area51novel Page 425
Page 425
Chu Yang looked at Qi Jiguang in astonishment and asked, "How did you usually deal with those demon corpses?"
Qi Jiguang said, "Those with scales and fur should have their scales and fur removed to make armor; those with sharp teeth and claws should be used to make weapons and arrows; the rest should be discarded..."
Chu Yang asked in confusion, "That's it? Aren't you going to use that flesh and blood to refine pills?"
"Is Your Highness referring to the alchemists' alchemy?" Qi Jiguang was somewhat puzzled by the question and frowned, saying, "Isn't alchemy just about various stones plus things like realgar and arsenic? What does that have to do with the flesh and blood of demons?"
People in the Ming Dynasty didn't know alchemy!
Because they didn't have time to focus on cultivation, they allocated all their talent points to weaponry, leaving no opportunity to develop alchemy.
No wonder there are so few human experts; they all break through through sheer talent!
Chu Yang suddenly felt a pang of regret. He hadn't realized this until he came to see Qi Jiguang's new firearms.
It must be said that the Iron-Blooded Marquis died a truly unjust death. If he had known about alchemy, he would never have used the Absorption Technique to directly devour the power of the demon race and monsters, turning himself into something neither human nor ghost.
Seeing Chu Yang's ever-changing expression, Qi Jiguang continued, "In the early years, some people actually proposed to improve their cultivation by eating demon flesh, saying that since demons eat people, people can also eat demons."
"The result of eating demon flesh is that people will die suddenly, not the kind of sudden death where blood flows from all seven orifices, but as the literal meaning suggests, the whole person will explode, with liver and brains splattered on the ground and blood flowing like a river."
Chu Yang said helplessly, "That's not how you use the phrase 'to smear one's liver and brains,' it's a bit disgusting, General Qi."
Qi Jiguang chuckled.
"Because people would explode if they ate it, everyone thought the demon flesh was poisonous, right?" Chu Yang shook his head and said, "Is it possible that people can't withstand the energy in the demon flesh?"
Qi Jiguang said in a deep voice, "Actually, it's not that it's impossible, it's just that people don't want to think about it because everyone is a little resistant to the idea of eating demon flesh."
However, Chu Yang thought differently. He said, "In this world of the survival of the fittest, isn't it just a matter of you eating me and me eating you, a part of the cycle of all things?"
"Alright, let's put this topic of cannibalism aside. I've seen your firearms; now it's my turn."
Having served as Tony Stark's lab assistant for so long, Chu Yang has gained considerable expertise in weaponry.
However, given that the weapons in this world have already taken their own course, Chu Yang does not intend to forcibly change all of this, but rather to turn his past experience into nourishment.
The Qi Family Army's firearms still have a lot of room for improvement in terms of design, and Chu Yang believes that their array patterns could also be enhanced.
Chu Yang selected several classic pistols, rifles, and shotguns from the firearms he was familiar with, each designed to be used in different war environments to modify new firearms that were almost identical in style.
The drawing process itself didn't take long, but Chu Yang spent a considerable amount of time explaining the drawings to Qi Jiguang, taking almost half a day. This made Qi Jiguang regret that he shouldn't have brought the artisans from the firearms battalion with him.
Although he didn't understand it very well, after being exposed to it for so many years, Qi Jiguang could still see the power of these blueprints and knew that the precision of the firearms on them far surpassed his own new firearms.
To those who understand firearms, these guns are undoubtedly works of art.
"I have never seen these firearms before. Did Your Highness design them yourself?"
Qi Jiguang said admiringly, "Your Highness's research on firearms is so advanced that even the artisans in the firearms battalion would be ashamed. It's a real pity. I should have brought them here to broaden their horizons."
"These are nothing..." Chu Yang shook his head and chuckled. They were just a few guns. The really powerful ones hadn't been unleashed yet. If Qi Jiguang saw the Iron Man army in the One-Punch Man world, it was hard to imagine what his expression would be.
Unfortunately, the production line is difficult to move through the Soul Palace. The more sophisticated the high-tech instrument, the greater the chance of it being damaged when traveling through time and space, and the damage is irreversible.
Precision machining of firearms requires machine tools, especially for mass production, which places stringent requirements on the production workshop. Fortunately, machine tools are not high-tech precision instruments, so Chu Yang can bring some over from other worlds as much as possible.
As a crucial cornerstone of the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of machine tools will bring about a qualitative change in the world's manufacturing level.
Holding the manufacturing blueprints, Qi Jiguang looked more like a child than Chu Yang had before; such an innocent smile appeared on the face of this aloof and burly man.
Chu Yang knew that the reason he was so happy was because these blueprints could save the Qi Family Army from losing several men on the battlefield.
"General Qi, stop looking at the blueprints for now. They're not going to run away. Let's get down to business first. Didn't you want to send this batch of firearms to the north?"
Chu Yang watched the sun setting outside and couldn't help but remind Qi Jiguang to pay attention to the time. The emperor's mourning period was not yet over, and the curfew was much earlier than usual.
If you miss it, then it's a matter for tomorrow.
"Oh dear, this is terrible!" Qi Jiguang hurriedly put away the blueprints, instructed his subordinates to guard the warship, and then pulled Chu Yang away in a hurry.
As luck would have it, today is the day Li Chengliang leaves the capital. He has had a terrible time in the imperial prison these past few days, constantly thinking about how he will lose his head.
They came here to make a living, but they almost lost their lives.
I'm so sorry, I'll have to go to my grandma's house to pay for it.
If he hadn't come, the Li family would still be the local tyrants of Liaodong, far from the emperor's reach, and no one could control them. He only had himself to blame for being greedy, wanting to secure a hereditary position for the sake of the next generation.
Ultimately, no one could have imagined that a seemingly virtuous prince who had been a playboy for over twenty years would suddenly transform into someone who could trample even a Grandmaster underfoot and treat hundreds of thousands of imperial guards like toys.
If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, Li Chengliang would never have imagined that there were such extraordinary martial arts masters in the world.
Li Chengliang, who was in a daze in the imperial prison, thought that the King of Hell had come to take his life when he saw the prison door open. He was even prepared to die.
Unexpectedly, he was released from prison without bearing any responsibility.
The Imperial Prison was under the jurisdiction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Commander Zheng Dongliu personally escorted Li Chengliang out of prison and even offered him a few words of friendly comfort.
"Considering that you have guarded the north for many years and have made great contributions, His Majesty is giving you a chance to make amends this time. Lord Li, you must cherish this opportunity!"
"Your Majesty? Wasn't His Majesty already..."
“After the mourning period ends, His Highness the Prince will ascend the throne. If Lord Li is still not careful with his words, he may have to come to the Imperial Prison again. However, the next time he comes, he may not be able to get out.”
"This humble servant deserves to die! I just came out of the imperial prison and my mind is still not clear, so I spoke without thinking. I hope Lord Zheng and His Majesty will not take it to heart."
"It doesn't feel good to escape death, does it?"
"In reply to Lord Zheng, it is indeed not a pleasant experience."
"You have to endure it, even if it's unpleasant. You may be spared the death penalty, but you can't escape punishment. Now that His Majesty is letting you return to Liaodong to guard the country's borders, you must repay your country with your life, do you understand?"
"Rest assured, Lord Zheng, it is only natural for soldiers to die for their country. Li Chengliang may have made many mistakes, but he will not make this one."
"it is good!"
As Zheng Dongliu personally escorted Li Chengliang away from the imperial prison, he told him about the impending predicament facing the north.
Li Chengliang's expression remained unchanged after hearing this; there was no fear in his eyes, only murderous intent.
A look of admiration flashed in Zheng Dongliu's eyes.
Putting aside the foolish things the other party did, in his mind Li Chengliang was a talented and outstanding person who could be compared with Qi Jiguang. The two of them, one in the south and one in the north, guarded the country's gate, which allowed the Central Plains to recuperate for so many years.
Li Chengliang said softly, "Over the years, I have only killed the Jurchens and not many great demons, which I regret. Now that I have the opportunity to let the demon race see the sharp blade in the hands of the men of the North, I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's trust."
Zheng Dongliu nodded and smiled, "It's no wonder His Majesty allocated most of the Imperial Guards to you to help you guard the northern border. You have such a thought."
Li Chengliang trembled and said incredulously, "His Majesty has given me so many troops, what about the defense of the capital?"
Zheng Dongliu said casually, "The remaining Imperial Guards will also go to the south to suppress the rebellion. To be precise, there will be no more Imperial Guards guarding the capital in the future, because His Majesty said that they are not needed."
“No need…” Li Chengliang murmured, then smiled bitterly, “With His Majesty’s power, there is indeed no need for a single soldier to guard the capital.”
"You know that much." Zheng Dongliu glanced at him. "Don't let the fact that you have more troops make you think of things you shouldn't. Remember what you just said."
Li Chengliang clasped his hands in a salute. He knew that Zheng Dongliu's warnings along the way were all well-intentioned, as there were countless people in history who died without a burial place because of a moment of impulsiveness.
One more of him, one less of him. (End of Chapter)
Chapter 205 Ascension to the Throne! His Majesty's charisma remains undiminished!
Li Chengliang left, taking with him nearly 500,000 imperial guards, as well as firearms specially sent to him by Qi Jiguang. Before leaving, Guo Bujing also gave the imperial guards a warning, fearing that they might not submit to Li Chengliang.
With few of his personal guards dead, Li Chengliang's words carried much less weight. If Guo Bujing hadn't done this, the army might have mutinied halfway through the journey.
As two of the few remaining famous generals of the Ming Dynasty, Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang showed mutual respect on their faces, even though they only met briefly.
After seeing Li Chengliang off, Qi Jiguang led the remaining Imperial Guards away from the capital by boat. The situation in the south was changing rapidly, and the demon race was watching from across the sea in Dongying. He had no time to attend Chu Yang's enthronement ceremony two days later.
Personally escorting the "Ten Thousand People's Umbrella" into Beijing was already an extremely risky move.
Qi Jiguang deeply regretted this.
Despite their brief meeting, Chu Yang left a very good impression on Qi Jiguang. Putting aside his incredible martial prowess, the future emperor was more approachable and humorous than he had imagined.
And those complex blueprints...
Qi Jiguang was very excited.
Although he could only understand a portion of it, he could already sense the changes these blueprints would bring to the firearms battalion. He believed that the Qi family army would definitely not be trapped in Wanglong City again when they encountered the demon race on the battlefield next time.
The ship left the port and sailed further and further away on the sea, while Chu Yang and the others stood on the shore gazing at it from afar.
Once the warship was out of sight, Zhuge Zhengwo, Zheng Dongliu, and the others approached Chu Yang.
Zhuge Zhengwo stroked his beard and smiled, "I never expected His Majesty to value General Qi so highly."
"How many military generals are left who truly serve their country and its people these days?" Chu Yang sighed. "With his achievements, he could have easily been promoted further, so why is he still just a general?"
Zheng Dongliu said regretfully, "The late emperor did not allow it, fearing that the military generals would become too powerful. However, it is not surprising that he was thinking too much. His Majesty is also aware of the situation in the south. To put it another way, if Qi Jiguang had even a little ambition, the situation we face would only be more severe."
The late emperor Zheng Dongliu mentioned was not Chu Yang's adoptive father, but his unjustly deceased elder brother.
Chu Yang shook his head and said, "Times have changed. The Qi Family Army has fought against the demon race and Japanese pirates for the Ming Dynasty for many years. If we cannot reward them for their merits, how can the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front lines be convinced?"
"Ultimately, it comes down to how petty someone is; they're always afraid that others will take what's theirs."
After saying this, Zheng Dongliu dared not continue. As a subject, how could he say such irrelevant things as Chu Yang?
Zhuge Zhengwo coughed lightly.
"Last night, this old minister and the gentlemen discussed the current situation all night."