Chapter 198 Napoleon's Inspection

This is equivalent to a 15-pound light shell gun that has the firepower of a 28-pound heavy shell gun and a longer range than ever.

One can imagine that once this weapon is applied on the battlefield, it will bring about revolutionary changes, altering the tactics of the entire battlefield.

"Director, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived." Just as Roland was immersed in the war reform brought about by the cannon, suddenly Jobst's voice rang in Roland's ears, reminding him that Emperor Napoleon I of France had arrived.

"So soon? I thought he would come tomorrow. I didn't expect him to be in such a hurry," Roland exclaimed in surprise. He had just informed Napoleon of the successful experiment with the new weapons less than two hours ago, and now Napoleon hurriedly came.

This clearly shows Napoleon's seriousness regarding the new weapons.

"His Majesty the Emperor is here! Where, where?" While Roland was talking with Jobst, a clear voice suddenly sounded in Roland's ear, a voice that was pleasant and familiar—it was Anya's voice.

Roland looked in the direction of the voice and saw Anya, the mischievous little girl, who knows when she arrived here. At this moment, she was hiding behind Jobst, looking at Roland with bright blue eyes that were flickering.

"Oh, it's Anya! Long time no see," Roland couldn't help but feel fond of this little girl, so he leaned over and smiled at Anya.

"Mr. Roland, long time no see. Last time you saved my brother, I haven't had a chance to thank you properly. I wanted to thank you, but you disappeared," Anya said with a smile as she looked at Roland.

"Anya, Roland is very busy. Where is the time to accompany you, this crazy girl, running around? Come on, play by yourself. We are discussing important matters here! What are you doing here causing trouble?" Jobst scolded Anya with a stern face.

"Nonsense, I'm not causing trouble! I'm very serious," Anya retorted, looking angrily at Jobst.

"Serious? What does this little girl understand? Go play by yourself," Jobst said disdainfully.

"You..." Anya was angry.

"Haha! You two have such a good relationship! It's enviable," watching the lively scene in front of him, Roland couldn't help but laugh out loud.

To be honest, he quite envied this kind of warm family affection. Unfortunately, although the Bonaparte family had gained power and status due to Napoleon's coronation as Emperor, the familial bonds within the family had diminished significantly. Various members of the family were engaged in deception and manipulation for power. It was no longer the harmonious large family it used to be.

"Such good relations! Roland, where do you see that we have a good relationship? I'm almost driven crazy by this infuriating little girl," Jobst exclaimed, covering his face.

"Brother, you're really annoying," Anya stomped her foot, looking at Jobst with a flushed face.

"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!" Just as Anya was so angry that she couldn't speak and was about to resort to violence, the voice of one of Napoleon's guards sounded.

"The Emperor has arrived." Upon hearing the voice, both Jobst and Roland changed their expressions to a serious one.

"I suppose His Majesty is here to inspect the new weapons. Let's go to the entrance to greet him," Roland said calmly.

...

At the entrance of the armory, all the workers in the factory had been assembled for the day. They were waiting at the factory gate, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Emperor Napoleon of France.

Before long, a luxurious carriage arrived at the factory gate, and everyone became excited upon seeing it because they knew it was the carriage of His Majesty Napoleon.

"Ho!" As the coachman slowly brought the carriage to a stop, the side door of the carriage was gently opened. Soon after, with the assistance of a group of guards, Napoleon stepped down from the carriage.

Among those who had come to inspect, the foremost was Emperor Napoleon of France. Following him were Minister of War, Berthier, Chief of Staff, Marmon, and Minister of Economy, Adrien.

"Your Majesty," upon seeing Napoleon approach, Roland stepped forward first and respectfully bowed to Napoleon. Although Napoleon was his uncle, he was also the Emperor of France. Such formalities were unavoidable; Roland didn't want to provoke Napoleon's displeasure over such minor matters or give malicious individuals a pretext to exploit.

"Rise, Roland. I came this time to see the new weapons you spoke of and to have a look at you," Napoleon said, looking at Roland.

In ancient China, emperors collectively referred to themselves as "寡人" (guǎ rén), which implied that after ascending to the throne, they would no longer have anyone they could trust, becoming a solitary figure.

Napoleon has begun to feel this way as well since becoming Emperor of France. He keenly senses a shift in attitude among his family members towards him—they continue to demand more from him, despite all that he has already given them.

It seems they are only satisfied when he has emptied himself completely. Compared to his disappointing siblings, his nephew Roland excels in every aspect. While most members of the Bonaparte family are immersed in power struggles, Roland remains dedicated to researching new weapons in the armament factory.

This brings Napoleon great comfort; it appears not all of the Bonaparte family are worthless drunkards or conniving schemers.

"Exactly, the samples of the new weapons are ready. Your Majesty and the generals, please come and inspect," said Roland.

Finally, Roland led Napoleon and others into the interior of the armament factory.

"Your Majesty, generals, this is our new design, the 155mm howitzer. It has a maximum range of 1000 meters, weighs 1 ton, and can fire once per minute at its maximum rate. We have finalized all parameters and can start mass production at any time!"

In a large open space of the armament factory, several samples of the howitzer were neatly arranged. Roland stood before them, speaking confidently to Napoleon and the generals.

"What! 1000 meters, Roland, you're not joking, are you? What kind of cannon is this? It has such a long range," exclaimed General Berthier, former commander of the French artillery brigade, who was very knowledgeable about cannons and had never seen one with such a range before.

"Of course, it's true. After I finish the introduction, we will conduct a test firing. You will see for yourselves," Roland replied confidently.

This cannon is an epoch-making weapon. Upon first hearing of its power, it's natural to feel surprised and incredulous, but Roland, being someone who has come from the future, naturally knows just how powerful cannons can become with technological innovations. Not to mention a range of 1 km, even 2 km, 3 km, or even 8 km could be achievable.

"Of course, I believe Roland, but I'm curious. What kind of technology does this cannon use to achieve such a long range?" Napoleon asked. He naturally trusted Roland's words because his nephew had never deceived him before.

"The secret of this cannon lies right here," Roland replied. After hearing Napoleon's question, he quickly walked to the front of the cannon and pointed inside the barrel.

"Oh? Let me see," Napoleon said, suddenly interested. He walked quickly to Roland's side, craning his neck to look inside the barrel.

"Why... why is the inside of this barrel not smooth? How can the cannon fire with an uneven barrel?" Napoleon, an expert in artillery, immediately noticed what set this cannon apart from others.

Previously, cannon barrels required a smooth surface inside so that the projectiles could be smoothly propelled out. If the barrel was not smooth, it could cause the projectile to encounter resistance on its way out, potentially leading to an explosion in the barrel.

But Roland's cannon was different. Inside, it was rough and uneven, almost like a poorly polished product. Napoleon found it difficult to imagine how such a "rough" barrel could propel a projectile 1000 meters.