The Sun and the Lion

All personnel have been assembled. Please give the order, Your Majesty.

Ibrahim looked at the neat team under the slope and nodded. The heralds on the side quickly conveyed the order to the artillery unit a little further away using semaphores.

Yes, it's the artillery unit. After the first batch of bronze cannons were cast in the winter, he set out to form an artillery unit in the military camp of the Model Army, with Italian gunners serving as instructors and temporary officers.

However, the time was too short. The artillerymen only learned how to load and ignite. Before they had time to learn how to measure range and make artillery watches, these ferocious-looking bronze tubes could only make a sound to the people present in the hunting ground.

After the officers received the order, they quickly organized the artillerymen to load the artillery. According to Ibrahim's order, all the propellants were weighed to a fixed weight in the workshop, and then wrapped in linen and rope into propellant packages.

The gunners worked together to stuff the propellant package into the barrel, and then used the cannon rod to push it into the deepest part of the barrel. After the charge package is filled, the main gunner uses a slender iron awl to penetrate the fire door to pierce the charge package, and fills the primer and fuse into the fire door.

Since they did not undertake combat missions this time and were only serving as a ceremonial role in the military parade, they did not continue to load iron solid bullets.

All four bronze cannons were loaded. After both sides reported their preparations and confirmed the firing order through semaphores, the main gunner took over the ignited torch and lit the fuse with an open flame. All the gunners present covered their ears with their hands in time.

boom!

The fuse and fuse burned out, and the propellant compressed in the confined space exploded after being ignited, making a deafening sound.

The sudden loud noise startled everyone present, even Ibrahim, who was mentally prepared, was not immune. In addition to humans, the horses present were also frightened by the sudden noise. The riders and the attendants responsible for taking care of the dignitaries' mounts spent a lot of effort, and some people were even thrown off their horses.

The Khans all looked at the bronze pipes mounted on the cannon carts. The gunners used their palms to dissipate the smoke in front of their noses in vain while working together to clear the barrels of the cannons.

Unlike other artillery carts of the same era that could only be used for transportation, these improved artillery carts that appeared in hunting grounds used the best wood and iron components. In addition, Ibrahim had lightweight requirements from the beginning when he cast the artillery. , the gun carriage can withstand the recoil force, so that these artillery can be fired directly from the gun carriage.

After receiving Party A's request, Giovanni immediately followed the requirements and modified the snake cannon he had cast. He directed his apprentices to burn a variety of molds for casting to create the field cannon he requested that could be fired from a gun carriage. . After the casting was successful, the relevant data was recorded as the standard for subsequent field gun manufacturing.

But even so, towing the artillery and carrying the specified number of ammunition and gunners would require six draft horses. If a heavier siege gun was to be cast, oxen would also need to be drafted to draw it.

At the same time, there is a wooden wedge-shaped part placed on the bracket track under the tail of the gun body. The pitch angle of the gun body can be adjusted by knocking it with a sledgehammer or pulling it out. The more advanced screw devices were not yet made by craftsmen.

Ibrahim looked at the troops that were scattered due to the sound of artillery, and then he remembered that most of the Safavid army's horses had not undergone desensitization training. Using salutes instead of horns was a bad idea.

But even if nothing goes wrong, he does not plan to continue doing this. Doing so will occupy a lot of artillery, bring a huge transportation burden, and consume a large amount of gunpowder every time a signal is transmitted, which will also seriously consume the life of the barrel. . The King of Kings is not financially wealthy enough to play like this, so it would be nice to be able to salute and signal the beginning of important celebrations.

The bow holders who were the first to restore order rode forward to the beat of the drums played by the military band, barely continuing the military parade that almost turned into a farce. The team at the back saw their comrades in front advancing, and saw senior officers on the mountainside overlooking the entire scene. They didn't care whether the team was neat or not, so they headed forward.

Seeing this, Ibrahim had no choice but to take the initiative to ask the attendants and the Khan about their opinions on firearms.

They also consciously kept silent about the military formation that was recovering from the chaos. They all lamented the shock and terror when the artillery was fired, and constantly recognized the ability of the artillery sound to damage morale.

Your Majesty, Huda has given us such a sharp weapon. All the enemies standing in front of our army will be defeated without having to engage in battle with our army.

Ibrahim accepted the flattery from who knows who, and then continued to promote firearms: In this case, the more of these magical weapons, the better. The more soldiers who can use these weapons, the more our army can sweep through. this world.

But this sentence is just saying that all the craftsmen in Iran who can make firearms are controlled in Ibrahim's royal workshop. Only after meeting the needs of the standing army, he will use his discretion to recruit from the tribes. Soldiers are equipped with firearms.

The awkward chats and paper talks surrounding firearms finally ended with the end of the military parade. Ibrahim and the Khans took their respective entourages back to their tents to rest, preparing to officially start the afternoon. The hunt begins.

…………

When Ibrahim returned to the tent and took off his fur cloak with the help of a servant, he noticed that his wife's left index finger was wrapped in white cloth. He couldn't help but feel doubtful and said in a concerned tone: Mira, your left hand What's wrong?

Your Majesty, that loud noise was so scary that both Ismail and I were startled...

I didn't expect that... Ibrahim sighed with some guilt in his heart.

Ibrahim, who had seen artillery fire as early as Tabriz, knew that the sound of firearms was scary, so when he decided to let the artillery take part, he ordered that only adult men, and all women and men, could participate in and watch the military parade. Minors were kept in tents to avoid any accidents due to shock.

Mira, who was left in the tent, simply watched Ismail while doing embroidery for Ibrahim. As a result, the sudden sound of gunfire caused her left index finger to be pricked by a needle.

Ibrahim paused, then decided to confess the whole story and apologized: I didn't expect that the sound of gunpowder explosions could be so amazing even from such a long distance. It was my miscalculation.

This is not even a minor injury, you don't have to worry so much. The joy brought by Ibrahim's concern overwhelms everything else. Since the wedding, Mira has clearly felt the change in Ibrahim's attitude - From beautiful dolls to loved ones you can get along with.

After comforting his wife, Ibrahim had to comfort Ismail, but he became uncontrollably curious about the unfamiliar terms in Ibrahim's mouth.

When Ibrahim saw this, he simply learned about the power of firearms and at least planted a seed in his heart.