I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 160: If you have a good weapon, you will be strong ( words)
Tianjin Wei Training Ground.

Raul held an arms fair, with five Portuguese cannons lined up in a row.

Yang Bo and others surrounded the five cannons, the laymen watching the excitement while the experts looking at the details.

Li Chunfang didn't know much about artillery, so he just said, "This cannon is very well made. I wonder if it can be used."

Zou Yinglong, who had just been seconded to the Ministry of Rites, made a bold statement: "Throughout history, the bigger the cannon, the better."

"When Zhu Wenzheng was defending Hongdu City, he placed an invincible iron cannon on the city wall that was 15 feet long and weighed 2,000 jin. One shot overturned Zhang Dingbian's tent and seriously injured Zhang Dingbian."

"Look at these cannons again. Tsk tsk. They are no more than three feet long and weigh less than two hundred kilograms, right?"

"That damned Sibania is such a small country. Even the cannons they make are so petty. What use does the Ming army have for such junk?"

"Our Great Ming Dynasty is rich in products. We have everything that the Western Barbarians have, and we also have things that the Western Barbarians don't have. Not only that, but we have more and better products than they do."

"If the Ming Dynasty trades with the Western barbarians, it will only suffer losses and will not gain any advantage at all!"

"Grandpa Taizu was truly wise and intelligent. He established the ancestral system of closing the borders and prohibiting the sea."

Zou Yinglong was indeed the number one troll in the Censorate. He spitted everywhere and belittled the Portuguese cannon to the point of being worthless.

Yang Bo put his hand into the barrel of the gun and stroked it, then said, "Mr. Zou, don't rush to call it useless. Captain Lao, explain to us the characteristics of this gun."

Raoul talked a lot.

Yasan translated: "Raul said that this cannon is called Eagle Cannon in Espanyol, also known as Breech-Loading Rapid-Fire Cannon."

"The entire cannon consists of three parts: the barrel, the barrel belly, and the sub-gun. Before the battle begins, the cannon shells and gunpowder are loaded into the sub-gun. After the battle begins, if you want to fire, you only need to put the sub-gun into the barrel belly, light the fuse, and it can be fired."

"There is a sight and rear sight on the barrel for aiming."

"It is light and easy to deploy quickly. Each gun can be equipped with a wooden carriage, which is the gun platform. Only four soldiers are needed to move the carriage easily."

"Its biggest features are fast firing rate, cheapness and durability."

"We can fire with a gun carriage, and we can fire without a gun carriage. Even if there is no gun barrel and only the sub-gun is left, we can fire with just a fire."

Yang Bo listened attentively: "Well, it sounds quite practical."

Yasan added: "Raul also said that a famous general in Siberia who loved drinking once said a famous saying - if you have a good weapon in your hand, you will be strong."

"If the Ming Dynasty buys 150 Portuguese cannons, the military strength will be greatly enhanced."

Yang Bo said, "Tell Lao Qianhu that we have an old saying in the Ming Dynasty: you can't just brag about something, and you can't just build a mountain. No matter how good you are at bragging, you have to see the real thing."

"Let him test fire the cannon and see its power and firing rate."

Yasan translated and Raul nodded.

Raul seemed to want to demonstrate the mobility of the Portuguese cannon. He ordered his four Western soldiers to load the Portuguese cannon onto the gun carriage.

Then two Western Yi soldiers pushed the artillery cart, and two Western Yi soldiers each carried two wooden boxes, each of which contained two sub-cannons.

Raul gave the order and they pushed the artillery forward half a mile.

Yang Bo said: "It is light, but I don't know its power and firing rate."

Yasan then ordered the soldiers to carry out two straw men as targets and place them one mile away from the Portuguese cannon.

Raul drew his sword and shouted: "Puruopala! (Ready)"

The Western loader immediately stuffed the sub-gun into the belly of the gun, and the gunner aimed at the straw man target with the sight and rear sight.

The gunner yelled: "Take off the lace! (Ready)"

Raul swung his sword sideways and yelled, "Abrefori dog! (Fire)"

The gunner immediately lit the fuse on the sub-gun. "Sizzle, boom! Bang!"

The cannon was loaded with shrapnel shells, and the two straw men were immediately blown into the sky.

Raul shouted the order three more times. In just one minute of Xiyi time, all four shells were fired.

Yang Bo shouted, "Great! It's as fast as the wind, as quick as a rabbit, and powerful! It's the best choice for robbing houses and killing Japanese invaders!"

Raul then had the soldiers demonstrate the shotgun, which could fire a barrage of bullets with one shot.

Lin Shisan said with emotion: "I once fought a battle with Japanese pirates outside Xuyi City. If I had a Portuguese cannon loaded with bullets, I could have killed a dozen Japanese pirates who were charging closely with one shot."

Yan Shifan said at the side: "Haha, whether firearms are useful or not, we should ask those who have actually fought in wars! Instead of listening to the crows that sit in the government office and impeach this and that all day long."

"Although my brother-in-law is not of high rank, he has fought against the Japanese pirates. How good is the cannon? How good is he?"

Huang Jin smiled and said, "That's absolutely true."

Zou Yinglong said: "But this cannon is like a little dwarf, without any power at all."

Yang Bo glared at Zou Yinglong and said, "Mr. Zou, you have been working in the Censorate for a long time and you don't understand military affairs. The bigger and heavier the cannon, the better."

"The Portuguese cannon is light and easy to move. It is more suitable for field battles than heavy artillery such as the Hongwu iron cannon."

"What the young minister said just now makes sense. Whether firearms are useful or not, you have to ask people who have actually fought in wars."

"I, Yang Bo, have fought in wars for half my life. How could I not know whether this cannon is good or not?"

Yasan translated Yang Bo's words to Raul. Raul smiled and said, "Dear Military Minister, your wisdom is enough to illuminate the entire Far East."

Previously, Yasan translated the position of "Minister of War" into "Military Minister" of the Spanish court, which is quite appropriate.

Yang Bo asked again: "Can you demonstrate the fire guns you brought?"

Raul ordered his men to open a long wooden box, which contained ten Mushtek matchlock rifles.

This gun was invented by an Englishman a hundred years ago and became popular in Europe. Today, it is the standard musket of the Spanish Royal Army and the mainstay of the Spanish Grand Phalanx.

Raul was talking nonsense again.

Yasan translated, "This gun is six feet long, the bullet weighs one ounce, can shoot 150 steps, and is loaded with half an ounce of gunpowder each time."

Raul then ordered the soldiers to reload and fire.

Zou Yinglong became more excited after reading this: "Yang Bu Tang, this gun has been loaded and fired once, but the bow and arrow must have been fired five or six times!"

"And in terms of accuracy, it's probably not as good as a bow and arrow."

"This kind of waste is like a firewood stick. What's the use of it? It shows that not everything the Western barbarians have is good."

Yang Bo laughed out loud. He had been through many hardships and was not afraid of offending the censors.

Yang Bo pointed at Zou Yinglong and said, "Everyone, what do you mean by a scholar's opinion? Zou Yinglong is an example." "It takes more than three years for the Ming army to train a skilled archer. And archers must be strong and have extraordinary arm strength."

"The firearm is very different. A short soldier can go to the battlefield after just one month of training."

"Also, if an archer uses an ordinary two-stone bow, he will be exhausted after shooting five arrows in a row. But a musket can shoot continuously."

Raul was anxious when he saw that a group of Ming officials seemed to be arguing. He had come all the way to Ming, but if he couldn't do business, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?
Just as he was getting anxious, he saw a sparrow land on a crooked tree in the school field, only twenty steps away from Raul.

Raul grabbed a loaded matchlock, blew the matchlock, raised the gun and fired. Bang! The sparrow fell to the ground.

Yan Shifan exclaimed: "Great! This gun can actually shoot flying birds. Its name, Mu-some-ke, is really weird. It's better to call it a bird gun."

The flatterer Lin Shisan immediately slapped his sworn brother: "Young Lord is indeed the most talented scholar in the Ming Dynasty! He is so quick-witted! The name of the bird gun is really appropriate."

Yang Bo smiled and said, "Yes. It is very appropriate."

Yan Shifan was praised by everyone, and his face was full of peach blossoms: "You are too kind."

Zou Yinglong came out to spoil the fun again: "Just now Yang Butang said that bird guns are easy to train, and ordinary people can operate them after practicing for a month."

"Since the Chenghua period, there have been civil uprisings in various places. If the imperial court purchases a large number of bird guns from the Portuguese, wouldn't it be dangerous if they were taken away by the anti-civilian rebels?"

Yang Bo was so angry that he laughed: "Are you afraid of being captured by the rebels, so you don't buy firearms? What a joke! The First Emperor collected soldiers from all over the world and gathered twelve Jin people, but died in the second generation!"

"The Yuan people were brutal and ordered every ten Han households to have a kitchen knife. But they were still replaced by the Ming Dynasty."

"There's a folk saying that goes, 'If you're afraid of the crickets chirping, why don't you plant your crops?'"

Yan Shifan threw a teacup on the ground and said, "Zou Yinglong! The ministers and the eunuchs are discussing important matters, how can you interrupt them?"

Huang Jin tried to smooth things over: "No matter how high or low the official is, they all work for the court. But Mr. Zou, I have to say a few words to you. Whether it's a Portuguese cannon or a bird gun, everyone can see whether it's useful or not."

"Everyone says it's good, but you're the only one who's finding fault with it. Are you the only one who's sober while everyone else is drunk?"

Zou Yinglong remained silent.

Huang Jin turned to look at Lao Er: "Captain Lao, take a look at the other goods you brought."

Malaga liqueur, Naples olive oil, Barcelona one-handed sword, Madrid ham, Genoa wool blankets, Calvi cheese and many other Western goods were carried to the parade ground by the soldiers.

The officials ate ham and cheese and drank liqueur and wine, feeling very comfortable.

Huang Jinjiu has been in the palace for a long time, and he doesn't eat white noodles every meal. He is a man who has eaten and seen everything.

Huang Jin ate a few slices of Spanish ham and said with a smile, "We in the Ming Dynasty have Jinhua ham and Xuanwei ham. I didn't expect that the Western barbarians also have ham, and it has a unique flavor."

Jia Yingchun, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was a wine lover. After tasting the liqueur, he commented: "This wine is like sweet water, too weak, and really tasteless. But if I give it to my wife and concubines, they will definitely like it."

Yan Shifan agreed: "Yes, it is not suitable for men to drink, but it is suitable for women. And this cheese is soft, sticky and sweet. My father has bad teeth, he will definitely like it."

Huang Jin picked up a Genoa wool blanket and touched it again and again: "It is better than the wool blankets from the Western Regions. Eunuch Lu has cold legs. If he covers his legs with this wool blanket when he is on duty in the Imperial Household Department in winter, he will definitely feel very comfortable."

Yang Bo picked up the one-handed sword: "The Western barbarians' guns and cannons are well made. But their swords are really not good. The swords are narrow and light, like the soft swords used by gangsters."

"But it's suitable for children to practice swordsmanship, and it's not easy to hurt people."

Lin Shisan was always just a deputy captain of the fifth rank, and he could only watch helplessly as the ministers of the ministries and agencies ate and drank.

It was his sworn brother Yan Shifan who was thinking of him. He picked up a bottle of liqueur and handed it to Lin Shisan: "Shisan, try this sweet water."

After drinking it, Lin Shisan said, "I'm not used to this wine. But my Biyun will definitely like it."

On the first day of contact with Raul, everyone first looked at the many goods he brought. The five envoys were full of praise.

On the second day, Yang Bo suggested going to Galen's warship to take a look.

Yan Shifan, Huang Jin, Li Chunfang and Jia Yingchun were afraid of seasickness and did not go with them.

Lin Shisan and Ya San followed Yang Bo onto Galen's ship.

Raul introduced it and Yasan translated it: "This ship is called Galen. It is the main battleship of the Sibanian navy. It is 15 meters long, displaces 1.2 million catties, and has a draft of 3 meters."

"There are seven decks in total, four main masts, and sixty large and small guns. There are one hundred and fifty sailors. There is also a boarding party of one hundred people, all equipped with bird guns."

Yang Bo exclaimed: "What a good thing!"

Lin Shisan asked: "Why does the smell of alcohol on this boat seem so strong?"

Raul explained: "Ocean voyages often don't dock for a month. Storing fresh water will spoil. So they store cheap and delicious rum as water."

Yang Bo sighed, "Alas. Back then, Zheng He's fleet was invincible. It's a pity that Liu Daxia burned the blueprints of the treasure ship. Otherwise, how could the Ming Dynasty be afraid of the Japanese pirates' eight-ships?"

"Interpreter, ask Captain Lao if he wants to sell this warship. The price is negotiable."

After Yasan translated, Raul shook his head like a rattle: "Absolutely not. Galleons are the main battleships of our Invincible Fleet. They are not for sale."

The Celestial Empire cannot force sales on the Western Barbarians. However, Yang Bo was very flexible: "Lao Qianhu, if you don't sell this warship, we won't buy other things such as firearms, Western Barbarian wine, Western Barbarian ham, etc."

Raoul was quite firm in his attitude: "Our King has issued strict laws. It is absolutely forbidden to sell any galleon. We would rather stop this trade than sell the galleon to your country."

Yang Bo said: "It is said that the Western barbarians are barbaric. I didn't expect that they also understand the principle of 'the country's sharp weapons should not be given to outsiders'."

Yang Bo made a compromise: "Interpreter, ask Captain Lao again. If we can't sell the warships, can we sell the blueprints to the Ming Dynasty?"

With the ability of Ming Dynasty craftsmen, they can build warships as long as they have the blueprints.

Yang Bo is very smart, and Raul is not stupid either. Raul replied: "The blueprints of the galleon are top secrets of our country. We won't sell the warships, and we won't sell the blueprints either."

Yang Bo was somewhat disappointed. But he changed his mind and felt relieved: the court's military expenditure was insufficient. If a large number of Portuguese warships were copied, and all the money was used for coastal defense, what would happen to my nine frontier defenses?
Whether it was the Portuguese cannon or the bird gun, in addition to fighting against the Japanese, the northern border troops could also use it to resist the Tatars. But warships could not gallop across the grasslands.

Everyone followed Raul into the cabin. In the bottom cabin, Lin Shisan actually found more than a dozen sheep.

Being good at playing with pets, he recognized at a glance that they were all ewes.

Lin Shisan asked Raul: "Do you people from Siberia like to eat mutton? Why do you have so many sheep in the bottom cabin?"

Raul explained everything to Yasan in a gibberish.

Ya San said: "He said that bringing women on board would easily lead to fighting. Sailors are full of energy and have nowhere to vent."

"So all the Sibanian ocean-going fleets set out with ewes. They provide the sailors with a way to vent their energy."

When Ya San said this, Lin Shisan and others looked at each other in surprise.

It is really a barbarian country, like beasts. Some people in the capital have some quirks, but at most they keep male paramours or lovers.

The Western Yi people actually raised sheep
Can a sheep be used like this?

(End of this chapter)