Everyone looked at Su Ze with suspicion in their eyes.
If someone had said that they knew water conservancy and could solve the siltation problem of Jianxi River and its tributaries in one fell swoop, my grandfather and the three Chen brothers would have scolded them.
But because the person who said this was Su Ze, my grandpa actually felt that he could really do it.
Even the three Chen brothers did not dare to refute. Who made Su Ze a scholar?
The scholars of the Ming Dynasty not only influenced the Ming Dynasty by serving as officials in the imperial examinations, but also the scholars in the opposition had huge influence among the people. These were the so-called squires.
Officials who have become official, students who have not gone out to become officials, and Confucian scholars who are studying at home may not hold an official position, but they have huge influence in the local area.
Although Su Ze doesn't like the country squire class either, it has to be said that his current identity is that of a country squire, and he is borrowing the influence of the country squire.
The Chen family in Beishan only had three government officials, and they were running rampant in the neighborhood and even dared to bully the military guards.
Although Su Ze was not yet a scholar, he was still a well-known scholar in the county. He was praised by Fang Zhifu and Baizhi County, and he was a disciple of the county's academic professor Hai Rui.
Although Hai Rui was only a county magistrate, he was also a serious official, and he was one of the few officials in the county.
For this reason alone, when he said that he knew how to water conservancy, the three Chen brothers did not dare to refute him.
The old man looked at Su Ze and said, "A Ze, can you really control the river?"
Although Jianxi is called a stream, it is actually a small river that is not narrow. In recent years, it will overflow every rainy season, often breaking out of the river bed and destroying farmland.
The Jianxi River is surrounded by the best paddy fields in Changningwei, and several acres of them belong to my grandfather's family. Every time floods cause huge losses to the entire Changningwei.
In fact, my old grandpa has long wanted to improve Jianxi. However, Changningwei is increasingly declining and cannot afford the money to repair the river. Moreover, building water conservancy projects requires a large number of manpower, which means that a large number of strong men are needed to work. This is also a problem.
The pen is quite a burden.
Chen Zhongfei said: "What's the point of water flushing? We asked the county government's canal house. To renovate Jianxi, the only way is to disconnect the stream and dig out the silt on the river bed. However, as long as the upstream mines are still being mined, the silt in the water will not
Absolutely, it will be silted up again in a few years, how can it be possible to clear it every year?"
The Beishan Chen family is more motivated than Changningwei to clean up Jianxi River, because the mouth of the tributary is often blocked due to sedimentation.
Once the water level drops, the entire village of Chen's village in Beishan will be cut off.
But after asking the canal and housing water conservancy experts from the county government to take a look, Ms. Chen from Beishan also gave up the idea.
They just want to clean up the water diversion and divert the water from Jianxi River into the tributaries. They don't want to restore the previous flow rate.
Su Ze was full of confidence. He had seen the hydrological conditions of Jianxi River in the morning and saw the hydrological map. Combined with relevant news, he already knew the reasons for the siltation and frequent flooding of Jianxi River.
In fact, the water conservancy problem of Jianxi River is the same as that of the Yellow River. It is caused by the sedimentation problem caused by the desertification of the upstream land.
Because of the iron mine pits and lime mines in the upper reaches of Jianxi River, a large amount of sediment entered Jianxi River.
This sediment is washed downstream with the stream and then deposited on the river bed.
The siltation of the riverbed slows down the flow of Jianxi River and causes more sediment to settle, aggravating the siltation rate of Jianxi River.
The rise of the river bed also forces the water level to rise. Once a flood occurs, the water from the stream will break through the river embankments and destroy nearby farmland.
The so-called "water conservancy flushing" is a method proposed by Pan Jixun, a water conservancy expert in the Ming Dynasty, to clean up the silt in the Yellow River.
This water conservancy official of the Ming Dynasty spent most of his time managing the Yellow River, and his ideas for managing the Yellow River were used until the Qing Dynasty, becoming the standard method of river management in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The principle of so-called "water flushing" is very simple. Narrow the river surface, build a reservoir, and then increase the water flow speed to flush away the accumulated sediment.
Jianxi is close to the mouth of the sea. As long as the sediment can be washed into the sea, the siltation problem can be solved.
Su Ze wanted to carry out "water conservancy and flushing" in Jianxi. On the one hand, he wanted to improve his "water conservancy" skill points, and on the other hand, he also wanted to benefit Changning Wei.
Changningwei's water conservancy facilities are quite backward. In addition to water conservancy disasters such as Jianxi flooding, Changningwei also encounters tide disasters every year.
Tide disasters are disasters caused by seawater intrusion during rising tides or sea storms.
Almost all coastal villages face the impact of tidal disasters. The fields that have been flooded by seawater will become salinized and require several years of maintenance before cultivation can be resumed.
Only when Su Ze really understood the problems of Changning Guard did he understand why there were so many difficulties in ancient agriculture.
The problem of seedlings is only one aspect, agricultural technology is also secondary, and a large number of natural and man-made disasters are an important factor affecting grain output.
Changning Guards was a military guard, and many of the fields were military settlements. Everyone was used to being poor, but there were no big landowners.
However, in many places away from Nanping County, most of the land in some villages is owned by gentry landlords, and ordinary people can only make a living by renting their fields.
Throughout the year, most of the output was paid for land rent. Once there was any natural disaster and the grain production was reduced, other than selling into slavery, the only option was to escape and become a refugee.
It can be said that there are completely two worlds inside and outside Nanping County.
In Nanping County, commerce is prosperous and the economy is developed, and the officials and gentry lead a life of extravagance and wealth, with rich material and spiritual lives.
But outside Nanping County, most people are skinny, skinny, and naked, living in shacks like animals.
Before Su Ze came to Changning Guard, the ninth aunt's family temple was not full of food, and the small amount of food could only be used to support the soldiers.
Now Changningwei has some industries, and the children drying salt and the women spinning and weaving also have some income, but there is still a long way to go before everyone has enough to eat.
If Su Ze wants to build Changning Guard, he must control Jianxi.
This time, Beishan Village came to his doorstep, just in time to let them provide labor and help Su Zegan with his "water conservancy" skills.
Seeing Su Ze's determined look, the Chen brothers felt a little shaken in their hearts.
Originally, they only wanted to dredge the mouth of the tributary and let the water from Jianxi flow back into the tributary.
This is just a small project and can be started as long as Changning Wei agrees.
But now Su Ze has proposed to require fifty people to completely clean up the sediment in the lower reaches of Jianxi River. This is a big project.
Chen Bofei thought for a while and said: "This matter is too big for us brothers to decide. Su Xianggong, I want to go back and ask the clan for instructions, and then give you an answer?"
Su Ze waved his hand and said: "If you don't leave the Chen family on your back, then the Changning Guard will control the river. But when the time comes, the silt will wash into the tributaries, so we won't care about it."
Chen Bofei gritted his teeth. Su Ze's words were a naked threat.
Chen Bofei clasped his fists and said, "Ms. Su, please wait a moment. I will go back to the clan to ask the clan leader for instructions."
The Chen brothers left in a hurry. Lin Xianyang asked behind Su Ze:
"Brother Aze, will they agree?"
Su Ze smiled and said, "They have no choice but to agree to this path."
The Chen brothers returned to Beishan Village. Chen Zhongfei was a food servant. He was the most arrogant in bullying the people on weekdays. He often did things like kicking the stems and had the most fiery temper.
Sitting in the Chen's ancestral hall, Chen Zhongfei said loudly: "Clan leader, brother, they are responsible for building the river in Ningwei. Why do they ask us to carry out manpower from the mountain village? Sue! It is not their responsibility to build the river in Ningwei. Why should we go to the county government to sue them?
go!"
Chen Zhongfei has a hot temper, but Chen Shufei, who is a court servant, is the calmest of the three brothers.
In court, one has to look at the elder's face at all times and grasp the weight of the board, so Chen Shufei is more tactful.
He frowned and said: "This Su Ze is quite famous in the county, and he can also exert his power in the county government. If we really sue him, it will cost a lot of money."
"It's better to just listen to Su Ze."
Chen Bofei also agreed and said: "We cannot leave the mountain village for a long time, and we have agreed on a time limit. If we fail to control the river, we will be allowed to open the river mouth!"
The patriarch of the Chen family on the back of the mountain frowned. It was obvious that Chen Jifei and Chen Bofei were in harmony, and both of them wanted the Chen family to accept Su Ze's terms and send people to help Changning defend the river.
However, the tributaries of Jianxi have been cut off these days, which has affected the farmland and cotton fields in Beishan Village. If the water supply is no longer available, there will be no harvest this year.
Chief Chen gritted his teeth and said: "Then two months at most! If Jianxi cannot be cured in more than two months, we will be allowed to widen the mouth of the river in Beishan Village!"
The three Chen brothers returned to Changning Wei Ancestral Hall in despair and signed the deed on behalf of the clan in humiliation.
Beishan Village sent fifty young people to Changning Guards to repair the river. If it could not be repaired within two months, Changning Guards would allow Beishan Village to dredge the river mouth.
Fifty young men work in Changning Guard, and Changning Guard provides them with two meals a day.
Su Ze's representative, Chang Ningwei, signed the deed, and when Su Ze selected an auspicious day, construction of the river began.
Su Ze lived a more fulfilling life in the following days. In addition to reading and giving lectures to the carrots every day, he also had to survey and map the hydrological data of Jianxi and formulate a plan to repair the river.
Lin Xianyang took the two hundred taels of silver from the guard and set off for Fuzhou Prefecture. After the money was handed over to the Censor's Temporary Office, he was sent back to Changning Guard, saying that it was waiting for inspection.
However, according to the news from Fuzhou Prefecture, military households with less than 1,000 households can basically pass the customs by paying protection fees. Changning Wei should have passed the customs this time.
Lin Xianyang also heard the news that the Yanping Wei Yu family had been caught in a shortcoming by Yan Maoqing and had been severely blackmailed.
Su Ze also took the time to visit the Powder and Fire Bureau in Yanpingwei outside the city. When Ma Baihu, the manager, heard that Su Ze needed gunpowder, he enthusiastically offered to deliver it to his door, and even helped Su Ze contact a shop that sold toner.
It is estimated that Yanpingwei was severely blackmailed by Yan Maoqing and was in a hurry to cash in to raise money. The price quoted by Yaohuo Bureau was very cheap. Su Ze couldn't help but sigh that Yu Zongyuan and his family are all good sheep!
After pulling out a handful of wool from the Yu family, Su Ze finally opened a gunpowder workshop in Changningwei.
The good news is that the powder mixed in the new powder workshop has been produced, and there is no big problem in testing it with a blunderbuss.
The bad news is that the firearms manufacturing skill level is too low, and the quality of the crude gunpowder produced by the Yanping Wei Fireworks Bureau is not high, so the explosive effect of these gunpowders is average.
In fact, the gunpowder technology of the Ming Dynasty was not lagging behind in this era. The precise black powder formula was developed by the British in the 17th century, and before the 18th century, the gunpowder used by the British army was also coarse gunpowder.
During this time, while busy in the gunpowder workshop, Su Ze also improved the [Firearm Manufacturing] skill to Lv1,50/100.
I estimate that by the time I reach Level 2, I should be able to master a more scientifically proportioned gunpowder formula.
As for gunpowder, we can produce it ourselves, and the only thing left is lead bullets.
However, according to Ma Baihu, there are no lead mines in Yanping Prefecture, and only powder shops and pharmacies will purchase small amounts of goods from Fuzhou Prefecture. If Su Ze wants to buy lead, he will have to go to Fuzhou Prefecture to find a way.
Su Ze took Lin Deqing to the ghost market again, but unfortunately the ghost market hadn't opened recently, so he had no choice but to arrange for someone to go to Fuzhou City to buy it.
In the little time left, Su Ze spent time on the shooting range.
There is only a little experience left before the [Shooting] skill breaks through to level 5. During this period, he and Lin Mojun learned about the art of war. The art of war skill also increased to Lv4. Su Ze gained some new training methods and immediately copied them to Lin Mojun.
One serving.
As a result, Lin Mojun has been looking at Su Ze obediently recently. Every time Lin Mojun feels that he has drained Su Ze's inventory, he will come up with something that shocks Lin Mojun in a few days. This guy
It's like a sponge that can't be squeezed clean!
Another thing that makes Lin Mojun depressed is that Su Ze learns things too fast!
During this time, Su Ze would ask Lin Mojun for knife skills when he had time. From the way Su Ze held the knife, Lin Mojun knew that he was a rookie among rookies.
But Su Ze practiced for a few days and got into a decent posture. Lin Mojun had never seen anyone learn so quickly.
If the progress of swordsmanship can still be accepted by Lin Mojun, Su Ze's talent in [shooting] will be terrifying.
After they first got the blunderbuss, Su Ze and Lin Mojun practiced shooting the blunderbuss together.
Lin Mojun is already extremely talented. She is already the second best shooter in Changning Guard after Su Ze.
But compared with Su Ze, Lin Mojun's talent is not enough.
Su Ze can hit the target within fifty steps with every shot.
Su Ze could hit five out of ten targets within a hundred steps.
Even with a target of two hundred steps, Su Ze could hit two out of ten shots.
Using the new words Lin Mojun learned, Su Ze's hit rate was more than double that of ordinary soldiers.
Su Ze's reloading speed is also very fast. An ordinary soldier can reload twice, but Su Ze can already reload three times.
Taking the gun from Lin Mojun, Su Ze pulled the trigger, Lv4, 397/400.
The reason why his shooting skills improved so quickly is because Su Ze discovered that as long as he hits the target, his experience will increase, and the reloading work can be completely left to others.
Then the scene of Lin Mojun loading and Su Ze shooting appeared on the shooting range.
"Hit!"
The last lead bullet hit the straw man, and Su Ze thought of the system prompt in his mind.
[Hit the straw man, shooting skill experience +1, Lv5, 1/1000]
Finally upgraded!
[Skill "Shooting" breaks through Lv5, please choose passive skills! 】
A basket of two green lights flashes, it's time to choose passive!