In the Anqing Ordnance Institute, Bai Lidu visited a circle, not only saw a cannon casting workshop, but also saw the general process of the workshop workers pouring the smelted hot iron into the mold to produce a complete cannon barrel.

In addition, in the armory, there is a workshop for casting shells, and in a secluded corner, there is also a workshop for preparing black powder.

"Li Eyu, I'll introduce you to ......"

Zeng Guofan walked over as he spoke, followed by two people.

"This is Xu Shou Xu Shengyuan, the chief designer of the Anqing Ordnance Institute, and these foreign-exterminating artillery pieces are all imitated by him......."

Zeng Guofan pointed to an elderly man behind him, and the man immediately stepped forward.

"Xu Shengyuan has seen Li Eyu......"

For this Xu Shou Xu Shengyuan, Bai Lidu naturally knows.

In the late Qing history of China, this Xu Shouke is a very remarkable figure, and he can also be said to be the most famous scientist in the late Qing Dynasty.

It is said that only through a sketch of a steam engine drawn in a book, plus going to the river to observe the steam steamer moored there, after repeated research, it took three months to successfully develop the first steam engine of the Qing Dynasty, and then, with this steam engine, he successfully developed the first steam engine of the Qing Dynasty......

In addition to these achievements, Xu Shou also has a number of other inventions, and he has also translated the periodic table of chemistry and published academic articles in foreign academic journals......

In the eyes of later generations, Xu Shou appeared in that era of national ignorance, and he was completely a very anti-heaven existence, so that some people even suspected that it was likely to be a modern person who traveled back to the past.

But Bai Lidu knows very well in his heart that even if modern people can really travel back, it is actually difficult to achieve the same achievements as Xu Shou, after all, a lot of basic science and natural science knowledge is not clear to most modern people.

"Master Xu, look up for a long time!" Bai Lidu also immediately bowed to Xu Shou.

And Zeng Guofan pointed to another young person and said: "This is Hua Fang Hua Ruoting, Xu Shengyuan's right-hand man. ”

For this Hua Yufang, Bai Lidu also has some understanding, he should be Xu Shou's fellow countryman, in addition to studying mechanical production, he is also very accomplished in mathematics.

"Hua Ruoting has seen Li Eyu......" The other party also immediately stepped forward and praised him.

"Master Hua, you're welcome."

After knowing these two cattle people, Bai Lidu took the Nine Princesses to stand in the courtyard, waiting for the march again.

However, after a while, Li Hongzhang came over and told everyone to go to the conference hall for a meeting......

Entering the conference hall, everyone was also present, and the person presiding over the meeting was Zuo Zongtang.

"Everyone! According to the emperor's will, we will lead the army to attack Jiangning Mansion next, and if we want to successfully break the city, the foreign artillery is the key, so this meeting is mainly to discuss the issue of foreign artillery, Mr. Shengyuan, how many cannons do we have in our hands now? ”

"Lord Hui Zuo, counting the ten cannons you just brought back from the capital, we now have a total of thirty cannon......s," Xu Shou replied.

"Can the five new cannons be test-fired?"

"Lord Hui Zuo, except for the one that has just been produced, the other four doors have completed the test launch......"

"Haha, we are still assured of Mr. Shengyuan's craftsmanship, but I don't know if the cannonballs needed for this siege are well prepared?" Zeng Guofan asked with a smile.

"Lord Hui Zeng, in terms of cannonballs, all the shells made so far are solid iron bullets, and due to the limitation of raw materials, the quantity is not very sufficient, only more than 100 pieces have been produced...... Xu Shou replied.

"There are only more than 100 cannons, and the thirty cannons, each of which will only be fired with a few shots......" Zuo Zongtang wondered.

"yes...... That's not going to work......"

"But if you order iron ore again, it's too late......"

When Bai Lidu saw that the opportunity came, he took the initiative to stand up, saying that he happened to have a batch of iron ingots and iron ore on hand, and he also wanted to take them out to solve the problem of insufficient raw materials.

In this regard, the people in the hall, except for expressing shock, had no other emotions.

When he came to the courtyard and found an open space, Bai Lidu took out some iron ingots and iron ore stored on his body and piled them on the ground, forming two piles.

Such a move,Immediately received a little favorability from everyone present,More or less,Because of Bai Lidu's forehead status,Its default relationship with you is respect,These new favorability,But it didn't change the relationship with anyone。

Subsequently, taking advantage of the gap between the production of artillery shells, Bai Lidu gave Xu Shou the weapon drawings of the Armstrong cannon, saying that this thing was captured by himself from foreigners.

After Xu Shou received this drawing, he immediately studied it seriously, and Bai Lidu gained hundreds of favorability points from Xu Shou, and the relationship between the two sides was also raised to reverence in one fell swoop.

Seeing that the trick of sending drawings was so effective, Bai Lidu took out another idle weapon blueprint on his body, Congreve rocket, and generously gave it to Xu Shou......

After Xu Shou saw the drawings of the Congreve rocket, Bai Lidu also gained hundreds of favorability points again, and the relationship between the two parties was also promoted to worship as he wished.

Bai Lidu also continued to launch an offensive and offered to help make artillery shells......

With the relationship of worship, Xu Shou is also very generous, not only taught the production process of solid shells to Bai Lidu without reservation, but also passed on the configuration method of firing the bottom medicine to him, so that Bai Lidu can be regarded as mastering the production skills of this kind of divided ammunition.

By the time all the raw materials were used up, a total of more than 2,000 cannonballs were produced, which was an average of seventy or eighty fires per cannon, which should be enough to siege the city.

Xu Shou also used this time to imitate several Congreve rockets, although I don't know what the effect of the test launch was, but they were also included in the materials for the march and battle.

After transporting thirty foreign-exterminating artillery pieces and several truckloads of ammunition out of the compound of the Ordnance Institute, the Hunan army led by Zeng Guofan was already waiting outside the courtyard gate.

The brigade did not go far, and thousands of Huai troops led by Li Hongzhang also rushed over, and after the two armies met and came to the edge of the Yangtze River, there were already hundreds of sailing ships moored there......