At the wine table, everyone praised and complimented each other as usual. When Chen Dao asked about the situation of the battle against the Japanese that day, he was also filled with regret. The Kanyu camp was able to defeat the Japanese pirates not only with firearms, but also with the courage to fight. The Ming army
There are also a lot of firearms and equipment, but when it comes to battle, due to the lack of courage of the generals and soldiers, the power of the firearms is often greatly reduced. This fully illustrates the truth that no matter how advanced the weapon is, it must be used by people.
of.
"In other words, when Chen came to Huai'an this time, Wang Shangshu specially said a few words and asked Chen to bring him."
After drinking for three rounds, Chen Dao said this to Su Hao.
Su Hao quickly put down the chopsticks in his hand and said respectfully: "Brother Chen, please tell me. Su Hao will definitely remember it in his heart."
Chen Daodao: "Wang Shangshu said that before you came to Huai'an, he told you to train more surveying talents, who will be deployed by the Ministry of War in the future. He asked me to ask you, how did you handle this matter?"
Su Hao said: "Please Dr. Chen return to the capital to tell Wang Shangshu that he has never forgotten the things he told the old man. The survey camp has recruited more than 300 recruits in Huai'an, and all of them have received training in survey techniques. After these few days
After months of training and field operations, I have mastered the basic skills. The next step is just to become more proficient.”
"Well, that's right." Chen Dao nodded and continued: "Wang Shangshu also asked that this time Kanyu camp was reorganized into a battalion and the establishment was expanded. Do you know how to use these expanded establishments?"
"What do you mean how to use it?" Su Hao asked.
Chen Daodao: "In other words, does Gai Zhi know what kind of soldiers Wang Shangshu wants Gai to recruit and train?"
"Well... I'm sorry for my stupidity, but can Brother Chen give me a hint?" Su Hao was a little unable to answer.
His unit is called the Survey Battalion. From the name, the expansion means that soldiers engaged in survey and mapping should continue to be recruited. However, the entire establishment of 2,700 people is used to recruit surveying and mapping personnel. First, it is impossible to find so many qualified soldiers.
Secondly, it would be difficult to train candidates. Su Hao believed that Wang Yi'e would not be so hot-headed as to ask him to train more than 2,000 surveying and mapping soldiers at once. Besides, since Chen Dao asked this question, the answer obviously would not be
It would be so simple.
Chen Dao nodded again and expressed his affirmation that Su Hao did not answer directly. If Su Hao followed what he said before and directly said that all the extra staff would have to recruit surveying and mapping personnel, Chen Dao would despise Su Hao's vision.
"The Ministry of War promoted you to an official position this time because of your record in the fight against the Japanese. The battle report stated that your department used new firearms during the fight against the Japanese. The Holy Father went to Liangxiang a few days ago and saw your firearms workshop.
The Ministry of War wants you to strengthen its attempts at using firearms and cultivate a strong force that is good at using firearms to fight the enemy, so as to serve as a model for the entire army." Chen Dao said solemnly.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty was an era that attached great importance to firearms. The Ming army was equipped with a wide range of firearms, artillery, explosive equipment, etc., and the quantity was also very alarming. According to research, among the troops led by famous generals such as Qi Jiguang, the proportion of soldiers who used firearms
The proportion can even reach over 50.
However, the firearms of that year had shortcomings such as bulkiness, slow loading, short range, and weak lethality. The effect of use in actual combat was not very obvious. Ming army soldiers often carried both firecrackers and spears, and fired first during combat.
A shot of firecrackers, and then a long spear to kill. When fighting Japanese pirates and Mongolian cavalry, the Ming army equipped with a large number of firearms did not have a clear advantage. This was also an important issue that has been plaguing Wang Yi'ou, the Minister of War.
This time, the reconnaissance battalion led by Su Hao used new types of firearms in the battle against the Japanese pirates, including faster-firing flintlock guns and extremely powerful grenades. The description of these details in the battle report gave Wang Yi'e
He was deeply impressed. He knew that under the current situation, it would be difficult for the Ministry of War to obtain enough funds to replace all the troops with new firearms, but he felt that it might as well let Su Hao, who invented this new type of firearm, establish an army first.
As a demonstration team, it is best to fight a few more beautiful battles like this one. In this case, Wang Yi'e can find reasons to persuade the cabinet to increase military expenditures for the Ministry of War, and gradually enable new firearms to be equipped with more soldiers
Go to the army.
The doorway involved is very complicated, and it is not convenient for Chen Dao to explain it to Su Hao. However, the instructions from Wang Yi'e that he conveyed to Su Hao were enough to make Su Hao's heart flutter. As a time traveler,
, Su Hao is almost superstitious about the role of firearms. Wang Yi'e wants Kanyu Camp to be used as a pilot project for the application of firearms. Isn't this in line with Su Hao's intention?
Although he thought so in his heart, Su Hao pretended to be depressed on his face. He frowned and said to Chen Dao: "Brother Chen, this decree of Wang Shangshu has made it very difficult for me."
"Embarrassed?" Chen Dao was stunned. He knew Su Hao very well and knew that Su Hao liked firearms. Why would Wang Yi'e's request still embarrass him?
Su Hao said: "Brother Chen knows that my younger brother invented these firearms mainly for self-defense. Like that flintlock gun, it requires the use of high-quality steel, and the cost of each one... ahem, it is expensive anyway.
Well. As for the explosive, it is different from the black powder commonly used in the army. It is made from the essence extracted from green vitriol. This time, because we are fighting against Japanese pirates, I did not hesitate to spend the money. When I fought against the bandits before,
, I’m not even willing to take it out and use it.”
"The meaning of the change is that... it will cost a lot to equip a large number of new firearms in the survey camp, so you feel embarrassed to change it?" Chen Dao understood what Su Hao meant.
Su Hao nodded: "That's right. I don't know how much money the Ministry of War can allocate to our battalion to purchase equipment every year."
Chen Dao seemed to have expected that Su Hao would ask this question. He shook his head very simply and said, "Well, Wang Shangshu didn't say anything about this."
"Didn't you say?" Su Hao's eyes widened, "Brother Chen, this is no joke. To equip a soldier with a flintlock gun and grenades, it costs at least 50 taels of silver. I'll count half of the whole battalion.
Soldiers are equipped with firearms, which also cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. If you include artillery, it will cost you just 200,000 taels of silver. With such a large sum of money, Wang Shangshu doesn’t want me to pay it privately, right?"
Chen Dao smiled and said: "Wang Shangshu didn't say that, but in Brother Yu's opinion, that's what he meant."
"Isn't this too deceiving?" Su Hao really couldn't laugh or cry.
Faced with this kind of naked blackmail, Su Hao could of course slam the table and threaten that he would never pay the money. Even if the lawsuit was brought before Wanli, there was no reason for private individuals to pay for the country's troops.
But Chen Dao knew that Su Hao was not such a person. From the time he first established the survey camp in Fengcheng, he had used his own money to provide food for the soldiers and purchase equipment.
More than ten thousand taels.
As a rule, the Ministry of War pays one to two five cents of silver per month to each recruited soldier. This money includes the money for the soldiers to eat, and also includes the money given to the soldiers to support their families. The survey camp was established from
From then on, it was claimed that the soldiers should be fed and fed, and if there was meat every other day, the money could not be deducted from the soldiers' pay, but could only be subsidized by the chief officer himself.
The money for food is only a small amount, and the equipment of the survey camp is different from that of other armies. The various surveying and mapping equipment alone are worth a lot of money. As far as Chen Dao knows, Su Hao purchased all these equipment with his own money and did not ask anyone for help.
If the military reaches out, or in other words, even if it wants to reach out, no one will give him money.
The basis for Su Hao to be able to do this is that he is a wealthy businessman himself. He has coal mines, iron workshops, glass workshops and other industries under his name. From the telescope alone, he has earned tens of thousands of taels of silver from the military. Now, he has
An industrial park was built in Liangxiang County next to the capital, and high-end products such as high-strength steel waist knives and vanity mirrors were sold to the capital, and the profits were huge. In this sense, if Wang Yi'e had to find a scapegoat to pay for it himself
When it comes to equipping the army, Su Hao is undoubtedly the best candidate.
Of course, Wang Yi'e's thinking is not that simple, and he can't really let Su Hao suffer a personal loss. Letting Su Hao spend his own money to improve the equipment is just a way to deceive others, and there are other tricks behind it.
Many, which is why Wang Yi'e sent Chen Daolai to interview Su Hao.
"Change this. You have to be considerate of Wang Shangshu's difficulties. There are rules for the equipment expenses of each army, and Wang Shangshu cannot be biased about the survey camp, otherwise, others will go to the Ministry of War to make trouble.
"Chen Dao said to Su Hao slowly.
Su Hao nodded: "I can understand this, but as a big country, you can't take advantage of me personally, right?"
Chen Dao said: "Wang Shangshu said that if there is a loss within the embankment, it will be replenished outside the embankment. The Ministry of War will remember how much money Su Garrison has advanced for the Ministry of War. There will always be opportunities to subsidize Su Garrison in the future."
"I see, I wonder how the Ministry of War plans to subsidize me?" Su Hao's eyes lit up and he began to understand Wang Yi'e's intention.
In fact, it is not that Su Hao has never seen this kind of curved funding method. When Jiangxi Governor Zhang Hong ordered him to set up a survey camp, he placed an order for 200 telescopes at the same time, which earned him more than 10,000 taels.
Money. Without this money, how could he dare to spend money lavishly on Kanyu Camp?
Chen Dao laughed and did not answer Su Hao's question. Instead, he picked up his wine glass and said to Xu Guangzu, Deng Kui, Zhang Yunlong and others on the table: "Everyone, what happened today is just a private chat between friends. You don't have to be here."
It has been mentioned outside. Wang Shangshu is very optimistic about the development of Kanyu Camp. There will be many things in the future that require your trouble. Chen Dao will borrow Su Shoubei's wine today and toast you all on behalf of Wang Shangshu. I hope you can live up to the king's wishes.
With the high hopes of the Minister, Kanyu camp has been built into a model for our Ming army." (To be continued. Please search Piaotian Literature for better and faster novels!)