Chapter 14 Manufacturing Bureau

When these news reached Guangdong one after another, it was still the New Year.

Zhang Xuan made the Guangzhou Spring Festival very lively, and what he did was to appease people's hearts. Specially on Chinese New Year's Eve, invite celebrities in Guangzhou. It's just that there are a lot of people coming to this banquet. But there weren't many really influential scholars.

It seems to be lively, but there are not many people with weight.

Just when Zhang Xuan was about to pay a visit to the local celebrities, he approved Zhang Xuan to build a manufacturing bureau, and the order to make the southern army self-sufficient in ordnance came down.

For a while, Zhang Xuan didn't know whether he was happy or worried.

The inventory of the southern army in Changsha and Guangzhou was enough for a large army for a period of time. But ordnance was always a consumable. Even if there is no war. There is also attrition in military training.

"It seems that the matter of this manufacturing bureau is also imminent." Zhang Xuan said secretly in his heart.

On this matter, he summoned He Wuyu and consulted with him.

He Wufu listened to Zhang Xuan's words and said, "The general wants to establish a manufacturing bureau, but there is a perfect place. ”

Zhang Xuan asked, "Where?" ”

He Wuyu said: "Foshan. ”

Zhang Xuan has also heard of the reputation of Foshan, one of the four famous towns in the world, and the railway industry in Foshan is also thunderous.

In his tone, He Wuyu said with a little pride: "The iron of the world is better than that of Guangtie." The essence of smelting is no better than Foshan. The iron of Foshan, north to Jianghan, two rivers. South to overseas. It is known from near and far. Even the ordnance relied on by the officers and soldiers came from here. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "Foshan may cast a cannon? ”

He Wuyu hesitated for a moment and said: "Casting cannons is a capital crime, but this generation is not embarrassed, sea thieves, there are many small cannons on board." All must come from Foshan. ”

Zhang Xuan understands very well that the control of the people in the late Ming Dynasty is a mess, and on the bright side, Foshan will definitely not act so rebelliously, but in private, what they have done, who knows, is another matter.

At least, Zhang Xuan understands one thing. That is, judging from Foshan's technical reserves, casting artillery is not a difficult thing.

With this guarantee, Zhang Xuan is much more relieved.

When Wang Dacang was asked to cast the cannon, Zhang Xuan was worried about the fact that he had too many ideas, which could not be completed by the craftsmen below. Now it seems that the top masters in the field of iron smelting dare not say that they are all in Foshan. But at least here in Foshan, there are definitely them.

Zhang Xuan said: "Is there enough coal and iron in Foshan? ”

He Wuyu said: "The iron of northern Guangdong, Luo Ding is the best. Generally, it is smelted into crude iron in various places and transported to Foshan by water. Foshan then made all kinds of fine iron, ironware, and transported to all parts of the world by waterway. It's just that I've heard that charcoal is used in many places, and I've rarely heard of coal. ”

After Zhang Xuan heard this, he was noncommittal and said, "How much iron can Foshan produce in a year?" ”

He Wuyu said: "After this subordinate goes back, check it carefully. However, the sunrise of an iron furnace is 3,600 catties, and there are at least more than 100 furnaces in Foshan. Not to mention tens of millions of catties. ”

Tens of millions of catties, this number seems very large, but in fact it is only tens of thousands of tons.

In the future, any steel mill will be much more than this number. But in this era, it is already the top iron smelting in the country. I dare not say that it is the best in the world, but several provinces, it is true that Guangzhou Railway is the most, and Guangdong is a province, only one Foshan.

Zhang Xuan carefully calculated, if all these tens of thousands of tons of steel were cast into weapons. The plan is enough to arm all the soldiers of Great Xia. He secretly said in his heart: "With the foundation of Foshan, the future Foshan Manufacturing Bureau may have a larger production capacity than Nanjing."

In an instant, the importance of Foshan was raised to a status similar to that of Guangzhou in Zhang Xuan's heart.

Because he smells the smell of industry.

Can Foshan be used as the basis to construct a coal and iron hegemony?

Although it was just an idea, it had already made Zhang Xuan unable to sit still. said: "Lord He, if you arrange it, I will inspect Foshan tomorrow." ”

He Wusu was taken aback and said, "Tomorrow? Isn't it too rushed? ”

Zhang Xuan said: "It's only a few dozen miles to Foshan. What's the hurry. Just go ahead and get ready. ”

He Wuyu couldn't, so he had to agree and said, "Yes." ”

Early the next morning, Zhang Xuan left Guangzhou City and went to Foshan by water.

According to Zhang Xuan's original intention, he wanted to ride a horse to Foshan. But I have to admit one thing, and that is that in many places in the south, it is much more convenient to take a boat without having to ride a horse. All the way to Foshan, Zhang Xuan saw a lot of boats on the river, Zhang Xuan looked through the binoculars, and found that they were all heavily loaded, and the draft was very deep. He estimated in his mind that these ships were either loaded with iron, or simply fine iron.

At this time, Zhang Xuan also wanted to understand one thing in his heart.

That is, the reason why Foshan is the best in the world, and their convenient waterway transportation is related, by the Xijiang, Beijiang, Dongjiang waterway network, can be convenient to transport raw materials from all over the place, can also be convenient to produce iron to sell.

Before the advent of railways, this convenient transportation was already the best mode of transportation. There is no such convenient transportation. It is impossible to have Foshan, an important iron-smelting town.

"General, please look, that's Foshan." He Wuyu pointed to the west. Zhang Xuan looked in the direction he pointed, but saw countless black smoke rising into the sky, and for a while Zhang Xuan had a feeling of intimacy. Although the pollution of industrialization. It's a headache. However, without the convenience of industrial mass production, it is even more unacceptable. Zhang Xuan is nostalgic for the heavy industry enterprises that were known as the source of pollution.

Although the scale of Foshan is not too large from a distance, at least compared to the giant factories that Zhang Xuan knows of covering several square kilometers. It still seems a little small. But it was enough to make Zhang Xuan feel cordial.

"General, due to time constraints, I only informed them to meet them at the dock, and I didn't clean them properly, so I ask the general to forgive me." He Wuyu said.

"It doesn't matter." Zhang Xuan said: "I want to see the real side. ”

Not long after, the Foshan pier arrived.

Zhang Xuan saw from a distance that a group of people were standing on the dock. There are all kinds of them, and they have been waiting at the dock for a long time.

However, it was not Zhang Xuan who landed first, but Ma Sanbao. Ma Sanbao got off the boat first, and about 100 soldiers stood up to do a good job of protection, and Zhang Xuan got off the boat from the second boat.

"I'll meet the general."

For a while, countless people knelt on the ground, and the black pressure was overwhelming.

Zhang Xuan said: "Everyone, please get up, I just have to take a look, there is no need to disturb too much." ”

He Wufu said: "Except for the four masters, there are also seven elements of stewardship, and the rest are scattered." ”

With this greeting, everyone dispersed.

Only a dozen remained.

He Wufu said to Zhang Xuan: "General, let me introduce to the general, this is the head of the Xian family, Xian Zijing." ”

Zhang Xuan looked at this Xian Zijing. saw that this Xian Zijing was very young, but he was just a weak crown. Dressed in a Confucian robe, he looked like a scholar, but he never expected that he was already the head of the family. Xian Zijing said: "The students meet the general. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "Can you be famous? ”

Xian Zijing said: "The student Chongzhen has some talents and fame. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "Do you call the shots about the Xian family's affairs?" ”

Xian Zijing gritted his teeth and said: "My father just gave up the world, and the student is still in filial piety, but the ancestral business of the family has to be managed. The general has something to ask, and the students take it all in. ”

Zhang Xuan listened to Xian Zijing's words, and regarded Zhang Xuan as an autumn wind.

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but smile secretly in his heart, with his current status, if he wants some money, does he need to come in person? Whenever a subordinate is sent from the house, there is a person who dares to say "no" from the top and bottom of Foshan Town. "Words?

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but put the label of stunned Qing on Xian Zijing's head.

He Wuyu also did his homework, and said in Zhang Xuan's ear: "General, the matter of iron smelting in Foshan Town began in the Xuande period of the previous dynasty. After moving in from the Li family, large-scale iron smelting. The Xian family was the first to come here and has always been the head of the local gentry. And, the Huo family, the Li family, and the Chen family are the four major families in Foshan. Other families such as the Huang family and the Mai family have waited for it. ”