The Rise of the European Emperor

The genius remembers the address of this site in one second:

His Majesty the Emperor didn't know that at the very beginning, the spring-up guns of the Beihai Kingdom were indeed made by senior watchmakers from Italy. But later, with the successful development of carbon spring steel, ordinary workers can also use spring steel bars to easily make clockwork according to standard procedures.

The wages and treatment of workers who are about the same level as ordinary apprentices and senior craftsmen are very different. The daily salary of an ordinary worker is only 3 pfennigs. And a watch master, the salary of at least 1 shilling a day, the difference is several times...

Moreover, the man-hours spent by the clock masters to beat an iron rod into a thin strip and then bend it into a spring are much more than the workers in the North Sea country bent a spring steel bar into a spring. And the salary difference between the two is so big...

Therefore, in the end, His Majesty the Emperor will be surprised to find that the cost of making a wind-up pistol by himself is much higher than that of the Beihai country, so it is better to buy it directly from the Beihai country. Moreover, the quality of the clockwork guns sold in Beihai is even better...

But His Majesty the Emperor didn't know the twists and turns, and, as a successful king, His Majesty the Emperor also had his own pride and self-confidence. He believes that what Marin can do, as long as he learns, Austria can do it too. It's just that His Majesty the Emperor doesn't know that it doesn't matter if others work hard, because Marin is hanging up...

As far as the wind-up gun is concerned, it is actually not that difficult. The biggest difficulty is the steel wheel spring. It takes a long time for a senior craftsman to create a steel wheel spring. Its cost, at least 5 gold coins, most of the time, is 10 gold coins.

If it's durable, it's fine. Even the monarch of a poor country can equip a batch by gritting his teeth. But the key is that this thing is not very durable, not to mention wear and tear. The most terrible thing is that it is easy to rust. If it is the rainy season, even in the rain, the wind-up flintlock can still shoot correctly. However, there is a high probability that the spring of the steel wheel will rust and be scrapped.

Even if it does not rain, a lot of grease is usually used to protect the spring and prevent rust. Otherwise, the clockwork of 5 gold coins or even a dozen gold coins will be scrapped immediately for you to see.

This is very tricky, changing parts with more than a dozen gold coins at every turn, a few dozens of such muskets are just enough, no more will be unbearable.

Also in the North Sea country, there are Cuban nickel mines squandered, and nickel can be mixed into spring steel. Now, chromite has been discovered, and chromium can also be mixed. In this way, the steel wheel spring in Beihai is not easy to rust, has strong durability, and the cost of use is much lower. Not to mention, the cost of building it is much lower.

Moreover, Marin is a chicken thief. The steel wheel springs sold to the Habsburg family deliberately use ordinary ordinary carbon spring steel without chromium and nickel. Although the price given is very favorable, but it can't stand the wear and tear...

But the secret of chromium nickel, Marin will definitely not reveal it to the emperor. Because this involves a big secret, that is, Marin used nickel-nickel copper to forge French silver coins. This is a big deal, the French will definitely start a war if they know about it. Therefore, it is better to keep secret if it can be kept secret.

...

In fact, in addition to His Majesty the Emperor copying Marin's "homework", the French are actually "copying homework". After all, it is the most powerful country in Western Europe, so it has no reason to lag behind in technology.

Therefore, the French are now also beginning to organize craftsmen to develop their own spring-up guns. In a country as big as France, it is not difficult to find craftsmen, and it is not uncommon to go to Italy to find them. Moreover, France is a country with concentrated royal power, and the whole country must contribute when the king orders.

When His Majesty the Emperor was still raising money, the French had already organized a large number of powerful craftsmen to build their own clockwork muskets. However, the French found out in despair that the western and northern regions of France were probably affected by the North Atlantic warm current, the climate was high in humidity, and the spring of the steel wheel broke down quickly. And to protect the steel wheel spring, you need a lot of tallow. Moreover, the wages of French master craftsmen are higher than those of German craftsmen, and the cost is also higher...

When Francois I learned the truth, he was also full of black lines.

After a few days of calculation, I was forced to give up the plan to install wind-up guns on a large scale. However, hundreds of pieces of equipment are kept in the king's guard.

In addition, Francois I also retained a workshop of clockwork flintlocks in the royal estate outside Paris, retaining a group of skilled craftsmen to continue to produce clockwork flintlocks.

Well, however, this workshop not only provides spare steel wheel springs for the king's guard, but also provides them to the nobles.

why? Because François I invented the game of hunting with a clockwork musket...

Aristocrats are nobles after all, if they use matchlock guns for hunting and carry a bundle of matchlocks on their backs, not only is it inconvenient, but also their image is not chic and noble enough.

Therefore, Francois I simply used expensive clockwork guns when hunting. Seeing His Majesty the King chasing prey with a musket in his hand, instead of carrying a bundle of matchlocks, the other nobles were greatly inspired - oh, it turns out that hunting should be done like this!

Then, the French side went crooked...

Because it is for the king and nobles, the craftsmen of the royal workshop are also very thoughtful to install gold and silver decorations on the clockwork gun, and also carve exquisite patterns on it. The workmanship is very beautiful. Of course, the price is also very expensive.

For example, the "golden shotgun" used by Francois I was wrapped in a lot of gold foil, which looked very luxurious. The other nobles, in order to respect the king, although not all of them were covered with gold, but most of them were covered with gold, and every shotgun was golden. Only the little nobles, because they don't have much money and dare not be more handsome than the big guys, use spring-up shotguns with a larger proportion of silver.

In this way, a silver-covered shotgun is considered a luxury item, and each dozens of gold coins is not negotiable. The king and the duke used more than hundreds of gold coins...

"What? The French made clockwork guns a luxury item?" Marin sprayed tea directly. Well, it's popular in Europe now - the nobles spray tea in surprise and throw porcelain in anger. If not, there would be no aristocratic style...

"Yes, John sent back a report saying that Francois I originally planned to promote clockwork pistols in the military, as a target for the North Sea country. However, the high cost frightened Francois I away."

"However, Francois I loved hunting, and the wind-up gun was easy to use and looked chic. Compared to carrying a matchlock and looking like a refugee, the wind-up gun is now very popular among nobles." Kohler reported.

This matter is also considered more important. After all, the French developed the clockwork flintlock, although it was used for hunting, and it also had military potential.

It is said that because of the high profits, many French craftsmen, especially those who originally made matchlock guns, intend to switch to making expensive clockwork guns.

, the craftsman of His Majesty the King, the cost of each steel wheel spring is about 10 gold coins. As for other craftsmen, the cost of a steel wheel spring is definitely more than 10 gold coins.

"We can't let the French make steel wheel springs to form a scale! We can't deal with the royal workshop, can't we deal with those stragglers?" Marin decided.

He didn't care about the small amount of steel wheel springs made by the royal workshop. However, he was afraid that French craftsmen would take a strong interest in making steel wheel springs. Then, the steel wheel spring was improved and evolved into a flintlock gun. Therefore, he decided to intervene and strangle this sign!

"So how do we do it?" Kohler asked.

"You send a few Italian watchmakers who were invited to make steel wheel springs in the early days, but did not participate in large-scale manufacturing, and send them to Paris to open a shop!" Marin thought for a while and ordered.

"However, they are all handmade, and the cost is not much lower than that of French craftsmen..." Kohler doubted.

Marin waved his hand and said:

"The opening of the shop is just a cover, and it's even a cover for them to build their own steel wheel springs. My real purpose is to sell cheap steel wheel springs that are not rust-resistant in Beihai to make huge profits. By the way, I want to make clockwork springs Suppress the retail artisans who shoot muskets!"

As mentioned earlier, the cost of a steel wheel spring made by a French craftsman is more than 10 gold coins. However, the North Sea country uses skilled workers to make springs out of steel bars. The cost of one spring does not exceed 1 gold coin, and can even be as low as 1 shilling, which is one-fifth of a gold coin.

If it is sold in Paris for a dozen gold coins, it will be more than ten times the huge profit. The point is that it also destroyed the enthusiasm of French folk craftsmen to create steel wheel springs. In this way, there is no need to worry about the French developing advanced muskets in the future.

If necessary, Marin even allowed those pretending Italian craftsmen to dump and suppress French craftsmen at a "cost price" of 10 gold coins. In this way, among the French people, only fools would engage in this unprofitable business...

Kohler quickly took the order to act. Except for Paris, major cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes all sent spies and craftsmen there. As long as someone finds out that someone is making steel wheel springs, he will use the method of dumping at a low price to destroy his business...

As for places other than a few big cities? Then there is no need to get too involved. Because the big nobles and big businessmen in France like to get together. Those who stay in the countryside are generally not strong. Even craftsmen are like this. Great craftsmen like to develop in big cities, and those who stay in small rural areas generally have more fashionable craftsmanship. Therefore, there is no need to pay special attention. As long as a few big cities are taken care of, the enthusiasm of French folk craftsmen to build steel wheel springs can basically be suppressed.

In addition to the steel wheel springs being shipped from the mainland of the North Sea, other items such as gun barrels and decorative gold and silver skins can also be shipped from the North Sea. The quality of local gun barrels is naturally higher than that of other countries. Of course, the price will not be sold cheaply, and the price will be increased to sell it, specifically to slaughter customers. As for the gold and silver leather, the engraving on it does not require craftsmen to make molds directly, stamp it with a screw press, and form it in one go, clear and exquisite...

The artisans sent here just pretend to be beating there when visitors come. If you really want the goods, just bring out the exquisite finished products for him to choose. As for the price...it's not cheap, only the steel wheel spring that needs to be replaced frequently is sold at a "low price"...

In this way, French craftsmen were suppressed by "low price" dumping. At the same time, because the whole gun is not cheap, the possibility of ordinary French people getting wind-up guns is eliminated...