Chastity Layman

  Chapter 657 Fish and Dragon Dance

Now there are three firearms units under the Shenji Battalion, a Shenwei Artillery Battalion equipped with the Shenwei Cannon (Tiger Crouching Cannon), a Shenwei Artillery Battalion equipped with the Shenwei Cannon (Huomen Gun, Three-eyed Gun), and a The brave rocket battalion with all kinds of rockets such as Bainiaochaofeng (hundred tigers run together to avoid taboo tigers).

  In addition, the artillery battalion is also equipped with a new type of counterweight catapult, and is equipped with firearms such as poisonous smoke fire ball bombs, caltrop guns, and thunderbolt guns. Soldiers in each battalion are also equipped with a lot of thunderbolts.

   This is the first firearms unit secretly set up by the Tang Dynasty, but there are still a few guns. Although there are 3,000 troops, not everyone has a gun, and each battalion is not equipped with guns.

  Most soldiers are actually equipped with traditional weapons such as knives, guns, spears, bows and arrows, and they have never even shown their faces.

  But Qin Lang believes that although firearms still have various shortcomings and are still very simple, as long as they are used well, their power is absolutely astonishing.

   Just like when he was in Longyou, he planned to fill a coffin with hundreds of catties of gunpowder, dig a hole under the enemy's city wall, and then put the gunpowder coffin under the bottom, preparing to blast the city wall simply and roughly.

  Even if it is a gunpowder coffin with no technical content, it can be hundreds of catties, and the power of the explosion is quite strong in a specific closed tunnel.

  It’s like a crossbow can’t compare to an excellent archer in many cases, but the crossbow still has many advantages that the bow and arrow cannot achieve. The key is how to use it.

   This kind of thing, Li Shimin knew at a glance that it was a sharp weapon of the country, and ordered to keep it strictly confidential. After all, the most important weapon of the country should not be shown to others. Even for fireworks and firecrackers, Qin Lang repeatedly suggested that they should be sold for civilian use, and the money earned would be used to feed back the Firearms Supervision. After all, the research and development costs of the Firearms Supervision are very high. If the profits from the sales of fireworks and firecrackers can be used to support firearms Military R&D is more durable.

   On the other hand, if the civilian market for fireworks and firecrackers is opened, it can also promote the mining and refining of ores used in gunpowder such as sulfur and saltpeter.

  Li Shimin was persuaded with great difficulty. Now that Qin Lang officially lit fireworks in the East Palace on the Shangyuan Festival, he was actually advertising for the newly established Fireworks and Firecrackers Workshop.

  With such a good effect, I am not afraid that no one will buy it.

Qin Lang didn't think that such a good thing should be popularized by the whole people from the very beginning. It must be given priority only to nobles, powerful merchants, etc., and the price must be expensive. Otherwise, the production capacity cannot keep up, and the supply of raw materials is insufficient. .

  The price is a little higher, take the upper-class route.

  The fireworks are over, and the air is filled with the smell of gunpowder.

  Yu Zhining fanned the wind in disgust, covering his nose with one hand.

   "How much money did you burn this time?" Yu Zhining asked Qin Lang.

   "It's only a few hundred thousand dollars!" Qin Lang replied.

   "Hundreds of thousands of dollars? Burn it out in a while?"

   "Isn't it worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to allow the millions of soldiers and civilians in Chang'an, as well as the chiefs and envoys of countless feudal states to enjoy such a beautiful scenery?" Qin Lang asked back.

"Does Wei Gong know how much grain can be bought with hundreds of thousands of dollars? This autumn has a bumper harvest. The price of rice in Chang'an has dropped to three or four dollars per bucket of rice. Hundreds of thousands of dollars can buy ten thousand shi of grain. The monthly grain of the forbidden army is only twelve shi. This is the annual monthly ration of more than 8,000 imperial troops. In the past, the rent system was based on the rent of two stones per penny a year, which is equivalent to the land rent of five thousand pennies. Isn’t this still small? Thinking about Yang Guang’s previous dynasty In order to attract Hu merchants from the Western Regions to the Central Plains, the bleak trees have no leaves in winter. Yang Guang made people wrap the trees with colored silk, and now there are treacherous ministers like you..."

Qin Lang raised his hands up, "Shut up Yu Shilang, since you want to settle accounts with me, then well, I will settle accounts with you too. Today I am burning fireworks and firecrackers in the East Palace. This time, the effort is really good. I just burned hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it was just advertising expenses. To tell you the truth, if I burn hundreds of thousands of dollars today, I can earn hundreds of thousands back in a blink of an eye."

  Yu Zhining looked at Qin Lang like a fool.

  Qin Lang chuckled, then stretched out his hand to summon Zhang Chao.

   "Are you ready?"

"Already prepared."

   "Then let's start the pre-sale. Anyone who wants such fireworks can order it."

   Zhang Chao strode away, Yu Zhining and others were puzzled again.

But soon, several large lanterns began to be raised on the square in front of the gate of the Eastern Palace, and there was a long banner hanging below it, which was actually an advertisement for the pre-sale of fireworks. Almost at the same time, when the fireworks here ended, Pingkangfang, Huaihuafang and many other lively places also started listing for pre-sale at the same time.

  Pre-sale, this is another new thing. I haven’t seen anything yet, so the pre-sale started.

  But when the pre-sellers played the banner of Donggong and the signboard of Qin Xianggong, no one doubted them.

  The fireworks that bloomed for half a day and resounded throughout Chang'an City are naturally the best advertisement.

  Many people rushed over, and the staff over there quickly set up several large lanterns and hung up new banners with the specifications and prices of various fireworks and firecrackers.

  For example, firecrackers are sold by sound, there are ten, hundred, thousand, and even ten thousand sound firecrackers.

In the past, people used to set off firecrackers every new year, but they set off real firecrackers. The firecrackers can be heard at the firecracker festival. The rich and powerful families burned even bigger bamboos. Even King Li You of Qi even burned modified firecrackers bamboo.

  But no matter how powerful the firecrackers are, they can’t compare to the firecrackers I saw and heard just now. They can crackle for a long time, and the sound is so loud that they can be heard for several miles. Such firecrackers are absolutely amazing.

The price is not cheap, which makes many people discouraged, but for those aristocrats and wealthy families who are not short of money, or even wealthy businessmen, money is never a problem. As long as there is something that makes them want, they will never be short of money. money.

   No fireworks or firecrackers, just pre-ordered, and shipped in order, and also had to pick up at the warehouse in the suburbs of Chang'an, and even limited purchases.

   You have to pay a deposit first.

   It can be pre-sold everywhere, and it is still very popular.

   Isn’t it just money, here you go.

   There are too few purchase restrictions. I can increase the price if there is no purchase limit.

  Silver collars, silver coins, silver ingots, copper coins, silk silk, gold coins, gold leaves, gold collars, gold ingots, horseshoe gold, and even bank notes...

   Very hot.

  The pre-sale was forced to end in less than half an hour, because too much money was collected, and the stocks prepared in various warehouses on the outskirts of the city were pre-sold out.

  Zhang Chao rushed to the upstairs of the East Palace Gate to report.

"After half an hour of pre-sale, all the inventory was booked out. The pre-sale was already over, but there were still a large number of people who came to order, saying that there was no stock, but they still threw down the money and said yes. Wait, there is no other way, so I accepted another batch of reservations, and the shipments have already been made in half a year, and everyone is really afraid to take money anymore, and they still refuse to agree."

  Qin Lang chuckled.

   "Just tell me how much you sold in stock, and how much you charged for prepaid orders."

   "The inventory has sold tens of thousands of cymbals, and the shipment will be arranged tomorrow, and there are more than 100,000 cymbals for reservations. I suggest increasing manpower, expanding workshops, increasing raw materials, and increasing production..."

  Qin Lang turned his head to Yu Zhining, who had been eavesdropping, and said, "Master Yu, did you hear that?"

"impossible!"

"It's impossible. A gopher firework that can spin and breathe fire can be sold for hundreds of dollars, and an elevated firework that is connected in series with various types of fireworks and firecrackers and placed on an elevated frame to burn is even more expensive." It can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars. As for these fireworks that are blooming all over the sky, just like a firework of trees and silver flowers, a random group can sell for more than ten thousand dollars, does Yu Shilang still doubt the sales figures?"

  Yu Zhining was shocked, "Is this fireworks and firecracker workshop owned by the imperial court, or by Mr. Wei?"

   "Why do you ask this question? Yu Shilang?"

"If it is owned by the imperial court, then I want to impeach Yousi. Why do you want to create such a waste of money and waste of money? This is a misleading luxury. If it is owned by Duke Wei, then what Duke Wei did here today , I should go to the table to impeach, impeach Duke Wei..."

"Impeach me for what? Impeach me for selfishness? Or impeach me for being greedy for money? Hahaha, Yu Shilang, are you stupid for reading? Money is always just a tool, and fireworks are just a thing. There is nothing good or bad about it. The workshop is owned by the imperial court, and I am only in charge of it, and the money sold will not be used for luxury enjoyment, but will be earmarked for special use, allocated to the Military Weapons Supervision, and used to research and improve the manufacture of military armor, to protect the country and the people!"

Qin Lang pointed at Yu Zhining, "every time you sell a field mouse, an overhead fireworks, or a string of firecrackers, it can be turned into a sharp arrow, or a steel knife, or a piece of armor, it's not worth it. Is it inappropriate?"

  Yu Zhining was still relentless, thinking that things like fireworks were completely flashy and useless, even if the imperial court made fireworks to sell money to make ordnance, it was not appropriate.

   Arguing endlessly, Cheng Qian couldn't persuade him.

  A **** arrived.

   "Everyone speak to Duke Wei."

  His arrival interrupted the debate, and Qin Lang saluted the **** representing the emperor.

"Sanlang, these fireworks are very beautiful. They are really good. I and the queen both watched them and were very happy to see them. I heard that you also held a pre-sale of fireworks tonight. The effect is also very good. You have raised more than 100,000 yuan. Good. I will reward you with a royal horse, the queen will give you a pair of silver saddles, and a riding whip, which is given to you by Lizhi, and Wu Niang will also accompany me and the queen to enjoy the fireworks. In addition, you will give her a field mouse. Lizhi is very happy, even if the queen is startled, King Jin also wants to play after seeing it, so hurry up and ask someone to bring some more into the palace, this is my favor!"

   "The minister leads the decree."

After the **** announced the oral order, he quickly turned around and stood aside, and said respectfully to Qin Lang, "Qin Xiang, Princess Changle and King Jin are still waiting for the ground mouse fireworks, please ask Qin Xiang to get them quickly and hand them over to the servants. Take it back to the palace."

"OK, just a second."

Yu Zhining listened to Qin Lang being rewarded by the emperor and empress again, and the emperor even specially sent palace people to ask for fireworks to play with, his beard shaking wildly, and he felt more and more that Qin Lang was the kind of treacherous minister who misled the emperor and the country. A treacherous official with more ability, this kind of person will do more harm to the country!

  Wei Zheng also stared at Qin Lang.

Qin Lang just chuckled, he knows people like Yu Zhining too well, if Cheng Qian builds a house and puts on new clothes, he can get involved with Yang Guang or Qin Er Shi, and he will always say that he is a fool, a licentious , Those who engage in being a prince or emperor are not worthy of it.

But he himself came from a noble family in Guanlong. After the Eight Pillars Kingdom, he lived a very luxurious life. It is too simple to say, this man has a hobby, that is, he likes to eat duck tongues. A plate of duck tongues can kill hundreds of ducks. But he only eats the tongue and not the duck meat. Even the plates for the duck tongues had to be gold plates, and the bowls for the rice were silver bowls.

  For such a person, Qin Lang just hehe, why does he always force others to do things that he can't even do?

  (end of this chapter)