"You are currently making more and earning less, and for these workers, in terms of the livelihood of the whole family, for the overall situation of Yangzhou, it is a question of maintaining stability, which is more important, you really don't understand? Your last name is Ma, right? Aren't you going to divest from the glass factory? Then you can withdraw! I, Luo Jian, am smashing the pot and selling iron, and I want to return your shares to you, I hope you won't regret it in the future. ”

Luo Jian pointed at the fat shareholder and said. Listening to Luo Jian's words, the fat shareholder's face was so nervous that cold sweat flowed out.

At this time, three or four businessmen stood up, bowed to Luo Jian and Shi Kefa, and said, "Governor, Governor, we will resolutely not lay off a single worker in our factory, and our salary will not be reduced by a cent. In addition, each of us is willing to donate 100,000 taels of silver to help Yangzhou tide over the difficulties. ”

Luo Jian looked at it and was not familiar with it, Shi Kefa whispered to Luo Jian: "These are a few businessmen from the cement factory and the textile factory. ”

"Good! Luo Jian and the Inspector thank you for your understanding and support, I and the Inspector here, I solemnly promise that if we can help the government tide over the difficulties now, we will also get strong support from the government in the future in terms of policy, we have accepted these silver, but it is not a donation, it is borrowed from you by the government, and the interest is calculated according to the current market, and it will not be worse than you at that time. Luo Jian stood up and bowed back to these merchants and said.

"In addition, just now, the shareholder of the glass factory Ma wants to withdraw his capital, if anyone needs his shares, he can go to the Dadu Governor's Mansion to find me, I can't eat so much alone." Luo Jian sat down and continued.

"Governor, I have a friend who is a businessman in Hangzhou, and he has long been interested in the shares of the glass factory, I wonder if the small one can set this share for his friend?" Said one of the businessmen who had just made a donation.

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up again and several businessmen expressed their interest, but fortunately, the fat shareholders have a lot of shares, otherwise it is really not enough.

"Of course, Ma Yuan, you should go to the glass factory as soon as possible and settle your shares." Luo Jian said coldly to the fat shareholder.

"It's... The big governor, the small one is just talking, can you not withdraw your shares? "The fat shareholders will regret it.

"Doing business is about integrity, how can you take back what you say? Do you think that the Overseer and I are here today to talk and play with you? Besides, aren't you unwilling to pay for another idler? What are you doing here? Luo Jian was very disdainful of his backtracking.

After Luo Jian and Shi Kefa's combination of hard and soft measures, the merchants, except for a porcelain factory, finally agreed not to lay off workers or reduce their salaries.

This problem was basically solved, which made Luo Jian and Shi Kefa both greatly relieved.

"Yangzhou Semi-Monthly" then also published an article by Luo Jian and Shi Kefa, pointing out the difficulties that Yangzhou is currently facing, and calling on the military and people of Yangzhou to work together to tide over the difficulties.

The good news soon came back from Fengyang, and the Huainan Coal Mine had already produced coal.

The first batch of coal carriers has already set off from Xuyi and headed west along the Huai River, ready to transport coal.

Time flies quickly, and spring plowing is about to begin, Shi Kefa, Ren Minyu and others all focused on spring ploughing production, and Luo Jian took people to Guazhou.

There are already dozens of maritime merchant ships concentrated on the Guazhou wharf, Luo Jian carefully inspected each ship, according to Liu Weimin's estimate, the tonnage of these merchant ships is generally 30 tons, and most of them have no problem installing artillery.

Not all merchant ships can be armed, firstly, Yangzhou's production capacity cannot keep up, and secondly, these ships have to be used to transport goods, if they are loaded with a few guns, the carrying capacity is too large, and they will not be able to carry much cargo.

Finally, after discussion, eight merchant ships were selected to install artillery and serve as frigates.

Zheng Chenggong had already taken more than 1,000 people selected from the sailors and hundreds of newly recruited sailors to the offshore sea with more than a dozen merchant ships for adaptation training.

Liu Weimin also put down the research work in the laboratory, and specially worked with Chen Zilong with a large group of craftsmen and shipyard shipwrecks to install artillery for these merchant ships, and the installation of the first merchant ship was completed quickly.

Luo Jian asked people to rush to the beach to inform Zheng Chenggong to bring people back to receive them, and Zheng Chenggong soon returned to Guazhou with more than 100 people and got on the merchant ship that had been armed.

Zheng Chenggong excitedly stroked the guns on the ship, these guns were larger than the caliber of Yan Yingyuan's artillery unit, about one hundred and thirty millimeters, this was because the ship was on the water, and the shaking energy of the ship when fired could effectively offset the recoil, so Liu Weimin decided to use a larger caliber after careful calculations to increase the power of these guns.

In naval operations, the longer the range of the artillery, the better, these guns are much thicker and heavier than the land artillery, so the charge can also be greatly increased, and the range of these Ming Dynasty versions of 130-mm howitzers has exceeded four kilometers.

Moreover, these guns have been equipped with the newly developed directional and high-low aircraft, and their brakes and retreats have also adopted the latest technology, and the firepower maneuverability of the guns has been compared with the past.

In other words, these guns are not much different from modern artillery except for the fact that they still use black fire and black fire shells.

"Let's go to the Yangtze River to try the artillery?" Luo Jian was also very excited, this was a weapon far beyond this era.

Although there are now only six guns on each ship, because the caliber has increased, and the firepower maneuverability has also been greatly enhanced, Liu Weimin has reduced two guns in order to save costs, Zheng Chenggong has no opinion on this, and only hopes to drive the ship to the Yangtze River as soon as possible.

It is not far from Guazhou Ferry to the Yangtze River, and it takes less than half an hour to arrive.

On the bow deck, Yan Yingyuan said to Luo Jian with some concern: "Governor, of course these cannons are good, but if something goes wrong with any of the ships, can these technologies be saved?" ”

"I said Brother Yan, your worries are superfluous, the steel used in our artillery is a new type of alloy steel, others want to make it out like this, to ensure that it will explode if it can't hit a few shells, and also, this direction machine and high and low machine are made of high-manganese steel with extremely high hardness and wear-resistant, and there must be a technical foundation to imitate it." Liu Weimin said with a smile next to him.

"When I say that, I'm relieved." Yan Yingyuan was completely relieved.

"Brother Liheng, the first shot of this artillery is still under the command of you, the artillery general." Luo Jian said with a smile.

Soon there was a target ship in front of it, it was a merchant ship close to being scrapped, it was not too small, not much smaller than this ship, the distance was about six miles.

Yan Yingyuan leaned on the scope next to the artillery, commanded the gunner to play the direction machine and the high and low machine, and the aiming was soon completed.

Yan Yingyuan asked Luo Jian to retreat to the back of the ship, and he himself took a few steps back, waved the command flag in his hand, and shouted forcefully: "Fire!" "As the gunner pulled the gun rope, there was a loud bang, and the shell flew out.

As everyone saw as the shells flew out, the first shell did not hit the target ship, but exploded about twenty or thirty meters away from the target ship, causing a large splash.

Yan Yingyuan then leaned on the scope and looked at it for a long time, and then personally adjusted the direction and height before ordering a second shot.

The second shell hit the target ship, only to see an explosion, a black fog rose from the target ship, and everyone saw the old ship slowly capsize until it sank.

"What kind of shell is this? So powerful? Zheng Chenggong was already standing next to Yan Yingyuan, and when he saw that a cannonball had sunk the old ship, he asked strangely.

"It's the same as our shells, but the charge is more, and of course the power is greater, so it stands to reason that it is impossible for a single shell to sink that ship, maybe the target ship is too dilapidated." Yan Yingyuan said calmly.

"Enough, this power is absolutely enough, Metropolitan Governor, with these ships, if we don't build new warships, I dare to guarantee that I will be invincible at sea!" Zheng Chenggong danced excitedly and shouted at Luo Jian.

The successful test firing of the artillery filled everyone with confidence, and in less than half a month, artillery was also installed on seven other merchant ships.

When the installation was about to be completed, Luo Jian invited Shi Kefa, some officials of Yangzhou Prefecture and a large group of merchants from Yangzhou City to the Guazhou wharf.

"Oh my God! Why is this cannon so big? With such artillery, where is the danger at sea? I think those kids who quit the shares are out of sight! A merchant said, stroking the ship's cannon.

"Xinghua, why do I think this ship is like a red-coated cannon, maybe it's also a solid bullet?" Shi Kefa asked, pulling Luo Jian.

"Brother Xian, how can the red-clothed cannon be compared to this cannon? Let's go to the Yangtze River to try it, and also let these businessmen increase some confidence. ”

Luo Jian said with a smile, and after speaking, he beckoned everyone to get on a naval warship, and asked Zheng Chenggong to take a sea warship out of the canal and sail towards the Yangtze River.

This time there were no more target ships that were so large, and in front of the ships were a group of small boats that had been eliminated by the sailors.

With Zheng Chenggong's series of commands, the warship was quickly ready to shoot, but Zheng Chenggong waved the command flag, and the four cannons on the left side of the warship rang out together, and everyone saw that the warship was pushed back several meters away and shook, but it quickly stabilized.

Looking up at the boats again, a cannonball hit a boat directly, and in an instant the boat sank, and the sailors and warships let out a burst of cheers.

"I'm afraid it's five or six miles away, right? can be so accurate, and sink one with one shot, I think this warship is not afraid of pirate ships. The merchants began to talk.

"Xinghua, has this artillery technology made progress again?" Shi Kefa was not too layman, and when he saw the firing process of the artillery, he turned around and asked Luo Jiandao.

"Yes, Chen Zilong, they are amazing, a lot of new technologies are used in this artillery." Luo Jian also said happily.

"Xinghua, I heard that Zheng Chenggong's father is a naval officer in Fujian, don't let him bring these ships to Fujian when the time comes." Ren Minyu reminded beside him.

"Hehe, Brother Shi Ze don't worry, I know Zheng Chenggong very well, definitely not. Even if there is a case, he alone will not be able to take these eight boats, and the education of our Yangzhou army is not in vain. If the ship arrives in Fujian, it will be useless for Zheng Zhilong to take it, and he has nowhere to replenish it when the cannonballs run out. ”

Luo Jian knew that Shi Kefa also had such worries, but he didn't ask out of trust in himself, so he simply explained it to the two of them at once.

"I see, then I'm relieved." Ren Minyu let out a sigh of relief and said.

Shi Kefa also nodded when he heard this, and asked, "Xinghua, can you organize merchant ships to go to sea now?" ”

"Absolutely! We must immediately organize the cargo and arrange for the fleet to go to sea as soon as possible, because our economic situation can no longer afford us to drag it out. Luo Jian nodded affirmatively.

PS: Thank you friends for your continued support, from today, resume two shifts a day, please continue to support friends, thank you!