Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 78: Gambling and Guessing on the Poor Student’s Answers (Subscription Request)
In Heyang City, Kang Maocai received the news that Liao Yongan was leading a team to attack Lujiang, and he immediately sent scouts to Lujiang to keep an eye on Liao Yongan's every move.

He must keep a close eye on the movements of Lu Jin's subordinates in order to formulate a specific action plan.

Meanwhile, Liao Yongan in Lujiang surrounded the city and made a lot of noise, asking Yin Congdao, Zhang Desheng and Jin Chaoxing to take turns to challenge the enemy outside the city and curse them harshly, in an attempt to force the defenders in the city to come out and fight. However, it was just a lot of noise but little action.

Of course, they had to do what they had to do. Liao Yongan sent people to cut down a large amount of wood, as if he was preparing to make siege equipment. In fact, he found two blacksmiths from Chao County and went to Luohe, which Lu Jin mentioned, to look for iron ore.

How would a modern person travel back to ancient times to find minerals? Using the geology of gravity, magnetism, electricity, and seismic? Or finding a Taoist priest with a compass? None of them!
Just ask the local people directly.

No one knows better than the locals what local specialties there are, especially the naughty kids in their teens who run around everywhere. They know better than anyone which tree has bird nests to dig out, which river has beautiful pebbles, and which hillside is suitable for grazing cattle.
Sure enough, according to the clues provided by Lu Jin, the key words Lujiang, Luohe, and magnetite, plus the experience of the two blacksmiths, it was believed in ancient times that iron ore had red iron bubbles on it, which was actually a rust layer formed by iron oxide. Coupled with the property of magnet that can attract iron, it was not difficult to find it.

After asking the locals, someone immediately revealed that alum mines had been mined in Lujiang during the Northern Song Dynasty. This was important information.

Then a local kid revealed that there was fool's gold here, and took out a few standard cube 'gold ingots' the size of duck eggs from home as if presenting treasures, and put them in the sun, so that they sparkled!
The child knew that it was not gold, he just thought it looked pretty and used it as a toy.

This is another good news.

Fool's gold is not gold, but pyrite, also known as pyrite. This iron sulfide crystal forms natural cubic crystals with a golden metallic glitter. It is nicknamed fool's gold and it is impossible to mistake it.

There are many magical things in nature. For example, the holes of bee hives are regular hexagons, and the crystals of pyrite are standard cubes. They are densely embedded in the stones, just like the game "Minecraft", which is full of cubes.

Although this type of pyrite cannot be used to smelt iron, it can be used to extract sulfur.

The source of sulfur in gunpowder has been found!

You can burn charcoal yourself, and collect saltpeter from saltpeter fields. Once you have all the materials, the only thing missing is an iron pipe.

Then they bribed a cowherd boy with the precious brown sugar and roast duck of that era, and finally found a magnet that could attract iron.

However, it is not in Luo River, but in an unknown tributary of Chaohu Lake. There is a village called Luojiagang next to it, where there is magnetite.

The two blacksmiths and soldiers were overjoyed and hurriedly picked up a few pieces to find Liao Yongan to report their victory.

"General, we found the iron ore. It is in Luohe as expected."

Liao Yongan was overjoyed when he heard this. He reached out and took a piece of magnet. It felt very heavy in his hand. He touched it with his sword and found it was attractive. He asked quickly, "Is there really a place called Luohe?"

The blacksmith quickly replied, "The river doesn't have a name, but there is a village next to it called Luojiagang, and that's where we found the magnet."

Liao Yongan raised his eyebrows when he heard this. This was not what Lu Jin said at the beginning. He swore that there was a large iron mine in Luohe and said that he had seen it in an ancient book at home.

But during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, was there a village called Luojiagang in Lujiang? ? ?
I'm afraid the ancient books are fake. I would believe you if you said it was a dream.

But everything Lu Jin said has come true now, what else is there to say, it's like God's help!
He immediately asked, "How much iron can be produced from such a piece of ore?"

"General, this magnet is the best kind of iron ore. One pound of stone can produce at least six ounces of iron." The blacksmith replied immediately.

Liao Yongan was very happy to hear this. There are sixteen taels in a pound, and this pound can yield six taels, which is nearly half a pound of iron.

"I'll give you two a great credit. Go explore the area of ​​the iron ore mine. Do a good job. I'll ask the commander-in-chief for your contribution."

"Yes."

After the two blacksmiths left, another scout came to report.

"Commander, there are two suspicious boats in the lake. They have been around us for the past two days."

Liao Yongan frowned upon hearing this and immediately said angrily, "Send the navy to destroy all those unidentified ships and capture the people and torture them thoroughly."

"Yes."

Liao Yongan knew that they must be Kang Maocai's spies. He came to Lujiang to put on a show for Kang Maocai. However, you can watch them on land, but you can't watch the navy, because the navy is related to their next direction of action, and they still have to move by boat.

The prying eyes in the lake also gave him a headache, because these small fishing boats were almost impossible to guard against.

The boat is not big to begin with, so a few people can carry it to the shore and hide it, or they can put it in the water at an empty lakeside, so it is very flexible.

Although the Chaohu navy had control over Chaohu Lake, they were unable to stop the spying of just one or two small boats.

Sure enough, when several ships of the Chaohu Navy surrounded them, the small fishing boats turned around and ran away, but the Chaohu Navy had more ships than the others and surrounded them from all sides, so the other side had nowhere to hide and simply jumped into the water and swam away, but in the end they were forced to surrender.

The spies that Kang Maocai had placed in the lake were quickly eliminated, but this was not important. The official navy in Wuwei did not report anything at all. The order they received was to confirm whether Liao Yongan's troops were still in Lujiang. It was enough to know that they were there. The loss of a few people in the navy did not matter.

In Heyang City, Kang Maocai received a positive response from the Wuwei defenders, but he was still not reassured.

He now has a clear idea of ​​the troop deployment around Chaohu Lake, but he has no idea about Lu Jin's troop strength in his base camp in Luzhou City.

The outskirts of Luzhou were heavily patrolled, making it difficult for government scouts to find anyone. Kang Maocai had only managed to find out one piece of information in the past few days.

A team with a group of flags escorted a lot of food and fodder to Liang County. This was the same as before. It seemed that Lu Jin's main force was still in Luzhou, and the garrison in Liang County had not changed.

This really can only be guessed, he really doesn't know anything more.

As for how many troops Lu Jin had stationed in Lu'an, he was completely in the dark. The round trip from Heyang to Lu'an was over a thousand miles, and it would take several days just to make the trip on horseback. How could he find out?

Kang Maocai paced back and forth anxiously in the mansion. If Lu Jin saw him, he would be able to tell at a glance that this was the look of a poor student who was unsure before an exam.

There is no way. This is what happens when there is insufficient intelligence. Decisions can only be made by guessing and gambling.

Finally, Kang Maocai made up his mind that the goal of this battle was to kill Lu Jin's forces at least. It would be best if he could kill a rebel leader in battle.

For example, among the targets who were registered with the court, such as Liao, Yu, Zhu Liangzu, and Lu Jin, as long as he could kill one of them, he would be able to report to the court.

As for Chao County, to be honest, Kang Maocai didn't particularly want it.

Because Chao County is a bait, for both sides, whoever takes it can indeed take the initiative, but they must also be prepared to be attacked at any time.

Chao County is the boundary between him and Lu Jin. Whoever occupies it will be like a pawn crossing the river and will be easily eaten.

At the same time, in Luzhou city, in the Zuo residence where Zhang Wen was temporarily staying, Zhang Yunxiu was also excited.

I'm getting married in a few days. The wedding dress has been made and the dowry has been prepared. I heard from my eldest brother that Lu Jin had someone send them secretly. They will be carried out when the time comes to make it look more presentable. Although not much, there are still a few boxes. Don't make it too ugly.

Zhang Yunxiu also bought some bedding and other items as her dowry.

Zhu Liangzu's wife also helped her with facial treatment, which involved using silk thread to twist off the hair on her face. It was very painful, but it could make the facial skin smoother. It was a necessary procedure for ancient women before getting married.

Zhang Yunxiu was both happy and worried, because Zhang Wen had been sharpening his swords and guns at home for the past two days, and even asked her for vegetable oil to maintain his armor, which clearly showed that he was planning to go to war.

The military camp in the north of the city was a restricted area for ordinary people in Luzhou, but Zhang Yunxiu could still hear some news. For example, Yang Jing's Fourth Regiment had disappeared, and it seemed that they had quietly left after the curfew in the middle of the night and had been gone for several days.

I'm obviously going to marry Lu Jin, so why are we going to fight? That evening, Zhang Wen came back from the barracks, and Zhang Yunxiu came to his yard. Seeing Zhang Wen wiping his armor with vegetable oil, she asked immediately.

"Brother, are we going to fight again?"

Zhang Wen was stunned when he heard this, then he pretended to smile and said, "We are all rebels. We will fight every day. When to fight depends on when the government will come to suppress us."

Zhang Yunxiu was not so easily fooled, and hinted, "I went to pick up Zhu Yan today, and Yang Huan said that his brother seemed to have been assigned some errand and had not been home for several days."

Well, Zhu Yan is Zhu Shou’s younger brother Zhu Sijiu. Lu Jin recently helped him change his name, so it’s not a big deal to always call him by a number.

As soon as Zhang Wen heard this, he knew that he could no longer hide it. Thousands of people from the Fourth Regiment suddenly disappeared. This matter could be hidden from outsiders, but not from people within the Shengwu Army system.

He thought about it and nodded without saying anything, which was considered as his agreement.

Zhang Yunxiu panicked when she saw this, and asked, "But isn't Brother Lu going to marry me in two days?"

Zhang Wen immediately said seriously, "Marriage is marriage, the six ceremonies have been completed, and the only thing left is to welcome the bride. As long as the Marshal takes you in, you will be his legal wife. Don't ask anything else. Don't worry, it's okay. It's not like we haven't fought a war before."

Although Zhang Wen did not say more specific details, it was equivalent to a showdown.

Zhang Yunxiu nodded. She knew that something big was about to happen. Now the army was transferred out and Luzhou was empty. She was the Marshal's newlywed wife. At this time, she should help him stabilize the morale of the generals' families and must not panic.

'Don't panic, don't panic!'

Zhang Yunxiu encouraged herself and decided that when she sent Zhu Yan to school tomorrow, she would go visit the generals' children, urge them to study hard, and then talk to the children's parents to appease this group of people.

The Marshal's Mansion in Luzhou now looks festive, with red curtains hung everywhere, red paper pasted on the walls, the yard swept clean, and all the wedding details were taken care of by Bao Heng.

Lu Jin was sitting in the front yamen, editing a book, when Bao Heng suddenly came to him with two letters in his hands.

"Marshal, there is a secret report."

"Bring it to me quickly."

Lu Jin immediately reached out to take it. The only person who could have sent the secret report through Bao Heng's channel could have been Bao Yu. He opened it and saw that it was true.

At the beginning, it said that Kang Maocai was preparing to increase his troops by 2,000 to make up 10,000 people to attack Chao County. But he also said that Kang Maocai did not seem to be obsessed with Chao County. Instead, he repeatedly asked Lu Jin about the locations of his generals, and it seemed that he intended to kill another leader like he did last time when he ambushed Zhao Pusheng.

The increase of 2,000 soldiers would not have much impact. Even if Kang Maocai borrowed equipment from the arsenal of Jiangnan Road Prefecture, he would not be afraid as long as he did not get 10,000 soldiers.

But it is estimated that he cannot get it. The court still needs resources to deal with Xuzhou Zhima Li. Where can it get 10,000 sets of armor for Kang Maocai?

Then Kang Maocai prepared to mobilize the government navy to contain Lu Jin's navy.

He had predicted this a long time ago. It was like playing chess, using one's own rook to guard the opponent's cannon. Even though he was missing a rook, the opponent's cannon couldn't be used either.

Using the navy to watch over Lu Jin's navy is called Dui Zi. However, Lu Jin has made preparations and there is nothing to be afraid of.

What surprised Lu Jin the most about this information was actually the request made by Bao Yu.

If conditions permit, it would be best to assign him an exclusive intelligence team so that he can pass on information in a timely manner after obtaining it. Otherwise, he can only transmit information at fixed times, which is too inflexible.

Lu Jin was very pleased that Bao Yuneng realized this himself. It seemed that people's abilities really grow with their development, no matter if they were generals or secret service chiefs.

You see, you have figured out how an intelligence team should be structured.

Another important piece of news is that Bao Yu reported that there was a group of shipbuilding craftsmen from Jiangnan in Hezhou Port. They were usually responsible for maintaining the official navy and also building warships for the official navy. If the Marshal intended to expand the navy, it was suggested to find a way to deal with these people.

Lu Jin was instantly excited. Shipbuilders, with this group of people, he could open a shipyard. Lu'an was backed by the Dabie Mountains and had no shortage of wood. He could build his own warships and take advantage of the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

After thinking about it, Lu Jin quickly sent someone to tell Yang Jing to pay attention to this group of craftsmen. Even if he couldn't catch all of them, he should capture those master craftsmen who were skilled and experienced.

It was the evening of October 4th, two days before the wedding.

Chang Yuchun and Li Pusheng, one in the south and one in the north, had already taken their seats to watch the game.

In Luzhou city, Zhang Yunxiu sat at the door of her room, waiting until midnight when the city was under curfew.

The Chaohu navy suddenly arrived at the city of Luzhou. Zhu Shou led a group of people to board the ship quietly, and maneuvered by boat, heading to the battlefield via Chaohu Lake.

Half an hour later, Zhang Wen suddenly came back. Zhang Yunxiu stood up immediately, which scared Zhang Wen.

"Sister? It's already midnight, why aren't you going to bed yet?"

Zhang Yunxiu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Zhu Yan is not coming back. I heard that he is staying at Brother Lu's place. Is it possible that Brother Zhu Shou is gone too?"

Zhang Wen nodded, as a sign of agreement.

Zhang Yunxiu suddenly became anxious, "Why didn't Big Brother go with you? Aren't you the captain of a regiment?"

At this moment, she was worried about everything. She was afraid that Zhang Wen would leave and she would be left alone at home when she got married the day after tomorrow. She was also afraid that Zhang Wen would lose Lu Jin's trust and would not be valued. She was very conflicted.

Zhang Wen suddenly smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth in the moonlight, "I will wait until I see my sister off to get married before I go."

At the same time, outside Dingyuan City, at the Guo family mansion.

Guo Zixing looked at the uninvited guest in front of him. He did not expect that Feng Guoyong, who was well-known locally, would come to him and ask him if he wanted to rebel with him.

Guo Zixing was suddenly shocked and angry.

"Do I look like a traitor?"

Well, he really is
Recently, the battles for Xuzhou's Sesame Lee and Luzhou's Lu Brocade, one in the south and the other in the north, have been so intense and the rebellion has been going on so vigorously that Guo Zixing's restless heart could no longer be suppressed.

He also wants to rebel, but is still in the preparation stage.

He has indeed contacted a lot of people recently. Who knows which link leaked the news and then was known by Feng Guoyong.

He knew the Feng brothers. They were both good at literature and martial arts, and they were quite capable. Since they had come to him, why not...
Guo Zixing said immediately.

"The world is in chaos now, the Yuan Dynasty is about to end, and people of insight are rising up to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty. I also have this plan. Since Brother Feng also has this intention, why don't you join my army?
"My Guo family has money and food. Let's gather a group of people and capture the city. I will be the marshal and you will be the deputy marshal. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Forehead"

Feng Guoyong was speechless. Didn't I come here to recruit you? Why are you recruiting people from the opposite direction?
This chapter is 4500, there is one more chapter

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(End of this chapter)