Chapter 1011: Chapter 1111: Casting Cannons Chapter 1011: Chapter 1111: Casting Cannons Hanhai City, Military Foundry Camp.

Swaths of red-hot molten iron poured from the smelting furnace, iron sparks scattering and reflecting upon each bronzed face. The intense heat permeated the workshop, making even breathing seem laborious.

However, the craftsmen appeared unfazed, carefully pouring the molten iron into the prepared clay molds before proceeding to the next steps.

A burly master craftsman with a bare chest said in a deep voice, “Lord Wang, this time I assure you the casting will be successful. If not, you may take my head!”

Wang Chen chuckled, “It’s not that serious.”

After Shangguan Wuji submitted, he immediately took out the previously drawn cannon blueprints and handed them over to the Military Foundry Camp for casting.

Outside Hanhai Pass, the Yan Army was pressing in large numbers. Every day new catapults and siege towers were erected, and it was clear to anyone that once their preparations were complete, a siege battle would be imminent.

Compared to the several hundred thousand troops of the Yan Army, the fifty thousand Hanhai Army was undoubtedly at an absolute numerical disadvantage.

However, the Hanhai Army held the fortress at Xiong Pass and had a significant defensive advantage. Therefore, it was very clear that the Yan Army’s tactical intent was to level the Guan Wall with their massive siege equipment.

Heavy Crossbows and catapults within Hanhai Pass obviously wouldn’t be enough to face such a formidable Yan Army.

Wang Chen believed that the “invented” cannons would leave the enemy with an indelible memory!

But initially, the cannon casting process was not smooth sailing.

Despite Wang Chen providing blueprints and methods for casting, the first batch of Iron Cannons had numerous problems and couldn’t be used.

However, the smelting level in this world was quite high, and under the meticulous craftsmanship of the Military Foundry Camp’s masters – with Wang Chen’s personal supervision and at no expense spared in repeated trials – a correct method of casting was eventually found.

After the molten iron solidified and was removed from the clay mold, and then quenched in tung oil, a dark, Cast Iron Cannon was presented to everyone’s eyes.

This cannon, nearly ten feet in length and weighing several thousand pounds, was entirely cast from fine iron.

Wang Chen knew that it would be best to cast such muzzle-loading smoothbore cannons in bronze, which is lighter in weight and less prone to bursting.

Alas, Hanhai Prefecture was rich in iron mines, but copper mines were scarce and produced very little, not nearly enough to meet the needs of casting cannons.

Luckily, the fine iron smelted by the Military Foundry Camp was of outstanding quality.

After the artisans finished polishing the inside of the cannon barrel, Wang Chen ordered that this massive cannon be transported to the army’s training ground.

Whether it would be a success could only be known after firing a few shots!

Gunpowder and cannonballs had long been prepared, the former wrapped in silk and stuffed into the barrel before being tamped down; then, solid cannonballs weighing more than ten pounds each were loaded.

They aimed at several human dummies erected hundreds of steps away.

By this time, a large crowd of Hanhai Army soldiers and Feathered Forest Guards had gathered at the training ground, all watching the Cast Iron Cannon mounted on the carriage with curious eyes, wondering what use Lord Wang had for this contraption.

Wang Chen did not ask the onlookers to disperse, knowing that the emergence of such a mighty weapon could greatly change the future of warfare and immediately boost the morale of the Hanhai Army.

In front of all eyes, Wang Chen personally took a torch and lit the fuse.

Boom!

Accompanied by a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth, the mouth of the Iron Cannon suddenly burst with a fierce flame, and the round cannonball was shot out instantaneously, hurtling towards the dummies hundreds of steps away.

Because the soldiers watching at the training ground were completely unprepared, they were stunned as if struck by lightning, with many being utterly bewildered on the spot.

In truth, their reaction was quite good. An ordinary person might well have wet their pants!

The result of the cannon firing, however, left everyone dumbstruck.

They saw a straight gap pierced through the dense array of dummies, with nearby debris scattered all around, while a large crater appeared on the stone wall behind, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.

A dark iron ball was deeply embedded within!

Everyone who witnessed this scene felt their scalp tingle.

Although the cannonball did not penetrate the stone wall, the surrounding walls of the exercise field were built with hard granite, high and thick, extremely solid; producing such an effect was already quite terrifying.

To know that this was not an attack by a high-tier Martial Artist, but the might unleashed by a weapon that could be manufactured on a large scale!

No fool among the Hanhai Army soldiers present, they immediately thought that if hundreds of cast iron cannons could be mounted on the walls of Hanhai Pass, would the hundreds of thousands of Yan Army and the numerous siege towers still pose a threat?

Everyone exchanged glances, all revealing expressions of excitement.

“Continue!”

After checking that there were no cracks or hidden damages on the inside or outside of the cannon, Wang Chen immediately ordered to reload the ammunition.

Several soldiers clumsily cleaned the barrel and reloaded the gunpowder and cannonball.

This time, Wang Chen had people load grape shots.

That is, buckshot.

On the exercise field, the sound of the cannon fired again.

The rumbling of the cannon drew over the commander of the Hanhai Army, Shangguan Wuji.

This sixth-tier Martial Venerable, after witnessing the power of the iron cannon, fell into a long silence.

His perspective was naturally more astute and far-sighted than that of ordinary soldiers.

The cast iron cannon forged by Wang Chen was of course not a threat to a warrior of Shangguan Wuji’s caliber; he even had the confidence to rely on his Gang Power to block the cannonball head-on.

But how many sixth-tier Martial Venerables could there be in the entire Great Liang!

Moreover, as long as there are sufficient materials, these cannons could be produced continuously; if hundreds of cannons were to bombard Shangguan Wuji alone…

Could he block them all?

What’s most important is that even ordinary people are capable of operating this weapon!

It was precisely the realization of the role of cannons in war that left Shangguan Wuji’s heart tremendously conflicted.

However, after all, he was no ordinary man, and he soon suppressed the turmoil inside his heart, and praised: “This iron cannon is truly a sharp weapon for defending the city; with it, Hanhai Pass is unbreakable!”

“Lord Wang, in my lifetime I have never admired anyone, and you are the first!”

Wang Chen responded to the commendation of the Hanhai Army commander with a light smile: “Great General is too kind.”

A sharp weapon for defense?

The cannon is not just a sharp weapon for defending a city, it is also a divine weapon for field battles!

However, Wang Chen had no intention of revealing this point at the moment, he instructed the craftsmen who had come to test the cannon: “Give the order, starting from today, the Military Foundry Camp is to fully engage in the casting of iron cannons.”

“Within five days, I want to see at least ten iron cannons mounted on the Guan Wall!”

The craftsmen from the Military Foundry Camp immediately knelt on one knee: “At your command!”

“Go.”

Wang Chen nodded his head.

Merely having cannons was definitely not enough; there also had to be matching gunpowder. He had previously taken out the recipe for people to collect the materials and manufacture it, but there wasn’t much time left for Hanhai City.

Wang Chen’s gaze turned towards the distant undulating snow mountains, but his thoughts flew to the Imperial Capital, thousands of miles away.

He wondered if Xi Yun was safe and sound there!

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The first update is delivered.