Nanming Engineer

Chapter 366

In accordance with Wang Huan's order, Chen Xiang sent people to Guangdong to recruit craftsmen from the Macao artillery factory to enrich the strength of the Hanzhong War Bureau.

However, although most of the Portuguese who came to the Far East were adventurers, no one was willing to go deep into the hinterland of China to make money. The living habits were very different and it was difficult to live.These people are not missionaries like Tang Ruowang, who have religious beliefs. They only have money in their eyes, but they have nowhere to spend it. If they go to the mainland of China, they can’t even eat bread. What is the use of money?So recruiting is going downhill.

Prime Minister Chen's people didn't dare to recruit people in a big way. If they attracted Li Chengdong's attention, it would be over. They had to continue to increase the amount of money and seduce them quietly, and finally attracted the two of them.

But these two were just low-level workers. Chen Xiang's people were afraid that their arrival would not be of much use, so they used some tricks. While the two senior craftsmen of the gun factory were out drinking, they were beaten with sap, covered with sacks, and kidnapped and transported to Hanzhong.

These methods are not on the table, but Wang Huan doesn't take it seriously. Those who achieve great things don't stick to trivial matters. If a man does something and doesn't do something, he should be regarded as a saint, so he can go up the mountain to drink in the wind.

So Wang Huan nodded appreciatively to Chen Xiangkua, brothers don't need to use more words to communicate, just a look will do.

"However, if we don't move at all, the Qing army will think that we are as weak as the ordinary Ming army, and they will only be spectators like turtles. Soldiers still have to be dispatched, and it depends on where they are dispatched." Wang Huan said. Turning around, he tapped the table with his knuckles again and said: "From tomorrow, a battalion of soldiers will be stationed in Tongguan. As Ma Mingtu said just now, it has been occupied by the rebels. From Tongguan across the Yellow River is Shanxi. The troops are stationed here. Being able to threaten the Qing army in Shanxi and make them more or less have to stay on guard is also a support for Jiang Tiao."

He swept his gaze across the faces of the three battalion chiefs, and the three of them jumped, but before the other two could react, Li Dingguo took a step forward and replied loudly: "Master Hou, leave this matter to me. Ziying, wait for the opportunity to move, advance and retreat, this fire will eventually be grasped!"

After Li Dingguo had finished speaking, Li Tingyu and Ma Xintian came to their senses, feeling that Li Dingguo was fighting for a chance, and the two quit, vying to win the job.

The military merits of the Kuizhou system are great, and those who have military merits can not only get rewards, but also earn a share of government-issued money and food for their wives and children. Promotion and reuse are also promoted according to the merits, just like the promotion method in the Ming army based on seniority , doesn't work here.

The three battalion chiefs didn't say anything by themselves. For the sake of the many brothers in the battalion, they had to try their best to fight for the opportunity to fight, otherwise they would attract complaints when they returned to the battalion.

The three of them quarreled, and finally Wang Huan came forward to make a decision. Li Dingguo called for the battle first. This time, Fengziying will go. Next time, Li Tingyu and Ma Xintian will be sent.

Seeing the scene in front of him, Meng Zhiyu felt a lot. When did the Ming army have such a military and warlike army?There seems to be no such thing in my memory. Those generals and generals were as happy as if they were mourning when they heard that they were sent to go on an expedition. Those who were not sent were as happy as if they were not sent to the battlefield. Where have you ever seen those who went to the battlefield as happy as if they were following the wedding?Perhaps only the Kuizhou Army has this mentality.

Thinking of this, Meng Zhiyu felt even more grateful. He was so lucky to follow Wang Huan.

Seeing that the important matter was basically finished, Meng Zhiyu stepped forward, took out a letter from his sleeve pocket, and reported to Wang Huan: "My lord, this is an urgent letter from Governor Wang, saying that he was arrested in Qinling. The Tartar stragglers attacked and lost the chief, Meng Qiaofang, I hope my lord will make arrangements quickly to capture him back."

Wang Huan took the letter with a weird face, glanced at it casually, and said indifferently: "Run away, you didn't run away from us, write back to him, and say that although the Northwest was recovered, the remnants of the Tartars Unclear, please be more careful along the way."

Seeing the secretly guilty look on Wang Huan's face, Meng Zhiyu was confused. Pinglianghou had always been the one who couldn't bear to suffer. Why did it change today?

……

Ma Mingtu came to the door again the next day. He took a shower, changed his clothes, had a full meal, was full of air and refreshed, and planned to talk to Wang Huan again.

Unexpectedly, Meng Zhiyu politely asked him to take a seat, served tea and snacks, pinched his nose and returned the bamboo tube and seal to him, and then told him sorry that Wang Huan was not here.

"Master Hou is not here?" Ma Mingtu was stunned: "Didn't he still be there yesterday?"

"Hey~! The war is urgent. Master Hou listened to the father-in-law, isn't he in a hurry? I went to patrol and train around, and I don't know when I will be back." Meng Zhiyu sighed: "Even my place is a big mess. Things are happening in the new northwest area. Everything is in chaos. Father-in-law, please take care of yourself. I will go and do my work first. Take care of yourself."

Then he hurried out, leaving Ma Mingtu staring at the room.

At this time, Wang Huan, with Ma Wannian's personal guards, galloped on the official road back to Hanzhong.

The Hanzhong Bingzhan Bureau is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, surrounded by high hills, and there are only two valley entrances, one in front and one in the back, which are safe and hidden.There are also mountain springs flowing in the valley, which converge into a river at the bottom of the valley, which not only solves the problem of drinking water for humans and animals, but also provides a source of industrial water for the Bingzhan Bureau. Ruoda's military battle situation has taken shape.

Xu Erjue then entered the site, and according to the regulations of the factory, carefully arranged where to set up the blank room, where to set up the blacksmith room, how far away from the blast furnace, and how many blast furnaces were needed.

Xu Erjue has already worked here with all his heart. Although Wailang, a member of the Ministry of War of the Southern Ming Dynasty, is of higher grade than the ambassador of the Military Bureau and has a lot of money on weekdays, he is not as happy as working here. Basically, Wang Huan will give him whatever he wants, except for Changping. Princess, Wang Huan can give him everything he has, so Bole, what more can Xu Erjuefu ask for.

After traveling on the road for two days, Wang Huan appeared outside the city of Hanzhong. He didn't even enter the city, and went directly to the military battle. After waiting outside the city gate for a long time, I realized that the Marquis had no intention of entering the city at all.

Outside the gate of the Bingzhan Bureau, a tall wall was built, with rocky mountains on both sides, sealing off the valley.The wall is nearly a hundred feet long and four to five feet high, which is almost higher than the Hanzhong city wall. There is a female wall archery tower on the wall, a horse path to protect the slope, and a horse-facing enemy platform. The guards patrolled back and forth, walking through the city like a shuttle. You can have a panoramic view of a slight change inside and outside the city, which is almost equivalent to a fortress.

Xu Erjue was waiting at the gate, leading a group of craftsmen, and bowed to Wang Huan from a distance.

Wang Huan urged the horse to arrive in front of Xu Erjue, rolled off the saddle, stretched out his hand to hold Xu Erjue's hand, helped him up, and said anxiously: "Ambassador Xu doesn't need to be like this. Thanks to you these days, the military battle bureau can be completed and started. It should be I thank you for that."

Xu Erjue was excited when he heard the words, and said again and again: "My lord, Xu can't bear it, can't bear it!"

Wang Huan smiled and took his hand, and walked towards the gate together. I saw that the two gates were made of solid wood, one foot thick, firmly nailed together with several layers of wood and rivets. The wooden bar that blocks the door is directly a big tree trunk surrounded by one person. When using it, several big men must work together to lift it up.

Wang Huan looked left and right, and praised Xu Erjue again and again: "The defense is so tight, there is nothing wrong with it."

Xu Erjue became serious, and Su Rong said to Wang Huan: "The cannon is the sharp weapon of the country. It is thunderous and invincible. Therefore, in order to ensure safety, the lower officials have made more reliable precautions, so that in case someone destroys it and breaks into the army. In the battle, the life of a subordinate official is a small matter, but a missed military plan is a big matter!"

After hearing this, Wang Huan's impression of Xu Erjue became a little better. It turned out that this engineering man was not only proficient in firearms, but also very careful. He thought far enough and felt more and more that he had not found the wrong person.

"Li Huai'en is dull. Although his skills are not bad, he is not as sophisticated as the world; Xu Erjue is extremely experienced. It seems that he has not been in vain for so many years in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty." Wang Huan compared the two in his mind and said: They have a preliminary idea of ​​their future official status.

(End of this chapter)