The war-torn land of the Central Plains is becoming more and more desolate, although it is not as if there is no rooster crowing for thousands of miles, but it is almost the same, there are deserted villages along the way, those who can escape are gone, only some of the old and weak who can't walk away, and the old, weak, sick and disabled who can't die are still supporting the poor vitality.

From the main road, more than 20 horse-drawn carriages suddenly appeared, all of which were pulling heavy goods, coming slowly, such a huge convoy was absolutely rare. At the head was a merchant in his thirties, who rode on a green horse, and looked around from time to time, his only eye shining vigilantly.

His father and uncle were slaves taken by the Mongols, and Zhang Ke later attacked the steppe several times and rescued their families. Due to his old age, Wei Xueyan's father could not join the army, so he could only run a ranch on the grassland.

Relying on hard work and sweat, the income is increasing, and it has become a well-off family in a few years. This time is also the time when Wei Xueyan changed from a scrawny teenager to a young man.

He still remembers the first winter, when the family sat around eating fragrant barbecued meat, knowing that under the hands of the Mongols, they didn't even have a share.

Since then, Wei Xueyan has developed a kind of devotion to the Yizhou soldiers, and finally relied on his excellent riding skills to become a cavalryman at the age of eighteen.

The cavalry of the Yizhou soldiers was unusual, each of them had to be equipped with at least three horses, at least two of which could be pulled out at any time to fight.

And each cavalry was also equipped with plate armor, handcuffs, cavalry spears, sabers, bows and arrows, daggers...... From this equipment alone, it is clear that the cavalry is only strict.

After brutal training, Wei Xueyan participated in the battle for the first time, and caught up with the recovery of Liaodong, from Liaoyang to Shenyang. In a short period of time, a rookie turned into a warrior who kills without blinking. He cut off at least five Jiannu heads, and his achievements were impressive.

Under normal circumstances, he would have become a junior officer, and then he would have risen through the ranks, and if he was lucky, he might have become a lieutenant general and a staff general. If you have the opportunity to take charge alone, it is possible to become the general soldier and complete the counterattack of the small soldiers.

But God is not beautiful, Wei Xueyan was in the last battle. His left eye was shot with a bow and arrow, and he became a one-eyed dragon. He had no choice but to leave the army and return home.

Those days were a nightmare in Wei Xueyan's life, he suddenly felt that everything had turned black, drank and spilled, beat and scolded his wife, and even yelled at his father, so angry that his mother washed her face with tears.

Almost two months later, someone suddenly found his home. It was said that the prince ordered everyone to return to the barracks.

From the Duke of Pingliao to the King of Anton, Zhang Ke is a very popular minister, but he has become a one-eyed dragon. Once the success will be achieved, this is the most cruel portrayal!

Wei Xueyan's heart was not balanced, but out of the instinct of a soldier, he had a stomach full of questions. Back to the barracks.

To his surprise, it was not only him, but quite a few veterans gathered, and it is said that King Anton gave the order. We want everyone to be discharged from the army.

God is pitiful, how many people have been in the barracks for most of their lives, and they don't know anything, so let them leave, it's better to kill them. The resentment is so great that it can be imagined that in the face of them, Wei Xueyan even felt that he was not too unlucky, at least he was still young and there was hope.

In all dynasties, there is no good way to face the veterans of a hundred battles, either they keep fighting and consume them, or they are placed on the frontier, Tuntian and the border, and there is a glass of wine to release the military power, all in all, can not escape the fate of the birds and the bow, and all kinds of rumors are also spread among the veterans.

Everyone is speculating about what Zhang Ke is going to do with everyone.

At a time when everyone was worried, a group of literati dressed in long robes and deep clothes entered the barracks, veterans had learned combat skills in the past, but this time they had to learn the skills of survival.

Liaodong lacks a large number of low-level officials, these veterans already have a cultural foundation, as long as they are willing, after half a year of study, they can write official documents, can calculate, and statistics, and pass the examination, they can enter the government at all levels and act as small officials.

Of course, not everyone can become an official, so there are also skills training courses, you can go to the military and civilian workshops to work as a worker, and you can also make a living.

If you don't even want to be a worker, you can still be a rancher and a rancher without distinguishing between the land, and as long as you cultivate it for ten years, the land will belong to them.

After all the veterans figured out Zhang Ke's arrangement, almost no one did not cry, and these men who would not frown even with knives and axes were all crying.

They finally understood that the prince remembered the big guy in his heart, thinking about the big guy, as long as the prince was there, he would not let everyone suffer.

Soon, the veterans chose different professions and received different training according to their hobbies. Not only to equip them with skills, but also to adapt them to the process of changing from military to civilian, so as to avoid being unable to withstand the strong gap. After all, even in later generations, many veterans are a big problem.

As the saying goes, there are hundreds of people of all kinds, even among the veterans, there are some restless, and Wei Xueyan is one of them. For Zhang Ke's arrangement, he was moved by the five-body casting, but there was a faint voice in his heart telling him that these were not the lives he wanted.

After pondering for a while, Wei Xueyan and some veterans paid more and more attention to the so-called general education courses.

In these courses, there are astronomical calendars, overseas scenery, local people's feelings, and also explain the knowledge of the Great Voyage, introduce the situation of Western countries, and from time to time missionaries come to tell their experiences of crossing the ocean.

In an instant, Wei Xueyan was fascinated, he knew for the first time that the Ming Dynasty was just a corner of the world, and for the first time he knew that there were countless business opportunities in the vast ocean, and the Westerners had already walked in front of the East, and they had become conquerors on the sea......

At this moment, Wei Xueyan finally understood what he was going to do.

Before the training was over, Wei Xueyan sold the fields he had obtained through military work, borrowed two hundred taels of silver from his family, and then purchased a batch of swords in Yiju, and took a merchant ship to North Korea.

Zhang Ke did not prohibit ordinary swords, spears, bows and arrows and other weapons, the people could wear them at will, and some hunters, even households close to the grassland, could buy arquebuses, which was also to improve the people's martial spirit.

Wei Xueyan took the first batch of weapons. When he arrived in North Korea, to his surprise, North Korea held these things in high esteem.

A large number of civil and military officials, and even scholars who read books, came to buy.

The reason is very simple, they know that the Yizhou soldiers have eliminated the extremely vicious Jiannu, and they have regarded the Yizhou soldiers as heavenly soldiers and generals, and the divine weapons used by the heavenly soldiers and generals can not be respected. It's good to wear it with you.

The first trade ushered in an unexpected success, and Wei Xueyan earned three thousand taels of silver, which was even several times more than the family wealth that his father had worked hard to accumulate in the past few years!

He was inspired. Since then, he shuttled between Korea and the Japanese kingdom, buying and selling weapons on a large scale, from the initial cold weapons, to later, even selling arquebuses and some artillery.

Isn't he worried that doing so will have the effect of being an enemy and that he will be invited to tea? Wei Xueyan was not worried at all, in fact, behind the arms trade they carried out, it was all supported by Yizhou soldiers.

If not. They couldn't get their hands on that many firearms.

The large-scale arms trade was actually a measure for Zhang Ke to learn from the experience of later generations.

Some people worry that if they sell their weapons, they will be stolen by others. But Zhang Ke knows that as long as he has a heart. Even lockdowns don't do much.

On the contrary, selling some backward weapons in exchange for huge profits can nourish the military-industrial system. Produce more technologically advanced weapons.

Moreover, the arms trade can also affect the situation of a country, and controlling the growth and decline of power is definitely a good thing. The most important point. Zhang Ke has self-confidence, even if he lets the surrounding countries learn, they can only get a little skin, and they can't pose a threat at all.

In a few years, Wei Xueyan not only accumulated millions of taels of family property, but also became the object of competition among many dignitaries. From Korea to the Wa Kingdom, as well as the steppe tribes, even he did the business to Lin Dan Khan's head.

As the power of the rogues became more and more powerful, they also became Wei Xueyan's big customers.

After robbing the city several times, the money from the treasury was taken out, half of it was distributed to his subordinates, and half was sent to Wei Xueyan's hands.

Do you want weapons, do you want food, do you want intelligence, as long as you have money, there is nothing you can't do.

Relying on advanced weapons, Liukou actually won several battles, and Yang Sichang's painstaking management of the ambush on all sides, the net of heaven and earth, was beaten to pieces, and loopholes were everywhere, which made Chongzhen more and more dissatisfied with him.

Gradually, the generals under Yang Sichang also saw the difference, as an official of the imperial court, the weapons were not as good as a group of rabble, it was unreasonable!

At this time, Wei Xueyan found them again, it was very simple, do you want a weapon, as long as you give out the money, you can guarantee that you can get better. Many generals thought that although they couldn't replace all their subordinates with new equipment, it was enough to just change the clothes of their families.

Liaodong's armor, swords, firearms, and even tall half-breed war horses were sold to these generals. It's just that this kind of thing can't be exposed publicly, and everyone can only tacitly admit it, and deceive the upper and lower levels.

Wei Xueyan swaggered through Kaifeng with the convoy and headed towards Luoyang.

According to the intelligence, half a month ago, the main force of the Liukou arrived in Henan, including Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, Luo Rucai, etc., a total of more than a dozen units.

At the same time, the main force of the Ming army was also rapidly concentrated, Yang Sichang not only mobilized his elite soldiers, but even ordered Hong Chengchou to go southeast from Shaanxi, and transferred 15,000 Beijing soldiers from the capital, ready to complete the battle.

In this seemingly very dangerous situation, Wei Xueyan rushed to Henan, and when the convoy was still dozens of kilometers away from Luoyang, a team of people suddenly rushed out and surrounded them.

Most of the people who followed Wei Xueyan were veterans, they were experienced in a hundred battles, they were extremely fierce, and they killed I don't know how many thieves along the way, even if the other party was numerous, they would not be afraid.

"Don't be busy."

Wei Xueyan waved his hand and said loudly to the soldiers opposite: "Brothers, if I recognize you well, you are Li Zicheng's leader Li's people, and you are here to visit Leader Li, please make it convenient." ”

When the leader looked at them, he couldn't help but smile contemptuously: "What are you, you also want to meet the leader, why don't you pee and show your virtue!" ”

He made a lot of nonsense here, Wei Xueyan was not angry, he also smiled: "It's really worthy of being a rogue, Li Zicheng's subordinates changed too quickly, and I don't even know me anymore!" You tell Li Zicheng that he still doesn't want weapons, and if he doesn't want to, I'll sell them to He Renlong. ”

Hear this. The person on the other side couldn't help but be surprised, someone hurriedly went to report Li Zicheng, and after a while, he saw Li Zicheng hurrying over with his generals. Far away, he laughed at Wei Xueyan and said, "Boss Wei, I've been waiting for you these days, I heard a magpie outside this morning, but I didn't expect you to come." ”

"Maybe it's a crow." Wei Xueyan jumped off the war horse and arched his hand towards Li Zicheng.

"Leader Li, let's be open and honest. I heard that you are going to fight a big war again, and I have here 500 firearms, all of which are new, plus two carts of ammunition, so come and see! ”

"Okay."

Li Zicheng took a big stride, reached the front of the convoy, lifted the tarpaulin, and saw that the car was loaded with a layer of straw. Tearing open the straw curtain, revealing a swarthy firecracker, Li Zicheng grabbed a pole and held it in his hand. Caressing it, it's even more caring than treating women.

"Hey, Boss Wei, why doesn't this fire gun have a fire door. Are you lying to me? ”

"Hehe, in Li's hand, don't you know the flintlock pistol?"

"Is this a flintlock pistol?"

Li Zicheng's hands trembled excitedly. He almost fell to the ground, but he had heard that the Yizhou soldiers had long been equipped with guns that did not use arquebuses, and in recent days, the army of the imperial court has also been equipped. Unexpectedly, Wei Xueyan sent it to him, it was really timely rain!

"Boss Wei, it's really enough friends, come and send the silver."

At the sound of an order, a large group of strong men carried the wooden box over, opened it and saw that there were two large boxes of filament official silver, and only another box, which had a lot of silver dollars and some silver tickets.

Wei Xueyan glanced at it and smiled slightly: "Leader Li, you are the leader of the rebel army who is most willing to buy weapons I have ever seen, just rush this point, your department will prosper sooner or later." ”

Li Zicheng smiled proudly, touched his head with his hand, and said, "Boss Wei, just point to these things to live, and you can't be reluctant." But I really envy Boss Wei, black and white, hands and eyes, it's amazing! ”

"Hehe, Leader Li is polite, it's just a fluke to follow the right person. By the way, I want to tell the leader one thing, from now on, I will not personally deliver weapons, and I will not buy and sell weapons for silver. ”

Li Zicheng was taken aback, his subordinates all relied on Wei Xueyan's weapons!

"Boss Wei, why didn't you do it, isn't there enough silver?"

"Of course not." Wei Xueyan said with a smile: "It's not a secret, I want to focus on overseas in the future, as for the sale of weapons, someone will continue to do it, but we don't want cash, we want young and strong labor." ”

Wei Xueyan didn't say much, but Li Zicheng also understood a little, for him, as long as he could buy weapons, as for the strong man, the most worthless thing in his hands was people!

"Hahaha, Boss Wei, since that's the case, I will congratulate you in advance on your abundant wealth."

Wei Xueyan arched his hand and said with a smile: "With the leader's auspicious words, it just so happens that I just got the news that there are only more than 13,000 people in Kaifeng City, and the leader can take it quickly." ”

"Thank you very much!"

……

"Look, it's out, it's out!"

In the military hospital, countless doctors gathered outside, craned their necks, and looked inside. In the middle of the crowd there was an old man staring blankly, and across from him sat a young man with a needle stuck in his arm, and along the needle was connected a long tube that extended into a clean glass bottle.

I saw bright red blood gushing out of the needle, along the long tube, and slowly flowing into the glass bottle. It didn't take long for the bottle to be almost a third of it.

And the man sitting opposite kept shaking his arms, sweat broke out on his forehead, and he gritted his teeth and held on.

At this time, the old man stood up, pressed his arm, quickly pulled out the needle, and pressed the wound with a piece of alcohol cotton.

The young man was stunned and asked, "Doctor Wu, when will I die?" ”

"Dead? In a few decades, who can say! ”

The young man opened his mouth wide for a moment, and asked in disbelief, "Divine Doctor Wu, I have been drawn so much blood, won't I die?" ”

"I can't die at this point, and if I fill a bottle, it's hard to say." Wu Youxing said with a smile: "Go back and drink more brown sugar water, eat some red-skinned eggs, and replenish your body well, just have three or five days." ”

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The young man left with a thousand thanks, and Wu Youxing faced the dark red blood in front of him, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Finally it worked!

Over the years, Wu Youxing has established a perfect anatomy, and his understanding of the human body has reached the pinnacle, especially when dealing with a large number of wounded, he knows very well that many people die from excessive blood loss.

If the blood of a healthy person can be injected into the body of the wounded, a life can be saved. Wu Youxing did a lot of research, and he figured out that there are roughly four types of blood, and only by transfusing the same blood type can he save his life, otherwise he will only kill people.

However, the subject in front of Wu Youxing is still severe, that is, how to quickly transfuse blood, and if you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools, but whether it is iron products or glass products, it is not convenient.

At this time, news came from Batavia that Ming Ruxin had found rubber trees in the Dutchman and brought back a dozen barrels of rubber.

When the news reached Zhang Ke's ears, he couldn't believe it. It stands to reason that rubber should still be in South America, and I have never heard of the Dutch discovering rubber trees in history?

But after thinking about it, Zhang Ke also understood that the Dutch traded everywhere, and it was not surprising that the explorers got a little rubber tree from the Americas. It's just that they don't understand the real use of rubber, so they bury it.

It doesn't matter if they don't understand, but Zhang Ke understands!

With rubber as a material, it is definitely a huge leap forward, first of all, medical equipment can be changed dramatically, and more injured soldiers can be treated. Secondly, he had already begun to develop a steam engine, although the principle of the steam engine was not complicated, and the skilled craftsmen under Zhang Ke had already built a prototype.

However, it is a pity that the steam engine at this time can only be placed there, the reason is very simple, the volume is too large, coupled with poor sealing, low power, and no use value.

It's like a hungry person, facing a table of wine, but can't speak, not to mention how uncomfortable the taste is.

But with rubber, everything changed, and with rubber, the steam engine could be made smaller and more powerful. It won't be long before even primitive trains can be built and steam ironclads can be built.

Even if it takes ten or twenty years, Zhang Ke can afford to wait, as long as he enters the industrial age, with the talent of China, he will definitely reign in the world!

"Rubber, no matter what, also more rubber trees, get more rubber!" It's easy to say, but the growing conditions of rubber are strict, and I am afraid that it can only be planted in Nanyang, but who wants to take on this burden!

Those pampered wealthy businessmen let him weave cloth and burn porcelain without any problem, but when he went overseas to suffer, they may not have this determination. Just organized the plantation, and those who didn't understand business couldn't do it, Zhang Ke searched his intestines, but he couldn't find a suitable candidate.

"Lord Wang, the auction of Taiwan's land is almost over, Wei Xueyan paid the most, and auctioned one million mu in one go, which is really a great courage."

Zhang Ke's eyes suddenly lit up, and the person he was looking for was here! (To be continued......)