When all the arrangements were made, Uncle Zhang, the housekeeper, arranged for the skilled buyers of his family to take a boat to Macao to buy 2,000 flintlock pistols and bells, and then invited technicians to make guns, make cannons, and make iron, etc., and even bought the cannons as he thought fit.

The flintlock pistol, invented by Mahan, a Frenchman born in 1547 (mid-16th century) in a family of gunsmiths, locksmiths and watchmakers, was improved on the basis of the revolving musket, the clockwork wheel was removed, a piece of flint was clamped on the jaws of the hammer, and an anvil was provided on the side of the fire hole. The firing process is greatly simplified, the firing rate and shooting accuracy are improved, it is easy to use, and the cost is low, which facilitates mass production.

In the middle of the 17th century, many European armies were generally equipped with flintlock pistols until 1848, which was more than 200 years old.

At that time, Yan Changwu could only buy it now.

Fortunately, there is Macau!

In 1553 AD, the Portuguese entered Macao and began to operate, which is an important window for cultural and economic exchanges between the East and the West.

"You're only 500 men, but you have to prepare 2,000 guns?" Zhang Bo questioned.

"Guns are used, they will be used badly, the more the merrier!" Yan Changwu said vaguely.

It's good to have money at the beginning, Yan Changwu knows very well that if you want a soldier to shoot accurately, you have to practice more! Shoot more!

2,000 guns, how many are you?

Not much more!

Besides, the army will be expanded in the future, 500 people today, Yan Changwu is ambitious, and next year it will be 5,000 people, strive for it!

……

The post of recruiting soldiers was sent out, and the post stated that the treatment was that ordinary soldiers were treated as two taels of silver per month, and at the end of the year, they would be given double food, and they would eat in the barracks without money, and they would have one day off every ten days!

That's not a low price!

The price of the Ming Dynasty (silver taels) is two taels per mu of land, one dollar and five cents per catty of meat (the price of meat is not low, so the people are difficult to eat meat), the gentleman of the private school is one tael per month, and the ordinary people use one tael for a family of three, and the income during that period is only 12 taels of food and silver per year, 10 taels of soldiers, and the income of Hanlin Courtyard is also 10 taels.

There is also a hidden income, that is, no money for eating.

According to Yan Changwu's decision, at least eight taels of silver will be subsidized to go in, not only to eat well, but also to eat well.

In addition to other expenses, this Yan Dashao needs fifty taels of silver to raise a soldier.

In order to save money, Zhu Yuanzhang asked the guards to serve while plowing the fields, and the expenditure was indeed low, which was also a social atmosphere.

In the Ming Dynasty, looking down on the soldiers of the army, low income was a must.

Chen Xinji and Hong Sheng objected, Zhang Bo objected, and others looked at the joke: "Yan Dashao is really rich!" ”

However, this Yan Dashao did not change his original intention and said: "Look at my name! ”

Tsunetake!

Yes, everyone has nothing to say, the silver is yours, and you can spend it how you like!

Recruit clean and healthy people with no bad habits, conduct running and weightlifting tests, and 500 people become an army in a day, all of them are strong stick boys, called "Beigang soldiers".

The name is a bit vulgar, but it can't be helped, the pattern is low!

You can't come to the Tiger and Leopard Camp, the Trap Camp, the Flying Tigers, a place where the government doesn't recognize you, dare to be so high 13 squares, it will make people laugh.

The commander is Yan Changwu, with five centurions, Deng Tianyan, Yan Le, Yan Dian, Chen Qiao, and Hong Xiguan.

Hong Xiguan is the son of Hong Sheng, called Hong Guan... Look at the names of the father and son, one is called "Sheng", and the other is called "Guan", and Yan Changwu and the others can hear it.

Seeing that Hong Guan was strong and a practitioner, he couldn't help but say: "It's better to be called Hong Xiguan, don't be so direct!" ”

Hong Guan rolled his eyes, and Hong Sheng said beside him: "It's a good change, I have long thought that this name is too vulgar, and the name of the big dragon head is the best, and the official will be called Hong Xiguan in the future!" ”

So Hong Guan was later called Hong Xiguan.

Chen Qiao is Chen Xinji's people, while Yan Le and Yan Dian are uncles and brothers in Yan Changwu's hometown, so the township party and relatives are very important.

But even they have been tested and are excellent.

After all, Yan Changwu's troops are not dry and determined to fight.

The team still found a treasure, Deng Tianyan, a former Guanning officer, because of the war, was dismissed, he was not convinced and fled to Jiangnan, and went to Quanzhou, because of his strong body, he was recruited to enter the son-in-law, and lived in the countryside guarding a few acres of thin fields, and then Taiwan came to recruit people to reclaim the famine, Deng Tianyan was moved, because he was a fugitive, he was not on the official register, so he went to Taiwan.

Yan Changwu recruited, he immediately signed up, there was a column of "specialty" when writing his resume, he wrote his predecessor, and he was immediately taken seriously, and Yan Changwu personally met him!

Deng Tianyan was born to be called a tiger's back and bear's waist, with a black face, moist and translucent, thick eyebrows and big eyes, very spiritual, straight nose and square mouth, and a brave and ruthless face, but he also has righteousness.

"How should the army be controlled?" Yan Changwu asked.

He replied: "The Lord will have clear rewards and punishments, and the soldiers are not afraid of death, and obey orders!" ”

The historical records of that meeting wrote: "Shangyue, so I entrusted me with a heavy responsibility." ”

The five centurions of the early establishment of the army sent one who was not related, but naturally entrusted with a heavy task.

After taking office, he lived up to expectations, and he was the first to train the army into the role, and he also ranked first in the exercise!

In fact, there are more than 700 people in the Beigang Army, and another 100 people are pro-guards, and the captain is Zhang Shouyun, who specializes in special operations and VIP protection, and pays special attention to the use of fists, feet, and equipment, and guns.

There were more than 100 other people, with a complex structure: a 30-man engineer company, 30 baggage soldiers, 30 military bands, 30 sanitary troops, 30 signal troops, and 30 gendarmes.

"Virtuous nephew, you don't play like this when you have a lot of money, do you?" Chen Xinji asked with a wry smile.

"How?"

"A marching band of thirty?" Chen Xinji pointed to one of them.

Although it is his own money, Yan Changwu is not dictatorial, and the agreed expenditures are all approved by the three-person group (Chen Xinji, Hong Sheng, and him) before implementation.

"The military band is a must-have for Westerners to use soldiers, and Westerners are very good at marching when they hear the drums, and they must be prepared!"

"And the gendarmerie?"

"I have to raise a dog to protect myself from rebellion!"

"Alright! All right! Chen Xinji was helpless, and found that every time he objected, Yan Dashao always had a set of big reasons to convince him.

……

All in all, Yan Changwu is very special in raising the army, the army has a high salary, lives well, and eats well!

The barracks were located in the west of the town (guarding the east coast), spacious and tidy, and the walls were built with green bricks, and in the first year the officers lived in large tiled houses, and the soldiers lived in wooden sheds, each with a single bed instead of a large bunk, and in the second year, all of them lived in cement buildings, with independent toilets and washrooms!

Uh-huh, all the officers and soldiers were given green salt teeth cleaning, free of charge!

You have to know that at that time, the salt merchants were the richest, especially profitable, and you can also imagine the high price of salt.

Of course, the expenditure was uproaring, which made Chen Xinji dumbfounded!