Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 181

Maybe it was sincere, or maybe it was flattery, but Zhu Yixi still felt comfortable hearing it.

The Craftsman Camp now belongs to the Gongcao of the Military and Political Department, and Wang Wei is also the head of the Gongcao.

After migrating to Xiangyang, the continuous import of minerals from the Nanyang Basin made the scale of the craftsman camp continue to expand.

"The Han River in Xiangyang has plenty of water power, and hydraulic forging is more suitable than Hanzhong."

Being supported on one side, Wang Yan said with a smile all over his face: "As long as the pig iron can keep up, forging knives, swords, etc., is a piece of cake."

I saw a tributary, artificially built a dam, intercepted, and then formed several hydraulic pendulums.

The principle is that the common water pounding rice is just replaced by a giant hammer weighing hundreds of catties.

In this way, a lot of manpower is saved, and one beat is worth a hundred people.

However, if you want to mass-produce plate armor, that's a joke, a rumor.

After the large iron plate is formed, craftsmen still need to hammer and shape it, which saves [-]% of the time compared with the past.

Historically, the mass production of plate armor had to wait for the invention of the rolling mill.

"Plate armor is simple, just put it on like clothes."

Zhu Yixi looked at the scene in full swing, and couldn't help saying: "It's simple and fast. If it really doesn't work, I just use a mold and water it."

"Ordinary soldiers, you don't need to be too particular. Cotton armor and the like are used by the elite."

For rookies like Zuo Liangyu and Zhang Xianzhong, the armor rate is extremely low, so [-] heavy infantry can withstand tens of thousands of people.

But the Qing Dynasty was different. Ordinary soldiers had leather armor, while elite soldiers had all cotton armor. It was difficult to measure the increase in combat power.

"water?"

Wang Yan was shocked. This is molten iron poured directly into the mold, making it the same as producing a hoe. Is this still armor?
"With a layer of iron skin, at least it is better than leather armor."

Zhu Yixi said without hesitation: "Cotton armor and plate armor, their speed must be increased. With an army of [-], by the end of the year, the armor rate will reach [-]%."

"Thirty thousand?"

Wang Yan was taken aback, and tremblingly said, "How much does it cost, how much iron does it cost!"

"On the side of the musket, we can't delay."

Zhu Yixi sighed and said, "I'll call you another 2000 people, Mr. Wang, time doesn't wait for me, this is an order that must be fulfilled."

"Yes!" Wang Yan took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, the artillery in Macau is well-known. If you are in a hurry, we can buy some."

"Guangdong, Macau!"

Zhu Yixi murmured, and then he said, "The cannon foundry in Macau costs money, but it's worth it if it can shorten the time."

At the end of the inspection, Zhu Yixi also learned about the real output of Jiangying:
Five hundred guns, five hundred flintlock guns, five thousand knives and five thousand guns each, thirty Franco cannons, one hundred tiger crouching cannons, and ten Hongyi cannons.

There are thousands of cotton armors and thousands of leather armors.

Skip the others.

Huguang has been a large province producing ironware since the early Ming Dynasty. Among them, Huangmeiye in Qizhou Prefecture and Xingguozhi in Wuchang Prefecture are large mines with an annual output of one million catties.

As long as it is well integrated, it will not be a problem to double it several times.

Moreover, as early as the tenth year of Jiajing, a province of Guangdong produced 30 million jin of iron, and even a large-scale iron smelting and casting center was formed in Foshan Town, with tens of thousands of workers.

Therefore, pig iron is completely sufficient, as long as you have money.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yixi was quite happy.

The south has been developed for thousands of years, and whether it is agriculture or handicrafts, it has surpassed the north. If there is a confrontation, the north will definitely find it difficult.

On the other side, Zhao Shu directly told the envoys of the Nanjing court: The king of Hanyang only wants the king of Yu.

"Jiannu also has a king named Duoduo, isn't there a conflict?"

"conflict?"

Zhao Shu smiled: "Jiannu tried to occupy the Central Plains in vain, how can he admit his false life?"

"Besides, after my king kills Duoduo, won't there be only one King Yu in this world?"

Hearing this, the envoy was also shocked by these words, and hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Then Zuo Menggeng, where is Mr. Zuo?"

"When the time comes, it will be released naturally."

"When is the time?"

Zhao Shu took a sip of tea and said lightly, "Look at God's will!"

The special envoy was angry: "You are entertaining the court."

"That's not the case. It's because Mr. Zuo is willing to stay in Xiangyang, and we didn't detain him."

Zhao Shu found an excuse and said, "We wanted to let him go a long time ago, but Mr. Zuo really wants to stay, so we have to do it!"

The special envoy had no choice but to leave angrily.

……

Leaks of news are always sudden.

In just a few days, the news that King Hanyang was going to be King Yu spread throughout Huguang.

It is not ruled out that the Nanjing envoy leaked it.

In this regard, the Military and Political Department did not suppress it, nor did it admit it. Public opinion will naturally dissipate within a few days.

Zhang Shenyan, who decided to settle in Xiangyang, was shocked when he heard this:

"King Hanyang, are you in a daze? King Yi is so good, why fight with Jiannu?"

Thinking about it, he gave his own reasons:
It must be Hanyang King's side, there are no well-informed civil servants, or even Jinshi backgrounds, so they made such mistakes.

Thinking of this, his heart was really hot.

After staying in Xiangyang for several months, he saw the unique yamen and the meritorious service of King Hanyang in recovering Sichuan, and his goodwill continued to rise.

"Wen Cheng, what do you think of Xiangyang?"

He turned his head and asked about the servants around him.

"This—" Wen Cheng tilted his head, thought for a while, and then said, "I don't understand those things either. I just think that although Xiangyang is not as prosperous as Nanjing, it is really comfortable to stay in."

"There are not so many beggars, no one buying and selling children, and the ground is clean."

"Governing a government is different from governing a country."

Zhang Shenyan couldn't help arguing that he was still attached to Nanjing in his heart.

"But, master, if you can't govern a city, how can you govern a country?" Wen Cheng couldn't help asking.

"That's true!"

Zhang Shenyan was stunned, these words were a reminder to him.

He paced and walked around the yard several times before he gritted his teeth and clapped his hands: "If things go on like this, the King of Hanyang may be more and more against the court."

"There is no honest gentleman around him, and those who have a long-term vision, I am afraid that they will suffer a big loss in the future."

Hearing this, Wen Cheng laughed in his heart.

After studying with him for more than ten years, he certainly understands his master's thoughts.

It's nothing more than a warm pillow in my heart, but I can't bear to lose face.

After all, he is the Minister of the Ministry of Officials in Nanjing. After resigning, he joined the King of Hanyang, and his face is shameless!

"As it should be."

Wen Cheng couldn't help but echoed: "The king of Hanyang lacks the guidance of a gentleman like the master, otherwise there will be no trouble in the future."

"Nonsense!" Zhang Shenyan blushed slightly, and after scolding, he sighed again: "The old man is a minister after all, how can he come to the door so easily like the recruiting order?"

This is too cheap, and what is easily obtained is often not cherished.

Wen Cheng rolled his eyes and said hurriedly: "Master, I have been an official with you for more than ten years, and I have already mastered the tricks of being an official. It is no problem to be a county magistrate."

"Why don't I go to the recruiting hall, and once I'm on the list, I'll recommend my master to the higher officials, wouldn't it be a matter of course?"

(End of this chapter)