Around the spring equinox in the south of the Yangtze River, peaches and plums spit out their cores, and the time is bright and beautiful.
Miao, the old lady of the Gu family, accompanied by her maid Zhuxiang, came to Shoukuan School to deliver cakes to her husband and children.
The actual person in charge of the school, Mrs. Yao, the wife of Mr. Huang, the official who promoted the school, informed Miao with high spirits that this spring more than twenty boys and girls from poor families were admitted to school.
Mrs. Miao nodded and said: "Girl Ah Zhu sued Mr. Huang and asked Grandma Yao to come out of the house to take charge of this school. It was really her good fortune. Grandma Yao really made this school a success. Okay.
, you go to the academy to do your work, and Yuesheng will accompany me. My old lady will be enjoying the sunshine and listening to the chirping of the babies, which is the most comfortable."
Mrs. Yao smiled and said goodbye.
She knew that this old lady from the Gu family was a very elegant person. After being introduced to Wang Yuesheng by Zheng Haizhu last year, she came to listen to Wang Yuesheng playing the piano several times. Once she became interested, she also went to the firearms workshop to watch the excitement and watch it.
She and Wang Yuesheng fell in love quite well.
In the warm sunshine, Wang Yuesheng supported Miao and walked slowly through the flower path of the campus.
After boarding the small pavilion in Qingyuan, Mrs. Miao motioned to her maid Zhuxiang to look around, and then said to Wang Yuesheng: "Tell me."
Wang Yuesheng said: "Auntie, yesterday, when Mr. Li sent Miss Zheng and Mr. Sun off, they brought four Cantonese cannons and six gunners, two of whom were Frankies. The Cantonese cannons are called falcon guns.
There are no big snake muskets, each of which weighs less than a thousand pounds. They are pulled to the dock by oxcart and then pushed onto the ship. There are also some small fire muskets weighing more than a hundred pounds."
The masters Li and Sun mentioned by Wang Yuesheng were disciples of Xu Guangqi. Li Zhizao and Sun Yuanhua, who advocated Western artillery technology, were invited by Zheng Haizhu to Songjiang to take charge of the firearms workshop.
Mu Ruiyun's eyes flashed: "Your firearms workshop can't make cannons yet, so you got people and cannons from the south so quickly?"
Wang Yuesheng lowered his eyes and reported: "At the end of the first year, Mr. Huang came to talk to Mr. Sun and Mr. Li about something. Mr. Sun immediately paid me three thousand taels of silver and went to Guangdong with Zheng Zhilong. Mr. Sun is the same as Xu Hanlin.
, are all from the Jesuits, and it is said that they bought cannons and hired people directly in Haojing."
Miao Ruiyun thought for a while: "Well, I'm going back and forth in a month, and I happen to meet up with Miss Zheng. At the end of the first year, Huang Zunsu should have received a letter from Miss Zheng. This girl didn't tell you their whereabouts later, right?"
Wang Yuesheng shook his head and said: "No, during the three days she came back, she stayed at the government office on the first day, took stock of firearms with Mr. Sun and Zheng Zhilong on the second day, went to see Miss Han and the young master in the evening, and left on the third day. Before leaving, she just
Told me to take care of the craftsmen and start the blast furnace quickly."
Miao Ruiyun said: "Then what do you think she is going to do?"
"Back at Atai, Miss Zheng didn't even have time to drink the young master's full-moon wine, so she set off in a hurry. It must be because of the military situation. She shipped goods to Liaodong at the end of the year. I think she came this time to help the court fight the Tatars, right?"
Miao Ruiyun smiled and said: "She is really capable of tossing people. By the way, Yuesheng, you have been dealing with Sun and Li for half a year. They haven't done anything beyond the rules, right?"
Wang Yuesheng knew what the old lady meant and shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, both gentlemen are gentlemen. They regard me as Miss Zheng's accountant. Every time they come to me, they just want money to buy copper, iron and gunpowder. On weekdays, they are here
In the firearms workshop, Mr. Lu and the craftsmen gathered together to discuss firearms."
Miao Ruiyun sighed: "These are my good ministers of the Ming Dynasty, but look at how many people in the court control money and power like this? No more, you can help Zheng Yatou look after the firearms workshop. General Liu and I,
Later, I want to get her into the palace for a while, and then she will still have to rely on you in Songjiang."
Wang Yuesheng said "yes" respectfully.
A feeling of comfort arose in her heart. In the past six months, she felt that she was always in a happy mental state, and it was not just because she was out of the Fireworks Willow Alley.
There were also many sisters in Qinhuai River who were redeemed by their benefactors and married as concubines, but they still seemed to be enveloped in laziness and vague panic.
They are still caged birds, but the cage has been changed.
And she, Wang Yuesheng, was Miss Zheng's subordinate, just like the deputy of a general, and a participant in the great cause of Princess Miao and Eunuch Liu. She was just like the counselor of the strategist in the Chinese army's tent.
Wang Yuesheng became more and more intoxicated by the feeling of being taken seriously.
Her eyes left Miao Ruiyun's kind face and fell in the direction of the classroom in the neighboring courtyard.
There, the students were taking geometry classes with Xu Hanlin's assistant.
This time, Miss Zheng also took away two older female students and the young tailor Fan Polu, saying they were her maids.
But Wang Yuesheng knew that Miss Zheng was not someone who liked to show off and treat herself as a young mistress. She didn't like being served, so she probably brought a few little girls to see the world.
Fan Polu had done dark armor, but the reason why the two female students were chosen was a bit strange: they were good at geometry.
…
"Miss Zheng, this girl you brought here has some abilities."
Sun Yuanhua stood on the deck and said to Zheng Haizhu beside him.
What he admired was that the two female students, who followed the Guangdong gunners to learn how to calculate the angle of elevation of the cannon and the impact point of the projectile, could actually understand it.
Zheng Haizhu spent several days with Sun Yuanhua on a ship specially transferred by Zhang Quan. He felt that this famous figure in the history of the late Ming Dynasty was indeed a technocrat. He did not have the snarky airs of Ming scholars and was not contemptuous.
female.
But Zheng Haizhu still humbly said that it was mainly Sun Yuanhua's teacher Xu Guangqi who translated "Elements of Geometry", which benefited the younger generations a lot.
Sun Yuanhua was very satisfied with this response.
This 38-year-old Juren is far from reaching a high and powerful period in history.
He failed to pass the Jinshi examination, so he studied under Xu Guangqi and devoted himself to Western learning. Although he still has no official position or position, last year, through Xu Guangqi's help, he was able to engage in the development of his favorite firearms in his hometown of Songjiang with the like-minded Li Zhizao, which was already quite rewarding.
Desirable joy.
Unexpectedly, the imperial court would come to use him so soon.
Of course, it is inseparable from the introduction of the young but impressive Miss Zheng in front of me.
When the ship passed through the Yellow Sea and Liaohai Sea and arrived at Lushun Port, Kong Youde was already at the dock to greet him.
Zheng Haizhu looked around cautiously.
Kong Youde said attentively: "Don't worry, Miss Zheng. Look at this port today, except for our ships, no one else is anchoring in the port. The laborers who come to transport things are all relatives of our Mao family's servants. General Mao has met them all."
.”
Zheng Haizhu then asked: "Did Mr. Wu and Mr. Qi go well?"
"There is a survey from the Ministry of War. Follow us. More than a thousand people have arrived in four ships. They arrived early, and they should be reaching Liaoyang soon."
Zheng Haizhu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "That's good. Let's unload the goods quickly. After loading the carriage, put empty sacks on them and cover them with thatch. Even if we go to Gaizhou Wei and Fuzhou Wei, we won't go in and spend the night.
Don't talk about these things with irrelevant people."
"Listen to the girl!"
Kong Youde calmly called the soldiers to unload the artillery, and then followed Zheng Haizhu to meet Sun Yuanhua.
At this time, Liaodong has already begun to look a bit like spring, with grassy slopes turning green and dots of wild flowers of various colors beginning to appear.
Butterflies flew gracefully on the grass among the flowers.
It is now March of the forty-sixth year of Wanli. Sun Yuanhua and Kong Youde met in Liaodong. In the background was a ship of firearms.
The Qi Jiajun and Sichuan soldiers, who were not supposed to appear in Liaodong until the Battle of Hunhe, had also gathered in Liaoyang.
Zheng Haizhu leaned down and carefully caught a butterfly that was sitting on a grass stalk.
She stared at its beautiful black and red wings and relaxed her fingers after a moment.