Zhu Yijun's New Year was very comfortable. Even if the war was in the south, the army was mobilizing westward. However, these did not affect Zhu Yijun's New Year. After all, the current national strength of the Ming Dynasty was basically no longer a problem to deal with these. Zhu Yijun didn't have to worry too much about it.

After the Chinese New Year, everything was back on track, and the war reports from the south were also spread, and the battle situation was good.

First, there was the Royal Navy of the Ming Dynasty. Basically, the Royal Navy occupied Champo without much effort and began to establish a solid naval base there. Then there was the land of the Ming Dynasty. Mangyingli could be said to be defeated step by step. Facing the Ming army, he had no power to fight back. The Ming Dynasty had already captured two-thirds of the land of the Dongyu Dynasty, and he would be able to take down the Dongyu Dynasty soon.

Once the Dongxu Dynasty was destroyed, the entire Southeast Peninsula would completely enter the sphere of influence of the Ming Dynasty, and the rest would take time to erode.

"Emperor, Lord Xu Guangqi is here!" Wei Chao stood beside Zhu Yijun and spoke respectfully.

Zhu Yijun nodded, then said, "Let him come in!"

Not long after, Xu Guangqi walked in from outside. At this time, Xu Guangqi was exhausted, his face was exhausted, but his expression was very excited. Obviously, something good happened. Since the steam engine started to operate, Xu Guangqi has been busy miniaturizing Xu Guangqi because Xu Guangqi had already obtained Zhu Yijun's plan for the next step in the steam engine.

Although the rail carriages were not built to build steam-powered iron-armored warships and trains, the Military Preparation Department has been in use for several years.

Once trains replace rail carriages, the traffic between the Ming Dynasty and the north and south will be greatly enhanced.

"Looking at my dear, I have a happy event to tell me!" Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Guangqi and said with a smile: "I am looking forward to good news from my dear, it's not a day."

"It's good news to go back to Your Majesty." Xu Guangqi said with a smile: "I led my colleagues from the Wubei Department to conquer the mortar production line, the assembly line production line powered by the steam engine, and the Wubei Department's rear loading guns and bullets have been conquered. I am preparing to increase my efforts to invest in this regard. This time I am here to ask the emperor to allocate money, and I am waiting to use it."

According to the normal process, Xu Guangqi needed to submit a memorial to the Military Affairs Office, and then the ticket to the Military Affairs Office was submitted to Zhu Yijun. After Zhu Yijun approved it, the memorial returned to the Military Affairs Office to form an imperial edict. The imperial edict was to go to the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Revenue was allocating funds to the Military Preparation Department. Obviously, Xu Guangqi couldn't wait. He needed to get the money as soon as possible and did not want to wait at all.

After hearing Xu Guangqi's words, Zhu Yijun was stunned and asked in disbelief: "Is it done?"

"Your Majesty, it's done!" Xu Guangqi said excitedly: "The production line of mortars can be used at any time. The money is in place. The barrels and shells can be mass-produced. I am preparing to go to two production lines. At the speed of the Royal Iron Smelting Plant, four production lines should be enough. At that time, one hundred mortars and five hundred shells can be produced every month."

This seems to be a little less, right? But Zhu Yijun also understands that this is the beginning, and the speed is good. In addition, Xu Guangqi mentioned the output of steel mills. Obviously, what restricts the output is not the production capacity, but the raw materials.

Zhu Yijun nodded and asked again: "Where is the rifled cannon afterward?"

This is what Zhu Yijun is most concerned about. Although the mortars are also very powerful, the rifled cannon is the king. By then, the Ming Dynasty will have field artillery in the true sense, even howitzers. With such cannons, the Ming Dynasty's artillery is the true sense artillery. The artillery is still a bit inconsistent now. You must know that this is the era when artillery is king.

"When you go back to your Majesty, you have already made the test items. It will take some time to mass production, but it won't be too long." Xu Guangqi promised.

In fact, although the steam engine has not been miniaturized yet, its birth has brought a qualitative leap to the Ming Dynasty. Many technologies that were accumulated before cannot be used can now be used.

"Okay, very good!" Zhu Yijun nodded with satisfaction: "We must speed up the progress and create a rifled cannon and a rear-loaded gun as soon as possible."

Once these two killing weapons are available, the Ming Dynasty will be invincible. How could Zhu Yijun not be excited?

"Your Majesty, the Military Preparation Department has created a small thing, and I specially brought it to you." Xu Guangqi was also happy to see Zhu Yijun so happy. At least this time he would ask for more money and easier.

Zhu Yijun was stunned, then said, "Where is the thing?"

"It's outside!" Xu Guangqi said quickly.

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Pick it in!"

Not long after, the eunuch brought in two boxes, and Zhu Yijun also walked down from the dragon chaise. Xu Guangqi hurried over and opened the first box. The things inside attracted Zhu Yijun's attention. There were two guns in the box, one in front was a short gun and the other in the back was a long gun, but Zhu Yijun was so excited.

The short gun in front was actually a revolver, and Zhu Yijun took it up without hesitation.

With a light wave, he pulled the wheels of the revolver turn around. Zhu Yijun turned his head and looked at Xu Guangqi: "Do you have any bullets?"

"Yes!" Xu Guangqi quickly opened the second box, which contained two boxes of bullets, one box of small and one box of large. The small one was obviously the revolver bullets, and the big one was naturally the rifle bullets.

Zhu Yijun reached out and took out the bullets of the revolver, and then put them into the revolver one by one. Without any hesitation, Zhu Yijun walked out of the hall with the pistol, and then shot the pistol at the pillar not far away with it.

"Bang!"

The crisp gunshots rang in front of the hall's door, and the rising white smoke of gunpowder was still a bit choking, because this was not smokeless gunpowder after all.

Zhu Yijun didn't bother to choke or not, and walked straight to the front of the pillar. Sure enough, he found a bullet hole in the pillar. Although it was much worse than Zhu Yijun's aim, it was a problem with Zhu Yijun's gun technique rather than a gun. Zhu Yijun suddenly became excited and turned around and said to Xu Guangqi: "Take the spear for me!"

The spear was quickly brought over. Zhu Yijun stroked the spear and became even more excited. He reached out to pick up a bullet from the spear, pressed it into the chamber, stretched out to pull the bolt, then raised the gun and pointed it at a shot not far away. The crisp sound of gunfire sounded again.
Chapter completed!