Chapter 241: Sitting on the mountain to watch the tiger fight

The iron ball fell into the water in the distance, splashing cheerful water. Jiao Yu was very happy: the quality of the fine iron produced on this island is really good, and it can fully meet the needs of casting cannons!

"Master, this time I finally succeeded!" Jiao Yu said.

Zhang Yang looked at Jiao Yu who was excited, but was a little afraid that he would continue to say that he would tell him all the principles of the Tianque Gun. It was a little early now.

Since the artillery experiment was successful, let him work!

Zhang Yang said: "Jiao Yu, our cannon is still too heavy. Can it be reduced by weight?"

Shen? Jiao Yu didn't notice. Although this cannon was carried by a few people, it was not considered heavy, right?

"I need artillery that can be equipped in the field troops. For example, this artillery is placed on a two-wheeled cannon cart, which can be dragged by horses, and it must be more powerful, at least five miles away!" Zhang Yang said.

It is a contradiction to be powerful and light in weight! Jiao Yu feels that this master is still examining him. However, he really has no answer. It is already a great achievement to be able to shoot the projectile out of two miles.

"Jiao Yu, we can improve from two aspects." Zhang Yang said. Although he doesn't know much about artillery, he still has the most basic knowledge. This short and thick artillery is not scientific at all.

"First of all, you can reduce the caliber of the cannon, such as one and a half feet, so that you can reduce the weight." Zhang Yang said. The cannon in front of you has a caliber of three feet, and it is more than enough to get in by one person. It is only about five feet long, just like a short fat man.

One and a half feet? Jiao Yu gestured with his hand and shook his head: "No, no, reduce the caliber, and the charge amount will decrease and the range will decrease." In order to increase the range, he can only increase the charge amount.

This is the limitation of people in this era. In order to increase the range, they simply increase the charge, resulting in the cannon becoming larger and larger, and the weight is more and more, but the power will not increase proportionally accordingly.

Zhang Yang shook his head: "The power will not decrease. While reducing the caliber, increase the length of the gun barrel." Zhang Yang meditated on modern cannons: "Make the cannon body fifteen feet, so that you can definitely hit five miles if you experiment again." Zhang Yang said.

Jiao Yu shook his head in disbelief: "Master, this is not possible at all. The gun barrel is so long and the muzzle is so small, it is like a bamboo tube, so it must not work."

Zhang Yang patted Jiao Yu on the shoulder: "Jiao Yu, if you experiment, you can always get a suitable proportion. Also, this gun barrel does not need to be thicker in front and back. The forward, the thinner it can be. It will reduce the weight!"

The more you go to the muzzle, the smaller the chamber pressure, of course you don’t need such a thick pipe wall. Zhang Yang suddenly discovered that he had already figured out many problems without realizing it, and he could use these methods to understand them.

"The gun barrel is so long, how can I load the medicine?" Jiao Yu asked. He couldn't climb up the ladder.

"You can open a mouth from the back."

"What should I do if I rush out?"

"Design a solid gun door, and you must closely coordinate it. If the air leaks, it won't work."

"How do you pound the gunpowder?"

"You can tamp the gunpowder in advance and make it into a medicine bag. One serving at a time and stuff it in. By the way, you have to design how to put this kind of gun on the cannon truck and adjust the height up and down. If not, you can ask Li Youcai and Zhao Jiamin for help."

The two of them asked and answered each other, which was like a cannon. Zhang Yang didn't know what happened. His thoughts were so clear that he had come up with solutions to many of the problems that were stuck in front of him. However, Jiao Yu became more and more shocked. The master really understood a lot. He had never heard of these statements. Now he heard them, but now he felt a sense of enlightenment.

"I understand, master, I can experiment with this kind of artillery." Jiao Yu's thinking has completely fallen into the research of this kind of artillery.

The long and thin cannon has never been cast before, and it is very likely that there will be breakthrough progress! The master is really hiding it. If you take it out a little, you will benefit a lot.

Zhang Yang was already very relieved to leave the research on artillery to Jiao Yu. This master of firearms is really obsessed with firearms. Let him tinker with it. He only needs the results.

Zhang Yang still did not intend to tell Jiao Yu about the rifle in the cannon. The rifle of the cannon is much more troublesome than the Tianque gun, and there is also the boring light in the cannon bore, but all of this can be completed by the steam engine.

The base will unconsciously develop towards industrialization. The symbol of industrialization is to use machines to make machines.

In a flash, I stayed at the base for more than ten days, and the first month of the year was coming, and February was coming. Zhang Yang felt that it was time to go back and take a look. I wonder how the provincial army and Zhu Yuanzhang from Chuzhou were fighting?

Jiao Yu was left behind, the tall steam engine and a ship for them to transform. Zhang Yang took the guard and left the base.

Passing by Xinghua City, Zhang Yang went in and took a look. Xinghua City is now a quiet and peaceful scene. People are already busy with spring plowing and all industries are waiting to be developed.

As the front moved forward, Xinghua City had already been at a stable rear. This was Zhangyang's base, and the people here were also the most determined force behind Zhangyang.

As the wife whom Zhang Yangming married, Liu Ruohan is also respected everywhere here and is respected as Mrs. Zhang.

After entering the courtyard, Zhang Yang saw Ruohan's back, who was watering flowers in the garden, was still graceful and graceful. However, the slightly raised abdomen in front implying that there was a little life growing inside.

"Ruohan!"

"Brother Shicheng!" Liu Ruohan was about to run over happily.

"You can't do strenuous activities!" Zhang Yang said: "Don't throw my son away."

Liu Ruohan stopped: "Brother Shicheng, you are so bad!"

Bad? You are my wife and my son in your belly. Are you so shy?

"Let's go, go into the house, it's cold outside, so be careful of getting sick." Zhang Yang said.

Seeing Zhang Yang's caring eyes, Liu Ruohan's heart was filled with warmth. She took Zhang Yang's hand and the two walked towards the inner room.

Cao also came over. During this period, she had been living in Xinghua City, but she always felt that she was not as comfortable as in the original village. Wherever she went, she was always as a respectful person. She wanted to find a few old ladies to chat with. People always felt like they were separated from her, and they spoke carefully, always making herself happy.

"Brother Shicheng, everything in Gaoyou Mansion has gone smoothly, right?" Liu Ruohan asked.

In the base, I waited for Brother Shicheng. After finally getting married, they moved to Xinghua City. Brother Shicheng went to Gaoyou Mansion again. The two were like kites in the sky, waiting far away, but they could not stay together.

Zhang Yang knew that Ruohan asked this, in fact, if he had settled down in Gaoyou Mansion, if he could move her to Gaoyou Mansion and stay by his side every day. Someone cooked for food every day, and some warmed up beds at night. In fact, Zhang Yang liked this kind of day very much, but he was unwilling to let Ruohan take risks. Only after completely digesting Gaoyou Mansion would Zhang Yang consider letting Ruohan and his mother move over.

"Ruohan, the situation in Gaoyou Prefecture is quite complicated. The province has assigned two people to serve as prefect and Daruwachi, and brought five thousand soldiers. Although I have been controlled by me, it has not been completely handled. For the sake of your and your baby's safety, please stay in Xinghua City for the time being!" Zhang Yang said.

Liu Ruohan's eyes dimmed. She wanted to say very much, as long as I stay by your side, I wouldn't be afraid of anything. But she didn't say anything. She knew that Brother Shicheng was under great pressure and she didn't want to cause more trouble to Brother Shicheng.

"Then you are in Gaoyou Mansion yourself, you must be careful." Liu Ruohan said.

Cao looked at Zhang Yang with maternal love in his eyes. When he gave birth to this eldest son, a fortune teller said that his son would achieve great success in the future. She didn't believe it at that time, but now she believes it.

"Shicheng, go and do your big business. Ruohan is enough to take care of me. I am still waiting to hold my grandson." Cao also said.

The word "Happy" on the window has not been torn off, the red has faded away and turned into yellow. Can love still not change the color as the years wash away?

Zhang Yang looked at Ruohan's slightly swollen face, then looked at his wrinkled mother, and decided to stay tonight and leave tomorrow.

Covering the quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks and stroking Ruohan's slightly bulging belly, Zhang Yang slept extremely comfortably.

Because he needed to stay in Gaoyou Mansion and deal with more complicated situations, Xinghua had become a stable rear, Zhang Yang transferred Li Shanchang to Xinghua City to handle some political affairs in the entire Xinghua.

Back at Gaoyou Mansion, Zhang Yang first called Shi Nai'an and Luo Guanzhong to ask about the recent trends of the province.

"After our spies' reward, the province's troops are currently struggling in Chuzhou." Luo Guanzhong said.

?This is good news, Zhang Yang asked: "Why is this? Didn't the province claim to have an army of 200,000?"

"According to our observation, the province sent at most 70,000 troops to Chuzhou to wipe out Zhu Yuanzhang's troops. However, Chuzhou was surrounded by mountains. When Zhu Yuanzhang attacked Chuzhou, he took advantage of the loopholes of the defenders and unexpectedly. After Zhu Yuanzhang entered Chuzhou, he immediately sent cavalry whistles on all sides. He knew immediately that the provincial army had been fighting and stopping with a small group of Red Turban Army on the mountain roads. He had not arrived in Chuzhou yet, and the food and grass were burned twice."

Zhu Yuanzhang is indeed an expert in using troops to fight. Zhang Yang sighed that the provincial soldiers and horses have been on duty for more than half a month, but they have not yet reached Chuzhou City. The combat effectiveness of the provincial soldiers and horses is really a problem! But this is good, the more they struggle, the safer they will be.

"Lord, the province sent a document not long ago, saying that it was to draw 2,000 troops from Gaoyou Mansion to Chuzhou." Shi Nai'an said.

Oh? Zhang Yang turned his head and said, "Mr. Shi, how did we go back?"

"Because the lord was not there, I called Li Pu and asked him to write a document saying that the situation in Gaoyou Mansion was not determined and the defenders could not be transferred. Please forgive me for the province." Shi Nai'an said.

Zhang Yang nodded. This was the only solution at present. In short, no cavalry who came into Gaoyou Mansion could let go.

"These few months have been a good environment for rest and accumulation of strength that we have finally come. We must seize this opportunity and quickly strengthen ourselves." Zhang Yang said. "We are in Gaoyou Mansion and recruit another 3,000 people."

Compared with the various troops that are tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, these thousands of people are really insignificant. However, Zhang Yang never doubted the combat effectiveness of his own people. Now there are 1,000 troops in each battalion. Even on the front battlefield, his own thousand people are enough to beat the 5,000 Tartar cavalry troops. However, as the territory expands, the gap in insufficient manpower will become larger and larger. Each town has to station a certain amount of troops, which greatly disperses Zhang Yang's strength. Moreover, now he will be about to equip cannons, and a team of 100 people operating cannons is needed to add each battalion to add a team of 100 people to operate cannons.

"Lord, we have relatively few staffs, so it is reasonable to recruit a group of rebels. However, our current logistics burden is very heavy!" said Shi Nai'an.

Zhang Yang also knew that although he had taken the Gaoyou Mansion, the deposit of the silver in the treasury was only about a thousand taels. Although he knew that there was a large amount of silver in Li Qi's mansion, he was now fighting for the banner of revenge for Li Qi and eliminating the rebellious forces. In his mansion, he just sent troops to "protect" and did not confiscate his home. The current silver and food are not enough for his consumption. The most important thing is that fine salt is now sold in small batches, and a large amount of fine salt has not taken action.

The more refined salt is accumulated, the more it is. In summer, the more refined salt will regain moisture, so it is time to consider the problem of refined salt taking action.

"We have accumulated a lot of fine salt, and now we can start to take it off." Zhang Yang said: "Let Li Pu write a seal document to the province, and once again explain the goal of fine salt in the area we control to legally sell to other regions, put pressure on the province, and let Shixin lead a team of 100 people to take the water route to transport fine salt to several nearby roads."

"Lord, will the provinces sell fine salt now be said to be sold private salt?" Luo Guanzhong asked.

"How could this happen? I am now a legal county magistrate and prefecture in the province. The salt farm under my rule is also a legal salt farm. I organized the sale of salt by myself. This is an official sale. How can it be said to be a private salt? Besides, the nearby roads and governments have long been in chaos. I organized manpower to sell fine salt to these places, and only charge a slightly higher price than coarse salt. Isn't this strongly supporting the stable development of the province?" Zhang Yang said.

Everyone knows that Zhang Yang said this, it is simply a matter of fact that the salt in the salt field is definitely not managed by the prefectures and counties. If it comes to it, even the provinces have no right to inquire about the manufacturing and sales of the salt field. If the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Bureau is managed by the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Bureau itself, then it will be directly a big city. All salt can be obtained in Yangzhou before it can be sold at the salt field and sold reasonably. Without the salt induction, without the consent of the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Bureau, it is an absolute private salt.

However, under this current situation, the Red Turban Army has entered Chuzhou and is likely to come out at any time. Attacking Yangzhou, Yangzhou can no longer be considered a peaceful place. Lianghuai Salt Transportation Office in Yangzhou is working hard and wishing to withdraw from this place of right and wrong as soon as possible. He has no intention of catching private salt. The salt peddlers have long been restrained, so they dare not be as rampant as before. Normal salt merchants dare not take advantage of the salt rush in those war-torn areas, and the salt trading business has been greatly affected. Therefore, looking at the entire province, it will be a place for Zhangyang's fine salt sales.

What Zhang Yang needs to do now is to sell his fine salt not only to Gaoyou and Taizhou, which he ruled, but also to all parts of the entire province.

"The lord is really sharing the worries for the province." Luo Guanzhong said, but he was laughing in his heart. Now the province is not concerned about the head and the end, and he is too busy at all.

"Call Shixin over here. Leave this matter to Shixin to deal with. By the way, you still need Guanzhong's assistance." Zhang Yang said.

Luo Guanzhong's intelligence network has been launched. Taking this opportunity, while selling fine salt, it can continue to expand intelligence agencies. The intelligence agencies will provide information for selling fine salt, and the two will develop together. Some large cities that are still controlled by provinces cannot sell their fine salt blatantly and can only sell them secretly.

Soon, Shixin came. In the past few days, he had a lot of fun in Gaoyou Mansion. It was like a country bun that had entered the city and was interested in everything. He used to be able to sneak around, but now he was walking on the street with a swagger.

"Shi Xin, you need to hand over a task now." Zhang Yang said.

"Brother, are you going to fight again?" Shi Xin asked.

"We are fighting to avoid fighting," Zhang Yang said: "From today, I will give you a task that you are best at."

What is best? Shi Xin thought about it, but he didn't know what he was best at.

"You are bringing a 100-man team, preferably one of our salt field's 100-man teams with more brothers. Take a boat to load the fine salt from Dingxi Salt Field and sell it to other parts of the province." Zhang Yang said.

It turned out that I was buying salt. This is naturally familiar. There is also a team of 100 people. The firepower of a hundred Tianque gun is enough to protect your salt ship and you are not afraid of anything.

"It's easy to say, brother, no problem." Shi Xin said.

It turns out that selling private salt is just sneaky, but now, you can finally sell private salt in a swagger. No, it should be the best official salt, so Shi Xin is certainly willing to do this job.

"The 100-man team you give is to protect our fine salt during transportation. The best situation is that you find a large merchant in other cities that can digest our fine salt. We should not be too evident. In the war-torn areas, many salt merchants cannot transport the salt there. There must be a shortage of salt there. Unless it is absolutely necessary, don't have any conflicts with others. If there is any situation, you can ask Guanzhong for help." Zhang Yang instructed.

Although I have decided to start selling fine salt in large quantities, there must be fig leaf between the provinces. Try not to destroy the current situation. Let the province fight Zhu Yuanzhang, sit in the mountains and watch the tiger fight. If you beat you, I will make my fortune.

Zhang Yang's status is very special now. If he does not really seek refuge in the court, of course he is not the same as the provinces. He will be the same as the ones they like to fight, which has nothing to do with him. Zhu Yuanzhang made Zhang Yang even more alert. Zhu Yuanzhang's development was too strong and would definitely have an impact on him. After all, the struggle between the peasant uprising troops was also very fierce, and there could only be one emperor in the end.

Taking advantage of their lack of war and actively develop themselves, that is the top priority. Now, neither side has time to pay attention to them. Even if they find that they are illegally selling salt, the province may pretend not to know and give the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Bureau a headache.

"Yes, brother. But, in this way, our prices may be a little lower." Shixin said, after all, wholesale is not as profitable as retail.

"One hundred and fifty cents per pound," said Zhang Yang, "The price cannot be too low, and now there is no stock everywhere."

Gao, it was still the eldest brother Gao, Shixin said in his heart.
Chapter completed!