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The red-cloak cannon was very similar to Lu Chen’s 122mm howitzer, although not as large and complicated in structure, but from the cylindrical shape of the cannonball, it was clear that this red-cloak cannon was different from the ones in his blueprints.

Lu Chen caressed the muzzle, carefully sizing it up, this cannon was about three meters long, apparently firing cannonballs around 75mm in diameter.

He then lifted the cannon’s wheels slightly, easily lifting them with one hand, and estimated the weight to be around three to four hundred kilograms.

This heavy cannon had a rather rough exterior and a thick barrel, obviously thickened due to the insufficient strength of the materials.

In the North Country, which had no industrial foundation whatsoever, creating such a cannon was quite an accomplishment, and Lu Chen wasn’t the least bit bothered by the cannon’s unsightly appearance.

He squatted down to take another look at the loading port and discovered that the firing principle of this cannon was pretty much the same as his 122mm howitzer, where both operate by triggering the detonator at the base of the cannonball to ignite the fuel inside and launch it.

This…

Wasn’t it a bit too advanced?

All he wanted was to make red-cloak cannons.

Traditional red-cloak cannons used a fuse ignited by fire to then launch the cannonball.

The heavy cannons made by Mo Xing and his team could be essentially considered a replica of the howitzer.

It was evident that these craftsmen had almost completely grasped the firing principle of the howitzer,

Lu Chen couldn’t help but think to himself, who says ancient people were foolish? Given a howitzer, they were able to create a miniature version, which might be smarter than some modern people.

If he had the same number of people, he definitely wouldn’t be able to produce a similar cannon.

Of course, looking similar was one thing, but the key was whether it could actually be fired.

Afterward, Lu Chen picked up a cannonball from the side and discovered it also resembled a scaled-down version of the 122mm howitzer’s cannonball.

Then, Lu Chen loaded the cannonball into the chamber and proceeded to fire the cannon at a distant target himself.

Accompanied by a thunderous “boom,” the cannonball was fired, quickly followed by another “boom” as it exploded in the distance.

The explosion wasn’t as powerful as that of the 122mm howitzer, due to the gunpowder used, but this cannon was basically sufficient for the Martial Arts World.

As long as there were no Grandmaster Martial Artists from the opposing side, carrying this type of heavy cannon, the soldiers of the North Country could essentially overpower any dynastic army, even Grandmasters being of no use.

After trying out the first type, the improved version of the red-cloak cannon, Lu Chen then checked the second type, the mortar.

The basic principle of the mortar was the same as the heavy cannon, using gravity to drop the cannonball, which then triggers the firing pin inside the barrel upon impact.

At that moment, Lu Chen was extremely excited inside, he hadn’t expected that by just providing one howitzer for Mo Xing and his team to disassemble, not only did they reproduce an improved version of the red-cloak cannon but also invented a portable mortar.

Lu Chen had never taught Mo Xing and his team how to create a mortar.

Lu Chen didn’t test the mortar, he just glanced at the mortar’s cannonballs and then shifted his gaze to the so-called “small cannon” Mo Xing and his team had made.

What they called a small cannon, Lu Chen saw as a rifle, only firing steel balls and having a separate detonator, and only being able to load one bullet at a time.

However, this was just the first version of the firearm, so it was normal for it not to be very effective. Moreover, there was no complete industrial base in the world at the moment, so the fact that they could make such a simple firearm was quite impressive.

Even though the firearm wasn’t very practical at the moment, compared to those that required manual loading of gunpowder, Mo Xing and his team’s firearm was evidently much easier to use. They had included the firing gunpowder in a container, eliminating the need for manual loading, which made it very convenient to carry, and most importantly, the gunpowder was less prone to moisture.

Lu Chen picked up the “small cannon,” loaded it with bullets and priming powder, and then personally tested the firelock.

Bang!

As the gunshot sounded, steel pellets propelled by the exploding gunpowder shot out and, the next moment, bore directly into the trunk of a tree dozens of meters away.

The power was quite decent.

If it could be further improved, transforming the steel pellets into pointed bullets, the power could be enhanced even more.

After testing the firelock, Lu Chen turned his head and, pointing at the improved Red Cloth Cannon and the mortar, said to Mo Xing, “Next, we’ll mass-produce these two types of cannons, at least three hundred of each.” Mo Xing asked, “Prince, should we manufacture the small cannons as well?”

The small cannon Mo Xing referred to was naturally the firelock, which he had figured out himself, inspired by the launching principle of the shell-firing cannon. He believed that the cannonballs were too heavy, not nearly as convenient to carry as the small cannon, and moreover, if the small cannon were used on the battlefield, their soldiers would no longer need to carry so many arrows.

Upon hearing Mo Xing’s question, Lu Chen pondered for a moment. Although this was only the first version of the firelock and not yet very handy, their firelocks would surely become more advanced in the future, so it was essential to get the soldiers accustomed to it in advance.

With this thought, Lu Chen said, “Let’s first make a thousand of the small cannons. Oh, and from now on, this small cannon will be renamed—stop calling it a small cannon, call it a firelock.”

Mo Xing was very pleased to hear that Lu Chen wanted to manufacture the small cannon and had specially changed its name. He immediately said, “Yes, Your Highness!”

At that moment, Lu Chen looked at the firelock and asked, “Who designed this firelock?”

Mo Xing replied, “Your Highness, it was designed by this humble one.”

Lu Chen was taken aback for a moment, then smilingly said, “Well then, from now on, this firelock will bear your name. It shall be called the Mo Xing Firelock.”

Excited, Mo Xing said, “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Being able to name a weapon after himself made Mo Xing feel highly valued by Lu Chen. To be esteemed by the Son of Destiny was such an honor.

Lu Chen continued, “Although the first version of the firelock is already usable, it is still not convenient enough. I hope you can further improve it and create an even more user-friendly Mo Xing Firelock.”

Mo Xing said excitedly, “Yes, Your Highness, I will definitely not disappoint your expectations!”

Lu Chen glanced again at the improved Red Cloth Cannon and the mortar, then said, “From now on, this heavy cannon shall be called the Fire God Cannon, and the second type of mortar shall be called the Wind Thunder Cannon.”

Having said this, Lu Chen turned and said, “Let’s end the testing here for today. Hurry up with the production; I want to equip the army with these weapons within a year.”

“Commander Qin, take me to see the place where the cannons are cast.”

“Yes, Your Highness, please follow me.” Qin Yushan then led the way and escorted Lu Chen to inspect the entire armory.

By the time Lu Chen returned to the Prince’s Mansion after inspecting the armory, it was already dark.

Lu Chen was delighted today; the firearms had taken shape, and now all he needed to do was wait for these weapons to be mass-produced.

With the deployment of these firearms, coupled with the army’s reforms, the soldiers of the North Country would undoubtedly become very powerful in battle. By then, there might be no dynasty in the world that could defeat the North Country.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen was filled with high spirits, full of anticipation for the future.

In the following months, as the new city began construction, Lu Chen was very busy every day. If he wasn’t handling government affairs in his study, he was overseeing the construction of the new city. Occasionally, he would also visit the armory to check on the progress of the firearms production.

Lu Chen’s three consorts were also showing more each day; in the blink of an eye, it was Mu Zixuan’s time to give birth.