In addition to the most basic six steps, pouring medicine, charging, pressing fire, loading ammunition, loading door medicine, and loading fire rope, we are very particular about whether it is the operation of the bird gun or the maintenance in peacetime. And it is not a day's work to be proficient in these six steps.

Since Xu Hui has been advocating the bird gun, of course, he has also shouldered the burden of training. Since the beginning of June, the main direction of the army's rearmament has shifted from the adjustment of the personnel structure to the training of soldiers in firearms. He vowed to make a "military order" to Zhao Dangshi, and by August, the army would inevitably reach the standard of "guns must be drilled and shots must be captured." The bird gun is the representative of Zhao Ying's firearms, and in addition to the gun, various types of artillery are also in Xu Hui's training range. However, compared with the bird gun, the number of small cannons in Zhao Ying has not increased significantly, so this piece will be put aside for the time being, and it will be a little worry-free.

Equally important as firearms are horses and armor, both of which are difficult to raise or produce in large quantities in a short period of time. Especially for horses, Lu Qiqing only collected more than 100 horses after working hard to meet the needs of the field army, which did not help the expansion of Zhao Ying's cavalry, and the channels for obtaining them were still slowly exploring. The armor is a little harvested, through the gifts of Chen Hongfan, Zuo Liangyu and other departments, as well as Zhao Ying's own procurement, Lin Lin has gathered more than 2,000 pairs of light armor. In this way, the battalion has a total of 4,000 pairs of light armor and 500 pairs of heavy armor. Five hundred pairs of heavy armor were given priority to the Feijie battalion, and four thousand pairs of light armor were allocated to the four battalions in proportion. In terms of armor rate alone, Zhao Dangshi is quite satisfied with the army at this stage.

In addition to military equipment and drills, there is also an in-depth control of the dangers of Guanjin in Zaoyang. By suppressing the Chu family, Zhao Dangshi successfully seized the vast majority of control of Zaoyang County, not only firmly controlling the northwest entrance of the Suizao Passage in his own hands, but also placing the Feijie Battalion in a place close to Zaoyang County. Zaoyang County is not small, but so far, Zhao Ying's ship can be said to be able to sail steadily, and its mastery of the county is not inferior to Xiying, which has taken the valley city with brute force.

Good at home, military, and finally diplomacy.

Zhao Ying's diplomacy followed the policy of "extensive assistance" and "shun the imperial court" and never changed. In terms of the phased results, the effect is very significant. Presently. Among the influential figures in Chu and Henan, Chen Hongfan, the general soldier of Changping, Zuo Liangyu, the general soldier of the aid and suppression, Zhu Yiming, the king of Xiang, and Zhao Ying, were all friendly, and the prime minister Xiong Wencan also had a positive attitude towards Zhao Dangshi, and Long Zaitian, the deputy general of Shipingtu, and Fang Kongzhi, the new governor of Huguang, were all in Zhao Dangshi's friendship plan. At least on the side of the imperial court and the official army, the image of Zhao Ying and Zhao Dangshi himself is good, and the old relationship can be maintained. The next step in the development of the new relationship focuses on two people, one Long Zaitian and the other Su Gaozhao. If Long Zaitian is co-opted, Zhao Ying's position in northern Chu can be further stabilized; If Su Gaozhao is married, it will be able to open the door to contact between Zhao Ying and the southeast Zheng family.

In order to formalize foreign affairs, in early July, Zhao Dangshi set up a new foreign envoy department in addition to the original six divisions, with Fu Xunyu, who had the most outstanding performance after several assignments, as the foreign envoy, and another person named Li Wei, who served as the deputy envoy. Fu Xunyu became one of the "Seven Envoys" alongside Zhou Wenhe, Pang Jinming, He Kejing, Liu Xiaohong, Zhao Hudao, and Ge Haishan.

"The military horse, my arm; Money and food, my confidant; Diplomacy, my mouthpiece. ”

The three-pronged approach is to connect the military, the inside and the outside. After experiencing the initial difficulties and crampedness, Zhao Dangshi finally opened his eyes and saw the dawn.

The roads of the Zhao Ying barracks, which are about to be completed, extend in all directions, and several main paths are paved with fine gravel, which is both solid and comfortable to walk on. The breeze swept lightly, and the dense reeds on the bank of the creek were in turmoil, and Guang Wenlu looked forward as he walked, and at the far end of the road, under a green poplar, stood a figure.

"Brother Luo!" Guang Wenlu's heart was shocked, he walked forward quickly, approached, and stretched out his hands to hold Luo Wei's right hand tightly. Luo Weipu's fan-like right hand was rough and strong, but his left hand was on a peachwood cane, and his body was slightly tilted to the left.

"Ahem, big brother's leg makes you laugh." Perhaps sensing the surprise in Guang Wenlu's eyes, Luo Wei's gaze moved to the ground, half-hung his head, and said with a wry smile.

Guangwen Lu suddenly felt a burst of grief and indignation, and said, "Big brother, didn't you say that just a flesh wound can be healed by raising it at the military doctor's office?" Last time I came, this injury was almost healed! ”

Luo Wei shook his head with a wry smile and said: "I hurt the tendon, the skin and flesh have grown, and I am afraid that this leg will not be able to be soothed from now on." As he spoke, he looked at the peach wood crutch on his left hand, "The eldest brother and this guy are married to Jin Lan, and they will be inseparable in this life." ”

"Big brother!" Guang Wenlu's hands tightened again, but Luo Wei withdrew his right hand at this moment.

"Luzi, how has the outpost been during this time? Without me and Lao Wan by my side, can you still live comfortably? "Luo Wei and Guang Wenlu were previously subordinate to the outpost under the command of Jing Keqin in Qihun Camp, but since his leg and foot injury, he was transferred out of the outpost.

As soon as he heard the word "Lao Wan", Guang Wenlu, who was already sad, immediately reflected Wan Yong's voice and smile in the past. is alone in the Zhao camp, only Wan Yong and Luo Wei sincerely regard him as brothers. Until now, he still can't let go of Wan Yong's death, and as soon as he closes his eyes, he is the bloody and tragic scene of the Battle of Chengshui in Tang County.

"The battalion issued an order to convert many of the crossbowmen into birdmen. The younger brother played firearms properly and got some promotions. Guang Wenlu said what should have been proud and happy, but his eyes became more and more moist and red, he took advantage of Luo Wei's inattention, quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and asked, "Brother Luo, how are you in the Tuntian Army?" ”

Luo Wei was originally a commander of the outpost, but after being wounded, he was unable to move, and the army remembered his old exploits and transferred him to the Tuntian Army as appropriate, and it has been three months since he was roughly calculated.

"It's okay, it's an old job." Luo Wei smiled heartily, and poked the crutch in his left hand on the ground, "This road is to transfer the Tuntian Army to do some work to build houses and plant seedlings, so it is better to receive a coil of money and find a secluded place to live in peace, but unexpectedly, the road is good and I was assigned to the training camp." ”

"Training camp?"

"It's windy here, let's talk about it." Luo Wei pulled Guang Wenlu and led the way with a limp forward, "The military in the battalion has separated the soldiers from the Tuntian army, but it is not isolated, and there is no intersection anymore. The plan is to use the Tuntian Army as a reserve for soldiers. After all, they are all the old brothers who were carefully selected to bring Huguang at the beginning, and they are not more honest than those newly recruited recruits? Wang Tong divided the Tuntian Army into several divisions and took turns to operate. For the time being, the soldiers who are not in turn to build the cultivation will be gathered and organized drills to meet the needs of the emergency. I'm still a little interested in this work, brother. ”

Guang Wenlu said: "The eldest brother is an expert in leading soldiers, and he is naturally familiar with military training. If it weren't for the unfavorable injuries and illnesses of the passing years, the soldiers who are training now would be the soldiers of the Hun battalion. ”

Luo Wei smiled and said: "I'm useless, but it's your son, young and promising." At the beginning, Lao Wan and I thought that your kid would be promising. Now it seems that the guess is not bad. If it comes to firearms, the birds of Rausch are annoying to use, and the eldest brother is the most impatient. I remember that you didn't know anything before, but now it's better that you're a connoisseur in no time. Isn't that a good idea, is it? ”

Guang Wenlu lowered his head and said, "Big brother is laughing." If it weren't for the military order, the younger brother really wanted to follow the eldest brother to the Tuntian Army! Randomly exhaled, "Ha Mingyuan, the sentry management team, you also know the eldest brother, he robbed you of your head work, and he will flatter you, and now he has become a celebrity in front of the Jing sentry officer, and the price is all day long." As soon as I saw him, I was angry! ”

As soon as the words fell, Luo Wei suddenly stood up at this time. Guang Wenlu took a big step, and at first he didn't have time to react, he walked a few steps, and then stepped back and asked, "Big brother, what's wrong?" As he spoke, he saw Luo Wei's face gloomy.

"I just said that your kid is better than your eldest brother, why do you say these unproductive words?" Luo Wei said angrily, and the crutch in his left hand also lit the stone slab under his feet, "There are times in life that you must have it, and there is no time in life to ask for it." The eldest brother is blessed, and he has no ability to go further, which is the fate of the eldest brother. You are young and strong, and the future is promising, how can you delay your future because of inconsequential people and things! ”

"Big brother, I, I'm ......"

"You and my brother, as a big brother, I hope you can soar. If you miss your future because of your big brother's business. Then the eldest brother might as well leave Zhao Ying immediately, so as not to pull you back! Luo Wei said angrily, and threw his crutches on the ground with all his might, put his hands behind his back, and turned around.

Guang Wenlu's face turned red, and he quickly leaned down to pick up the crutches, handed it to Luo Wei, and said, "The lesson of the eldest brother is that the younger brother knows that he is wrong. However, when the spirit came up, I couldn't get used to seeing the villains like Ha Mingyuan gaining power. ”

Luo Wei sighed and said, "I know that you are very angry with me and Lao Wanyi. But neither I nor Lao Wan want to see you look like you can't afford to let go. On the battlefield, opportunities are all in an instant, and it is also his ability that Ha Mingyuan can finally win the head of the enemy channel. Have you ever thought that if he hadn't broken the enemy's hamstrings with a knife, your big brother Luo might not have escaped death that day! ”

Guang Wenlu's body was shocked when he heard this, and he thought about it repeatedly, focusing on Ha Mingyuan's greed for merit, and the consequence of being too resentful was that he never changed his perspective. Now, when the person in question said something completely different from what he had thought before, he immediately felt a sense of shame spread throughout his body.

"Big Brother ......"

"Ugh." Luo Wei sighed, "Luzi, you have to think clearly, the road is your own." The eldest brother has a fate with you and took you for a while, although he didn't help you anything, but he didn't turn you into a detour. In the future, there will be no big brother, and there may be other nobles who will help you, but in the final analysis, you still walk more alone on this road. Speaking of this, he smiled, "It's a good thing that you don't like Ha Mingyuan." But now that he's in charge, you're not as good as him, but you're still young, and sooner or later you'll have a chance to subdue him. It's just that to do this, it's useless to just rely on thinking in your heart and scolding on your lips. If you want people to be convinced, you have to rely on real skills with real knives and guns. ”

Guang Wenlu also sighed: "What the eldest brother said is very true. The little brother in front of the head is obsessed. ”

Luo Wei smiled with satisfaction, and the two walked for a while, and he suddenly said: "But when it really comes, you will have long lost the resentment and hatred you have now." ”

Guang Wenlu was stunned, and Luo Wei continued: "Big brother still has something to say, don't you want to nag me." ”

"The eldest brother said, and the younger brother listened." Guang Wenlu shook his head and said.

"I've been thinking about it these days, not to mention the old people such as Hou Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi, among the newly promoted generals, Guo Tongzhi and Yang Senjun are all all-rounders who can dance and write."

"What do you mean, big brother?"

"Another example is the Wang system of the Tuntian Army, I heard that earlier it was also a native old hat who did not know a big character, and later after He Shang's envoy, Shuiqiu staff and others mentioned, but also gradually coarse and ink, during this time presided over the work of Tuntian, and it was brilliant. Therefore, I think that if you kid wants to climb up in the future, illiteracy must be a big obstacle. ”

Guang Wenlu said embarrassedly: "The ancestors of the younger brother's family have been facing the loess with their backs to the sky for generations, and no one knows a word. ”

Luo Weinai said: "I know, but the eldest brother has a chance for you right now." As he spoke, his voice rang out, "The eldest brother has been able to mix well in the Tuntian Army in the past few months and has made some friends. One of them introduced the eldest brother to the former Yingtuntian master bookkeeper road and Zhongheng road master bookkeeper. Although the master of this road is a literati, he has a cool personality and is quite heroic, and he chats with his eldest brother, and the relationship is good. The eldest brother then thought that when you took a break, I could come here and introduce you to the road master's book. In the future, you will seize the opportunity, work hard, and learn some words from him, more is some, it will definitely be better than being illiterate now. ”

When Guang Wenlu heard this, he was first stunned, and then his eyes were hot. Although he has little culture, he is in the prime of life, and when he saw the Confucian scholars waving the paper, he was actually deeply admired and envied, and he was eager to learn some literary talents. But this kind of thing, firstly, there are no conditions, and secondly, I am embarrassed to publicize it, because I have buried it in my heart for a long time and have never confided in others.

At the moment, Luo Wei's words can be said to have hit the heart of Guang Wenlu's thoughts. Although friendship is at the bottom of the five, sometimes it may not be lost to family affection. Facing the righteous Luo Wei, Guang Wenlu couldn't help but be like a fire.