In the golden autumn of September, the sun is still scorching in the sky everywhere in Liangguang and Nanzhong, which is no different from midsummer, and the late rice is spread in the paddy field with a golden yellow, and the peasants are counting on the edge of the paddy field with their fingers, how much rice can be beaten in this field, and how much can be in their own hands after paying the public grain, bringing food and clothing to the family, and whether they can buy some clothes, add a few good iron ploughshares, and be able to have a buffalo calf is enough.

The people of Liangguang have begun to see a glimmer of hope.

In Liaodong, known as the land of bitter cold, the cold current from Siberia carried the majestic wind, crossed Daze, crossed the Hangai Mountain, crossed the difficult river, and reached Liaodong all the way.

The weeds and trees on the banks of the Hunhe River, which used to be green and green, have now gradually begun to wither. The weeds that are more than one person tall by the river, from the roots to the tips of the grass, are less and less green, and more and more yellow, and at this time in previous years, it is time to start urging the slaves of the various banners and the clothed aha to begin to harvest the hay and prepare for the storage of winter fodder for the livestock.

In previous years, tens of thousands of slaves from various flags on the banks of the Hunhe River were all out into battle from the dawn of the day, and in the grass sweat beads fell eight petals, which clothed Aha dared to straighten his waist and beat his waist that could not be straightened, and he was immediately whipped by the overseer with a four-edged raw cowhide whip, and he was beaten all over the ground, and his skin was open. In order to ensure the forage of the horses of the Eight Banners, more than half of the cattle and sheep had to be slaughtered every year.

Different from the past, this year, although there are still clothed Ahabs wielding sickles to harvest forage on both sides of the Hunhe River, the atmosphere is relatively relaxed. There was occasional laughter in the crowd.

Since last year, Prince Li's errand for planting corn grass in eastern Liaodong has gradually been put on track, and a large area of abandoned land has been simply opened up by the coaters of various banners and planted corn grass seeds transported from the south.

"If the grass lives in this land, you live. If the grass dies, you will go to the mountains to mine and dig ginseng! ”

The murderous words of the masters at all levels make this kind of contract responsibility system carry a bloody atmosphere. Terrify the slaves in charge of the lands. After returning from Prince Tarui's journey south, large-scale smelting of iron and weapons began everywhere, and the demand for iron and charcoal became more and more demanding. In addition to ordering people to buy from Kannai ideas. More is to look for iron ore in various parts of Liaodong. Wood is harvested and charcoal is used to provide raw materials and power for iron smelting.

However, what is a good errand to go to the deep mountains and old forests to cut wood, burn charcoal, and collect ginseng? Nine deaths and a lifetime of work! Therefore, countless slaves threw themselves down and waited on these corn grass seeds like they were caring for their sick sons.

Not bad. Although nearly 100 people were sent to the mountains and forests to cut wood because not a single grass sprout had emerged from the fields they were in charge of. But most people still have a seed that successfully sprouts. It was temporary.

Although these corn grasses do not grow as described by Shanxi merchants, they can also grow to about one person, which is more than enough to raise the war horses of the various departments of the Eight Banners.

Head north along the Hunhe River. It is the city of Shenyang, where thousands of houses have recently been built to the west of the city, where the Eight Banners' weapons workshop is located.

The so-called ordnance workshop is actually a place where muskets and cannons are made for the Eight Banners.

In the elm forest on the bank of the Hunhe River, which is adjacent to the ordnance workshop, there are bursts of "banging" fire guns from time to time, and occasionally there is a rumbling cannon sound, which is the people of the ordnance workshop to check whether the guns made have reached the design performance and whether they are safe.

Since the spring when Dorgon returned from the raids in the Seki, it has come alive.

As an emerging regime, the Liaodong rebels did not reject any new technology, on the contrary, they had a natural sense of closeness, and as long as they knew that this technology could be beneficial to their development, they would inevitably invest in it. After Dolgon presented Huang Taiji with the Nanyue arms and spurs captured on the battlefield of Changqing, it became more and more busy here.

In fact, it is not only the Liaodong anti-thieves who are like this, but the desire and pursuit of science, technology and culture for any backward nation is almost crazy. You can take a look at the famous Temujin, whose Mongolian cavalry quickly absorbed the scientific and technological achievements of various civilizations from the beginning of the wolf's teeth as arrowheads and cowhide as armor, and by the time of Kublai Khan, it had the scientific and technological level to make the first firearm of mankind. The progress and leapfrog development process cannot be described as open.

For the construction of firecrackers, Jiannu from Huang Taiji to Ma Guangyuan and others at first thought that it was extremely simple and easy to do, and the Qing Dynasty even cast artillery craftsmen, and there were many artillery casters every year, and these craftsmen who made firecrackers abounded. However, the Qing State didn't pay attention to it before, so the group of barbarians in the Nanyue Army took advantage of it! However, after Ma Guangyuan, Ding Qiming and others took over this messenger from Huang Taiji and began to imitate the firecrackers equipped by the Nanyue Army, they found that the seemingly simple production of firecrackers has extremely high requirements for craftsman technology and production organization! Compared with making cannons, it is not so handy.

After the production of firecrackers was coarsely launched, the craftsmen carefully made them according to the style of firecrackers of the Nanyue Army, but although the more than 100 firecrackers created were much better than the equipment of the official army, when the ordnance workshop carried out a test firing in front of Huang Taiji, it was inevitably a little dissatisfied with Huang Taiji.

He frowned and said, "This kind of firearm can be used against the Guanning army in the past, but it is not enough to deal with the Liaodong Ming army today!" If it is used to enter the customs and fight against the Nanyue Army, I am afraid that my Eight Banners soldiers will be killed and injured more! He held up the thick black firearm in his hand, and white smoke was emitting from the mouth of the gun.

Ma Guangyuan, Ding Qiming and others couldn't care about the ice and snow on the ground, and hurriedly knelt down to plead guilty.

"Bring it!"

Huang Taiji snorted in his nose and ordered the guard next to him, Ah Dai, to take a fire gun. This was one of the firearms that Dolgon offered to him that day, because of the good condition, Huang Taiji ordered someone to renovate it, with a sorbet of sorbe, as his royal belongings.

"This is what Prince Rui has dedicated to me. It is a fire gun used by the Nanban. Look at the things that you have made. Where are the gaps? “

Ah Dai was ordered to shoot a gun into the sky, and after everyone couldn't help but tremble slightly, he handed the fire gun to Ma Guangyuan. This old Hanchen, who was in charge of the engineering town as a Qin mission, was responsible for the logistics and engineering affairs of the Qing Dynasty, made weapons, cast artillery, etc., and respectfully received this very fine fire gun that was maintained with both hands.

He has been in charge of building firearms for many years, and he knows that compared with the knockoffs he made, this original firearm is different from the knockoffs he made, except for the different materials used in the gun, the weight of the guide body, and the firing temperature of the gun. Those ranges and armor-piercing forces aside. Just talking about the various components of the firebolt surprised him greatly.

"That day, the fourteenth brother once demonstrated to me that the firearms used by the Nanban can be interchanged. Among the dozens of broken firearms, at least twenty usable guns can still be pieced together. You and others to build the fire. You have been torn apart and mixed with me. Reassemble it and see! ”

Not beat around the bush. Weapons production, until the Civil War when the North proposed standardized production, the parameters, size, quality, performance and so on of gun parts are all generalized. That's why there is a plot in the movie Patriot where the pig's feet melt the tin soldiers to make projectiles for their muskets, which is very simple, the caliber of muskets or muskets is very different, and it is impossible for the quartermaster department to provide uniform ammunition. Compared with the firearms manufactured by the Ming army, the firearms of the Qing army were already very good, at least, the guns of the Qing army would not explode, and there would not be a matter of 150 taels of silver for a firearm.

However, this is far from enough for a hero like Huang Taiji.

He looked down at Ma Guangyuan, Ding Qiming and the craftsmen behind them, and said slowly: "If you taste the Western cannons, you will be called a national hand, and there has never been a hundred and a hundred." This red-coated cannon, the weapon of the country, does not have to worry about the materials, but it must not be wasted. The fire gun is a plan offered by Prince Rui, and in the future, the sharp weapons of the Ming army must also be carefully controlled, and they must not be slackened. ”

"Back to the master, the servants learned that now in the Ming army camps in Ningyuan and Jinzhou, there are a lot of firearms in Nanyue, although it is not this kind of flintlock-type self-generated firearms, but the precision of firearms is far better than before. If our army does not have a large amount of equipment, trains the team to use firearms, and confronts the Ming army Hong Chengchou in the future, it will inevitably repeat the scene of the Changqing Dynasty. Shuotuo, the new owner of the Manchurian Red Banner Banner, whispered to Huang Taiji about the military situation he had recently learned. By the way, smash a black brick on this Ma Guangyuan from behind.

"Your Majesty, the slave was also favored by the emperor just now, and he test-fired a fire gun made by my Eight Banners, compared to the gun made by the Southern Barbarians, it seems that it is very laborious to pull the trigger when taking fire. It seems to be missing. Fan Wencheng took the original Nanzhong firearm used by Huang Taiji from Ma Guangyuan's hand, and held a Eight Banners copycat firearm in his other hand, held it up in front of Huang Taiji, and asked him to watch.

Between the faucet and the trigger, the copycat version has no spring.

"Without this thing, the minion pulled the trigger twice before it was successfully launched, if it is as Prince Rui said, the whole army is lined up to shoot, I am afraid that there will be a first."

Between the mouths of everyone, Ma Guangyuan's fiery mind became cold, and he originally planned to take these more than 100 newly beaten firecrackers to buy a good invitation in front of Huang Taiji today, and also to receive some rewards, you know, Huang Taiji has never hesitated to craftsmen and people who have made meritorious contributions to building weapons. This is much stronger than the Ming Dynasty, which treated craftsmen as pariahs.

But looking at today's posture, I'm afraid that Lord Ma can keep the six pounds and four taels on his head to go back, and the ancestors will bless him!

Ma Guangyuan is slippery by nature, and he is no different from the thoughts of other military leaders in the Ming Dynasty, and he does everything possible to preserve the strength of his subordinates as the capital to settle down. When encountering this kind of life-and-death situation, it is natural that he doesn't think about anything else in his mind, just how to save the life of his whole family.

"However, master, as a slave, I think that Ma Du has done his best." Fan Wencheng handed Huang Taiji's fire gun back to Ah Dai, and continued to slowly tell his opinion.

"The fire gun offered by the Rui Prince that day only opened my eyes to the Eight Banners, and I knew that there were still such fine things in the world. However, I don't know why it is, and the Qin State built weapons in the past, all of which are the names of the workers, and I want to have the same thing as the things in Nanzhong. However, the things made by my Eight Banners are all from the hands of a craftsman. The difference is unknown, but the difference is a thousand miles. The slave was foolish, and he still asked Ma Du to figure it out after he returned, and he must create something that is on par with the utensils used by the Nanban. ”

"Ma Aiqing is diligent in state affairs, and I am very relieved. But this matter is a matter of good luck for me, and I can't take it lightly! Make sure to make a firearm that is the same as the guns used by the Nanban! If you can make something so good, I should be rewarded! ”

Regarding the heavy rewards that Huang Taiji said, the craftsmen, officials, and foundry leaders present did not doubt it. They themselves are the beneficiaries of such policies and rewards. For excellent craftsmen, the Qing army has always been stingy with rewards, giving official positions, rewarding silver, giving slaves, and giving fields and houses, especially for cannon casting and copper workers. It is also a good salary. Two taels of grain and silver will be rewarded every month, five stones and three buckets of rice will be given every quarter, and houses and acres of land will be rewarded, and the generations of golden fire will be rewarded to worship Tang A. Wang Tianxiang kneeling behind Ma Guangyuan and Ding Qiming. It's because he's good at casting artillery. From slave to worship Rabul Haphan. Later, he was promoted to prepare for the palace with the merit of creation.

"Listen, if someone can make the firecracker made by my Great Qing Dynasty to the same extent as the Southern Barbarian firecracker, it can be exchanged with each other. I will not hesitate to reward you! ”

Facing the black craftsmen and slaves in front of him, Huang Taiji once again reiterated his thirst for talent.

"Your Majesty, this matter is actually very simple!"

In the crowd, I don't know who whispered, although the voice was not loud, but at this moment when a needle dropped on the ground could be heard clearly, it was no less than a spring thunder that exploded in everyone's ears.

"Dog minion! The emperor is here, and you dare to be so presumptuous! ”

"Find out this lowly Nikan Aha for me! This king is going to cut him down in front of his father! ”

Both Dordor and Hauge let out a roar at the same time.

The leader of the guards, Ah Dai, led a dozen virtuous soldiers of the Yellow Banner Gebush to follow the sound, and soon pulled out the person who had just spoken in a group of slaves covered in smoke and iron filings.

Ge Bush kicked and beat the slave down in front of Huang Taiji's throne, "Don't be embarrassed for him. Since he dared to say this, he must have some confidence. Keep your head up. He ordered the Bush soldiers to let the slave go, and Huang Taiji ordered him to raise his head and speak.

A round face, although it was covered with charcoal gray iron filings, and there were some large and small holes in his clothes, but he did not have a depressed look. On the contrary, a pair of small eyes are very bright.

"What's your name? Is there any way to make my Qing Dynasty's firecracker be the same as the Nanban? ”

"Back to the emperor, the small people called Chen Banda. When his family was in the Ming Kingdom, he was a craftsman household belonging to the Armor Staff Bureau of the Ministry of War. ”

"If you have a way to make me make a fine firecracker, I will immediately promote you to the Imperial Palace! Be my Zhenghuang people! "Huang Taiji's reward immediately shocked everyone, just a slave, being beaten to death, may not have the role of Zhang Lu sweeping up the corpse, just because there is a way to swap the parts of the Qing Dynasty's firearms, you can ascend to the sky in one step to become a reserve, and even become a slave under Zhenghuang?!

"The villain didn't dare to ask the emperor for a reward, he just wanted to be an errand for the emperor with peace of mind." Chen Banda knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Huang Taiji, thanking him in his mouth.

Haoge, who was standing beside Huang Taiji, saw that his father valued this person so much, and immediately changed his attitude, took out a few gold beans and silver dollars from his purse, and threw them to Chen Banda. "This king rewards you! You just have to talk about it, how can I make my Qing Dynasty's fire gun no different from the Southern Barbarians? He shouted loudly, ignoring the dissatisfaction and hatred in the eyes of the surrounding Duoduo, Dorgon, Daishan, Shuoto, and others.

Chen Banda recognized Prince Su Haoge, but after kowtowing, he did not take the gold beans and silver dollars on the ground.

"Xiaomin didn't dare to accept the prince's reward, so he only asked for a few utensils, so that Xiaomin could demonstrate it to the emperor."

Huang Taiji ordered someone to spread a felt blanket on the ground, took the two bronze mirrors needed by Chen Banda, spread dozens of fire guns on a huge white cloth, and ordered someone to move the throne in front of Chen Banda.

"Chen Banda, I'm here to watch your demonstration in person!"

"Xiaomin, thank you, Lord Longen!"

With gratitude in his mouth, Chen Banda's hands kept moving, his fingers beating flexibly, and he quickly disassembled the firecrackers with the help of tools and disassembled them into a pile of parts. Then the parts were sorted into categories and divided into a dozen small piles on a white cloth.

Looking at Chen Banda's movements like a cloud of peers, he couldn't help but make everyone present put away their contempt.

"This barbarian really has something evil!"

"I don't know how this person's skills are, but in all fairness, to be able to disassemble and assemble the firearm like this, I'm afraid that there is no one in my arsenal who can match it!"

Seeing that the dozens of firecrackers in front of him were instantly dismantled into piles of parts, Chen Banda wiped the sweat from his forehead slightly, raised his head and saw Huang Taiji's rather surprised look, and couldn't help but feel a burst of joy in his heart.

"Please give the emperor your royal fire gun to the small people!"

Huang Taiji motioned to Ah Dai to hand the very beautifully decorated fire gun to Chen Banda.

The board took off his coat and spread it on the felt carpet, and then carefully disassembled Huang Taiji's original and genuine Nanyue arms gun.

He took the two bronze mirrors placed on the side, put the dragon head and trigger of the fire gun together one by one, looked at the sun at noon in the late spring, and threw it away, and several craftsmen next to him kept handing the parts to him.

Seeing that there were more and more parts thrown aside by him, and only one or twelve of them were left on the felt carpet, the Eight Banners relatives and nobles present were a little unable to suppress their anger, "And let this barbarian be proud for a while, if Shaoqing can't do what the emperor wants, he will definitely be cut into eight pieces!" ”

There were dozens of parts of the firecrackers, and only a few of the parts of the firecrackers were pitifully placed in a small pile in front of Chen Banda.

Chen Banda first respectfully reassembled Huang Taiji's firecracker, and returned his hands to Ah Dai who was standing aside.

"Your Majesty, please invite a few warriors who are good at casting firearms to come and see if they can meet the requirements put forward by the emperor."

Five or six soldiers of the Yellow Banner stood on both sides of Chen Banda with their chests folded, and saw him take out the pipes, triggers, dragon heads, and tongs in the pile of parts at will, and turn these originally scattered parts into murderous weapons. He assembled the fire gun neatly in his hand, but the Dolgon and the Duoduo brothers over there felt as if they had knocked over the five-flavor bottle, and they were resentful.

"I can't imagine that among the group of slaves looted near Jingshi, there is such a person hidden! If I had known this, I wouldn't have handed this person over to this black fat man to dispose of, and raised him directly in the mansion, wouldn't it be good to build weapons for my warriors? ”

"Bang bang bang!" Five or six firebolts rang out in a row, and the guns that had not been loaded with projectiles showed that they were firing normally.

"Chen Banda, you have dismantled these firecrackers again, and then disassembled them and assembled them, this time, I will cast them together with several princes!"

This time, Huang Taiji was not disappointed, and the reassembled fire gun still set off smoothly after being loaded with projectiles. Joy Duoduo and the others held the fire gun in their arms and refused to let go.

"Chen Banda, now you are the preparation of my Qing Dynasty! Take charge of the construction of the firebolt! ”

As for the matter of bringing in the Zhenghuang Flag, it was politely stopped by Chen Banda, Fan Wencheng and the princes.

"The minister thinks that today's reward has been extremely rich, and if it is carried into the Zhenghuang Banner, if Lord Chen makes another contribution in the future, it will not be too late at that time."

This was a matter of spring, and at that time, Shouhan was still dealing with Zheng Zhilong on the sea of Xiamen.

Now that it is September, Huang Taiji once again put down his halogen book honor guard and came to the military workshop in the west of the city! (To be continued......)