The ironworks are built on the bank of the Han River 20 miles away from the east gate, covering an area of 12 acres, and are a factory area composed of rectangular buildings in the north-south direction, and the ironworks are built on the riverside to facilitate the use of water resources.

As soon as you enter the gate, you can see piles of coal used for ironmaking, and many workers are transporting this coal into the ironmaking workshop with small carts. More than a dozen large ships waiting to unload coal are moored on the riverbank.

A tall chimney was erected in the factory, and the sound of clanging iron could be heard from inside......

Gao Junshan's carriage entered the factory area, and stopped directly next to a two-story building built by the river, which is where Gao Junshan is coming, and Sun Yuanhua is waiting for Gao Junshan's arrival on the roadside.

"Huo Lao has worked hard!" Gao Junshan's first words when he saw Sun Yuanhua were greetings, which were sincere greetings from his heart.

Sun Yuanhua is sixty-one years old, and if he is placed in the next generation, he is an old man who has passed the retirement age, and he is still conscientiously making guns and cannons for Gao Junshan, and his hair is pale.

"No matter how hard I work, it's worth it! See the mini guns made. Sun Yuanhua said excitedly.

"Let's go, show me how you made the Minnie gun!"

Sun Huayuan took Gao Junshan to the second floor, and he introduced as he walked: "Do you know King Qin? The most difficult thing to get with this Minnie gun is this barrel, we have tried many formulas of iron pipes before, but they are not ideal, and the firing rifle is scrapped after less than ten rounds. ”

"Oh? How did you solve this problem? ”

Sun Yuanhua said: "It is the Bizhou stainless steel sent by Master Zhang Kui, and the barrel made of this kind of steel has fired hundreds of bullets, and the barrel has not been deformed without any deformation, it is really the best in steel!" ”

Gao Junshan remembered the black-faced man in Pizhou, his family has been striking iron for a living for generations, and the iron-striking craft is ancestral, since the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, he has specially built swords as tribute, and the Pizhou knives cast by his family are of excellent steel, and they are not easy to rust, and each piece is a fine product.

Gao Junshan nodded and said: "Blacksmith Zhang, I know, he is a famous blacksmith in Pizhou, the steel smelted by his family is all high-quality, and the Pizhou knife he created is famous all over the world!" ”

Sun Yuanhua shook his head regretfully: "It's a pity that the production is too small, and so far we have only produced thirty-four qualified Minny guns." ”

As they spoke, they went up to the second floor, which was fifty paces square, and under the wall against the river there was a hydraulic boring machine, and three masters were working.

This boring machine is about 20 zhang long and 5 zhang wide, there is a large wooden wheel rotating at one end, driving the machine to run, the gunsmith is processing the barrel, a master puts a barrel raw material on the long rod of the machine, and then pulls a handle to make the long rod rotate, and the barrel in the middle of the long rod rotates, and makes a harsh friction sound. Another master is adding water to the barrel to cool down, and another master is controlling the speed of the rotation of the wooden wheel, and the three of them cooperate very tacitly.

Gao Junshan noticed that there was a hole under the wooden wheel, and Sun Yuanhua hurriedly explained to Gao Junshan: "There is a waterwheel on the first floor, which rotates constantly under the washing of the river, and then drives the wooden wheel above to rotate through the wooden gears. ”

Gao Junshan also saw it clearly, he nodded and praised: "Yes, yes, you can use water power to make the machine run, this is a big invention!" ”

After reading the situation of this machine, Gao Junshan asked Sun Yuanhua while going downstairs: "Can such a hydraulic boring machine meet the needs of mass production?" ”

"Of course not. We are stepping up the construction of such machines. Sun Yuanhua took a step forward, "King Qin, the key problem is not here, too little steel material is the obstacle to our mass production." ”

Gao Junshan asked: "If you send more experts to learn steelmaking with Master Zhang, won't it be solved?" ”

Sun Yuanhua said: "I have seen Master Zhang's steelmaking, and his efficiency of tapping is too low. ”

"What then?"

"We are following your theory, step by step, in the direction of blast furnace steelmaking."

"How's it going?" Gao Junshan stopped and asked with concern

"Look over there," Sun Yuanhua pointed to the northeast of the plant, "we are smelting refractories over there, and with refractories we can build blast furnaces, and then the speed of tapping will be several times higher." ”

Gao Junshan reminded: "With refractory materials, the coke is burned out first, and then further steelmaking is made. ”

"Please rest assured that King Qin, we will definitely step up the production schedule."

"Time waits for no one!" Gao Junshan frowned, "Master Zhang's steelmaking here can't be stopped, to keep smelting, we need a lot of steel, we not only have to make mini guns, but also artillery, big ships, these are inseparable from steel." ”

Sun Yuanhua said: "I must do it!" ”

Gao Junshan instructed: "I will transfer an infantry battalion of 3,000 people to you, and you will equip this battalion with a mini gun while training them in the technique of using a mini gun, have you mastered the use of this gun?" ”

"It has been mastered, and our instructors have mastered the use of the Minnie gun quite skillfully."

"Not only must you master, but you must also practice a good skill, and you can hit every shot!"

"Yes." Sun Yuanhua deeply felt the weight of the burden on his shoulders.

"Huo Lao, how is the oil institute being prepared?" This is the two of them quickly went downstairs, Gao Junshan supported Sun Yuanhua with one hand, and suddenly asked.

Sun Yuanhua gratefully shook Gao Junshan's big hand holding him, and said: "It has been prepared, according to your opinion King Qin, all the relevant personnel of the Petroleum Institute have gone to Chengdu Cai Zhishan to report." ”

After Gao Junshan helped Sun Yuanhua descend the last step, he said: "The reason why we put the oil in the southwest is because there is abundant oil there, and if we develop it early, we can accelerate our industrialization process." ”

Sun Yuanhua is full of confidence: "The young people I sent to the oil institute are all full of vigor and confidence in the future, not to mention going to the southwest, even if they are sent to Xinjiang and Tibet, they have no complaints." ”

……

Returning to Xiangwang's Mansion, Gao Junshan immediately ordered Li Hu to send an infantry battalion to report to Sun Yuanhua's side, and renamed this battalion the musket battalion.

The days flew by, and the date of the expedition to Wuchang soon arrived.

The Eastern Expeditionary Army had a total of 210,000 men in seven brigades, consisting of the Central Route Army and the Northern Route Army.

Cao Wenzhao's 1st Brigade of the Middle Route Army, Zhou Wenjiang's 3rd Brigade, Liu Wenxiu's 8th Brigade, and Ma Wen's 9th Brigade; Ma Jinzhong's Seventh Brigade of the Northern Route Army, Li Dingguo's Eighth Brigade, and Ma Jin's Ninth Brigade.

Gao Junshan concurrently served as the marshal of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, the deputy marshal was Zhou Shichen, and the military advisor Xu Yixian.

This expedition was carried out by land and water, led by Zhou Shichen Cao Wenzhao, Ma Jinzhong, Li Dingguo, and Ma Jin by land, and Gao Junshan led Zhou Wenjiang, Liu Wenxiu, and Ma Wen by water, and advanced towards Wuchang Mansion.