Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 122 The arms industry has a vast market and great potential
Huang Dasheng trembled with fright:

"I, I just want to recruit people, buy horses, and rebuild the ancestral caravan trade route."

"I think with so much money, you can become the leader of the largest caravan in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan."

"Master Li, is there anything I can do for you?"

"In the southwest, are there many men willing to fight for a bite of food?"

Huang Dasheng thought for a moment and replied:

"I think, based on the treatment given to Mr. Li's men, there should be many people willing to serve you."

"Okay, help me recruit some people, ruthless people who can't afford to eat. To the outside world, they will be caravan guards."

"How cruel?"

"With just one look from me, I dare to kill the official."

"no problem."

Li Yu said slowly again:

"That's what I think. You can take 5 taels first. From now on, every time I recruit someone, I will give you 100 taels in cash back."

"Everyone listens to Mr. Li."

After hearing this plan, Huang Dasheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Life is no longer in danger.

This is the real world.

……

2 days later,

Huang Dasheng left first, carrying 1000 taels of cash, and the rest was exchanged for banknotes.

Li Yu confiscated the exchange fee.

He was kind enough to prepare a carriage and a box of matchlocks.

It was deducted from the balance.

Huang Dasheng called him considerate and considerate.

A caravan?
It is the abbreviation of the combination of horse bandits and merchant gangs. They can't do it without a little force.

smith,
After staying for 5 more days, he quietly left.

Most of what he took away was jewelry and gold.

Small size, easy to cash out.

I also took away some short-handed muskets, of course, not free.

This is the first time Li Yu has tasted the sweetness of doing arms business.

The profits are quite high!

Because people who buy arms often have evil intentions.

If you feel guilty, you won’t dare to make a counteroffer. "

You can ask for a high price to scare him into buying.

If you find it too expensive, I will sell the arms to your enemies.

If the enemy knows about it, he will definitely not counter-offer.

This experience is very valuable.

Li Yu solemnly wrote in his diary:
The 40th year of Qianlong's reign, the second day of September.I got 140 million taels of silver.However, it is better to teach people how to fish than to teach them how to fish. The arms industry has a vast market and great potential.

After writing, close it and put it in the cabinet.

This is a new problem recently.

write diary!
……

Qianlong's jade pendant, handkerchief, and bright yellow coat were unexpected surprises.

Collect it carefully,
You never know when it will be used.

Li Yu made the request at the meeting of key members.

The inside story of the tribute incident was only made public among key members.

For the people below, they all use the propaganda that they have made a lot of money through trade.

There is so much money lying on the books,

There are so many things that can be done, and we are once again ushering in large-scale infrastructure construction and large-scale production.

All industries have received funding.

Increase scale, increase production, and expand more manpower.

Li Yu was extremely happy,

When we first captured Xishan Island, the area here was large enough.

due to safety concerns,

Xishan Island needs a strong naval force, otherwise it is likely to be blocked once exposed.

Xishan Shipyard,

It has become the highest priority infrastructure project recently.

600-material flat-bottomed warships, 10 of which were launched in one go.

Now we are concentrating on building transport ships.

Transport troops, artillery, mules and horses.

This kind of ship naturally has different requirements from warships.

First of all, the cabin is large and can be loaded.

You can't let people sit on the deck in the open air.

……

"Double layer?"

"Yes, it is based on the ancient ship design."

"Where's the motivation?"

"Rely on human power, or animal power."

Carpenter Kuai, or Director Kuai now, walked to the stern of the ship and leaned out to explain.

On both sides,

There is actually a paddle wheel each.

"When sailing, there are 10 people on each side, stepping on it together to pull the paddle wheel to rotate."

"Is this the rudder?"

"Yes."

Li Yu nodded, there is no problem with this design.

The flat-bottomed boat is also double-decker and has a tall hull.

I completely abandoned the sail because I was afraid that my center of gravity would be unstable.

"What kind of wood is this made of?"

"Sir, it's fir or pine wood."

The materials used for transport ships are naturally not as good as warships.

This distribution is very reasonable.

"How many people can it hold?"

"If you are carrying a musket, the full load can hold about 400 people. But~"

"But what?"

"The ship is slow, has traveled a long distance, and the crew is tired."

"What if it's a light artillery?"

"80 doors."

"5 people per cannon, as well as cannonballs and gunpowder, are they all included?"

"Up to 40 doors."

There are portholes on the upper floor that can be used as shooting holes when necessary.

There are no portholes on the lower floor.

Director Kuai said,

It's to protect against wind and waves.

When fully loaded, the waterline has reached the middle and upper position of the bottom tank.

……

"Have you ever considered a design that makes it easier for people and cargo to get on and off?"

"Master, you mean, use a hard springboard?"

That kind of swaying springboard really tests one's balance.

People can still overcome it, but artillery is in trouble.

If there is a wider, hard springboard, the truck and cannon can be unloaded quickly.

Director Kuai hesitated for a while:
"You can refer to the suspension bridge and make a hinge-controlled hard springboard with a width of 6 feet and a length of 15 feet."

"Raise it when sailing and lower it when docking."

"I'm afraid we need the cooperation of the iron factory and use iron plates."

Li Yu immediately agreed, no problem.

"But in this case, the left and right sides of the ship will be unbalanced, right?"

"It doesn't matter. When it's full, put more weight on the other side."

"What about the empty load?"

"Arrange all the daily supplies needed by the sailors on the ship in the bottom warehouse on the other side."

Li Yu was very satisfied with this kind of ship.

It is recommended to divide it into two types: heavy-duty and light-duty.

Light transport vessel, suitable for small-scale operations and shallow water areas.

Only carries 50 people.

……

Last time I purchased a large amount of wood from Anhui, I won’t worry about it for a short time.

However, Director Kuai still suggested to reserve more wood.

Because other substances are available for purchase and use.

Unlike wood, it requires multiple processes and a long time after felling before it can be used for boats and furniture.

Li Yu follows goodness like a stream,

Send someone to continue purchasing some hardwood.

Money only has value when it is spent.

And the boat that Smith and the others bought as a trade-in was also very good.

Very durable merchant ship with new wood.

This made him observe a moment of silence for the ship owner who suffered heavy losses.

The evil Qing court!
Li Yu thought about it for a few days.
Decided to improve on the original basis.

It turns into a huge inland river firepower output platform.

The main structure of the cabin is fairly solid.

It is also reinforced with iron parts to increase the rigidity of the hull.

outer wall,
Add iron plates to increase defense.

Dig out suitable portholes for the gun ports, as well as firing holes.

The deck was slightly modified,
Except for the tail, everything else is flat.

Added 6 fixing positions for fixing short-barreled shotguns.

Counteract recoil.

As for the broadside guns inside the cabin, they were mostly long guns that fired iron ball shells.

……

Li Yu gave it a name, Taihu Ghost.

This name is not romantic at all;
Theoretically, the Taihu Ghost can carry 24 guns and 50 guns.

Li Yu was deeply impressed by weapons like the gun.

On the basis of Lee's Type [-] matchlock gun, the Lee's carrying gun was developed.

The total length is 2 meters, and the six-sided barrel is lengthened and thickened.

Two people need to work together to complete the loading.

Mainly shot shot, and occasionally shot shot.

I tried it at the shooting range and found that lead bullets can hit 400 meters.

Shotgun shells can hit 200 meters.

To some extent, it is close to the status of a 1-pounder gun.

Or call it a 0.6 pounder gun.

Some people say this stuff,

In a gun, it shoots the furthest.

It is the lightest among the cannons.

In short, Li Yu appreciates this cross-border weapon.

He was deployed on the warship to fill the gap in artillery.

During shooting range testing,
I found that the person carrying it on my shoulders in front was in too much pain and was so shocked that I felt dizzy.

then,

A gun rack was added and set up on the deck.

It's much easier to hold the gun up and shoot on it.

Considering that the recoil was too great, the musketeer couldn't fire a few shots and his shoulders were bruised.

Li Yu carried the gunman again.
It is equipped with a kind of waistcoat. After putting it on, the right shoulder has thick leather sewn with cotton, which can offset most of the recoil.

……

Another purpose of modifying the ship is to avoid being recognized.

Although the probability is extremely small, it still exists.

Once Qianlong learned that he had been tricked into such a embarrassing situation,

With his extremely narrow-minded heart, as long as there is no cerebral hemorrhage, he is determined to mobilize all the best soldiers in the world to conquer Taihu Lake.

Counting the strength of the Qing Dynasty, they will fight to the death.

Li Yu was a little afraid.

The Qing army demonstrated its organizational and logistical capabilities in the Battle of Jinchuan.

This is much more terrifying than the famous general, Sauron Commando.A highly organized group of 1% can easily conquer 99% of the rest of the population.

This has been verified countless times in history,

The entry of the Qing army into the customs is the latest proof of this.

logistics capabilities,

Anyone who has traveled through time knows how simple and brutal the Citizen soldiers are in fighting.

Using steel, luncheon meat, cola, and ice cream, I spent my days gnawing grass and shouting on the board.

Although the Qing Dynasty declined, it was a purely agricultural country.

But with such a large land, just by scraping off a layer of land, you can piece together a mountain of money and food.

Li Yu sighed,

He never told any of his subordinates this, and he was unwilling to go to war with the Qing government before getting involved in the Grand Canal water transportation.

unless,

The Qing court saw through him and launched an encirclement and suppression campaign.

Then he can only accept the challenge, and he must fight in a mobile battle.

take the initiative,

Taking advantage of the water system extending in all directions, they bombarded Jiangning, bombarded Yangzhou Prefecture, and burned Qingjiangpu.

then,

Then catch all the ships on the Jiangnan section of the canal.

If the situation is critical,
He will be even more ruthless,
All villages and docks within 2 miles of the route from Huai'an Prefecture, Jiangning Prefecture, and Suzhou Prefecture were burned down and the water wells were polluted.

This also happened to be the traditional marching route of the Qing army.

Marching along the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River, grain and grass transportation and drinking water are guaranteed.

As a result, the marching speed of the Qing army was greatly reduced.

Even if he leaves a bad reputation, he will not hesitate.

History is about the winners, princes, and losers, the bandits.

As long as he overthrows the Qing court and takes the throne.

There are countless great scholars who argue for me!
……

Looking at the "Taihu Ghost" that has been transformed beyond recognition, and the ten sister ships of the "Jikang" parked nearby.

Everyone felt their confidence doubled.

However, Li Yu proposed to inspect the cannon foundry.

"Now, what is the monthly output of artillery?"

Father Zhang said proudly:

"Take a 6-pounder gun as an example. 250 can be cast in one month."

"So fast?"

"Yes, because of the new technology."

"Come and tell me."

So, Father Zhang once again grabbed the credit.

Iron model cannon casting method!
The advantages are low cost and fast speed.

Compared with the traditional clay mold cannon, it only costs one-tenth of the cost but reaches ten times the speed.

The biggest problem is that the temperature drops too quickly and it is easy to crack.

The solution is to keep heating.

Bake on the outside of the iron pan over low heat.

In this way, the cooling rate of the iron cannon embryo can be consistent inside and outside.

The yield rate is extremely high,
Out of 10 gun embryos, 9 are often available.

After listening to Father Zhang's explanation, Li Yu was very satisfied.

"Thank you for your hard work. If you have any difficulties in life, do you have any requests? Just ask."

"No matter what the master said, we are satisfied."

However, Li Yu saw Zhang Manku on the side and seemed to have something to say.

So he asked:
"Your father is honest, I'm sorry to mention it. You can tell me."

……

"Thank you, sir. My dog ​​is an apprentice in the iron factory. Can he do some reading?"

"Studying is a good thing." Li Yu nodded, indeed forgetting to invest in education.

Not only the dogs, but also the children in the children's camp are almost all illiterate.

It's not good to keep going like this.

They don't need to be educated, but they can at least understand military orders and write military reports.

"I'll send someone to invite two scholars to open a private school on the island."

"Thank you sir."

Before leaving,
Father Zhang issued a military order:

"Master, as long as the raw materials can keep up, we and my son promise that we will produce as many cannons as you need."

Li Yu touched the dog's bald head and left with a smile.

Looking far away,
Father Zhang said happily:
"The official position of Gou'er is stable. Once you study in a private school, you will be educated."

"Dad, didn't Gou'er's mother teach her enough?"

"It's not enough to be literate. If you want to be an official, you have to think about things in books. I can't tell you, you are illiterate and can't read a word."

"Dad, do you know him?"

……

Being slapped like this by his son, Father Zhang felt a little depressed.

He glanced sideways,
He went to the workshop with his hands behind his back to supervise the workmanship of his apprentices.

In fact, iron-cast cannons were mainly invented by Lao Chen of the iron factory.

and,

The bottleneck of cannon casting now is in the workshop.

Lathes are limited and cannot run all the time.

You have to allow time for rest, the machine will get tired.

at this point,
It is written into the workshop rules and no one dares to violate them.

"Master. The iron factory has sent another 100 cannon embryos."

"The hens can't lay eggs faster than they can."

"Yes, Director Chen is very capable. Yesterday he delivered 500 gun barrel blanks."

Snapped,
The apprentice who had no vision was knocked by the smoke pot.

"You're too impatient. Go to the warehouse and help move the cannon embryos for a few days."

What he didn't know was,

Li Yu has long known these little thoughts.

Because Old Chen from the iron factory is much smarter than him.

The first time the iron cannon was successfully cast,

He recorded the production method in detail and submitted it to Li Yu's desk.

At this point,

Lao Zhang and his son really suffered from being uneducated and couldn't write.

However, Li Yucheng was too deep-tempered to reveal anything.

If you see through things without telling them, you are still a good subordinate.

Lao Zhang and his son are indeed loyal and hardworking.

In terms of leading apprentices,

No secrets, very enthusiastic.

There are no less than a hundred apprentices who can independently operate lathes and polish by hand.

……

Wuxian County Government,

Dianshi, Master Fan Jingfan, who proudly wore official robes, welcomed the people of Lijiabao.

"Looking for two private tutors?"

"Correct."

"I understand, please go back."

Fan Jing is one of our own, so he can make things right as soon as he talks about it.

He looked through the files and found two families.

One family belongs to Juren. Two years ago, he was implicated in the Literary Prison and was deprived of his academic honors. He is still in prison.

One family comes from a well-educated family, but their family fortunes have fallen into decline. They failed to succeed in many trials and were debt-collected. Now they are writing letters on behalf of others in the street.

Get in touch, if you are dissatisfied with life and reality.

Just send it quietly to Xishan Island.

In a secluded place,

A private school was built, which was not large in scale.

I have classes in the morning and work in the afternoon.

Dogs, for example, go to work in factories.

It's like a children's camp, so I go to the training ground to train.

The two of them got this job and were not dissatisfied.

I have 3 taels of silver per month, a good environment, and I am content.

but,

Li Yu did not allow them to teach randomly, and only set up writing classes, history classes, and gratitude classes.

Needless to say about writing lessons.

History class covers Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

The main character is a character with clear distinctions between friend and foe, love and hate.

He made a list himself,
Upright: the founding emperor, the frontier army, the common people, the rebels
Villains: Yuan Tatar, unscrupulous officials, gentry, Eight Banners, grassland nomads

Thanksgiving lesson,
It is about Li Yu's wisdom and martial arts, and there are too many praiseworthy words in it.

The textbook was compiled by Fan Jing.

It would be a bit of a loss if this kind of thing happened in person.

……

Culture is not good if it is too little, nor is it good if it is too much.

Two private school gentlemen, that’s enough!

They have been warned not to teach indiscriminately.

Otherwise, they will be sunk in Taihu Lake.

A servant from the private school and Li Dahu from the children's camp will also supervise their words and deeds.

The role of education is no less than that of guns.

Long-term exposure will change most people's minds.

children's camp,
It has been expanded again. In addition to those whose fathers worked for Li Yu, there are also some street children.

Oh, right,
There is also Lao Hu's Green Camp colleague Chen Zize, the son of General Qian of the Lame Artillery Team, who has been temporarily incorporated.

After expansion, it has reached more than 80 people.

Li Yu selects 10 people to join the personal guard every month and take turns to serve as guards.

For the children in the children’s camp, this
It is an honor and pride.

Uniforms were issued, in small sizes.

After they put it on, they looked very proud.

With a short sword on the left side and a flintlock gun on the shoulder, he walked out with a murderous look.

but,

Fights often occur, even at a young age.

As long as you don't use weapons, don't use deadly hands, and are fair and one-on-one, there is no need to interfere.

Eat well every day, run on the training ground, shoot on the shooting range,
If it doesn't have a bit of bloodiness, something is wrong.

Li Yu appears every half month,
Reviewing the performance of this group of people is mainly about their military qualities.

then,

Pick a few outstanding performers and reward them with a dagger.

Add gentle words and encouragement to maintain your sense of existence.

……

Chen Zize, this young man, is quite out of place.

He always carries a sense of aloofness and arrogance, and disdains the company of other teenagers.

However, his fighting skills are good.

Whether it is shooting in formation or shooting continuously individually, the results are good.

then,

Li Yu chatted with him for a while, but he didn't know that this kid was very ambitious.

"I want to be an artilleryman."

"why?"

"On the battlefield, artillery plays a greater role."

"When you become an excellent musketeer captain, I might consider letting you play with artillery."

"As ordered."

Just when Li Yu was about to leave, he asked again:
"Excuse me, sir, what is considered excellent?"

"Four horizontal lines, firing on the spot with endless gunshots. Each musketeer fires no less than 4 rounds, which is considered excellent."

flintlock gun,
The only shortcoming at present is flint, which Lai Er secretly transported from Chaozhou Prefecture.

Li Yu vaguely felt that such a purchase frequency would soon attract the attention of foreign businessmen.

Because the Qing Dynasty rarely purchased this stuff.

I wonder which side these foreign businessmen will take?
Instinct told me that they would side with the Qing court.

Because, the interests dictate.

What the Qing court could give them far exceeded itself.

(End of this chapter)