On the last day of December in the second year of Chongzhen, Xiao was also selecting the site for the future Tunpu. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

After rushing for more than an hour, Xiao Yi and the others rushed to the edge of the small river, passing by a village on the way, and inquiring. Xiao also learned that this small river is called Mandarin Duck Water by the locals, and the downstream is Ulzhou City, which is similar to the name of the Mandarin Duck Formation that he wants to practice.

The water of this mandarin duck river is clear and visible, Xiao Yi stretched out his hand to test the temperature of the water, just like this howling wind, the water temperature is also very cold. It seems that the weather of this Xiaoice River has affected Shanxi, and it is estimated that the spring will be later next year.

It's already afternoon, so choose an address before the evening.

Xiao also asked Huang Yang, Shi Gang, Wang Dayong, Liu Tong, and Shi Lu to scatter and find a good boundary to circle first. Everyone was riding horses back and forth, looking for the best location that Xiao Yi explained, and Xiao Yi originally planned to circle the boundary of about a mile longitudinal and horizontal.

But he didn't have much money, and the first thing to build a fort was to build a wall, and he couldn't ask Wang Changliang for all the bluestone bricks and other things needed to build the wall. You can only enclose a place first, and then expand it slowly.

Xiao also asked Lu Xiangsheng about the construction of the fort, and according to Lu Xiangsheng's calculations, the Ming Dynasty needed 200 silver to build a fire pier of more than 700 meters in length, and 600 taels of silver to build a tower, and more than 700 taels of silver to build a small fort with a circumference of about one mile, and at least 600 stones for grain.

And Xiao Yi now only has four hundred taels of silver on hand, and he doesn't have any food or other things, everything has to be accumulated little by little. Xiao Yi's original intention was to build a small fort with a circumference of one mile, but in the current situation, he could only build a fort the size of a fire road pier.

Alas, it seems that the matter of recruiting military households is going to be delayed again, this fire road pier is very small, and it is the limit to be able to live in all the more than 40 brothers, plus the military households, I am afraid that those military households have nowhere to live.

Just as he was thinking about it, Huang Yang shouted, "My lord, I have found a good location!" ”

Xiao Yi hurried over when he heard this, but saw Huang Yang and others surrounding an abandoned small tunluo, the reason why it was said to be a small tunluo. It's because there are only three small rooms here, and all of them are dilapidated and sheltered from the wind and rain, and it is still a little difficult, and it seems that the situation has been uninhabited for many years.

This small house is located in the east of the Mandarin Duck Water for more than half a mile, in addition to the rest of the three sides are open areas, and according to the introduction of Shi Lu, the soil around here is a little damp, very suitable for Tuntian, presumably it is a good farmland to reclaim.

Wang Dayong rushed back again, the road is that the surrounding rivers and grasses are very lush, and the horse grazing is also the best place recently.

Xiao Yi felt that this location was related to a long time in the future, but he couldn't be sloppy, so he rode his horse back and forth for a few laps, and didn't come back until there was more than a stick of incense.

After Xiao Yi came back, he immediately decided to build Tunpu here, and there are still three small houses here, although they are dilapidated, but they can still barely live in people. Xiao Yi originally wanted to demolish these three houses and use them as part of the bricks and stones for building the fort, but Xiao Yi was disappointed.

After asking Huangyang, these abandoned houses are all rammed earth walls, which is the case with most of the houses in the Ming Dynasty at this time. Only a small number of large luxury households can afford to use rammed earth and bricks to build houses. Most of the tunpu and fire road piers and side piers in the Ming Dynasty are made of rammed earth to wrap bricks. This can deepen the solidity, and it is easier and more convenient than building a castle with bluestone.

Xiao Yi took Shi Lu and Huang Yang to Changning Town to buy cotton clothes, because the weather was too cold, and everyone was afraid that someone would suffer from the wind and cold, and it would be troublesome when the time came. And due to the lack of funds, Xiao Yi directly found Wang Changliang and asked for fifty cotton clothes.

Wang Changliang did not hesitate at all this time, and directly ordered the little school at the door to take Xiao Yi and the others to get the thickened mandarin duck battle jacket, which Wang Changliang may be distressed about other things. But for this mandarin duck battle jacket, it is how much or how much, and the most important thing is this thing.

It's just that most of these mandarin duck battle jackets are shabby, and I don't know how long they have been stored in the house, even if Xiao Yi pinched his nose and picked and chose in the room for a long time, he also barely selected fifty still usable battle jackets, so that Hou Xiao Yi and the others smelled a sour and rancid smell when they held it.

After fixing the mandarin duck jacket on horseback, Shi Lu went to the widow of the street king to buy a few buckets of rice, and prepared to go back to get some porridge to drink.

By the time the three of them returned to the house, it was nearly dusk, and the beauty of the fiery clouds was once again playing out on the horizon. Everyone didn't care about those, and they didn't care that the mandarin duck battle jacket had a sour smell, so they hurriedly changed the battle jacket on their bodies and drank a lot of warm drinks. After changing it, it was a lot of hands and feet to set up the pot and stew porridge to drink, but it was also a pleasure.

The next day, Xiao Yi got up early, looked back and forth for a long time, took a tree branch, and drew a piece of land about 700 meters in length around the house, which included these three rammed earth houses.

Xiao Yi thought for a long time last night, if he wanted to build a good fort, he still had to find a craftsman, and the money could not be saved, so Xiao Yi called everyone and took everyone to Changning Town again.

Xiao Yi and the others arrived at the gate of Changning Town, but the military household guarding the door did not stop them, and immediately let Xiao Yi enter, they should know Xiao Yi and his party. As soon as Xiao Yi and the others entered the town, it caused a burst of side eyes, after all, more than forty horses, if they spread out and then the plain road would be insignificant, but gathering in a small town would be very spectacular.

And everyone behind Xiao Yi is capable, and they are all strong men.

As soon as he entered this time, Xiao Yi did not go to Wang Changliang, but went directly to a small market with the highest concentration here, walked to the middle and waited there, and let out a word, recruiting three craftsmen, not only three meals a day, but also another salary, the only requirement is that the craftsmanship must be passed.

At first, it may have been the deterrence of the people around Xiao Yi, but there was no one to apply for two hours, and Xiao Yi was extremely disappointed, this morning was a waste of time. It seems that he shouldn't be greedy for shortcuts, just go straight to Peach Blossom Castle. Just about to get up and leave, I saw a little old man trembling here to ask.

"Ladies and gentlemen, is it true that you said that you have three full meals and wages?"

Xiao Yi turned his head to look, and saw that this little old man was about forty years old and fifty years old, dressed in tattered clothes, wearing a shabby felt hat, and his big hands were extremely rough.

Xiao Yijian finally saw that someone had applied, and said happily, "Naturally, it's true, it's true, we need skilled craftsmen to build a small fort, and if you pass the skill, it will naturally keep you three meals a day, as well as wages." ”

The little old man was obviously overjoyed when he heard this, and bowed down, "My lord, we were originally craftsmen of the Peach Blossom Fort Construction Division, and as for how we got there with exquisite craftsmanship, the adults naturally know." ”

Xiao also inquired, learned that the little old man's name was Liu Desheng, and there were two craftsmen of the same age with him, this Liu Desheng and the three were originally the three craftsmen of the Peach Blossom Fort Construction Division, because they were unwilling to cheat, they blocked the financial route of the greedy people in the fort, offended many officials, and were persecuted, and even the defensive officer Liu Yiming acquiesced, and the three were dismissed not long ago.

The three of them were helpless, they hadn't eaten enough for two days, and Liu Desheng, who was hungry, didn't believe Xiao Yi's words very much. But seeing that Xiao Yi's subordinates are all strong, this Xiao Yi has also been waiting here for a long time, he should be a little sincere, just to try his luck.

Xiao Yi was originally a little suspicious after hearing this, but after taking a look at the place where the three people lived, he decided to take the three of them back for the time being to see what kind of technology they had.

When Xiao Yi and his party went back, Xiao Yi let the three of them drink some of the leftover porridge from last night, and each of them drank a few bowls of jujubes, all of them were moved to tears, saying that they had not drunk such sincere rice porridge for a long time.

Xiao Yi told these three people about his thoughts again, and these three people patted their chests and said yes to them. After half an hour of incense, the three of them directly took out a design plan.

Xiao Yi took a look, and his previous worries were swept away.

I saw that this floor plan was a small but complete sparrow, and Xiao Yi only circled a plot the size of a fire road pier, but the floor plan given by these three people not only had all the fire road piers should have, but also left a little space to build a few more settlements.

These three people should have guessed that Xiao Yi would expand in the future, and even the construction of a few hundred meters around it has a rough blueprint, like some temples and wells in the future, which are all buildings needed for future expansion. They had already calculated the best locations for these buildings for Xiao Yi, and Xiao Yi nodded again and again.

Xiao Yi sighed that his time this morning was not wasted, and everyone saw that Xiao Yi was so satisfied with the design of Liu Desheng and the three of them, and they all felt a lot different from Liu Desheng and the three of them, and their attitude was also much better.

Xiao Yi discussed with Liu Desheng and the three of them for a long time on this day, and there were more than 3,000 bluestone bricks for rammed earth and bricks to build the wall, and more than 2,000 bluestone bricks were needed for the residence in the city, and there were many large bricks and stones for laying the foundation.

And now the price of bluestone bricks in Datong Mansion is five dollars of silver per piece, so it will cost more than two hundred taels of silver, and the cost of building the city wall is so great that Xiao Yi, who is only four hundred taels, sighs, it is really like flowing money.

Although Xiao also cherishes every penny of silver, Xiao also understands that the foundation and city wall of this fort are the top priority, and this money can not be saved, so he told Liu Desheng and the three of them that there are enough manpower and silver for them to eat three meals a day.

The three craftsmen packed tickets one after another, as long as the materials and manpower were sufficient, they would definitely build the strongest city for Xiao Yi.