There is a layer of mist covering the urban and rural areas of Wuchang, and the sunshine cannot be dispersed for a long time. Wheat is planted in the fields, and looking at the green fields, it seems that spring has arrived early.
The houses in the village are particularly popular, with many people sitting outside the houses and busy in the dams drying things. It is the slack season, and business has not been easy in the past two years. Many people have not gone out, and they have another kind of job:
Drilling gun barrels. Wardens from various places received some forged iron pipes and simple hand tools from the Wuchang Ordnance Bureau, and distributed them to various companies for drilling and polishing. People rushed to get the work because after processing a gun barrel, they could
Get a ticket and go to the county to collect thirty kilograms of pork or two pieces of cotton cloth; and there is no risk. If the iron pipe is not finished and scrapped, there is no need to pay compensation, but if the job is not done well, the security guard may not be there next time.
Then distribute iron pipes. It is said that iron pipes are not valuable, but drilled ones are more valuable.
Drilling the iron pipe is troublesome but relatively simple. It's just a handy job. If you have strong hands and feet, you can get one in twenty days. It can take up to a month. At this time, there is very little work in the fields, and the Chinese New Year is coming soon. People
If you can get some extra meat, you can live a healthy life this year, or if you get two pieces of cotton cloth, adults and children can buy a new set of clothes.
There are four or five families in some families who almost have fights when fighting for a living with the security chief. To the common people, idleness is just idleness, and manpower is worthless. People who are not from Wuchang Prefecture do not have this kind of opportunity... It is said that pigs and cotton cloth
Most of them were shipped back from Jiangxi, and the war was won in the east. It was only at this time that most people felt a little different.
However, the richest people in the village are those whose families are soldiers. They can receive military pay every month. Sometimes they can get some money back, sometimes in kind. This kind of income far exceeds that of farmers and craftsmen. After all, they are
Money for working one's life. A while ago, everyone was not envious of it and was afraid of being regarded as a traitor in the future. But recently, the opinions in the city and the countryside have changed. Mainly those knowledgeable gentry said that they seemed to say that the king of Huguang and Xiang could achieve something.
…
In the open hall of the waterside pavilion by the sand lake, Xu Zixin was recounting his experiences at the farmhouse outside Wuchang.
He was originally assisting the Yao family in shipbuilding and managing the navy in Yuezhou, but was secretly recruited back to Wuchang by Zhang Ning. He arrived only two days ago. Xu Zixin was also happy that the situation of the Jianwen regime had improved... In the past, the Suzaku Army invaded Yuezhou Prefecture, and the prefect led
Officials at all levels in Yuezhou Prefecture and counties surrendered, so he had no choice but to follow him, and his future was not optimistic. Of course, he was worried that like officials in various prefectures in Jiangxi, they were controlled by the army a few months ago. Dozens of prefects and magistrates who had surrendered to the Jianwen Dynasty might be captured.
He was deposed or taken to Nanjing to face charges. But things are different now. The stability of Huguang gave Xu Zixin and other officials reassurance.
Moreover, in the Xuande Dynasty, he was just a county magistrate with no background. Now that he was reused by the King of Xiang, it might be a rare opportunity for him to get promoted.
He is sitting next to him and talking and laughing with King Xiang. Of course he understands in his heart that the emperor in the Jianwen court has no real power. The country was conquered by King Xiang in front of him. The treatment he is getting now in front of King Xiang is extraordinary.
Ordinary.
Xu Zixin talked about what he had seen among the people for a while, then slapped his forehead and said: "I almost forgot, I came from Yuezhou Mansion and brought a small gift, please accept it with your Majesty's approval."
Zhang Ning responded casually, not showing much interest. He was indeed not greedy for personal gain. As the most powerful person in a group, all the places he occupied belonged to him. What was the point of collecting those treasures and playthings?
But when Xu Zixin called his entourage to come up with a jar, his expression immediately relaxed. It looked like it should be a jar of wine or something like that. This kind of gift is quite good.
The attendant placed the jar on the wooden table, Xu Zixin patted it gently and said with a smile: "The wine gets more fragrant as it gets older. This wine was fished out of the Yangtze River and has been hidden at the bottom of the river for twenty or thirty years. According to investigations, it has been thirty years.
The previous cargo ship coming down from Sichuan was robbed by bandits on the river. The property was robbed and the ship was scuttled. However, the wine on the ship was not robbed. Now we have salvaged some and turned it into fine wine. I left Yue
When I was in the prefecture, the prefect ordered a few altars to be delivered, and I kept one altar as a gift to the prince, and the rest went to the palace as tribute."
Zhang Ning was very interested when he heard this, and casually said: "With such origin, it is indeed top quality. I heard that in the West, there is a kind of wine called
Worth as gold.”
Xu Zixin hurriedly followed his intention and complimented him: "Your Majesty is well-informed and I bow to you."
Zhang Ning came close to the wine jar and took a sniff. He raised his head and said with a smile, "Ha, it smells like mud, and indeed it also smells like the bottom of the river. I'll cook a few dishes in the kitchen tonight, and I'll share this jar of wine with you."
"
"Don't dare." Xu Zixin excused himself politely.
At this time, the greetings were almost finished, and he glanced at the attendant, who then opened the package and carefully put a pile of rolled papers on it. Xu Zixin picked through it for a while, selected one and unfolded it.
It is a drawing showing the structure of a large ship.
"Your Majesty, please take a look. This is the wheel boat. The official water wheel warships our army encountered during the Jiujiang Water Battle should be this kind of ship. The wheel boat is not uncommon. In previous years, the Ministry of War ordered the construction of river ships. Yuezhou Shipyard
It has also been built. Its structure is similar to a flat-bottomed sand boat. Large ships usually have four waterwheels, which are very suitable for fast navigation in the inland rivers and lakes." Xu Zixin talked eloquently, "On the rivers, it is not as good as on the sea. It is generally calm and calm, and the sailboat cannot be used.
We can only rely on wooden oars; but the warship is heavy, and using the oar is laborious and slow, while a water wheel is powerful."
Zhang Ning indeed has no experience with warships, but it does not affect his judgment of what kind of ship is more effective. In the Jiujiang water battle, the army's warships are very sharp. Since the army can imitate their own matchlock guns, why can't our own army learn from the army?
warship tactics?
He had never seen a drawing of a ship, but he studied it very carefully at this moment. He soon discovered that this kind of drawing was very rough, without scales and dimensions, and it was just a simple drawing to outline the structure. This era did not seem to be
Most of the popular specifications for papermaking rely on the experience of skilled craftsmen and the inheritance from masters and apprentices.
"We want to build new warships, but imitation alone is not enough..." Zhang Ning said thoughtfully, "If the ships have the same size and tactics, if we want to defeat the official army on the water, we can only use consumption to compare with strength. The eastern part of the official army occupies
There are many shipyards and craftsmen, and their manpower and material resources are stronger than those of our two provinces. It will be difficult to control the water control rights of the Yangtze River if we stick to the old rules."
Xu Zixin said: "What the prince said is absolutely true, but it is difficult to surpass the official army for a while. Because the imperial navy used to focus on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, and there were also sea-going ships built in coastal cities, Huguang is indeed a little smaller.
Not as good as that."
The appearance of a sailing battleship appeared in Zhang Ning's mind. A large ship with huge cannons is so domineering, but it's a pity that how can it be designed just from the appearance seen in movies? Moreover, the main function of the navy today is to fight on inland rivers.
, as Xu Zixin said, a sailboat is not flexible as a warship, so it can only learn from past experience on the spot.
He humbly said to Xu Zixin: "Xuzhi County once managed the shipyard. I have to listen to you on how to build the ship...but I have an idea."
Xu Zixin hurriedly bowed and said: "Please give me some advice, Your Majesty."
"In the battle of Jiujiang, I watched the battle of Poyang Lake with my own eyes on the shore, and found that the water battle at this time was still mainly about angle and close combat." Zhang Ning said while thinking about it, "But our artillery can already
If you have a huge advantage in land warfare, how can you equip it on a ship and use it to fight the enemy in artillery warfare?"
"This..." Xu Zixin seemed to have not considered this issue.
Zhang Ning added: "The broad side area is large, and multiple cannons can be deployed in a line. We should find a way to use the side cannons as the main battle design of the warship."
Xu Zixin pondered: "What the prince meant is to use ship-borne cannons to sink and damage warships. Ordinary light cannons cannot do that. If heavy cannons are mounted, the shock force will be a big problem. Heavy cannons are placed on the thin walls of small towns.
, it can’t even hold up a wall, let alone a boat on the water?”
"We have to find a way to make it possible for any ship to have as big a gun as it needs to be." Zhang Ning said, "If it can be done, I can order the Ordnance Bureau to specifically cast broadside cannons for the navy."
He became a little anxious and directly promised: "If Xu Zhi County can realize the idea, I will ask the Ministry of War to set up a new department and make you a doctor in the Ministry of War, specifically in charge of the navy."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your cultivation." Xu Zixin said hurriedly.
Zhang Ning took out the map, pointed to the location of Jiujiang and said: "The governor's seat in Jiangxi is located in Jiujiang. From now on, you will be stationed in Jiangxi to assist the governor and be in charge of shipbuilding and naval affairs. This is Bali Lake. Let's choose a place to build a shipyard.
Build ships and train the navy on the lake; at the same time, he ordered local officials to recruit soldiers to open the canal from Shahu to the Yangtze River. When the navy is trained, they can be dragged directly from the canal into the Yangtze River. They can fight along the river, or enter Poyang Lake from the mouth of the lake.
Control the water."
Xu Zixin said: "I am deeply aware of the heavy responsibility and will do my best... I have something else to say. Our dynasty is building ships and training troops in Jiujiang. The Xuande puppet dynasty will definitely see through our army's long-range strategy in advance and will definitely go east along the Yangtze River to capture Nanjing."
Zhang Ning said with a smile: "This kind of strategy cannot be hidden from the public. It doesn't matter if they know it. Major events should be decided openly and openly. There is no shortcut to Zhongnan Mountain. Our army's strategy is of course to take Nanjing and move upstream.
Going down the river, the time and place are convenient, so why not do it? If we go through Jingxiang and enter Henan, firstly, the puppet government will have to mobilize the northern frontier troops, the Guanzhong troops, and the Liaodong Army to encircle them, which will easily stretch the front and lead to attrition; secondly,
Then Jiangxi will be divided and guarded, and the two fronts will be fought. The land is small and weak, and it is difficult to support it. When attacking the north from the south, we cannot rush for success. We must imitate the strategy of Emperor Gao at that time, 'cut off the wings first and then attack the heart'. This is also what the Wuchang cabinet said
It is a general policy that has been unanimously approved by the public, and there is no need to change it lightly in the future."
After Zhang Ning finished speaking, he patted Xu Zixin's shoulder with his palm and said sincerely: "Zixin is still young, and it is the time for a man to make great achievements. If he is serious about his achievements, I will not treat him unfairly."