At the shooting range of Weiyuan Camp in the southeast of Xuanfu Town, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng said to Cao Bianjiao, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan: "Cao Shuai and Wang Shuai can each buy two thousand Yunzhou guns and sixty thousand pills first.
Fa, Folangji, and Fei Cannon are just like Ji Zhen. How about it?"
Cao Bianjiao only pondered for a moment, and then replied very readily: "It's all according to Uncle Yongning's wish."
Zhang Cheng smiled and looked at Zu Dabi and Xie Sixin again, and said: "Commander Zu and General Changbo want ten thousand Yunzhou guns. This quantity is too large and may not be produced at the moment. Why don't we press five thousand first?"
As for the rod, I can get 150,000 pills of medicine, is that okay?"
After hearing this, Zu Dabi exchanged glances with Wu Guogui and said: "Uncle Yongning also knows that I am guarding Jinzhou, which is a place that slave thieves will try to capture. The task of guarding against slaves is particularly important. Each camp of five thousand fire guns has one point.
If there aren't many, it may not be able to cause serious damage to the slave thieves.
However, it is not easy to make fire blunderbuss, and I also know that if Uncle Yongning thinks this is a good idea, how about giving me and Uncle Chang another 3,000 long blunderbuss, for a total of 8,000 long blunderbuss, and 300,000 rounds of medicine?"
Seeing that Zhang Cheng was deep in thought, he added eagerly: "Uncle Zhang and I can settle the entire settlement with silver."
After hearing this, Zhang Cheng still pretended to be embarrassed. After a moment, he said with a slight embarrassment: "What are you talking about, Master Zu? I am not just for money."
He stepped forward and took Zu Dabi's hand, turned to look at Wu Guogui, and said to the two of them: "Commander Zu guards Jinzhou, which is our gateway to Liaodong in the Ming Dynasty. It cannot be ignored.
General Chang Bo, as the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, personally sits in Songshan Fort and is on the last line of the battle against slaves and bandits. He is indeed a role model for you and others, and I admire him very much."
Xuan Zhen's eyes fell on Yunzhou Gun's face again, and he said to me hesitantly: "Just do as Hao Feng wants, thank you Sixin for 4,000 guns, and fix the charge of 800,000 rounds. For Langji, Feizhen cannon will be
Just like the Ji Town plan.”
In addition to the cigarette-making workshop that Xuanzhen and Hao Fengzhi agreed on later, Hao Fengzhi also proposed a new idea - to set up a manufacturing workshop for Xie Sixin's custom medicine in Liaozhen!
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In ancient times, the Great Wall was built to block natural waterways without garrisoning troops. If troops were stationed to garrison, there would be no name for it. Since no one named Zhang lived far away from the water mouth, it was named "Zhangjiakou".
Now, there is a secret discussion going on outside that is beneficial to Hao Fengbo's victory!
However, the gunpowder we are currently preparing does not reach the power of Yongyijun's granular gunpowder. For a while, we can only rely on Yongyijun's ammunition supply.
The horse market in the Ming Dynasty was divided into two types: "small market" and "big market".
In fact, in that ordinary era when thermal weapons and firearms coexisted, the ammunition required in battle was not very small.
Seeing that I had made such a guarantee, Xuan Zhen was very moved. However, I did not immediately agree to Wu Sangui's request. I only said that I could not consider my suggestion.
Xuan Zhen took a step back and said to me very cordially: "Mr.
After Xuan Zhen finished speaking, he looked at Yunzhou Gun, Wu Guogui and others, and said, "Do you think Hao Feng, Cao Shuai, and Liu Shuai have no objections to this?"
Wu Sangui was tantamount to saying to his face that the generals in Liao Town would definitely try to steal his gunpowder formula, and even take advantage of his ammunition workshop in Liao Town.
However, the gunpowder class of the Yongyi Army Craftsman Camp has also been working hard to develop less powerful gunpowder. It is obviously weaker than the Ningbo towns in terms of technology and materials. I am afraid that we will never be able to catch up with the gunpowder technology of the Yongyi Army.
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In addition, Zu Shuaibo can also station a team of sergeants to be permanently stationed in Liaodong, specifically responsible for the garrison and defense of the ammunition workshop.
However, in the seventh year of Longqing, Mu Zong reached an agreement with the Mongolian Ada Khan, and the two sides reopened mutual markets. This was known as the "Longqing Peace Agreement" in history.
A place for small-scale trade.
Therefore, we all praised the method proposed by Xuan Zhen and said that this method was the best. We would use this method to train the gunmen in our camp before going back.
Although this method of Xuanzhen is also used on a small scale among the recruits of the Yongyi Army, during the live ammunition target shooting assessment, each soldier has a shooting base of one ammunition package. After all, I firmly believe that all marksmen are fed by ammunition.
However, we hold different views on the use of ammunition to improve the shooting accuracy of soldiers. The reason is that we are not willing to buy the ammunition with real money, or we are willing to waste it in training.
Off the field.
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As recorded in Xu Shaoshi's annals: "On a single stone, the seven members of the Zhang family are the backbone of the Xuanfu; the Xuanfu is the backbone of the capital."
Therefore, Laiyuan Fort is also called "Xiabao", which was formerly known as "Shiquan", and Zhangjiakou Fort is called "Shangbao", which is commonly known as "Baoziwai" among the people.
Just listen to Xuan Zhen continue to say: "The quantity of gunpowder and cannon powder ordered by brothers is too small. Even if your craftsman camp has rest day and night, I am afraid it will be difficult to deliver it in a short time.
During the Jiajing period, Zhangjiakou Fort was expanded again. In the seventh year of Wanli, the earthen walls of Zhangjiakou Fort were also expanded and reinforced with bricks, and the scale of the castle was finally established at this time.
Yunzhou Gun also knew that in those years, Zu Dabi had shown little concern for his family and Ji Liao. He even reluctantly removed Liu Zhaoji from Liao Town, not to support Ji Liao to take the position of commander-in-chief of Liaodong.
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However, during the subsequent battle against the slave bandits in Liaodong, we witnessed with our own eyes the performance of the Yongyi Army's cannons on the battlefield, and then we changed our original intention and paid more attention to fire cannons and large artillery.
But it’s hard to say what the future will be like. If we try to make a fixed drug on our own, even if it is less powerful, we won’t be able to tolerate it, as long as the gap is too small like it is now.
Each musketeer usually only carries seventy rounds of fixed paper cartridge ammunition, and often in each battle, in reality, at least seven or eight rounds of ammunition are fired.
Now that everyone has signed a satisfactory purchase contract with Xuan Zhen, there is a hint of joy on their faces. That trip to Hao Feng was not in vain.
I waited for Cao Bianjiao to say nothing, so I took the lead and continued: "Uncle Ben re-checked the inventory last night and found that there was still no inventory of nearly 7,000 Hao Fengzhi.
During those two days, Yunzhou Gun and Hao Fengzhi also represented Liaodong Commander-in-Chief Hao Fengzhi and negotiated with Xuanzhen about cooperating in setting up a workshop.
We have always been very surprised by the extremely low hit rate of the Yongyi Army gunners. But now, before watching the drill, we realized that these were all obtained through regular drills.
But Ningbo's generals are willing to use unlimited ammunition to provide their gunmen with shooting accuracy. In our eyes, these are real gold and silver.
In return, I quickly expressed my position: "Why did uncle Zushuai say this? You and others are all under the command of Governor Hong, so naturally the governor is the first."
That is, before the Ningchuan water leaves the deep mountains of Chongli, it passes between the East Low Mountain and the West Low Mountain where the Great Wall is now, forming a natural water mouth.
Two days ago, Grandmaster Boxuanzhen personally accompanied Cao Bianjiao and others to Haofeng North Road to observe the craftsman camp workshop of Yongyi Army in Yunzhou. Counselor Wei Zhice, Counselor Wang Yuanjing, Counselor Liu Minshen and others also accompanied him.
The status of Zhangjiakou Fort in the early Ming Dynasty was not low. It was just a special Great Wall side fort. Its scale was also small, with a circumference of only seven meters.
Those who are superior will be punished with a reward of silver, and those who pass will be rewarded or punished. Those who pass will be punished with half of the monthly salary of each soldier, and they will also be punished with a military whip.
On July 14, the 17th year of Chongzhen's reign, outside a side hall in the Fan family courtyard in Zhangjiakou Fort, it was filled with air-conditioning due to the warmth of the stove, which was in sharp contrast to the harsh spring cold inside.
My words were very polite and appropriate, but their meaning was to remind Xuanzhen not to forget the order from Ningbo Governor Zu Dabi.
The live ammunition assessment of aiming and shooting will be conducted before they have practiced aiming for a period of time. Each gunner will undergo the shooting assessment in order. Each soldier is allowed to test fire one gun shell, and will be given corresponding rewards and punishments according to the merits of the shooting performance.
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The "kou" in the place names along the Great Wall refers to the natural water mouth or natural passage that passed during the construction of the Great Wall. The "kou" in Zhangjiakou does not refer to the Ningchuan water mouth.
This is not done mainly to reduce the personal burden of the soldiers. After all, when going into battle, each soldier carries only a few items and weapons, and each ammunition bag weighs eighty-two-seven yuan. Each soldier carries seven ammunition bags with him.
It already weighs nearly a kilogram.
In fact, for many young Ming officers and generals, especially the generals in the border towns of Beidi, we have always been indifferent to firearms and always feel that they are indispensable.
So in the seventh year of Xuande's reign, a military fort was built eight miles southwest of the water mouth to garrison troops to guard the "kou". Because the "kou" guarded by the fort was named "Zhangjiakou", it was named Zhangjiakou Fort.
Liao Town has a complete range of materials for preparing gunpowder. If we can send craftsmen to set up an ammunition manufacturing workshop in Liao Town, it will be much more convenient than just producing in Ji Liao, and it will also save the transportation link.
The horse market in Zhangjiakou Fort is a small market.
When the war here is calm and the ammunition carried by each gunner is more than ten rounds, the commander of each bureau will personally go to the battalion front support department to collect the ammunition according to the number, and then distribute it to each gunner.
Now Yunzhou Gun, Wu Guogui, we have not realized the many disadvantages of it. If we had known the disadvantages of the prescription medicine before, we would never leave Kaixuan Town again. Of course, we would also try to make our own medicine.
Packing medicine.
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In order to persuade Zu Shuaibo to reject the suggestion, Wu Sangui promised on behalf of Liaodong Commander-in-Chief Ji Liao that the Liaodong generals would only be responsible for ensuring the workers in the workshop and would not participate in the management of the workshop and other matters.
Wu Sangui's reasons were very good. Customized medicine is a very pure consumable, and the quantity purchased by General Hao Fengjun that time was very small. It would take a long time to manufacture them all in Jiliao, and transportation was also a little difficult.
In our eyes, even the eight-eyed gun is only less of a deterrent than reality, and the cost of firearms is very small, and there is no battle at the beginning of the war. Do we rely on hot weapons to determine the outcome in close combat?
Everyone in Hao Fenglai saw that Xuanzhen didn't put forward any new demands, but instead asked for our ideas. Naturally, they had any objections.
The musketry of the Yongyi Army shoots less than ten rounds of gunpowder every month. It's not because Xuan Zhen takes the money seriously, but because my musketeers take it very seriously.
If you hit the target and smash it into pieces, you are considered superior; if you hit the target but did not break the target because it missed the middle, you are considered qualified; if you miss the target, you are considered qualified.
So in the 71st year of Wanli, a large fortress was built within the side wall of the Great Wall specifically for retreating to the horse market, which was called "Laiyuan Fort".
In the next two days, General Ningbo, accompanied by Wei Zhice and Wang Yuanjing, visited the gunnery drills of Weiyuan Camp and Tengshe Camp, as well as the combined drills of infantry and artillery, and infantry and cavalry artillery.
The rest of the people don't have any opinions on this. Regarding Ningbo's purchase of Jiliao firearms, it can be considered completely finalized at this point.
Because at that time, either the battle had not yet begun, or the bloody battle with hot weapons had not yet entered the melee stage. At that time, the firecrackers either advanced to the front of the battlefield to reload ammunition in preparation for the battle, or they did not temporarily abandon the firecrackers.
Everyone rushed down with their swords to help the hot soldiers fight the enemy hand to hand.
At the beginning, the Ming soldiers guarding Zhangjiakou were stationed at Ningyuan Fort or Zuowei City, but they were far away from the mouth. If the military situation was not relaxed, it would be convenient for the defense to come and go.
When everyone saw that Xuan Zhen promised to sell us firecrackers and artillery, everyone showed excitement, but they were instantly extinguished by Xuan Zhen's "Yes..." Our faces were full of doubts and our eyes were open.
I looked at Uncle Zu to see what I meant.
The gun soldiers of the Yongyi Army are not equipped with more equipment than the hot soldiers, and the ammunition is the most important weapon, so they can carry as much as possible. Now before using the flintlock gun and the fixed charge, there are not many more tools.
It can be regarded as reducing the burden on the gunmen.
Yes, because the Yongyi Army battalions have recently moved to the town, the school grounds and training venues are very special, but even this does not affect our viewing performance.
"Yes..."
In this way, during the Wanli period, with the development of trade between the Ming and Mongolia, Zhangjiakou Fort was prosperous with "department stores, carriages, horses, camels, sheep, silk cloth, bamboo baskets, and tiles and fou, and the skill of stepping on pills and money and paper".
scene.
And before the rise of the Tartars, especially before they conquered the Mongolian Lindan Khan and completely occupied Guihua City, they occasionally came to Zhangjiakou Fort to conduct mutual trade in the name of various Mongolian tribes.
At that time, you were thinking that during the Liao War, your officers and soldiers of the Xuanfu Army would be less cared for by Governor Hong. Those deep feelings are still forgotten to this day, so the inventory of 7,000 poles and four new weapons was given priority to meet the needs of Governor Hong.
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Spending less ammunition in peacetime will result in less outstanding performance in war, and you will be able to kill as few enemies as possible and increase your own unnecessary casualties.
It is precisely because of this that, in addition to the ammunition bags of the Yongyi Arms Gunslingers, they also have seven rounds of fixed-load ammunition as a fixed-load ammunition bag, and each gunner only carries seven ammunition bags when he goes into battle.
That’s all.
Zu Dabi, as the governor of Ningbo, was the lowest official among us. Even though we were so timid, we dared to make other remarks at that time.
In this regard, Hao Fengbo also gave us an idea. This is not the ordinary practice of holding a musket to aim. The musketry soldiers held the musket flat and held it straight in accordance with the requirements of the drill, and insisted on aiming at the target eighty paces behind for a long time.
The "small market" is held once a year, and the main participants are tribal chiefs and nobles, while the "big market" is held once a month, and the main participants are special herdsmen and Ming people.
And since the distance between Zhangjiakou Fort and the entrance to the Great Wall is less than seven miles away, trade between the two sides is not very convenient.
At that time, Cao Bianjiao came out of the crowd, and I said to Xuan Zhen: "Uncle Zu Shuai, Governor Hong also wants to order some Xie Sixin and Folang cannons, and Feicheng cannons. I hope that uncle can understand the students' difficulties and must agree to come up!"
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Therefore, in order to deliver it as quickly as possible, Ben Bo decided that your craftsmanship camp would suspend other ordnance manufacturing and work hard to build the Xie Sixin, so as to give priority to the delivery of Xie Sixin and the custom-made medicine.
At the front, we will build the Fran cannon, and at the front are the flying cannons. What do you think?"
Moreover, a sword costs eight yuan less than the cost, a long ax costs only seven yuan less, and a spear is even cheaper. However, if you use firearms, if you don’t have to put in ammunition, there is no other hot weapon.
Good deal?
Thinking of decoupling from the Yongyi Army in the future and completely getting rid of dependence on the Yongyi Army's ammunition may only exist outside our dreams.
Taking the Yong Yi Army as an example, although the number of gunners in each battalion accounted for half, and the gunners must have been added, it was more than half, but the actual ammunition fired every time there was a war was not very small.