At dawn the next day, according to Li Xiao's plan, everyone began to act separately. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

Wu Liang and Mo Changrong went to recruit craftsmen. King Tian Wei guarded the two and went to recruit the homeless. Chen Monkey Hou Dao and the two, with the spearmen of the second team, sailed along the coast to Laizhou, preparing to sell silk, cloth, fur, Dongzhu, musk, ginseng and other goods.

Li Xiao decided to leave 40 pieces of good tiger skins, 60 mink skins, 100 large Dongzhu, 50 hundred-year-old ginseng, and 100 deer antler velvets from the ship's items, and put them in the warehouse for possible future visits to Shangguan or to establish relations.

Subsequently, Li Xiao arranged for the family members of Quandun, as long as they could work, to follow the existing craftsmen to do things together, in order to build the remaining straw houses as soon as possible, so that everyone could have a place to live. All cavalry, shield and spearmen were uniformly arranged and trained by Duan Shidi.

Li Xiao himself, together with Zhao Jie, who was appointed by him as the chief of firearms, sat on a sun-rising stone and talked about firearms.

As the conversation deepened, Li Xiao was surprised to find that this Zhao Jie, who was given to him by Shen Zhixiang as an additive, actually had a great background.

It turned out that this Zhao Jie was the great-grandson of Zhao Shizhen, a master of firearms in the Ming Dynasty, and like his great-grandfather, he was quite good at studying firearms, and he was familiar with the books left by Zhao Shizhen, such as "Artifact Spectrum" and "Beibian Tuntian Che Gongyi". Because of his obsession with firearms, he has never been famous. In the third year of Chongzhen, Sun Yuanhua, who was a proud disciple of Zhao Shizhen, was promoted to the governor of Denglai, and he pitied the descendants of his mentor and loved his firearms talents, so he recruited Zhao Jie to come to the army and served as his assistant to assist him in researching firearms and forming artillery and firearms troops. Sun Yuanhua's "Western Law Divine Machine" and "Jingwu Quanshu", Zhao Jie also mastered all of them and was familiar with them.

Zhao Jie raised his head and sighed, and continued: "I hate Kong Youde, who deceived Lord Sun Yuanhua's trust, captured Dengzhou, captured Lord Sun Yuanhua and me, and Lord Sun was released to the imperial court, and now his life and death are unknown." We were ordered by Kong Youde to supervise the craftsmen and build firearms to fight against the imperial court. Later, the traitor Kong Youde was defeated by the official army, and retreated north by boat to throw Tartar gold, and I and other craftsmen were all escorted to the boat to go together, but fortunately, the Dongjiang Town Sailor intercepted the thief ship carrying me, and escaped below. It's a sigh that after going down to Dongjiang Town, I found that the officers and soldiers here were living in a mess, and they could only waste their time day by day. ”

When Zhao Jie said this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"Mr. Zhao, there are all kinds of past, so you don't have to mind. Now that our army is just getting started, it is a time when talents like you have a lot to do. Li Xiao smiled and comforted.

Zhao Jie thanked him repeatedly. Li Xiao asked again: "General Zhao, if our army wants to use all these firearms now, how many manpower will it use?" ”

Zhao Jie replied without hesitation: "My lord, the Hongyi cannon needs to measure the angle spacing, and it is also troublesome to clean up and prepare, so each one needs to be equipped with 5 people, the Franc machine and the tiger squat cannon are relatively simple, each with 3 people, and the Lu Mi gun is equipped with 1 person per gun, a total of 150 people." ”

Li Xiao nodded: "Don't worry, I will recruit all the personnel as soon as possible, and I hope that Mr. Zhao will train them wholeheartedly, so that they can go to the battlefield as soon as possible." ”

Zhao Jie hurriedly said: "Li Qianhu, please rest assured, I will do my best." Aim to get them proficient in firearms within three months. ”

Li Xiao was startled, and said, "Oh, will it take so long?" ”

Zhao Jie hurriedly said: "My lord, I heard that the people recruited by the adults are all homeless, these people are all people who don't know a single person, and they are not familiar with each other, and they can learn things quickly, so they can only learn from scratch step by step." It's been three months, but it's still a little nervous. ”

Li Xiao was silent when he heard this, he knew that it was not easy for these homeless people to master the operation of these artillery guns in a short period of time, at that time, the British Empire East India Company recruited troops in India, and it took two full months to make the illiterate natives of India understand how to turn left and right. Although the Chinese are much smarter than the Indians, it is impossible to let these also illiterate people learn things in one fell swoop.

In the case of the Dengzhou Firearms Battalion at that time, it took nearly a year for those illiterate soldiers to fully familiarize themselves with and master the operation and use of firearms. From this point of view, what Zhao Jie said would take three months, but it is still quite fast.

Li Xiao suddenly thought of something again, and he asked: "General Zhao, now that our army has a blacksmith, can you make your own firearms?" ”

"Your Excellency, I can't."

"Oh." Li Xiao was stunned again.

"My lord, if you want to make firearms, you must first have suitable tools, then you must have skilled craftsmen, and then you must have available iron materials and other things. Our army does not have these conditions at present, and if you want to make these firearms, you can only do so when the conditions are in place in the coming day. Zhao Jie said sincerely.

Li Xiao groaned in his heart, this Zhao Jie said this, but it was not a word of shirk. There is also a reason why he said that he wanted to use Fujian iron.

During the Ming Dynasty, iron was most famous in Fujian, and Fang Yizhi once said in "Physics Knowledge" during the Chongzhen period: Southern Iron is the top with Fujian iron, followed by Guangzhou Iron, and Chu Iron can only be used as a hoe.

Mao Yuanyi said in "Wu Bei Zhi": Fujian iron is used to make Weiyuan cannons, and Jin iron is second.

Zhao Shizhen said in "Artifact Spectrum or Question": Fujian iron must be used to make guns, and other iron cannot be used. Iron smelting, charcoal fire is the top, the north charcoal is expensive, and coal has to be used instead, so there are often many explosions.

Li Xiao, who has read modern iron and steel industry, knows in his heart that the reason why Fujian iron is so popular is because of its high iron content and less impurities. Second, because Fujian iron is fired with charcoal, unlike coal used to make iron here in the north, the sulfur content of wrought iron can be greatly reduced, so that the wrought iron produced is pure and less mixed, and the firearms made are also strong and durable. Although the ancients did not understand the truth, they still have these simple experiences.

It seems that his own ambition is not so easy to exert.

Let's take it one step at a time.

Li Xiao believes that firearms, as the direction of military development in the future, must find ways to overcome difficulties, keep up with the development trend of the times, and eventually produce fine artillery guns to equip the army.

It's just that compared with the development of firearms, Li Xiao attaches more importance to the heritage and temperament of the troops.

"Mr. Zhao, it is best that this firearm can be made as soon as possible. However, compared with having good firearms, the officer attaches more importance to the quality of the soldiers and the courage of the soldiers. Li Xiao said calmly.

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Zhao, have you ever thought that when the old slave rebelled against the Ming Dynasty in Hetuala, my Ming soldiers, whether it was firearms or armor, were far superior to the Tartars, but why did they lose many battles, even lost Liaozhong and southern Liaoning, and now they have to be in a corner of western Liaoning, but why?"

"I really haven't thought about this." Zhao Jie scratched his head and couldn't answer for a while.

"Mr. Zhao, according to this official, regardless of the interference of the government and the like, as well as the external factors such as the use of calculations, in terms of field battles alone, the Tartar can repeatedly defeat our Ming official army, and even win more with less, relying on a fierce momentum that is not afraid of death, relying on the degree of battle formation, strict command, clear rewards and punishments, as well as martial arts, archery, horsemanship and other personal qualities. In contrast, our Ming officers and soldiers are long-term neglected training, disorderly battle formations, soldiers are afraid of death, and martial arts and riding skills are not refined, so the generals are cowardly and selfish, and the sergeants live together. Compared with these two, it is not the self-depreciation of the officials, the comprehensive quality of my Ming officials and troops is far inferior to the barbaric Tartar who grew up in the white mountains and black waters. This officer believes that this is the fundamental reason why the Tartars, who are backwardly equipped, can defeat our army in repeated battles. ”

After Li Xiao finished speaking, he sighed unconsciously.

"In my opinion, I think it makes perfect sense. It's just that freezing three feet is not a day's cold, and my Ming officers and soldiers have accumulated a deep problem, but it is difficult to change suddenly. Zhao Jie said with a sigh on the side.

"Hmph, I Li Xiao don't believe it, my Ming officials and soldiers can only sink here! I can only let the vulgar and barbaric Tartars defeat our soldiers, kill my people, and take my city! I, Li Xiao, can't change others, but I can start from myself. This officer believes that if our army has undergone some hard training and tempering, it can also compete with the Tartars! ”

Listening to Li Xiao's sonorous words, Zhao Jie was very glad in his heart, and it seemed that he really had a chance to meet someone who could really be loyal.

The two chatted for a few words, and the conversation turned back to firearms.

"My lord, even if artillery and firearms can't be made for the time being, our army can also make simpler firearms such as sky-shaking thunder."

Zhao Jie's whisper made Li Xiao unaware of it.

That's right, I'm still a traverser, so I didn't even think of this.

Li Xiao remembered that it had been said in the book "General Essentials of the Martial Arts" that as early as the Song Dynasty, it was possible to make a variety of ammunition that could be thrown by hand, such as thunderbolt fireballs, gout fireballs, poison fireballs, smoke balls, and fireballs. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming army was equipped with an iron-shelled explosive firearm, and the sergeant named it the earth-shaking thunder, which was cast with pig iron shell, shaped like a jar, a bowl and other different styles, filled with gunpowder, and left a small hole for placing the lead. After ignition, the gunpowder burns in a sealed iron shell, producing a high-pressure gas that shatters and injures people.

"Mr. Zhao, what you said is very reasonable. In this way, in the past few months, you should train the firearms sergeants well, and when the conditions are available, you will first make the earth-shaking thunder, and then develop the artillery firearms. Li Xiao patted Zhao Jie's shoulder encouragingly.

"I will obey the orders of Lord Senhe." Zhao Jie's face was solemn.