Chapter 287: The Fuse-Cord Hand Grenade
A ripple of smiles spread through the onlookers as they heard Song Yingxing’s words.
“Strong financial backing?”
“Ha!”
“Ah, it seems our new scientist isn’t yet acquainted with the ‘Heavenly Lord’s blessings.’ Scarcity of resources is hardly an issue for us. Our only bottleneck is a sufficient number of skilled blacksmiths. With enough of them, we could supply you with mountains of Flintlock Rifles.”
“However, the current lack of blacksmiths does pose a significant and pressing challenge.”
The production of Flintlock Rifles won't significantly increase anytime soon. Furthermore, the Heavenly Lord keeps a tight rein on the Gao Family Village Militia's numbers, not permitting too many robust young men to be diverted to combat. Consequently, the ranks of our riflemen will also remain limited. Gao Family Village must devise alternative strategies to bridge these firepower gaps.
Just then, Xu Dafu raised a hand. “Your new rifles have been tested, I presume? It’s now time to put my latest invention through its paces.”
The blacksmiths eyed him, intrigued. “What new marvel have you conjured up this time?”
Xu Dafu replied, “Remember those small iron casings and little iron pellets I had you forge for me last time...?”
With the finished product now complete, the moment had finally arrived to unveil its secret.
The cluster of blacksmiths, all of whom had heard whispers, were now brimming with anticipation, their eyes wide as they fixed their gaze on Xu Dafu, waiting to see what he would produce.
Xu Dafu produced a box, unlatched the lid, and from within, carefully extracted a peculiar, handled device.
Its upper section was cylindrical – the very iron can the blacksmiths had crafted – while the lower half consisted of a wooden handle, designed for a firm grip.
Li Daoxuan grinned. He immediately recognized it as a classic World War I or II hand grenade. While its internal mechanisms might differ, its iconic shape was unmistakable. One could spot countless examples of this very device in any historical war film depicting the Anti-Japanese War.
Gao Yiyi murmured, “A small iron hammer? No... that can’t be right. The can is hollow; it’s entirely useless for striking anything.”
A collective thought ran through their minds: Xu Dafu works with gunpowder, so this object must surely be connected to explosives. Could this iron can be filled to the brim with powder?
Cheng Xu’s thoughts drifted to the paper-wrapped black spherical bombs they had hurled during their last encounter with the Guyuan rebels. A spark ignited in his mind: could this be a projectile designed to explode and maim? Yet, he noted, it bore several distinctions from its predecessor.
Xu Dafu cackled. “Precisely. It’s meant to be thrown, to explode and scatter the enemy. But unlike our previous design, this one boasts a wooden handle, allowing for much greater throwing distance.”
A flicker of excitement crossed Cheng Xu’s face. “That makes sense,” he conceded. “The farther it can be thrown, the more effective it will be.”
Xu Dafu pressed on. “Our last bomb also suffered from a lack of destructive power. When it landed amidst the rebel ranks, only those at the immediate point of impact would be truly decimated. Nearby individuals would, at best, be knocked off their feet, serving merely to break up their formations. But this time, things are vastly different....”
“The Heavenly Lord also instructed me to embed numerous tiny iron pellets within it. When it detonates, these pellets will explode outwards in every direction, hehehe... And the iron casing itself? When the gunpowder ignites, it too will shatter, transforming into shrapnel that flies indiscriminately alongside the steel beads....”
Upon hearing this, the assembled group needed only to visualize the scene to feel a chilling dread creep over them.
Cheng Xu, a man who habitually plunged into the thick of battle, felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. He could almost see the chaos and carnage such a device would unleash if it fell into enemy hands.
Xu Dafu declared, “My introduction is complete. The Heavenly Lord himself has bestowed a name upon this invention: the Fuse-Cord Hand Grenade. Now, shall we see it in action?”
No sooner had the words left his lips than every single person present instinctively recoiled, putting significant distance between themselves and the device. “Please don’t detonate that thing anywhere near us!” someone exclaimed.
Xu Dafu called out, “Gao Chuwu, step forward and give it a try.”
Gao Chuwu promptly approached, accepted the Fuse-Cord Hand Grenade, and balanced it in his palm. A wide grin split his face. “This contraption,” he boasted, “I can hurl it at least twenty zhang away.”
“Indeed,” Xu Dafu affirmed, “please ensure it flies that far. Otherwise, the scattering steel pellets, once it detonates, could easily injure our own.” Xu Dafu then produced a tinder stick and, with a swift flick, ignited the grenade’s fuse-cord.
The spectators, once again, retreated even further, putting ample distance between themselves and the device.
Gao Chuwu’s grin widened. He took two quick strides forward, swung his arm in a powerful arc, and with a mighty heave, launched the grenade....
The grenade, its fuse-cord sizzling, soared forward, covering a considerable distance. It truly did travel beyond twenty zhang before plummeting. With a resounding “BOOM,” the grenade detonated, and a line of scarecrows in the testing field instantly shuddered and collapsed.
The crowd cautiously approached, only to find several scarecrows in the vicinity utterly shredded, their cloth bodies perforated by countless tiny steel beads and sharp iron fragments.
Witnessing this, Cheng Xu couldn’t help but erupt into booming laughter, hands on his hips. “Hahaha, this is incredible! This thing is absolutely devastating, more potent than any firearm I’ve ever seen! Hahaha, Xu Dafu, forge them, forge them with all your might! Equip every one of my men with one, and I could slaughter my way straight to the capital from here!”
Xu Dafu rolled his eyes. “Stop talking nonsense,” he retorted. “One decent rain shower en route, and your entire army would be utterly annihilated.”
Cheng Xu simply stared.
Song Yingxing swiftly produced paper and a writing brush. “This device is truly exceptional!” he exclaimed. “I must sketch it, immediately! Heh... My *Tiangong Kaiwu* will now have another wondrous curiosity to document!”
Oblivious to his surroundings, he unceremoniously dropped to the ground, his backside somewhat comically raised, and began sketching and scribbling with intense focus. In short order, he had meticulously rendered the grenade’s exterior, adding a lengthy section of detailed notes alongside it. Clutching the paper, a look of unbridled joy spread across his face.
Li Daoxuan was similarly delighted to witness his little people achieve yet another technological breakthrough. The militia’s fighting prowess was poised for a significant leap. Their previous engagement with the border army had been a perilous affair, and despite his continuous interventions, a considerable number of militiamen had sustained injuries.
However, as Gao Family Village’s firearms grew increasingly advanced, the strategy for future conflicts would be to engage the enemy from beyond their effective range, thereby minimizing casualties among his precious little people.
For indeed, the lives of his devoted little people were immensely precious.
At that moment, Bai Yuan, having thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle, was due to continue his journey to the county town. Yet, he hesitated, reaching out to grasp Gao Yiyi’s arm. “Master Gao,” he inquired, “once your splendid new flintlock rifle is perfected, might I be granted one to... experiment with?”
Gao Yiyi chuckled. “My dear Mr. Bai, what a thing to say! You are practically family to Gao Family Village. The Heavenly Lord will undoubtedly see that your Bai Family Fortress militia is also equipped with our cutting-edge weaponry. How could you possibly be excluded from receiving these Flintlock Rifles and Hand Grenades?”
Bai Yuan beamed. “Excellent! The Hand Grenades are one thing, but I absolutely must master the art of firing that Flintlock Rifle, hehehe. Among the gentleman’s Six Arts, the ‘Archery’ aspect is one I take *very* seriously. I shall become the most formidable rifleman!”
The others exchanged bewildered glances. “You, the esteemed Master of Bai Family Fortress,” someone finally ventured, “why do you insist on becoming a mere rifleman?”
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