth Cannon, and the Frankish Cannon.” Li Chaoqin introduced each in turn.

The Tiger Squat Cannon was about two feet long, bound by seven iron hoops, its muzzle supported by two iron claws, with additional iron braces—an imposing sight. Zhu Xiaoqi recalled reading about it in the "Essentials of Military Training" the previous day: it weighed thirty-six catties, had to be anchored to the ground with large iron nails, and could fire one hundred small lead or stone balls weighing five mace, topped with a large lead or stone shot of thirty taels. When fired, all the projectiles flew out together with a thunderous roar, causing great destruction and covering a wide area—ideal for field battles, especially against dense formations. Its drawback was the slow rate of fire due to the cumbersome loading process.

The Frankish Cannon was much larger than the Tiger Squat, and, surprisingly, it was an iron breech-loading smoothbore. Although it fired shot rather than shells, Zhu Xiaoqi knew that the future lay in breech-loading artillery, as it greatly increased firing speed. He asked Li Chaoqin, “The Frankish Cannon should fire much faster than the Tiger Squat Cannon. Are there any shortcomings?” “It is too large for field battles, but suitable for defending cities. Its range is limited and it lacks the power to besiege fortifications.” The short range was mainly a manufacturing issue, and Zhu Xiaoqi had no immediate solution, save for standardizing production as best as possible. Progress would have to be gradual. He instructed Li Chaoqin to include artillery improvements in tomorrow’s memorandum as well.

After leaving the Gunpowder Bureau, they toured the rest of the Armament Bureau, inspecting swords, spears, and armor. Li Chaoqin presented a short sword to Zhu Xiaoqi, who examined it: just over a foot long, with a patterned blade resembling a ladder, marked by a dozen layers. “This is a sword I acquired from India, exceptionally sharp. I have never dared use such a treasure, but it is only fitting for a hero such as Your Highness.” With that, he held up a wooden rod. Zhu Xiaoqi swung the sword, feeling no resistance or sound—the rod was cleanly severed. “A fine sword indeed. You are most thoughtful.” He gave it a few more swings, growing increasingly pleased. Li Chaoqin, whatever his other talents, was certainly adept at flattery.

Returning laden with gifts, Zhu Xiaoqi was in high spirits. Back at his quarters, Madam Ke informed him that Xu Guangqi had sent a package. Li Jinzhong opened it to reveal a wooden box containing seven or eight sweet potatoes and a thin booklet. Zhu Xiaoqi asked, “Who oversees cultivation here?”

“The Imperial Gardens Bureau is in charge of all vegetable, fruit, and horticultural matters within the palace. The chief eunuch is Wang Tiqian.”

“Deliver these items to him. Have him cultivate them according to Minister Xu’s instructions. All harvests must be reserved for replanting, to maximize propagation, and the cultivation process must be carefully documented. Tell him that if he does well, he will be richly rewarded.” Li Jinzhong bowed in assent and departed for the Imperial Gardens Bureau with the package.