The smoke has cleared, leaving behind a miserable battlefield littered with corpses. The offensive and defensive battle around the county seat of Chongshan County (now Chongzuo) in Ningming Prefecture was carried out on the sixteenth day. In the face of the defensive system of trenches and breastwork, the Qing army from Nanning suffered heavy losses and finally occupied the devastated and empty county seat.

Sun Yanling and Ma Xiong's prevarication and delay gave the Ming army time to gain a foothold; The temptation of land and salt greatly expanded the Ming army; The new defense system killed and wounded a large number of Qing troops and also dampened the morale of the Qing army. Of course, the Qing army was composed of two divisions, Sun and Ma, each with their own thoughts, and refused to exert their strength, which was also one of the reasons why it was difficult for the Qing army to make progress.

The current occupation, to be precise, should be the voluntary abandonment of the Ming army. After achieving the goal of delaying and killing the Qing army, the Ming army had established a strong blocking position in Daqingshan, west of Chongshan, as well as in the Gongmu Mountain Range and the remaining veins of the 100,000 Great Mountains in the south.

The distant field of vision was narrowed in the telescope, and the perspective slowly changed, and Ma Bao, the king of Ruyang, observed for a long time before putting down the telescope.

"Lord Wang, the rainy season is coming, and it's time for us to go on the offensive." He Jiuyi saw that Ma Bao's observation had been completed, so he spoke: "The Qing army is only 13,400,000 when it is full, and the green battalion soldiers are unusable, and there are only seven or eight thousand who can fight, and our army is not invincible to victory." ”

Ma Bao shook his head lightly and said, "Exhausting the enemy army and weakening the enemy army is His Highness's plan." First of all, we will not deal a devastating blow to the Qing army in Guangxi and delay the intervention of the Qing army in Guangdong. When the water division is completed, it is enough to contain Guangdong, and then it can show its strengths. Otherwise, if our army defeats the Qing army in Guangxi, it will have to face the enemy in Guangdong, which is easy first and then difficult, and it is not what His Highness wants. ”

He Jiuyi paused. said with a wry smile: "It is estimated that there are still difficulties in money and food, and it is really not easy to support such a big situation, and His Royal Highness does not treat the people harshly." ”

"Who else but Your Highness has this talent?" Ma Bao said with emotion: "It can ensure the supply of military food, and it can also add equipment from time to time." It's incredible to think about. If you think deeply about His Highness's slow-moving strategy, you will find the subtlety of it. First, it can enable new recruits to be trained and improve their combat effectiveness; second, it can paralyze the Qing army and make it fall behind unconsciously; Third, it can be used to deal with the overall situation, so that our army can break through one by one. ”

"The last general also thought of the fourth, I don't know if it's right or not?" He Jiuyi joked: "Looking at His Highness's use of soldiers, every time there is an unpredictable plan. Now take the momentum of accumulation, and there will be big action in the future. Just wait for the right time. ”

"Timing? Yes, with the power of heaven and earth, unpredictable things, waiting for opportunities, this is what His Highness is good at. Ma Bao was stunned, and said with a smile: "I don't know where Your Highness wants to borrow the power to carry out the thunderous strike!" ”

"Isn't it that the mountains and rivers are steep, and the rainy season is coming?" He Jiuyi guessed with a smile: "This is the director of the new barbarian army. There is the temptation of killing the enemy and rewarding him, and he can become a tiger and wolf in the mountains and forests. ”

"The wolf soldiers are the best in the world. This time you can get a glimpse of the leopard. Ma Bao Ha smiled and was full of confidence in the development of the war.

…………………

The mountains and rivers are steep and the rainy season is coming, this is indeed what Zhu Yongxing wants to use, but it is not the whole reason. Accumulation is not yet available. And how can you thin your hair?

You make more money, but you have to spend more. Many things to be done can only be sorted out first, with urgent ones being done first and those that are lax being delayed.

The third batch of mirrors was sold, and the silver did not have to be shipped around at all. Because as soon as it changed hands, it took a lot of money. Expand the scale of arsenals and mints, and purchase saltpeter, sulfur, grain......

Large arquebuses, while powerful, were too cumbersome to fight enemy forces in fixed positions, and could not provide sufficient and flexible firepower for infantry. By the end of the XVI century, the caliber of European muskets was constantly shrinking, gradually approaching the dimensions of modern rifles. On the premise of sacrificing destructive power, conditions were also created for the popularization of muskets, and the ratio of musketeers to spearmen in the troops was completely reversed.

Arquebuses, flintlocks, bayonets, or arquebuses, bayonets, flintlocks, this is the trajectory of historical development. As early as more than 50 years ago, the Nordic lion king Gustav required all musketeers to load their muskets with bayonets, creating the first army in history to be equipped with bayonets on a large scale. Although it has not shown its power, it is the general trend.

Zhu Yongxing did not understand that the flintlock pistol was invented in 1547 by Mahan, a Frenchman born into a family of gunsmiths, locksmiths and watchmakers, and has now begun to equip European armies. But why did the Qing Dynasty in history still use ancient arquebuses until the Opium War?

Putting away his thoughts, Zhu Yongxing watched seriously as the French were demonstrating the shooting of flintlock pistols. Mahan's invention of the flintlock pistol earned the French fame in Europe; The Thirty Years' War allowed France to gain Alsace and Lorraine and gain the status of European hegemon. It was only because of the weakness of the navy that France lagged far behind in the pace of colonization.

As a future enemy, Zhu Yongxing did not regard France as a fierce enemy, and he had less worries about cooperating with it. Moreover, as the country most interested in the secrets of mirror-making, Zhu Yongxing believes that the chances of a successful transaction are quite high.

was suffocated by the money, and he desperately wanted to equip the Ming army with flintlock pistols, so Zhu Yongxing had no choice but to break the previous plan and try the possibility of exchanging skills for skills.

"Your Royal Highness, the guns produced in our country are very good, you have seen it just now, you should be satisfied, right?" René, a Frenchman, bowed to Zhu Yongxing and confidently promoted his goods, "There is no problem with the quantity purchased, and my country's production capacity can fully guarantee the supply on time." ”

"England, Sweden, the Netherlands, they have given me the same assurance." Zhu Yongxing smiled faintly and said in the tone of a shrewd businessman: "As for the guns, they are all about the same, and even higher than your country in some performance. ”

"It can't be." René shook his head again and again, with a look of disbelief, "The flintlock pistol was the first to be invented in our country, the first to equip the army, and it has also been improved many times, and it is impossible for other countries to surpass it." ”

"Not necessarily, right?" Zhu Yongxing was silent and waved his hand at the guards behind him.

The guards immediately took out the shotgun that Zhu Yongxing had brought from later generations, showed René, and then walked to the field, loaded the ammunition, and then shot at the target at a greater distance.

"How?" With a playful smile, Zhu Yongxing raised his eyebrows at René and the others who had finished inspecting the target. "This is the latest production from the United Kingdom, and it has not yet been equipped with troops, and its performance is much better than your country's!"

René and others all had shocked expressions on their faces, and England was the opponent of France in many wars in Europe from the late reign of Louis XVI to the mid-18th century. Both sides are vying for hegemony in Europe. and fought for colonies in India and North America. The French, of course, should be interested in the intelligence of their rivals. It's just that Zhu Yongxing's personal guards have finished the demonstration and have already put away the gun.

"Your Royal Highness, we can still get a discount on the price." René thought for a moment, continued to bargain, and discredited his rivals, "The British are cunning and untrustworthy. Such guns must have been created by skilled craftsmen with time and painstaking efforts, and not only were they expensive. And it is impossible to mass production. The British are deceiving you. ”

Zhu Yongxing shook his head lightly and said, "I want to buy cheap and high-quality guns, but I also want to produce the skills and craftsmen who make guns." Two things are indispensable, and I have long said this. Since you can't meet such conditions, then there is no way, I have no choice but to make this deal with other countries. ”

"Your Highness, please wait, we need to discuss." René hesitated, but was reluctant to give up the opportunity.

"Then hurry up. I'm busy. Zhu Yongxing waved his hand impatiently, signaling René and the others to discuss quickly.

Hire foreign craftsmen. Making guns is not uncommon. Nam Nguyen purchased artillery from the West through Macao, and introduced Portuguese cannon foundries in Hue. Annam Trung also began to follow Nguyen's lead, turning to the military assistance of the Dutch to build artillery and ships. Moreover, flintlock pistols have already begun to be equipped in European armies. It can't be called a secret technique, and Zhu Yongxing feels that it is very likely that the French will agree to his conditions.

The discussion time was not long, and it seems that René and others have also prepared a second or third set of negotiation plans, and like Zhu Yongxing, they all want to try to maximize their interests.

"Your Highness. Our country is willing to provide you with craftsmen and skills in the manufacture of guns and cannons, and supply you with guns at favorable prices. René rolled his eyes and observed Zhu Yongxing's expression, "But please allow our country to establish a coastal trade center near the chai stick." ”

Zhu Yongxing categorically refused, he knew very well the methods of the colonizers, and the coastal trade center was the tentacles of the colonization, "Chai Stick has been renamed Saigon, and the International Commercial Hall will be established." If you wish to do so, you can settle in, but you must comply with the rules and regulations established by your country. In addition, I would like to remind you that the technology of making mirrors is only a project of our cooperation. Within a year, we'll be making mirrors that are more than four feet long, and if this deal goes through, we'll be able to share the technology. ”

Due to the limitations of the glassblowing process, craftsmen at that time were not able to make large glass mirrors. Historically, it was more than 20 years later that molten glass was cast on a large iron table, and large plate glass was made, and the size of the glass mirror far exceeded the Venetian record of making a mirror up to four feet.

Rene's eyes shone with greed, and he turned around and discussed with his companion in a low voice for a while, and when he came to Zhu Yongxing again, he already had a bright smile.

"Your Highness, we have been impressed by your wisdom and shrewdness, and your accomplishments will be immeasurable. Therefore, we agreed to your terms and concluded this deal as a testimony to the friendship and affection between us. ”

Zhu Yongxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, nodded with a smile, and said, "A good start means half the success. I believe that the exchanges between China and your country will become closer and closer with the passage of time. ”

300 flintlock pistols were purchased on credit in advance for training and testing; The technique of making mirrors was exchanged for the technique of making flintlock pistols and the employment of related craftsmen, except that mirrors made in France were not allowed to be sold in Asia for five years; Give certain tax incentives to French goods, and give France the convenience of entering commercial halls in Saigon and Haiphong......

The French had long wanted to trade in the East, but they were the last of the European powers to compete with other European companies in the East. In order to restore the royal power, save money, and reduce the financial burden, King Henry IV of France adopted a policy of rewarding industry and commerce, subsidized foreign trade merchants, and proposed the establishment of the French East India Company, waiting for an opportunity to expand into Southeast Asia.

However, the situation in Southeast Asia is quite complicated, with Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and other countries fighting openly and covertly over colonial interests, and even fighting each other. Britain and the Netherlands fought a war over colonial interests in Siam; After the Dutch expelled Portugal's power in Siam, they were jealous of the British power in Siam; Burma, Cambodia and other continental monarchies hired Portuguese outlaws and adventurers as soldiers, but these mercenaries tried to usurp power in Lower Burma and Cambodia, thus causing xenophobia in these countries.

France was already one step behind the other colonial powers, far inferior to the Netherlands and Britain in terms of power, and although it had ambitions, it made little progress. Therefore, for this cooperation with Daming, France's enthusiasm is quite high. This was not only because the Ming army had coastal defenses and occupied firewood sticks, but also because the French also took Zheng Chenggong's maritime strength into account. Of course, they didn't understand the subtle relationship between the various forces of the Ming Dynasty, and regarded Zhu Yongxing as the regent and Zheng Chenggong as the general, so of course they had to obey Zhu Yongxing's orders.

And Zhu Yongxing first considered how to strengthen the army and defeat the Manchus as soon as possible, and then how to deal with the Western colonizers. Moreover, in Zhu Yongxing's future plans, the primary Western enemies should be Spain, which is on the wane, and Portugal, which is more like pirates. Then came the Netherlands, and most recently Britain and France, which fought a long war for supremacy at sea.

It has always been Zhu Yongxing's habit to cooperate with the weaker party and get the maximum benefit from it. And with knowledge that transcended the times, he was able to strictly abide by certain principles and not fall into the trap of Western colonizers.

"It's too expensive." When the agreement was basically reached, Zhu Yongxing turned his attention to several guns brought by the French, and one of them was a rifled gun, which really surprised him a little.

"This is a gift for His Highness." René diligently recruited a legal person and demonstrated it to Zhu Yongxing again.

Historically, there were spiral-shaped rifled guns as early as 1476. However, due to the high cost of making the double line and the inconvenience of loading ammunition from the muzzle, the armies of various countries did not have equipment, and it was more of an expensive private collection.

If it is not improved on bullets, it is really not suitable for use on the battlefield. Zhu Yongxing couldn't help grinning as he watched the Frenchman knock through the bar with a hammer and smash the bullet into the chamber. Although rifled guns have incomparable advantages in range, accuracy and power, they have not been popularized for a long time, and this is probably the most important reason in addition to cost.

…………… (To be continued......)