Chapter 91

Chapter 92: Initial Test

The memorials from Gongzhou Prefecture and Yanzhou Mansion were successively delivered to the palace, causing a stir in the court. With such an incident, the local authorities dared not conceal it, though the memorials were written tactfully. Yanzhou Mansion, however, exaggerated the local achievements, praising the officials for their tireless efforts, mentioning how the elderly and children were sick, wives were giving birth, and some constables fainted from overwork, while others bravely captured criminals without regard for their own safety. The Prefect of Gongzhou, Chen Tang, was said to have worked so hard that he spat out three liters of blood. Of course, the ferocity of the bandits was also described in great detail...

This time, Zhao Cheng did not hold back at all, writing down everything he could think of. Everyone who read the memorial could not help but marvel at the prince's good fortune, as if he had narrowly escaped from the jaws of a tiger. The Gongzhou Prefecture, of course, had also made significant contributions, and it seemed fitting to commend and promote them as exemplary models. If they were not given priority for promotion and salary increases, it would be a betrayal of their own conscience.

"Prime Minister Cai, how should we handle this matter?" The two memorials were laid on the table, and the senior officials of the Three Provinces gathered to discuss the issue. Yushen, the Attendant of the Board of Ceremonies, spoke first. After Cai Jing's return as Prime Minister, Yushen and Xue Ang, who had been reinstated as Chancellor of the Board of Civil Appointments, were still in power. Of course, they first wanted to hear the opinion of the leader.

"Prefect Chen has been diligent in his duties in Gongzhou for many years. Now that he has solved this major case, the position of Deputy Minister of Justice is vacant. I think he should be transferred to the capital for a new post!" Cai Jing stroked his beard and said slowly.

"Agreed, the Ministry of Justice is a key department. With the rampant bandits, we need such a capable official. Prime Minister Cai has a keen eye for talent!" Liu Bing, the Minister of Revenue, immediately expressed his agreement. If the leader said it was fine, how could he, as a subordinate, not support it?

"I think this matter needs further discussion. The appearance of such a major bandit in Gongzhou, who even attempted to kidnap a prince, indicates that the local area is not peaceful. Chen Tang cannot escape blame and should be severely punished!" He Zhizhong, who was originally the Chancellor of the Board of Civil Appointments, remained in the same position after Cai Jing's return. Now, there was a subtle trend of excluding him and consolidating power. He Zhizhong was angry, having supported Cai Jing for so long, and now he was being treated like a used tool. He could not help but stand up to give Cai Jing a taste of his own medicine.

"Chancellor He, that's not quite right! The memorial clearly states that this bandit was a roving bandit from the capital region who committed crimes in Gongzhou. How can we blame Prefect Chen for this?" The Minister of Rites, another trusted aide of Cai Jing, immediately jumped in to argue. With an 'insider' daring to challenge the Prime Minister, he did not need to be told to defend him.

"Yes, Chancellor He, your words are disheartening. If we handle this matter this way, who will be willing to serve the court and be loyal to the emperor?" Xue Ang said with a cold smile, thinking to himself that if He Zhizhong did not want to be Chancellor, he, as the Left Chancellor, was waiting for the position. He Zhizhong was old and should step down to avoid being an eyesore.

He Zhizhong was not one to back down. The old man slammed his hand on the table and firmly opposed their unfair practices. The room was filled with heated arguments. "Gentlemen, stop arguing. Whether Chen Tang stays or leaves should be decided by His Majesty. Should we also consider dispatching the Imperial Guard to protect Prince Yanzhou, who has encountered danger multiple times?" Zheng Juzhong, the Chief of the Secretariat, could no longer bear to listen and interrupted them.

"Damn, this is like losing the melon and picking up the sesame seed. Compared to Prince Yanzhou, Chen Tang is nothing. If this issue is not resolved first, whether Chen Tang can continue as Prefect is still in question!" Cai Jing cursed inwardly. He had been so focused on giving He Zhizhong a taste of his own medicine that he had forgotten the bigger issue. "Commander Gao, the Imperial Guard is under your command. You decide whether it is appropriate to dispatch troops!"

"Old fox, you know this is a difficult matter, so you're passing the buck to me." Gao Qiu, who had been dozing off, was called out and cursed inwardly. However, he could not avoid giving an opinion. He adjusted his expression and said, "Though the Imperial Guard is under my command, the emperor's personal guard is always handled by the Palace Guards. The difficulties are well known to all of you!" Gao Qiu also passed the buck, as the Imperial Guard was not easy to dispatch, and he was not under their command.

"Hmm, this is a significant matter. We should seek the emperor's approval before making a decision!" Cai Jing looked at the attitudes of the others and realized the team was not united. He knew this matter was difficult to handle and decided to first send someone to gauge the emperor's opinion. He then moved on to the next topic, "The emperor is concerned about the decline in social morals and believes that the root cause is the decline of Confucian rituals. He plans to restore the system of the Zhou Officials. What are your thoughts on this?"

Cai Jing's words immediately drew everyone's attention. If the old system were restored, not only would the titles of Grand Marshal and Grand Chancellor be impressive, but the salaries would also increase several times. This was a matter of personal interest, so no one could disagree. They quickly aligned their opinions, reaching an unprecedented level of unity.

Zhao Cheng was not in the mood to ponder the disputes among the senior officials. He was now fully devoted to the research of new weapons. He was currently replicating the Spencer rifle, invented by Christopher Spencer of the United States, which was the world's first practical repeating rifle (another version credits the Henry rifle).

This rifle uses a rotating bolt mechanism. When the trigger guard is pulled down, the bolt retracts, opening the chamber and extracting the spent cartridge. At the same time, a spring in the stock automatically pushes the next cartridge into the magazine. When the trigger guard is pushed up, the bolt advances, pushing the cartridge into the chamber and locking it. The firing sequence is: cock the hammer, aim, pull the trigger, pull down the trigger guard, push up the trigger guard, cock the hammer, aim... When loading, the magazine is removed from the rear of the stock, which is commonly known as a lever-action rifle. The components of the Spencer rifle are easy to manufacture, and although the structure seems complex, the number of parts is not large, making it feasible with current technology.

However, there was a major challenge that needed to be addressed. This rifle fires .52 caliber metallic rimfire cartridges. The first challenge was to manufacture the cartridge cases. With the cartridge case, the bullet, propellant, and primer are protected. One benefit is that normal handling will not cause accidental discharge; another is that most of the propellant residue will settle in the cartridge case, not touching the chamber, and removing the cartridge case automatically cleans the chamber; another is that the ammunition is integrated, so there is no need to place a primer on the firing pin separately.

While there are benefits, there are also challenges. Using a full-metal cartridge case is good, as it solves the moisture problem. Additionally, during firing, the brass cartridge case expands, sealing the rear of the chamber and preventing gas leakage. This had Zhao Cheng in a dilemma for a long time, but he eventually abandoned the idea of a full-metal cartridge case. One reason was the manufacturing process, and the other was the economic cost. Copper was a state-controlled material in the Song Dynasty, not freely traded or exported, and was mainly used for coinage, making it scarce and expensive. In a war, the consumption of bullets would be enormous, and even if Zhao Cheng were wealthy, he would likely go bankrupt. After much consideration, he decided to use a semi-metallic cartridge case, with a copper primer and a paper tube for the propellant. This would partially solve the sealing issue and significantly reduce manufacturing costs.

Another challenge was the primer. Using a centerfire primer would require a separate primer, placed in the center of the cartridge case base, capable of withstanding high chamber pressure and being reloadable. However, he could not produce smokeless powder, and even if he could, the current guns would not be able to use it, so he abandoned this idea. Another option was to use a rimfire cartridge, which does not require a separate primer. The primer compound is placed around the rim of the cartridge case, and the firing pin can strike any part of the rim to ignite the primer and propellant. The downside is that the rim must be thin, limiting the amount of propellant and making it non-reloadable, with poor cost-effectiveness.

With no other choice, he had to use the rimfire method. However, the primer compound he was using was red phosphorus, which is highly sensitive. He did not want the bullets to discharge if they fell on the ground or if they were loaded into the magazine and fired automatically. He could not produce mercury fulminate, so he had to find a way to reduce the sensitivity. After dozens of experiments, he finally found the right formula, solving this problem. After much effort, he produced a batch of bullets, all handmade, ensuring the correct amount of propellant and preventing accidental discharge. This effort left Zhao Cheng both physically and mentally exhausted, leading to the farce of him teasing the guards at night to relieve stress.

It was now June. Zhao Cheng got up early and had two eunuchs carry out two large boxes, instructing them to deliver them to the former Chen Tang's estate, now known as the Northern Mansion, which served as the prince's 'pavilion.' Zhao Cheng informed Huang Jingchen that he was going to conduct an experiment to test several new fireworks. Huang Jingchen knew that the prince often engaged in strange projects that made money, so he agreed, only cautioning him to be careful without asking too many questions.

The Northern Mansion was not permanently occupied, and only five or six people remained to maintain the grounds. Zhao Cheng's sudden arrival startled them, and they quickly came to serve him. Zhao Cheng did not say much, only instructing them to clear a large courtyard in the back and set up some thick wooden boards, then asked them to leave. The two eunuchs who accompanied him stood guard at the gate, warning them that no one was to enter without his permission. Both were experienced and knew the prince's temper. They understood that the prince was about to 'mischief,' and anyone who disturbed him at this time would be in serious trouble, facing not only scolding but also financial penalties and a month without meat. He had many ways to make them miserable without causing physical harm.

Seeing that the courtyard was clear of any bystanders, Zhao Cheng opened the boxes and first took out a gun testing stand, securing it in a suitable position. He then took out a gun, pulled the trigger guard, and dry-fired it twice. He then carefully removed a magazine, which already contained six bullets. The bottom of the magazine had a spring that could push the bullets into the chamber one by one, similar to the function of a modern magazine.

Securing the gun on the stand, Zhao Cheng pulled the trigger guard, loading a bullet into the chamber. Since this was the first 'system test,' he used the old method, hiding and using a rope to control the trigger. He did not want to be a sacrifice. "Damn, if you want me to live a good life, don't play with me!" he muttered, then pulled the trigger.

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**[End of Chapter 92]**