The Spring Festival of the fifteenth year of Jianji (915) came quietly.
After the Lantern Festival, Zhu San gathered all his apprentices to work again.
The stove was lit, the bellows was pulled up, and the hammer was swung. In the blacksmith shop, which had been quiet for more than half a month, the sound of clanging could be heard again.
A four-wheeled carriage stopped at the door, and two people jumped out of the carriage.
"Zhu San, I'm here to pick up the goods." Tuesday walked into the yard in a hurry and shouted.
Zhu San walked out of the back room, holding a horizontal knife in his hand and examining it carefully.
After reading it, he scolded the apprentice who was following him and said, "I had to rework it twice to get it right. I'm so stupid. I might as well go to the Western Regions."
The apprentice shrank his head and said nothing.
When Zhou Zhou heard this, his eyes lit up and he said, "It's good to go to the Western Regions. It's good to go to the Western Regions. That's it."
Zhu San frowned and said, "The Western Region is so chaotic. Is there any fate if I go there?"
Tuesday pulled Zhang Maza to sit down and said, "There is always a place that is not chaotic."
"If it's as good as you say, why don't you send one of your four sons?" Zhu San asked.
"Do you know?" Tuesday glanced at him sideways and said, "My Shiro will be leaving after celebrating the Spring Festival."
Zhu San was stunned for a moment, he didn't expect to actually go.
"Your Shiro is studying arithmetic, right? What were you doing there?" Zhu San frowned.
"If you stay in the market for a few years first, you can become an official later, or even become a petty official, which will be better than being a father like me," said Tuesday.
"It's better to find a merchant to work as an accountant." Zhu San said disdainfully: "Heyang has become better and better in recent years, and business and tourism are prosperous. Although the accountant cannot make a fortune, it can support the whole family. Is it no better than leaving home?"
"I said Zhu San, you are not from Heyang, why are you so in love with your family? If this is the case, why not close the blacksmith shop and go back to Yanzhou now." Tuesday joked: "My son just wants to make a difference. I have a clear plan.
I may not have passed the exam, but I still have a clear account. When King Zhao employs people, there are many opportunities."
"Studying is still useful." Zhu San laughed at himself and said: "When you go to a frontier place, even if you don't have any fame, you still have the opportunity to be an official. It's not like us blacksmiths who have to work hard all their lives."
"Blacksmiths are also popular." Tuesday glanced at the apprentice behind Zhu San and said with a smile: "Do you still remember what the saint did in Suizhou and Xiazhou?"
"You mean..." Zhu San had some guesses.
"That's right." Tuesday nodded heavily and said, "Whether they are blacksmiths recruited by the imperial court or recruited by King Zhao, they can get loans and land, without charging interest, and they can repay the principal within ten years."
"The land in the Western Regions is not valuable." Zhu San sneered and then stopped talking.
In fact, this policy was really good back then, and it immediately attracted many blacksmiths and apprentices from Guanzhong to open shops in Guanbei. Later, due to the long war, the business of these blacksmith shops has been booming.
The apprentice became a master, and continued to recruit a large number of apprentices, and then opened multiple shops, and then handed over some of them to the apprentices to take care of them. Because these apprentices had work to do and had mastered their craftsmanship, they also began to take care of apprentices.
, this is how the entire military production capacity climbs.
I don’t know when this policy was abolished. Anyway, after Zhu San moved to Heyang, he no longer cared about this matter.
His business has dropped visibly in the past two years because there have not been so many wars. Even if the court needs equipment, the output of the government-run shops is enough, and there is no need to purchase additional supplies from them.
This time I was able to receive a batch of orders for horizontal knives, blades, and gun heads, and it was thanks to my old connections.
He is old and will be like this for the rest of his life. If he is exhausted and works hard for another ten years, he will not be able to do it anymore. By then, it is estimated that there will not be any ordnance orders for him.
But what about the apprentices?
When a master leads a disciple, of course he can beat, scold, squeeze, and exploit them, but you must also consider their future lives.
The apprentice has left the apprenticeship, and you have to help him open a shop.
If your apprentice has no business, you have to help him find work.
When your apprentice is in trouble, you have to help him find a solution.
Especially since most of these apprentices are relatives and members of the same clan, it is even more important to plan for their future and not to ruin their own brand.
But it’s really difficult now.
Weapons couldn't be used, so everyone swarmed to buy farm tools that were less profitable. But as more people made them, farm tools became less and less profitable. What's the point of going on?
Zhu San didn't know the term "overcapacity", but that didn't stop him from understanding this phenomenon - looking around, he could see thick smoke billowing in Xiuwu, blacksmith shops one after another, and the fires used to stay on all night long.
A weapon was forged and flowed into the army, becoming a weapon for Daxia warriors to conquer all directions.
But times have changed.
The war bonus period is over, rapid expansion is a thing of the past, and the overall production capacity is overcapacity. His apprentice's generation is facing serious livelihood problems.
Iron smelting and ironmaking are also a very regional industry. Because its products are too heavy and long-distance transportation is troublesome, it is better to make them nearby.
There is nothing we can do in Heyang and Luoyang. If we want to survive, we can only venture outside. Go to places that have not been fully developed, go to places with backward technological levels, and go to places that are hungry for talents.
Liaodong, many people have passed there in recent years.
Someone wrote a letter back, probably meaning "You are stupid and you have a lot of money, so come quickly".
In fact, it is understandable that the local area has been experiencing an influx of people, and there is a huge demand for various iron products, while relevant talents are relatively scarce. The local Bohai blacksmiths are extremely rich and busy, and the Han blacksmiths have left
, and also has the advantage of language, which naturally makes it more nourishing.
Some people have also gone to Yunnan, but the reviews are mixed.
Someone in Kunzhou said that the local climate is pleasant and business is easy to do.
Some people fell ill or even died, never to be heard from again.
This situation is very confusing and has discouraged many people.
Coupled with the fear of the legendary miasma land, invisibly, fewer people went there - they would rather encounter tangible enemies than face unknown risks.
The Western Region seems to be a new place.
It's not a miasmatic place that everyone talks about, it's just like eating sand, but it's bearable. The only concern is that the safety environment is so bad that people are hesitant and unable to make a final decision.
"Think about it carefully." Seeing Zhu San deep in thought, he stood up on Tuesday and said, "Bring the weapon to me for a look. If it is qualified, it will be delivered."
****
"Fleeing the mountains and rivers, carrying weapons and weapons, just living in an ignoble way, how much you have abandoned yourself!"
"If you surrender your head, you will be exempted from the death penalty. If you don't bow your head for three days, you will be punished as before!"
In the grassy mountains and ridges south of the Yangtze River, the soldiers of the Shenwu Army shouted loudly.
Opposite them was a mountain stronghold, built in a dangerous place, where hundreds of warriors gathered. At this time, they heard shouts from the bottom of the mountain, and there was a commotion in the stronghold, accompanied by fierce quarrels.
Chai Zaiyong, who was riding on the horse, suddenly sighed.
In name, he is a general of the new dynasty, and the one facing him is a thief, but who is more noble than the other? They are all just pitiful people.
The fate of the Dragon and Tiger Army has spread to Huainan, and there are different opinions.
Some people were dissatisfied and felt that the imperial court was killing donkeys and did not want to raise them.
Some people lamented that it was a pity that such an old army was lost in such a hard work.
Some people sigh, thinking that it is actually very good that the last 7,000 people can go to Liaodong to serve as soldiers. They continued to receive military rewards in the first five years. Within five years, they should be given land and divisions. From now on, they will be soldiers.
Small landowners, exempt from taxes and corvee, can practice martial arts, hunt, and occasionally go on expeditions, and their lives are still very comfortable.
Chai Zaiyong was the envoy of the Shenwu Army. He had to consider the future of his subordinates. The army originally had 18,000 infantry and cavalry people. After experiencing the distant garrison battles in Liaodong, some people retreated. Now there are still some people left.
More than sixteen thousand.
Most of the 16,000 people were descendants of Huainan, who were relied upon by the former King of Wu to fight against Zhu Quanzhong and Shao Shude, although most of the time they were fighting against Qian Liu.
Chai Zaiyong has to be responsible for these people and cannot let them go unexplained.
But, what can he do?
"Commander Chai!"
"General Chai!"
"Town envoy!"
The gate of the cottage suddenly opened, and a large group of soldiers with shabby armor poured out.
The soldiers of the Shenwu Army became nervous, bent their bows and arrows, and aimed ahead.
Chai Zai stopped them with a drink and walked forward slowly.
The "bandits" looked excited and knelt at his feet. Some of them were sobbing.
"Have you had enough trouble?" Chai Zaiyong stroked their heads gently and sighed: "If you have had enough trouble, just come with me."
"General, where are you going?" someone asked.
"Death crimes can be avoided, but living crimes cannot be forgiven." Chai Zaiyong said.
"I knew it, I knew it! Thief Shao wouldn't just let us go. Are you stupid now? Bah!"
"What kind of living crime? Could it be that you went to Shengzhou to build a palace? Then you might as well fight!"
"That's all, I don't want to hide here and there anymore. I haven't seen the child for more than two years, and I don't know if he is still alive."
"Just surrender. The King of Wu has passed away, and Yang Zhen doesn't care about his family's foundation. Why should I try so hard?"
"I heard everything is peaceful at the bottom of the mountain? No one remembers us?"
"It's the Chinese New Year, and no one really remembers us. We are just a bunch of lonely ghosts."
Chai Zaiyong was silent for a while and said: "The imperial court has a system to announce to all the states. If there are soldiers who have fled and have not returned, they are allowed to surrender and their crimes will be reduced. The officials should verify their identity and appoint Liu Yin, Xi, Ting, Yanqi.
In all prefectures and prefectures, if your family members are willing to accompany you, you can be given money and food, and when you arrive in the prefecture, you will be given land assignments."
This is exile...
Everyone understood, and the crowd was in commotion for a while.
The Shenwu soldiers looked at the former Paoze and couldn't bear to take action. However, those who eat the food of the martial artist must be killed.
Fortunately, the commotion subsided soon after.
Perhaps the two years of being on the run had softened their spirits, and most of them slowly accepted the reality after a fierce ideological struggle.
One wrong step and life will take a different path. If the people in the world were uneasy, they would still dare to stir up chaos. But now that the world is peaceful and peaceful, it is impossible to give them another chance.
"Have you figured it out?" Chai Zaiyong asked, "Let's go as soon as we figure it out."
After saying that, he turned around and got on the horse.
Hundreds of "bandits" followed silently, dragging out their long silhouettes under the afterglow of the setting sun.