Wang Qiang returned to the Special Economic Zone, and according to Chongzhen's will, he and Tian Jingming selected veteran and capable people among the staff, appointed them as the directors of various trade markets, and went to various places to be responsible for the preparation of the trade markets, so that Tian Jingming coordinated in the middle, and had successful experience in running trade markets in the Tongzhou Special Economic Zone, so it was not difficult to promote this matter.

The issuance of the second tranche of treasury bonds also went exceptionally smoothly. In the first year, the yield on treasury bonds was nearly 50 percent, and people with a discerning eye could see that the trade market in the SAR was a sure-fire business, so the purchase of the second phase of treasury bonds was unusually enthusiastic, and in less than a month, nearly 10 million taels of treasury bonds were sold.

The formation and training of the militia was entrusted to Shang Dayong. According to Chongzhen's will, Wang Qiang served as the head of the militia group, and Wang Qiang appointed Shang Dayong as the deputy head of the group. Shang Dayong selected 5,000 people among the best among the migrant workers as regimental members, according to 10 people as a team, 10 teams as a team, and 10 teams as a battalion, a total of five battalions, each team has a captain, each team has a chief and deputy captain, and each battalion has a chief and deputy battalion officer. Na Shang Dayong was born in the army, experienced in a hundred battles, and has a lot of experience in leading soldiers to fight, and now he is back in charge of the army, and his spirit is very high, and he wants to create an elite with all his skills.

Wang Qiang focused on the development of the industry, he believes that economic development is the foundation of a strong country, and nothing else is nonsense. Wang Qiang planned to first study and improve the technology of smelting iron and steel, and then set up a factory for the manufacture of guns and artillery, and he believed that the improvement and popularization of the use of firearms would be the key to determining the victory or defeat of the battlefield in the future. The farm is to consider learning from the model of circular economy in modern society, continuously improve grain varieties and explore scientific farming models, increase the yield of grain per mu, and completely solve the problem of grain shortage in Daming. He also wrote to Zhang Xiaodong, hoping that he would coordinate with the Suzhou City Department to purchase a few artillery pieces and some muskets from abroad and take them to the Tongzhou Special Zone for research use.

Wang Qiang's selection of those officials from the Dongchang Prison was sent to the Special Administrative Region one after another, and Wang Qiang arranged vacancies one by one according to their ability characteristics. Jiang Yuquan was also secretly sent to Tongzhou, considering Jiang Yuquan's special status, Wang Qiang arranged for him to live in the innermost courtyard of his own mansion, taken care of by his family, and did not show up. Li Gang, who was a deputy general under Yuan Chonghuan, also arrived in the Special Administrative Region, and Wang Qiang also attached great importance to it, so he allocated a separate courtyard for him and assigned servants to take care of him. He originally hoped to let Li Gang assist Shang Dayong in managing the militia together, but the Northeast Army and the Northwest Army have always been not on good terms, and after mentioning it a few times, seeing that Shang Dayong was not very happy, he had to give up, and how to settle Li Gang became a matter of concern.

On this day, Wang Qiang took time out and came to Li Gang's courtyard alone, wanting to have a good chat with Li Gang and touch the bottom of this person.

The courtyard where Li Gang lived was very clean, and in the center of the courtyard was a paulownia tree, with lush branches and leaves to shade it, and the servants didn't know where to go to steal, Wang Qiang saw that the door of the house was open, so he walked straight in. Li Gang was sitting cross-legged on the kang reading a book. This Li Gang is in his forties, very tall, dressed in a coarse cloth robe, with a thin face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a bookish anger between his eyebrows, like a teaching gentleman. When Li Gang saw Wang Qiang coming, he calmly got off the kang, saluted and said, "The criminal officer Li Gang knocked to see Lord Wang." ”

Wang Qiang hurriedly helped Li Gang up, and said in his mouth: "The general doesn't have to be polite, our SAR doesn't have so many rules, and you and I can meet each other in the future, so as not to be divided." This request for the general to be released from prison is to borrow the general's strength, and there are many places to rely on the general in the future. ”

Li Gang thanked Wang Qiang to sit down on the kang, poured tea for Wang Qiang, and sat opposite each other.

Wang Qiang said: "The general has been in the SAR for some time, I don't know how he feels? ”

Li Gang said: "The Special Economic Zone is rich and prosperous, the officials are clean and clear, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. In the past few days since Li Gang arrived in the Special Economic Zone, he has learned a lot about Wang Qiang and the prosperity of the Special Economic Zone, so this is not a lie.

Wang Qiang relaxed his tone and said: "I said Li Gang, I want you out of prison, but I don't want you to say flattering words, I'm a straight person, and it's not good for me to bend those things." You have to give me ideas to do practical things, not to mention anything else, you are a general, you are no stranger to the training of the militia regiment, the defense of the special zone, and the production of weapons. ”

Li Gang also likes Wang Qiang's character, so he is no longer polite, and said Kankan: "Since the adults said so, then I will speak up directly." I have seen the militia training, this general Shang training is quite good, I see that these soldiers are in a neat queue, one move and one trend is also very regular, in the future to add some actual combat experience, then the combat ability of this team is still good, if against those peasant army, it will definitely be enough. But with all due respect, this team may not be able to deal with the Manchu army of tigers and wolves. ”

"Oh? Keep talking! Wang Qiang said to Li Gang encouragingly.

"General Shang's training focuses on discipline and queues, and pays attention to the training of individual martial arts, such a team has a hard work style, stubborn combat, and obeys orders. However, the Qing army was different, the Manchu cavalry moved quickly, well-trained, and all of them fought in large corps on the plains, and it was tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people fighting against each other, which was different from small-scale battles, and it was not enough to rely on bravery and personal kung fu alone. If the formation is used well, the soldier can be ten with one, and if it is not used well, it will get twice the result with half the effort, which is a little insight of the lower officer, which makes the adults laugh. ”

Li Gang's words convinced Wang Qiang. That Shang Dayong has always been a soldier on the northwest front, against Li Zicheng's peasant army, fighting by bravery, and Shang Dayong also relied on the accumulation of military merits to be promoted to deputy general step by step, although he has rich combat experience, but after all, he has not studied formal military theory, and he is not good at commanding large-scale operations and arranging troops.

This Li Gang is different, Wang Qiang has seen Li Gang's file, this Li Gang is a martial artist, not only familiar with military books to study the art of war, but also has been fighting under Yuan Chonghuan, then Yuan Chonghuan is known for being a Confucian general, good at arranging troops, clever and scheming, Li Gang has naturally learned a lot of things. Wang Qiang felt that Li Gang did have the talent to command the army, and it was a pity not to put it, and he knew that the Manchu Qing Dynasty was the real enemy of the Ming Dynasty, so he should play the role of Li Gang in this regard, thinking of this, he blurted out: "General Li, I can see it, you are not simple, so let's do it, I will appoint you as the military division and deputy head of the militia regiment, responsible for the training of the formation, how about it?" ”

Li Gang said with a smile: "Don't hide it, the Northwest Army and the Northeast Army have always been two systems, they are not under each other, and there is not much harmony between the generals and commanders. Besides, the duty of the militia group lies in the garrison of the special zone, and it is not very useful to practice the formation. ”

"Your idea is not right, the formation of the militia is to defend the SAR, but when the country is in danger, maybe it will be pulled to the front line, it is not a secret, in my heart, the peasant army is nothing, and the Manchu Qing is my Ming Dynasty's fierce enemy! Whether it is the official army or the peasant army, in the end, it is our Han people's own business, and no one can care about the bleeding behind closed doors. But the Manchu Qing Dynasty is different, it is a foreign race, if one day let them rule the Central Plains, then there is still a good life for our Han people. Wang Qiang said.

Wang Qiang's thoughts coincided with Li Gang, Li Gang nodded again and again, and said thoughtfully: "That is the case, it is better to do this, first draw some simple formation training methods and hand them over to the adults, let the militia train in the name of the adults, and then come forward when the time is ripe?" ”

Wang Qiang was worried about how to persuade Shang Dayong, and after listening to Li Gang's suggestion, he couldn't help but readily agree.

Wang Qiang had the intention to ask Li Gang to make some suggestions on city defense, so he said: "Lao Li, why don't we go to the street and talk while walking?" ”

"Yes, the subordinate obeys."

The two walked out of the courtyard and chatted as they walked. Wang Qiang was still worried about dealing with the Manchus, and said: "As far as I know, the general was on an errand under Yuan Inspector and has been in battle for a long time, can you tell me about the situation of the Manchu army?" Wang Qiang has always regarded the Manchu Qing as his imaginary enemy in his heart, so he is very concerned about this.

When Li Gang saw the mention of Yuan Chonghuan, his expression darkened, and he said: "Xia Guan followed Yuan Inspector to fight outside the pass back then, and he has some understanding of the Manchu army. The army of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was divided into eight banners, the leader of the army was the banner owner, and the soldiers of the eight banners fought bravely, were good at riding and shooting, and were very strong. Most of them are cavalry, so they are good at mobile combat and long-distance raids, and they often do not carry too much baggage and grain and grass, and they can take as they go, and their tactics are flexible and flexible. Their warfare is generally based on plundering property and population, and they easily do not occupy one place, so each time they capture a place, they often have to rob and kill all of them, and the border people suffer from it. But these are some of the original impressions, I have been in prison for so many years, and the situation is probably different now. ”

Wang Qiang pondered for a moment and asked, "The Qing soldiers are so strong, so what did Inspector Yuan rely on to defeat them repeatedly?" ”

"Although the Qing soldiers are strong, they also have weaknesses. They are mainly cavalry, and the leather armor is heavy, and they have an advantage in fighting in the plains, but they can't fight in the mountains and dense forests. They don't bring food and grass, so they can't fight for a long time, and when they can't attack a strong city for a long time, they will be impetuous and even shaken the morale of the army. At that time, Yuan Inspector relied on the fortress of the pass, consumed the enemy's strength, and repeatedly defeated the Qing army. Moreover, Inspector Yuan is good at using soldiers, and will use the mountains and jungles to ambush, and there is also the help of Hongyi cannons. ”

"Hongyi cannon?" Wang Qiang asked.

"Yes! At that time, the imperial court purchased dozens of Hongyi cannons from overseas and rationed them to the border passes. The Manchu cavalry was not afraid of anything, they were afraid of the Hongyi cannons. The fire of this Hongyi cannon can reach three or four miles away, and its power is amazing, and it can kill and injure one piece with one shot. As soon as the Manchu horses encountered an artillery attack, they would scatter and gallop in all directions, throwing the soldiers off their horses, and once the Qing soldiers lost their horses, they would become lame sheep and be slaughtered. ”

"Oh! It turns out that the Hongyi cannon is so powerful! Wang Qiang said.

Li Gang analyzed and introduced, clear and profound, Wang Qiang listened to it, and sighed in his heart: "This Li Gang really has two hits, it seems that I didn't find the wrong person." He bowed his hand to Li Gang and said, "Listening to your words is better than reading a book for ten years!" Taught. ”

Wang Qiang took Li Gang around the SAR for a long time, asking for his opinions on the construction of fortifications and the manufacture of weapons on the border of the SAR. The two chatted excitedly, and unconsciously walked to the school field.

A row of military academies guarding the gate of the school saluted Wang Qiang, Wang Qiang heard the silence in the barracks, not as killing as in the past, and the momentum was in full swing, thinking that the training had been stopped, so he took Li Gang into the school field. He was taken aback by what was happening on the playground. I saw thousands of soldiers lined up in a neat line on the playground, the soldiers stood there with straight pens and squints, and the battalion officers and captains were standing in front of their own queues facing the soldiers, in the same posture. In front of the parade platform, dozens of soldiers of the Chinese army's law enforcement team held sticks in their hands, staring at those soldiers with fierce eyes.

It was noon, the scorching sun hung in the air, and all the soldiers' clothes were soaked with sweat, and some places were dried by the sun, revealing a layer of sweat. The hot air was filled with a heavy smell of sweat, which almost choked Wang Qiang.

Wang Qiang was angry for a while, and said in his heart: "I said that I was so quiet, it turns out that I am all playing tricks here!" Standing in a military posture under the sun, isn't that sick? This Shang Dayong is enough for his grandson, why are you so tormented by these soldiers! He swept his eyes and saw Shang Dayong standing on the parade platform, with heavy armor all over his body, standing there motionless like nails. Wang Qiang's heart was moved, this Shang Dayong can lead by example.

At this time, a guard whispered in Wang Qiang's ear: "Lord Wang, it's too sunny here, you better go to the camp to rest for a while, and then talk to Lord Shang after the training is over." ”

Wang Qiang turned his head and glared at the guard and said, "If you are afraid of the heat, you can go back first, I don't feel hot!" ”

The guard knew that the sycophant had made a mistake, and quickly bowed his head and retreated to the side.