novelAbuy Chapter 64 Under the Spotlight
Chapter 64 Under the Spotlight
Chang Yuan took several deep breaths before calming himself down and said, "Please issue the decree, Your Excellency."
The head eunuch smiled first, then composed himself and calmly relayed the imperial edict:
"I have heard that Chang Yuan, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is skilled in marksmanship and can hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces. I hereby order him to go to the training ground of the three camps at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow, prepare the new rifles and all necessary equipment, and demonstrate the design, range, and firing method of the new rifles to the public. He must be thorough and detailed, without any errors. This is my decree."
Chang Yuan did not kneel, but solemnly clasped his hands above his head and accepted the order, saying, "Your subject, Chang Yuan, the acting commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, receives the decree! Thank you for your grace!"
"I bow again!!"
After raising his hand above his head three times in a row, Chang Yuan straightened up and said with a smile to the chief eunuch, "Thank you for conveying the decree, Your Excellency."
Without making a sound, ten silver dollars passed between the two men.
The head eunuch knew the value of the silver coin as soon as he touched it, and praised, "Commander Chang is very knowledgeable about etiquette."
That's right, receiving an imperial edict doesn't always involve setting up an incense table, burning incense, kneeling, and listening to a eunuch read it aloud.
Only edicts drafted and recommended by the cabinet, approved by the six imperial censors, and proclaimed by the emperor as the Son of Heaven exercising supreme imperial power to announce to the world his ascension to the throne, death, establishment of a crown prince, or general amnesty, require everyone to kneel and receive the edict.
The imperial edict required the Grand Secretary, General, or Governor-General who had been authorized by the Emperor to kneel and bow in order to express their sense of responsibility for the enormous power they had been granted.
The imperial edict required the recipient of the emperor's commendation to kneel in gratitude for the emperor's favor.
Apart from these three, imperial edicts, official documents, oral instructions, decrees, and imperial edicts do not require kneeling.
Furthermore, there were rules governing the eunuchs who delivered imperial edicts when accepting gifts.
Giving too little money will certainly make the eunuch unhappy, but giving too much money will also frighten him, making him worry that you will plot against him.
Ten silver dollars, no more, no less, perfectly matched the current imperial edict of praise and command, and was also befitting of the Grand Eunuch's status.
That's why the eunuch praised Chang Yuan for knowing the rules.
Now, Chang Yuan has figured out two things:
Fortunately, the emperor wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, so Chang Yuan had half a day and a night to prepare himself mentally.
Even more fortunately, the emperor will see three new rifles presented by Chang Yuan tomorrow, and he will personally demonstrate them.
This is an immense blessing!
With Chang Yuan's marksmanship, he would definitely leave a deep impression on the emperor during the demonstration.
He will be labeled as someone favored by the emperor, thus becoming one of the most unique and fastest-rising groups in the Ming Dynasty's officialdom.
Chang Yuan realized that this was definitely not the work of the Commander-in-Chief.
It wasn't that Lu Huan couldn't arrange for the demonstration personnel, but rather that he wouldn't compete with numerous military bigwigs and dignitaries for this opportunity for Chang Yuan's sake.
Chang Yuan swallowed hard.
For the first time, he realized that there was a powerful figure protecting him, and that he was now someone who had been brought along by a big shot.
Wow!
Could it be that she's attracted to my physical beauty?
Chang Yuan shuddered, suppressing all his negative emotions, and calmly said to the head eunuch, "Thank you for informing me, Your Excellency. I will certainly perform my duties diligently!"
The head eunuch nodded in satisfaction, raising his pinky finger and saying, "To hear that His Majesty was observing the spear so suddenly, and still remain so calm, truly a talented person."
"You must perform well tomorrow to satisfy His Majesty, so as not to have wasted the time that person recommended you."
Chang Yuan seized the opportunity to ask, "May I ask, sir, which official recommended me? If I know, I can pay my respects and express my gratitude to him."
The head eunuch burst into laughter: "I can't tell you, otherwise that person will definitely make me suffer."
"However, that person isn't very old, so we can't call him 'old man,' or we'll both be caught in the crossfire."
Chang Yuan understood the meaning behind the chief eunuch's words, and his heart, which had been pounding, suddenly settled back into his stomach.
That's great. The big boss who brought him into the faction isn't a gay old man, but a young female big boss.
Chang Yuan bowed sincerely and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency!"
"I will remember this forever, and I will surely repay you in the future!"
The head eunuch smiled and said, "Good, that's exactly what I've been waiting to hear!"
"Remember this, my name is Zhang Jing, and I work in the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"
Chang Yuan bowed again: "This humble official will remember."
After seeing off the eunuch Zhang Jing, Chang Yuan turned around and saw that all four of his subordinates were staring at him in disbelief.
Their eyes were filled with awe, and when Chang Yuan looked at them, they would even lower their heads guiltily, not daring to meet their captain's gaze.
The majesty of the empire, projected through the decree of the Ming emperor, fell upon Chang Yuan, and the faint afterglow reflected from it filled the four extraordinary beings with awe.
This is the overwhelming power of the Ming Dynasty, which lasted for five hundred years.
Chang Yuan understood them very well; even he, a time traveler, felt his heart pounding with excitement.
The emperor, the living emperor!
We'll see each other tomorrow!
But in the next second, Chang Yuan realized: Heaven is the greatest, Earth is the second greatest, and the Emperor is the third greatest, but none of them can compare to his current desire for a full meal!
After a hearty meal, a good night's sleep.
On the second day, the drill grounds of the three main camps were packed with people, colorful flags were waving, and military flags were fluttering.
Since Emperor Shizu regained military power and rebuilt the three major camps, this training ground has held small-scale military parades and displays of new weapons every year, and a grand military parade every ten years.
Because the major weapon upgrades of the Ming Dynasty in the last hundred years have been concentrated on various types of general cannons, ship-borne cannons, and various types of rockets.
Therefore, the scale of the drill ground was astonishing.
The range stretches three kilometers in both directions, with three artificially constructed earthen mounds serving as targets. The moment when these targets are bombarded by artillery or rockets, raising clouds of dust, marks the climax of the military parade.
Therefore, the half-body target placed at 200 meters did not attract any attention.
The new Type 56 semi-automatic rifle that Chang Yuan received, which was copied by the Ministry of Works, was not as imposing as those behemoths with calibers comparable to human heads that were pulled in by the rumbling giant iron oxen.
He and three burly generals walked onto the firing range. When he received bullets from the first burly general and loaded them into the magazine, it did not attract much attention.
But when Chang Yuan signaled that he was ready, the second Han general raised his flag and ordered the war drums to be sounded, drawing everyone's attention.
The 40,000 soldiers from the three major battalions, the 400 extraordinary individuals gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, hundreds of court officials, hundreds of nobles of the Ming Dynasty, and the close ministers surrounding the emperor were all present.
Everyone's eyes, including those of Emperor Jing and the Emperor himself, were on Chang Yuan.
In that instant, he was the focus of hundreds of thousands of gazes, including those from high-ranking officials, those exuding authority, and even those filled with jealousy and malice.
A keen sense of visual perception became a deadly weapon at this moment.
Chang Yuan struggled desperately to maintain his standing posture; every inch of his skin screamed, and every muscle trembled.
Fortunately, the entry for "precision" remained completely unaffected, and the locked-in feeling was as stable as ever, which indeed gave people a great sense of reassurance.
The third burly general standing behind Chang Yuan held a golden mace (a fist-sized brass hammer) in his left hand and a revolver tightly in his right.
After receiving the bullets from Chang Yuan, the Great Han General kept his eyes fixed on Chang Yuan's back, wary of him suddenly turning around and aiming at the Emperor.
After the room fell silent, he loudly gave the order: "Open the safety—"
Chang Yuan's fingers trembled as he released the safety and pulled the bolt to chamber the gun.
"Aim at the target on the left—"
Chang Yuan raised the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. His arm suddenly stopped trembling, and his finger rested steadily on the trigger. With the help of the "precision" attribute, the muzzle of the gun was aimed at the target.
"Fire!"
boom!boom!boom! ...