The days when I fished in Daming

Chapter 48 Han Qi
"Yes, Your Majesty, I saw this gunpowder in an ancient prescription. It has miraculous effects on heartache and chest pain. The pharmacy wants some to treat diseases. Please show your Majesty how to do it."

From being a farmer to where he is today, Lao Zhu has a long-term strategic vision and can see the value of this new gunpowder at a glance.Zheng Xiong didn't have a good solution at this time, but his original intention was to make medicine, so he just had to fight for a portion of the share to be used by the pharmacy.

In November of the 26th year of Zhizheng (1366), Xu Da and Chang Yuchun led an army of 20 to besiege Pingjiang, the capital of Zhang Shicheng's (Eastern) Wu regime, under the order of Zhu Yuanzhang.Zhang Shicheng, Zhang Shixin and other brothers led their troops to resist desperately.In this case, Xu Da ordered his subordinates to build a long siege outside Pingjiang City and besiege Pingjiang City.Build enemy towers at intervals - a wooden tower, a three-story high platform, on which are placed fire mirrors, bows and crossbows, and heavy-duty catapults "Xiangyang Cannon", and various firecrackers are placed on them. "Xiangyang Pao" is a trebuchet, which appeared as early as the Zhou Dynasty.

The huge sound of the firecrackers, when thousands of them rang together, was earth-shattering.Zhang Shicheng's troops in the city also had a lot of firecrackers, and the two sides were shooting at each other.The huge stones of the trebuchet were shot into the city one after another, breaking the beams and frightening the hearts of the people.In that year, Zhang Shixin was shot dead by General Huobaotong.

Xu Da's battle was a full 1453 years earlier than when the Turkish army captured Constantinople in 87 when they mixed hot and cold weapons.Xu Da's battle was definitely not the first battle in Chinese history where hot and cold weapons were mixed. It can be seen from this that it was many years earlier than the world in terms of firearms at that time.For this reason, it is not correct to say that the Chinese people knew how to make firecrackers after they invented gunpowder.

During the peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, as a member of it, Zhu Yuanzhang saw a mysterious weapon that he had never seen before - the firecracker.The shocking sound of the guns, the huge lethality, and the nightmarish anger made Zhu Yuanzhang terrified even thinking about it, which is why Lao Zhu reacted quickly.

"Okay, tomorrow a group of people will go to the glass factory to learn technology. You have to teach me well. From now on, I will give you some shares every month for use by the pharmacy. The glass factory will not be built."

These people who came to learn technology, Lao Zhu didn't say their origins, and Zheng Xiong didn't ask too much. Since it's not an official construction organization, it means that Lao Zhu has a steady hand and wants to hold the gunpowder in his own hands.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The air gradually froze, Zheng Xiong was speechless, and Lao Zhu couldn't hold back.

"Why, you still have something to do."

"Ah, it's all right, long live Your Majesty, I will retire."

Back in the queue, Zheng Xiong was still thinking, Lao Zhu didn't take advantage of it any more, it was fine if he didn't need the technology of glass and soap, at least he had to offer a part of it himself, but Lao Zhu only asked himself to support the soldiers of the first battalion, and there was no more.

Lao Zhu also has his own considerations. No matter how big the Huimin Pharmacy is, it doesn’t matter. In Yingtianfu, it has made real achievements. In the end, it is the common people who benefit.

It doesn't matter if there are two incomes, Lao Zhu is not a person who only knows how to enjoy himself. Some ordinary people can't even afford oil. No matter what kind of soap they make, glass is only rare and expensive. If there are so many more businesses, there is absolutely no such profit.So I didn't raise any conditions and let Zheng Xiong go.

After having a meal at noon, Zheng Xiong returned to the glass factory.

There is a group of soldiers patrolling outside the glass factory, one post at five steps and one sentry at ten steps, it seems that they are not easy to mess with.

The world is set for the first time, and wars still happen from time to time. At this time, the soldiers have all seen blood, and they have a murderous look rushing towards them.

From a distance, I saw Zheng Xiong in official uniform walking in the direction of the glass factory until he came close.A leading officer stood up and asked.

"Who are you, and what's the matter in this glass factory."

"My official, Huimin Pharmaceutical Bureau, has brought Zheng Xiong. This glass factory is a subsidiary of my Huimin Pharmaceutical Bureau. I'll come and have a look."

Hearing that it was Zheng Xiong face to face, the surrounding soldiers were in awe. Alcohol disinfection has become a regular item for the army. During this period of time, many soldiers who were injured and infected due to various reasons saved their lives. Therefore, Zheng Xiong's name still has a place in the hearts of the soldiers.

Hearing that Zheng Xiong was on the opposite side, the leading officer showed some respect.

"It turned out to be Mr. Zheng. I don't know if there is any trust."

This is a bit difficult to deal with. My own territory has always been a shameless one. No one would ask me to rely on trust. Now there is no way to rely on trust.

"I didn't take the letter with me, why don't you go inside and ask a few people to come out, they all know me."

"Then please wait a moment, my lord."

After answering a sentence, someone went inside.

"By the way, I don't know the name of the general yet. Your Majesty asked me to be responsible for your money and food. How many people have you come? How much food will I pay every month?"

"My lord Zheng, I can't afford to be a general. My official Han Qi, thanks to His Majesty's grace, made me a deputy thousand household. Now I have brought five hundred households to guard. The money and food are about one stone per person per month."

After Zhu Yuanzhang occupied the Jiangnan area, he began to reorganize the army. It was stipulated that every 10 soldiers formed a "small banner", 1 small banners formed a "general banner", two general banners formed a hundred households, 5 hundred households formed a thousand households, and five thousand households set up a commander.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, according to Liu Ji's "Military Guard Law" suggestion, each province set up a capital to command envoys to control the garrison, and the following divisions set up guards and offices.There are 5600 people in each guard, and a command is set up; there are 5 thousand households under the jurisdiction of the guard, each with 1112 people, and 10 households; 112 households under the jurisdiction, 2 people each, with 5 households; [-] households under the jurisdiction of [-] general banners; the general under the jurisdiction of [-] small banners.

For a team of 500 people, Lao Zhu casually followed the Song Dynasty's statement and replaced it with a battalion.

The military pay in the early Ming Dynasty included "monthly rations" for the sergeant's family and "walking rations" for the sergeant himself during military operations. The monthly ration of cavalry (horse army) was two stones, and that of ordinary sergeants was one stone.Criminals sentenced to border guards (Enjun) were provided with monthly rations depending on the number of family members, one shi per month for more than four, six dou per month for less than three, and four dou per month for those without families.There is no fixed ration of food, and the payment is calculated according to the itinerary of military operations such as combat, equipment, border trimming, and autumn prevention.These military salaries converted into silver are the salaries of the guards of the Ming Dynasty, which lasted until the end of the Ming Dynasty, which is equivalent to about four or five silver dollars per month.

This salary is less than what Zheng Xiong sent out, and the average salary in Huimin Pharmacy is five or six hundred cash. The team of 500 people is okay, not the big camp of the [-] battalion in the back. The monthly expenditure is only about [-] guan, and the salary of the military officer also accounts for part of it. Although it is only a deputy thousand household, it is also a military officer of the sixth rank.These can be supported by the current profit of the glass factory, and Lao Zhu must have an understanding of the profit of the glass factory, so he did not embarrass Zheng Xiong.

(End of this chapter)