golden scales

Now Da Ming said that he was always at war, but in fact the war in this era was not as fierce as in later generations.For example, in the northwest, there were only dozens of actual battles, and on average, one battle per month was considered high-intensity.This is due to the limitations of communication, transportation and other technologies, so there is no need to worry about the intensity being too large.

Even though the daimyos of the Japanese vassals had been actively preparing for and launching wars with the assistance of Ming Dynasty, it had been five years since the earliest Maori family work began, and the conditions for a real great war had not yet been formed.However, the Ming army used Kuwu as a springboard to occupy the entire Hokkaido, which can be regarded as a good sub-base for the Pacific Fleet.

"Now the common people are basically numb to war, and they don't have any obvious disgust." Zhu Cihong flipped through the newspapers in various places, and found that Ming had entered a benign war track, that is, the front was fighting, but the rear seemed to be fine.Live the life that should be lived, and do business with the business that should be done. This will not only expand the territory, but also maintain stability in the country.

From the perspective of the whole society, because the front line is fighting, there is still a fixed goal, and the overall morale is like a rainbow.

The battle damage on the front line has always been strictly controlled, and when the recruits are assigned, they pay great attention to disrupting their hometowns, so as to prevent the villages and towns from being full of martyrs after the First World War.After such dilution, even if the death notice is sent to a certain village, it will not cause too much negative impact.

Zhang Youquan carried a marching rucksack half as tall and as wide as his body, and walked out from the pier.He found the carriage at the door with ease, bought a ticket to get on the carriage, and put his luggage between his legs, saving him the trouble of throwing it on the roof of the carriage.The coachman wanted to come over to get angry, but when he saw the firecracker Zhang Youquan was carrying, he suppressed his anger for a moment, and said in the most polite tone: "Brother, all luggage must be put on the roof of the car, this is the rule."

Zhang Youquan was a little embarrassed, moved away, and had no choice but to say: "Then follow your rules." After saying that, he lifted the bag, bent down to get out of the compartment, threw it on the roof, and heard a heavy muffled sound.

The coachman felt sorry for his roof, but he held back and didn't say anything. He just muttered, "Well, it's convenient for everyone to follow the rules."

Zhang Youquan ignored it, returned to his seat, and waited for a long time until the car was full of people.The driver will not set off until the seats are full.Zhang Youquan came back from retirement this time, and his first feeling was that there seemed to be fewer people along the way.Many fields in my memory have also been released, and even trees have been planted.

"Where did all these people go?" Zhang Youquan muttered to himself.

"America, Hetao, Annan, Taiwan... There are too many people going out. In many places, whole villages go there." A man dressed as a businessman next to Zhang Youquan said very naturally.

"Didn't it mean that Haiyan and Heqing in China, why are so many people leaving their homes?" Zhang Youquan asked.

"People who go to America are rushing for gold. They go to Hetao because there are a lot of fertile land, and the government also gives horses, sheep and farm tools." The merchant said with a smile: "Going to Annan, Taiwan, Luzon, and Sri Buddha Qi can grow sugar cane. , rubber, the income is several times that of farming in Shandong, why not leave?"

Zhang Youquan expressed his understanding and stopped talking.

The merchant asked, "Brother, which camp did you come back from?"

"First Guards Army, First Division." Zhang Youquan said.

The merchant was respectful and said, "It's General Xiao's soldier."

"You also served as a soldier?" Zhang Youquan was a little surprised, and felt that this person did not look like a soldier.

"I've never had such an honor." The merchant was a little embarrassed, but then excitedly said, "It's just that the heroic deeds of your ministry are often mentioned in the newspapers. I heard that the territory of the Tang Dynasty has been restored?"

"Almost." Zhang Youquan actually didn't know where the territory of the Tang Dynasty was. Anyway, when people said so, he just responded casually and chatted.

However, the merchant became interested and asked several people about the customs and customs of the Western Regions.

"Actually, our main force was only stationed near Luntai, and all the soldiers from the Mongolian and Uzangdu Divisions were fighting in Kazakhstan." Zhang Youquan finally couldn't help telling the truth, hoping that enough time would be enough for this merchant.

"North and South Roads in Tianshan Mountain! That's amazing. Are there any local products there?" asked the merchant.

Zhang Youquan thought for a while and said, "Cotton. There are patches of cotton planted there."

The merchant was taken aback for a moment, and said, "Can you really grow a living?"

"Why can't you? Live well, it is said that the life is better than that in Jiangnan." Zhang Youquan said.

The merchant was thoughtful, and said: "It seems that the price of cloth in the south of the Yangtze River is about to change."

"Can you reach Jiangnan?" Zhang Youquan was a little surprised: "It takes three or four months to travel from Tianshan to Shandong!"

"Goods are different from people. Once you start walking, you don't care even for three or four years." The merchant added: "Look at the Silk Road in the past, from Xi'an to Taixi, did anyone go? To Japan Goods, only one batch a year, is there anyone? The key is to make a profit."

"How much energy is consumed on the road is not as good as Jiangnan's own planting." Zhang Youquan said.

"What is the price of an acre of land in the south of the Yangtze River? What is the price on the Tianshan Mountains? If it can be planted on the Tianshan Mountains, who is still planting it in the south of the Yangtze River? And now the imperial court is strict, and more taxes and fees are charged for planting mulberry and cotton. Many cotton farmers have switched to other crops." Said the merchant.

"The cost of transporting that carload is extremely high." Zhang Youquan couldn't help shaking his head.

"Little brother, I'm thinking about it." The merchant suddenly laughed and said, "Brother Yu said that the price of Jiangnan cloth will move, but it doesn't mean that Tianshan cotton will go to Jiangnan. Since Tianshan produces cotton, it can naturally weave cloth! If Tianshan cloth is distributed across the river, Jiangnan cloth Isn’t the price going to drop sharply?”

Zhang Youquan was taken aback for a moment, then smiled shyly, and looked out the window.

The road outside the window was smooth, and the carriage did not feel too much bumps, which was much more comfortable than the carriage in Zhang Youquan's memory.This is the benefit of rubber wheels, which are also available in the military, but they are only used for artillery vehicles, and the effect is said to be significant.Zhang Youquan is a gunner, and has not been affected by this new material.

"Brother is retiring from the army and returning to his hometown this time, what's his plan?" The merchant had a familiar temperament, and after a few words, he really looked like a brother.

"I don't have any plans, it just depends on how the government arranges it at that time." Zhang Youquan said: "Maybe you can be a teacher in Mengxue." He smiled awkwardly and said: "Brother, I have no future, I have been in the army for five years, but I have not made any martial arts. "

"Hey, I don't blame my brother." Hong Shang said in relief: "Brother Yu has heard that the army emphasizes the collective, and it is even more difficult to make meritorious service."

Zhang Youquan's heart was indeed relieved a lot, and he immediately lost his guard, saying: "That's right. I thought that I would be able to dance and succeed when I entered the army. Large and small phalanxes. Do you know this phalanx? The small phalanx has 36 people, only three rows. The large phalanx has 100 people, and there are five rows. Everyone is not allowed to order and cannot move without authorization. Although the power is great, even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei Then the fierce generals will not be able to get ahead."

The merchant listened very seriously, and asked again: "Are there still armors in the army?"

"You have to see." Zhang Youquan had indeed been in battle: "The generals wear leather armor when they go out into battle, while soldiers like me only wear breastplates."

Leather is the armor, and gold is the armor.

"Soldiers are better dressed than generals?" The merchants were very different.

"Actually, it's because the opponents we meet now can't get close to the phalanx." Zhang Youquan scratched his head: "And there are artillery and cavalry horizontal formations between the various formations. Anyway, I have been a soldier for five years. In the Western Regions, I have never encountered a situation of hand-to-hand combat. Soldiers wearing armor are just in case, in any case, it is impossible for a general to stand in the front and fight."

The businessman let out a long sigh, nodded slightly and said: "It seems that I still missed it."

"What is this big brother thinking?"

"You know rubber, right?" Hang Shang said, "It's what these wheels are for."

Zhang Youquan nodded.

"This kind of thing only came out a few years ago, and it became popular all over the country at once. It can be thick or thin, durable, and it's a good thing!" The merchant said: "The key is that this thing comes out of a tree, and it's better than picking it." Iron is much more convenient, and women and children can pick glue. This means..."

"The price is cheap." Zhang Youquan had sensed the businessman's thoughts and took a sip.

"That's right!" The merchant was very appreciative, patted his thigh and said: "And it's still light! I just thought, if you can use this thing to make armor, wouldn't it be lighter than iron armor?"

"Do you want to be armor?" Zhang Youquan frowned and said, "I don't know anything else, but if I wear this thing to go into battle, I will inevitably feel uneasy. Unless I really see that this thing can resist stabbing, arrows and bullets." .”

The merchant looked ashamed: "I'm really not sure about this, this time Brother Yu traveled thousands of miles from Gyeonggi to the south, just to go to Nanyang to see how this thing is made with his own eyes."

"Although it may not be possible to make an armor, there is something that can be made now, and it must be needed in the army." Zhang Youquan said.

"What is it?" The merchant was very interested.

"Shoes!" Zhang Youquan raised his foot: "Even if the army doesn't fight, it's easy to run thirty or fifty miles a day. A pair of good shoes will be useless in a few days. We all say that these shoes are not as durable as socks. If you tear off a piece of rubber from the wheel and tie it to the bottom of your feet, wouldn't it be less likely to be worn out?"

The merchant was taken aback, and suddenly laughed and shouted: "It's reasonable! We don't need to go to Nanyang anymore! Let's go back to the capital with Brother Yu and start the rubber shoes business!"

"This……"

"Not much to say, business opportunities are like fighter jets! Let's go!" The merchant thumped the car board and shouted: "Stop, stop."

Zhang Youquan was taken aback, and said, "Brother, I have mailed letters to my family..."

"A man, don't you care about that!"

"I've never done business..."

"A man, don't you care about that!"

"I have no capital..."

"A man, don't you care about that!"

"Brother, what's your last name..."

"A man, don't you care about that!" r1152