Ming Zuo

Chapter 63 Confidential
More than [-] craftsmen, not too few.In addition to the apprentices with him, this scale is considerable.

Although Zuo Menggeng's expectations are still a long way off.But he also knew that this was the maximum that Hou Xun could do.

Because according to common sense, these craftsmen are enough to meet the supply of weapons and equipment in a town.

Who would have thought that these craftsmen are only prepared for one battalion, and it is not enough.

After Zhang Jimeng left, Zuo Menggeng came to the craftsmen.

They are all poor people who come to unfamiliar places, and everyone is very uneasy.

After all, life and death are up to people, so helpless.

Zuo Menggeng didn't show a friendly attitude.

After all, he didn't know what the hearts of these craftsmen were.It is easy to make these people lose their awe by putting down the air rashly.

Whether it is an army or an organization, authority is very important.

"Who is the blacksmith?"

In fact, there is no need to answer, a few very burly people came out.

The leader said: "Master, we come from Luanzhou iron smelting. There are a total of twelve blacksmiths and twenty-two apprentices."

It can be counted as thirty-four blacksmiths, which is a very good number.

Zuo Menggeng asked them to walk aside and asked, "Who is the gunsmith?"

There were not many people this time, there were four gunsmiths and four apprentices in total.

Among craftsmen, gunsmiths have the highest technical requirements, so they are very precious.

These gunsmiths come from the Cane Bureau.

"That year, the Wang Gong factory was bombed, and there were heavy casualties. Since then, the court has not allowed to work. Lord, our craftsmanship is good, and we promise not to play tricks."

After the explosion at the Wang Gong factory, the Ming court was terrified.

Since then, the scale of Wang Gong Factory has not been restored, and even the Bureau of Arms and Sticks has also reduced production.

Especially after the change of Chaoguan Wharf, Chongzhen recalled the eunuchs, tax supervisors, and mine supervisors from various places, and at the same time, he also dismissed the errands of various departments in the palace.

This gave Hou Xun a chance. After bribing the eunuch, he brought out four gunsmiths from the cane bureau.

"Work hard here with me, and you will never lose your food and money."

Several gunsmiths thanked Dade and went to the side.

A pharmacist, a person who makes gunpowder.

Most of them came from Wang Gong factory, as well as local pharmacies.

Although the quality of black gunpowder in the Ming Dynasty was not good, it was not difficult to configure it, so the pharmacist was very easy to cultivate.

Among the craftsmen who came here, the most cold weapons were made.

After all, it is a craft that has been handed down for thousands of years, and it is also the most demanded part of the Ming army, so there are many such craftsmen.

In the face of these people, Zuo Menggeng was open and honest.

"Here I am, there is no place for you to wait."

With just one sentence, the craftsmen were frightened.

"Master, I'm the best at crafting armor. Even those generals wear the mountain armor made by me."

Zuo Menggeng thought for a while and asked, "Then can you make chain mail?"

Not only this person, but several other craftsmen nodded their heads for fear of being abandoned.

"Can you know the art of drawing iron wire?"

Several of them stood up, less than a third.But this has already made Zuo Menggeng very happy, and said to these people: "Then keep the few of you, I will be of great use."

As for the remaining craftsmen, Zuo Menggeng did not intend to waste it.

"You have two places, one is to learn other skills, and the other is to follow the arrangement and go to work elsewhere."

The need for craftsmen here is not just the army, so Zuo Menggeng is only worried that there are not enough craftsmen, and he is not afraid that he will not be able to arrange.

Those craftsmen were in chaos for a while, but they all chose to stay.

They all came to Linqing from other places. They were not familiar with the place, and they were most afraid of being dismantled.

Then it would be unaccompanied.

Stay here, everyone will report to the group to keep warm, and if something happens, you can also discuss it.

Zuo Menggeng doesn't care.

Although the choices of these craftsmen disrupted his plans, he would have to recruit them later.

The arrival of the blacksmith is what Zuo Menggeng needs most.

After all, if he wants to make glass, he needs to build a furnace.Blacksmiths are experts in this area and can be of great help.

The other craftsmen were led by Huang Zongxi, Zhou You and others to be assigned residences, and Zuo Menggeng was the only blacksmith left.

"What's your name, brother?"

The leading craftsman was startled and bowed again and again.

"I don't dare to be an official to ask, the younger one is called Yang Gui, and the older ones call me Yang Mazi."

This person is not tall, the length and width are almost the same, and the whole body is full of tendons. It looks like he has been doing physical work all year round.The pockmarked face is also the source of the nickname.

"I have worked in the Luanzhou Iron and Steel Institute for [-] years, and the craftsmanship is still good. Everyone can trust me."

This Yang Gui is not well-developed and simple-minded, on the contrary, he is quite intelligent. In a few words, he explained everything Zuo Menggeng wanted to know.

Think about it too, even the leader of the blacksmith requires a certain ability and sophistication.

Anyway, it's just some craftsmen, Zuo Menggeng is not afraid of them playing tricks, he said: "That's good, from now on, Brother Yang will be the director of the iron smelting institute."

The blacksmiths were greatly surprised, and Yang Gui shuddered even more.

"Master, I don't dare. We craftsmen just work, and it's enough to be obedient."

Zuo Menggeng is beyond doubt.

"I don't have any doubts about using people here, but I don't have to. I really got an official here, but I don't know how to make iron, so what's the use other than getting in the way?"

The blacksmiths who said this were full of tears, and they were very heartbroken.

What was the difference between these people and slaves when they worked elsewhere in the past?
Those officials bossing them around, shouting and reprimanding them are all light, and scolding and punishing are commonplace.

Even if their wages were tainted, there was no grievance.

Originally, I felt that when I came here, it was the same as before, just to work.

As a result, the young official did not put a manager on them, but let them manage by themselves.

This alone made the blacksmiths put down their burdens and fell in love with this place.

Taking advantage of the good atmosphere, Zuo Menggeng said more.

"I don't have many rules here, but they are very strict. First, you must pay attention to confidentiality. No matter what happens in the iron smelter, you are not allowed to tell outsiders."

The blacksmiths looked at each other in dismay, and didn't know how to keep a secret in an iron-making place.

But their fate is in Zuo Menggeng's hands, and they can only obey orders.

"Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll take a good look. Whoever dares not take Grandpa's words seriously, I'll be the first to disobey."

Zuo Menggeng took him as a military order, and continued: "There is not much to do here, you only need to work. Of course, if you do well, you will be rewarded."

The blacksmiths were relieved to hear that.

There are really not many things, it was common for them to be dispatched by officials to do private work in the past.

Since Yang Gui has taken the lead, he has to stand up for everyone.

"Master, those of us brought our family here with us, and we lost all our belongings, I don't know..."

This is asking for settlement fees, and it is also testing the truth of Zuo Menggeng's rules.

Zuo Menggeng beckoned, Zuo Rong came over with a wooden box, opened it in public, and the white flowers inside were all silver.

When the blacksmiths have seen so much money, the voice of swallowing saliva is clearly audible.

When Zuo Rong gave out the silver, Zuo Menggeng said: "The settling fee of ten taels of silver for each of you is just for your expenses. As for food, clothing, housing and transportation, everything is ready here. When you go back and check in directly, Report to Yang Gui when there is another shortage, and Yang Gui will tell me."

In a few words, the rules were settled.

All the blacksmiths were very happy, and took the silver and put it away carefully.

They got a lot of money before they worked, and they completely fell in love with it.

"You are here, and you are paid one or two silver per month, and you are responsible for the food and accommodation."

The treatment should be made clear first, so that the craftsmen can feel at ease.

Sure enough, everyone was satisfied with this treatment.

The wages of a tael of silver are actually not high, but there is no additional cost for food and accommodation here, which saves a lot of money.If the officials here don't hold back, it will be a fairy-like day.

Next, is the question that Zuo Menggeng is most concerned about.

"Can the furnace you made make steel directly?"

When they heard this, even if they knew it was disrespectful, the craftsmen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Another craftsman, Chen Erzhu, said quickly.

"Master, how can a furnace directly smelt steel? You may not get one piece of steel if you smelt it a hundred times."

Zuo Menggeng understood.

The temperature of the iron smelting furnace in this era could not reach, so steel could not be obtained by smelting.

In other words, wrought iron is generally produced in the furnace.

"What if we got a furnace that could make steel?"

With just one sentence, the blacksmiths exploded.

"How is it possible?"

"The official is joking. Steel can only be produced after a lot of hard work, and molten steel is produced in one furnace. That is the method of the gods."

In the confusion of the crowd, Zuo Menggeng's expression was extremely serious.

"This is the secret that this official said."

The craftsmen stopped laughing and lost all language functions.

Zuo Menggeng's expression told them that he was not joking.

But if this is true, the technology that can smelt and tap steel, what is the concept?
These blacksmiths know the value too well.

For this technology, it is no exaggeration to exterminate a family and a country.

(End of this chapter)