After Li Yan met Yuan Shizhong, he stayed in the barracks on the border for the night. After instructing Qian Er to take precautions, he returned to the county seat the next day.

Li Zhong asked, "How is it?" What does Yuan Shizhong mean? ”

Li Yan replied: "It's nothing, he plans to go south and wants to pass through us." I didn't agree, but he didn't want to enter our territory, and we didn't care about the rest. ”

"Is it credible?" Li Mu said in disbelief: "What if he doesn't keep his word and enters our territory?" ”

Li Yan said lightly: "Then what else can I do, just fight." Order the outposts everywhere to strengthen their vigilance, and if they find that the thieves have violated the border, they will immediately set off a beacon smoke to give the police. There are also soldiers in the forts outside the city, who should also be vigilant, and at any time resist the invading enemy, waiting for the arrival of the main force. ”

"Okay, second brother, you get ready first, as long as you block them, I'll lead the troops over to clean them up!" Li Mu said excitedly.

Li Yan instructed: "Be vigilant these days, don't let Yuan Shizhong sneak attack." ”

"Okay, don't worry." Li Zhong and Li Mu agreed.

After the two of them left, Li Yanxiu rested for a while, and then he went to the artillery factory. A few days ago, the cannon molds had already dried out, and it was about to start pouring the cannons.

When I arrived at the gunsmith's workshop, I saw that the craftsmen were busy lifting the two gun molds out and placing them in the grooves of the gun molds on the high platform. Because the high platform is very high, nearly one zhang and seven feet high, the current gun mold should be padded under the mold, so that the funnel-shaped mud mold mouth of the gun mold mouth can be close to the copper liquid diversion port above. Then use the iron cross to fix the gun mold vertically, and then put some firewood around it, ready to preheat the gun mold before pouring.

Lifting and hangers have been erected on the high platform to put the iron core from above into the gun mold. A wooden shed was also erected above the diversion channel of the molten copper to prevent debris from falling into the molten copper during pouring.

Li Yan went up to the high platform and found Master Mu, who was busy working around. He waited for Master Mu to stop being busy before asking, "Master Mu, are you all ready?" ”

Master Mu only saw Li Yan at this time, and he arched his hand and replied: "General Yu, you are almost ready, and you will not miss the auspicious day after tomorrow." ”

This cannon is a major event, and it requires the gods to ask for divination and calculate the auspicious day before pouring can begin. Li Yan didn't do anything about it, as long as it didn't affect the progress of the cannon casting, other things would be more casual.

"The copper melting furnace is ready, right?" Li Yan then asked.

"It's ready, everything that should be cleaned is cleaned, and it will be cleaned again before putting the copper liquid." Master Mu replied confidently.

Li Yan nodded and instructed, "You have to be careful, and it's best not to make any mistakes." ”

"Please rest assured, we will be cautious." Master Mu nodded in agreement.

Li Yan looked around again, but he couldn't help much, but instead made the craftsmen unable to work with peace of mind, so he had to leave.

After he returned home, he happened to meet Wu Niang and Qiu Niang who were about to leave. They have already registered the New Year's gifts sent by the gentry in the county, and they are all idle these days.

Li Yan hesitated for a moment and said to Wu Niang: "That, let me tell you something." After that, he instructed Qiu Niang: "You go back first." ”

Wu Niang stopped, and after saluting Li Yan, she asked, "What's the matter?" Childe, please speak. ”

Qiu Niang glanced at Wu Niang with some reluctance, and then saluted: "Got it, son." ”

Li Yan watched Qiu Niang walk away, and then said: "King Fu of Luoyang was killed by thieves. ”

Wu Niang didn't have anything abnormal, just nodded and said, "Oh, that's it." ”

"You're not sad at all?" Li Yan asked strangely.

Wu Niang glanced at Li Yan suspiciously, and asked, "Should I be sad?" ”

"Isn't he your old Zhu family? It's your relative. Li Yan said.

Wu Niang covered her smile and said: "Needless to say, it is a distant branch like King Fu, even the people of this branch in Kaifeng, we can't recognize it all." If there is no one to introduce the ancestors, those county kings and generals don't know what to call each other. These are still men, daughters like us, who don't know anyone except a brother or sister in the house. ”

Li Yan shook his head and smiled, and said, "That's it, I think it's bad." I only remember that you are the lord of the palace. ”

"What county lord?!" Wu Niang immediately said a little angrily: "Don't mention these things!" If Childe is okay, I'll go first. ”

Li Yan looked at Wu Niang, not knowing why she suddenly got angry. So he waved his hand and said, "It's okay, you can go back." ”

The next day, Li Yan came to the test site, which was the training ground for the musket and cavalry teams.

Li Yan saw that the musketeers were training in formation. And their commander was Sun Tianyang, the original first batch of recruits, and the bow and arrow were not bad. After the musket came out, Li Yan picked a few clever subordinates to study, this Sun Tianyang is the fastest to learn, it only took half a month to practice the shooting method of the musket very proficiently, and can reach ninety percent of the target at a distance of eighty steps.

So Li Yan transferred Sun Tianyang out of the army and became the captain of the musket team.

Although Sun Tianyang is already a hundred generals, and the current musket team only has forty people, which is only equivalent to the size of one team, which has the meaning of relegation. But Sun Tianyang was still very happy to come, because he knew that this musket would be of great use in the future.

"Pull up the buckle spring!" Sun Tianyang ordered.

"Click", all forty musketeers pulled up the snaps of muskets.

"Get ammo!"

The musketeer opened the lid of the leather box on the right and took out an ammunition from it.

"Charge Pool!"

The musketeers bit off the tip of the ammunition and poured the gunpowder inside into the pool until it was full.

"Snap springs! Vertical guns! ”

With a "click", the musketeer closed the buckle spring. Then there was a "bang", the musket was erected, and the butt was placed on the ground.

"Reload!"

The musketeer placed the cartridge in the muzzle of the gun and poured the gunpowder into it. Then the lead pellet that had fallen to the front of the ammunition pack was also squeezed into the muzzle, and the oil paper of the ammunition pack was also put into the muzzle.

"Get through!"

The musketeers took out the strip from the handguard under the muzzle and reached into the muzzle.

Sun Tianyang waited for a while before continuing to order: "Poke the ammunition!" ”

The musketeer doubled the strip in the gun with modest force until he felt that the ammunition had been stabbed.

"Take the slip and put it back where it was!"

The musketeers took the strip out of the muzzle again and put it back in the handguard under the muzzle.

"Raise the gun, wrench the iron, aim!"

The musketeer picks up the gun, lays it flat, and at the same time pulls the strike iron to the firing position, then holds the butt of the rifle over his shoulder, steps forward with his left foot, and aims at the target through the door and crosshair.

"Put!" Sun Tianyang ordered loudly, and at the same time chopped down the long knife in his hand.

The "bang" of gunfire rang out at almost the same time, from near and far, and a thick white smoke came out, instantly enveloping the entire arrangement of musketeers. At eighty paces away, many of the five-foot-high, two-foot-wide targets moved.

"Wrench the iron to the standby position!" Sun Tianyang continued to order.

"Click", the musketeers put their guns down, withdrew their left foot, and pulled the strike iron into a block to the middle position.

"Pull up the buckle spring!"

……

Sun Tianyang and the musketeers continued to train, and Li Yan saw clearly after the Ze that the whole set of movements of the musketeers was now relatively proficient. But to go to the battlefield, you still need training, and you have to overcome psychological fear and nervousness.