This sigh made Hu Guang's heart tremble, don't have anything bad, right?

Sure enough, Blacksmith Zhang's face was covered with gloom, and he said helplessly: "These are not the most important things, we call the Heavenly Army the most short of iron materials at the moment." If the current consumption continues, the iron may be in a hurry in a month. ”

When Hu Guang heard this, the bone arrows shot by the Bu Shitu cavalry immediately flashed in his mind, could it be that the heavenly army would also fall into this predicament in the future?

Hu Kuan heard the movement, put down the three-eyed gun and walked over, just in time to hear the words of blacksmith Zhang. He couldn't help but be a little curious: "When we were in Fugu County, even the big general's cannon was melted and brought over, and this iron material was not enough?" ”

When Blacksmith Zhang heard this, he turned his head to look at him, shook his head and said, "Childe...... The chief demanded that the quality of firearms must be excellent, so I did not dare to be sloppy, and I always followed the best. Ten catties of coarse iron must be fried into one pound of wrought iron before it can be used to make flintlock pistols. ”

Speaking of this, he pointed to the row of three-eyed guns on the left and said, "Those who do not require the raw materials of the guns are not high, so they are all cast from iron that flintlock pistols do not need." ”

When Hu Guang heard this, he nodded, and interjected seriously: "That's right, we'd rather make a few less, but the flintlock pistols made must be of excellent quality!" ”

Hu Kuan understood this truth, so he also nodded and stopped talking.

Hu Guang turned around slowly, walked out of the warehouse, looked up at the sky, and silently thought about these questions.

Although the material requirements for the Three-Eyed Gun are lower, if all the materials are used to make the Three-Eyed Gun, the number can undoubtedly increase considerably.

However, the range of the Three-Eyed Gun is too short, and it is only suitable for cavalry charges. To call the heavenly army to fight, long-range firepower is a must. The range of the bird gun is greater than that of a normal bow and arrow, which is a must.

In this case, it is necessary to have enough iron. In general. The source of iron is nothing more than mining, trading, and seizure.

But there should be no iron ore in the steppe, otherwise the Mongols would not have been forced to use bone arrows. As for trading, if they could trade, the Mongols would still be able to use bone arrows?

Iron is a material that is strictly forbidden to be traded in the Ming Kingdom, and it is impossible to trade normally. However, Hu Guang immediately thought of one word: Jin Shang.

I think of Jin Shang. A trace of disdain appeared on Hu Guang's face. People in later generations, as long as they care a little, will be able to know the legends of the Eight Great Jin Merchants.

In fact, Liaodong Jianyu is also poor, if the Ming State has been using economic blockade, it is likely that Liaodong Jianyu will eventually follow the old path of the Mongols, and will eventually be collapsed by the Ming State.

But it was those Jin merchants who smuggled whatever they lacked, from iron tools to grain to all kinds of intelligence. Sell everything, and just feed a barbarian people.

If you ask the Heavenly Army to trade with this kind of person who only knows money, you should be able to get what you want. Anyway, there are a lot of gold, silver and jewels piled up in the warehouse called Tianjun, and these things are not of much use to the current Tianjun.

Hu Guang thought about it, and suddenly had an idea, and couldn't help but show a smile on his face. However, now is not the time, this path can only wait for the Heavenly Army to grow to a certain extent.

There is also a means of obtaining iron. It's seizure. It seems that this is the only way to go now.

Come to think of it. Hu Guang turned his head to blacksmith Zhang beside him and said, "I will find a way to solve the matter of iron." I will also pay attention to the things of skilled craftsmen. The quality of firearms must be strictly enforced. ”

"Don't worry, chief, I won't let the explosion happen!" Blacksmith Zhang immediately replied earnestly. He still has this awareness. After all, now and the Heavenly Army are one. If you deal with it casually and don't say anything else, you won't be able to please yourself.

Hu Guang then inspected the gunpowder store, and happened to be the head of the logistics regiment in Ulan, so he said to her: "Sister-in-law." Don't make explosives packs, the existing ones are enough for the time being. At present, it is necessary to concentrate the preparation of the gunpowder needed for flintlock pistols and three-eyed guns by hand, and prepare them in advance according to the portions. ”

Ulan nodded, she and Hu Kuan were in a bed, and naturally knew that there would be no such thing as siege warfare in the near future. In the grassland, the conscienceless cannon is basically useless, and the explosive pack is only used for defense at most.

However, she still had an opinion: "Second uncle, there is no problem with the configuration of gunpowder, they are all proficient." However, the nitrate needed to prepare gunpowder is running out, and it needs to be supplied as soon as possible. ”

When Hu Guang heard this, he sighed in his heart. Although the Heavenly Army was in Fugu, he began to raise supplies early. But after the first war, the war of the steppe march, the materials raised began to be in short supply.

Fighting a war is logistics, what a truth!

Fortunately, sulfur, the most difficult of the three major raw materials for gunpowder, has long been supplied. This can be artificially made.

Thinking of this, he nodded and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will arrange someone to deal with the source of the nitrate immediately." You prepare the gunpowder I want first, and after three days, you will have to let the soldiers practice their guns, and you need to use gunpowder. ”

After walking around, I walked out of the craftsman camp and looked up at the valley, the houses were repaired, the wasteland was cultivated, and the rivers were repaired, and it was a prosperous scene.

Hu Kuan looked at all this, thinking about the shortage of materials he had just heard, and couldn't help but sigh: "Fortunately, there is enough food, otherwise it will be a big trouble!" ”

Who knew that Hu Guang heard this, but he shook his head and said: "Big brother, don't be happy too early, this food may not be enough!" ”

This time, Hu Kuan couldn't figure it out. He recalled it carefully, and after thinking about it in his heart, he didn't feel that he was wrong!

When I was in Fugu, grain collection was the top priority, so this grain was also the most abundant of all materials. At present, there are about 3,000 people, and even if there is no harvest this year, the grain brought from Fugu will be enough to last until next year.

Hu Kuan was helpless, so he had to ask, "Second brother, what do you think?" ”

"Around the Chinese New Year this year, there may be big things happening, and I don't want to sit idly by, so food consumption may be very large."

Hu Guang's words were clueless, which made Hu Kuan even more incomprehensible. He looked at his brother and asked curiously, "What's the big deal?" ”

"It's hard to say now, or maybe it's not going to happen. But no matter what, we must also take precautions for food matters. ”

After Hu Guang said this, Tang Ruowang's figure flashed in his mind, and I don't know if he brought his words. Will those words reach Emperor Chongzhen, and he will pay enough attention to it to defend himself?

To be honest, Hu Guang is not sure about this at all. If history still happens, then he, a person from later generations, now that he knows it, he should do something! (To be continued......)