Ping An Biography

The urban and rural areas of Wuchang were shrouded in a layer of mist, and the sunlight could not be dispelled for a long time.Wheat is planted in the fields, and the green fields look as far as the eye can see, as if spring has come early.

The village houses are very popular, and many people are busy sitting in the dams outside the houses to dry things.During the slack season, business has been difficult for the past two years, and many people do not go out. They have another job: drilling gun barrels.The security chiefs from all over the country received some forged iron pipes and crude hand tools from the Wuchang Weapons Bureau, and distributed them to each family for drilling and grinding.People rush to get work, because after processing a gun barrel, they can get a ticket, and they can get [-] catties of pork or two bolts of cotton cloth in the county; and there is no risk. It's just that if the work is not done well, the next time the Baochang may not distribute the iron pipes.It is said that iron pipes are not worth much, only those that are well drilled are expensive.

Drilling the iron pipe is troublesome, but it is relatively simple. It is a hand job, and one can be finished in 20 days with quick hands and feet, or a month at most if it is slow.There is very little work in the field at this time, and it is almost the Chinese New Year.People can get some extra meat, and the year will be nourished, or they can buy new clothes for adults and children in exchange for two bolts of cotton cloth.

In some families, there are four or five members, and they almost fight for jobs at the head of the security.To the common people, idleness is idleness, and manpower is worthless.People who are not from Wuchang Prefecture have no such opportunity... It is said that most of the cotton cloth for pigs is brought back from Jiangxi, and the east has won the battle. It is only at this time that ordinary people feel a little different.

However, the richest people in the village are those who have soldiers in their families. They can receive military pay every month. Sometimes they can get back some money, sometimes in kind. This kind of income far exceeds that of farmers and craftsmen. Hard work money.A while ago, everyone was not envious, and they were afraid that they would be regarded as a rebellious party in the future. However, recently, the opinions in the market and the village have been different. It is mainly those knowledgeable gentry who say that it seems that the King of Huguang and Xiang can accomplish things.

……

In the open hall of the water pavilion beside the sand lake, Xu Zixin was telling the stories about the farmhouses outside Wuchang City.

He was originally in Yuezhou assisting Yao's father and son in shipbuilding and managing the navy, but was called back to Wuchang by Zhang Ningmi, and he arrived only two days later.Xu Zixin is also happy that the situation of the Jianwen regime has turned for the better... In the past, the Suzaku Army occupied Yuezhou Prefecture, and the magistrate led officials at all levels in Yuezhou Prefecture to surrender. He had to follow him, and the future was not optimistic; Most of the officials were under the control of the army a few months ago, and dozens of prefects and counties who had surrendered to the Jianwen Dynasty were either deposed or escorted to Nanjing for questioning.But it's different now. The stability of Huguang gave Xu Zixin and other officials reassurance.

Moreover, he was just a county magistrate with no background in the Xuande Dynasty, and now he is reused by the King of Xiang, which may be a rare opportunity to advance.

He is sitting next to him now, talking and laughing with the King of Xiang. Of course he understands in his heart that the emperor on the side of the Jianwen court has no real power. unusual.

Xu Zixin talked about the folk knowledge for a while, slapped his forehead and said: "I almost forgot, the minister came from Yuezhou Mansion, and brought a little gift, please accept it with a smile."

Zhang Ning responded casually, looking not very interested.He is indeed not greedy for personal wealth. As the most powerful person in a group, all the places he occupies are his. What's the point of collecting those treasures and playthings?

But when Xu Zixin greeted his attendants to come up with a jar, his expression immediately relaxed. It seemed that it should be something like a jar of wine. This kind of gift is quite good.

The entourage put the jar on the wooden table, Xu Zixin patted it lightly, and said with a smile: "The older the wine, the more fragrant it is. This wine was salvaged from the Yangtze River and hidden at the bottom of the river for 30 to 30 years. A cargo ship that came down from Sichuan was robbed by bandits on the river, its property was robbed and the ship was scuttled, but the wine on board was not robbed. Now we have salvaged some and it has become good wine. When I left Yuezhou , the magistrate then ordered someone to send a few altars, I kept one as a gift to the prince, and the rest went to the palace as a tribute."

Zhang Ning was very interested when he heard it, and said nonsense: "The origin is indeed top grade. I heard that in the West, there is a kind of wine called xo. It's worth like gold."

Xu Zixin hurriedly followed the meaning and complimented: "The prince is well-informed, and I bow to you."

Zhang Ning approached the wine jar and sniffed it, raised his head and said with a smile: "Ha, it smells of mud, and indeed it smells like the bottom of the river. In the evening, I will cook a few dishes in the kitchen, and then I will wash this jar of wine with you. "

"Don't dare to dare." Xu Zixin hurriedly tried to excuse himself politely.

At this time, the greetings were almost finished, so he gave the attendant a wink, and the attendant opened the package and carefully put a pile of rolled papers on it.Xu Zixin picked it out for a while, selected one to unfold, and saw that it was a drawing showing the structure of a large ship.

"My lord, please take a look, this is a wheel boat. The official and army water wheel warships encountered by our army during the Jiujiang water battle should be this kind of ship. Wheel boats are not unusual. In previous years, the Ministry of War ordered the construction of river boats, and the Yuezhou Dockyard It has also been built. Its structure is similar to that of a flat-bottomed sand boat. Large ships usually have four waterwheels, which are very suitable for fast sailing in the inland rivers and lakes." Xu Zixin talked eloquently, "The rivers are not as calm as the sea, and the sailboats cannot be used. You can only rely on wooden oars; but the warship is heavy, and the oars are laborious and slow, and the water wheel is powerful."

Zhang Ning is indeed inexperienced with warships, but it does not affect his judgment of what kind of ship is more effective.In the Jiujiang water battle, the warships of the army are very sharp. Since the army can imitate their own matchlock guns, why can't our own side learn the warship tactics of the army?

He has never seen the blueprint of the ship, but now he is thinking about it carefully.He soon discovered that this kind of drawing was very rough, without scales and dimensions, that is, to draw a simple outline of the structure.It seems that in this era, standard paper is not very popular, and most of them rely on the experience of skilled craftsmen and the inheritance from master to apprentice.

"We want to build new warships, but imitation alone is not enough..." Zhang Ning said thoughtfully, "If the size and tactics of the ships are the same, if we want to defeat the official army on the water, we can only compete with each other. The eastern part of the official army occupies There are many shipyards and many craftsmen, and their manpower and material resources are stronger than our two provinces. It is difficult to control the water control rights of the Yangtze River if you stick to the rules."

Xu Zixin said: "What the prince said is very true, but it is difficult to surpass the official army for a while. Because the navy of the imperial court used to focus on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, and other coastal cities built sea-going ships. Huguang is indeed slightly Not as good."

The appearance of a sailing battleship emerged in Zhang Ning's mind. The big ship and giant cannon are domineering, but it's a pity how can it be designed just from the appearance seen in the film?Moreover, the main function of today's navy is to fight in inland rivers. As Xu Zixin said, sailboats are not flexible as warships, and they can only learn from past experience on the spot.

He said to Xu Zixin modestly: "The magistrate of Xu County used to manage the shipyard. I still have to listen to you on how to build the ship...but I have an idea."

Xu Zixin hurriedly bowed and said, "Please enlighten me, my lord."

"In the Battle of Jiujiang, I watched the battle of Poyang Lake with my own eyes on the shore, and found that the water battles at this time were still dominated by angles of attack and melee battles." Zhang Ning said while pondering, "But our artillery can already How can we equip ships with huge advantages in land battles and turn them into artillery battles against the enemy?"

"This..." Xu Zixin didn't seem to have considered this issue.

Zhang Ning said again: "The broadside area is large, and multiple cannons can be placed in a line. We should find a way to use the broadside as the main battle design warship."

Xu Zixin murmured: "The lord's intention is to sink and injure warships with cannons on board, which is impossible for ordinary light cannons. If heavy cannons are loaded, the shock force will be a big problem. Heavy cannons are placed on the thin walls of the small town. , even a wall can’t hold it up, let alone a boat on the water?”

"The size of the ship and the size of the cannon, you have to find a way to do it." Zhang Ning said, "If it can be done, I can order the Ordnance Bureau to cast broadsides for the navy."

His mood became a little anxious, and he directly promised: "If Xuzhi County can realize the idea, I will ask the Ministry of War to set up a new department, and I will appoint you as a doctor of the Ministry of War, specializing in the navy."

"Thank you, my lord, for cultivating it." Xu Zixin said hurriedly.

Zhang Ning took out the map, pointed to the location of Jiujiang, and said, "The governor of Jiangxi is located in Jiujiang. From now on, you will be stationed in Jiangxi Xingyuan to assist the governor and be in charge of shipbuilding and naval affairs. This is Bali Lake. Let's choose a place to build a dock." Build ships and train the water army on the lake; at the same time, order local officials to conscript and open the canal from Shahu to the Yangtze River. After the water army is trained, it will be dragged directly from the canal to the Yangtze River. Control the water."

Xu Zixin said: "I feel a heavy responsibility, and I will do my best... I have another word, my dynasty will build ships and train troops in Jiujiang, and the Xuande puppet dynasty will see through our army's long-term strategy in advance, and will go east along the river to take Nanjing."

Zhang Ning said with a smile: "This kind of strategy can't be concealed from the sky. It's okay to let them know. Major events should be decided in a grand manner. There is no shortcut to Zhongnanshan. Of course, our army's strategy is to take Nanjing and follow it from the upper reaches." Going down the river, there is a favorable time and place, so why not do it? If you go to Henan from Jingxiang, the puppet government will transfer the northern frontier army, the Guanzhong army, and the Liaodong army to besiege, and it is easy to stretch the front and become exhausted; However, Jiangxi is divided into troops and guarded on two fronts. It is difficult to support the small land and the weak force. If you want to attack the north from the south, you can't rush for success. There is no need to lightly change the general consensus that has been agreed upon in the future.”

After Zhang Ning finished speaking, he clapped his palm on Xu Zixin's shoulder, and said earnestly: "Zixin is still young, and it is time for a man to make achievements. If the achievements he made today are dedicated and hardworking, this king will definitely have no reason to treat him badly."