Hua Zhang and Jiang Chong were good friends. When Jiang Chong said that his uncle would not give any news, Hua Zhang was also a little uninterested. He leaned against the wall helplessly and sighed. But just as Hua Zhang finished sighing, he heard that Jiang Chong
He said something. "But I don't want to run away!" Hua Zhang was stunned, suspecting that he heard wrongly: "What?" Jiang Chong said again: "I don't want to run away!" "You don't want to marry a wife?"
Jiang Chong looked at his hair and said, "Hua Zhang, don't you think things in the village have become different?" After hearing Jiang Chong's words, Hua Zhang tilted his head and thought for a while, and said, "This
The new management team came in Yue, buried all the garbage, and built public toilets. Is this what you are talking about?" Jiang Chong said: "Didn't you realize that this month, neither the Chief A nor the new management team dared to let us help them?
Are you doing farm work?" Hua Zhang spat: "That's because it's slack time for farming now. Don't worry, when the wheat is harvested in a few months, those two broken households will give you a hard time!"
Jiang Chong shook his head and said: "I don't think so. Last year in Cangzhou, it was a busy time for farming, but the two commanders and the old management team still wanted us to help them weed in their fields and grind grass for him in his barn.
They are doing all kinds of miscellaneous things, using us like livestock, for fear of leaving us idle." Hua Zhang blinked and said, "What you said is still vague. It seems to be fine this month. Is it because of the new management?
Team!"
"There is a new management team! Hua Zhang, let me tell you, this new management team has a good background. It is called the Yang family. The head of the family is Yang Peng. I heard that he set up a workshop in the new village and hired one or two thousand people.
, each helper's monthly payment is two taels, and no one is in arrears for a month." After a pause, Jiang Chong said: "They also provide three meals a day, and all three meals include meat dishes!"
After hearing his friend's description, Hua Zhang licked his lips and said, "Is there such a good thing? Aren't those helpers treated better than us as soldiers?" Jiang Chong looked at Hua Zhang, his face a little excited,
Said: "Moreover, did you see the 'flintlock' of the officer in charge yesterday?"
"I've never seen anything so powerful. Hey, what was I thinking about when I was watching the show? What's the point of setting up a target so far away? It's good if it can hit a target of a hundred steps. But what happened? That rifle turned out to be
It can penetrate an inch-thick wooden board at a distance of 170 steps! I was dumbfounded at the time. This is simply a magic of an immortal! With such a weapon, what is a rogue? He will be killed more than a hundred steps away.
This rifle defeats the purpose. Even if the slaves come, they will not be able to withstand such a rifle!"
"You said we soldiers, don't we rely most on weapons? If we have a rifle like this, who would we be afraid of in a war?" Hua Zhang thought for a while, then nodded and said: "That rifle is indeed sharp, Khitan
The bow and arrow can only shoot accurately at fifty steps, but this flintlock gun can shoot accurately at a distance of 140 steps. It is really sharp! I have never heard of such a thing before!" Jiang Chong said: "You said, there is
How many military exploits will a military attaché with such a powerful weapon make in the future, and how high an official will he be promoted to?" Hua Zhang was stunned for a moment, then spat: "What does it have to do with you to be promoted to a high official in charge of the team?"
"You are stupid. As soon as the management team entered the village, they started cleaning the village, disposing of the garbage and digging drainage ditches. They also strictly enforced discipline so that the officers would no longer occupy our sergeants. This is all hard work that offends people, and there will be big consequences.
Only talented people would do this!" After a pause, Jiang Chong added: "The Guan team has great ambitions and has such powerful weapons. It is impossible to build only one or two. It is obviously to recruit troops. Our people are in the new
Zhuangzi, this is advantageous. If you can enter the team of the master of the team, why not follow the master of the team and rise to the top?"
Hua Zhang was stunned for a long time and asked: "Is that why you are not planning to escape?" Jiang Chong smiled proudly and cursed: "You idiot, good times are coming soon, why are you trying to escape?"
! Make your moves bright and wait for the good days brought by the leader!"
After the trial production of flintlock guns was successful, Zhang Xiang began to recruit more people and mass-produce them. Zhang Xiang actually had three battalions, including the first battalion, the second battalion, and the third battalion. The three battalions were all in the new Zhuangzi. Now
There are many craftsmen here in Yangpeng. Zhang Xiang searched everywhere and found more than 60 craftsmen who could make flintlock guns. He hired them all with a salary of three to two months and asked them to move to the new village. Now.
Almost half of the craftsmen in Yingzhou were abducted by Zhang Yan. This is also thanks to the Khitan official Baihu.
These were all experienced blacksmiths and had Yang Peng's design drawings. Under the guidance of Wang, Boss and the other five, these people quickly learned how to fire a flintlock gun. In order to motivate the craftsmen, Yang Peng stipulated that every time he made a qualified gun
I will give another one tael of silver to the flintlock rifle. These craftsmen can make a rifle in about a month. The monthly reward plus monthly money can get almost four taels of silver. When will the craftsmen get it?
With so much money? Everyone worked enthusiastically. Of course, in order to prevent the production of inferior products, Yang Peng asked the craftsmen to engrave their names on the rifle butts. Once the flintlock gun was found to be substandard or even blasted, the first
Two months and six taels of silver were deducted for the first time. If it happens again for the second time, military law will be dealt with!
However, these craftsmen's households alone were not enough. Yang Peng's new Zhuangzi hung alone outside the cities of Yingzhou and Cangzhou. From here to Yingzhou and Cangzhou, it was simply desolate. No one would have thought that there were villages of more than 20,000 people here.
In the future, the military pressure to defend Khitan will be great, and Yang Peng needs to quickly form an army of several thousand men. In the first step, Yang Peng plans to recruit two thousand soldiers, both of whom are equipped with flintlock muskets to guard the new village.
To form an army of 2,000 people, at least 2,000 flintlock rifles are needed. These more than 60 craftsmen's households are not enough. These craftsmen can only produce six to seventy rifles every month.
It would take two or three years to prepare a thousand rifles, not to mention that the flintlocks were still worn out during training, so it would take even more time. So Yang Peng found more than a hundred skilled blacksmiths from the refugees and paid them two to two months.
Hire them and let them serve as apprentices to craftsmen who can make rifles. In addition to the previous fifty people, the current weapons workshop also has a certain scale.
More than a hundred craftsmen and blacksmiths moved into the new village and occupied all the newly built houses. Yang Peng gave them ten taels of moving expenses each, so these people had money to hire masons and carpenters to repair furniture and furniture.
Household daily necessities. The masons and carpenters here found work again. Hundreds of craftsmen moved in and out of the new village carrying various bricks, tiles, and wood, making the small village very lively. At this time, Yang Peng transformed the village
The name is "Hope Village"
Yang Peng hoped that these apprentice blacksmiths would be able to make guns independently after half a year of training, so he stipulated that each craftsman who could make rifles would bring two blacksmith apprentices. The gunsmiths would not only make flintlock guns but also teach the apprentices about flintlock guns.
The production technology lasts for half a year. After half a year, the apprentice blacksmith can open a furnace to make flintlock guns independently. After the apprentice makes a qualified flintlock gun, the monthly money will also increase to three taels of silver. After the apprentice leaves the apprenticeship, every time the apprentice makes a
A qualified flintlock master will be rewarded with three denarii, and the remaining seven denarii will be given to the apprentice.
If the apprentice cannot become a master after studying for half a year, the apprentice will change his master and continue to learn. However, the monthly salary of the original master and the apprentice will be reduced by five silver coins until he becomes a master. Under such a reward and punishment system, the gunsmiths
They all poured their money into teaching and took the time to teach the skills to the apprentice blacksmiths. I believe that soon Yang Peng will have more than a hundred craftsmen who can make flintlock rifles. The craftsmen and blacksmiths recruited by Yang Peng are full of knowledge and skills.
Expectations for a better life in the future:
It was the second day that blacksmith He Laoer moved to Hope Village. Zhou Dayong, who was in charge of the team, was the chief officer of the gunsmiths. He made the decision and allocated He Laoer a small courtyard to the north of the village. The courtyard has three rooms and one room.
In the kitchen, He Laoer and his wife cleaned up all day before sweeping away the cobwebs and driving away the rats and insects entrenched in the house. Fortunately, thanks to the custody team officer, He Laoer got 10 taels of moving money, and he
So you have money and hire a mason to repair your things in the yard.
The family first moves into a house with more complete roof tiles, and lets the masons repair the other two houses first. After the two houses are repaired, the family moves into the repaired house, and lets the masons repair the remaining room and kitchen.
Before dawn, He Laoer climbed out of bed. He Laoer's daughter-in-law was woken up by He Laoer. She sat up sleepily and cursed: "He Laoer, what are you doing getting up so early? What's this?
What the hell? I haven’t seen you get up so early in all these years!”
He Laoer glared at his wife and said, "Don't yell, don't wake up Zhuzi!" The couple were already in their thirties, and only their four-year-old son, Zhuzi, whom they loved very much. At this time, he heard
When He Laoer mentioned the pillars, the woman lowered her voice and said, "What are you going to do?" "My master's house is repairing the yard. I'm going to see if there's anything I can do to help!" "Our family is too.
You don’t even care about repairing the yard, so why do you go and help your master with it?”
"What do you, a woman, know? Now that the leader of the team is giving such a high monthly salary of two taels of silver, do you think it is for free? You have to learn how to make a 'rifle' within half a year. If you don't have a good relationship with the master,
If you can't learn it in half a year, your monthly salary will be reduced to one or two or five yuan, and life will not be so easy!" He Laoer's wife spat: "What are you afraid of? Didn't you say that if you can't learn it, you won't be able to learn it in half a year?
Does the master also want to deduct monthly money? Are you afraid that he won't teach you?" He Laoer shook his head and said: "What do you know? This is to learn skills from others, it is better to be diligent!" After a pause, He Laoer said:
"Once you learn the skills, your monthly income will increase to three taels, and you will be rewarded with silver for making rifles. Then our family will really have a good life!"
He Laoer's daughter-in-law smiled and said: "Then when you leave the army, we can have another daughter to raise! We will have both children!" He Laoer glanced at his wife disdainfully, turned away, but couldn't help but laugh. Thinking of the future
On such a good day, He Laoer, who only slept for three hours, did not feel tired at all, but felt full of strength.
After pouring half a basin of water from the water tank and washing his face, He Laoer put on his patched clothes and walked to Master Shen Dagui's house. When he arrived at the door of Shen Dagui's yard, He Laoer found that the door was open and several people were in the house.
The masons and carpenters who stayed overnight have already gotten up to work. Shen Dagui moved to Hope Village seven days earlier than He Laoer. At this time, the renovation of the house was nearing completion. With the moving money given by the management team and generous monthly money, Shen Dagui
He was willing to spend money on the repairs of the house, and all kinds of materials were used very solidly. At this time, the Shen family's yard, which was about to be completed, looked quite decent. In the yard, Shen Dagui's furnace, anvil, and various tools had been used.
Once the layout is complete, you can start making guns.
Shen Dagui saw He Laoer coming so early and said with a smile: "He Laoer, I haven't started the furnace yet, and you're here?" He Laoer said diligently: "Master, I came to see your home.
See if there is anything I can do to help with the house repairs." Hearing He Laoer's words, Shen Dagui smiled and said affectionately: "Come, come, take a look. There are many places for you to help!"
Although Shen Dagui said so, in fact, Shen Dagui's yard has been basically repaired and does not need any help. Shen Dagui took He Laoer and looked around. He saw several masons in his yard going back and forth to lay up walls and tiles. The two of them just looked at
There was a lot of excitement. After watching for a quarter of an hour, another apprentice of Shen Dagui also came. Shen Dagui said: "Since you two are here, we will start making the handle of the flintlock gun! I will demonstrate in front, and you two will be next to me.
Look carefully." After thinking about it, Shen Dagui said: "You are also old blacksmiths. I'm afraid you all know how to knock out a thick barrel, but do you know how to straighten the inner bore of the barrel?"
When He Laoer heard Shen Dagui's question, he knew that Shen Dagui was teaching wholeheartedly and was not prepared to hide his secrets at all. He couldn't help but feel happy. "Master, please teach me!" Shen Dagui nodded and said, "Use the drill bit to grind the inner parts every time.
If you want to see the chamber, you need to raise the barrel of the gun and aim it at a bright place to see if you can see through it. If you can't see through it, you need to use a hammer to hit the part that blocks the light, and knock the part that blocks the light straight until the entire gun is
Until the inner bore of the pipe is straight, then use a thicker drill bit to grind it again!"
"You have to do it to understand the secret of this. Today is the first day, you two will watch me operate it first!" After Zhang Luo finished making the rifle, Zhang Xiang began to recruit soldiers. In the Song Dynasty, there was no force.
No matter how much money you make, it is still a castle in the air. Sooner or later, you will be plundered by the Khitans and the powerful people of the Song Dynasty.
Yang Peng deliberately moved the salt workshop and blacksmith workshop to the new industrial zone of Hope Village and put them under his own management. This way, confidentiality work would be easier and safer. However, Hope Village is too small and there are no more in the village.
The vacant houses cannot accommodate nearly two thousand workers and their families. So the first thing Yang Peng needs to do is to build a new city next to Hope Village and build factories and residences in the new city to accommodate the workers.
Building a new city requires building a new city wall. Yang Peng is going to leave this matter to the newly recruited soldiers. Yang Peng plans to recruit two thousand soldiers. Of course, a Hope Village management team does not need so many battalions. Yang Peng wants to recruit
All soldiers serve as their own reserve force.
The generals of the Song Dynasty extensively hired private soldiers because the soldiers belonged to the imperial court. No matter how much money the generals spent on training the soldiers, they would be gone to make wedding clothes for others as soon as the order was issued.
The officialdom of the Song Dynasty was chaotic, and even the generals who led the troops did not feel safe and generally spent money on private soldiers who could always follow them. Even when going into battle, the main force was the generals' private soldiers.
This situation has become a common practice in the Song Dynasty. As a person who built his own army, Yang Peng was of course not willing to work hard to build a strong army and then be transferred away. By then, all his flintlock rifle soldiers would be transferred.
Becoming someone else's subordinate. In that case, not only would he be making wedding clothes for others, but all the secrets of his flintlock rifle would be leaked. Therefore, Yang Peng did not plan to expand the size of the Hope Village army, but recruited two thousand soldiers.
Of course, externally speaking, they are soldiers, but internally Yang Peng refers to this first armed force as the Selection Regiment. Yang Peng is not used to the military name of such-and-such army of the Song Dynasty, and plans to use divisions, regiments, battalions, and companies.
Call your troops this way. This kind of name is more direct, and you can see the number of troops at once. Recruiting soldiers has much higher requirements for recruits than workers: these soldiers must be ten
Strong men between the ages of six and twenty-two are in good health. Moreover, these soldiers have to leave home at any time, and there is a risk of death in fighting on the battlefield. They are not as good as workers working in the safe rear, so Yang Peng assigned them
The monthly salary is relatively high: three taels of silver a month, and like other workers, they are also provided with three meals, including meat.
Yang Peng asked people to write a notice recruiting soldiers, and noted the monthly salary and salary on the notice. He especially emphasized that the soldiers were the heads of the Yang family, the owner of Hope Village. Now that the high benefits of the cement factory and salt workshop have spread throughout Hope Village, Yang Peng
Of course, I have to use it. After writing the recruitment notice, Yang Peng asked Zhang Xiang to post it to Hope Village immediately, and then arranged a venue for the physical examination and interview outside Hope Village. Hua Zhang saw the recruitment notice posted next to the Hope Village military hall.
, rushed to Jiang Chong's house as soon as possible. "Jiang Chong, Jiang Chong! Master Zhang Xiang is recruiting soldiers!" Jiang Chong walked out wearing a set of clothes with the least patches and the most decent clothes, and said: "I know!"
Hua Zhang took a breath and asked: "How did you know?" Jiang Chong said: "I have been hanging around the government office these days. He just posted the notice at noon, and I saw it. I didn't recognize the small characters below.
But I still recognize the big characters recruiting soldiers." Hua Zhang nodded and said, "I heard from the literate father Liu in the government office that the officials are recruiting soldiers this time, and they will be paid three taels a month, and they will also be paid.
Meat for three meals! There is nothing better than this!" Jiang Chong didn't know many words and couldn't understand the details written on the notice. At this time, he was overjoyed to hear this treatment and said calmly: "
I hope Zhuang Zhangxiang is recruiting people, and the treatment will be good!" After a pause, Jiang Chong said: "Let's go! We will go outside the south gate to apply for servants! If we can get into the team of the captain, we will be successful.
, or you’ll have enough money to get married in a few years!”
"Let's go!" The two of them walked together to the recruitment site outside the city and saw several large tents erected there. When the two of them got closer, they saw that there were more than a dozen tables in each tent.
Behind the table sat the management staff of Hope Village. In addition to the tables, there were some strange utensils placed in several tents. Although the notice had just been posted, there were already a lot of people applying. Jiang Chong took a quick look and felt
There were about two to three hundred people lining up in front of each tent.
The two of them looked there for a while, and then a young man in charge of organizing came up and asked: "Are you here to recruit servants?" Hua Zhang quickly replied: "Yes, we are here to recruit soldiers, I don't know.
What's the way to apply?" The boy handed the two of them two pieces of cardboard filled with grids and said, "Take this piece of cardboard and go into the first tent to queue up for a physical examination. After passing, you will be allowed to apply.
The medical examiner will stamp you. Then go to the second tent to stamp, then the third tent to stamp, go through all the tents in order and stamp six stamps, and finally go to the last tent for the interview." Jiang Chong looked at his hand.
He put the piece of cardboard on the table and murmured, "What should I do if I fail the physical examination?" The boy smiled and said, "Then he failed, and he can go home!"
Jiang Chong grinned and said nothing, so he and Hua Zhang walked toward the first tent. Entering the tent, Jiang Chong saw five strange large rulers. The rulers were all erected on a stand on the ground.
, there is a movable wooden board on it. People who apply for servants queue up in front of various rulers, and when it is their turn, they take off their shoes and stand under the wooden board, as if they are measuring their height.
It was the first time that Jiang Chong saw such a professional height measuring device. With such a device, you only need to press the wooden board to get the accurate number. It is really exquisite. Jiang Chong looked at the height ruler and felt more and more indifferent.
The leader of the team is unusual. Not to mention the idea of queuing invented by the leader of the team, which really saves everyone's energy.
Jiang Chong and Hua Zhang followed the example of others and found a queue with fewer people. After a while, it was their turn. Jiang Chong took off his shoes and stood there, and the person measuring his height pushed down the wooden board.
On Jiang Chong's head, he sang: "1.70 meters, qualified!" Then a person next to him stamped his personal seal on the first column of Jiang Chong's cardboard.
"Let's go to the next tent!" Jiang Chong was overjoyed and walked to the next tent with the piece of cardboard. He saw a dozen strange signs erected in that tent, each with hundreds of arrows drawn on it.
.Those arrows come in groups of three, pointing in different directions. The arrows on the top of the sign are large, the arrows on the bottom are small, and the smallest arrow is about the size of a thumbnail.
The candidates who were recruiting soldiers stood three feet away, covered one eye with a spoon, used one eye to identify the arrow pointed by the medical examiner with a wooden stick, and then pointed the direction of the arrow with their hands. Jiang Chong found a team and lined up.
Went in, looked at it for a while, and realized that this was a physical examination item to test the eyesight. This was the vision test in later generations. Where had Jiang Chong seen it? Standing in the team, Jiang Chong secretly said that this test method is also exquisite, and the eyesight can be distinguished at once.
The level of the game eliminated people with bad eyesight. Zhang Xiang of Hope Village is really amazing, and I don’t know where they got so many ingenious methods.
Finally it was Jiang Chong's turn, and Jiang Chong tried his best to identify the direction of the arrows. But the medical examiner pointed further and further down, and in the end Jiang Chong couldn't recognize the arrows the size of fingernails. Jiang Chong was afraid that he would
After being eliminated, I was a little nervous, but I heard the medical examiner singing: "Five point three, five point two, passed!" Another medical examiner sitting aside picked up the private seal and slapped it on Jiang Chong's piece of cardboard.
Chapter Two.
Jiang Chong was overjoyed, took the cardboard, and happily walked to the next tent. When he arrived at the third tent, Jiang Chong was tested for color blindness. When he arrived at the fourth tent, the medical examiner asked Jiang Chong to take off his clothes and check if there was any skin.
Disease, the fifth tent was checked for night blindness. Walking down one tent after another, Jiang Chong found that there were fewer and fewer people traveling with him, and many people had been eliminated by various projects. Fortunately, Jiang Chong and Hua Zhang both
There is nothing wrong with my body and I have passed all the physical examination items.
After walking to the last tent, the two of them saw the last item - the interview. Ten interviewers sat behind ten desks, interviewing the applicants one by one. Jiang Chong took a look and walked directly to the team officer
Waiting in the queue in front of Zhang Xiang. This is a great opportunity to talk to the team officer, and Jiang Chong is not ready to give up.
After waiting for half an hour, it was finally Jiang Chong's turn. Jiang Chong sat down in front of Zhang Xiang with some anxiety. Zhang Xiang looked at Jiang Chong, exclaimed, and asked: "Why do you look so familiar to me? Am I
Where have I seen you?" Jiang Chong replied honestly: "I am a yamen servant in Cangzhou, and the leader of the team met the villain last time in Cangzhou."
Zhang Xiang snorted, and then asked: "Why don't you become a government servant and come to apply to be my soldier?" Jiang Chong replied: "Being a government servant is poor, you can't get a monthly salary, and you can't get a wife if you don't have money.
Being an adult's soldier has a generous monthly salary, and maybe you can also use your adult's flintlock rifle, which is a promising future!" Zhang Xiang heard what he said and asked: "Do you know my flintlock rifle? Then let me ask you,
If you become my soldier and are equipped with a flintlock, and your friend asks you to show him the flintlock, will you give it to him?"
Jiang Chong immediately replied: "No! The flintlock is a treasured weapon for adults and cannot be allowed to be accessed by others!" Zhang Xiang nodded with satisfaction and asked a few more questions. Jiang Chong was indeed an insightful man, so he answered
Zhang Xiang had to be very satisfied. Finally, Zhang Xiang said on the spot: "Okay, Jiang Chong, you have been hired. This month you go back and make preparations. On the 15th of next month, you will bring this piece of cardboard covered with a private seal to Hope Village."
Gather at the south gate and wait for dispatch!"
Zhang Xiang stamped his personal seal on Jiang Chong's piece of cardboard and gave it back to Jiang Chong. When Jiang Chong heard these words from the team officer, he felt like he was flying up and his whole body was filled with joy. He took Zhang Xiang's seal and gave it to Jiang Chong.
Jiang Chong put the piece of cardboard handed over by Xiang tightly into his arms and squeezed it with his hands, for fear that the piece of paper would fly. He left the interview tent with a smile on his face and paced back and forth outside the tent excitedly.
, waiting for Hua Zhang to come with him.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Jiang Chong saw Hua Zhang running out of the tent with the same joyful expression. "Jiang Chong, I've recruited you! Have you been recruited?" "I've recruited you too! Great, Hua Zhang.
It's also raised!" Hua Zhang punched Jiang Chong on the arm and said loudly: "Great, Jiang Chong! We are going to live a good life! Let's go and cut two kilograms of meat and buy one.
Let’s celebrate with a jar of wine!”
Jiang Chong was stunned and asked: "Hua Zhang, where did you get the money to buy wine and cut meat?" Hua Zhang smiled proudly and said: "This month I helped the masons who were repairing the house and made a couple of silver. Today
I'm going to spend all of him!" Jiang Chong scolded: "You are smart and know how to help the masons. Come on, I'm going to give you a hard blow today!"
What happened after all? Let’s look at the breakdown next time.