Chapter 268: Special Reward for Special Service
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The ends of the military factory’s courtyard were both bordered by mountain walls, and they usually used these slopes as targets for cannon testing.
At that moment, Chen Qi ordered the workers to pull off the canvas covering the cannons. Xiao Ming stepped forward to inspect them, and just as Chen Qi had said, these export cannons were shorter and had smaller calibers than usual.
This wasn’t surprising—Xiao Ming had previously explained the theory of cannon design to Chen Qi, and it was clear Chen Qi had understood and applied that knowledge.
What pleased Xiao Ming most wasn’t just the cannons themselves, but the fact that the military factory had developed the ability to design and produce other cannon types independently.
That marked real progress. He walked around the cannons and nodded again. When not considering the type of cannonballs or gunpowder, the two most important factors that determined a cannon’s range and power were barrel length and caliber. A larger caliber meant a wider barrel, which created a more powerful blast.
Meanwhile, the longer the barrel, the more time the high-pressure gases could act on the cannonball, increasing its speed and firing distance. With this principle, different types of cannons could be developed for different purposes.
Now that Qingzhou could manufacture cannons, Xiao Ming’s next step was to build a full system: naval cannons for ships, field cannons for the army, and siege cannons for city defense.
Once the cannon was loaded and fired, the cannonball shot out with a boom, flying in a straight line. After about 700 meters, it began to fall, eventually hitting the ground and rolling until it was stopped by the mountain wall.
Xiao Ming was satisfied. “A direct shot of 700 meters is fine. Good. Then let the Imperial Guards take these to the capital.”