Everyone was smiling, but Min Yuanqi was alone in the cabin watching Shu Tie and Su Gang in a daze.

It was not until this time that Min Yuanqi realized that the iron-making industry in the Ming Dynasty was not useless. After the failure of the government, the iron ore mining and iron-making industry were relaxed. The output of pig iron and ripe iron in the Ming Dynasty was rising steadily, and the output was far higher than that of the Song Dynasty. The coin industry was quite failed. On the one hand, there was no large-scale copper mining in Yunnan. The copper mine reserves in the Ming Dynasty were insufficient, and it was not easy to mine. Most of the copper materials were purchased from Myanmar, and the scale of domestic production was insufficient. Although the imperial court controlled the production of copper ware and was not allowed to cast privately, this trend has been repeatedly banned. By the late Ming Dynasty, the Xuande furnaces were worth a lot of value during the Xuande period. The Xuande furnaces were cast in the late Ming Dynasty. The copper materials were rare in the past. The craftsmen were very attentive, and the Xuande furnaces cast were all exquisite. Another reason was that the Ming Dynasty had long lacked copper, and even if it was not antique copper, it was valuable.

Another reason is that the country used treasure money and physical objects as currency functions at the beginning of the country, and in the middle and late periods, silver poured in in large quantities, and there was no need for a large amount of coins to enter the market for circulation.

But after all, the control of the Ming Dynasty was too weak, just like a large-scale mining operation. It was neither possible for the Qin, Han, Tang and Song dynasties, nor for the Qing Dynasty. It was completely possible for me, the Ming Dynasty. I can only use an official license to mine at will. In the thousands of years of history of China, it is the only one in the Ming Dynasty...

The ripe iron in front of me is Mintie, which is slightly more expensive than the local ripe iron. If pig iron is only a few cents of silver per pound, it is quite cheap.

The Ming Dynasty discovered more than 240 large iron ores, and countless small iron ores were found. It was several times that of the Tang and Song dynasties. Even if the Qing Dynasty inherited the Ming Dynasty, due to the strict control of the Qing Dynasty, less than half of the iron ores explored using the Ming Dynasty, the iron output did not increase but decreased.

This time I bought more than 3,000 kilograms of iron, but there were actually not many weapons that could be made. According to the records of the Ming Dynasty Hui Dian, the record of using cooked iron in a town on Jiubian during the Hongzhi period was 210,000 kilograms of iron a year, all of which were made into armored weapons.

Of course, there are more than 100,000 soldiers in the nine-side town, and there are only 50,000 or 60,000. This number is not out of line. Min Yuanqi has only completed one hundred households now, and he will have to complete three hundred households within a month, reaching the specifications of more than 400 Zhejiang soldiers and one department. It is definitely not enough to have a large-scale purchase.

Sugang was made by re-furnaces from small blast furnaces and melted them many times. It is considered the top scientific and technological achievement in this era, but it is nothing to be found in the world.

Even so, this thing is quite rare. According to the timely records, it is made by three pig iron and five or six mature iron. Su Gang is made by nine. In fact, this is a record of literati. How many refined depends on the situation.

The blast furnace for steelmaking is more than four meters high, and the return air heating technology is very mature. The steel filling method is used. The technology is also quite strong in the world. The key is a scientific and technological tree that he has developed. According to the tradition of governing the country by the Ming Dynasty, focusing on academics and neglecting technology, the utilization of various technologies in the late Ming Dynasty was quite good. The key is that although the scholars and officials despise craftsmen, they are not ignorant, and maintaining a stubborn and open mind is crucial.

These Su steels are made of cooked iron after being fryed many times. They use a lot of iron, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. How many pounds of cooked iron can get one pound of qualified Su steel, and one pound of cooked iron can only be one qian and two cents of silver. A pound of qualified Su steel is several taels of silver, which is quite expensive and rare.

Sugang's annual output is up to tens of thousands of kilograms, and more than half is used for civilian purposes, and there are also military purposes. However, when the finances went bankrupt in the late Ming Dynasty and the imperial court was short of money, it was unlikely that it would be possible to purchase expensive steel for the military. Generals only weighed a small number of servants, and it was even more impossible to buy a large amount of Sugang with silver. This thing is good, but it was too expensive.

Min Yuan used his extremely caring eyes to caress the cold steel products in front of him, which were hard, cold and full of industrial beauty. Even in this era that had not yet begun the industrial revolution, various reserves have reached a critical point. The development of the iron and steelmaking industry, the inheritance and utilization of various technologies, and the production and sales of products after the launch of the Age of Discovery were no longer limited to a country or several surrounding countries. The opening of the maritime trade route was the decisive cause of the industrial revolution. By this time, the tax amount paid by several large British companies in the British used overseas trade every year was astronomical, and even the tax amount of a company had exceeded or approached the fiscal revenue of the entire Ming Dynasty...

It is precisely because of the emergence of multinational trade and large companies that the super high profits of the wool workshop weaving industry have made Jenny hydraulic looms appear one after another. Even so, it cannot meet product demands. The road to inventing steam engines is one after another, because people know that human, animal power or hydraulic power alone cannot meet large-scale trade needs at all. Steam engines are accumulated by technology and theory, and secondly, they are the needs of trade development. In the Middle Ages in Europe, even if technology is achieved, no one can invent it without demand, and invented it will not be valued and used.

Although the Ming Dynasty has fallen behind in all directions, fortunately it has not been pulled too far away. At least it is not behind in military technology and is rushing towards the front.

The Sugang in front of me is quite expensive and rare. This time, I bought all the demand for Huai'an City for a year. Even if there is silver, Sugang's production is quite limited. Next, Min Yuanqi plans to send someone to various prefectures to buy it with the silver in his hand, and then buy most of the output first.

In addition to using these Sugang to light blades on weapons, Min Yuanqi also planned to start trial-making firearms by himself. The original rule of the Ming Dynasty was that military towns could not be made by themselves, but now let alone military towns, there are many private firearms among the people. Hunting is much easier than bows and arrows. The main reason is that good bow and arrow shooters need to be polished and accumulated over the years of adulthood. This thing can become a good hunter in a few months. Even the Qing Dynasty, which had extremely strict control over the Han people, could not ban firearms. Later, they could only impose management. There were not many firearms among the people, and the quality was much better than that of the Green Camp soldiers.

Ji Xiao’s new book has a complete method for manufacturing bird guns, from workmanship to construction and use, including how to make granular gunpowder and how to set it up. It is simply the most detailed encyclopedia.

When Min Yuanqi read books, he often filmed books and sighed that this book was not a forbidden book, but from the selection of soldiers, recruiting soldiers, training, and fighting battles, including weapons construction, weapon battle formation training, and the Golden Drum Camp, all of which were very clear. As long as those who were the generals and even civil officials studied it carefully, they could at least create a qualified strong army.

In the south, Qi Shuai started a small-scale war to a successful military training. The war between thousands and tens of thousands of people was trapped in the terrain. The Japanese pirates killed by the Mandarin Duck Formation and the three-material formation were bloody, and thousands of people were killed and injured by the enemy, and only a dozen of them were lost. None of the famous generals at that time could do this.

Then we went to the nine borders to train troops, and built the solid defense of Jizhen as a solid foundation, built hollow enemy platforms, and did things meticulously and seriously. With the formation of chariots, firearms, infantry, and cavalry, multiple forms, forming a complete and strict defense line. During the period when Jizhen was guarding Qi Shuai, the Mongols dared not attack the border. The so-called soldiers who defeated others without fighting were nothing more than this.

At that time, the Nine Borders were not peaceful. Northwest towns such as Gansu, Yulin, and Datong were often attacked, and Liao Town was even more invaded. The Mongols just put a Ji Town and refused to move. Some people said that Qi Shuai only fought a small-scale anti-Japanese war. In fact, he was also unique in the battle between large corps. He was really the first general in the Ming Dynasty in the past three hundred years. Even when it was Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Feng Sheng, Lan Yu and others, some generals could surpass Qi Jiguang, but in terms of meticulous and comprehensive coaching, Qi Jiguang was the first person in the Ming Dynasty.

In Min Yuanqi's opinion, he felt that as long as he carefully studied the military strategy left by Qi Jiguang, from manufacturing weapons to forming an army, he would not have small achievements in the future, and at least he could protect the situation in Yundi Pass in front of him. As for a more magnificent future, he had not really considered it now.

But when he was stroking the cold steel, Min Yuanqi had some ideas in his heart. His experience and skills in later generations had already brought him rich returns. When building the army, could he take some detours and put some successful experiences in later generations into the construction of the army?

He did not consider this issue thoroughly. This field is still quite unfamiliar to him. Now Min Yuanqi's military experience still comes from Min Yuanqi who was originally in the Ming Dynasty, and those military books he put in the house to study hard every day. Min Yuanqi needs more experience to enrich the details before he can start to get out of his experience and add some unique things to his army.

For Min Yuanqi, the army is crucial. When it comes to military reform, Min Yuanqi must be cautious and polite, and must not be careless at all.

...

“Many pigs, sheep, and chickens?”

Shen Li, who was in his early thirties, still had the charm of a son and a daughter, wearing newly made fine cloth clothes, was led by Shen Yong and Shen Li, standing near the dock to welcome the canal ships returning from Huai'an Prefecture City.

All the flag troops were dispatched, and laughter was everywhere on the pier.

The flag army and Yu Ding, wearing tattered battle jackets, rushed up, and from the dock to the warehouse near the official hall, they were transported by manpower. There were only a few mules and donkeys in the hundred households, so they were useless. There were no big trucks, and a small number of unicycles were not very useful. Everyone simply carried a bag or two bags of grain on their shoulders. Fortunately, the distance was not far. These men were used to work, and could still talk and laugh while carrying two stones of grain.

The entire Baihu Village was alive. The flag army that was training, the salt steaks who were working in the Yanchi, the foreign flag army and salt steaks rushed over. Hundreds of people carrying 2,000 stones of grain only a few trips, and no one felt tired.

In this era, food is the greatest justice. If you say too much other things, it is false. People will only feel joy and peace of mind when carrying the heavy grain bag. This kind of feeling is something that people in later generations cannot understand.

The willow trees on both sides of the road towards the village were already green, green grass grew on the edge of the road, some apricot and mulberry trees were already fruit-bearing, and the wild vegetables outside were half-large, and they could be eaten after a while.

The large fields on the roadside are planted with wheat and sorghum, millet, and many bean fields. There are a lot of salt slurries along the two sides of the Huai River. The land has high salt content and drought. The land yield is really not high, which also makes people pay more attention to the food they have obtained now.

In fact, as far as Min Yuanqi knows, four liters of grain per day is too small, but many people have to hide at least one liter than more, which only ensures that men and boys can eat enough, and that the elderly, women and girls can eat half full.

This standard will definitely be criticized by feminism as a dog in later generations. In later generations, women hope that men can make money by staying at home, doing housework, and raising girls into little princesses. In fact, women and children are also the largest consumer groups. Men’s status is actually not as good as pets, but in this era, men’s ability to be hardworking requires maintaining physical fitness. Once they are tired, the whole family may starve to death. Boys are the labor force of the future and continue the clan, so their status is only under the middle-aged man.

Women, the elderly and girls have the next best position, just don’t starve to death. At the same time, women actually do not have a lot of work. In the harsh context of the times, everyone lives a hard life, and regardless of gender, they try to survive under the wheel of the times.

Shen Li and Shen Yong are one of them. The couple and his brother Shen Liang miraculously escaped in the Dengzhou Incident. After fleeing south, only the few of their family members died. After arriving at Qianhusuo City, they lived a very difficult life. Fortunately, the treatment changed after reaching the 300th household. Now Shen Yong, a craftsman, can receive four liters of grain a day, which is of course far worse than the craftsmen of the household. However, Shen Yong knew that Min Yuanqi asked them military craftsmen to come here to save money. Anyway, he could eat enough now, so of course he would not complain.

Recently, there are many tools used in the wooden shovels used in Yanchi, which are carefully created by craftsmen such as Chen De and Shen Yong. They made tools in the city to deal with them. They could only use them for a while. Anyway, they would not be too serious in handling the official tasks assigned to them.

Many craftsmen are full of food in the 300th household, and they can also do some private work in their spare time. As long as the craftsmen can get themselves, Min Yuanqi doesn't care much. In the past month, Shen Yong's family can not only eat a full meal, but also store more food. They are all earned by Shen Yong's private work. They are full of gratitude to Min Yuanqi and want to stay in the 300th household forever.
Chapter completed!