Nanming Engineer

Chapter 102
Early the next morning, at dawn, Chen Xiang set off with a team of 20 people. Before leaving, Wang Huan took him by the hand and told him repeatedly: "It is dangerous to go here, and the most important thing in everything is self-protection. Don't be greedy for meritorious deeds, you must act carefully, you and I are young, and there is still a good time waiting for us, be cautious and cautious!"

Chen Xiang nodded seriously and said loudly: "Sir, I have been hanging around Chengguan Street in Yangzhou when I was five years old. I was a child at the age of ten. I have had many contacts with various officials in the big and small yamen. When it comes to my ability to hang out in the market, it is not I'm bragging. I'm afraid there's no one in Wanshou City who is better than me. Don't worry, let alone a human being. Even if one of Zeng Ying's ants crawls out of Chongqing City, I will definitely report it to you. You don't have to worry. .”

After saying that, he bid farewell to Wang Huan, Ma Xintian and others, turned around and mounted his horse, and yelled at the twenty riders behind him, "Let's go, follow me to Chongqing Mansion!"

Twenty secret actors in different costumes, all characters who could not be found in the crowd, agreed at the same time, bid farewell to Wang Huan immediately, and galloped behind Chen Xiang without looking back.

The horse team rushed into the valley and a line of sky, and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Wang Huan stood on the spot, stupefied, and didn't move for a long time. His eyes looked at the line of sky that seemed to be cut with a giant ax in the huge mountain, as if the backs of Chen Ergou and others were still there.

Ma Xintian knew that Wang Huan's brotherly love was deep, so he walked forward lightly, coughed and said, "My lord..."

Wang Huan waved his hands, turned around, his face returned to his indifferent and peaceful appearance, his eyes were as quiet as autumn water, and he said to Ma Liu who was standing not far away: "Lead the way, let's go up the mountain."

Zhaomu Mountain is about [-] to [-] feet high, not very tall, but it is steep. The path up the mountain almost requires rock climbing. Said location.

Wang Huan saw that there was indeed a crack in the rock across the top of the mountain. As long as the crack was blown open, a huge boulder weighing tens of thousands of catties could roll along the mountain and into the sky. Let alone people below, even a team of tanks It can also be smashed to pieces.

Wang Huan was overjoyed, and immediately decided to put the gunpowder here. The 500 jin of gunpowder had already been shipped in a carriage and came with him. Ma Liu led more than ten guards, busy up and down, and it took almost two days. Transport the half ton of black powder to the top of the mountain.

Taking advantage of the time they were moving, Wang Huan had already surveyed and selected the location for the explosion. He was born in the mining industry, which is his profession, so it is not difficult.

Then the crowd hurriedly built a hut to keep out the rain and moisture, and covered the gunpowder barrel with thatch. After all, they didn't know when Zeng Ying's soldiers would arrive, so they had to be prepared for a long time.

Wang Huan left Ma Xintian and ten people behind, with enough dry food for ten days, to guard the gunpowder on the top of the mountain. Ma Xintian was calm, and with him, he would be safe.

"This place is eighty miles away from the Longevity Valley. If the Chongqing government's soldiers and horses are so fast that it is too late to report to me, you can order the mountain to be bombed without waiting for my order." Before leaving, Wang Huan gave Ma Xintian the opportunity.

Ma Xintian kept a straight face as usual, tilted his head slightly, and said one word: "Okay!"

There is no need for a heavy hammer to beat the drum. This one word represents responsibility. For Ma Xintian, one word is enough.

Wang Huan has no doubts about Ma Xintian's ability to do things. Except for being a bit rigid, this person has all the qualities of a qualified soldier and is loyal. Once he has identified the person, he will never betray him. This is very similar to Li Yan.

If one day he was caught in a dangerous place and his whereabouts were unknown, Ma Xintian would definitely be like Li Yan, desperately looking for him, wanting to see people, and dead bodies.

Thinking of Li Yan, Wang Huan's heart sank again. Two months had passed, and Li Tingyu's whereabouts were still unknown. He also sent several teams to search, but even Li Yan could not be found. where.

With a long sigh, Wang Huan shook his head, led the rest of the guards, got on his horse and left, and ran towards the Longevity Valley. There was still a lot of work there, and he needed to make decisions on countless tasks.

……

When he returned to the Longevity Valley, it was already the [-]th day of the seventh month. Regardless of his fatigue, Wang Huan immediately led Xu Tiezhu and a group of civil servants into the construction of the city and the cultivation of the fields.

Walking in the fields criss-crossed with cypresses, one mu of paddy fields has been formed, and the mountain spring water drawn by a huge waterwheel from the pool on the side of the mountain flows along the stone canal three feet three inches wide and one foot five inches deep. In every piece of land, the fertile soil and high-quality spring water have turned the barren valley bottom into a land of rice.

"My lord, diverted water to make fields, and obtained a total of more than [-] mu of fine paddy fields. According to the principle of five mu of land per household, they were distributed to the first [-] households who entered the valley. These [-] households are all willing to land in my Longevity City. Rooted refugees, their hometown is dilapidated, and they have no intention of going back, so they are very reliable." Zhou Cheng, a civil official, flipped through a book that was worn out at the corners, and reported to Wang Huan carefully: "Every ten days The joint insurance for households is one Jia, one insurance for one hundred households, and the first insurance chief of Jia is responsible for maintaining order and neighbor disputes. Mr. Xu has signed a land deed diploma with them, the land belongs to the head of the household, and the first year is exempt from tax, but each household must pay one dime , Register with the villain, and once the farm is slack or Lord Wang issues a conscription order, this person must enlist in the army, thinking of me as a soldier in the Longevity Valley."

"The remaining more than 1 households have no land to resettle, and are temporarily divided into silver miners and laborers, who rely on selling their labor in exchange for daily meals." Xu Tiezhu added.

A group of people walked on the ridge in the field, and Wang Huan walked in front of them. While walking, he listened to the report of the two. The mulberry trees planted on the ridge of the field were densely planted, so he had to walk carefully to avoid being trampled. under the seedlings.

Zhou Cheng closed the book and said slowly: "My lord, there are hundreds of refugees pouring in from outside the valley every day. If this continues, our Longevity Valley may not be able to last long. Food is not a big problem. Tens of thousands more will come. It can also last until the beginning of next spring, the difficulty is the resettlement of these people."

Xu Tiezhu nodded and agreed: "Yes, Brother Huan, the people who came later could not get the land. Once the construction of the city is completed, they will have nothing to do. The silver mine needs a maximum of 3000 people, and there is no need for more."

Wang Huan stopped in the middle of an empty dam. This was a flat piece of land in the paddy field, reserved for drying the grain after harvest. In the corner of the open space, there was a huge stone mill, and a thatched shed built with a few logs to protect it from the wind and rain. .

"Yeah, Longevity Valley is too small and the fields are limited. We can't accommodate many people just by dividing up the land. Once we have nothing to do, we will waste food and have nothing to do. There will be troubles, which is not in our interest." Wang Huan said casually. Sitting on the millstone, looking at the civil affairs officials under his command, the newly built stone mill exudes a smell of stone powder, which smells very rural, which makes him a little intoxicated, and his eyes are bright and shining: "But you don't have to worry, I have things for them to do."

Hearing this, Xu Tiezhu was refreshed. He admired Wang Huan's resourcefulness and self-made ability. He watched the barren Longevity Valley turn into such a vibrant city and fertile land, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

So he asked curiously and urgently: "Brother Huan, do you have any good ideas? Tell me and listen."

Ma Xintian is not here, no one cares about his name Huan brother, Wang Huan doesn't care, just smiled, and said in an unfathomable way: "Want to know? Hehe, when I come back in a few days, you will understand!"

(End of this chapter)