Mr. Hou was standing in the second hall of the Anqing garrison office. He looked at Pang Yu holding three pieces of iron mesh of different sizes. There were more than a dozen pieces on the table. Mr. Hou also took out a few to look at them.
The size of the ring locks are different, and the weaving method is one with four inlays and the other with six inlays. Some of the lock rings are not smooth and feel a bit painful to the touch.
Pang Yu raised his head and asked Mr. Yu on the other side, "Is this the sample they made in three days?"
"General Hui, I know that these are some of the big ones that you have in your hands. They have been made some time ago, and they are considered proficient. They can type these in three days." Mr. Yu hesitated and added, "The ones from Tongcheng.
Zhang Manshou also brought samples. He once made Zhuangban's scale armor in Tongcheng, and he said that making chain mail is more time-consuming than making scale armor."
He said and handed over what Zhang Manshou had made. Pang Yu took a look at it and found that it was indeed better than the others, but it was not as good as it was. After all, Zhang Manshou had been making farm tools before.
"Have you brought the rogue arrowheads you collected?"
Pang Ding, who was behind, brought over a bag and poured all the contents on the table. They were all half-cut arrows, with a total of six or seven shapes. Pang Yu picked up the arrows one by one and marked the keyhole of each piece.
The defense of chain armor relies on the lock ring. The hole must be smaller than the common arrow. The appearance is the first thing to check. Mr. Yu and Pang Ding stood nearby and watched Pang Yu try on one piece and then replace it with a new one. Hou
The gentleman was on the other side, but he took the tried ones from Pang Yu.
After pointing out several items one by one, Pang Yu put them away and said, "Ask the archery team to find half a pig body with ribs for testing. Those that can withstand light and heavy arrows for thirty steps will be made by the iron shop. Tell them the acceptance criteria.
, weighing 25 to 30 kilograms, a thirty-step bow and arrow cannot penetrate armor, and can prevent waist cuts at close range. As long as it meets this standard, you can charge as much as you make, and the money will fluctuate slightly according to the weight."
Mr. Yu thought about it, "Isn't this a bit hasty? This time, my lord threw out 900 pieces of chain mail, and all the iron shops in Anqing wanted to make them. They must be uneven. I think they can each make samples.
After selecting, let the qualified ones do it, and the one with the lowest price will get it.”
Pang Yu shook his head, "Actually, I thought so before, and even thought about asking them to make the same lock ring, and then build a workshop in the garrison to specialize in weaving, but it seems difficult to achieve it now."
In South Zhili, most of the goods related to handicrafts are better than those in the north, but in terms of armaments, there has been no demand for many years and resources have not been allocated in this area. It may be a bit ideal for them to suddenly reach the level of the north in the short term.
Pang Yu threw down a few samples in his hand. What these blacksmiths made in three days was only the size of a chest. If he didn't mobilize all the blacksmiths in Anqing, it would be impossible for him to complete 900 pieces of armor in a short period of time.
Mr. Yu opened his mouth, but finally did not say anything, but Pang Yu noticed it.
"Sir, if you have something to say, you may as well say it directly. Our garrison office does not do things with lies. It only depends on whether what you say is reasonable. Especially when it comes to combat preparations, money, food, and training, lies are allowed in the yamen, but absolutely not in the army, because we usually say
It’s just a lie, you have to risk your life in war.”
After hearing this, Mr. Yu bowed and said, "I think it's a pity that these thirty or forty taels of armor are worth three to forty thousand taels of silver if you deal with it like this."
There was a look of regret on his face, as if he had spent his own money. Pang Yu had given him money before, but he had never seen him spend it. He looked more heartbroken than ordinary people spending money.
Pang Yu rubbed his forehead, "I don't want to spend money like this, but I can't wait. Intelligence from all sides shows that rogue bandits are entering Henan on a large scale. No one knows when they will come to Anqing. They may not come, or they may come tomorrow.
I have asked everywhere in South Zhili, but there is nothing in stock to buy. As for the order, let’s not talk about whether other subway workshops dare to make armor. I have not heard of anyone who is good at it. For now, I can only make do with what I have just said.
Standard, do as much as you can."
Mr. Yu's face wrinkled up and he breathed hissingly for a moment, "Then general, why don't you make some scale armor? This thing is easier to make and can also be repaired."
"At this time, I told my husband that our battalion mainly fights along the river. The scales will damage the skin, so we must add cotton-padded clothes as a buffer. We cannot wear heavy armor like this in the summer climate, and I am afraid it is not suitable."
"But winter is coming soon." Mr. Yu buried his head and whispered in a scared voice, "You can wear it in winter. If the bandits enter Henan, they will definitely come before next spring. Our scale armor can also be used.
By early summer.”
After thinking for a moment, Pang Yu looked at Mr. Yu carefully and said, "What Mr. Yu said seems to make sense."
Mr. Yu was a little nervous at first because his views were not consistent with Pang Yu's. Now after listening to Pang Yu's words, his views seemed to have impressed his boss. He felt relieved and continued, "The most important thing is that this scale armor is easier to make than a chain."
The armor is convenient, and after the blacksmith has made the scales, the drilling can be done by the apprentice, and the weaving and lining can be done by women."
Pang Yu was a little moved, "Sir, did you go to the blacksmith shop?"
"I will naturally do my best for the things that the adults tell me. I have talked with Zhang Manshou in Tongcheng. I have been at the blacksmith shop during the day these past few days and I know the general situation. To make the scale iron pieces usable, they need to be hammered repeatedly, so that they are both strong and durable.
It is lightweight, and then holes are drilled at the four corners of the scales, and then wires are threaded and woven into shape, and finally the lining is done. The time spent is mainly on the iron sheets, which requires the blacksmith to do it himself, but it is cheaper to make than the ring lock, and it can be easily used in the future.
Apprentices learn and make now. As long as they don't miss the blacksmith's working time, they can do it quickly. On the other hand, the chain mail requires the blacksmith to do everything. Whether one is inlaid with four or one is inlaid with six, it is very cumbersome. At this time, the flat plate is still being weaved.
, and then it needs to be formed, and the shoulders, neck, and arms are connected. If you are not an experienced hand, it may be difficult to make one piece in a month. It is not enough for adults to use urgently, and it also costs a lot of money..."
Mr. Yu started talking, and Secretary Hou and Pang Ding kept looking at him and sizing up Pang Yu's expression.
Pang Yu waited for Mr. Yu to finish speaking before smiling with satisfaction. Mr. Yu had only been in charge of the armor for ten days, but it could be seen that he had put in the hard work and put forward his own opinions, which was not dull.
People who do things.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Sir, are you from Zhuji, Zhejiang?"
Mr. Yu quickly replied, "The villain is from Zhuji."
"What errands has sir done before?"
Mr. Yu said respectfully, "I worked as a clerk in the household office of Zhuji Gongfang, and then went to the household department of the government office and studied with two gentlemen from Shaoxing for five years."
"That's it." Pang Yu nodded. In his memory, Shaoxing did produce such practical talents. What was different from Pang Yu's impression was that at this time, it had not reached the level of Shaoxing masters all over the world like in the Qing Dynasty, but no matter what
Whether it is the imperial court or the local area, there are already a large number of Shaoxing people helping officials handle practical matters, especially in the household department of the capital. This kind of financial and accounting personnel are basically monopolized by Shaoxing people, and skills are also taught by Shaoxing people. This was formed by Shaoxing masters in the Qing Dynasty.
Base.
However, the plan proposed by Mr. Yu is quite different from Pang Yu's expectation. The most versatile along the Yangtze River is chain mail. Scale armor cannot be used once summer arrives, especially from May to August. Pang Yu himself
I have tried it, and found that if you wear heavy armor in June, you will basically lose your fighting power after standing for ten minutes.
The weight is at least 40 kilograms, and Tongcheng even made one weighing 60 kilograms. This is a huge pressure on the march, and it is quite time-consuming to wear. When facing rogue bandits dominated by cavalry, once they encounter a surprise attack like Shucheng's,
These heavy armored soldiers may collapse before they are fully equipped.
Mr. Hou coughed, breaking the silence in the hall. He whispered to Pang Yu, "If we make this scale armor, these soldiers will not be able to fight when the weather is hot. We can't give each of them a lock."
Zijia, won’t it cost more then?”
Pang Yu raised his eyes and looked at Mr. Hou, "What do you mean by Mr. Hou?"
Mr. Hou was stunned. He just wanted to oppose Mr. Yu's plan. As for how to solve the problem in the end, he didn't think about it.
Mr. Yu said calmly, "There is one more thing about the chain armor. I asked the old man in the garrison that the rust should be removed frequently on weekdays. This river is humid, and if it is stacked and stored, it will rust together. The soldiers must polish it frequently, which is quite difficult.
It consumes the soldiers' physical strength."
Mr. Hou had never thought about this and could not refute it for a while, so he had to retreat in a low voice.
Pang Yu didn't ask any further questions, and kept thinking to himself. The people he had now were at two extremes. Those who could fight were illiterate, and those who were literate couldn't fight at all. Military affairs were handled by these bureaus, which involved the army.
He had no one to discuss the direction of construction.
"Just slap your head." Pang Yu stood up and said, "First of all, in response to this year's urgency, all the scales will be made. The regulations of the scales will be determined by you, sir. The weight of the armor with skirts is between forty and forty-five kilograms.
Twenty-step defense against bows and arrows, five-step defense against javelins, close-quarter defense against slashing, three models, large, medium and small, all of which must not exceed the price of forty taels. Start equipping them from the 100th General Bureau, and then equip the next one when you have them all. Let Anqing
, Tongcheng, and Wangjiang all the blacksmith shops are doing it. After accepting the money for each piece, we will try to make 900 pieces in two months and finish them in three months at the latest. As for the chain mail, tell the blacksmiths to purchase it next year.
Mainly chain armor. If they want to take on future business, let them practice and familiarize themselves first. The standard is what I just said. I will make it for whoever has the best sample next year."
Mr. Yu's opinion was adopted, and his face was quite excited. Pang Yu turned to Mr. Hou and said, "Please ask Mr. Hou to draft a document. Mr. Yu will be in charge of the armor procurement. Guo Fengyou will lead the army to be responsible for acceptance, and Yang Xueshi will assist. It must be a real sword."
After acceptance, Pang Ding is responsible for paying the money."
Mr. Yu was stunned for a moment after hearing this. According to the rules of the old yamen, this matter was assigned to him, that is, one person was in charge of it from beginning to end. It was the time to make a profit, but Pang Yu divided all the power.
On the other hand, Pang Ding and Mr. Hou were used to it and didn't have any strange expressions.
Pang Yu looked at the three of them, "What other military supplies need to be replenished?"
Pang Ding immediately replied, "Sir, the weather is getting cold soon. Except for the old men in the strong squad, the other newcomers are not equipped with winter clothes. Five hundred new infantry were recruited in Anqing, excluding the 170 people who were killed and wounded in Tongcheng.
We need to purchase 1,323 winter coats, 560 spears, 1,200 spearheads, and 370 waist knives."
"Did you receive the message sent by Shidaitai?"
Pang Ding lowered his head and said, "Of the seven hundred spears, 330 are unusable, and the rest are of different weights from those used in our camp. There are five hundred waist knives, but two hundred are unusable, and the cotton armor has not yet been used."
arrived, but the total amount allocated is only two hundred. The other one is Bo Yu, who needs to purchase 5,000 jins of copper materials and 1,000 jins of tin materials..."
Pang Yu waved his hand. The cost of raising soldiers is far more than military pay. A new battalion costs money everywhere. After the equipment and equipment are invested, military pay and losses will be spent every month. If the army is expanded to 2,000 people, the armor alone will cost 80,000.
2. Although Pang Yu had just raised a large sum of money, he still felt that he could not afford it and could only equip half of the armor. The equipment and military pay allocated by the court were insufficient, especially for equipment, so he had no choice but to invest in it himself.
"There are so many items, write them down and give them to me. Don't wait for me to ask you."
"This... subordinate doesn't know how to keep accounts."
Pang Yu glared at Pang Ding. Now that Pang Ding is in charge of military supplies and also serves as an accountant and cashier, he really has no other available people. However, Pang Ding was just a helper in a pharmacy before, and his ability does not seem to be up to par.
"In the future, you will be the quartermaster. Let Liu Ruogu choose two reliable accountants. They are from Anqing and bring them over tomorrow."
Pang Ding breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to take on so many things at the same time. He was trembling every day because he was most afraid that Pang Yu wouldn't be able to answer his questions.
Pang Yu waved them away, and he was the only one left in the hall. He stayed at the table for a while, and flipped through the schedule on the desk. He was about to convene a meeting with the General Secretary. He needed to adjust the organization of the army, and then
To replace the lost soldiers and equipment, those that should be upgraded should be upgraded. The number of troops will reach 1,300. It seems that there are not enough barracks. Shi Kefa cannot count on this matter, and it will probably cost money.
After rubbing his forehead, Pang Yu shouted outside, and Guo Fengyou ran in immediately.
"Inform the General Meeting of the Hundreds, and also send someone to inform Mr. Shuiying Chen, and ask him to come to the lobby to see me at the beginning of the day."