I will hold high the dragon flag in the world of the heavens

Chapter 391 When the price of ordnance and cabbage, when modern firearms were obtained by the Song Dynasty (subscribe)

Yao Zheng first looked at the equipment and felt the weight of these things.

After that, he continued to test the strength of the kitchen knife.

"A precious blade that cuts iron like mud!"

While testing, Zhang Blacksmith also came.

"Come on, let's see if these devices can be imitated! If so, how much will it cost?"

Blacksmith Zhang and others who had dinner with Yao's family came over and looked at the equipment curiously.

"These tools are so strange!"

"This one looks at the columbine cart, and this curved plow is so delicately designed."

"What kind of material are these? It looks like wood but not wood, like iron but not iron? It's actually a transparent color."

Seeing the amazement of many craftsmen, Yao Zhengxian hurriedly asked: "Masters, can you confirm the effectiveness of these tools?"

"Master, this planter is so ingenious. I tested its strength just now. It is harder than refined iron, but the overall weight is only ten catties. We can also make these things. But the production cost is very high. The cost of a set of this kind of machine is at least 12 taels of silver. The tenant is completely unacceptable."

"12 taels? Why is it so expensive?"

"Master! We make this kind of tool by hand. It takes at least 4 craftsmen and at least 10 days to make a farm tool."

"Then why did Yong'er say that the price of this farming tool is only two copper coins?"

"Two strings of money? This is impossible. Unless the purchase price of refined iron is ignored, no one can use two strings of money to make such an ingenious farm tool."

In the Song Dynasty, there were always about 1000 copper coins, which were always about one tael of silver.

"Yes, master, who did you listen to? This is a joke."

"Our side absolutely cannot make these things with 2 taels of silver."

"Master, with so much refined iron, the selling price is definitely not cheap. If you only sell two pieces, you will definitely lose money!"

Yao Zheng nodded first, and after listening to the narration of these blacksmiths, he confirmed that these people could not make them, and he became very curious about the Spring Breeze Caravan in his heart.

"Okay, let's go down first, take these agricultural tools down and use them for farming, and confirm whether they are as easy to use as you say!"

Yao Zheng drove away the blacksmith first, and then looked at the few pieces of agricultural equipment left on purpose.

Test out the truth!
When he saw the power of these instruments with his own eyes, Yao Zheng first knew what he had to do.

Brand-new knives and all kinds of daily necessities can be ignored, but it must be taken seriously when it is related to agriculture.

"This matter has a lot to do with it, I'm going to Jinling!"

After Yao Zheng first left the farm tools used in his own farmland, he first wrote a few letters to the people he was close to.

For example, the Lu family who is also a general, the lonely Yang family, etc.!

Afterwards, Yao Zheng asked people to pack their bags first, and then prepared to go to Jinling tomorrow to discuss with the owner about the items produced by the Spring Breeze Caravan.

With the size of his Yao family branch, he couldn't handle the Spring Breeze Caravan.

Unless the host gets involved.

If they can control the mysterious Spring Breeze Caravan, their Yao family's strength will definitely be improved to a higher level.

However, the plan couldn't keep up with the changes. Before Yao Zhengxian went to Jinling, he received a letter from his third son, Yao Yong.

A letter that required Yao Zhengxian to go to Yuhang Town in person.

Looking at the letter, Yao Zhengxian frowned: "Has Yong'er ever been trapped?"

The person who came to deliver the letter was a servant who had been raised by the family since childhood.He is loyal and reliable, and there is no possibility of betraying his family in a short time.

The servant quickly replied: "Reporting to the master, the third son's body has not been restricted. After chatting with the Spring Breeze Caravan privately, he seemed to be a little stimulated and became a little excited."

"Understood, arrange carriages and horses, and go to Yuhang Town first!"

"Yes, sir!"

The team that was going to Jinling went directly to Yuhang Town.

Yao Zhengxian was getting old, and it took him two days to reach Yuhang Town after traveling more than 100 miles.

After arriving here, he immediately found his third son Yao Yong.

"Why do I need to come and discuss in person?"

"Father, the Spring Breeze Caravan is really capable. If you don't believe what you see, you won't realize their strength!" Yao Yong invited his father, Yao Zheng, to sit down first, and then told what he had seen and heard in the past few days.

When Yao Zhengxian heard that all kinds of industrial products were continuously shipped in from overseas, he was not surprised.When he heard that the ship had a load of 10 materials, he immediately raised his eyebrows: "An iron-clad ship with [-] materials? How can there be such a large ship in this world?"

"Father, if I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would think that what I saw was just rumors, but after seeing those ships and seeing those artillery pieces, I didn't know that I was a frog at the bottom of a well."

"Ships? Artillery?"

"Yes, I saw the cannons yesterday! I saw with my own eyes those ships firing cannons, eroding a mountain, and easily crushing rubble with a radius of more than a hundred feet into powder." Speaking of this, Yao Yong felt lingering fear.

What Yao Yong saw was actually what the people of the Spring Breeze Caravan deliberately revealed.

They openly said that they used weapons to dig out rocks because they saw the cement workers working too hard, so they felt pity.But in doing so, they are actually shaking the mountain.

Yao Zhengxian felt unbelievable: "Those cannons are really so powerful?"

"Yes, the artillery destroyed half of the mountain. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Hiss, if it's true, then this matter has a lot to do with it!"

"That's right, let's forget about the mysterious origins of those members of the Spring Breeze Caravan. Their methods are so powerful, and they also possess extraordinary force and sharp weapons. If they deal with Da Song, there will definitely be waves."

Yao Yong came over and whispered: "Father, I think this is an opportunity for our army. We must find out their strength as soon as possible. We can fight for the identity and status we deserve!"

boom!
Hearing Yao Yong's words, Yao Zhengxian was so angry that he slapped the table: "Nonsense! Never say such outrageous things in the future."

Yao Yong looked at the faintly visible heads around him, and nodded respectfully.

After a while, the two found a reason to drive everyone away, and then whispered: "The news is indeed surprising, but I don't think it's the reason why it's inconvenient to mention it in your letter?"

Yao Yong nodded: "Father Mingjian, the bombing of the rocks by the artillery made me terrified, but I didn't let you come here because of this before. I asked you to come here in person. It is the weapon manufacturing of the Spring Breeze Caravan and the purchase of weapons. "

Yao Yong swallowed his saliva, and said slowly: "The people of the Spring Breeze Caravan are extremely skilled. They can not only produce farm tools, but also produce large-scale ordnance!"

"Large-scale production of ordnance? Then the purpose of these people is not pure."

There is no small matter in the military. These people from overseas are so mysterious that they must have plans.

Yao Yong nodded, then shook his head again: "Father, I feel that these people seem to come here purely for business."

"Why do you think so?"

"A few days ago, I was amazed by the various farm tools they produced. At that time, I met the person in charge of the Spring Breeze Caravan. During the exchange, I speculated about their good and evil. I had an idea and asked them if they could produce ordnance .Father, do you know what they say?"

"How to say?"

"They said it could be produced. However, ordnance is a matter of national importance and requires official approval! I joked at the time that our family had a relationship with the court. Then they let down their vigilance, and then gave the cost and the production of ordnance according to the conditions I set out. time."

"Please tell me in detail!"

"In order to verify their ordnance production capacity, I specially ordered 5000 handles of [-]-steel miao knives, which they can produce in three days. However, they said that it would take some time to transport the weapons, so it would take about half a month for the weapons to reach the shore. time."

"Can 5000 weapons be produced in only three days?"

"Yes, according to my requirements and style, the weapons must bear the marks used in various places in the Song Dynasty. They directly gave an accurate answer within three days."

"It's so productive, it's terrifying!"

"Yes, father, this is the operation that I asked you to come here in person. Father, do you know how much the purchase price of ordnance is?"

"What is the cost?"

"It's one-fifth cheaper than the weapons made in our military state, but the performance is very different. The materials for making weapons are all made of steel. These weapons are as sharp as mud, and each one can be used as a family heirloom. .”

"Hiss..." Yao Zhengxian only felt that Yahuazi was hurting from the ice.

Weapons are so expensive and can be produced on a large scale, and he feels a strong sense of crisis in his heart.

"If we increase mass procurement, how fast can they produce? How much will it cost?"

"They said that the cost can be reduced by half. It can produce 10 knives and swords and [-] standard infantry every month!"

Yao Zheng first wiped the sweat off his forehead in disbelief: "Can arrows be produced? Can you confirm whether what they said is true or not?"

In ancient wars, weapons and armor are indispensable, and bows and crossbows are the absolute elite in ancient infantry battles.It is also a sharp weapon against cavalry.

These people can produce weapons and armor, and naturally they can also produce arrows and crossbows.

"I asked about it. The god arm crossbow they mass-produce is very powerful. It only needs to spend three-thirds of the usual effort to use it. The production speed of the god arm crossbow and arrows is also amazing. They said that if they are fully produced, they can be used in three minutes. Arming millions of people within a month!"

"This... is this nonsense?"

"Father, I thought they were like this at first, but when I saw their equipment, I felt that they were indeed capable of mass-producing weapons! Father, do you know the production management method of Junfang proposed by Mr. Xiang?"

"About Mr. Junfang's management method?"

"Yes, the Spring Breeze Caravan has not only mastered powerful management methods, but also mastered extremely powerful production methods. I have personally seen them produce more than [-] glass bottles a day in their winery."

"Glass bottle?"

"Yes, completely transparent glass bottles. I was shocked when these transparent glass bottles were used as consumables!"

"When I asked them why, they said these were just industrial consumables!"

"Later, I inquired carefully and learned that the people of the Spring Breeze Caravan cooperated with Yuhang Town to produce wine and spent a lot of money to build a workshop... just for business!"

"To master assembly line production, the ability of those people should not be underestimated!"

Many people may not know that as early as the Qin Dynasty, there was an assembly line production.

There were also assembly lines in the Northern Song Dynasty.

The assembly line in the Northern Song Dynasty was forced out.

In the early Northern Song Dynasty, although weapons and equipment were manufactured by the government, due to the uneven distribution of resources such as iron ore, they could only be produced by each military prefecture, and then recovered and managed by the vassal treasury.

After a long time, corruption is serious everywhere, and there are many substandard ordnance materials.

More than 50 years ago, when the Song Dynasty tried to attack Xixia, Wang Anshi discovered this problem.

In order to strengthen the army, he directly used the attributes of the flat-headed brother.Wantonly reform.

During the reform period, Wang Anshi reorganized all the ordnance workshops in the Song Dynasty, unified the ordnance production method in the Song Dynasty, and adopted assembly line production to improve the production level of the ordnance in the Song Dynasty.

Unifying the military workshops and unifying the indicators to produce weapons allowed the armies of the Song Dynasty to restore their combat effectiveness in a very short period of time.

It's a pity that Wang Anshi's actions touched the interests of the core class of Song Dynasty.

If Shenzong and Wang Anshi's reforms are successful, then the Great Song Dynasty will definitely be great again.

The future Xixia will definitely be destroyed, and Yanyun Sixteen States will also have a chance to regain it.

It's a pity that Wang Anshi failed...and then there is no more.

Sometimes looking back, you will find that the history of the dynasty is so regrettable and cruel.

For example, for the sake of development, a special financial class composed of financial institutions that are supported but difficult to fail.

Yao Yong simply said that he went to the Spring Breeze Caravan and was taken to the workshop to inspect the production situation.

Although the generals of the Song Dynasty are quite strange, the family behind Yao Yong is inextricably linked with the generals.

When they arrived in Yuhang Town, they caught Chen Mu's attention.

In order to show their strength and to develop, Chen Mu used various methods to let Yao Yong see their strength and their strength.

When the knives and money were exposed, Yao Yong naturally made a wise choice before harming the core of both parties.

Find the old man, find the general, and then master these techniques.

After Yao Yong finished talking about the glass bottle, he continued: "I have been getting to know them these days. I found that they value technology very much, and they are open to some technologies."

"I asked around the bush and found out that they have mastered more sophisticated methods. Father, you know that Mr. Xianggong used the new management method to provide countless ordnance and supplies to hundreds of thousands of troops in the Song Dynasty. Naturally, they are also capable of producing countless ordnance in a short period of time. Supplies."

Yao Zhengtian frowned tightly: "If he really has this ability, then Da Song will be transformed."

If these people really mastered the technology of mass production of ordnance, the future of the Northern Song Dynasty must have countless variables.

These people must not be offended.

In the past, Song Dynasty only dealt with enemies in the north, and did not care much about overseas.

Now that there are powerful enemies around at sea, the war strategy of Song Dynasty must change.

But now the Song Dynasty's bureaucracy is bloated, the distribution of taxes and power is uneven, land annexation, the solidification of the rich and the poor, and the decay of the ruling class make it impossible for the Song Dynasty to undergo reforms like Shenzong.

Once these people cooperate with the Liao Kingdom in the north, or with Xixia, and attack from left to right, the Song Dynasty will be in danger.

"Yong'er, how do these people treat others?"

When it comes to dealing with people, Yao Yong suddenly laughed: "Father, these people can be wooed! When I visited the person in charge of the Spring Breeze Caravan, I found that they are well versed in Confucian culture, and they can talk to each other."

"That's fine, I'll visit them again tomorrow, confirm the interests, and then contact the commander of the capital who is staying in Jinling!"

Early the next morning, Yao Zhengxian and Yao Yong went to the Spring Breeze Caravan to inspect various industrial products and discuss things such as ordnance manufacturing.

After several hours of communication, Ju Chengyan explained many things here.

They came to Da Song to do business in a fair, just, and open manner.

They are here to make money.

Therefore, the Spring Breeze Caravan hopes for the stability of the Song Dynasty more than anyone else.

After hearing that these people wanted these weapons, Ju Chengyan smiled and said that those swords were backward weapons.

Under the curious gazes of Yao Zhengxian and others, Ju Chengyan asked someone to take out a new weapon that had been prepared a long time ago—one hundred flintlock guns.

Then, a hundred people from Wanwan formed a team, and they used three-stage shooting to punch holes in the targets wearing fine steel armor 200 meters in front of them, destroying each target.

When the gunpowder smoke cleared, Yao Zhengxian began to tremble.

After the flintlock demonstration, Ju Chengyan asked someone to pull out several super large solid guns.

This kind of artillery similar to ∞(＾ー＾)/<←Shenwei Great General showed its ferocity. With one shot, they could destroy seven or eight big trees, and the stone-built city walls were easily destroyed.

"Just a few cannons can destroy a solid city wall. This is a great killer across the ages!"

Looking at Ju Chengyan's kind smile, Yao Zhengxian and Yao Yong looked at each other.

The power of these terrifying weapons stunned them.

Seeing the stunned look on the other side, Ju Chengyan smiled and handed the flintlock to the other side: "Mr. Yao, these weapons are actually a part of our trade, but unfortunately the note sent to the state army by the county magistrate Song Zhong has not been replied yet. If you have a way to contact the Song court, we can also sell these weapons to you!"

Yao Zheng swallowed his dry throat first, carefully looking at the weapon in his hand.

In his eyes, this is not just as simple as a flintlock gun and artillery, it is a magical weapon that changes Song Liao's offensive and defensive posture.

If they have these weapons, they can easily destroy the cavalry of the Liao army!

The future of Dasong is brilliant.

An exciting scene appeared in Yao Zhengxian's mind.

On the endless wilderness, Liao army iron cavalry rushed towards the Song army formation frantically, firing countless dense muskets, and the projectiles easily penetrated the flesh and blood of the iron cavalry.

The cavalry fell one by one, and the infantry of the Song Dynasty achieved a devastating victory.

After the picture appeared in his mind, Yao Zhengxian's body trembled with excitement.

"If my Great Song is equipped with 1000, no, [-] flintlock guns and [-] cannons, I can completely drive the Liao Kingdom back to the grassland."

"Mr. Yao? Mr. Yao?"

Ju Chengyan's shout interrupted Yao Zhengxian's meditation.

"Ah, I'm sorry, the old man is rude!"

"It doesn't matter, anyone who sees a weapon of this size can't help being excited. We can sell these weapons to you. As long as you need them!"

"Yes, of course! Shopkeeper Ju, please give us some time. These ordnance matters are very important, and I need to report to my superiors! By the way, what are the costs of these weapons?"

Hearing the price, a bright smile appeared on Ju Chengyan's face.

"The price, this... is easy to say~"

Half a day later, Yao Zheng left Yuhang Town first.

He carried a hundred flintlock guns, as well as a Shenwei Grand General cannon and corresponding shells.

Regardless of his old body, he almost traveled to Jiangnan East Road by starry night. After contacting Jinglue, he dispatched 500 soldiers to escort these advanced weapons to Bianjing.

Twenty days later, a mighty team arrived in Bianjing.

These weapons soon appeared on the desk of the current Prime Minister Zhang Chun...

When Zhang Chun saw the power of these weapons, he knew that Da Song's opportunity had come!
"Quick, prepare the donkey cart, I'm going to see the official."

(End of this chapter)