Jiao Shun didn't let Niu Siyuan in, not just to exclude him, but to have serious things to explain to Dong Xun and the other two.

Under the repeated urging of the emperor, the Ordnance Department, which was already eager to achieve results, has built the first batch of new muskets through three shifts. The number is not large, with only more than fifty ones in total, and is ready to hand over to the first place.

The Dragon King Guard conducts a three-month actual test.

After all, it is a musket named after the last year's name. The Dragon Guard naturally attaches great importance to this. He specially selected the elite troops of the first battalion to imitate the Ministry of Works and divide it into four squads to conduct uninterrupted tests for twelve hours a day.

In order to better collect data, the Ministry of Works decided to send another group of craftsmen into the army after discussion, and also be responsible for the maintenance work on weekdays. The people in the Ordnance Department do not want their political achievements that they have finally achieved.

It has become a stain because of neglecting maintenance.

Today Jiao Shun called Dong Xun and the other two to come, just to appoint them as managers of this group of craftsmen to be responsible for the communication and coordination work with the Dragon and Monkey King Guard on weekdays.

The reasons are also ready-made. They not only conducted military training for half a year, but also managed a quasi-military picket team in the factory. They knew better than the civil servants of the Ministry of Works how to deal with soldiers.

With this, and Jiao Shun has been in the limelight recently, naturally no one will stand up and oppose it.

But after hearing his words, Dong Xun and the other two had different thoughts.

Li Qing was very happy, knowing that Jiao Shun was deliberately polite. As long as he did not make any big mistakes during the period, he would probably be able to wear a dress of official clothes when he came out of the army!

Chen Wansan was a little reluctant to part with his brothers from the Iron and Steel Factory, but he would definitely do his best to do whatever Jiao Shun asked him to do.

As for Dong Xun...

He had a dilemma for a moment. The Industrial Union is now developing in full swing. He has even obtained the review of the Tongzheng Department and won the approval for the establishment of a newspaper. Therefore, he was summoned this time and is still responsible for asking Jiao Shun to serve as the newspaper.

Nomination mission.

If you go to the army at this time, what should you do about the affairs of the Industrial Alliance? What should you do about the establishment of a newspaper?

It’s not that it cannot be handed over to the two vice presidents, but the Union of the Industrial and Industrial Union has only been established for a few months. During the critical period of development, he went to the army to "100-day retreat". Who will decide when the Union of the Industrial and Industrial Union comes out?

, but it's hard to say.

However, before he could think too much, Li Qing and Chen Wansan had already bowed together and said, "Thank you for your praise. We will do our best to live up to the expectations of the teacher."

Dong Xun didn't catch up with the first half, but the second half was also busy subconsciously aligning his lips.

Once you say this, it will be difficult to repent.

Dong Xun could only comfort himself in a good way - no matter how prosperous the Industrial Union was, it was just a non-governmental organization, but when he came out of the barracks, he would not be a commoner.

And this is exactly what Jiao Shun wants to see.

At this stage, he will not interfere in the Handicraft Alliance openly, but he will intentionally or unintentionally create opportunities for the two deputy leaders or others to stand out.

In short, as long as the Industrial and Industrial Union is not the only one.

After roughly finalizing the date with the three of them, Jiao Shun summoned Niu Siyuan and learned that the King of Nan'an was also in the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion, he suddenly felt a little overwhelmed.

If he could, he really didn't want to deal with these Iron Prince Kings face to face - even the most approachable water-mercien who is rumored to be accustomed to looking at people with nostrils, let alone the Nan'an King who can tell the signs of separation from King Zhongshun?

But if you don't go...

As soon as he pulled King Zhongshun into the car factory, he turned around and avoided King Nan'an, but what did King Nan'an think?

So he had to bite the bullet and go to the Duke of Zhenguo for a banquet.

…………

Front hall of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.

Yongyi Boniu Jizong sat in the main seat with a calm face and savored tea, but King Nan'an was unable to sit down and stood up, not leaning over to the door and stretching his neck to look out.

Niu Jizong didn't want to pay attention to him at first, but the little cousin refused to calm down again and again. He couldn't help but slapped the teacup on the table, and said angrily: "The prince also pays attention to his appearance and manners. What did the servants see?

”

"Except for newcomers, how many people in this mansion have never seen me?"

The King of Nan'an turned around and rolled his eyes, and asked impatiently: "When did you make an appointment? Why haven't you seen anyone in such a long time?"

"It's almost done."

Niu Jizong casually said perfunctorily, and couldn't help but say wonderingly: "Why are you suddenly so interested in Jiao Shun?"

"What kind of interest can I have in him?"

The King of Nan'an curled his lips and simply turned back and sat opposite Niu Jizong. He picked up his teacup and whispered: "I am interested in the rumored new musket. I heard that the emperor was very satisfied and gave it a name to Longyuan Yishi.

As I came here, I couldn’t have a single one after I asked everyone.”

"Now that is the person surnamed Jiao owes us the favor, so he has to get a few..."

"You still think the trouble you're not big enough?"

Niu Jizong interrupted his words while rubbing his temples, and said speechlessly: "The first thing King Zhongshun had to do was to gather all living beings. If you hadn't shot and killed someone, you would have won the lawsuit long ago."

When the King of Nan'an heard this, he also slapped the teacup in his hand on the table and said annoyedly: "Why would I shoot and scare the dog slaves under Xu Yan [King Zhongshun], why should I break out of the siege?"

Although he has been in charge of the throne for three years, he is still not used to claiming himself. He usually uses more orphans, and once he gets excited, he will recover from "me".

As he was talking, he suddenly heard the report from the manager outside that Jiao Shun's carriage had turned across the street corner.

The King of Nan'an jumped up happily and walked out quickly.

Yongyi Bo followed closely behind. When he arrived outside the gate, he grabbed him and repeatedly reminded him: "Since the emperor named the gun himself, who dared to spread out randomly at this time? Especially now you are in a lawsuit with King Zhongshun, if you are

I know there... In short, you'd better not mention this matter, so as not to be difficult to do and everyone is embarrassed!"

The King of Nan'an hummed, and neither said he would agree nor said he would agree.

But when Jiao Shun came off the carriage, he asked the first question: "I heard that the Longyuan style can be fired continuously, and the range is long enough, so it is not troublesome to load it, right?"

It is not uncommon to be able to fire continuously. There were continuous guns in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, but it was not easy to stimulate, and it was only possible to load them in advance. It was almost equivalent to a disposable weapon on the battlefield, and it was difficult to solve the problem of sealing.

, resulting in a low range, so its practicality is greatly reduced.

So the next two items are the difficulties that need to be broken through.

To be honest, Jiao Shun heard that King Nan'an took the initiative to lift the new musket, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it would be better to have a common language - he was not easy to coax people in other aspects. If you want to talk about these things, it would definitely be a hand-to-hand grip.

So he followed the Nan'an King and brought the topic to the new musket.

This young prince who likes fishing and hunting is indeed very interested in listening and asks some details from time to time.

Say...

According to this temperament, he should have a common language with the emperor?

“Oh~”

When the King of Nan'an heard this, he spread his hands and said helplessly: "The concubine is afraid that the prince will cause the emperor to take risks, so she ordered her to refuse to discuss muskets with the emperor. Besides, the palace is strictly in charge, let alone playing muskets casually.

Even if you want to bring a dagger in, you will…”

"cough!"

Niu Jizong heard that he was talking less and less. He quickly interrupted his words with a dry cough, trying to bring the topic to the right track: "Jiao Jijiu, I heard that the Ministry of Revenue still has to pay for the money from engineering until now, which led to the construction of engineering.

What's hard to sustain?"

"true."

Jiao Shun nodded and said, "But recently someone took the initiative to donate 30,000 taels of silver. With this money, the reconstruction of Prince Yizhong's mansion can be officially put on the agenda."

Someone has donated 30,000 taels?!

Niu Jizong was shocked at first, and then furious, thinking that a noble and foreign relative had secretly taken away and robbed his first achievements.

But when he saw the King of Nan'an beside him, he felt that things should not be that simple - he dared to seize the nobles and relatives in front of his Yongyi Bo, and he could count more or less, but who dared to compete with King of Nan'an to promote this song.

achievement?

So he extinguished his anger and asked, "But I don't know who is so wise?"

"That's it..."

Jiao Shun pretended to be mysterious: "The matter has to be decided by the emperor, so I am sorry that the officials are not convenient to disclose it for the time being."

After he got this trick, Niu Jizong became more and more distorted. He thought to himself that it was King Zhongshun who was caught in the lead?

If this is the case, the emperor's tendency is not to be asked about.

Although Niu Jizong didn't like his cousin, he was in a relationship of prosperity and loss, and he couldn't help but be nervous about it at the moment.

On the contrary, King Nan'an still looked heartless. Seeing Niu Jizong stop talking, he immediately asked again: "You have to hand me a real number. How many new guns have the Ministry of Works created? When will it take to be equipped?

”

"this……"

Jiao Shun had to wait perfunctorily, but when he saw that he was persistent and he hesitated, he still revealed some things: "The prince will pay attention to the Dragon Guard today, and he will probably get the news."

When the King of Nan'an heard this, his eyes shone brightly when he glared.

When the things were in the Ordnance Division, he had no way to get them, but if the Dragon Guard was equipped with it, that would be another matter.

Just as he was about to continue to ask the bottom of the matter, Niu Jizong on the side changed the topic again: "By the way, I heard from the prince that the concubine was interested in going to Rongguo Mansion?"

The King of Nan'an was interrupted again and again, so he was not very happy, but he still explained to Jiao Shun on the side: "My sister has entered a few new sour poems, saying that it was from the lady of Rongguo Mansion.

It was reported by Bian'er that she wanted to make friends, so she sued the concubine."
To be continued...