Tong Tuchang saw Zhao Qianhu going out to be busy, and it seemed that he only lived in Changhua County today. asked He County to arrange a place to live, and Tong Tuchang came to the county seat to take a turn.

It has been six years since Tong Tuchang joined Zhu Hongsan's team in Wuchang. Tong Yangjia has always managed industry, so Tong Tuchang is also familiar with industry.

This time, the king of Changhua Chu has already said that Tong Tuchang is in charge of the iron mine, so he wants to see where he will work in the next few years.

The county seat of Changhua is not large, and it seems that the residents are not rich. Most of the residents were in rags, and only a few people were seen wearing clothes without patches along the way. The materials are mainly cotton and linen, and I don't see anyone wearing silk and satin.

Tong Tuchang sighed, this place is too poor. To be honest, he doesn't like to come, but he can't help it. Second Uncle Tong Yangjia is now a person he can trust, and if he doesn't help, there will be no one.

The county seat is less than two miles in circumference, and I walked around in half an hour. Tong Tuchang went to the Changhua River outside the city to take a look, the river water is very abundant, but the water level is not deep. The big ships can't come in at all, and it seems that they can only be transported out by small boats first, and the big ships can be transferred in Changhua.

After walking around, Tong Tuchang was tired and went back to the county government to rest without mentioning it.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty were slow to do things, and Zhao Qianhu did not arrange the guards the next day. Tong Tuchang has followed Zhu Hongsan for several years, and he has adapted to Zhu Hongsan's vigorous and resolute style, and he is very uncomfortable when he sees the procrastination of Ming Dynasty officials.

Finally, on the third day of arriving in Changhua, Zhao Qianhu was ready. I came to Tong Tuchang and said that I could go.

Tong Tuchang went out of the county office and saw that there were 200 military households standing outside the door, these people were of all ages, the younger ones were only eleven or twelve years old, and the older ones were fifty or sixty.

Tong Tuchang was Wuchangwei's secretary when he was in Wuchang before, so he naturally knew the situation of the Tianxia Wei Institute. Tong Tuchang said to the leader of his guards: "Platoon Commander Wang, how about you look at these military households?" ”

This Wang platoon commander is Wang Dazhuang, who went southwest from Jiangxi last year, and he has also become a platoon commander when the team is expanded this year.

Wang Dazhuang said: "With this kind of military household, we can beat 500 of them with 500 people. ”

Tong Tuchang asked, "Platoon Commander Wang isn't bragging, right?" ”

"Haha, the king of Chu said that such a military household, like an ordinary peasant, will run away as soon as the musket goes off. What we are going to fight in the future is the Manchu Eight Banners. ”

Tong Tuchang is a native of Liaodong, and he has naturally seen the Manchu Eight Banners. Looking at Wang Dazhuang's arrogant appearance, he didn't believe that the new army could beat the Eight Banners, after all, the combat effectiveness of the Eight Banners of Manchuria was there. Since the establishment of the new army, it has not fought any tough battles, and it has defeated Sun Kewang's rogues when it went south.

But this could not be said in front of Wang Dazhuang, this group of new troops had a kind of blind worship of the king of Chu.

Tong Tuchang said: "These military households are just laborers, and if they encounter dangerous situations on the road, they still need the help of Platoon Commander Wang." ”

Wang Dazhuang arched his hand and said, "Don't worry, Lord Tong, this is what we do." ”

Seeing that everything was ready, Tong Tuchang bid farewell to He Xianling and Zhao Qianhu, and led more than 300 people to set off.

According to the guide, they were to go up the Changhua River, and at fifty miles they would enter the mountains along the Shilu River. The guide said that both sides of the Changhua River are ripe places, which are better. Entering the mountainous area is the territory of Shengli, so everyone should be careful.

When Tong Tuchang came, he knew Lu Shiyuan, but he told him. Li Min in Qiongzhou has had many incidents. From the 26th year of Hongwu to the present, there have been 14 major uprisings, and there are countless small ones. The most recent one was in the forty-first year of Wanli, that is, thirty years ago.

At that time, the Li people of Wanzhou in Changhua could not bear the oppression of local officials and launched a major uprising that spread across the island. In the end, the counterinsurgency army sent by the imperial court to Guangdong killed tens of thousands of Shengli before suppressing the rebellion.

Now that it has not been decades since that riot, the contradictions between Han and Li are still very acute, so Tong Tuchang is also very careful. He ordered the team to move forward carefully.

In the first fifty miles is OK, several villages along the road are Shuli, many are Han Li mixed living, Tong Yangjia They also spent money in several villages to buy a few pigs to improve their lives.

On the third day after leaving Changhua County, I finally came to the mouth of the Shilu River. Shilu River is the name of later generations, this river has many names, respectively called Jinbo River, Pai'an River, Laohong River, each period has different names. Shilu River was renamed after the discovery of Shilu iron ore in later generations.

The Shilu River is now abundant in water, and the small boats of seventy or eighty materials can sail in, Tong Tuchang was overjoyed when he saw it, and the use of water transportation can save a lot of time.

The team walked more than 20 miles along the Shilu River and came to a valley. The guide said, "My lord, there is Shirokuling in front of you. In the Song Dynasty, this place was called Yayu Mountain, and later copper ore was found here, so it was called stone green by the locals, and it became Shilu when it was called. ”

Tong Tuchang nodded and asked, "Where did you find the mining?" ”

The guide said, "Just go over this mountain." ”

The guide led everyone into the valley and into the mine. Tong Tuchang looked around and said, "I'll camp in this valley today." After speaking, he said to the craftsmen who came with him: "Mining foremen, the following is your business, let's take a look around and find anything." ”

The hundred craftsmen agreed, and in groups of threes and twos, they scattered and went to the various mountains to check.

For the next three days, Tong Tuchang wandered around this place, but the big iron mine that Zhu Hongsan said was not found.

On the fourth day, Tong Tuchang was ready, and if he didn't find it today, he would take the team and go inside.

At this time, there was a commotion outside the tent, and one of the people in the group who had gone out to prospect came back to bring in the rescuers, and the three members of their group were killed by Shengli and one was captured.

Tong Tuchang was furious, it was not that he didn't meet Shengli's village on the way, but Shengli found that there were too many people on Tong Tuchang's side, so he didn't do anything, but he didn't expect to wait for a single person.

Tong Tuchang called Wang Dazhuang and said, "Platoon Commander Wang, you take people to take a look, rescue people, and kill all the other party if the number is small." ”

Tong Tuchang is also a scholar, and he also believes in the phrase "if you are not of my race, your heart will be different", so he has no good impression of non-Han people at all.

Wang Dazhuang nodded and led people out. He went out to find the craftsman who had escaped, and asked, "Where did you meet Shengli?" ”

The craftsman's face was covered with blood, and he said: "Five miles away from Yingpan, we were prospecting, and suddenly more than a dozen Shengli rushed out of the forest, all with green faces and fangs, Foreman Yang was hacked to death by them on the spot, Foreman Zhang was arrested, and I ran away while they were not paying attention on the way." ”

Wang Dazhuang said: "Work hard, brother, take us again, and I will avenge you." ”

The craftsman took a sip of water and said, "Okay, you must avenge Yang Tou." ”

Wang Dazhuang led the craftsman to the scene of the incident and saw a dead body lying on the ground, this was probably the Yang head. A footprint on the side.

Wang Dazhuang called the guide and asked, "Is there a Li family village here?" ”

The guide said with a bitter face: "This place is full of Shengli, and the villain really doesn't know." ”

Wang Dazhuang didn't embarrass him, and said to his soldiers: "Let's follow the footprints, everyone pay attention, if you see that it's not our personality, don't worry." ”

After speaking, Wang Dazhuang led the team to chase down the footprints.

Ten miles away from the scene of the crime, the scout found a stockade and hurried back to report it.

Wang Dazhuang led the craftsmen who led the way to the door of the stockade and saw that this was a big village, and there were about 100 people in it. At this time, a Han man was being whipped inside, and the Han man shouted for mercy.

Wang Dazhuang asked the craftsman on the side: "Do you see if that Han man is one of ours?" ”

The craftsman looked at it and said, "It's Zhangtou." ”

Wang Dazhuang nodded, came back and ordered the escort team of fifty people to line up in an attack formation, one team of fifteen, and sent three teams.

When he came to the door of the stockade, Wang Dazhuang shouted: "Grenade * bomb, two shots!" ”

Fifty people threw a hundred grenades in one wave. These grenades* are newly developed compressed gunpowder from the Gunpowder Factory, and the power is 60% that of TNT.

The gate of the stockade, which was a one-man high wooden wall, was of course blown to pieces by high-explosive grenades.

Seeing the gate of the village open, Wang Dazhuang shouted: "Attack and advance, not the killing of the Han people." ”