Zigong County's decision to recruit sand workers coincided with Zhu Qing's speculation. This also just shows that Zhu Qing's guidance of encouraging disciples to use their brains when encountering problems before the action is effective.

Not only did the soldiers help the scouts infiltrate the city, but when the petty officer of the fortification called all the craftsmen to give a lecture, Jinyiwei's proposal to recruit sand carriers was also taken seriously by the petty officer.

When the junior official reported this proposal to the county government, the county government was still considering whether it was necessary. Later, the magistrate went to Xu Dingguo overnight to discuss this issue, afraid that Xu Dingguo would not agree.

If it had been in the past, this suggestion would have been ignored, and it was likely to be doubted and reprimanded, but at this time, Xu Dingguo hesitated......

Now his troops are mainly deployed in the southeast of Sichuan, the purpose is to choke the Luzhou waterway. Because he expected that Jinyiwei would go up the river from Nanjing, and if he wanted to enter Zigong, he would definitely go north directly from Luzhou, but he never thought that Zhu Qing would lead the Qinglongmen Jinyiwei to bypass Luzhou and land from Yibin and then go north to go back to Zigong Xicheng. Therefore, even if the whole city has strengthened its vigilance and troops, the main force is still placed in the southeast and lurking, trying to lure the king into the urn and catch turtles in the urn, and the water ghosts that Zhu Qing put down in Luzhou have already formed a bait for Xu Dingguo, and his vigilance in Xicheng is relatively weak, which means that Xicheng is empty and there are no people who even build fortifications! So when he heard that he was going to recruit laborers, he hesitated.

"General, we don't have enough manpower here and don't say it, just those refugees outside Xicheng, if they are really forced to a dead end, then Xicheng is restless, it is said that many people have come from Yungui and Huguang in the past few days, since our treasure land has become the target of the public, why not plan it and give them a little benefit, first, let them transport salt and sand, and second, it can also avoid unnecessary civil unrest, what do you say?" Zigong Zhi County Chen Wuyong suggested.

After Xu Dingguo heard this, he also felt that the matter was reasonable, he had seen the terrible of the displaced people in Henan before, he didn't want to have another civil uprising before Jinyiwei solved it, besides, it was just to spend more food in exchange for a stable, and this food didn't have to pay out of his own pocket, why not? Xu Dingguo also agreed with Chen Wuyong's idea in his heart.

However, it is not so simple for Xu Dingguo to fish in the troubled waters of the Ming Dynasty and survive until now, and there is a little climate. He picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, glanced at Chen Wuyong, and asked, "What is the opinion of the Chamber of Commerce?" ”

"It happened suddenly, and today the craftsmen have almost been recruited, and if there is sand and gravel, the work can start tomorrow. According to the general's speculation, it is almost time for Jinyiwei to come, and this fortification cannot be delayed. The Chamber of Commerce hasn't had time yet, but those old rich people don't want to keep their money, and the stronger the wall, the more solid they are. When the time comes, they must have no opinion. Chen Wuyong explained.

After Xu Dingguo heard this, he smiled at the corner of his mouth and nodded, as long as the old landlords and businessmen did not touch their silver, they would be happy. But Xu Dingguo remembered someone, but he had to worry, "I'm worried that people like Chen Jiujin, who have been brainwashed by the imperial court, will sow discord, be alarmist, and take the lead in making trouble......"

"Although the general can rest assured, since the general entered Zigong, many people in the chamber of commerce have sided with the general, who will be willing to give their fields and seeds to those poor people? So now Chen Jiujin can't say anything in the Chamber of Commerce. Besides, didn't the general send someone to spy on him? Can he still bounce around in the palm of General Zhang? Chen Wuyong said, and couldn't help but smile flatteringly.

Xu Dingguo was naturally refreshed after hearing this, nodded and smiled, "Hahaha, too, didn't he Chen Jiujin follow the imperial court to carry out some land reform?" Don't you care about the poor? In this way, the food and expenses for the refugee's work this time will be paid by him alone! I'd like to see how long he can end?! ”

Xu Dingguo monitored Chen Jiujin, but Chen Jiujin's local prestige was not weak, and it was not so easy to arrest him all at once, Chen Wuyong's suggestion made Xu Dingguo think of a way to cure Chen Jiujin.

"The general is clever!" Chen Wuyong gave Xu Dingguo a thumbs up without flattery.

After Xu Dingguo laughed, he suddenly asked, "By the way, didn't you hear earlier that this craftsman is difficult to recruit?" How can it be enough all at once? Lord Chen, don't fool General Ben? ”

After hearing this, Chen Wuyong quickly got up from his seat and bowed to Xu Dingguo, "Don't dare, the craftsmen were indeed a little tight earlier, but then a group of people came, the craftsmen did a good job, and even the guys who mixed rice were prepared, so they filled the remaining places......"

"Oh? Who are they? Xu Dingguo asked vigilantly.

"It's a craftsman from Huguang, who has worked in Lingqu, and you also know that there are many craftsmen working in these years. No, I left my hometown to make a living, I heard that Zigong recruited salt workers, originally came to the salt workers, I don't want us to just recruit craftsmen, those people are bad for this coke...... "Chen Wuyong was also very comfortable because he completed the recruitment quota, and when he lectured in the evening, he also arrived at the scene and watched the scene, those people really knew the work of craftsmen, so they dared to ask for credit in front of Xu Dingguo.

After Xu Dingguo heard this, he was still not very relieved, such a group of people appeared in a daze, he had to think about it carefully, although he came from Lingqu, there was no need to doubt the technology, he was afraid that he was only afraid of the identity of these people.

"I've heard that the craftsmen who have worked in the Lingqu are not bad, can Lord Chen bring their foreman to meet him?" Xu Dingguo pondered, he was going to see it for himself......

"This ......" Chen Wuyong was worried that those craftsmen would not enter Xu Dingguo's legal eyes, and he was not present and did not see the craftsmen personally handle the work, this is a verbal matter, if he is called at this time, it is not easy to explain, but Xu Dingguo's request, he Chen Wuyong did not dare to disobey, and nodded after hesitating for a moment, "Okay." As he spoke, he said to the guards beside him, "Go quickly, let the steward call their foreman to come over and take a look at General Xu." Remember, it's the foreman! Chen Wuyong didn't forget to tell him in the end, if today's most eloquent Jinyi Wei can't pass Xu Dingguo's pass, then let alone others.

"Yes, sir!"

Not long after the guards went out, the junior officer in charge led the leader of the brocade clothes of the equipment soldiers, the so-called foreman, in.

When the foreman entered, he glanced at the people in the hall.

"My lord, someone brought it." The petty official bowed to Chen Wuyong, and then stepped aside.

"General Xu, this is the foreman of those craftsmen." Chen Wuyong pointed to the foreman standing in the center of the hall and smiled at Xu Dingguo.

Xu Dingguo nodded and walked over. Look the foreman up and down.

The originally fearless foreman also pretended to tremble at this time, Xu Dingguo smiled at the corner of his mouth when he saw it, reached out and pinched the foreman's arm, and asked, "It's very strong, have you practiced kung fu?" ”

The foreman knew that Xu Dingguo was testing himself, so he shook his head and said softly, "No...... No, it's work, it's hard work......"

"I said General Xu, what craftsman doesn't have a sturdy body? If we hire some little white faces, we won't lose money......" Chen Wuyong interrupted beside him, he wouldn't have thought that there had been a Jinyi guard in Zigong, he was only worried that Xu Dingguo was too suspicious and missed a good craftsman, and in the end it was the county government who ate it.

Xu Dingguo listened to the words of the foreman and Chen Wuyong, hesitated and let go of the foreman's arm, but then he lifted the foreman's palm and looked at it, and asked in a deep voice, "Look at the cocoon in your hand, your hands are holding knives, right?" ”

Xu Dingguo's question, Jinyiwei, who was originally just pretending to be afraid, was indeed a little worried, and his body couldn't help but tremble, it didn't matter if he died, he was afraid of exposing Jinyiwei's actions!

"Big ...... My lord, this cocoon is all made out of hard work. The foreman said, glancing at Chen Wuyong, hoping that he could relieve himself.

Chen Wuyong did help him, "I said general, the craftsman is not a scholar, who doesn't have some calluses on his hands?" ”

At this time, Xu Dingguo didn't give up easily, he smiled coldly, "The cocoon of work is not the same as the cocoon of holding a knife...... Tell me, what kind of tools can feel such a cocoon? ”

Originally, the first half of Xu Dingguo's sentence had already made Jinyiwei, who was pretending to be a foreman, desperate, but the second half of the sentence pulled him back from the death line mountain.

After listening to Xu Dingguo's words, the foreman couldn't wait to take out a handful of utensils from the pants to be quilted.

When Xu Dingguo saw it, he quickly let go and retreated, and his guards thought it was an assassin, so they surrounded him.

"What do you want to do?" Chen Wuyong was also frightened by the foreman's sudden move and stood up from the Taishi's chair!

When the foreman saw the situation, he quickly pretended to kneel and beg for mercy, "Your Excellency, stop your anger!" The small one just wants the adults to see the small ones that they use on weekdays......" As he spoke, the foreman ripped off the cloth cover on the tools, exposed the tools, and sent them to Xu Dingguo's eyes, "Big ...... Adults, please take a look...... It's nothing more than a woodsaw......"

After everyone listened, they relaxed a little. Xu Dingguo walked over cautiously and looked at it, it was indeed a wooden saw.

But he suddenly snatched the saw, only to find that the other side was a sharp blade!

"What a sharp blade, have any of you ever seen a saw like this?" Xu Dingguo wiped his thumb on the blade of the knife and asked coldly. The guards in the hall were on the alert again.

The foreman hurriedly bowed again, "My lord is wronged, this blade is indeed modified, our craftsmen in Lingqu take such wooden saws, one side is used as a saw, one side is used as a guillotine, the efficiency will be very high when doing carpentry, if you don't believe it, there is a button on the handle, adults only need to pull the button, you can hold the side of the guillotine, it is very convenient when cutting the template......"

After Xu Dingguo heard this, he half-convinced and flipped a button on the handle, and sure enough, there was a "ding", and the guillotine bounced along the handle. Xu Dingguo twisted his wrist, nodded and said, "Well, it feels very good, it does look like holding a knife...... By the way, you've ever killed people with this saw? Xu Dingguo said tentatively.

The foreman hurriedly bowed again, "The adult is wronged, although the small one is a craftsman, his hands tremble when he kills a chicken, let alone kill a man......" As he spoke, his trembling couldn't help but intensify a little......

Xu Dingguo glanced at the foreman's trembling hand on the ground, and smiled proudly, "I'm scaring you, if this saw has killed someone, I can smell it as soon as I smell it...... But ......" said Xu Dingguo and suddenly stretched out the wooden saw in front of Chen Wuyong, startling Chen Wuyong to take a few steps back.

"Lord Chen, smell it, is there any smell of blood?" Xu Dingguo said with a smile.

Chen Wuyong knew that Xu Dingguo was bloodthirsty, otherwise he wouldn't be so afraid of him, so he trembled forward and sniffed lightly a few times, shook his head, "I can't smell ......"

Xu Dingguo nodded, "It's not that I can't smell it, it's not!" I've just smelled it, and it's only the smell of sawdust and sweat......" he said, handing the saw to the kneeling foreman, "Get up!" Show us how! As he spoke, Xu Dingguo kicked a stool beside him.

"Yes, sir!" The foreman took the wooden saw, first pulled a few on the stool, and the four legs fell off instantly, and then popped out the side of the guillotine, and pressed it a few times according to the remaining bench lines, and the template was suddenly divided into several pieces.

After finishing it, the foreman did not hold his fist at Xu Dingguo, but just stood coldly in place with a wooden saw, and nodded to Xu Dingguo, "My lord...... Got it done......"

Xu Dingguo looked at the stool that had been removed from the ground, then looked at the foreman who looked like a carpenter, nodded and smiled at Chen Wuyong, "Okay!" Master Chen really accepted a bunch of good craftsmen! Later, you will go to Chen Jiujin to explain the matter, and as soon as it dawns tomorrow, we will start construction! ”

When Chen Jiujin heard this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his body, which had just collapsed in the Taishi chair, suddenly regained his vitality, stood up and bowed to Xu Dingguo and said, "Don't worry, the general will definitely do it." ”

"Hmm. Whoever is that, do a good job! If you do a good job of Zigong's fortifications, this general will be rewarded! So saying, he threw a mina of silver over. The foreman pretended not to catch it steadily, and the silver fell to the ground, and he hurriedly thanked Dai De for picking up the silver while verbally thanking Xu Dingguo, "Thank you, general, thank you...... I will definitely instruct my brothers to complete the task with quality and quantity......"

"Well, okay, that ...... Steward, take him down. Xu Dingguo ordered the junior officer.

"Yes, General." As he spoke, the petty officer comprehended the surprised foreman to the construction site......

"The general's order, the small county will do it......" Chen Wuyong also left quickly, who knows what tricks this Xu Dingguo will get along with.

"If you have work, you won't send it." Xu Dingguo nodded.

After the foreman and Chen Wuyong left, Xu Dingguo really recruited the guards around him, and after a few words in his ear, the guards nodded and walked out of Xu Dingguo's military mansion......