In early July, Li Congyan, accompanied by Wu Conghan, minister of civil affairs, Li Sisheng, director of the Department of Industry, and Wang Hao, director of the department, inspected Nanlaishan.

The coal and iron mines in Namlai Mountain, as well as the ironworks on the mountainside, have all been completed and are already in operation.

Li Congyan and his group dismounted at the southern foot of Nanlai Mountain, and then entered the mountain through a specially built road up the mountain, passing through the iron ore and then arriving at the ironworks on the mountainside.

This time, Li Congyan wanted to check the steelmaking situation at the ironworks.

"After the completion of the preparation of the ironworks, they began to produce iron at maximum capacity, and made every effort to supply the raw materials of the Soldiers. Last month, after receiving the order from the Lord, the Industrial Division set aside a blast furnace for steelmaking, and now it has produced more than 100 catties of steel ingots. ”

Li Congyan listened to the report of Wang Hao, the director of the mining industry, nodded, and said, "Let's go, take a look." ”

"Whoa!"

The group came to the side of the ironworks, where there was a separate blast furnace dedicated to steelmaking.

Li Sisheng said to Wang Hao: "Master Wang, you can explain it to the Lord." ”

"Whoa!"

Wang Hao walked closer to the blast furnace and said, "Lord, please see, because the temperature required for steelmaking is much higher than that for ironmaking, the ironworks have improved this blast furnace, added a bellows, and expanded the greenhouse to increase the temperature in the furnace. At the same time, the iron used in steelmaking is also carefully screened, and fine iron powder is added at the same time as steelmaking......"

Li Congyan couldn't help but nod his head, at this time, the steelmaking plant was concentrated in Dengzhou and several surrounding states and counties, and these people were all "professionals" who had been dealing with steel all year round.

Coupled with the precipitation of Datang's 300 years of iron-making technology, at this time, combined with Li Congyan's technical guidance, the technology of iron-making and steel-making has been unique in the world, at least more advanced than the vast majority of iron-making plants in this era!

Li Congyan asked a few questions, and then took a steel ingot presented by Wang Hao and took a closer look. I saw that the steel ingot was snow-white and white-colored, although it was not the same as the steel of later generations, but it had reached the prediction in Li Congyan's heart.

"This kind of steel is used to make firearms, it should be okay!"

In fact, according to the experience of the Ming Dynasty in later generations, it is completely sufficient to use high-quality wrought iron to make firearms. But Li Congyan has his own ideas, although this era is chaotic and turbulent, but there are Khitan people in the north, there are party members in the northwest, and Tubo in the southwest is condescending, and these three parties are not good at stubble.

Especially the Khitan and the Dangxiang people, in fact, if you look at the comparison of strength, whether it is the Khitan people or the Dangxiang people, the strength is far more than that of the Houjin in the late Ming Dynasty. In this era, the Jiedu envoys in various places, including Shi Jingjiao and the separatist forces in the south, were also stronger than the rogues and warlords in the late Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Li Congyan's requirements for military equipment have always been strict and high, since the ironworks can already produce steel, then the future firearms must be made of the best materials, so as to give full play to the best combat power.

"If the ironworks were to stop the production of iron altogether and switch to steel, would there be a guarantee of production?"

Wang Hao was stunned when he heard this, thought for a while, and said: "Your Excellency, the iron produced by the ironworks right now is enough to supply the Soldiers. However, if steel is switched to production, the output of ironworks will plummet, after all, the time and consumption of steelmaking far exceeds that of ironmaking. At that time, the cost of the ironmaking plant will be greatly increased, but the output will be lower than that of ironmaking, and the subordinates are worried that they will not be able to meet the needs of the soldiers. ”

Li Congyan sighed slightly and nodded in agreement with this statement. Even though ironworks can increase production by adding blast furnaces, will the supply of iron ore and coke keep up? Will the shogunate be able to support the cost of fully implementing steel armaments?

Thinking of this, Li Congyan gave up the plan to completely replace the equipment of the new army with steel, and said secretly in his heart: "It's better to wait and see, and wait until the right time to develop firearms, and these steels can come in handy." ”

So Li Congyan said: "The ironworks can first keep this blast furnace steelmaking, and the steel produced is properly stored, not sold, not diverted for other purposes, waiting for my order." ”

"Whoa!"

Although everyone didn't know Li Congyan's plans, they all obeyed Li Congyan's orders unconditionally, which was already a subconscious move of everyone, and it was also an absolute trust in Li Congyan.

After Li Congyan dealt with the affairs of the ironworks, he returned directly to Dengzhou City. At this time, Li Wei, Minister of Military Affairs, had been waiting in the mansion for a long time.

"I've seen the Lord."

"Something brought?"

"Whoa!"

Li Wei put a specially made map on the table and unfolded it, and Li Congyan looked at it carefully.

"Enlighten the Lord, this map was specially drawn in accordance with the requirements of the Lord and after the on-the-spot investigation by the Ministry of Military Affairs."

This was a task given to Li Wei by Li Congyan a month earlier, to survey the terrain of the adjacent border area west of Dengzhou and find dangerous places where military bases could be established.

Although the situation in the world is still very stable, Li Congyan can't sit still, because according to history, Li Siyuan's life is about to arrive, followed by the great changes in Luoyang, the rise of Shi Jingjiao, and then the Khitans will make a strong debut!

So Li Congyan began to make arrangements for the future, and this map is the first step.

"Lord, please see, the Ministry of Military Affairs has selected eight locations suitable for building strongholds in Hutouya, Yunshan and other places in the west of Dengzhou."

Li Congyan knew that the two mountain ranges, Hutou Cliff and Yunshan, were relatively large mountain ranges west of Dengzhou and covered a wide area.

Li Congyan looked at it for a while and said: "Before the shogunate suppressed the bandits, there were originally a lot of thieves entrenched on Hutou Cliff and Yunshan, and these strongholds selected by the Ministry of Military Affairs overlapped with the old nests left by the bandits?" ”

Li Wei smiled and said, "Lord Mingjian! The eight chosen strongholds are all the lairs left behind by the thieves. Lord, please see, these eight strongholds are terrainous and extend in all directions, and the area of the buildings is large enough to be used not only for the garrison of the new army, but also as a place for the rear of the army to store food! ”

Li Congyan nodded, this was exactly what he needed, so he said, "Okay!" That's it. The Ministry of Military Affairs immediately recruited civilian men to repair and expand these eight bases within a period of two months. I will convert these eight strongholds into a pass fortress for the new army in the west and strengthen the defense in the west of Dengzhou! ”

"Whoa!"

Then Li Wei asked: "Lord, there is something unclear among the subordinates, please show the lord." ”

"Oh? Let's talk about it. ”

"This time the Lord has set up many strongholds in the west, is it really to strengthen the defense of the west? In the eyes of his subordinates, this move is more like taking the initiative! ”

"Haha!"

Li Congyan laughed, looked at Li Wei with great appreciation, and said, "Yes, I do have this intention!" ”

"Lord, my subordinates have a word, and I hope that the Lord will think carefully!"

"Well, good. You say. ”

Li Wei forked his hands and said: "Now that the saint is in the court, although the rebellion of Liangchuan has not yet been quelled, it is a corner of the rebellion after all, and it will not disturb the world." And the princes of the court and the central government were scattered by the saints, and there would be no turmoil in the central government in a short period of time. Under such circumstances, the border of the main army is bound to be hit hard by the imperial court! ”

Li Congyan nodded with satisfaction, although Li Wei's vision is somewhat limited, but he is also a top-class talent among his subordinates, and at this time he already has a certain overall view, which can link the world's major events with Dengzhou.

"There is some truth to what you say, but two things are wrong."

"Lord, please make it clear!"

"The rebellion of the two rivers will not be a corner of the rebellion, but a real rippling of the ground and self-reliance!"

Li Wei was taken aback when he heard this, the strength of the imperial court was much greater than that of Liangchuan, and in his opinion, it was impossible for Liangchuan to break the ground and stand on its own.

"There is another point, that is, the princes are scattered to the local area as the envoys of the festival, not only will not stabilize the government, but will make the power of the princes extremely inflated, and it is only a matter of time before the world is turbulent!"

Hearing this, Li Wei's face changed dramatically again, and at this time he was not only surprised, but shocked: "What does the Lord mean is that chaos is coming in the world?" ”

Li Congyan nodded, and said: "Because of this, I will make heavy deployments, and I should do extraordinary things in extraordinary times!" ”

"Is the Lord sure? After all, it is still stable today. ”

"Oh? Is it? ”

Li Congyan said: "Last year, the grain harvest in Yizhou, Xianzhou, Taizhou, Shizhou and other places in the north failed, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people swept around. ”

"Last winter, Ningzhou and Qingzhou gathered a large number of thieves to loot the prefectures and counties, and Changyi Jiedu sent troops to quell the chaos, not only beheading thousands of thieves, but also plundering and killing tens of thousands of people!"

"At the beginning of this year, there were floods in Shaanzhou and Caozhou, and the people were easy to eat, but the families and wealthy families in various places were closed, and the imperial court was helpless and had no money to help, and the people of the two states did not survive!"

"It's closer to our Dengzhou, let's just say Qingzhou, the last Qingzhou plague, how did Shen Tan do the Pinglu Jiedu? Kill all the sick people and their families on the spot! ”

Li Congyan was a little excited, stood up at this time to calm down his mood, and continued: "In such a world, how can you say it steadily? In my opinion, such a world is like a pot of oil sitting on a blazing fire, although it looks very calm, but it only takes one moment to tumble and burst! ”

Li Wei's face was ugly, he couldn't imagine that the world, which seemed to have no waves, would be so dangerous.

"Lord, what are we going to do? The Lord is the prince! ”

In Li Wei's view, Li Congyan is the prince, and if the world really changes, then Li Congyan can't be alone.

Li Congyan said: "Do you remember what I said to you when I first arrived in Dengzhou? ”

"I remember that the Lord once said: When the husband is alive, when he hears the world, he must help the people and clear the world, and the widow must also help the left and right, and act in righteousness."

"Not bad!"

Li Congyan said: "What I did today is like this! Great changes in the world are imminent, and I cannot watch the people of the world fall with it. I, Li Congyan, want to lead the soldiers of the new army to help the world with you, so that the people of the world can live the same life as the people of Dengzhou! ”

When Li Wei heard this, he immediately crossed his hands and said: "Li Wei is willing to follow the Lord to help the world and move forward!" ”

Li Congyan nodded with satisfaction, and at the same time secretly said in his heart: "Not only that, but I also want to establish a brand-new Datang, so that the Quartet Hu clan will not dare to face up to China, so that the Tianwei of the Datang will spread all over the world again, and let the banner of the Han family flutter as far as the eye can see!" ”

A few days later, the Ministry of Military Affairs began to build a military stronghold on the western border of Dengzhou. A month later, Li Congyan ordered the stockpiling of money, food, and military equipment at eight newly built military bases, and began to mobilize some officers and men of the New Army to garrison them, and the officers and men of the various units of the New Army regularly took turns to rotate.