Xiangyang City, in front of the Marshal's Mansion, because Zhang Shihua was going to hold a full moon banquet for his eldest son Zhang Xi, so the front of the Marshal's Mansion couldn't help but become crowded in the morning.

This early in the morning, whether the generals under Zhang Shihua or the local squires in Xiangyang, as long as they are qualified to come after receiving Zhang Shihua's invitation, they will do it early in the morning.

After all, let's not talk about what will happen in the future, the current Xiangyang City is still Zhang Shihua's territory. As the host here, he held a banquet for his son, and who dared not give Zhang Shihua three points of thin noodles after receiving the invitation.

Therefore, just after the morning, the marshal's mansion entered the courtyard before and after, and hundreds of tables could not help but be densely filled with guests.

The front yard, because it is far away from the main banquet hall in the backyard, is arranged here for some local squires, wealthy families, and relatives who can't beat the eight poles.

In the backyard, high-ranking generals under Zhang Shihua were arranged, such as Zhang Shihua's subordinates like Zhang Mingtong and Shi Shisan, or Xiangyang prefects like Thursday Jiu, as well as officials at the same level as Xiangyang Road.

Of course, the relatives within three generations of the Zhang family, as well as Guo Weier's close mother's family, are also arranged in the backyard. And the seats arranged for them are even higher than those of Zhang Mingtong or Thursday Jiu.

After all, the full moon wine is originally to pray for the blessing of the child, and it has the nature of a family banquet.

And since there is the nature of a family banquet, in this era of family world, Zhang Shihua's close family members naturally have a higher seat at the table than Zhang Shihua's subordinates.

The custom of full moon wine has been around for a long time, and it is a very ancient custom in our China.

However, one side of the water and soil supports one side of the people, and the customs on this side of the land of Xiangjing must be different from Yingzhou, which is thousands of miles away.

Although it is said that 'follow the customs', whether it is the Zhang family or the Guo family, they are all Taihe people from Yingzhou. Therefore, the full moon banquet held for Zhang Shihua's son Zhang Xi must be in accordance with the customs of Yingzhou.

After all, what you want at this time is to be happy and happy, if you get those local customs in Xiangyang, the people of the Zhang family and the Guo family can't understand it, but it will be meaningless.

However, after Zhang Shihua was busy finishing his son's full moon banquet, in the evening of this day, as Zhang Shihua's subordinate, Shen Shi, the master craftsman who succeeded Yang Xitong, couldn't help but hurry to the marshal's mansion.

"Master, Master Shen is here, saying that he has something important to see you. Now, Master Shen is waiting for you in the lobby of the front hall? In the room of Zhang Shihua and his wife in the backyard, Guo Weier's new personal maid Ginkgo Biloba couldn't help but say such things to Zhang Shihua, who was playing with his wife and son in the back room.

"Shen Shi, it's almost dark, what is he doing at this time?" Suddenly, hearing this, and thinking about the current hour, Zhang Shihua touched the stubble on his chin, and couldn't help but be a little puzzled.

However, at this time, Guo Weier, who was holding the child, couldn't help but look at her husband and said, "Xianggong, since Master Shen is here now, there should be something very important." Otherwise, I don't think Master Shen would have come to disturb at this time. ”

"That's right, then Wei'er, I'll go and have a look." After Zhang Shihua heard his wife's words, he couldn't help but nod and say.

Hearing the words of her father-in-law, Guo Weier also smiled and said, "Well, you can go." ”

Therefore, Zhang Shihua, who was already preparing dinner, couldn't help but step into the front hall.

"Subordinate Shen Shi, meet the lord!" In the front hall, when Shen Shi saw Zhang Shihua, he couldn't help but hurriedly salute.

In this regard, Zhang Shihua waved his hand and asked him to get up, and then he couldn't help asking: "Master Shen is here at this time, but what is the matter?" ”

"My lord, there is indeed an important matter." At this time, Shen Shi, whose face was full of excitement, couldn't help but answer Zhang Shihua like this.

"Oh! Tell me what's going on. Seeing Shen Shi's appearance, Zhang Shihua couldn't help but feel a little curious at this time.

"My lord, it's artillery, the artillery you asked us to work on years ago has finally been developed. And this is not an ordinary bronze cannon, but an iron cannon, a cannon that we have made out of iron. Shen Shi said excitedly, dancing like an excited child.

However, at this time, when Zhang Shihua heard his words, he couldn't help but wait with great excitement.

"What, you made artillery! It's still made of iron! Zhang Shihua stared at him and yelled, he really didn't have the joy and anger that a marshal should have.

But at this time, the more Zhang Shihua lost his temper, the more inspired and excited Shen Shi became.

So at this time, his face was red from excitement, and he couldn't help but say to Zhang Shihua in a trembling voice with excitement: "Yes marshal, just today." Just this afternoon, we managed to build a cannon barrel. And after the test firing, this barrel, which is much cheaper than the bronze barrel, has far more performance than the original bronze barrel. ”

"Within three hundred paces, with the power of this cannon barrel, even the strongest plate armor in our army is as unbearable as bamboo and paper paste. Even if the distance is extended to 500 paces, with the power of this cannon, it will still be touched to death. And because it is made of iron, even if this barrel is fired ten times in a row, it will definitely not explode due to overheating! Saying this, Shen Shi, who seemed extremely excited, couldn't help but dance again.

However, Zhang Shihua didn't care about this, because at this time, the excitement in Zhang Shihua's heart was not smaller than him at all.

You must know that the original bronze artillery can only hit a thousand meters, that is, more than 660 steps. However, although it can hit a fist-sized cannonball so far, due to its congenital insufficiency, after the cannonball of the bronze cannon exceeds 300 paces, the lethality of the cannonball is not enough to kill a soldier wearing heavy armor with one blow.

Moreover, the melting point of bronze is low, and its quality is far inferior to that of steel.

If nothing else, in terms of the bronze artillery of this era alone, it is absolutely impossible for it to be fired ten times in a row. If the bronze cannon is fired ten times in a row, the barrel of the cannon is estimated to be able to explode into the sky.

So when Zhang Shihua heard that the iron cannon barrel made by Shen Shi and the others could reach an effective killing distance of 500 paces, and the quality was far beyond that of the bronze cannon barrel, how could he not be excited.

After all, at this time, iron artillery is something unique to his Zhang Shihua family.

Although in this era of cold weapons in the 14th century, because the power of gunpowder is too low, hot weapons can only be used as an addition to the battlefield, and they are not a sharp weapon to dominate the victory or defeat of a war.

But you must know that even if it is only a slight advantage, as long as it is played well, it will achieve unexpected results.

So after laughing happily a few times, Zhang Shihua looked at Shen Shi and couldn't help but praise sincerely: "Okay, my master Shen can really be said to be the craftsman Lu Ban in my Zhang Shihua's army!" ”

But at this time, the excited Shen Shi also knew modesty. So when he heard Zhang Shihua's praise, he couldn't help but bow to Zhang Shihua, and then said: "The lord praised it falsely, at this time, all the craftsmen and craftsmen of the Ordnance Battalion Artillery Bureau worked together. ”

"The subordinates haven't done much, and they don't dare to be praised like you."

"Haha. Okay, Master Shen, don't be too modest, I handed over this matter to you at the beginning, and now that you can do things so well, this is also your ability. But don't worry, as long as it has something to do with this matter and has made a contribution in the process, I will reward them one by one. Zhang Shihua nodded and smiled, and said.

When Shen Shi heard this, his face was overjoyed, and he couldn't help but thank Zhang Shihua and said, "Thank you, your subordinates!" ”

"Alright, get up quickly. Between you and me, there is no need for so much courtesy, sit down and talk. Zhang Shihua smiled and couldn't help but greet like this.

However, hearing this, Shen Shi also seemed even more excited.

After all, in the regime of the Black Army, there are not many people who are qualified to let Zhang Shihua sit, and there are not many people who sit and talk in front of Zhang Shihua.

In the past, his old boss Yang Xitong of Shen Shi had this qualification because of the plate armor. However, because of Yang Xitong's age, after the semi-retirement of the black-clothed army's ordnance battalion, no one in the ordnance battalion was qualified to sit and talk to Zhang Shihua.

But he didn't expect that just because he had improved the artillery, Zhang Shihua even gave him the qualification to sit and speak.

This really made him Shen Shi extremely excited. After all, in front of Zhang Shihua, the lord, the meaning of sitting and talking and standing and talking is completely different.

So with an extremely excited heart, he Shen Shi couldn't help but sit in his seat respectfully.

The buttocks are only halfway seated, the head is slightly bowed, but the waist pole is very straight.

I have to say that our craftsman Shen privately learned the appearance of Zhao Ziyu and Zhou Jiu and others sitting in front of Zhang Shihua.

"Hey, it's just a pity, it's too late today, and I can only go and see your improved iron artillery tomorrow." For Shen Shi's sitting posture, after Zhang Shihua got used to it, he didn't feel anything. Therefore, at this time, Zhang Shihua just regretted that he couldn't take a look at the iron cannon that Shen Shi and their improved were now.

So after sighing softly like this, Zhang Shihua looked at Shen Shi and couldn't help but say, "Okay, Master Shen, it's not too early at this time." You've had a hard time these days, and I'll be going to the forge early tomorrow morning to see for myself the guns you've improved. And now at this time, you should also go down and rest for a good life. ”

"Yes, my subordinates obey. The subordinates will also bring all the craftsmen of the artillery bureau to wait for the lord in the forge early tomorrow morning. When Shen Shi heard Zhang Shihua's words, he hurriedly got up from his seat and replied.

Seeing this, Zhang Shihua didn't say anything, just nodded with a smile.

Therefore, after bending down to Zhang Shihua again, Shen Shi couldn't help but slowly retreat.

And when Shen Shi retreated, Zhang Shihua looked at the direction in which Shen Shi left, silently reciting the word "artillery", and a smile couldn't help but appear on the corner of his mouth.

……

One night, fleeting. In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning.

On this morning, after Zhang Shihua had breakfast with his wife at home, he couldn't help but take Li Wu and other nearly 100 guards and a few artillerymen to ride out of the city and rush to the direction of the forge.

A group of more than 100 riders, walking to the road is really spectacular, eye-catching.

I have to say that in terms of his own security, Zhang Shihua is always surprisingly careful. No matter how hurriedly he traveled, the armored guards guarding him would never be less than twenty people.

After all, since ancient times, there have been too many warlords who have died at the hands of enemy assassins.

For example, Zhang Shihua was in the late Yuan Dynasty Chakhan Timur. If it weren't for the fact that he had taken care of himself, after recovering the eastern part of the mountain, he rushed to the military camp of the general Tian Feng with only two guards, and he would definitely not have been killed by Tian Feng and Wang Shicheng one by one.

And if it weren't for this, with the strong military strength of Chakhan Timur at that time, it is estimated that he could prolong the life of Yuanmeng for several decades like Zeng Guofan in the late Qing Dynasty.

After all, when Chakhan Timur unified the north, the three giants of the south, Chen Youliang, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Zhang Shicheng, had just finished carving up the land in the south of the Yangtze River. Moreover, as one of the Big Three, Zhang Shicheng had already surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty and became the captain of the Yuan and Mongolian courts.

Therefore, in terms of strength alone, if at that time, Chakhan Timur waved his army south. With only Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang, two people with a deep blood feud, it is impossible to resist the soldiers of Chakhan Timur.

Because at that time, except for the two of them who were still blatantly anti-Yuan, there were no powerful warlords in the world who dared to blatantly oppose the Yuan. Because those who dared to do so died directly or indirectly at the hands of Chakhan Timur.

Therefore, in some wild histories, when Zhu Yuanzhang knew that Chakhan Timur unified the north, he gave birth to the idea of returning to the Yuanmeng court and becoming a prince like Zhang Shicheng.

But he didn't want to unify the north every month, so he died in the hands of the Assassins.

So much so that the north, which took several years for Chakhan Timur to be unified, fell into chaos again. Otherwise, the warlords in the north would not have been so unbearable.

However, from the perspective of our Han people, Richard's death is indeed a great thing.

Although Richard Han is indeed a rare hero, in the final analysis, he is also a hero of another race. was born to stand on the opposite side of Zhu Yuanzhang and other rebels. Moreover, the rule of the Yuan and Mongolian courts over the Han people at the bottom was too brutal, and if it failed this time, it is estimated that the next uprising would have to pay more sacrifices.