Episode 17 recap: The Qing Empire competes with the German nation.
Qi Songru didn't think it was a bad thing for foreigners to come to Dengzhou. Although he grew up without a father and was bullied because of poverty, he believed that he had to work hard to avoid being bullied. However, once a person reaches a certain level, they should let go and aim for higher goals. Ding Bao Zhen believed that Qi Songru's talent should be nurtured at the Imperial Academy to become a pillar of the Qing Empire.
Qi Songru proposed to convict Fan Li, but Ding Bao Zhen rejected the idea. The next day, Zeng Zhaoji studied the cannonball and found that the gunpowder inside was actually residue from their sieving process. That evening, Master Chunsheng noticed some movement in the warehouse and went to investigate. He found the two individuals loading gunpowder. Master Chunsheng didn't believe their lies and didn't believe that Ding Bao Zhen had ordered them. Just as the two were about to attack, Ding Bao Zhen appeared in time.
The two individuals were arrested and confessed that General Wang, the former commander of Dengzhou, had instructed them. Afterwards, Ding Bao Zhen thanked Master Chunsheng for his assistance. Encheng received a letter from Schneider, stating that he would give Ding Bao Zhen a hard time and hoped that Encheng would speak favorably for him in front of the Empress Dowager. Schneider's condition was that as long as Ding Bao Zhen was removed from his position, he would agree to any conditions.
Ding Bao Zhen received a letter from the capital, stating that Yan, a high-ranking official, had issued an imperial edict. Fan Li was to be sent to the border, and Ding Bao Zhen was to shut down the Shandong Machinery Bureau. The foreigners had come this time to observe the performance of the bureau and had prepared French wine and sumptuous food. After all, face had to be given to the foreigners. Li Pei Rong felt that they killed people with knives, while foreigners used knives to eat. The foreigners criticized the food as not delicious enough and mocked our country's outdated weapons. Ding Bao Zhen felt that this opinion was biased and reminded them not to forget that gunpowder was invented by our country.
The foreigners challenged Ding Bao Zhen this time and agreed to meet in seven days. Ding Bao Zhen personally trained the navy this time, determined not to lose face for the nation. It was also the only chance to reopen the Machinery Bureau. William came to help Ding Bao Zhen this time. His business in the Direct-Controlled German Trading Company was not going smoothly, so he specifically came to assist with the military exercises. He had previously studied military matters in England and was confident when he learned that they only had seven days.
William focused on training the navy in close combat, which was a mandatory course for everyone in the West. It was certain that the Germans had such a competition, so he continued to intensify the training. Ding Bao Zhen said there was no need to suspect others. Ding Bao Zhen proposed to use the weapons from the Shandong Machinery Bureau to compete with the foreigners. As long as they achieved the desired publicity effect, winning or losing didn't matter. They wanted to show the Germans what they were capable of.
In the first round of the competition, in the shooting event, Pei Rong directly hit the rope. However, the referee announced that the foreigners won, stating that hitting the target bag counted as a win. In the second round, in the combat event, our country promptly controlled the foreigners using the techniques taught by William. Ding Bao Zhen thought that William was truly exceptional and had guessed right. In the second group, the foreigners were strong and imposing, but our country was not to be underestimated. We directly knocked down the opponents, winning one round.
In the third round, in the artillery shooting event, the foreigners used the most advanced cannons, the world's top-notch cannons. Seeing that our country's cannons were not ready, they demanded a countdown. To delay the time, Ding Bao Zhen used our country's incense-burning method for timing. As the incense burned slowly, Zeng Zhaoji had not yet arrived. At that moment, he was struggling to bring the cannon up from the bottom of the mountain.
Our cannon was in position, and the foreigners were amazed to see that the Qing Empire possessed such advanced cannons. Zeng Zhaoji fired the first shot, and the Germans fired the second shot. Based on the measurement results, the Qing Empire's shot traveled a longer distance, winning one round. In the second round, Zeng Zhaoji adjusted the cannon's elevation, and based on the length, Germany won. In the third group, it depended on whether the Qing Empire could win this round. Li Pei Rong suggested restoring the height from the first round, and this time Zeng Zhaoji increased the elevation. The shot was fired, and everyone awaited the result. After measurement, the third round exceeded the foreigners by seventeen zhang (a unit of measurement), and overall, our country tied with the foreigners.
The result was satisfactory. Taking advantage of the situation, Ding Bao Zhen proposed reopening the Shandong Machinery Bureau and hoped that Mr. Zhao could help. However, Mr. Zhao believed that it should be discussed later. After the competition, Schneider wanted to visit the Shandong Machinery Bureau, but Ding Bao Zhen expressed helplessness due to its closure. Mr. Zhao believed that the visit could promote learning and suggested seeking permission from the Empress Dowager. However, Ding Bao Zhen strongly opposed it, stating that the foreigners had impure intentions and it should not be allowed.
Ding Bao Zhen specially prepared a delicious meal to treat everyone. At this time, Zeng Zhaoji felt dissatisfied, wondering why the competition ended in a tie and yet the Machinery Bureau couldn't be reopened. Suddenly, Ding Bao Zhen came up with an idea to let Mr. Zhao identify which gun was manufactured by the Shandong Machinery Bureau. After careful examination, the foreigner Andrew said that the gun was a genuine British gun. However, when Mr. Zhao picked it up and examined it, it turned out to be manufactured by the Shandong Machinery Bureau. The foreigners found it unbelievable. Ding Bao Zhen asked Mr. Zhao to identify it from the woodwork, and it turned out that the gun was improved by Zeng Zhaoji. Moreover, Li Pei Rong had cut the rope, indicating its high accuracy. Each gun saved ten taels of silver compared to the foreigners' guns.
Zeng Zhaoji stated that he could produce a hundred guns within two months. Afterwards, Mr. Zhao returned to the capital and would definitely inform the Empress Dowager of the actual situation, advocating for reconciliation and looking forward to the good news of reopening the Shandong Machinery Bureau.
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