After sending Tian Chou away, Liu Fan took Tian Shuying and Xiaozhu Xiaohe together and lived in the newly completed garrison mansion in Shihe New Town. From August to Liu Fan's return, after nearly three and a half months of construction, most of the main body of Shihe City has been completed. Except for the outer city wall, which has not yet been completed, the rest of the internal buildings are basically completed.

At the beginning of the design of Shihe City, it was built according to the large city of 100,000 people. It is five miles long from east to west and eight miles long from north to south, and it is a rectangular city from north to south. There is a moat built outside the city, with four gates, east, west, north and south. In the city, the streets are 20 meters wide and can accommodate four horse-drawn carriages in parallel, and the crisscrossing traffic is very convenient. Government offices, bazaars, private houses, schools, warehouses, armories and other buildings are all available. According to the plan, the city is divided into three parts: commercial area, residential area, and military area. In addition to a large number of military buildings and some private houses, according to Liu Fan's vision, out of the commercial area for sale, most of the residential area will be allocated to meritorious soldiers and their families.

The time has entered the middle of November, the northern land is lonely in the biting cold wind, because of the cold weather, all kinds of production and life have basically come to a standstill, and even Jiaozhou Bay, which is known as a good port without ice, has a small amount of ice. In such a cold situation, in order to reduce the frostbite of the soldiers, Liu Fan had to reduce the training of the Broken Army. Units still living in improvised barracks will be transferred to barracks that have already been built. finally added some popularity to this empty new city, otherwise Liu Fan and the others would be too lonely to live in such a big empty city!

Suddenly fell into a state of idleness, Liu Fan was very unaccustomed to it. After thinking about it, he still sent someone to invite Sun Yuanhua, Tang Ruowang and others to discuss the construction plan of the arsenal.

In the afternoon, at the invitation of Liu Fan, several people came to Shihe New Town, and as soon as they met, Sun Yuanhua exclaimed: "I have long heard that Jimin has built a new city in Shihe!" I never thought it would be on such a large scale! The cost of such a big city must be astronomical! Can Jimin's financial resources support it? ”

Liu Fan smiled bitterly, "At the beginning, I just wanted to build a military fortress to defend the Shihe Salt Farm, and with some money, I wanted to do it in one step and build a bigger one, but I didn't expect that this city wall had not been built much, and the money was spent like flowing water!" I regret it a little! ”

Sun Yuanhua couldn't help but laugh and said, "You, you!" I'm still a little younger, I don't think about the consequences of doing things, and now I'm in a dilemma! I think you should build the inner city first, and this outer city should be built slowly later! ”

Liu Fan also thought about it like this, but he didn't admit defeat on his lips, "That's not good, if you want to build it, you have to build it together, I don't have anything else to do now, so I have money left!" This time, you guys are also spending money to find senior brother! ”

"Huh! The poor are only left with money? Jimin's statement is quite interesting! All right! What are you looking for from me, you rich man! It's not going to give me a penny, is it? Sun Yuanhua joked

"Cents are certain, but not now! Brother! And the guests! Let's go inside! Liu Fan pointed to Tang Ruowang, who was standing at the door with an innocent face, and said with a smile

"Alright! Father! Let's go in together! ”

In a pavilion in the back garden, several people sat down one by one, and after the maid served tea, Liu Fan said, "The main reason for inviting everyone to come this time is to understand!" Our Ming and Europe's firearms situation! Find out a few suitable muskets and artillery to equip the Broken Army, and it's no secret that most of the soldiers of the Broken Army still use cold weapons such as spears and broadswords! With the development of the army and the needs of war, it is urgent to equip with advanced firearms! You are all experts in firearms, don't you know what to suggest? ”

The Portuguese Bella was the first to say, "Lord Liu! As far as I know, the firearms of the Ming Dynasty have lagged behind the Western world a lot, and most of the artillery and arquebuses of the Ming Dynasty are introduced from Portugal, although the performance has been improved through their own development, but Portugal is no longer a power on the European continent. France and Spain are the hegemons of the European continent! If you want to introduce the most advanced muskets. I recommend the Spanish Mushkert arquebus, this smoothbore gun is now the most advanced arquebus in Europe, up to the gun caliber 23mm, mass 10~11kg, full bullet mass 50g, maximum range of 250m, effective range of 100m, using mechanical sights, can fire 2 rounds per minute. Can pierce the heavy cuirass worn by knights within 100m. ”

Sun Yuanhua also nodded and said, "That's true, this kind of musket has also been introduced in small quantities in my Ming Dynasty, but the price is high, and it is only circulated in small quantities, far less widely used than bird guns and three-eyed guns!" If Jimin wants to be equipped with firearms, I think the bird gun, the three-eyed gun and the thunderbolt gun are very good, so why bother to go far! ”

Liu Fan is also very optimistic about the Ming Dynasty's local artifacts, the Three-Eyed Gun and the Thunderbolt Gun. The shape of the three-eyed gun is a combination of three bamboo joint-shaped single guns, and each gun tube has a small hole on the outside. When used, gunpowder is added to the gunpowder pipe, and finally filled with steel balls or cast iron blocks, crushed iron sand, etc., and the three gunned pipes can be fired in turns. This gun is not only powerful, easy to operate, but most importantly, low in cost. It is a very easy equipment to popularize. However, the three-eyed gun has a short range, which is not comparable to the bow and crossbow, and the reloading speed is too slow. The armament, which belongs to the "wave of streams", has not had much prospect for development forgotten. The same is true for the Thunderbolt, although it is powerful and has multiple launch tubes, it is too cumbersome to reload, and it can only be activated once on the battlefield, which is not conducive to continuous combat. Especially in the battle with the Houjin cavalry, the disadvantage is too obvious! After thinking about it for a long time, Liu Fan still said, "The three-eyed gun must be made, and the Spanish arquebus must also be made!" Bella! Do you know how to make a Spanish arquebus? ”

Bai Laila shook his head, a little ashamed, and said, "Lord Liu! I'm sorry! I don't know how to make such an advanced arquebus! ”

Liu Fan was a little disappointed when he heard this, but still said, "I won't make it!" Then buy it! I don't believe there's an arquebus in the world that you can't buy! Bella! I've got you on a mission! You go back to Macau, I need a lot of Spanish arquebuses, as long as you can get the technology to make this arquebus! I will appoint you deacon of the arsenal! And reward you with 10,000 taels of silver! ”

Baila was suddenly excited, 10,000 taels of silver! What a lot of wealth, with so much money, has he ever used such a hard life? When the time comes to build a large manor, he can also become an upper-class person, thinking of this, he immediately patted his chest and assured Liu Fan, "Lord Liu!" Rest assured, I will definitely find you the best craftsmen! The best musketeers! ”

"Hmmm! I want the cannons, I want the boats, I want whatever you want, no matter how much you want! Tomorrow I will send someone to leave for Macau with you! Liu Fan patted the case