Howard and Pierre were overjoyed when they received Zhu Jinsong's invitation, wishing they could witness the firearms described by the Ming Emperor sooner.
Since the negotiations with the Ming for opening trade ports were a foregone conclusion, the rest was merely a matter of time. If they could seize this opportunity to understand the firearms used by the Ming army, it would truly be a windfall.
Howard and Pierre felt that their trip had been worthwhile.
However, on the morning of the first day of the second month of spring in the 4483rd year of the Yellow Emperor, the 418th year of Great Ming, and the 51st year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, after Howard, Pierre, and others left the city with the people sent by Zhu Jinsong, Howard and Pierre felt like cursing.
A carriage without windows, its entrance covered by a cloth, jolted along an unknown distance and through countless turns. Howard and Pierre only felt the jolting for half a day, gaining no useful information whatsoever.
When the carriage finally stopped, the people sent by Zhu Jinsong lifted the curtain at the carriage entrance and jumped out first.
After Howard and Pierre alighted, a building resembling a ceremonial archway appeared before them. Beneath the archway was a guard post. A small path led outside the post, flanked by abbatis and chevaux de frise, behind which lay a straight road leading into the depths of the military camp.
To Howard and Pierre's disappointment, the entrance to the camp had only a wooden plaque bearing the inscription "Unit 02304." The other wooden plaques were all covered with cloth, making it impossible to discern any useful information.
Howard and Pierre inwardly fumed. "If you had at least displayed something like 'X Brigade, Y Division, Z Regiment' like the Qing army," they thought, "we might have gleaned some useful information. But now, you only put up a sign for 'Unit 02304' and hide the rest? How strong is this sense of secrecy, you scoundrels!"
Even more infuriating was that the people sent by Zhu Jinsong seemed to have no intention of leading them into the camp. They stopped about two hundred meters outside the camp and pointed towards it, saying, "This is the station of our Great Ming's Unit 02304. Carriages cannot proceed further. Please follow me."
After saying this, the Ming personnel bypassed the camp with Howard and Pierre, heading towards the back of the mountain.
Howard and Pierre, following closely behind, wished they could kill the bastard in front of them.
They were already at the camp, mere steps away from witnessing the mysterious Ming military camp and closely encountering the mysterious Ming army. Now, with a single casual remark from this scoundrel, such a golden opportunity was lost.
"The station of Unit 02304?" they grumbled in their hearts as they followed the Ming personnel towards the back of the mountain. Howard and Pierre were almost dizzy from the detour when they finally arrived at what appeared to be a shooting range.
What made Howard and Pierre want to curse again was that the entrance to this shooting range, like the camp entrance they had seen earlier, displayed a wooden plaque for "Unit 02304 Shooting Range," while another wooden plaque beside it was completely concealed.
It was clear that the concealed plaque bore the unit's true designation, and "02304" was likely a randomly assigned code, providing no useful information.
Upon entering the shooting range, Howard and Pierre were met by Liu Heming, the Commander of the First Army of the Great Ming Army, who had been waiting for them. Behind Liu Heming were rows of targets, and further in the distance, cannons with their muzzles raised.
As Howard and Pierre entered the shooting range and approached Liu Heming, introductions were made. Howard was the first to ask, "May I ask, esteemed Commander, on our way here, we saw a sign with '02304' outside the shooting range. What does '02304' signify?"
Liu Heming chuckled and replied, "Nothing, it's just a codename for this shooting range."
Howard and Pierre wore expressions of suspicion. Liu Heming, being new, thought, "Do you expect me to tell you that '02' represents the First Army, '3' signifies a regimental combat unit, and '04' is the designation of the First Army's First Division Direct Artillery Regiment? That's absurd! The method of converting such codes to specific units is strictly classified even within our Great Ming!"
Wishing to change the subject, Liu Heming chuckled again and said, "Our schedule today is simple. The first item is to test the flintlock muskets you brought, the second is for you to try the flintlock muskets produced by our Great Ming, and the third is to witness a volley of artillery fire."
As Liu Heming finished speaking, Howard and Pierre, who had been secretly admiring the Ming army's security measures, couldn't help but smirk inwardly, feeling a sense of disdain.
They simply couldn't fathom how advanced the flintlock muskets used by the Ming army could be, given that the most advanced flintlock musket in the world at the time was the Brown Bess flintlock musket that Howard had presented to the Ming Emperor.
Liu Heming naturally noticed the fleeting disdain in Howard's eyes. However, he merely smiled gently and instructed a soldier beside him, "Begin."
The soldier beside Liu Heming immediately acknowledged the order and left. The events that followed caused the "envoys" from other nations to turn their gazes towards Howard.
Howard's so-called most advanced Brown Bess flintlock musket required the flintlock mechanism to be cocked, then the paper cartridge containing the ball and powder to be taken out. The powder end was bitten open, a portion of the powder poured into the pan, the pan cover closed, and the remaining powder and ball rammed down the muzzle, followed by priming, before the firing process could be completed.
Of course, using a ramrod was optional. After loading the powder and ball into the muzzle, one could simply invert the Brown Bess flintlock musket and strike the ground with the buttstock, which would speed up the loading process.
This was considered the most advanced flintlock musket in the world at the time.
But why did the Ming soldiers' flintlock muskets have no flint? Why no powder pan? Why did they use ramrods to load bullets, yet were faster than the Brown Bess flintlock muskets loaded by simply striking the buttstock against the ground?
Even their shooting accuracy surpassed that of the Brown Bess flintlock muskets!
Was this what Howard meant by the Brown Bess flintlock musket being the most advanced flintlock musket in the world?
Facing the questioning and mocking gazes of the envoys from other nations, Howard felt a surge of indignant anger. He directly called out to Liu Heming, "Wang Defa? May I try one?"
Liu Heming chuckled and instructed a soldier beside him, "Let him try."
And with this trial, Howard discovered the difference between the two types of flintlock muskets.
The bullets used by the flintlock muskets equipped by the Ming army were not in the form of powder and ball like those of the Brown Bess flintlock musket. Instead, they were pointed lead projectiles with a wooden plug-like attachment at the rear. The barrel had rifling.
These were two completely different types of firearms from the Brown Bess flintlock musket.
Strictly speaking, they could no longer be called flintlock muskets, but rather caplock firearms.
Never underestimate the advantage of removing the powder pan and flint. Ordinary damp or rainy weather could affect the Brown Bess flintlock musket, but it had little impact on the caplock firearms equipped by the Ming army. Even under the same weather conditions, the caplock firearms without the powder pan had a faster loading speed.
Faster loading speed and higher shooting accuracy—these two factors combined were enough to influence the outcome of a war.
Howard returned the caplock firearm to the Ming soldier and forced a grim smile onto his face, as if he had lost his parents. He said to Liu Heming, "Congratulations, you have developed such advanced firearms."
Liu Heming chuckled and replied, "They are just ordinary firearms, nothing to be so amazed about. Perhaps Your Excellency should pay close attention to the upcoming artillery volley."
After Howard nodded with a dejected look, Liu Heming turned to the soldier beside him and instructed, "Next item, artillery volley!"
As the thunderous roar of cannons followed one after another, Howard, Pierre, and the other "envoys" wished they could die. It was one thing that the Brown Bess flintlock muskets couldn't compare to the Ming army's caplock firearms, but to be outmatched even in artillery? How could they possibly compete?
Liu Heming clearly had no intention of letting Howard and Pierre off the hook.
As the saying goes, "If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked." Zhu Jinsong, the Emperor of Great Ming, had a rather unconventional outlook, and Liu Heming, the Commander of the First Army who had rebelled with Zhu Jinsong from the beginning, had an even more skewed perspective.
The warfare tactics of the flintlock musket era, such as using artillery volleys for suppressive fire and artillerymen advancing in formation with artillery support, were basically all demonstrated by Liu Heming.
It was only when Howard, Pierre, and the others were left gaping in astonishment that Liu Heming weighed the firearm in his hand and pointed to the cannons, asking, "Are the firearms of our Great Ming sharp? Are the cannons of our Great Ming thick and long?"
Howard, Pierre, Thomson, and the other "envoys" inwardly resented him, yet they were forced to admit, "The firearms of Great Ming are indeed sharp, and the cannons of Great Ming are truly thick and long. We cannot compare."
Liu Heming laughed heartily and said, "They are merely firearms and cannons. If esteemed guests are interested, our Great Ming is not unwilling to sell them."
...
As the shocked and dispirited Howard, Pierre, and Thomson returned to their lodgings, Ke Zhiming, the Ming Empire's prominent intelligence chief, paid them a visit.
In Howard's room.
Ke Zhiming directly stated, "Your Excellencies, what are your thoughts on the firearms and cannons you witnessed today?"
Howard was taken aback, thinking, "This doesn't sound like a business negotiation. Who asks about one's thoughts on weaponry right at the outset?"
Regaining his composure, Howard thoughtfully replied, "The firearms and cannons developed by your country are indeed formidable. If your country is willing to sell them, what would be the price?"
Ke Zhiming did not answer Howard's question directly. Instead, he chuckled and asked, "What are your country's views on the Kingdom of France?"
Howard was surprised again and asked, "Mr. Ke, aren't we here to discuss the trade of firearms? Why are you suddenly bringing up those despicable French frogs?"
Ke Zhiming smiled and said, "There is a saying in our Central Plains literature: 'Even after nine generations, can vengeance still be sought? Even after a hundred generations, it can be.' There is also a folk saying: 'A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years.'
'I am somewhat aware of the Hundred Years' War between your country and France, which is why I ask Your Excellency, what are your views on France?'"
Upon hearing this, Howard basically understood what was going on.
"Are you trying to poke us, the Great British Empire, in the heart?"
However, upon deeper reflection, Howard thought of an even more terrifying possibility.
Howard's face darkened, and he said, "Your Excellency, you speaking to me here about the Hundred Years' War between the Great British Empire and France, I'm afraid someone next door might also speak to Pierre of France about the Hundred Years' War, and even say that my Great British Empire will definitely buy firearms and cannons from your Great Ming, won't they?"
Ke Zhiming chuckled and replied, "Mr. Howard, your guess is exactly right. Of course, you can choose not to buy, but I wonder if France will buy?"
Hearing Ke Zhiming's words, Howard's expression became even more grim, and he couldn't help but snort, "Mr. Ke, please don't forget that your Ming country still needs our warships and whaling ships."
"Also, our Great British Empire can also manufacture firearms and cannons. Does your Ming Emperor not worry that my Great British Empire will join forces with France to attack you?"
Ke Zhiming laughed and retorted, "Mr. Howard, you should know how far it is from the Great British Empire and France to our Great Ming. Do you truly have confidence in projecting military force across such a vast oceanic distance?"
"Even if you disregard the logistical pressure of long-distance troop deployment, how can you guarantee victory? With the Brown Bess flintlock musket? Or do you plan to rely on the Red Barbarian Cannons, which also lack rifling and have lower accuracy and power?"
"Furthermore, how can you guarantee that France will indeed unite with you?"
Howard became even more enraged, looking at Ke Zhiming, he said, "This is extortion! Naked extortion! By doing this, you will only provoke war, and you will not gain a single iota of benefit!"
Ke Zhiming merely shrugged, saying with a look of indifference, "Yes, Mr. Howard, you are correct. This is extortion, naked extortion. You can choose not to accept it, or you can choose war."