I was living at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and I dealt a brutal blow to the Eight Banners!

Cannons, breech-loading cannons, and muskets?

Ma Shaoyu nodded thoughtfully, saying that using firearms to defend the city was indeed a good method.

Wu Sangui was somewhat surprised. He had thought that Zhang Jingchuan would take the opportunity to ask him for troops or provisions, but he didn't expect that Zhang only wanted some firearms that looked good but were not very useful.

It wasn't that Wu Sangui was belittling the effectiveness of firearms, but rather that many of the firearms transported from within the Great Wall were severely damp and could not be fired successfully. Even if the soldiers were equipped with firearms, they found them ineffective in actual combat and less convenient than short sticks and waist knives.

Song Ben remained noncommittal about Zhang Jingchuan's demands. If firearms alone could hold off the Qing army and defend the city, then Liaodong would not have fallen into the hands of the Qing army.

"That's all?" Ma Shaoyu asked with a smile.

"That's all." Zhang Jingchuan nodded.

Ma Shaoyu smiled slightly and said to Wu Sangui, "Since he already has four hundred soldiers under his command, I think we should just give him the position of supervisor when he goes to guard Donghai Fort. That way, he can legitimately guard Donghai Fort."

"General Ma is indeed very thoughtful," Wu Sangui said with a smile to Zhang Jingchuan, "Why don't you hurry up and thank General Ma?"

"This humble servant thanks you, General."

The position of the coordinator was not a regular military post, but a temporary post assigned during wartime, responsible for overseeing a fort and managing the soldiers and some logistical affairs within the fort.

The fort not only housed garrison troops but also inhabited civilians. With the position of Supervisor, not only could the soldiers within the fort be managed, but also the civilians. Even some of the officials within the fort had to obey the Supervisor.

Therefore, with the title of Supervisor, Zhang Jingchuan could naturally become the true leader of Donghai Fort.

According to the regulations, the position of supervisor does not necessarily have to be given to Zhang Jingchuan, because even if it is not given to him, Zhang Jingchuan can easily take control of Donghai Fort with four hundred armored soldiers, which is quite common in wartime.

As for Ma Shaoyu's initiative to offer Zhang Jingchuan the position of supervisor, it could be considered as doing a favor, since everyone knew how dangerous it was to be stationed at Donghai Fort, and how isolated and helpless they were, left to fend for themselves.

Wu Sangui was incredibly perceptive. Seeing that Ma Shaoyu was trying to do Zhang Jingchuan a favor, he naturally pointed it out. After all, if someone is going to perform, someone has to set the stage; otherwise, the audience wouldn't feel that they had to pay to watch the show.

"Then...about firearms?" Zhang Jingchuan looked up at Wu Sangui.

Wu Sangui glanced at Zhang Jingchuan, immediately wrote two notes, handed them to him, and waved his hand, saying, "Take your men to the warehouse and get them, as long as you can carry them."

Zhang Jingchuan was overjoyed, accepted the note with both hands, bowed, and took his leave.

Perhaps fearing that Wu Sangui might change his mind, or perhaps worried that Song Ben would make things difficult for him again, Zhang Jingchuan immediately summoned Li Daniu and the other flag commanders to his side upon returning to the camp to discuss the matter of going to Donghai Fort.

After lunch, Zhang Jingchuan sent Li Daniu and others to the granary with slips of paper to move grain, while he led several teams to the armory to retrieve a variety of firearms and ammunition, including the Hongyi Cannon, General Cannon, Extinction Cannon, Tiger Venerable Cannon, self-propelled flintlock pistol, and three-eyed pistol.

Zhang Jingchuan loaded boxes of everything he had ever seen or heard about in history books onto the cart.

As for the cannons with wheels, Zhang Jingchuan had them dragged away with ropes.

Regarding the issue of firearms getting damp, Zhang Jingchuan's current abilities are insufficient to identify each one individually; he can only rely on trial and error through quantity.

The garrison commander in charge of the armory, clutching the note in his hand, was completely dumbfounded as he looked at the soldiers who resembled bandits. If it weren't for the note approved by Wu Sangui, he would have almost thought these soldiers were about to mutiny.

After Zhang Jingchuan and his party finished loading the car and were about to leave, the clerk in charge of registration ran over, covered in sweat, and reported:

"Sir, the registration is complete," the clerk said, raising the booklet in his hand and reading aloud: "Five Red Barbarian Cannons, fifteen General Cannons, twenty Extinction Cannons, and twenty Tiger Venerable Cannons."

At this point, the clerk licked his fingers, turned a page, and continued reading: "One hundred and fifty self-propelled flintlock guns, fifty three-barreled guns, twenty boxes of various types of shells, ten boxes of projectiles, and ten boxes of gunpowder."

The garrison commander grew increasingly alarmed as he listened. Good heavens, so many firearms, enough to equip an entire battalion! Were they about to wage war against the Tartars?

However, we haven't received any military orders from above.

The garrison commander looked at the note in his hand. It only said that the dispatcher, Zhang Jingchuan, was to come to the armory to retrieve firearms and that they should cooperate, but it didn't specify the quantity.

Watching Zhang Jingchuan and his men gradually disappear into the distance, the garrison commander's heart remained heavy. After much deliberation, he took the booklet from the scribe, mounted his horse, and rode towards Wu Sangui's military tent.

……

"What did you say?!" Song Ben grabbed the guard's collar and demanded, "Zhang Jingchuan took away enough firearms to equip almost an entire battalion?"

Wu Sangui looked at the booklet in his hand, his face grim, but he did not speak.

Ma Shaoyu stood to the side, stroking his chin and pondering, "Zhang Jingchuan only has four hundred men, why did he take so many firearms..."

The garrison commander glanced at Ma Shaoyu, then looked at Wu Sangui, who was seated at the head of the table, and said with a mournful face, "Zhang Jingchuan said that he didn't know which ones were damp, so he took more to prepare for any eventuality."

"Absurd!" Song Ben retorted angrily, "You, the dignified garrison commander of the armory, would give him as much as he wanted? Are you a pig?!"

The garrison commander said, looking aggrieved, "The note the General gave me didn't specify the quantity; it only instructed me to cooperate..."

Song Ben was momentarily stunned. He pushed aside the guard, looked at Wu Sangui, and said anxiously, "My lord, I will take men to reprimand that scoundrel Zhang Jingchuan right away!"

"No way!" Wu Sangui said with a dark face, "I wrote the note, and I also promised him that as long as he can carry it, any amount is fine."

At this moment, Wu Sangui was also somewhat regretful. He didn't know why he had agreed to Zhang Jingchuan's request.

Just then, the officer in charge of supplying provisions entered and reported:

"Reporting to you, sir, Zhang Jingchuan took two hundred shi of grain from the granary and also borrowed thirty carts, saying that..."

At this point, the dispatcher glanced at the garrison commander in charge of the armory and whispered, "They said they were going to the armory to retrieve firearms..."

"Two hundred shi of grain?" Song Ben asked in surprise. "Zhang Jingchuan only has about four hundred men. Two hundred shi of grain is enough to feed them for more than a month. What exactly is Zhang Jingchuan planning to do!"

"Hehehe," Ma Shaoyu said with a laugh, "Zhang Jingchuan is truly an extraordinary person!"

Wu Sangui's face was grim, and he said loudly, "Men, bring that brat Zhang Jingchuan here!"

About half an incense stick's time had passed when the messenger rushed into the military tent, bowed, and reported: "Reporting to the general, Zhang Jingchuan is not in the camp. I went to the city gate to inquire, and Zhang Jingchuan led his troops out of the city at dusk."

"What? They've left the city?" Song Ben exclaimed in surprise.

The messenger nodded and continued, "The guard at the city gate asked Zhang Jingchuan why he wanted to leave the city at night."

"What did he say?" Wu Sangui asked.

"They said they would travel under cover of darkness so that the Qing army would not easily spot them," the messenger replied truthfully.

“He is indeed clever,” Ma Shaoyu said with a smile.

Song Ben exclaimed in shock and anger, "My lord, I'll take men and bring that scoundrel Zhang Jingchuan back right away!"

Wu Sangui glanced at Ma Shaoyu, who remained silent beside him, and sighed, "Never mind, let him be."

……