"Oh, who says it's not the case! My mother was sick and asked someone to send a message, but there was no news at all. It's almost the Chinese New Year, and this year's salary has not been sent home. I don't know if something happened. An accident?" Zhang Dachui let out a long sigh and put down the blacksmithing tools: "Looking at Xiao Langjun's extraordinary background, do you know why this person who entered the weapons prison can't even return home?"

Why?

Of course it was kept secret.

Cai Chi felt relieved, comforted Zhang Dachui for a few words, and left with Zhenghai.

"Lang Jun, what should we do next?" Zhenghai said with some doubts: "Don't the officials rarely ask the weapons supervisor in recent years? How come they still recruit weapons from the private sector?"

"Go find Shen Yue and ask him to secretly capture these blacksmiths and send them to the east courtyard of Emperor Mingde." The silk handkerchief in Cai Chi's hand unfolded, revealing the names of several blacksmith shops.

"Hey, Lang Jun, when did you write this?" Zhenghai followed Cai Wei all the time and went to so many shops, but he never saw Cai Wei writing at all.

"Zhang Dachui?" Zhenghai was stunned. Isn't this the blacksmith just now?
"Didn't he say he couldn't fight? Why did Lang Jun want to arrest him?"

"It's not that he can't fight, he's afraid of being caught and sent to the weapons prison like his brothers." Cai Ji let out a long sigh: "Let Shen Yue arrange things properly and don't let outsiders know."

Proper placement?

These blacksmiths were from the capital city and basically had their families, unless they also arrested their family members.

"Then just arrest them, just don't hurt anyone!" Cai Ji thought for a while: "You ask Zhengxi to pay a high price to buy a few iron stoves and secretly send them to the east courtyard."

"Yes, I understand!" Zhenghai got the order, turned around and left quickly.

The warm winter sun was high, and a large carriage was parked in front of several blacksmith shops in Beijing. The masters of the blacksmith shops were politely invited to get on the carriage by the people on the carriage.

After a short while, the "master blacksmith" would get out of the carriage and enter the blacksmith shop to continue forging iron. It was not until evening that the wives of each family prepared meals and went to call for people, only to find that their men/sons had changed. Before they could react, everyone in the family was loaded onto the carriage and transported to an unknown village.

Because the blacksmith shops were too far apart, the whole family was taken away, the doors and windows were closed, and there were signs indicating that they were out of town, no one noticed what happened to the people in these shops.

In a separate compound in Gen Yue East Courtyard, several blacksmiths looked at the familiar items in front of them and were about to collapse.

Especially Zhang Dachui. His mother is seriously ill and his wife is frail. Being frightened like this might kill him!

He was shocked and angry. The first time he saw Cai Chi, he rushed towards him and shouted angrily: "You thief, I'm going to kill you!"

Naturally, he had no chance to rush to Cai Ji.

Zhenghai quickly stopped in front of Cai Wei with quick eyes and hands. With only one hand, he pushed Zhang Dahammer back to the pillar: "Zhang Dalang, wait a minute, my husband has something to say!"

"I knew it was you. If you move forward, the bandits will come to the door!" Zhang Dachui's eyes turned red and he struggled desperately: "I told you, I can't fight, I can't fight! You tied me up Come on, I still say, if you can’t fight, you just can’t fight!”

"Zhang Dalang, are you afraid that you will be caught in the weapons inspection and you will no longer be able to take care of your old mother in the future?" Cai Ji waved his hand and asked Zhenghai to let go of Zhang Dachui: "Help me put these three If you build something from the blueprint, how about I provide your mother with ginseng for three months?" Zhang Dachui's mother was seriously ill and needed to take ginseng and drink ginseng soup every day to stay alive.

Even if he, a blacksmith, had spent half his life working on iron, he still wouldn't be able to buy enough ginseng for several days.

In the past, Zhang Erchui would come back with some money every once in a while, so that he could support his mother half his life, but now he has not received any money for many days, and his mother's ginseng soup has long been exhausted, leaving only If I hold a few pieces of ginseng in my mouth for ten days, I will die before my eyes.

"Seriously what you said!" Zhang Dachui's eyes were red: "But she was originally weak, and she was frightened by you like this. If she doesn't scare her to death, she will live longer..."

"Don't worry, Zhang Dalang. Your mother heard that you were going to build a greenhouse for a big merchant and could earn more than a hundred wages. She was very happy. She has already drunk the ginseng soup, which is made from century-old ginseng." Zhao Fujin came from the door. Waizhuan came in, looked at the several blacksmiths in the room, and introduced himself: "I am Emperor Mingde. I invite you here today just to make a rare thing. Once it is made, each person will be rewarded with 300 silver coins." two!"

Emperor Mingde?

Have the blacksmiths ever seen such a noble and beautiful woman?

For a moment, they felt that the light she brought in was dazzling, and they all lowered their heads, not daring to look any further.

It's just that the number of 300 taels is really attractive, making their hearts beat wildly in unison.

Although their income as blacksmiths is higher than that of other handicrafts, it is only higher. Sometimes they can get five or six taels of silver after picking up an item and working for ten and a half months. Kindhearted, give me more.

This time, it was 300 taels, enough for a family to live in Shangjing for two or three years!

Only one craftsman was not dazzled by the heavy money and beauty. He lowered his voice and said: "This drawing is indeed complicated. It is not that we deliberately shirk it."

It is small in size and complicated, and some important parts require that it cannot be welded. Even if the gods from the sky come, there is no guarantee that it can be made.

"Don't worry, as long as you follow my instructions, you can definitely make it." Cai Ji smiled slightly: "Today, you will organize these stoves and other things, and then rest for a night. Starting tomorrow, I will work with you. We will provide you with food and accommodation, and I guarantee that you will be able to complete your respective tasks within ten days!"

The craftsmen looked at Cai Chi with suspicion. It was obvious at a glance that this young man came from a wealthy family. Would he understand their blacksmith's work?
Zhao Fujin thought that Cai Wei was trying to appease the blacksmiths. When he left the east courtyard, he said to Cai Wei, "I was negligent. I forgot to give you the iron smelting technology."

"Di Ji has iron smelting technology? That would be even better!" Cai Chi said with joy on his face: "Maybe Di Ji will be sent to the east courtyard tomorrow?"

"Are you really planning to live in the east courtyard?" Zhao Fujin said: "The conditions here are very simple and the weather is freezing. I'm afraid Cai Linjun can't bear the pain."

"What kind of suffering is this? When I was in my old house, the house was drenched in wind, rain and snow. Didn't my mother and I both come to terms with each other?" Cai Wei smiled: "Don't worry, I will make things as soon as possible. of."

"But, what exactly is this thing? Why does Di Ji think that with this thing, she can have the weapons in her own hands?" Cai Wei had been holding this question for a day, and finally couldn't help but ask.

"This is a front-loaded smoothbore gun that can fire gunpowder. The range is about 150 meters. It can easily penetrate armor and shields. It is light to use and has low manufacturing cost. Even those who use it can easily use it even if they don't have any martial arts skills." Zhao Fujin let out a long sigh when he said this: "It's a pity that the current level of the country is not enough to make more powerful thermal weapons. Otherwise, I would even want to go beyond the Suifa gun and make other things.

After all, the accuracy of the Suifa gun is worrying, and the firing time is limited. "


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