Fenghou

Chapter 375 Improvement
Jin Bing left that afternoon, and their plan did not come true in the end. Chen Qing only agreed to half of the list given by the Jin Ren. Wanyan and Lisa's mother and daughter were released, but his wife and son were not released. The same is true for several ten thousand captains, only half of them were released.

The eighty-five new women quickly integrated into their new life just like everyone else after two days of recovery.

Although the problem of fuel has been solved with coal, a new problem has arisen. They lack fire starters. Coal cannot be ignited directly with a fire, and wood must be used to ignite the fire. However, the most lacking thing in Ganquan Castle is wood. .

For two days in a row, Chen Qing stayed in the big tent and fiddled with something. Hu Yanyun couldn't bear it any longer, so he dragged several generals to check.

Several generals were stunned, only to see that the big tent was in a mess, with black coal stains everywhere, several soldiers were all completely black, including their capitals were also covered in coal stains.

"Dutong, what are you doing?" Yang Zaixing asked in astonishment.

"I'm working on an improved coal that can solve the fire problem."

Chen Qing pointed to a pile of finished products beside him and said, "That's it!"

Everyone walked into the big tent to take a closer look, and saw dozens of cylindrical briquettes stacked on the small wooden cart, with five holes on each briquette.

"Du Tong, what is this?"

Chen Qing came over and said with a smile to everyone: "This is called briquette, and the egg-like pile next to it is called briquettes. We have too much pulverized coal, so we can just use it."

"This can be lit without firewood?" Hu Yanyun bent down and looked at it for a long time, a little in disbelief.

"There is sulfur powder in the tunnel! Use a piece of fire cloth, light it and put it in, and the briquette will be ignited quickly. Put a piece of briquette at night, cover it with a lid, and it will still be burning in the morning, so you don't need to re-light the stove. .”

Everyone heard that there was sulfur powder in it, and their eyes lit up. This is a good way. Of course, it would be better to use gunpowder, but it is too wasteful. There are sulfur mines in the north of Ganquan Castle, so it is best to use sulfur powder.

"The raw materials are very simple, [-]% of coal powder, [-]% of yellow mud and [-]% of lime, then pour water, stir and mix them together to make it, and finally dry them, remember, use ordinary yellow Mud, you can’t use refractory fire mud, in fact, it’s better to use mud from the bottom of the river, now that it’s frozen, let’s talk about it when the weather warms up.”

Chen Qing said to Hu Yanyun again: "I will hand over the specific production method to you later, and then my soldiers can be the guides, and then we can mass-produce it."

"But...there is no such mold for making briquettes!" Hu Yanyun pointed to the iron mold for making briquettes next to him.

"I arranged for the blacksmith to make it two days ago, and it should come out.

"Understood, I can arrange it today, and I can start making it tomorrow."

Chen Qing pulled Hu Yanyun aside again, and said in a low voice: "Let those women also participate, and then find unmarried generals above the capital to help them do it together, do you understand what I mean?"

Hu Yanyun was stunned, "Do you want to keep them all and start a family?"

Chen Qing nodded, Hu Yanyun hesitated, and said a little embarrassedly: "The humble job is not small, and I haven't married yet, and the humble job likes one of them."

"Who?" Chen Qing asked anxiously.

"It's called Bian Chunshui, and I think she can give me a son."

Chen Qing breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a smile: "Then you go please her and help her. If she is willing, I will marry you!"

Hu Yanyun suddenly thought of his brother Hu Yanlei. Hu Yanlei was also thirty-three years old. He hesitated and said, "But there are still [-] brothers who haven't arrived yet!"

"Don't worry, isn't there still hundreds of people who haven't been sent yet? Besides, this is not something that can be determined once or twice. It will take at least a few months to engage in this kind of collective labor a few more times, to plow the land and fetch water together. What, let them get in touch slowly and develop feelings slowly."

"I understand, let's start by making briquettes!"

In fact, Chen Qing had another idea, to transform these women into working women, starting with pinching briquettes.

In Zitong County, Longqing Prefecture, Chen Qing's [-] troops gathered here, and there were also [-] troops brought by Hu Yantong. There were originally [-] troops, but one thousand of them did not want to go to the northwest. Lead two thousand people to Chengdu by boat.

Coincidentally, Chen Qing's wife Lu Xiu and others happened to be on the same road, and dozens of large ships rushed to Chengdu.

The [-] troops only rested in Chengdu for two days, and then set off for Zitong County to join the armies of Yang Yuanqing and Zheng Ping.

There are not only more than [-] troops, but also thousands of family members accompanying the army, as well as a large amount of food, grass, and property. It is a huge project to transport them to Ganquan Fort.

But now is the opportunity, the main force of the Jin soldiers has returned to Youzhou, Fengxiang only has more than [-] Jin soldiers left, and he dare not act rashly for the time being, the [-] puppet Qi troops are mainly concentrated in the Jingzhao area of ​​Guanzhong.

At this time, there is no risk of being intercepted when going north, which is the best opportunity. In a few months, when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming, the puppet Qi army and Jin soldiers will start to become active, and then there will be danger.

Yang Yuanqing and Zheng Ping were discussing the plan to go north. Yang Yuanqing said: "I received news from Huyanlei that the Jin soldiers have completely withdrawn to the north. We can continue to enter Qinzhou from Beixianren. I suggest that the personnel go first. After all, people are the most important thing." Yes, and then food and other supplies, what do you think?"

Zheng Ping has always liked to argue with Yang Yuanqing, but today he has no confidence, not only his wife and children, but also Chen Qing's wife, Zheng Ping can't afford to raise this argument.

"You're right. People are the most important thing. I suggest that the troops be divided into two routes. Hu Yantong and I lead [-] troops to guard our families and go first. Brother Yang leads [-] troops to guard food and supplies. What happens next?"

Yang Yuanqing nodded, "That's it! I'll ask Zhou Kuan to see if I can get some more carts."

Transportation is a big problem. They have purchased and leased tens of thousands of mules and horses and thousands of carts in various places in Bashu successively, but it is still not enough. There are [-] shi of grain and [-] dans of fodder, without a huge The transportation team is difficult to transport away.

Zhou Kuan was a member of Chen Qing's army who participated in the army. He was sent to Bashu the year before last as a grain procurement envoy, responsible for purchasing grain in Bashu.

He has stayed in Zitong County for a long time and knows a lot of people. Everyone relies on him to find a way.

Zhou Kuan smiled wryly and said: "If you really want a big cart, mules and horses, there is nothing you can do. As long as you are willing to pay more, you will be able to find them. You can have as many as you want, but you can't find them now."

"Why?" Yang Yuanqing asked puzzled.

"Because once you add money, the people in front of you will stop working, and you will have to add money, so it will be endless. It's best to wait for the people in front to leave for two days before I come to look for it again. Just add money appropriately, and you can't add too much money." Too high, these guys are always greedy."

Yang Yuanqing also felt that it made sense, so he nodded and agreed, "Okay! I will let those who can go follow the family team first, and the rest who can't go, you can help me find mules, horses and carts!"

In the past two days, Lu Xiu has been too busy to touch the ground. She didn't have to worry about anything, but now it's different. She is the wife of the coach Chen Qing, and she has a responsibility on her shoulders.

Accompanied by two young ladies, she visited the families of the soldiers. If someone's child had a headache, she asked Zhou Kuan to contact the local doctor to come and see him.

In the end, she simply paid a high price to hire several doctors to go with her. Although the army has military doctors, the military doctors are mainly good at treating injuries. For minor ailments of children and women, they still need civilian doctors. They have enough experience in contact with ordinary people every day.

In the room, Lu Xiu was persuading Li Qingzhao to stay.

Li Qingzhao originally said to go to Chengdu for a long-term stay, and the literati in Chengdu also asked her to stay, but no one knew what she was thinking, and insisted on going north with Lu Xiu. Unexpectedly, she caught a cold these two days.

"Master will only recuperate for two days. It's not too late to leave after he recovers! There are all kinds of inconveniences on the road. What if the condition worsens?"

Where does Li Qingzhao want to stay and recuperate? She knows very well that as long as she agrees weakly at this time, she may not have the opportunity to go north again. It is rare to meet Chen Qing and Lu Xiu, a kind-hearted couple. They will probably live alone for the rest of their lives.

After her husband passed away, she was alone, wandering around, and living in a difficult life. She really couldn't bear such a lonely life.

"What does it matter? It's not that I haven't experienced it. When I fled south from Jeju, I almost died of several serious illnesses on the way. I survived. Besides, I was lying in a bullock cart on the way. Alian and Alian Sakura will take care of me too, Alian, right?"

Yu Lian nodded, "We will take care of Auntie."

Li Qingzhao held Lu Xiu's hand and begged, "Xiu'er, I just want to go with you, don't leave me behind."

Lu Xiu had no choice but to nod with a wry smile, "Okay! Master is not afraid of getting seriously ill, so let's go together!"

(End of this chapter)