On summer nights, it gets dark later and lights up earlier, and the time is the least resistant to confusion.

Yang Zhen met Yu Liangtai, Wang Xuan and Xia Shu who were brought back by Zhang Chen from Hongluo Mountain. They talked for more than an hour. Before he knew it, it was already bright.

At this time, the news that Zhang Chen had returned with the Songshan army from Hongluoshan had spread in the large camp at the foot of the hill.

Seeing that Songshan City was in sight, and the people and horses to assist him had been contacted, there was no need to rush on the road in fear, and the camp was filled with joy.

Soon, Yang Zhen's order was issued. After having a simple breakfast, everyone broke camp and set off again, wading eastward across the upper reaches of the Wuxin River, which was also in dry season, and then turned north, along the Wuxin River.

The east bank of the river went all the way towards Hongluo Mountain.

The area around Shanshen Temple is not very far from Hongluo Mountain, but only a few dozen miles away. A fast horse can cover the round trip in an hour.

However, Yang Zhen's team couldn't move fast. Of course, the various guards who were riding on horseback could go fast as long as they were fast. However, they escorted a large number of chariots, horses and camels, as well as some prisoners and a large number of cattle and sheep.

, but travels slower.

Fortunately, after arriving at the east bank of the Wuxin River, we basically traveled along the roads in the valley plains, and the distance was short and convenient. Even if it was a little slower, it was much faster than going over the mountains and ridges before.

In this way, the large group of people headed north along the river in the face of the rising sun, heading toward the mountains in the northeast for about two hours, until they finally arrived at the southwest foot of Hongluo Mountain at three o'clock in the morning.

Yang Zhen, who was riding at the front of the team, could already see the densely packed ships on the Wuxin River in the distance, as well as the black flags of the Big Dipper hanging from the masts of the ships.

That was the flag hung by Yu Liangtai's fleet, and it was also the "Navy Flag" set by Yang Zhen for the advance battalion fleet. It was currently hanging high on the mast of a large ship and fluttering in the wind.

"Sir, we have arrived at Hongluo Mountain. Turning around the foot of the mountain, we will find our camp. What is docked on the river is our fleet!"

Yu Liangtai, who was following Yang Zhen, saw that Yang Zhen had slowed down his horse, and he stopped to wait and see. He immediately got up and rode forward, explaining to Yang Zhen:

"This time, I discussed with General Zhang and Qiu Tong and brought almost all the sterns that our fleet can use! Firstly, Hongluo Mountain has a large amount of mining and transportation of various ores. Secondly,

I also have this line prepared for adults just in case!

"Look at those big carts carrying heavy loads, going over mountains and ridges, traveling day and night. They are traveling too slowly. It is better to take a boat and sail down the river, which can be done day and night! From here to Songshan, you can arrive in the morning, what?

Don’t delay!”

When Yang Zhen heard what Yu Liangtai said, he knew that Yu Liangtai and the others had taken precautions and thought of the future for him. He felt very happy and couldn't help but nod.

However, looking at the tall ships on the river, he changed his mind and was a little worried that the water flow of the Wuxin River was insufficient and that the large ships in the fleet could not carry heavy objects, so he asked again:

"The square boat you are talking about usually runs in the sea? Since the beginning of winter last year, the weather has been dry and there has been little snow and rainfall. The water volume of Laohua River and Daling River is not as good as in previous years. The same is true for the Wuxin River in front of us. Is it safe to sail?

risk?"

If it is a small ship, it cannot carry much supplies, and if it is a large ship, it is easy to run aground. If this happens, it is better to use the current car, horse and camel team to travel overland.

As Yang Zhen was thinking this, he heard Yu Liangtai say with a smile: "Your Excellency, please worry too much! The square stern that I mentioned is indeed used in the sea, but it is very different from the Fu Ship, Cangshan Ship and Guangzhou Ship! Although they are both

They are sea ships, Fu ships, Cangshan ships, and Guangzhou ships, all of which have pointed bottoms, but square sterns have flat bottoms!"

Speaking of this, Yu Liangtai saw Yang Zhen looking at the fleet of boats moored on the river in the distance with a look that seemed to have enlightenment, and then he smiled and said:

"Oh, by the way, the square stern that I'm talking about is the sand boat that your Excellency mentioned before, a flat-bottomed sand boat. The sand boat has a flat bottom and cannot break the waves in deep oceans and deep waters, but it can travel in near seas and inland rivers without any hindrance. Because of its flat bottom, it can

Sitting on the beach, there is little resistance and you are not afraid of being stranded!

"We have made two trips back and forth on this river before! Some sections of the upper reaches are shallow, have many shoals, and are narrow, so it is indeed difficult to walk. However, you can still sail down the river from Hongluo Mountain. Don't worry, adults.

!”

When he talked about ships and sailing, Yu Liangtai's eyes shone and he talked eloquently. This business was obviously a business he was very familiar with, and he seemed very confident when talking about something he was familiar with.

When Yang Zhen heard him talk about flat-bottomed sand boats, he actually already understood that flat-bottomed sand boats have a shallow draft and are not suitable for deep sea and ocean navigation, but they are very suitable for offshore and inland river navigation.

Especially in inland rivers with less wind and waves, it is almost unobstructed. It can be said to be a very practical river and sea ship. Until hundreds of years later, this type of ship is still in use.

"That's good, that's good! That'll be convenient!"

After Yang Zhen figured it out, he immediately made up his mind, and soon called Zu Keyong and Li Lu, asking them to arrange people and horses as soon as possible to transfer the heavy loads of the carriages, horses and camels to the fleet first.

Leave it to the fleet for transportation by water.

After receiving the order, Zu Keyong and Li Lu immediately rode back and sent the order to take action.

Yang Zhen led the front team that opened the way and turned forward past the foot of the mountain, and soon saw a huge open mountain col area.

To say that this mountain col is a mountain col may be underestimating it. Rather than saying it is a mountain col, it is better to say that it is an intermountain valley or intermountain plain surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing a river on one side.

This mountain valley faces the Wuxin River in the distance in the front, tall peaks behind it, and undulating mountains on the left and right.

The entire terrain is like Hongluo Mountain squatting facing the northwest, stretching its arms forward with all its strength, trying to embrace it.

Moreover, right in the middle of this valley, there is a small river flowing out from the mountains to the east, passing through the valley, and pouring into the Wuxin River to the west.

Not far from the north of the small river that runs through the valley, there is a camp surrounded by a tall wooden fence. At this moment, several thick smoke pillars are rising from the camp. It is obvious that a blast furnace has been set up and is being smelted.

Transform into something.

Yang Zhen was riding on his horse and looked at the situation in the valley in front of him. He couldn't hold back his joy when he heard Wang Xuan, who was also nearby, saying excitedly:

"Sir, this is the new factory shed opened in Hongluoshan, where our ironmaking is located! Lead, mercury, and sulfur are all poisonous, and making nitrate also irritates the mouth and nose. Songshan is a small city. If the population increases in the future, it will be inconvenient after all!

“So General Zhang Shen, Assistant to the Operations Office, discussed with the Iron Works and asked them to smelt lead, make nitrate, and use pyrite to smelt sulfur in the city, and try to do it in Hongluo Mountain!

"So the little one came here. Now he has six furnaces, smelting lead, iron, fetching sulfur, and collecting saltpetre. It's going well for now. The quantity is not big, and the quality is good. When he gets it here, the little one will

Go back to Songshan!"

Yang Zhen was already very satisfied with their progress. Now that he heard that the results had been achieved, he was even more happy. He was about to praise a few words, but suddenly remembered something, so he immediately asked:

"Where is the Jinzhou Army you are talking about? Where are their troops and their camp?"

Accompanied by everyone, Yang Zhen has arrived in the middle of the valley. Not far ahead is the small Hongluo River. Beyond the Hongluo River is the camp where the newly opened refining shed of the ironworks is located.

Along the way, he did not see the shadow of the Jinzhou Army patrolling post.

However, when he thought of the investment of Songshan officers and soldiers in Hongluo Mountain, as well as the continuous benefits that these efforts might bring to Songshan City in the future, he could not allow anyone to destroy all of this.

"Sir, please take a closer look, on the mountain ridge to the north of the camp, on the bare ridge! Look all the way west from our watchtower at the highest point!"

While Yu Liangtai was talking, he stepped forward on his horse, got closer, and handed Yang Zhen a single-cylinder telescope.

In Yang Zhen's advance camp for the Eastern Expedition, this was a precious gadget that only the navy commanders had.

Yang Zhen took it and, according to Yu Liangtai's words, held it up to his eyes and looked at it carefully with a telescope.

The so-called telescopes of this era are actually very general in effect and cannot be compared with real telescopes a few hundred years later. However, they can see much farther than relying on a pair of eyes alone.

On the rolling hills in the distance, there is a watchtower on the highest mountain. It is the watchtower set up by Songshan officers and soldiers outside the Hongluoshan camp.

Yang Zhen held up his telescope and headed west from the lookout post. Upon closer inspection, he saw a group of people standing on top of a slightly lower, bare mountain.

And one of them was holding a similar telescope to look at Yang Zhen and his group.

Yang Zhen saw that their men and horses were fully equipped with red tassel helmets, waist-length armor, spears, crossbows, waist knives, and three-eyed muskets. They were undoubtedly Zu Dashou's Liaodong Army.

Today, Zu Keyong's unit under Yang Zhen's banner turns out to be the Liaodong Army who was born in Zu Dashou. Their armor and attire are exactly the same as the team opposite.

Therefore, the equipment of Yang Zhen and the others was very familiar, and he knew their identities at a glance.

At the same time, the men and horses of Yang Zhen's advance camp, since crossing the Daling River, had put away their clothes and armor full of Tatars with white flags, replaced them with the rags of the Songshan advance camp, and fought back their own

The emperor ordered the advance battalion to conquer the east, so he did not worry about the other party's misjudgment.

The other party obviously also noticed Yang Zhen's movements in the telescope. When Yang Zhen held up the telescope and scanned the distant mountains, and when his eyes returned to where the team of people were, the team of people had disappeared.
Chapter completed!