Xu Meng was taken aback: "Why did the owner come here in the middle of the night, the owner hasn't come for two months, I thought the owner forgot me." ”

"I didn't come because I was afraid that you would be under pressure, and building artillery is not playing with mud, it is not so easy. I happened to have something in the iron factory today, and I came out to see that the lights were still on here. Chao Gai said.

Xu Meng looked proud, and said with a smile: "Brother came here tonight, the improvement of the Crouching Cow Cannon has been completed, and the sample cannon has been built, and this is it." ”

Xu Meng pointed to a pitch-black cannon on the ground and said, Chao Gai observed carefully, and looked at the parameters again. The cannon was cast in cast iron, fifty centimeters long, with four steel hoops on it, weighing fifty pounds, and a caliber of fifty-five millimeters. Originally, Xu Meng wanted to change the Crouching Bull Cannon into a more powerful Crouching Tiger Cannon, but considering that the technology was immature, he still improved the Crouching Bull Cannon.

"It's short, it's small, how powerful." Chao Gai asked.

"The target of this lying cow cannon is positioned as a lightly armored infantry cavalry, eight taels of medicine at a time, firing half a catty of iron sand, 200 meters can break the cowhide armor, and the iron sand covers a diameter of five meters at a distance of 200 meters, if it is aimed at a crowded infantry, it can kill more than ten people." Xu Meng said.

"The distance of 200 meters is just a scrap, can't be killed?" Chao Gai asked.

Xu Meng shook his head: "As long as you are not particularly unlucky, you will definitely not be able to die, but you are covered in iron sand, and the pain is unbearable, and it is absolutely impossible to continue fighting." ”

With a range of 200 meters, a large area can be killed, but it can wound the enemy, and the wailing of the wounded soldiers is the best way to demoralize the enemy. The length of fifty centimeters and the weight of fifty catties can be regarded as small and brisk, and two soldiers can be quickly transferred when marching, which is also considerable in terms of power, and the most important thing is psychological deterrence.

"What is the rate of fire?" Chao Gai asked.

Xu Meng said: "When we were most proficient in the test firing in Wild Wolf Valley, it would take one hundred and eighty times to complete the launch, clean the chamber, and then charge and reload. But I thought of a good solution, and it hasn't improved yet. ”

"What's the best way?" Chao Gai said.

"Roll the ammunition into a barrel as thick as the breech with straw paper, load the barrel directly after cleaning the barrel, then pierce a hole in the tail of the gun, put in the wire and ignite it, and then you can fire. This can greatly increase the rate of fire, and can also make the gunpowder and iron sand more accurate, preventing soldiers from panicking in actual combat, adding more gunpowder and causing the tragedy of exploding. Xu Meng said.

Chao Gai was shocked, isn't this the early shell, but the shell is paper, with this cannon cartridge will greatly increase the rate of fire, and the artillery can play a huge role in actual combat. "Haha, Xu Meng, your brain is really good, hurry up and study, I will reward you a lot if you succeed." By the way, a few days ago, the caravan went to Yishui County, and I arranged for the caravan to send two big mules and some new farm tools to your family, so that your parents can also have easier time doing farm work. ”

"Thank you, brother." Xu Meng said.

"I have bought ten new small ships, and I intend to put this reclining cannon on the bow of the ship, and half of the sailors of the enemy ships will be wounded when they pass by." Chao Gai said.

Late at night, Chao Gai asked Xu Meng to go to bed quickly, and he didn't go back, and slept in the foundry all night.

It was already early May, and Chao Gai went to supervise the sowing of corn for two days, and on the same day, he received bad news from Liu Liang, the grain store in Ren County was smashed, and the guys were also injured three or five, and now it is closed.

The news was quickly heard clearly, it was none other than Ren Batian of Ren County, who asked someone to do it. Chao Gai also said that he was not angry, if there was a war, both sides would naturally be damaged.

Chao Gai called Li Han to Chaojia Village, and there were only Chao Gai and Li Han in the living room.

Chao Gai said: "Chao Xiong's private salt has been handed over to others, he went to our water army, he is very familiar with the waterways and rivers in Shandong, what are your plans." ”

Li Han said with a smile: "I listen to the owner, you can continue to sell iron tools, and you can also enter the water guard." ”

"You're pretty good at hand-to-hand combat, let's see how this short knife is." Chao Gai said and handed a tiger tooth saber with a cowhide scabbard to Li Han, Li Han is an expert in iron sales, and flicked his fingers: "Good steel, deep blood groove, killing weapon, there is a leopard character on it, it was made by the money leopard Tang Long." ”

"Exactly, the ironworks just sent it. You'll keep it. Chao Gai said.

Li Han said: "This steel knife is rare, let alone a few hundred guan, it is not a problem to sell seven or eight hundred guan when you meet a knowledgeable general." ”

"Xu Hai opened a hotel, and there are a group of guys under him to listen to the news, but it's too amateurish, I want to set up a new important department, called the Intelligence Department, whose responsibility is to secretly investigate all kinds of intelligence and establish an intelligence network, I don't know if you are willing to be the head of this department."

"Listen to the news, no problem, I like this job." Li Handao.

Chao Gai did not make a decision immediately, and continued: "Intelligence work is not as simple as you think, you have to be proficient in disguise, stealth, hiding identity, information transmission and so on. Take information transmission as an example, the first person who learns to set up a cipher word, a code word. It is then passed by courier, or carrier pigeon. Sometimes it is necessary to go deep into the enemy's interior, and at any time it is possible to risk your life. ”

Li Han thought for a long time and said: "I, Li Hanwen, am not a martial artist, but my brother took me in, taught me this kung fu, and gave me a home." Since my brother can afford me, I will risk my life to do this intelligence work well.

"Okay, then from now on you will be the head of the intelligence department, and you will be responsible for reporting directly to me. This is a detailed note for intelligence work that I have put together, so you can take a look at it first. Chao Gai said, and took out a handwritten book that sorted out the precautions for intelligence work in great detail.

Li Han took it, looked at it carefully, and found that the intelligence work was very different from what he thought before, and he originally thought that the so-called intelligence work was to disguise himself as a small merchant and peddler and eavesdrop at the door of people's homes, but now he sees that it is only the most rudimentary. What one-line contact, what password code and so on are very detailed.

"The fifty people under your command are carefully selected, and they are selected to continue to follow you if they like to do this intelligence work, and if they don't like to do this work, let them continue to sell iron weapons. Your first task is to investigate the hidden locations of the gold, silver, grain warehouse, etc. in Ren Batian's house, you must remember that it is just an investigation, don't act rashly, the intelligence department is just eyes and ears. Chao Gai said.

"Brother, don't worry."

Chao Gai arranged for Li Han to select and train intelligence personnel, Chao Gai returned to the escort team, and Liu Tang was leading everyone to train, all of them were like Africans. Li Kui, Hua Lei, Chao Zhang, Chao Ran, and Niu Gao are also training in their respective fields. It is worth mentioning that the fifty cavalry archers trained by Niu Gao have achieved a little success, at least they can shoot accurately on stationary horses, which is also a big improvement.

"Li Kui, come over here." Chao Gai called Li Kui, who was sweating, over and said, "Go out with me." ”

"Okay." Li Kui rode a big horse and followed Chao Gai back to Chaojia Village, a large piece of wasteland in the south of the village has recently been under construction, the foundations of dozens of houses have been dug out, and the planning is horizontal and vertical, with a row of five households, and each family has five houses with a small yard. There are more than a dozen of them that have been built, typical rural houses, five rooms with blue bricks and red tiles, and the courtyard walls are also blue bricks and lime courtyard walls, and the dark gates.

Chao Gai led Li Kui to a courtyard gate and smiled.

"Brother, I'm practicing the axe, let me come here to see what." Li Kui asked puzzled.

"Just push open the door and see."

Li Kui pushed open the door, and there was a woman in her fifties standing in the courtyard, who was holding a gourd scoop and feeding the chickens with the sorghum inside. There is a flock of chickens in the hemp rope chicken net, there are about a dozen of them, and next to the chicken coop is a sheep coop built with bricks, the area of the sheep coop is not small, there are forty or fifty square meters, and five black goats are grazing in it.

Li Kui exclaimed in surprise: "Mother." ”

The woman saw Li Kui hurriedly put down the scoop in her hand, took two steps, and said, "It's an iron bull." ”

Li Kui bowed and said, "Old lady, when did you arrive?" ”

The old lady pulled up Li Kui and helped Li Kui beat the ashes on his body: "Tie Niu, you have a chance, I have heard from the people in the caravan, Chao Baozheng has promoted you to be the head." ”

"Well, that's right, Brother Chao Gai is a big official with an iron bull, and he is a big official, with fifty people in charge, and he is at the same level as Li Yun in Yishui County." Li Kui proudly showed off to his mother.

The old lady couldn't close her mouth with a smile, and said happily: "Tie Niu, I have always been most worried about you, I didn't expect you to come out, thank you Brother Chao Gai, he arranged for a caravan to take your token, and took me in a soft carriage, not to mention how comfortable it was along the way, my mother took a soft carriage for the first time." ”

Li Kui turned around and bowed to Chao Gai and said, "Tie Niu, thank you, brother, now it's okay, my mother can also enjoy happiness with me." ”

Chao Gai pulled up Li Kui and said: "This is what has been promised to you a long time ago, there is nothing to thank, if your mother is bored, you can go next door, it is Niu Gao's old lady's yard." ”

"Oh, the black boy lives here." Li Kui said.

Mrs. Li Kui asked: "Is there anyone who looks darker than my iron bull?" ”

Li Kui smiled: "That kid's name is Niu Gao, and he is as black as me." He's a good mother, you can go play with her when you have time. ”

Chao Gai said: "I'll give you half a day off today, and you can have a good chat with my wife." ”

Chao Gai turned around and left, Li Kui and the old lady chatted for a while, Li Kui took out a big silver of five taels hidden in his body, and said: "Old lady, this is my last month's salary, five taels a month, you take it to buy something delicious, easy to use, there is a shop at the entrance of the village." ”

Mrs. Li Kui took the silver and carefully wrapped it up, and said, "Don't you dare to spend it, such a big amount of silver is enough for a year, I will save it for you, and it will be easy to use when you marry your daughter-in-law." ”

"I still have it, you can spend it on something to eat." Li Kui said.

"There are grains and vegetables, and there are seven or eight eggs a day, I eat two, and the excess eggs are sold for money." Li Kuiniang said.

Li Kui said that he couldn't help his mother, so he had to agree. Li Kuiniang said again: "You hurry back to work, don't dare to delay time, come and see me when you rest." ”