"One thousand four hundred and sixty-two spears, one hundred and eighteen waist knives, one thousand four hundred and twenty-six rattan plaques, one hundred and eight infantry bows, and a few arrows!"

Zheng Chenggong was stunned and read the data on the documents sent by the arsenal, and thought about it carefully, this time he sent troops, fought several times, and had a siege and annihilation battle that won thousands of dollars, and broke a stockade, but he only harvested seven or eight hundred weapons, many of which were old and remnant. According to his memory, when he set out on the expedition, the arsenal had already been emptied, but when he came back, there were so many extra weapons, and it was estimated that even if the army was expanded, it was almost enough, and the difference was nothing more than adjusting the structure of the troops.

"Yes, the surname of the country, the inventory and account books of the arsenal were personally inspected by the last general yesterday, and there are no mistakes or omissions. Moreover, in fact, there are not only these, the seven hundred new soldiers in Nanao Town have long been fully armed. If that batch is also counted, it is difficult to say whether the arsenal can be put down or not. ”

Hong Xu said so, and Chen Bao nodded solemnly under Zheng Chenggong's gaze. Weapons will not come out of thin air, as far as Zheng Chenggong knows, Chen Bao was only training this batch of recruits in Nanao Town during his expedition, and there has been no military action, and in terms of trade, no matter where it is, the external circulation of weapons will be greatly controlled, not to mention so much.

From now on, the only possibility of the source of these weapons is the output of the arsenal workshop, and Zheng Chenggong also clearly remembers that the person in charge of the arsenal workshop under the general is a person who can create miracles!

"Chen joins the army, it seems that he has not been idle in the past few months."

Thinking of Chen Kai, Zheng Chenggong laughed rarely. This scholar claimed to have come to Fujian after serving Emperor Longwu, and now under his command, he has also shown extraordinary talent, which always gives him a sense of providence in the dark.

Before setting out on the expedition, he had thought more than once that Chen Kai had traveled thousands of miles south and could come to Nanao Island safely, not because the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty were blessed in the open and in the dark. And now, in just three or four months, Chen Kai has prepared the weapons for the new round of army expansion that he is about to launch, which is completely different from the previous one. And the bigger problem is that he really only has so few craftsmen in his hands, and it is even more valuable to achieve such results on such a basis.

"Chen Shenjun urges craftsmen to build weapons every day, and he always has wonderful ideas. In the end, the general thought that this person was brilliant and could be of great use. However, there is also a bad thing, that is, a month ago, the iron in the warehouse was consumed by the ordnance workshop, and it was still necessary to stop work for two days at that time, waiting for the arrival of the sea ships before resuming work. ”

Nanao Island is not a South Australia rich in mineral reserves, and iron ore is not absent, but it is only sporadically distributed, and the reserves are pitiful. Since Zheng Chenggong started the army, as long as the raw materials cannot be satisfied by South Australia, they have to rely on sea trade to obtain. Originally, Fujian's iron smelting industry was extremely developed in the Ming Dynasty, and the quality of Fujian iron was also well-known at home and abroad. However, now that the war is in chaos, production is inevitably sharply reduced, and even other regions have been more or less affected.

However, even in this situation, with just a dozen or so blacksmiths, Chen Kai was able to turn all the iron materials hoarded in the warehouse into weapons, and there was also an overcapacity caused by the shortage of raw materials, which was unimaginable.

Hong Xu said these words with a smile, and Zheng Chenggong's face was even more different. is not only a reassessment of Chen Kai's ability, but also a surprise at Hong Xu's praise of Chen Kai so much.

"Well, it seems that we have to invite Chen to join the army, maybe he will have some other ideas."

Zheng Chenggong said so, but he focused on Chen Bao. Chen Bao was dissatisfied with Chen Kai, this is a well-known thing in the general before the expedition, and now Chen Kai has been praised by Hong Xu, Zheng Chenggong also expressed his affirmation, but Chen Bao, not only did not object, but also seemed to have a faint approval on his face, but he didn't put it into his mouth.

The expedition lasted nearly four months, which is not long or short, but changes have begun to be revealed in front of Zheng Chenggong's eyes. The curiosity about Chen Kai also added another layer.

"The last general thinks that the surname of the country should go to the arsenal workshop to see it in person, and the situation there can no longer be clearly explained by description."

"Oh?"

………………

On October 21, the third year of Longwu, in the morning, Zheng Chenggong's army returned triumphantly, and Chen Kai was on duty less than two hours later than usual. However, the impact of the army's triumph on the ordnance workshop ended here, everything was still in an orderly manner according to the workflow on weekdays, and the least was the early roll call, which was not presided over by Chen Kai.

The morning's work was done in order, and when it was time to eat, the craftsmen came out of the new factory area and returned to the newly built canteen in the old factory area.

Today's recipe is tofu again, probably because the partnership with that tofu shop has not ended. Fortunately, the three chefs in charge of the room are not as arrogant as You Hong's, even if seven or eight out of ten days are tofu, at least they know how to change the color of the dish, braised today, fried dried tofu tomorrow, and can always come up with tricks. The craftsmen were not willing to offend the three overseers for such trivial matters, and they were even more unwilling to upset Chen Kai for some trivial matters, and they could get by if they were full. At the very least, it is a matter of course for refills, which is not the rule elsewhere.

After lunch, they can take a break in the cafeteria or even lie down on the long table for a nap. When it is time to go to work, the supervisor will sound the gong prompt, and then leave the canteen and return to the newly built sheds and shops in the new factory area to start work again.

In the ordnance workshop, the sound of hammers hitting iron felts and axes and saws separating wood came and went, and sometimes there were shouts from the overseers, but they were not as good as when Chen Kai and Zheng Chenggong first came here to inspect. That inspection, for Zheng Chenggong, was the last time he came to the ordnance workshop, and it had been almost half a year since he counted the time. However, this time he came back here, he didn't say anything else, but the first time he saw this place, he already felt as if he hadn't been here for decades.

Due to the need to save money, the façade of the new armory workshop is still made of rammed earth, which is not much different from the previous one. When he was still in the distance, Zheng Chenggong had already seen the rejection horse supported in front of the gate, and the military atmosphere through the armory workshop still made him nod, and when he got closer, the gatekeeper stood upright, his eyes scanning the people passing by.

"Ke Chenmei will lead the troops, don't let me be a brother."

The spirit of the soldiers is very good, and the vigilance and majesty make Zheng Chenggong very satisfied. When they approached, the soldiers stepped forward and showed their waist cards, and the soldiers guarding the door hurriedly saluted Zheng Chenggong, and then an officer who was at the door rushed to lead the way for Zheng Chenggong.

"Guard your doors, and do not care about us."

The officer took the order and left, but he still ordered a sergeant to rush to the official room to inform Chen Kai. Hearing that Zheng Chenggong was coming, Chen Kai also tidied up his clothes and hurriedly came out to greet him.

"Xiaguan Chen Kai, I have seen the surname of the country."

"Chen joins the army and is exempt, and I, Hou Chen, and Uncle Hong are just here to observe one or two this time."

met Zheng Chenggong and greeted Chen Bao and Hong Xu, and Chen Kai led the way. The armory workshop is not what it used to be, Chen Kai led Zheng Chenggong and others along the gate, on the left hand side is the room, canteen and bathhouse, and on the right hand side is the original courtyard and a warehouse.

The old factory area is now transformed into a living area and an administrative area by Chen Kai, and the blacksmith can be seen striking iron in the small courtyard. The work functions of the ordnance workshop were all placed in the new factory.

Zheng Chenggong walked into it, and the left and right rows of houses were lined up on both sides of the smooth and clean avenue. At this moment, the craftsmen are working in the new factory, and the old factory only has sporadic flow of cooks, kuding, and handymen in and out, some are busy moving raw materials, some are transporting the weapons from the new factory to the warehouse, and some are carrying water and rice under the command of the cook. But not to mention others, only to say that those miscellaneous servants who served as conscripts were all full of energy, and there was no slack that he saw elsewhere.

Conscription is a forced apportionment by the government, and it is a luxury for those who serve to be able to get food and clothing, so it is natural for them to be lazy, even if they work hard, they must have the whip of the overseer. Such a scene as in front of him is not to be said to be elsewhere, even in the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years, it is extremely rare, and the probability is even lower than that of a Qing official like Chu Hairui.

Seeing this, Zheng Chenggong was about to ask Chen Kai how he trained these miscellaneous servants, but he turned his head to attract attention to the white lacquer characters written on both sides of the courtyard door of the official room.

"Come to work happily and go home safely."

Zheng Chenggong silently recited these words, there was no impassioned, no blood boiling, and some were just flat and straightforward. But in the shoes of those craftsmen, in the eyes of those craftsmen, aren't these fourteen big characters a portrayal of their heart's desire?

"Chen joins the army, well, it's very innovative."

Smiling slightly, Zheng Chenggong didn't say anything. Whether it was satisfaction, or disdain, at least it didn't show on that side. In this regard, Chen Kai is not interested in speculating, in his opinion, these fourteen words are more effective than the big slogan of saving the country and saving the people to improve the work enthusiasm of the craftsmen, even if Zheng Chenggong doesn't like it, he doesn't plan to change it, let alone Zheng Chenggong doesn't say anything else.

Zheng Chenggong, Chen Bao, Hong Xu, these big names came to inspect, Chen Kai also had to lead the way, even if he didn't know him, seeing Chen Kai like this, those kitchen girls, Kuding, soldiers, and miscellaneous servants of the ordnance workshop were all courteous, and watched Chen Kai lead these big men into the new factory.

The old and new factories are divided by a special wall, with a gate on the wall, from which inventory and personnel can come and go freely. Chen Kai explained the functional distinction between the old and new factories, and led them into the new factory. However, when he entered the new factory, he took the lead in signaling to everyone to let them continue to work without those red tapes. And Zheng Chenggong and others also expressed a tacit attitude towards this.

The area of the new plant is much better than that of the old plant, but it is generally different from the old factory now, and the functions of the internal branches are very clear.

Chen Kai took Zheng Chenggong and others past the gate, first turned left, two rows of blacksmith shops across a stone road, and the sound of striking iron came and went. When entering the pathway, there are large water tanks at intervals, which are used to prevent water from running away, and the blacksmiths are divided into their own shops according to their groups, and the layout of each shop is the same - iron felt, wind direction, stove, long tongs, short tongs, sledgehammers, small hammers, side hammers, wrenches, files, and shovels are also neatly arranged, and the craftsmen can pick up when they need it, which is very convenient.

"It's orderly, even if it's in the army, it's not as good as it, Chen joined the army with his heart."

"Xiaguan is just a fool."

As is customary, craftsmen can take a break after crafting an iron object. It's just that the Shangguan inspected here, and they didn't have no eyebrows to the point of resting in person, even if they finished building one piece, they just started the manufacturing work of the next one after drinking water, and even when they drank water, they didn't put down the tools, and they were completely ready to knock on the iron at any time.

Chen Kai took Zheng Chenggong and others to turn around the Tiejia shop, there are actually a lot of empty shops here, and there is no blacksmith in the owner for the time being, but Zheng Chenggong brought some back this time, just waiting for them to settle a family to urinate and come to work, and before that, Chen Kai also estimated these, so he left a lot of empty houses at the beginning of construction.

After the blacksmith's shop, turn around and you'll find the carpenters' shed. At this moment, most of the carpenters were installing spears and making scabbards, and with Chen Kai's instructions, they just nodded and continued to be busy. Through their hands, Zheng Chenggong took a spear that had just been installed, signaling everyone to retreat, the spear was stabbed in Zheng Chenggong's hands, tiger and tiger are all military techniques, especially between their advance and retreat, there are deep rules, even if it is like Chen Kai, "martial blind" can also see the high level of his martial arts.

"The national surname is strong in martial arts, and the lower officials admire it to the fullest."

Zheng Chenggong put away the gun and stood up, his face was not red, and he was not panting, but Chen Kai had slapped this sycophant, but he was a little embarrassed: "Chen has a good reputation for joining the army, and my marksmanship is not worth mentioning compared to Uncle Dingguo and Hou Ye Chen." ”

Uncle Dingguo is Zheng Hongkui, this Chen Kai knows, Zheng Hongkui was admitted to martial arts in his early years, and Zheng Zhilong's and other maritime businessmen are different, and they must be good in martial arts. At this point, Chen Kai has never seen Zheng Hongkui, and he doesn't know if this is really the case, but Chen Bao is in front of him, and he has a lot of reciprocal transactions in the past few months, according to Chen Kai's thinking, with Chen Bao's "three-foot-six" body shape, with a large waist and a low chassis, he is still a pirate, so he should stand barefoot on the deck, holding a broken blade to cut people in line with the image. But according to Zheng Chenggong's statement, he is really a person who cannot be seen.

"The surname of the country is too modest, and the martial arts of Dingguo Gong are superb, and he has been in martial arts. The little means of the last general are all wild ways, which are really not worth mentioning. ”

Chen Baowen was humble and humble, and Chen Kai didn't know which one to convert, but one thing can be confirmed, that is, among this group of people, his martial arts are the most rare, because he doesn't know any martial arts at all, at most, he has watched martial arts movies and martial arts novels for a few years more than them.

"This gun still needs to be painted, right?"

"If you return to your home name, it is true. There was no lacquer maker earlier, and it had to be like this when he went on the expedition, and Uncle Hong recruited a lacquer maker before, and the weapons that should be painted were to be sent over, and then stored in the warehouse after the paint was dried. ”

"Well, Chen joined the army with his heart, and so did Uncle Hong, well, very good." Zheng Chenggong nodded, and it seemed that he didn't plan to continue watching, so he simply said to everyone: "The army went out in April, and the officers and officials of the South Australian generals fulfilled their duties, and everything was out of public interest, and I was very happy. ”

After making a summary, Zheng Chenggong looked very happy. The great changes in the arsenal workshop, not only Chen Kai's efforts, but also Hong Xu's strong support, these are all in his eyes.

In Nanjing that year, Zheng Chenggong witnessed the chaos of the Hongguang Dynasty, and he once sighed that "there is no one in our court, and the ministers are in power". Now Hong Xu is in charge of the affairs of South Australia, Chen Kai is in charge of the weapons workshop, the two of them were suspicious because of the You Eryi case, and even Chen Bao, Chen Hui and others secretly made a stumbling block for Chen Kai, but now it seems that the two of them not only have no evil of power, but also get along harmoniously, and devote all their energy to the development of the major affairs, which is really commendable.

When I looked at it again, Zheng Chenggong, Yu Hongxu and Chen Kai's eyes were already very different from others. Especially Hong Xu, there may be some admiration for grandeur.