Near the end of the day (3 p.m. to 5 p.m.), Chen Yong rushed to Zixi Village. Jumping off the horse at the gate of the wall,

In Zixi, a team of security guards conducted various equipment training in the battlefield.

Chen Yong hit his horse into the gate of the village and jumped off the horse by the playground, but he was not in a hurry to find Chen Yuan, and watched from the side. On the playground, more than a dozen people formed a small formation in a team, holding various weapons in the small formation.

This kind of small array, I don't know where the adults came from, said to be called the Mandarin Duck Array. There are two people in front holding regimental signs, followed by two people each holding a long bamboo spear with branches, and behind them are several pikemen and crossbowmen, a small formation of twelve people, under the command of the captain is practicing various formations. But looking at the unkempt appearance, it is obviously unfamiliar with practice.

A full-body, lean general, with a blue face, rushed around, roaring to correct the formation of each team.

"Zhou thorn head, Zhou Du head." Seeing the general leading by himself, Chen Yong shouted enthusiastically. This person Chen Yong is very familiar with, his big name is Zhou Jian, and he is a famous thorn in the Xinzhou Xiang Army, which was purchased by Chen Yong from Hou Qi.

"It's okay, don't disturb Lao Tzu's practice." The man stopped, turned around, glared at Chen Yong fiercely, and said impatiently.

Looking at the smiling Chen Yong, Zhou Jian's anger did not come to one place. It is precisely because of this person that he has become a slave who has been sold, and he has been laughed at by his brothers in the camp for a while.

"Yo, why did you become a squadron leader and ignore me, a benefactor?" Chen Yong said with a smile.

"If I have something to say, I'm still busy practicing."

"Where's your lord?"

"The adult himself has long legs, how does Lao Tzu know where he has gone." Zhou Tingtou snorted, and didn't go back.

"Yo, what a prick." Chen Yong smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Director Chen, my lord was still here just now, and he will go to the blacksmith workshop in the back of the stream. Otherwise, I'll take you. A veteran team member leaned over and said with a smile.

"Go, go and practice, don't try to steal." Chen Yong scolded with a smile, "Didn't adults say that you sweat more in peacetime and bleed less in wartime." If you don't practice well, don't be scared to cry when you see a tartar. ”

"How can I be? When the Tartar meets our security team, he will cry and cry for his mother. The man smiled and went to practice.

Chen Yong remounted his horse and went to the blacksmith on the back of the stream.

The blacksmith's workshop was about three or four miles from the playground, but the road was fairly smooth. Chen Yong drove his horse to the blacksmith workshop, only to see Chen Yuan's relatives standing at the door of the blacksmith workshop. Chen Yong jumped off his horse, handed the horse to a personal entourage by the door, and stepped into the iron workshop. I saw Chen Yuan talking with an unkempt old man in the midst of a jingle sound.

"Martial arts chief, this steel crossbow still can't be built. The arrow is sharp, but the range is too close, and it still can't be done. Chen Yuan shouted.

"My lord, I don't have much to do. This crossbow has been made of bamboo and wood since ancient times, and this steel crossbow can be as elastic as bamboo and wood. Even if there is, you can't get on the string by manpower. The old man has been making crossbows all his life, and he has only heard of this practice in adults. The old man said helplessly.

"That's easy to do, just make a winder, pull it by hand or pedal it with your feet. It's just that the steel used for this crossbow arm has to be made thinner and more elastic. Chen Yuan pointed to a rough steel crossbow in his hand.

"Then we'll have to find a dog. This steel plate, you have to find him. Zhang Gouzi, Zhang Gouzi, adults are looking for you. The old man said, and then he pulled his neck and shouted at a blacksmith by the red hearth.

"Here we are." A middle-aged blacksmith by the fireside handed the pliers in his hand to the man and ran over.

"My lord, what's the matter?" Zhang Gouzi ran up to Chen Yuan, rubbed his hands, and asked.

"The adult said that the steel crossbow is not far away, and the problem should be that the crossbow arm is made of steel, which is a little less elastic. Can you make some more flexible mild steel? The head of the martial artist frowned.

"This is a little hard. It took a lot of effort to make the steel for this crossbow arm. To be powerful, you have to increase the thickness of the steel sheet, but in this case, pulling the string becomes a problem. "Blacksmith Zhang is a little embarrassed.

"What. Did you make the steel plate for this crossbow arm? Chen Yuan seemed to realize something.

"Yes, there is a way that is refined into steel, and this thin piece took a lot of effort to build, and it took many days to make it." Master Zhang said.

"You guys. Don't you understand wrought iron carburizing? Chen Yuan was a little stunned. Isn't this carburizing method since the Han Dynasty, and Shen Kuoke also recorded it in Mengxi Bi Tan during the Northern Song Dynasty.

"Carburizing?"

"You can try, use wrought iron to make iron, and then mix with carbon and place it in the furnace, without too high furnace temperature, let the carbon gradually penetrate into the wrought iron, and then let the furnace temperature slightly lower and anneal, and then take out the iron for quenching." Thanks to the blessing of the knowledge explosion of later generations, Chen Yuan knows some fur, and the brief chapter introduced.

"Oh, my lord said, this way you can also make steel." Blacksmith Zhang's eyes widened and he exclaimed.

"I've just heard people mention it, if it doesn't work out, let's try it first."

"Okay, if it can be done, it's easy to do. It will be much easier to make weapons in the future. Blacksmith Zhang said happily.

"Go ahead and try it. All I need is a good crossbow. Chen Yuan waved his hand and threw the crossbow in his hand to the head of the martial artist.

"Hehe, if the law you say is successful, you will have to use as many crossbows as you want." The head of the martial artist laughed.

"Go ahead of your business. Increase the manpower and get out the equipment urgently needed by the security regiment as soon as possible. If you want people, things, or money, you can find Chen Lin or me. It became a reward. ”

"Master Xie." The head of the martial artist smiled and arched his hand.

"Let's go." Chen Yuan motioned to Chen Yong and walked out of the iron workshop together, but did not return to the cottage meeting hall, but followed the stream and went upstream.

"What's the matter, there's movement over there in the state city?" Leaving the tinkling iron workshop, Chen Yuan asked.

"My lord, today Xie Fang was appointed, and the dog thief surnamed Tong really attacked us, reported to Xie Fangde about the mine, and said that the adults gathered people to rebel in Lead Mountain. Fortunately, Kong Tong and Lin refuted it in court. After that, Xie Defang didn't dig deeper, but he wanted to recruit adults to lead the security team, and some of them went to Anren to resist Lu Shikui. Xie Fang's son Xie Dingyi and Zhou Zhonglin signed the judgment I am afraid that they will come to the estuary tomorrow to recruit adults. Chen Yongyu reported.

"Oh, Xie Fang is going to Anren?"

"Yes, I heard that I am going to build a Jiangdong Yamen in Anren, and gather troops to guard the Xinjiang River to protect the land of Xin, Fu and Rao."

"Oh. This Xie Fangde's ambition is not small. Chen Yuan smiled lightly.

Xie Fangde's name was once an angry youth for later generations, and Chen Yuan naturally knew it. This person and Wen Tianxiang are on the same list, and their integrity is not weaker than Wen Tianxiang, they scattered all their wealth and gathered troops to resist the Yuan, and lived in seclusion in the mountains and wilderness of Fujian after failure. Later, it was obtained by the government and sent to the capital of Mengyuan, but he insisted on not going out and went on a hunger strike. He is worthy of the hero of the Han nation.

The integrity is there, but its ability is also like Wen Tianxiang, and it is impossible to fight in the unified army, so that it will collapse at the touch of a confrontation with Mengzhi. The future battle, which can be called the Battle of Shinshu, has a worrying future.

"Yes, a lot of people in the state aren't optimistic." Coopers.

"Hmm." Chen Yuan nodded.

There is a way that the time is favorable, the place and the people, this court is almost gone, and this day must be gone; As for the geographical advantage, this just a Xinjiang River is not a natural moat, and I am afraid that there is no more; Now that everyone in the state has different thoughts, this person is no longer there anyway. This battle is bound to be lost. But how do you deal with it?

Xie Fang was summoned by righteousness, if he didn't obey, he would bring troops to come, could it really be that the soldiers met each other and fought in the same room! If they go away, how can they be preserved?

Chen Yuan was in a dilemma, and he came in deep thought.

"My lord, my lord, we are at the water drainage site in front of me." He reminded softly.

"Oh. Go and call Chen Shan and Chen Lin over. Chen Yuan came back to his senses and commanded.

A relative said yes and hurried forward.

A small river flows between the two mountains, and between the two mountains, a small stone dam has been built, forming a large reservoir behind it, and below the reservoir, some people are widening the channel. There are several wooden structures stacked on the banks of the river, as well as some large wooden wheels.

"Hey, sir, is this going to build a water-powered mill?" Chen Yong asked with some curiosity.

"Pretty much, but it's for the ironworks." Chen Yuandao.

"Can this be used to strike iron?"

"It should be okay, in the future, this piece will also be assigned to the iron mill, and the water wheel can blow air for the furnace and drive the hammer, whatever they do."

"Hmm." Chen Yong was silent again, and the group silently looked at the busy craftsmen not far away.

After a while, Chen Shan and Chen Lin also arrived.

"My lord, there's news from the state." As soon as Chen Shan arrived, he asked.

"We'll talk about that later." Chen Yuan shook his hand.

The owner came, and Director Wu, who was in charge of the construction site, also trotted over with two craftsmen.

"Director Zhou, when will this water drain be installed?"

"My lord, this water drain will be installed in two days, but how to use it depends on the blacksmith's shop." The principal replied respectfully.

"Oh, why is there no movement in the workshop on the shore?"

"My lord, since you reminded us that the water drain can help our ironworks wheel hammers, our blacksmith has been making preparations. It was planned to build an iron-making furnace to drain water to blow air, and a hydraulic workshop to drain water to use wheel hammers. It's just that now everyone is busy making the weapons urgently needed by the security team, and they can't spare manpower for a while. Master Gu, who came with him, replied.

"As the saying goes, if you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools. You go back and tell the old martial artist that no matter how busy you are, you have to spare people. No, let him personally bring some people over and build the workshop here first. Tell him that I can't spare him if he misses this side. Chen Yuan said solemnly.

"I can't be wrong. Can't be mistaken. The craftsman smiled and said, "These days, the ironworks have been busy making all kinds of utensils for this side. When the drain is debugged, the iron mill on the shore can also install equipment. ”

These craftsmen are already familiar with the adults who often mingle with them, and they will not be as restrained as Master Wu.

"That's good. Workshops on the shore must be built as soon as possible. Chen Yuan's face softened.

"Yes." Director Wu arched his hand.

Chen Shan nodded, turned back to Chen Shan and said, "Here, you have to keep an eye on it." If there is a shortage of manpower, bring some manpower over. ”

Chen Shan beside him agreed.

"Go get busy. Tell the old man that I will give him ten days, and then I will see this iron mill put into use. Chen Yuan said lightly.

"Yes." Director Wu and the two craftsmen all responded solemnly.

"Let's go." Chen Yuan nodded and led the way. Chen Shan and Chen Yong hurriedly followed. The group walked and watched to a flat hill in the mountains lined with green willows. There are several large wooden houses built here, and the wooden houses are covered with green tiles. In the surrounding grassy buildings, as if standing out from the crowd, there were bursts of immature reading sounds from several wooden houses.

This is a cottage school. The cottage was under the age of ten, both men and women, and was sent here.

Chen Yuan led and stopped for a while, but did not step forward.

"Chen Shan, you have to keep an eye on this place. Priority is given to the supply of personnel, money and food. Chen Yuan pointed to the school in the distance.

"Yes." Chen Shan solemnly promised. He already vaguely knew something about Chen Yuan's meaning. If the security corps is regarded as the power of the cottage, the iron workshop and others are the bottom of the cottage, and the children of the school are the future of the cottage.

"Let's go." Chen Yuan nodded.