Ma'anshan Iron and Steel Military Industry Joint Enterprise, well, should be the Ma'anshan mining farm under the Military Industry Department. Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Workshop and Weapon Armor Processing Site have realized the most important raw material for weapon processing - iron ore from mine excavation to steel and then manufactured into weapons. A series of processes of armor are completed in this area surrounded by thousands of garrisons.

To this end, Chen Wen built special tracks, official roads, post stations, military stations, military camps, and even forts and ports in this heavy industrial area, and even forts and walls to protect this industrial area from external damage.

The output of steel is still increasing, not only the scale of mines and iron smelting workshops is expanding, but also the continuous increase in technology. Now, just a military-industrial workshop has seen a certain degree of overcapacity. Unfortunately, Chen Wen came here to interrupt Xu Yi’s reverie about those “ring railways” and so on.

"The army is about to start a new round of expansion, which is also the largest expansion before the Northern Expedition. Your Military Industry Department has a heavy task, but I don't want to hear anything that I can complete the task even if I stay awake. Not to mention anything else, the resources I invested in the Military Industry Department over the years, just looking at this industrial area, if the expansion and development and production of new equipment cannot be completed, that would be a big joke."

As soon as the words came out, Chen Wen and Xu Yi looked at each other and smiled. If the weapons and armor were driven out with one hand and one foot by a craftsman, it would not take time and effort to complete the task in time.

However, starting from the hydraulic workshop in Jinhua, relying on machinery to achieve rapid production is already extremely mature in the Military Industry Department. The production process of various weapons and armor has achieved basic standardization and assembly line. Although it still requires a lot of manual processing to achieve parts assembly, it is also the most efficient production method that can be achieved under the technical level of this era. If even this cannot be completed within the specified time, then even the large military factories in Europe may not be able to do it.

Xu Yi was not very clear about the specific expansion plan, but the orders for required equipment have been sent to the Military Industry Department, and some of them have even begun manufacturing work.

In fact, in the past two years, although the expansion of the field troops of the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has been relatively small, due to the rapid expansion of the occupied areas, the number of local garrisons has been showing a straight upward trend. Jiangnan, Huainan, Fujian, Guangdong, and Huguang, which have just been divided into Hubei and Hunan, and the eastern and northern parts of Guangxi, a large number of local garrisons are needed everywhere to maintain local stability.

The Military Industry Department Workshop was moved from Jinhua to the Ma'anshan area of ​​Taipingfu. Although the machinery, factory buildings and other things were not moved away, and they were all converted into civilians in batches in Jinhuafu, production capacity would inevitably be affected. But even so, the expansion of local garrison troops has never been delayed. Weapons and equipment can always be completed first, and there will never be any such phenomenon as personnel and other weapons and equipment.

"Please rest assured, the official official has looked at it carefully and has also consulted with the various courts under the Military Industry Department. All courts have expressed that they will be able to complete the production task as scheduled."

"Well, I also believe that the Military Industry Department can complete the task."

After seeing the pits and holes in the mines, the chimneys emitting black smoke, and the water wheels rotating day and night by the river, Chen Wen did not have much time to feel the beauty of the machinery, but followed Xu Yi to the test site of the Military Industry Department.

"King, these two are the three flintlock guns of A, B and C that have been completed recently by the Military Industry Department. They are all developed according to your requirements."

Three flintlock muskets, iron rods, wooden buttstocks, exquisite flintlock muskets and sleeve-type guns and swords placed in the box. Three muskets, two long and one short, the first two longer ones look exactly the same in shape, but when you look closely, these two muskets still have subtle but crucial differences.

Chen Wen ignored the gun sword, picked up the argon-shaped musket in Xu Yi's mouth, looked at the bolt carefully, rubbed the barrel on the left hand, touched the muzzle, felt the size of the inner and outer diameters, and then nodded with satisfaction. When he picked up the second one, he first raised the gun and made an aiming action, and then made an extremely dangerous action, aiming the muzzle at one of his eyes.

“How is the output?”

"When you come back to the king, the Type A musket has a few steps less, and the production speed is relatively fast. Type B musket has a certain residual rate during processing, and there are many problems when used, but the output is still up to par. The workshop has already manufactured machinery specifically for processing, so there is no problem to meet the needs of the army."

The A flintlock musket and the B flintlock musket will be the standard flintlock muskets in the army. In terms of demand, the former is higher and the latter is less, but the overall number is not low. Chen Wen has seen this sample, and the more concerned about it is the production issue. With Xu Yi's guarantee this time, he can be considered as letting go.

The flintlock rifle has gone through an extremely long period of time from its birth to its popularity. In this process of more than 100 years of popularity, the flintlock rifle bolts are crucial, and there are many problems. Flintlock, spring steel, and even granulated gunpowder will lead to a reduction in the excitation rate. Compared with the technically mature co-cord gun, the instability and cost of flintlock rifle will affect the renewal.

The cost is higher, Chen Wen doesn't care. He understands the development trend and has never been stingy with the investment in it. In other aspects, over the past few years, with the accumulation of materials science experience and continuous experiments, he finally has a possibility of mass production. However, in terms of excitation rate, it is still a dream. However, with the rate of firing of the smoothbore flintlock rifle, these problems can be tolerated.

After putting down the Type B flintlock rifle, Chen Wen picked up the Type C flintlock rifle again. The first two flintlock rifles were both five feet long, while this one was only four feet long. Not to mention the short barrel, the streamline of the stock was slightly different from the previous two.

"How effective is this kind of firearm's experimental effect?"

"The experimental results are OK, but it has not been tested in practice, so it is still difficult to say what the specific results are."

Hearing this, Chen Wen nodded and then put the musket back into the box. Seeing these things is worth this trip. In fact, he can see them in Nanjing, but when he comes here, he sees them with his own eyes how iron ore has become such a sharp weapon step by step, and his feelings are different.

Chen Wen was happy not only the military industry of the Military Industry Department, but also the huge production capacity of the steel joint, but also the R&D capabilities of the Military Industry Department. Before this, the weapons of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Ming Army were not like the Lumi guns and the Turtle Dove-footed guns in the books, but were slightly improved products like the electric guns. Now he only needs to send the request to the Military Industry Department's R&D team can research and develop according to the actual needs of the army and achieve mass production. The meaning here is extraordinary.

Chen Wen stayed here for two days, focused on inspecting the steel production and weapons test sites, and then returned to Nanjing to make final preparations for a series of major moves in the second half of the year.

The Ma'anshan Military Industry and Steel Union was able to achieve such a scale by the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang on the basis of the Jinhua Hydraulic Workshop. Now, this place has become the military production center of the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, while Jinhua has gradually changed to civilian use. The machinery produced is sold well in recent provinces. The lower-end iron farm tools and tools have also lowered the prices of the people, allowing more people to use these tools that can make production efficiency higher.

In June, during the summer harvest season, Ding Junjie took a leave and returned to his home in Yongkang County from the recruit training camp in Jinhua. After more than a year of joining the army, most of the robes who entered the recruit training camp with him had been assigned to garrisons from all over the place. Some of the lucky ones were said to have also been added to the combat camp. On the contrary, he, a top student in the Boy Scout Academy, always received training in the recruit training camp.

If he talks about training results, he is also among the best. In addition to studying and literacy, he will not be admitted to the martial arts school after becoming a warrior, but at least he should be assigned to the local garrison. However, over the past year, he has been training, from training to training for new recruits, as if his job in the Ming army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is just training.

"Xiaojie, I practice all day long. When I have nothing to do, I will take leave and go home to stay for a few days. My mother can also talk to the fourth aunt in the neighboring village and find a wife first."

The fourth aunt in the neighboring village, Ding Junjie, had long heard of it. She was indeed a good matchmaker. She was more versatile than the matchmaker Zhang's family who lived next to her hometown when she was in the city. She didn't say anything that could make the dead a living, but only said that she was a matchmaker. No one in the village didn't know her name.

"Mom, I have to go to the meeting. Our family has a lot of money this year, but we still have to go to the meeting."

"This kid."

Ding Junjie was really not interested in this matter. He was now full of notifications he received before leaving, especially when he thought that he would soon rush to the new recruit camp in Nanjing to participate in the formation of a new force. He was full of passion and could not have time to think about the affairs of his children's love and the inheritance of the family line.

"Dad, you were fortunate to participate in the establishment of Nantang Camp back then. Now my son is also going to participate in the establishment of a new army. Please bless your son to achieve success and add luster to our old Ding family."

Walking on the road with great strides, Ding Junjie didn't feel that it took him long to arrive at the planting cooperative in the town. At the beginning of last year, Jinhuafu was a reform pilot, and the planting cooperative in their town also took advantage of the opportunity to form it. Last year's business, when the sugarcane harvest was harvested, not only did it have a bumper harvest, but the sugarcane was also acquired by the large sugar sugar workshop in the city that was said to be invested by His Highness King Qi.

Everyone made a lot of money from top to bottom, from the recommended business management, to the military members of the planting cooperatives, to the hired planting workers. They made more profits than the grain planting that year, but because of this, with the success of the pilot, the new policy began to popularize it in the surrounding areas, and the purchase price of sugarcane will inevitably be challenged. It is said that this year, I am afraid that there will be no way to maintain the purchase price last year.

"It's not that I went to the Fucheng City and talked with Wang Dong's family. Wang Dong's family said that other governments have seen our Jinhua Mansion make money, so they also want to eat this meal. This year's sugarcane planting area has increased dramatically. On the purchase price, he has asked the Qi Wang Mansion for instructions. This year, the Qi Wang Mansion can make a certain proportion of subsidies, but it will depend on ourselves next year."

"How can this be done? We planted first. Logically, we should give priority to our military households in Jinhua Mansion. They are too much."

“That’s it, that’s it.”

"Okay, okay, don't complain. I have to complain about going back to complain to the man at home, and the wife." In an echo, the hundred-household household who was in charge of the overall situation waved to everyone to be quiet and listened to him continue to say something.

"At the beginning, everyone was jealous of the people who grew these Lao Shi's cash crops, and begged His Highness to lift the series of government orders that could only grow grain, vegetables, and mulberry trees. Our Jinhua Mansion was just a step earlier. Can we stop others and not allow others to make money? They are all military households. Most of the families here are soldiers in the military. Do we just need to make money and not make money in the robes? There is no such reason."

After saying a lot of words, the complaints were suppressed. The hundred households drank their water and then said: "Now everyone has made money, and His Highness King Qi will also subsidize part of the money. The loss will definitely not be possible, but it is just a little less than last year."

When I heard that there was little profit, the buzzing sounded again. The hundred households shouted a few words before suppressing it again: "We have experience in growing sugarcane. The sugarcane we planted this year has not yet matured. We will not change to plant anything else now. But should we consider this matter? We have to settle down now. We can have time to do a survey and understand what to plant next year to earn more."

This is the purpose of this meeting today. After a hundred households said that, everyone looked at me and I looked at you. After a long time, someone suggested that it might rise again next year. It was immediately opposed by more and more military households who thought that sugarcane was growing.

Just one sentence of you and one sentence of me, I didn't understand it for a long time. Baihu was thinking about proposing to do an investigation first, depending on the situation. At this moment, he was just seeing Ding Junjie seemingly eager to try.

"Nephew, have you studied at the Boy Scout Academy or the first place in the first class? Tell me what you think and let me hear it for the uncles and aunts here."

Everyone knows the situation of the Ding family. Not to mention Ding Junjie's so-called "top scholar", his deceased father was the earliest soldier in Nantangying. The warrior who participated in the battle behind Simingshan Hall, and he was also the Yuan Congshi of His Highness. The Ding family now seems to have only a few dozen acres of pension land at home, but most of the robes who were fed by his father who were the ones who were in the pot were now military generals who led the army. There is a very good relationship with their family and now he has become a commander of the army at the level of division. Not to mention promotion, he is more than they know about it.

However, Ding Junjie didn't think so much. He thought about having a meeting and going home to do some farm work so that his mother could rest more, and to fulfill her filial piety before going to Nanjing. Seeing that these military households could not discuss the reason, he planned to tell his ideas. As the households called the name of the households, he naturally took the initiative.

"Then my nephew is ugly. Is it right? Is it my uncles and aunts responsible for it."

With a fist, Ding Junjie said one by one: "My nephew has thought about it. As Uncle Yang said, what to plant next year will not be decided now, it depends on the market next year. However, if you scan in advance, you still have to do it, be prepared for any trouble."

Speaking of this, many people here nodded. Seeing this, Ding Junjie then said: "If you change the seeds, what you plant specifically depends on the market. It is not enough for others to grow, but it depends on whether anyone buys them. For example, the nephew has a robe in the training camp. His family is from the countryside of Suzhou Prefecture. In the past, a crop called pepper was planted by wealthy families. They bought it home as decorations. At the end of last year, the Qiwang Mansion paid a high price and bought it all the peppers they planted there, which made a lot of money, but not many people were willing to buy this thing on weekdays."

"What does that thing look like? Does Your Highness Qi also like that pepper?"

Things about Chen Wen can always arouse people's curiosity. In fact, Ding Junjie didn't know if Chen Wen bought the thing to watch like a flower, but he still remembered a sentence that his comrade said, and a word that was a joke.

"The thing looks red and looks very festive. But it is said to be used for eating, but the taste is too spicy."
Chapter completed!