As Zhang Xiaoping estimated, less than a month later, the eight red-coated cannons purchased by the Suzhou City Bo Division entrusted by the Ministry of War arrived in Tongzhou, along with three artillery pieces and 20 muskets, which were purchased for Wang Qiang for weapons research. In the previous stage, the main direction of attack was iron and steel smelting, and they set up a workshop in Tongzhou and built a small iron-making furnace. Although Wang Qiang does not understand steelmaking technology, but after all, he has learned modern knowledge, he knows that the main difference between steel and iron is the content of impurities, he proposed the research direction is carbon removal and desulfurization, everyone along the direction of Wang Qiang continuous experiments, and strive to improve the refining temperature and air volume (in fact, it is to increase the supply of oxygen), sure enough, the toughness and ductility of the iron are getting better and better, in fact, it is already steel in terms of composition.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the level of firearms in the Ming Dynasty was not worse than that of the West, but due to the long-term lack of attention to the research and development of weapons, the level of firearms in the Ming Dynasty gradually lagged behind the Western countries, and at the end of the Ming Dynasty, with the continuous decline of national strength and financial constraints, the research and development and manufacturing of weapons basically stagnated.

The three cannons that Wang Qiang bought this time were different from the red-coated cannons, and the purchasing staff mentioned in the letter that they were the most advanced artillery in the West, called the Franc machine gun. The Franc cannon is small in size and has a similar firing range, but due to the use of sub-cannons to load shells, the loading efficiency is improved, so the rate of fire is fast and the accuracy is also improved a lot. The guns purchased this time are also the most advanced flintlock pistols of Westerners at present.

When the research team got the guns, they immediately shifted their focus to the development of firearms. Wang Qiang based on his understanding of modern guns, put forward his own suggestions for improvement, such as whether the cannon should be loaded for the breech, whether the musket can make magazines to improve the efficiency of bullet loading, the use of flint instead of ignition to stimulate gunpowder, he also based on the concept of machine guns in modern society to put forward whether to make bursting, rapid-fire firearms, etc., don't look at Wang Qiang knows nothing about firearms, but the research and development direction he pointed out is undoubtedly correct, which greatly improves the work efficiency of the research team.

Another is the research and development of gunpowder. According to the weapons experts of the research group, the composition of gunpowder is the same, but the ratio of several components is slightly different. At that time, the smallest unit of measurement of the weight of the Ming Dynasty was money, Wang Qiang proposed to divide a coin into ten equal parts, called grams, and also instructed craftsmen to make gram scales, and then asked the research team to conduct a ratio test on the composition of gunpowder in grams, so as to improve the accuracy of gunpowder ratio and increase the power of gunpowder.

Weapons research and development is a money-burning business, and the most important thing in Wang Qiang's hands is money, and the special zone is rich in materials and well-informed, and what you want can be obtained quickly, so Daming's weapon research and development work has been restored and developed rapidly. The research team continued to improve the quality of the guns, and every time a sample was produced, Wang Qiang had to personally participate in the test firing and put forward suggestions for further improvement. Wang Qiang did not report to Emperor Chongzhen about building a research team to improve weapons, he planned to make a satisfactory finished product and then report the good news to Chongzhen, and then mass production and equip the army, by that time the army of the Ming Dynasty will be invincible in the world!

In the spring of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, it took two years since the imperial court approved the establishment of the Tongzhou Special Economic Zone. Trade markets and special zone money villages have been built in several major cities across the country, forming a nationwide trade network, coupled with the gradual liberalization of overseas trade, greatly promoting the development of commerce and material circulation in the Ming Dynasty, indirectly stimulating the development of the handicrafts, mining and transportation industries of the Ming Dynasty, and revitalizing the economy. The popularization of farms in the special zones throughout the country and the implementation of the contract system for barren land and mountains have enabled a large number of landless and displaced people to be resettled, increased the production of grain and non-staple foodstuffs, and gradually stabilized society. The issuance of treasury bonds and the abundance of the state treasury have ensured the normal operation of the government's finances and the supply of military supplies. Militarily, Hong Chengchou "suppressed and appeased, and focused on appeasement." As a large number of displaced people returned to the fields, Li Zicheng's peasant army was exhausted, the food and salary were insufficient, and their momentum gradually declined, and they were squeezed by the officials and troops step by step in the narrow mountainous area of western Henan, which was already at the end of the road.

When the Ming Dynasty arrived in the Chongzhen Dynasty, it was already in decay and decline, and the oil was exhausted and the lamp was dry, but now it is like a dead tree in spring, revealing a glimmer of vitality. The downward curve of the historical development of the Ming Dynasty has rebounded strongly here!

In the far north, a person has been silently paying attention to these changes in the Ming Dynasty, and feels a huge crisis from it, and he is determined to nip this line of life in the bud of the Ming Dynasty. This person is the Manchu monarch Huang Taiji!

In April of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the Qing army of 50,000 elite iron cavalry, commanded by Prince Dolgon, Ao Bai and Duoduo as the left and right vanguard, took the Mongolia, bypassed the Jinning defense line carefully built by the Ming army, and suddenly entered the territory of the Ming Dynasty!

At this time, the officials and troops of the Ming Dynasty were making every effort to encircle and suppress Li Zicheng, the troops in the area of Zhili and Jingshi were empty, and the Qing army cut all the way to seize the pass, and the momentum was like a bamboo, and in less than half a month, even more than a dozen state capitals such as Kexuanhua, Yongping, Fengzhen, Xinghe, etc., all the way south, such as entering the realm of no one, the soldiers pointed directly at the capital!

There are no soldiers around the Beijing Division, and there is no general in the court, Emperor Chongzhen panicked, and issued seventeen holy decrees in one day, ordering officials and troops from all over the country to quickly enter King Jingqin! The four gates of the capital are closed, the wind is loud, and the people in the city are also panicked.

The Qing army went south, Wang Qiang was also worried, if the Qing army invaded the capital, then Tongzhou would be the first to bear the brunt, he didn't want the special zone he had carefully built to be destroyed in the war.

On this day, Wang Qiang came to Li Gang's residence with a stack of information he had collected, and the two studied the enemy's strategy against a simple map.

Li Gang had a worried face, pointed out the southward route of the Qing army on the map and said to Wang Qiang: "Lord Wang, this is the fourth time that the Qing army has invaded the border of our Ming Dynasty, the first three times the Qing army was burned and looted in some state capitals on the border and then retreated, but this time it is very different, the elite of the Qing army is exhausted, and the momentum is fierce, all the way to the capital, the goal is quite clear!" ”

Wang Qiang said worriedly: "There are few soldiers in the capital, and the surrounding officials and soldiers can't rescue it, do you say the capital can hold it?" ”

"My lord, although the Qing army is strong, but the capital city is high and thick, only the emperor's Praetorian Guard has 50,000 people, as well as elite troops such as the Shenji Battalion and the Jinyi Guard, if you add the garrison troops of the surrounding prefectures and counties, and the government service soldiers of the yamen of various official governments, there are still 100,000 garrison troops mobilized in a short time. With these people, it is not a problem to stick to the capital for ten days and a half months. As soon as the Qing army ran out of food, the soldiers and horses of the Qin kings from all walks of life arrived, and the 50,000 Qing troops would become turtles in the urn. Therefore, if only 50,000 people want to attack the capital, it is tantamount to hitting a stone with an egg! Li Gang said slowly.

"Then why did you say that the Qing army is here, isn't this full of food?"

"That's where I'm puzzled." Li Gang said with a frown.

The two of them thought about the map for a long time, but they pointed to Tongzhou together!

"Fuck it! They're coming to our SAR! Wang Qiang came back to his senses and couldn't help but scold angrily!

"My subordinates think so too. Our special zone is an important place of wealth for the imperial court, and the Qing army must have heard of it, and this is for the material treasures of our special zone. My lord, even if the Qing army is rushing to the capital, then Tongzhou is also a necessary place, and our special zone will inevitably fight no matter what, and we must hurry up and prepare for the battle today! Li Gang said.

"Yes, without further ado, let's call a meeting, Lao Li, don't hide it, it's right to use you now, I will announce your appointment today!" Wang Qiang said.

"Yes!"

In the afternoon of the same day, Wang Qiang convened a joint meeting attended by principal officials of the SAR and officers at and above the battalion level of the militia to discuss countermeasures against the Qing Dynasty.

In the conference hall of the official office, Wang Qiang sat in the center, Shang Dayong and other cronies and staff sat on both sides, and Wang Qiang specially arranged for Li Gang to sit next to his left hand.

"Everyone, now that our Tongzhou Special Economic Zone is prosperous and rich, the life of the common people is very beautiful, but there are people who don't let us live a good life! Everyone knows that 50,000 Qing troops are attacking south, and the vanguard has arrived in Zunhua, and the next target is our Tongzhou. Wang Qiang said.

Shang Dayong has been training for many days, because there is no battle, he has been lingering, and now he finally has a chance, he is extremely excited, he was the first to stand up and said: "Lord Wang, the Qing army is powerful, but our militia is not muddy, guarding the special zone is the duty of our militia, and it is our duty to shirk it, as long as our militia is here, the Qing army will not want to take Tongzhou easily!" ”

Shang Dayong instigated, and other generals of the militia group also aroused excitement and expressed their positions one after another.

"Yes, let's fight with the Tartars, killing one is enough, killing two earns one!"

"Tartar is nothing remarkable, two shoulders with a head, a ball!"

"Swear to live and die with Tongzhou!"

Wang Qiang pressed his hands to stop everyone's speech, and said: "Well, our militia should have this momentum, the so-called raising soldiers for a thousand days and using soldiers for a while, most of the militia are people from Gyeonggi Zhili, and defending Tongzhou is also defending their homeland." However, one-on-one hard fighting is not the way, let's defend the main, drag the Qing army in Tongzhou, the emperor has issued an order to recall the seventeenth road soldiers and horses Qinwang, as long as it can drag on for ten days and a half months, when the reinforcements arrive, let's attack again, beat him hard! ”

Wang Qiang changed his words and said: "Actually, we have to thank the Manchu Qing Dynasty, why?" What do you think, our militia has been practicing hard for more than a year, and we can't get a fight, so who knows how powerful our militia is. Now the opportunity has come, if our militia retreats from the Qing army and protects the capital, it will be a great merit, the emperor is overjoyed, you can't be promoted if you want to, the emperor has to chase you all over the street with an official hat.! ”

"Hahahaha." Everyone laughed at Wang Qiang's words, and the original nervousness and panic in their hearts were also diluted a lot.

Wang Qiang continued: "Everyone, if you want to say that I am a layman in war, but I have found you an expert in dealing with the Qing army. He pointed to Li Gang and said: "This is General Li Gang Li, who turned out to be the deputy general under the command of Yuan Inspector, who repeatedly defeated the Qing army outside the Guan, in fact, the exercises I taught you a few days ago were taught to me by General Li, and he is my master. ”

Li Gang got up with a smile and saluted everyone.

After Li Gang sat down, Wang Qiang said with a cold face: "Everyone, now that the Tartars have hit the doorstep, we should be the same enemy and resist foreign insults. ”

Wang Qiang said this because he was worried that the generals of the militia would not obey Li Gang and neglect military affairs, Shang Dayong understood what Wang Qiang meant, and clasped his fists at Li Gang and said: "Military advisor, I have long guessed that you are guiding the militia to drill the formation, and I have always admired it in my heart. ”

Other militia generals also expressed their obedience to General Li Gang's orders.

Wang Qiang moved to the side, put Li Gang in the middle and said, "Next, I will ask the military advisor to arrange a strategy to resist the enemy." ”

Li Gang was not hypocritical, sat in the middle, nodded at everyone and said expressionlessly: "Everyone, I will announce a few disciplines here!" Those who disobey the order will be beheaded! Those who retreat from the battle are slashed! Kill the military plane! Those who secretly hide their finances and harass the people will be killed! ”

Li Gang's words were categorical, with the sound of gold and stone in his words, and all the generals listened to it with a pang in their hearts, and secretly said that this military advisor is really a ruthless character!

Li Gang said shrewdly to Tian: "Lord Tian, you are responsible for the evacuation of personnel and property in the Special Administrative Region. The elderly, children, women, children, family members of officials, civil officials and merchants in the SAR were immediately evacuated, and all valuables and belongings in their homes were taken away. The valuables belonging to the Special Administrative Region should also be immediately transferred to the capital, and the grain and materials of the Special Administrative Region should be transported away if they could be carried away, and those that could not be transported should be prepared to cause fire; once the city is broken, it will be set on fire and burned, and it must not be left to the Qing army! Do you understand? ”

"Subordinates obey!" Tian Jingming said.

"Lord Zhang, you are responsible for the evacuation of the people of Tongzhou, let them bring their families to the neighborhood to join relatives and friends, and tell them that the Qing army is extremely brutal, and they must not be left to chance, it doesn't matter if the house burns down, as long as they save their lives. When leaving, let the people take away the cattle, sheep and livestock, bury the grain that cannot be taken away, and fill the wells in the village with soil and stones. Li Gang Chongtong County Commander Zhang Hao said. This trick is really ruthless enough.

Zhang Hao got up and said, "Obey!" ”

"General Shang!" Li Gang Chong Shang Dayong said.

"The last general!" Shang Dayong got up and listened to the order.

"There are five battalions of the militia regiment, one of which is assembled in an ambush west of Tongzhou to guard the official road from Tongzhou to the capital. If the horn in the city sounds, it will return to Tongzhou from the side and flank the Qing army; The two battalions were assigned to each arrow tower to guard the city butterfly, and the city tower was equipped with more bows and crossbows, and the food and water should also be prepared, telling them that one arrow tower and one nail should be firmly nailed to the Qing army there! If you can't hear the trumpet, you can't attack, but if you hear the trumpet, you can attack with all your might! In addition, a large number of artillery samples were stored in the warehouse of our weapons workshop, and all of these artillery pieces were placed on the arrow tower, and they immediately fired at the Qing army camp as soon as they heard the trumpet. There are still a lot of muskets and gunpowder in the warehouse, and you can select a part of the elite soldiers to be rationed with muskets to form a musket team, and those gunpowder will be made into mines and buried on the route of the Qing army's attack at that time. ”

"Obey!"

"There is another battalion responsible for guarding the Tongzhou Mansion, which is personally led by me, and I must also prepare enough items to make a plan to hold on! The last battalion was scattered throughout the SAR in a unit, equipped with muskets, crossbows, and other things at their disposal, so that they could chisel through the walls of the adjacent houses in the city, and people could move freely, and once the Qing army entered, they would kill and injure the Qing army in guerrilla attacks, and when they heard the trumpet, they would assemble at the government office and attack the Qing army! ”

"Obey!"

"In addition, it is immediately announced that the workers of the factories in the city, the migrant workers of the special zone, and the brave and strong men of the neighboring villages can be sent to the militia, issued weapons, and assigned to various guerrilla groups if they are willing to jointly defend the special zone.

"Obey!"

Li Gang's scheduling arrangements were clear and clear, straightforward, and everyone was convinced, and Wang Qiang also felt a lot more relieved.

With Wang Qiang's order, the Tongzhou Special Administrative Region mobilized and became busy, and the official road from Tongzhou to the capital was crowded with vehicles transporting families and property, and boats shuttled back and forth on the canal, transporting personnel and materials; The people in the villages on the outskirts of the city also responded to the government's call to evacuate immediately.