We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

In addition to placing 'tetanus fragments' inside the grenade, Li Che also made several constructive suggestions.

For example, replacing the ignition detonation with a pull-ring detonation is a very small change that can greatly improve efficiency.

All you need is a firing pin, and use friction to create sparks to ignite the gunpowder.

But the spring that matches the firing pin is a big problem. Although the spring seems simple, it is actually extremely difficult to make. It was almost impossible to make it before the industrial age.

Chen Gui could only find a way to replace the spring on his own.

As for the other firearms displayed by Chen Gui, they were rejected one by one by Li Che.

Chen Gui was still an ancient man after all. He could not break away from the thinking of ancient weapons, and the firearms he invented were more outrageous than each other.

For example, install gunpowder on the head of a spear, light the fuse, and then go up to engage the enemy, confusing the enemy with the sparks produced by the explosion and combustion.

This weapon is simply a "handmade" invention, with no feasibility or practicality at all.

It's like the emperor using a golden hoe to plow the land, which is just a cold weapon in the guise of a hot weapon.

In the end, Li Che requested that the current task of the Gunpowder Bureau was to improve grenades and at the same time research explosive packs and artillery.

The positioning of explosive packs and grenades is different, and we cannot say that explosive packs are large-sized grenades.

Grenades are mainly used to kill people, while explosive packs are used to destroy buildings by generating vibrations.

As for artillery, the most primitive artillery was born in the Southern Song Dynasty. It was called flint cannon, which used the thrust generated by the explosion of gunpowder to projectiles.

This type of artillery is not difficult to make, the key is the material of the gun body.

The quality of iron cast in Daqing was uneven, and it was too difficult to make cannons with iron.

So Li Che decided to cast a few copper cannons first, so that at least the safety could be guaranteed and they would not explode after being ignited.

"Your Highness," Chen Gui said with an embarrassed look on his face. "There are plenty of iron ingots in the city, but the copper reserves are very low. Based on your description, I'm afraid it can only be used to cast two or three cannons."

It is said that the sound of a cannon is worth a fortune.

Copper was a rare metal in ancient times and was used as an ancient form of currency for more than three thousand years.

To cast a cannon with copper is literally to cast a cannon with money.

Li Che pondered for a moment and said, "It's okay. Let's cast two first to practice. I'll take care of the copper problem."

Now that Chaoyang City has stabilized, my old skills have finally been put to good use.

As an explorer, Li Che's understanding of the distribution of mineral resources in the Northeast region was the greatest confidence that enabled him to launch the Industrial Revolution.

There are also copper mines in the Northeast. Although there are no large mines, only small and medium-sized mines, they are enough.

"Okay, that's it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Li Che turned around and prepared to leave, but suddenly he saw those craftsmen in thin clothes carrying saltpeter, and he stopped in his tracks.

Then he looked at the simple wooden sheds in the corner of the yard and asked with some dissatisfaction:

"Is this where the workers live?"

Chen Gui looked uneasy: "Your Highness, the Gunpowder Department has just been established, and all the rooms are used as warehouses. Most of the rooms are not cleaned up yet, so..."

"No matter what, at least we have to provide the craftsmen with a place to shelter from the wind and rain." Li Che said with a dark face, "Put aside other work and arrange a place for the workers to live first."

"Yes." Chen Gui responded quickly.

"Be nice to the workers." Li Che patted Chen Gui on the shoulder and said something that made him feel puzzled:

"The future of Ninggu County belongs to the working and peasant classes."

Seeing the current situation of the workers in the Gunpowder Department made Li Che reflect.

Ever since he moved into Chaoyang City, the people in the city have been grateful to him and have been cheering for him.

Over time, Li Che became a little lazy, thinking that the people were living a good life.

But what about the facts?

Even those skilled craftsmen still wore thin clothes and lived in wooden sheds that could not keep out the wind.

What about other people, the elderly, the weak and the sick?

That night, Li Che tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Finally, he made up his mind to set aside half a day tomorrow, put down his work, and go to the city to see the living conditions of the people.

As the great man said, come from the masses and go back to the masses.

. . . . . .

The next morning, after the regular meeting, Qian Bin, Zhuge Zhe, Yue Yun, ** Zhi, and Yang Xuan were left behind.

"Go back and pack up, change into civilian clothes, and accompany me for a walk around the city." Li Che's tone left no room for questioning.

Although the five people felt a little strange, they still obeyed the order respectfully and retreated.

When they changed their clothes and returned to the government office, Li Che had already changed into a simple robe and was waiting at the door.

Seeing the five people dressed in common people's clothes, Li Che couldn't help but smile.

It is said that clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse. High-ranking generals and important officials become ordinary people if they change into civilian clothes.

Except for Yang Xuan's beauty that was difficult to conceal, there was no difference between the others among the common people.

"Let's go." Li Che said, "Aqiang's size is too eye-catching, so I didn't let him come with us. Zilong, you have to protect me."

Yue Yun quickly responded, "I will protect Your Highness until my death."

Seeing this, Yang Xuan frowned slightly and took a step forward: "I am also a military commander and can protect Your Highness."

"Hahaha." Li Che laughed, "General Yang is right. I'll leave it to you then."

The six people walked forward along the street, and Qiu Bai followed with his personal guards, hiding in the crowd.

"Let's go check out the situation in the inner city first." Li Che walked in front, with Yang Xuan and Yue Yun protecting him on the left and right, looking around vigilantly.

Most of the noble families in the inner city were killed by Li Che, and the remaining ones had their property confiscated. Now, the people living here are officials, craftsmen, soldiers, and their families.

The wealthy families knew how to enjoy life. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, and courtyards and buildings were scattered in an orderly manner, with white walls and gray tiles. The streets were also very clean.

After Li Che and others walked around, they saw smiling faces everywhere and passers-by were all wearing thick clothes.

Suddenly, a man came running past me hurriedly, holding a white flour cake in his mouth.

Li Che stretched out his hand to stop him: "Brother, wait a moment."

The man was stopped by Li Che and looked over angrily: "What are you doing?"

Hearing the familiar accent, Li Che knew that this guy must be from the Ninggu Army.

Sure enough, when the man saw Li Che's face clearly, he was immediately surprised and said: "Your Highness!"

"What are you going to do?" Li Che asked with a smile.

"I'm going to work." The man replied with a silly smile.

Only then did Li Che see that there was nothing under his left sleeve, and it was obvious that one of his hands was missing.

"Have you been properly accommodated in the army?"

"Okay, okay." The man said quickly, "My left arm is broken, and I thought it was useless for the rest of my life."

"The captain came to see me a few days ago and said that His Highness had reserved a position for me in the law enforcement team. I would just patrol the streets and stand guard on weekdays, and I would receive food and salary every month."

"My wife and children have all left the city with His Highness, and the city officials have found me a place to live in the inner city."

The man swung his sleeves cheerfully and said, "I only lost an arm for His Highness, but I got so many things. It's worth it even if I have to give my life to His Highness."

"Bullshit, good times are still to come." Li Che scolded with a smile, "You are so promising."

The man just smiled foolishly and didn't refute.

"Go on duty and patrol the streets properly. If you dare to be lazy, you will be fined." After knowing that the other party was an old soldier of the Ninggu Army, Li Che was no longer polite.

After sending the man away, the smile on Li Che's face did not disappear.

Zhuge Zhe stepped forward and said with emotion, "Your Highness has great prestige in the army."

It's not just his prestige that's high. Now almost all the Ninggu soldiers are Li Che's loyal supporters, the kind who are willing to die for him.

Li Che is the backbone of this army. With his orders, these soldiers would dare to go up and beat him up even if they met the King of Hell.

After hearing Qian Bin's words, Li Che did not feel proud. Instead, he thought deeply: "The morale of the army can't be maintained in the long run by relying solely on personal worship."

Zhuge Zhe gave him a puzzled look. "This... Since ancient times, armies have relied on the prestige of their commanders."

Li Che shook his head and remained noncommittal.

"Ziyuan, I want to set up a military supervision department. Are you willing to serve as the director?"