This made Li Shimin anxious, and he wanted to trade one for one with me.

Cheng Jun chuckled dryly, "You are my boss. It would be too rude of me to leave without even saying hello."

Wen Yanbo snorted, then, seeing the flintlock pistol in his hand, pointed at it and asked:

"What are you holding?"

Cheng Jun walked over and handed him the flintlock pistol.

Wen Yanbo took it from his hand, examined it carefully, put his finger on the trigger, gestured, and said:

"It looks a bit like a crossbow, but I can't see the string."

Cheng Jun laughed and said, "I named it flintlock gun. This thing can fire without a string."

Upon hearing the word "launch," Wen Yanbo became very interested, handed the flintlock pistol back to him, and said:

"Come on, show me."

Cheng Jun shook his head and said, "We can't demonstrate it right now. We're short of bullets, or you could say we're short of arrows."

"As for the bullets, I have already had the Ministry of Works manufacture them, and we will be able to test them in three days."

Wen Yanbo nodded slightly and said, "I see... Then you can go and get back to work."

"Then I'll head back!"

"go Go!"

After bidding farewell to Wen Yanbo, Cheng Jun, carrying his flintlock pistol, left the palace, mounted his horse outside the Vermilion Bird Gate, and headed towards Huaidefang.

"Sanlang is back!"

Accompanied by Cheng Zhong's doorbell-like greeting, Cheng Jun dismounted outside the mansion gate, looked at Cheng Zhong approaching, and asked:

Is my dad still home?

Cheng Zhongdao said, "After the young master finished greeting the eldest and second sons, he set off."

Cheng Junsu asked, as if noticing something, "Greetings?"

Cheng Zhong fell silent.

Cheng Jun asked in surprise, "Before my father left, did he beat up my eldest and second eldest brothers?"

Cheng Zhong nodded silently.

"My older brothers must have said something they shouldn't have..." Cheng Jun thought to himself.

"By the way, Sanlang, that old blacksmith named Chen Ran has arrived. This old servant has arranged for him to wait for you in the main room."

Cheng Zhong then spoke.

Cheng Jun understood immediately; Duan Lun had indeed been right. It seemed he had been visiting the old blacksmith quite often, given how accurate his intelligence was.

"Take me to see him."

"promise!"

Cheng Jun and Cheng Zhong went outside the main room together.

From afar, he saw an old man dressed in cloth sitting in the main room.

It was none other than the old blacksmith Chen Ran.

Cheng Jun handed the flintlock pistol to Cheng Zhong and said, "Uncle Zhong, I can go in by myself. I'll signal you to come in later."

Cheng Zhong took the unfamiliar item and nodded.

Cheng Jun strode into the main room, smiled, cupped his hands in a respectful greeting to the old blacksmith, and said:

"Mr. Chen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

When Chen Ran saw him walk in, he quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "No, no, I just arrived recently."

"Imperial Censor Cheng, I have obtained what you requested."

As he spoke, he pointed to the table beside him.

Cheng Jun's eyes lit up as he looked at the flintlock pistol on the table. He walked over, picked it up, and examined it carefully.

The flintlock muskets that Chen Ran forged and those forged by the Ministry of Works were not very similar in many respects; they were practically identical.

Cheng Jun turned to look at Chen Ran and asked:

"Engineer Chen, you didn't rifling it, did you?"

Chen Ran had been waiting for Cheng Jun to get closer and look inside the gun barrel, but to his surprise, the other man knew without even looking. He exclaimed in astonishment:

"You knew it without even looking at it, Imperial Censor Cheng? Are you relying on your gut feeling?"

Cheng Jun said, "I rely on intelligence."

Chen Ran asked in confusion, "Intelligence?"

Cheng Jun turned around and waved towards the outside of the main room.

Cheng Zhong immediately came over.

Seeing the flintlock pistol that Cheng Zhong was holding in his arms, Chen Ran suddenly realized, "The Ministry of Works has finished it too?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but complain, "No wonder the people from the Ministry of Works rushed back as soon as they heard that I had finished making it. It turns out they were going to deliver the goods before me."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun almost burst out laughing, realizing that the people from the Ministry of Works were watching them from the sidelines.

"Imperial Censor Cheng, may I take a look at the things made by the Ministry of Works?"

Cheng Jun turned his head and nodded in acknowledgment.

Chen Ran took the flintlock pistol from Cheng Zhong, examined the barrel carefully, and immediately chuckled:

"Hahaha, the Ministry of Works didn't rifling it either. I knew it. If I can't do it, the Ministry of Works definitely can't either!"

After saying that, he felt it was inappropriate to say such things in front of Cheng Jun, his employer, and quickly changed the subject:

“Imperial Censor Cheng, I have not met your requirements. I only need the cost of the 100,000 strings of cash and the hard-earned money. I will return the rest to you.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun raised his hand, shook his head, and said:

"You don't need to return this money to me."

If it's returned, it must be given back to the imperial court.

After all, the money came from the imperial court.

Chen Ran waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, I can't accept so much money if the matter wasn't settled."

Cheng Jun said seriously, "Let me finish what I have to say. Keep the money, and then continue to make this thing. The expenses will be deducted from that 100,000 strings of cash."

"In addition, for each finished product made, you will receive fifty strings of cash as a reward. What do you think?"

Chen Ran said happily, "Thank you so much!"

To collect 100,000 strings of cash, disregarding costs and labor expenses, one would need to produce 1,500 sticks just for the reward money.

At a rate of ten units per month, it would take 150 months, or 12 years and 6 months.

It's like Cheng Jun gave these blacksmiths a secure job.

Just thinking about it made Chen Ran incredibly excited.

Cheng Jun smiled and asked, "How's your production going?"

Chen Ran said, "I have twenty blacksmiths here. They have already accumulated some experience. If we make ten a month, we can make ten."

Cheng Jun nodded slightly. Starting from scratch is the most difficult part.

Once you have "one", "two" becomes relatively easier.

Cheng Jun said, "Then I'll have to trouble Engineer Chen. When you're building, remember not to just bury your heads in the work, but to think more and see if there are ways to increase production."

As he spoke, he asked Cheng Zhong to bring him a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and drew about ten sketches, handing them to him and saying:

"I have some blueprints here. Take them back and study them carefully; they might be helpful to you."

Chen Ran quickly took it and examined it carefully. The more he looked, the more a feeling arose in his heart.

The Imperial Censor Cheng in front of me is probably playing dumb to deceive others.

Once you take off his official robes, he must be a very skilled blacksmith!

Otherwise, how could they so easily produce such blueprints!

At this moment, Cheng Jun was also pondering. Rather than giving Chen Ran blueprints, it would be more accurate to say that he was providing Chen Ran and the blacksmiths around him with an idea.

Cheng Jun never expected that the blacksmiths could forge what he wanted so quickly.

He has plenty of time to let them gain experience.

Then, wait for the day when the accumulated strength will finally be released.

Perhaps then, I will change this world... Cheng Jun thought to himself, and said aloud:

"Engineer Chen, among the blueprints you have, there are blueprints for making lead bullets. Could you help me make some more lead bullets?"