Elizabeth has a hot figure and charming appearance, and is regarded as the dream lover by many men in Zhangbei. However, there are rumors that Tie Mo is not clear with her, which saves a lot of trouble.
Hai Lanzhu was very wary of this foreign woman. Strangely enough, she was not afraid of Chang Minyue or Aqige, but she was a little afraid of Elizabeth. When she heard Tie Mo's words, her eyes widened and she walked away in twos and twos.
He walked over and stood between the two of them, "Don't you have something else to do? Why don't you go quickly? I can just handle this little thing."
"????" Tie Mo pursed his lips and smiled bitterly, rubbed his chin and sighed secretly. As soon as Tie Mo stood up, he was stopped by Elizabeth with his hand, "Don't leave. Please solve my problem before leaving."
Hai Lanzhu's face looked a little ugly. If this woman wasn't really an expert in artillery, why would she be so taboo? Tie Mo felt a headache, stretched out a finger to poke Hai Lanzhu's shoulder, and said softly: "How about that.
....Give her a little?”
Tie Mo's voice was very low and he lacked enough self-confidence. Hai Lanzhu turned his head and glared contemptuously, "If the pressure is not great, do you think you can not give it to her? In the past six months, wars have continued and the cost has increased sharply. Concubine
Shen and Min Yue tried their best to support themselves. Do you think it's easy to be this family? How about you come?"
As soon as Hai Lanzhu's posture was cut off, Tie Mo spread his hands helplessly, "Okay, Elizabeth, you heard it too, the financial pressure is really great recently, can't you take it easy?"
Elizabeth looked at the two of them with some confusion. The conversation just now did not seem to be fake. She was not an unreasonable person. She thought about it and whispered: "You have to know that if you do this, the improvement will be slowed down. As long as
If you can afford to wait, I have no objection."
Wait? What Tie Mo fears most is waiting. What is the current situation? Civil unrest is everywhere, the Jurchens are eyeing the tigers, Lin Danhan is ambitious, Yun Mansion can only live in peace for two years at most, and there will probably be non-stop fighting in the future. What is missing most is
It’s time. Artillery is really important to Tiemo. Every two kilograms lowered by a new artillery is a great improvement for field warfare.
Money, where can I get it? Soon, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in Tie Mo's eyes. He had no choice but to rob.
"Don't worry too much. I think you will have money in two months. That guy Wang Ziyong has been dominating northern Shaanxi for so long. He will probably wipe out northern Shaanxi completely." Tie Mo secretly made up his mind that he must do it this time.
He took the king for his own use and vomited blood.
Hai Lanzhu smiled bitterly and shook his head. It was rare to see people like Tie Mo who would think of robbing whenever they were short of money. "You should be more careful about this matter. The other party is not a fool. He has suffered so many losses.
Can I still succeed again and again?"
"It's not up to him!"
Elizabeth heard something and rubbed her hands excitedly, "Are you going to fight? Take me with you this time."
Hai Lanzhu and Tie Mo said in unison: "No, what are you going to do?"
"Let's observe the various data of the new artillery. The training ground is limited after all. The new artillery has been improved in all aspects. I don't know if there will be any problems under long-term firing. All aspects of the data must be recorded one by one. It's okay.
Find the problem. If I don't go, why don't you let Mr. Sun go?" Elizabeth's face was tense and she looked angry.
Hai Lanzhu and Tie Mo couldn't say anything at this time. Sun Yuanhua was very old. He went to the front line with the army and was tired all the way. It's strange that his old body could bear it.
"Okay, you can follow me, but just stay with me and don't cause any trouble!"
.......
Early the next morning, Geng Zhongming and his party finally arrived in Zhangbeicheng. When they saw Geng Zhongming and Shang Kexi, Tie Mo found that he was in a very calm mood.
I once hated Geng Jingzhong, Shang Kexi, Wu Sangui and others. I really couldn't like these guys who betrayed the Ming Dynasty and led the Tatars to harm their own people. But as I grew older and learned more, I realized that many things were not true.
Such a simple betrayal does not mean that they want to be traitors. In many cases, it is forced by the situation.
In fact, both Geng Zhongming and Wu Sangui were fierce generals, and they were loyal to the Ming Dynasty at first. I am afraid that no matter what they thought, they would not have thought that they would later commit to the Tatars. Take Geng Zhongming as an example, after Mao Wenlong was killed,
The old Pidao tribe became ownerless and was ostracized everywhere. In order to protect themselves, they had no choice but to betray the Ming Dynasty. Given their original position, they had no other choice but to defect to the Tatars.
Wu Sangui went even further. He was about to surrender to Li Zicheng, but due to a series of changes, he became the pioneer of the Tatars.
As long as these people are used well, they can actually become good generals who will swear allegiance to the death. In essence, Geng Zhongming and Monk Kexi are not the kind of people who forget about money and do whatever it takes. Most of them were forced to surrender to the Tatars later.
of.
Many people in later generations said that you can't surrender to the Tatars even if you die. Tie Mo has always sneered at this kind of words. This is a typical example of standing and talking without back pain, and dying depends on what kind of death method it is, dying in a vigorous battle, dying well, and holding back.
You feel aggrieved and forced to die of depression by your own people, why do you accept your fate? If you were in Geng Zhongming's situation, you would do the opposite. If you don't pull the lever and become a bandit, you will surrender to the Tatars.
Take the Shanxi merchants as an example. If they had not been forced to do anything, how could they have supported the Manchus later? Now I have united the Shanxi merchants to ensure that their interests are not infringed. These Shanxi merchants have not contributed money and effort to ensure that
Was the northern border prosperous during the Ming Dynasty?
Tie Mo is confident that he can make good use of people like Geng Zhongming, just like he was able to unite Shanxi merchants before.
Facing Tie Mo's sharp eyes, Geng Zhongming felt a little uneasy. The young man in front of him had an indescribable maturity. The ferocity and shrewdness in his eyes were tempered by blood and fire. Geng Zhongming had led troops for many years.
As a veteran, he could keenly feel the murderous aura coming from Tie Mo.
I had underestimated Tie Mo before, but when I met him, I realized that I had underestimated him. How could he be an ordinary person if he could rise rapidly in northern Shanxi within two years?
"Several of you, Mr. Tie knows that you are all old people under the command of Governor Mao and are highly valued. But now that you have arrived in northern Shanxi, you must act according to the rules here. In terms of treatment, everything will be the same as before. In terms of position, it is impossible to be like before.
It’s the same. I hope everyone is mentally prepared for this. Of course, if anyone is dissatisfied, they can leave, and Tie Mo will never stop him."
Tie Mo paused and saw that Geng Zhongming and others were listening quietly, then he continued: "Of course, as long as you work hard, you will be rewarded for your merits."
Tie Mo's arrangements for Geng Zhongming and others were very simple. Geng Jingzhong was appointed as a guerrilla general, and the others all started from the rank of General Qian. When Shang Kexi was in Pidao, his position was half a point higher than that of a general, but now he has become a
Famous president.
However, no one like Geng Zhongming felt dissatisfied, and no one thought about leaving. Li Jiucheng, Li Yingyuan, and Kong Youde believed that as long as rewards and punishments were clearly defined, they would not be afraid of being promoted based on their abilities.
Although Mr. Qian is a little low, it is still better than returning to Liaodong and being splinted. Before meeting Tie Mo, everyone had already had a preliminary understanding of the situation in the Yun Mansion. The military system of the Yun Mansion can be said to be the most special existence of the Ming Dynasty.
, there are no factions here, and the origins of the leading generals are diverse, ranging from rogue bandits to aristocratic families, and what is even more surprising is that there are Mongolians.
In this complex military system, regardless of origin, as long as you work hard, you will be rewarded for your merits. In the final analysis, if you want to join the Yunfu army, you must have real materials, which Geng Zhongming and others are not lacking.
After appeasing Pi Dao's old troops, Tie Mo left Geng Zhongming alone and said, "General Geng, our troops will use troops against the northern Shaanxi bandits in the near future. This time I want General Geng to bring a troop of troops there."
Geng Zhongming was overjoyed. He was a shrewd man and understood Tie Mo's intention in an instant. General Tie was giving Geng a chance to make a contribution. As a new recruit, it is absolutely rare to have such an opportunity.
.
Soon, he stood up and held his hands in excitement and said: "Please give the order, Commander-in-Chief, and I will ensure that the mission is completed."
"Don't worry, General Geng should go back and rest first. We will discuss the specific tasks in northern Shaanxi!" Tie Mo smiled kindly.
........
Outside the gate of the Moon Palace, Shang Kexi, Kong Youde and others did not leave, waiting patiently. When Geng Zhongming went out, they hurriedly greeted him. Shang Kexi was a little worried and said: "Brother Geng, why did General Tie keep you here?
Is it difficult for you?"
"You are overly worried. The Commander-in-Chief just informed you that Geng will be sent with the army to suppress bandits in northern Shaanxi in the near future."
"Well" Shang Kexi and others frowned, "Brother Geng, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
Geng Zhongming smiled and said: "Of course it's a good thing. This proves that General Tie has never thought about suppressing us. Let Geng join the army. On the one hand, it gives Geng a chance. On the other hand, it also means to test Geng.
.It seems that General Tie is very open-minded in terms of employment, so you don’t have to be impatient, there will be many opportunities in the future.”
"I hope so!" an angry voice sounded, and the speaker was none other than Kong Youde, who had been standing at the back.
Geng Zhongming frowned deeply and said in a deep voice: "Brother Kong, this is not Pidao, and Commander Tie is not Commander Mao. We should be more cautious in what we say and do in the future. I know you are dissatisfied, but this is the reality. We are in Shanxi
It is better to go north than to suffer in Liaodong. Commander Tie is young and has already become the first commander in chief of the Nine Borders. He is also a student of Governor Sun and has a very good relationship with His Majesty. His future is boundless. Let’s follow him.
It’s not considered an insult.”
"However, the Northern Shanxi Army has strict discipline. Please remember that you must not do things randomly in the future, especially Brother Kong. You must change your previous mistakes. Killing innocent people indiscriminately and killing good people to take credit for their merits. This kind of thing cannot happen again.
, otherwise, sleeping won’t be able to protect us if something goes wrong.”
Geng Zhongming's words were cold, and Shang Kexi's heart trembled, and then he thought of this. Kong Youde, on the other hand, snorted and didn't take it too seriously.
...
At the end of March in the third year of Chongzhen, some soldiers and horses from Xuanfu and Datongfu gathered at Ningwu Station and advanced towards northern Shaanxi.
Because they wanted to find a way to steal money, Tie Mo and Wang Zuogao came this time. They were not worried about leaving this matter to others. After arriving at Ningwu, they did not expect to see Man Gui. Ordinarily, it was just a small-scale military operation.
There is no need for Man Gui to come in person.
Tie Mo and Man Gui were old acquaintances and had a very good relationship. When they met, they greeted each other in a familiar manner, "Brother Man, why are you here in person?"
Mangui rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Brother, didn't you come here in person? Huh, I don't know you yet? You probably have some wrong ideas again. Let's agree in advance that everything will be done according to the old rules."
"Haha" Tie Mo touched his nose in embarrassment, "It's easy to talk about. I really can't do this without your help, but General Cao..."
"Don't worry about this. I have already said hello to Lao Cao. If you have any plans, we will fully cooperate with you. Lao Cao was depressed a few days ago and plans to vent his anger this time."
After a few words, the two quickly finished the spoils-sharing meeting. After dinner, while no one was paying attention, Man Gui pulled Tie Mo to a corner and muttered, "Brother, I came to Ningwu Institute this time just to meet you and talk to you.
You talk about something."
"Brother, please tell me!"
Man Gui frowned and rubbed his hands in embarrassment, "The artillery used in your army is very powerful. Can you sell me a few cannons? Don't refuse. I know your firearms workshop."
They are specially made for cannons."
"You..." Tie Mo smiled bitterly and shook his head. Although he had known that the artillery would be targeted, he didn't expect that someone would speak so soon.
Tie Mo never thought of refusing. Ever since the fierce battle in Liaodong, the matter of new artillery could not be covered up. Tie Mo never thought of covering it up from beginning to end. He also expected to make a fortune by selling artillery and doing arms business.
, Nowadays, you can only make cannonballs yourself, so you are not afraid that others have artillery. As long as the cannonball is broken, the artillery is just a pile of iron lumps. Artillery is still a small profit, and the continuous consumption of cannonballs later is the big one.
Moreover, this new type of artillery was too powerful, and the court should think more about it if it were to be taken by himself. Especially Chongzhen, with his suspicious temperament, should doubt whether his Tieren was planning to rebel.
Selling the cannon to Mangui was a good thing. While making money, it also eliminated Chongzhen's suspicion.
He had already made up his mind, but there was a look of embarrassment on his face, "New artillery, it's not that you can't sell this, but as you know, this thing is very troublesome to build, and I don't have much in my hands. The price...
..."
Mangui felt a little anxious after hearing this, patted her thigh and said angrily: "Stop, stop, the price is easy to negotiate!"
"Well, each artillery piece is one hundred thousand taels, and the shells are one hundred thousand taels each. As for..."
"Nai Qiu...are you fucking trying to steal money?" Man Gui stared, her hands were trembling, and she was even breathless.
He had expected this reaction from Man Guihui, so he sighed calmly: "Brother Man, don't worry, do you think it's too expensive? Hey, let me tell you the truth, you may also understand a little bit,
For the sake of the new artillery, I sold everything and lost a lot of money."
"In the second half of last year alone, more than 4.7 million taels were invested in the improvement of new artillery. This does not include subsequent investment. Brother, do you think a gun of 100,000 taels is expensive? This price is definitely within our own ranks.
If it were someone else, I wouldn’t say whether I would sell it or not. Even if I sell it, the price would be 200,000 taels, and I wouldn’t care about him!"
Tie Mo was eloquent and confident in his words. He spent a lot of money just for the artillery. He was not lying at all.