Daming: The system rejected my request for salted fish

Chapter 932

Zhu Yuanzhang had already decided on the issue of paper currency in Fengxian Hall, but it was not implemented because of the anchor.

Now that Japan has been conquered, a steady stream of silver and gold will be transported back to Ming from Japan.

It won't be long before the imperial court starts changing the currency. Although the process will be slow, it will eventually take effect.

By that time, there would be no need to use large amounts of copper to mint copper coins, and the copper could be used elsewhere.

Of course, the most crucial thing is that Japan has been conquered, and now its mineral resources have become assets of the Ming Dynasty.

Although Japan is not particularly rich in other resources, its unexpectedly good mineral resources of gold, silver and copper are quite good.

Take Iwami Ginzan for example. Although it is a silver mine, silver mines usually have quite rich associated lead and copper mines.

Of course, this is just a small addition. The real big money comes from the Ani, Besshi and Ashio mines, and Japan even became a copper exporter for a time.

According to Japan's own surveys in later generations, the country's entire copper reserves are approximately 64.2 million tons, which is quite a lot.

In the future, we only need to mine these minerals without worrying about copper shortages. After all, the labor cost there is lower than that of black slaves.

Of course, these things cannot be told to these craftsmen for the time being, so after a simple reminder, Wei Wu continued:

"Although iron bullets have various flaws, they are still usable, aren't they? And they're cheaper."

"The percentage of performance reduction caused by the gas tightness problem is only in the single digits, and the rifling wear is not as exaggerated as you think."

"You can fire about 3,000 to 5,000 rounds before you need to replace the barrel, which is a long time for a rifle."

It seems that what Wei Wu said contradicts what he said before, but in fact, the previous words were just teaching.

Tell these craftsmen in front of you why copper bullets are better than iron bullets and what the difference between the two is.

In fact, Wei Wu was not opposed to iron bullets. After all, this was the best choice under the current conditions.

You have to know that it is only the fourteenth century now. During the Second World War in the early twentieth century, Germany and the Soviet Union were also short of copper and made steel-cased bullets!

The two are separated by hundreds of years, so there is nothing unacceptable about the steel bullet.

Now that we have talked about its shortcomings, it is time to talk about its advantages, such as low cost and suitability for use in large-scale wars.

Especially given the current situation in the Ming Dynasty, with Yao Guangxiao around, the surrounding areas are fraught with danger, and it is better to be useful than not to be useful at all.

On the other side, after listening to Wei Wu's words, Yang Chao remained silent for a while, and then continued to ask:

"But Vice President, didn't you say that iron bullets have the disadvantages of rusting and being difficult to process?"

Wei Wu knew he would definitely ask this question, so he smiled casually and continued:

"Just apply some oil if you're afraid it'll rust. You can ask Sun Chang for that; he should have plenty. As for the processing issues."

"This is difficult for other countries, but it's a small problem for us because we have machine tools."

"Sun Chang can already make his own machine tools. Let him use his brain a little more and build a machine that can mass-produce bullet casings."

With Sun Chang's current ability, combined with the machine tools of the Institute of Science and Technology, he can build a machine that produces bullet casings by stamping.

Although there will be difficulties, it is not impossible to do it. Just build an initial machine and then gradually optimize it.

Although Yang Chao didn't know much about machinery, he nodded when he heard Wei Wu say that.

At this time Wei Wu spoke again:

"And I'm not asking you to use iron bullets from now on. It's just that due to the current conditions, we have no choice, right?"

"Steel bullets are not incapable of killing people. We can use them now.

This can be considered as preparing for copper bullets in advance. It won't be long before we no longer have a shortage of copper."

"Any machine that can punch out steel will be able to punch out copper, and copper will be the standard bullet."

In fact, Yang Chao was just unwilling to accept the fact that he had the most suitable material, but he couldn't use it because of the cost.

But now, after hearing what Wei Wu said, he instantly understood that it would only take a short transition with iron.

It's not unusable, there's nothing unacceptable. Suffer a little now and you'll have sweetness in the future.

After dealing with the bullet problem, Wei Wu and a group of craftsmen tested the rifle in the yard.

You know what, this thing is really cool. Although it can't be compared with the M4A1, it is still the first rifle of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, it was made by the craftsmen of this era, and its meaning is different from that of the system.

After testing the rifle, Wei Wu handed it back to Yang Chao and then gave orders.

"The test results are very good. Next, we will begin preparations for mass production, with the Engineering Academy primarily producing rifles and supplemented by mortars."

Having said that, Wei Wu turned to look at his student Xu Miao.

"Xu Miao, are you prepared for the large-scale production of mercury fulminate?"

Hearing Wei Wu's question, Xu Miao quickly responded.

"I already have an idea, but I need some help. It might be slow at the beginning, and the output won't be too high."

"That's fine. Production will naturally increase once you get familiar with it. Remember, safety is the most important thing."

"Yes, teacher, I know."

After hearing Xu Miao's response, Wei Wu nodded and then looked at Yang Chao.

"Rifle bullets and mortar shells are produced according to Xu Miao's production capacity. Safety is also the top priority. Remember?"

"Yes, Vice President!"

After giving instructions to the two of them, Wei Wu was about to go back to his room to continue teaching Xu Miao, but as soon as he turned around, he thought of another thing.

"By the way, how is the construction of the hydroelectric power station in the palace going? Is it progressing smoothly?"

"I heard from Wu Qiang that the site was chosen that day, and the infrastructure construction has started in the past few days, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Really? That's good."

After hearing Yang Chao's answer, Wei Wu nodded with satisfaction, and then sent the craftsmen away.

Like the previous few days, Wei Wu attended classes until seven or eight in the evening before leaving the Institute of Science and Technology and returning home.

Unexpectedly, I met the little girl Nazha as soon as I entered the door, and then I saw her walking towards me.

Wei Wu was about to speak when he saw Nazha said mysteriously:

"Master, you are in for a treat today!"

Hearing this, Wei Wu didn't even have time to ask any more questions and quickly ran into an inconspicuous room in the inner courtyard.

Wei Wu took out a laptop from the room and frowned as he looked at the picture on the screen.

"Who is this woman and what is she doing?"