A Journey Through the Worlds of Film and Television

The next morning, Ding Baiying, who had rested for a night and had enough energy, took a bath and changed into a new set of clothes. She was dressed beautifully, and she still had the bracelet Lu Cheng gave her. She accompanied Lu Cheng to see Zhang Yan.

Sure enough, even a chivalrous woman like Ding Baiying couldn't avoid the thoughts of a little daughter.

When the two came to the Zhang family courtyard, Zhang Guoji had already gone to work in the logistics department, and the Zhang family boy had also gone to school. Only Zhang Yan and her sister Zhang Wan were left at home.

Zhang Yan heard Lu Cheng's voice outside the door, and then she opened the door. She was happy to see Lu Cheng, but she was stunned again when she saw Ding Baiying behind Lu Cheng.

"Yan'er, this is Ding Baiying, I mentioned her to you before."

After Zhang Yan realized what was happening, she quickly opened the door and made way: "So this is Sister Ding, Sister Ding is so beautiful, no wonder Brother Lu often mentions her. Sister Ding, please come in."

In fact, although Lu Cheng had mentioned Ding Baiying to Zhang Yan, he only mentioned it casually during the chat and didn't say much.

I didn't expect this little girl to be so good at talking.

Ding Baiying was a little jealous at first, but after seeing Zhang Yan's appearance, she was stunned for a moment.

Since Zhang Yan's family came to Haizhouwei, they have been eating the best food and using the best food, and they have never lacked nutrition. The little girl has also developed faster.

Compared to a few months ago, Zhang Yan is now taller and plumper, her skin is whiter and tenderer, and her facial features are gradually growing. She has become a stunning beauty.

Even Ding Baiying, who is also a woman, couldn't help but be surprised after seeing her.

"The Zhang family's sister is extremely beautiful. I have never seen anyone as beautiful as her. No wonder Lu Cheng was attracted to her."

"Sister Ding, come in and sit down."

When Lu Cheng and Ding Baiying walked into the house, they saw a half-embroidered handkerchief with mandarin ducks playing in the water on the table.

Ding Baiying picked it up and took a look. She couldn't help but admire: "I didn't expect that my sister is not only beautiful, but also so good at sewing. Unlike me, I only know how to wield a sword and a stick, and I don't know how to do this."

"Sister, you are too kind. Being able to do sewing is nothing. Being able to take up a sword and ride a horse to kill the enemy is truly amazing. Just like Hua Mulan who joined the army for her father and Qin Liangyu who killed the enemy for her husband. Brother Lu often mentioned my sister to me before, saying that my sister helped him a lot. I envy her very much."

The first meeting between the two women was not hostile, but very polite.

In fact, with Ding Baiying's personality, facing such a gentle and beautiful girl, she really wouldn't get angry with the other party.

As for Zhang Yan, she received traditional education since childhood and learned the Three Obediences, Four Virtues and Seven Divorces. She was also gentle and would not have any disputes with Ding Baiying.

Moreover, Zhang Yan also knew her identity. She was originally the daughter of an ordinary scholar. According to the concept of equal status, it was difficult for her to become Lu Cheng's legal wife.

Of course, Zhang Yan didn't know that she was destined to be a queen.

After the two girls chatted for a while, they talked more and more about the elder sister.

Seeing this situation, Lu Cheng was relieved and turned to look at the little girl Zhang Wan who was learning to do needlework.

This little girl was only eight or nine years old and began to learn women's embroidery skills.

However, women in this era rarely read and write, and the education they received from birth was how to be a good wife in the future.

Zhang Guoji was relatively generous in treating his children. He taught his daughter to read and write, and also let his daughter read some history books to understand the truth.

Seeing that Ding Baiying and Zhang Yan were able to chat together, Lu Cheng didn't have to worry too much.

At noon, Zhang Yan even cooked a few side dishes and invited Ding Baiying to have a meal. Ding Baiying praised her cooking skills.

When leaving Zhang's house in the afternoon, Zhang Yan held Ding Baiying's hand and asked her to come and sit often in the future.

Ding Baiying didn't say until they walked far away from Zhang's house: "I didn't expect this Zhang family sister to be so beautiful. Not to mention men, even a woman like me would be moved when she saw her. No wonder you like her. If such a beautiful sister were to marry someone else, I would be reluctant. Moreover, she is so gentle..."

Lu Cheng glanced at Ding Baiying. Although this chivalrous woman had more life experience than Zhang Yan, she might not be better than Zhang Yan in terms of emotional intelligence.

During the conversation between the two just now, Zhang Yan always praised her appropriately, and said that every time Lu Cheng mentioned Ding Baiying, he would say how...

's thoughts, etc., made Ding Baiying smile.

It must be said that some things are really innate, and it is difficult to learn them later.

Back to the general's mansion, Ding Baiying saw that Lu Cheng was busy with official business again, and she also came up: "Arrange a job for me, I can't be idle every day, right?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Or, I will train soldiers for you?"

"How about this, you go around the city for the next two days and get familiar with the situation. If you really can't stay idle, go to Ding Xian. Ding Xian has a group of people under him. You can go back and be a coach for Ding Xian and train them with swords and guns.

In addition, you notify your relatives and friends in the next two days, and write a letter to Brother Wen Zhao to tell him about our marriage. When I choose a good day, I will marry you."

"Well, I will listen to you."

As a woman, Ding Baiying was still a little embarrassed to talk about her own marriage.

After a pause, Ding Baiying said, "Ding Chong and Ding Tai are here too. How do you plan to arrange them?"

"Let them follow Ding Xian for two or three months to get familiar with the fighting style of the army. When I come back, I plan to form an external team, and I also need some people with good kung fu. If they perform well, they may be able to take charge of the situation."

After arranging everything, Lu Cheng continued to be busy.

After Ding Baiying came, the general's mansion became much more lively. It was not bad to have someone to talk to and practice swords with.

While all aspects were developing, the problem of talent shortage in southern Liaoning became more prominent.

It would take at least a few years for the orphans adopted by the welfare home to grow up.

The four guards and four guard posts in southern Liaoning also needed some civil servants and clerks to preside over government affairs, manage accounts, handle some civil disputes, supervise the development of various industries, ensure the implementation of education and training, etc. All of these required some educated people to manage.

Even if Lu Cheng offered very high conditions, not many scholars from other places were willing to come to this bitter and cold place in Liaodong.

For this reason, Lu Cheng had to think of other ways.

Soon, some intelligence sent back from Kyoto City caught Lu Cheng's attention.

Due to the increasingly fierce struggle between the Eunuch Party and the Donglin Party recently, many middle and lower-level officials in the court were dismissed, and some were even directly imprisoned and had their homes confiscated.

Among these officials implicated in the party struggle, some were indeed Donglin Party members, and some did not belong to any party, but because they had no background or backing, they suffered from the disaster and were deprived of their official positions.

After thinking about it, Lu Cheng decided to let the intelligence department focus on those low-level officials who had certain abilities and did not belong to the Eunuch Party or the Donglin Party. If some capable officials were found, they would be paid special attention.

For those officials who had certain abilities and were implicated in the party struggle, they could be considered to be rescued and taken away secretly.

After experiencing party struggles, this kind of officials usually become disappointed with the court and have nowhere to go, so they are also suitable for recruitment.

Of course, it is not easy to snatch people from the East and West Factories and the Jinyiwei.

Lu Cheng specifically told the intelligence department to make preparations, not to expose themselves, and to give up the target directly when necessary.

Of course, this move was just a convenience for Lu Cheng, and he did not have much hope for how much he would gain.

Recently, in addition to handling various official duties, Lu Cheng's main energy has been focused on the firearms workshop.

Considering that the processing speed of the original barrel was too slow, Lu Cheng asked the craftsmen to shorten the length of the barrel appropriately, and made a precision rifle with an effective range of more than 300 meters and a cavalry rifle with an effective range of 200 meters.

At the same time, Lu Cheng asked the glass workshop to make some experimental supplies, and successfully extracted nitric acid by dry distillation of saltpeter.

Then nitric acid and mercury reacted to obtain mercury nitrate, which was further reacted with ethanol to obtain fulminate of mercury.

With fulminate of mercury, we can make primers and percussion caps for bullets and artillery shells.

With percussion caps, even if we cannot make fixed bullets with metal shells for the time being, we can gradually change the muzzle-loading gun to a breech-loading gun.

Moreover, the most primitive revolver only needs to load black powder into the six magazines, insert the bullets, compact them with a pressure rod, and install percussion caps at the rear, and then it can be fired.

Although the loading method of the primitive revolver is very troublesome, and the hammer needs to be moved for each shot, this pistol that can quickly fire six bullets is already an epoch-making weapon.

Of course, in order to make a revolver, the loading nest and the rotating mechanism need to be quite delicate, and a certain foundation is also required...