Seeing Tang Muyao rubbing his hands, looking eager to start work immediately, Liu Cheng nodded with satisfaction, he took an iron pipe about one meter more than one meter from the entourage beside him and handed it to Tang Muyao. Liu Cheng's attitude in the manufacture of weapons is to first solve the problem of whether there is a problem, gradually accumulate technical reserves on the basis of building up his own contingent of technical experts, and follow the line of "small steps and fast walking" from imitation to improvement and from improvement to innovation. After all, no matter how far-sighted the traverser is, no matter how advanced the concept is, the final landing on the ground still depends on the backward manufacturing technology level at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and it is impossible for the blacksmith shop in the late Ming Dynasty to create AK47 with golden elephant legs, but under the mention of the traverser, there is still some certainty in making brown bass. At that time, the backward handicraft industry level of Japan's daily necessities had to be imported from the Ming Dynasty, Tanegashima muskets could be imitated, and there was not much technical threshold between the smoothbore arquebus and the smoothbore flintlock pistol, and the brown bass was enough to beat the world in the middle of the seventeenth century.

The biggest technical problem in ancient firearms was the manufacture of gun barrels, but Liu Cheng did not dare to openly take it out for the blacksmith to imitate, after all, this thing was too conspicuous, in case someone poked out, a "privately made military weapon, plotting against the wrong" hat buttoned down, Liu Cheng could not afford it. Like this, the best blacksmiths are selected first. Then it is safer to reserve technology and talents in private with heavy rewards and temptations, and prepare for large-scale manufacturing in the future, after all, it is much easier to control Tang Muyao's one mouth than to control more than a hundred mouths of all blacksmiths.

Seeing Tang Muyao thinking carefully there, with a look of embarrassment on his face, Liu Cheng was not in a hurry, after all, such a difficult technique for making a gun barrel could not be thought of in a while, he stood up with a smile: "You go back and think slowly, although the blacksmith shop by the city gate is used, if there is any shortage, just tell the steward that these silver coins and cloth will be stored for you first, as long as you make them, they will be sent to you immediately." Speaking of this, Liu Cheng quipped: "If you are worried about the third girl of Tofu Zhang, you can borrow money to settle the relatives in advance, so as not to marry others first." “

Liu Cheng's words caused everyone to laugh, Tang Muyao's dark face also turned red, he kowtowed to Liu Cheng a little nervously, and then retreated. Yu He asked in a low voice, "My lord, do you think this person can do it?" “

"It's okay!" Liu Cheng smiled slightly: "If you become the best, if you don't succeed, you will get a good blacksmith, and you will always not suffer." He turned his head to the side and nodded, and Du Gu shouted loudly, "Next!" ”

When Tang Muyao walked out of the crowd, he was still in a strange state of excitement, his master saw the figure of the apprentice and hurriedly rushed forward, grabbed Tang Muyao's arm, and groped on the apprentice without saying anything, and asked while touching it: "Oh, that whip just now broke you, let the master and me take a look, do you want to find a doctor to see." ”

"Master, who said I was whipped!" Tang Muyao pushed the master away, and the master's somewhat intimate behavior made him a little embarrassed as an adult.

"You didn't get whipped, so the military master didn't beat you?" The master looked at his apprentice in surprise.

"yes, who said I was beaten!" Seeing the master's stunned appearance, Tang Muyao was quite happy in his heart.

"Rabbit cub, you didn't get beaten and let Lao Tzu worry so much outside!" The master suddenly jumped up and gave Tang Muyao a chestnut, and then he took off his shoes and sucked Tang Muyao's ass and thighs with the soles of his shoes, and scolded in his mouth: "Is it long?" Dare to pout in front of the master? Look at Lao Tzu if he doesn't kill you! ”

The master's chestnut and shoe soles made Tang Muyao immediately sober up, and while he habitually kept his buttocks to prevent the spring from leaking, he ran away quickly, begging for mercy: "Master, it's my mistake, don't fight!" The blacksmiths laughed from all around, and the air was filled with joy.

"What about Tang Muyao? Where is Tang Muyao! A voice broke the farce, and everyone turned away, but it was two swordsmen, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly cooled. The master gently pulled Tang Muyao behind him, and replied with a smile: "Master Jun, do you have anything to do with Tang Muyao?" “

"Are you Tang Muyao?" A sergeant walked over.

"I'm not Tang Muyao." The master hurriedly waved his hand again and again, shrunk his head and asked, "I just want to ask what's going on." ”

"Aren't you Tang Muyao talking a lot and entertaining our family?" The sergeant was furious when he heard this, his right hand was already pressed on the hilt of the knife at his waist, and before the master could open his mouth to beg for mercy, Tang Muyao took a step forward and blocked the master behind him: "I am Tang Muyao, what is the matter with his master." ”

"You are Tang Muyao?" The sergeant looked Tang Muyao up and down, and said with a smile: "Good boy, you have the courage, this is the cloth that Lord Dusi rewarded you, a total of six horses, you can collect it!" With that, he waved his hand, and the man behind him brought six plain cottons. Tang Muyao took the cloth a little sluggishly,

The master on the side hurriedly saluted and thanked the sergeant. The sergeant smiled and said, "You are lucky, you have accepted a good apprentice, and you will help him make the things that my family wants, so naturally you will have benefits!" “

"Yes, yes! The villain must do his best! The master was busy and busy, and the two sergeants smiled and turned away. The master turned around and looked at Tang Muyao with a completely unfamiliar gaze, and Tang Muyao, who had already come back to his senses, lowered his head a little embarrassed. After a long time, the master suddenly sighed and asked, "Apprentice, what are you going to do with these cloths?" ”

"Change yourself first, that hole in my ass is the size of a palm!" Tang Muyao said with some excitement, and then he found that the master's face was a little wrong, and hurriedly added: "Take two more horses to honor the master and the master." ”

"Hmm!" The master's face finally looked a little better: "What else?" ”

"Go find Tofu Zhang next door and propose to the three girls of his family!"

The apprentice's answer made the master laugh, and he habitually slapped Tang Muyao on the back of the head and scolded: "Rabbit cub, I am thinking about my daughter-in-law before the hair grows!" ”

"Oops!" Tang Muyao screamed miserably, and shouted unconvinced: "Master, a kid as big as me in my village has crawled on the ground." ”

"Yes!" The master sighed, he naturally knew that Tang Muyao was right, in ancient times, men could marry sixteen and women fourteen, and those who were not married at Tang Muyao's age had only one reason for being poor. If it is according to the normal life trajectory of a blacksmith, being an apprentice will definitely have no money to marry a wife, and it will take at least twenty-four or five to become a teacher, and if you want to marry a daughter-in-law, you must save at least a few years, that is to say, Tang Muyao has suddenly crossed ten years of hard work in his peers, which can't help but make the master happy and envious, he patted Tang Muyao's shoulder: "Since Master Dusi values you so much, you have to work hard!" ”

"Hmm!" Tang Muyao nodded vigorously: "I must get out what Master Dusi wants as soon as possible!" ”

Guyuan, located in the Liupan Mountain Pass, the ancient name of Dayuan, Gaoping, Yuanzhou, as the name suggests, this is a piece of flat land located between the mountains. The majestic Liupan Mountains lie in the northwest of Guanzhong, separating the bitter cold land of Longshang from the fertile Guanzhong Plain, and the valley lowland cut into the two largest rivers in the Guanzhong River, the Wei River and the Jing River, which originate from the two slopes of the mountain range, has become the main passage into the Guanzhong Plain, and most of the barbarians such as Qiang, Shi, Xiongnu, Xianbei and Mongolia in Longshang have entered Guanzhong through these two channels for thousands of years. In the Wei River, Jing River, the valley road of the Wei River is more rugged and precipitous, it is the Jing River valley that has become the most convenient road, and the Guyuan Town located at the entrance of this passage has become the west gate of Guanzhong, the ancients called it "the left control of the five plains, the right with the Lanhui, the Yellow River around the north, Kongtong blocking the south, according to the shoulders of the eight counties, the key to the three towns of the Juan, the first town in the northwest", here is not only one of the nine sides of the Ming Dynasty, but also the residence of the governor of the northwest three sides, obviously, At that time, the rulers of the Ming Dynasty operated it as a fortress to govern the northwest towns to resist the invasion of the Mongol tribes, and Guyuan was not just a simple city, but a huge defense system consisting of fortresses that stretched on both sides of the Huanjiang River, from Lingzhou to Huanxian and then east to Yansui for more than 400 miles.

"Huamachi, Dingbian Fort-" Yang He stretched out his finger and slid on the map, and said the names of the border forts along the border of Guyuan Town, every time his finger swiped, it was to give up a distance of several miles or even dozens of miles, and suddenly he raised his head, shook his head and sighed: "The ancestors ran the border forts, and I don't know how much food and effort were spent, but I gave it up today without a battle, this, how can I do it!" “

"My lord, you really have no choice but to do this!" Zhao Wende persuaded: "The reply of the imperial court has come, but it is only 100,000 taels of silver, 50,000 stones of rice, and Ding Zhuang among the thieves in the Fu has 35,000 odds, according to the calculation of two liters per person, it will cost 700 stones of grain and rice per day, and the rice is only two months. “

"Yes!" Yang He sighed: "Fortunately, Bi Shangshu fought hard in front of His Majesty, saying that he would take out 10,000 stone of grain every month from Su Song's tribute grain, and then squeeze out 10,000 taels of silver every month from the expenses of western Liaoxi to meet the needs of the northwest. Your Majesty is also a person who can advise: 'The affairs of the northwest are related to the ancestral society, please do your best, and the matter of money and food, I should distribute it, even if I raise debts, I will not live up to my husband.' When we courtiers hear these words, we are risking our lives and willingly. Speaking of this, Yang He's sad face finally showed a hint of relief, obviously Chongzhen's words in the song and criticism gave him a lot of comfort.

"Your Excellency!" Hearing this, Zhao Wende had an idea: "My subordinates think that when God Yikui comes, he should let him see His Majesty's approval!" “

"Let him see? How can that be? Yang He asked in surprise: "Besides, I'm afraid he can't read!" “

"My lord, this matter of appeasement has reached a critical juncture, and this god is the most famous and powerful one among the thieves who have been appeased, it can be said that the safety of the court and the reputation of the lord are maintained on him alone. The world has the right to do things, my lord, think about it, this god is just a border soldier, if you see the Son of Heaven working so hard for the affairs of the northwest, as long as you are a little heart-hearted, you will also have a little heart, right? “

Listening to Zhao Wende's words, Yang He nodded and sighed: "Well, things can only be like this when things come to this point, and the god is about to arrive, so you can arrange it then." ”

"Yes, sir!"

It's cold!

Shen Yikui sat up, only to feel that the joints up and down his body were almost hard, his hands and feet were already cold, it was already the end of August, camping at night in Longshang was still a chore, the heat in the day had long been dissipated, and the cold air from the ground and the cold wind blowing from the north only penetrated into the bones of people. He looked at the fire beside him, the firewood inside had almost burned, only a thick layer of white ash remained, and under the blowing of the mountain wind, the white ash on the surface of the firewood was blown away, revealing the dark red charcoal underneath. Shen Yikui stretched out his hand and stirred the fire, and with the inflow of fresh air, a small orange flame rose under the white ash, and he picked up a few dry firewoods next to him, broke them and threw them into the fire, and the fire grew again. Shen Yikui stretched out his hand and rubbed his hands on the fire, then stood up and jumped a few times, and his body, which was already frozen and stiff, warmed up again.

Shen Yikui warmed his body, looked at the stars in the sky, and found that it was already the fifth watch. He simply stopped lying down and slept, took out his waist knife and looked at it with the help of the firelight, and found that there were two places that were not sharp enough, so he took out the grinding stone and polished it twice. At this time, the mud on the other side of the fire also woke up, and he rubbed his eyes and got up: "Big leader, you got up early today!" “

"Cun Meng, I just woke up cold, only to find that the firewood had burned out, and I couldn't sleep after getting up and moving twice, so I sharpened the knife by the way." Shen Yikui shouted the real name of the deputy who did not touch the mud, but he did not stop his hand. Since surrendering to the government and being granted an official position, Shen Yikui has been much more careful in his words, lest trouble come from his mouth, and he no longer uses nicknames when talking to his old companions on weekdays, so as not to be deducted from a "difficult to get rid of" hat.

"Damn, I even have to do things like adding firewood, who was on duty last night, see if Lao Tzu doesn't beat him to bloom!" He stood up angrily, but was pulled by Shen Yikui: "That's it, it's five watches now, and it will be dawn in a while, so I will put a handful of firewood less." ”

I had to sit down by the fire and muttered: "Big boss, you are just too soft-hearted, cheap bunnies, if you follow my temperament, I have to let him have a long memory!" ”