Therefore, under the instructions of Wu Shigong, the workshop department placed a tender for Nanyang Iron and Bian Iron Ware, and asked them to trial produce similar Western plate armor within three months. And it is also required that the price should be less than twenty taels of silver, and the annual production volume should not be less than one thousand.

For this reason, the workshop division allocated five hundred taels of silver to each of the two ironsmith workshops for trial production. And also promised: whichever workshop has excellent comprehensive requirements for the plate armor trial-produced, which one will immediately get an order for a thousand armors of the Runing Army, and there will be a follow-up order.

Among them, with the eyes of modern people, making such armor is very simple, it is nothing more than cutting two steel plates! However, at this time, there is a great difficulty in jishu, which requires skilled blacksmiths to hammer repeatedly, and there are also high requirements for the number and strength of hammering, otherwise, there is no qualified steel plate at all, so it will cause such an expensive price and such a long production cycle. Therefore, this time, the two workshops are comparing iron processing and production efficiency.

In this comparison, Bian's ironware, which has more experience in ironware processing, has the upper hand. But in this way, Nanyang Iron was worried, so they immediately used their connections to public relations.

Nanyang ironware is actually like the public industry of the Runing Army. Although the shareholding system was later established, the fund of the Ru Ning Army and the senior civil and military forces of the Ru Ning Army still occupied a lot of shares in it. Coupled with the long-term relationship between the high-level leaders of Nanyang Iron and the civil and military forces of the Runing Army, there are many people who are willing to speak for Nanyang Ironware. For example, Yang Goudan, the shopkeepers of Nanyang Iron are all his disciples and grandchildren.

So this time, Nanyang Iron also wanted to use such a relationship to monopolize the order, so he wanted Wu Shigong to withdraw the bidding practice.

But Wu Shigong will definitely not compromise on this issue. Only with competition can there be development. Although Wu Shigong also has some private shares in Nanyang Ironware, he will definitely not affect the overall interests of the Runing Army for private interests.

And in the future, Wu Shigong also wants to extend this practice to all the expenditures of the Runing Army. Just like modern government procurement, bidding is used to reduce government spending. Improve the quality of purchased goods.

Seeing that Wu Shigong's attitude was very resolute, no one continued the topic. Everyone chatted for a while, and then they took their leave, and went about their own business.

After Deng Qifan left the inner house, he did not leave immediately. He beckoned to Xue Zhinong and said, "Director Xue is free, come and sit with me for a while!" ”

Although it was an inquiring tone, Xue Zhinong definitely did not dare to disobey. So Xue Zhinong accompanied Deng Qifan to his official residence.

After sitting down to deliver tea, Deng Qifan said to Xue Zhinong straight to the point: "I heard that Sun Zhixian in Lu'an is an old adult, and an adult also misses the old feelings, but what he did did did not conform to our Ru Ningjun's intentions. What does Director Xue think? ”

When Wu Shigong received Sun Chengxiu's private message, he was also overjoyed. But when he learned about Sun Chengxiu's attitude from Chang Meng, Wu Shigong was a little hesitant.

There was a conflict between Ru Ningjun's interests and friendship, so that Wu Shigong could only make a choice. After thinking about it again, the friendship still prevailed. So Wu Shigong ordered: No illegal means should be used. Only spend silver to buy land in Lu'an at market price and build Tuntian Zhuangzi.

But that's it. It doesn't count if you spend more money. The gentry of Lu'an were not necessarily willing to sell the land favored by the Runing Army to the Runing Army. As a result, until now, the Tuntian Zhuangzi in Lu'an has not been established. So Deng Qifan was about to use the power of the chief staff to act privately.

In fact, Deng Qifan was also very helpless. Runingjun's finances were already very tight, and Deng Qifan was eager to break a penny in half and spend it. But Wu Shigong's talk about friendship made Ru Ningjun spend a lot of unjust money.

That's fine, there's nothing wrong with talking about brotherhood. But now. Deng Qifan and Chang Meng were under great pressure from the local gentry.

After a long period of dealings, the local gentry of Runing and Guide have already explored and mastered, and they already have a lot of experience when dealing with Wu Shigong and Runing's army. That is to abide by the decrees and rules formulated by Wu Shigong and Ru Ningjun. And use these decrees and rules to gain their own benefits from Wu Shigong and Ru Ningjun.

For example, this time in Lu'an. The branch of the Reclamation Merchant House in charge of that matter was not unique to the Runing Army, but was owned by other gentry. Wu Shigong can sell Sun Chengxiu's friendship and give up some of the interests of this semicolon, but when he does this, he also gives up the interests of other shareholders. Therefore, this practice aroused the dissatisfaction of the other gentry.

Of course, in front of Wu Shigong, those officials and gentry would never dare to vent their dissatisfaction, but this did not prevent them from putting pressure on Deng Qifan and Chang Meng. Because those officials and gentry were justified, Deng Qifan and Chang Meng were a little overwhelmed.

Deng Qifan also tactfully persuaded Wu Shigong, but Wu Shigong's attitude was quite resolute. When Wu Shigong was at the end of the cold, there was only Sun Chengxiu, a friend, so Wu Shigong couldn't let go of this friendship. So Deng Qifan decided to take matters into his own hands. He did not hesitate to be a villain, and he wanted to win the greatest interests for the Runing Army.

But after listening to Deng Qifan's words, Xue Zhinong was quite hesitant. Xue Zhinong's Mountains and Rivers Division is a very special department, and it should and can only obey Wu Shigong's orders. But Deng Qifan's identity is there again, and now Deng Qifan is outspoken about overstepping his authority, which makes it difficult for Xue Zhinong to make a decision. So Xue Zhinong could only be silent and wait for the following.

Deng Qifan was also mentally prepared for Xue Zhinong's attitude, so he continued: "Those of us who are subordinates sometimes can't only cherish ourselves, but also relieve our worries for adults. Although the current words are a bit excessive, they are for the good of the adults and for the good of our Runing Army. If the adults blame, I will bear it with all my might. ”

"Then what does Mr. Deng do if he wants to be small?" Hearing that Deng Qifan said it so thoroughly, Xue Zhinong couldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb anymore.

Deng Qifan nodded with satisfaction, and said with a smile: "Let Sun Zhixian no longer care about the affairs of Tuntian." What should I do about it? You are also familiar with the mountains and rivers, and I also let the shopkeeper listen to you. No matter what you do, as long as Sun Zhixian stands by and watches. ”

"Is it really okay to do anything?" Xue Zhinong asked again.

"Both! But be careful: Hugh hurt Sun Zhixian, and Hugh hurt his family. Otherwise, it doesn't look good in adults. Also, don't talk about it yet. ”

Xue Zhinong thought for a while, then bowed to Deng Qifan and said, "Mr. Deng! The little ones get it. ”

With the expansion of the Runing Army, there are some things that Wu Shigong can no longer decide in a word. When his ideas are contrary to the overall interests of the Runing Army, those civil and military forces under his command will act independently against Wu Shigong's wishes. And this won't be the only one, and it won't be Zuihou once.

But at this time, Wu Shigong was receiving two special guests in the study.

"Uncle! This is a young man! Young boy, this is your father, kowtow to him! In the study, a slave of the Xue family named Xue Quan, with a child of four or five years old, knelt down and said to Wu Shigong.

"What's going on? What the hell is going on? How are the Hou Ye and Mrs. How's Fei'er? How's Lin'er? As he spoke, Wu Shigong slammed the table again. His face was flushed, his hair was open, and he looked furious.

Xue Chengping, who was standing, was immediately frightened and cried, and Xue Quan hurriedly hugged Xue Chengping and continued to comfort him, and then said to Wu Shigong: "It's okay there in the Hou Mansion." Master Hou, his wife, young lady, and son are all fine. The villain went out of Beijing secretly this time, just to send the young son over. ”

Hearing this, Wu Shigong was a little relieved, he walked up to Xue Chengping, smiled and said, "You are Ping'er." ”

Xue Chengping timidly looked at his father, whom he had never met, and with tears in his eyes, he called out in a low voice: "Father." ”

Wu Shigong was immediately overjoyed, he leaned down and hugged Xue Chengping. Then he returned to his seat and sat down, put Xue Chengping on his lap, and then said to Xue Quan: "Don't kneel." Stand up and talk about it! ”

So Xue Quan explained the ins and outs to Wu Shigong in detail. It turned out that after Xue Lian felt the difficult situation in the capital, he asked his henchman Xue Quan to secretly search for him, and found a child similar to Xue Chengping to be raised in the house.

After that, Li Daitao was stiff. Xue Lian found another opportunity and asked Xue Quan to send Xue Chengping to Runing on the pretext of sending a letter. As for Xue Chengping's nurse, the maid who served, the mother-in-law or something, Xue Lian found a chance to deal with it. So now, only Xue Lian, Mrs. Zhang, Xue Yufei and Xue Quan know that Xue Chengping has been dropped.

At this time, Wu Shigong felt deeply remorseful: he was infinitely beautiful in Runing, but he didn't expect his father-in-law's family to suffer in danger. Especially his wife and eldest son, I am really sorry for them, and I have not fulfilled my responsibilities as a husband and father at all.

And now my father-in-law has sent Ping'er over again. Could it be that this is Tuogu? Will there be a "Zhao's Orphan" in your home? Wu Shigong immediately had angina. He couldn't afford to lose a loved one.

At this time, Wu Shigong didn't notice it, and Xue Quan knelt down again. He stuffed a pill into his mouth, bit it and swallowed it, and then kowtowed to Wu Shigong and said, "Master Hou said: let my uncle take care of the young son." The villain can be regarded as living up to the trust of the Hou Ye. ”

Wu Shigong looked over at a glance and found that there was something wrong with Xue Quan, so he immediately hugged Xue Chengping and rushed over, kicking Xue Quan, who had already begun to twitch, to the ground. Seeing Xue Quan's appearance, Wu Shigong immediately shouted: "Someone! (To be continued......)