"It doesn't matter. If you don't mind that the county's payment for repairs is meager, the county hopes that you can continue to serve." Han Wen said.
Su Hao stood up and saluted: "Since the county honors you and will not give up, students should obey your orders. However, students of Shu Xiu will definitely not dare to accept this."
"That's alright." Han Wen had already heard that Su Hao's coal mine was profitable. Knowing that Su Hao was not short of the master's salary, he stopped forcing him and just said: "As a master, you have the income from the workshop.
You have the right to take your share of the profits. In addition, if there is anything that requires the county government to come forward, just say it. As you said yourself, after finishing the errands for Dusi, you still have to go back to the county government.
Came from the side.”
"Thank you, Lord County." Su Hao responded.
Han Wen added: "In other words, last month you suggested that a reservoir could be built upstream of Fengshui and Fushui. How are the preparations for this matter? The county is still waiting for you to come up with the charter so that it can be reported to Nanchang Prefecture.
I'm asking the Chief Secretary to allocate money."
Su Hao said: "Your Majesty, students have been thinking about this. To build a reservoir, the first thing to do is to conduct a comprehensive survey of the reservoir site. I have already found some students in the academy and prepared to take them there.
Do surveying and mapping. Now that I have received this assignment from Jiangxi Dusi, I have a plan to take these scouts to do surveying and mapping of the reservoir. This will not only train troops, but also complete the survey, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone."
"Haha, this is a good idea. It seems that it is just right for you to take on the dual roles of Baihu and Master." Han Wen said with a smile.
"Well, County Lord, I will prepare this matter. By the way, the situation at the coal mine is very good, but there is no profit yet. When there is profit, I will arrange for someone to send the County Lord's share.
"Su Hao said.
Han Wen waved his hand and said: "This matter is not urgent. My profit share will be deposited in the account first. The coal mine has just been opened, and there are still many places to spend money. It will not be too late to discuss it when there is more money."
"Thank you, Lord County, for your understanding." Su Hao bowed and said. Then he left the second hall and returned to the workshop to arrange things with his subordinates.
As soon as Su Hao walked away, Han Wen's real master Fang Mengjin appeared from behind the screen. He walked to Han Wen, sat down on the chair, twirled his beard and whispered: "It turned out that those two people who have always been by Su Hao's side
This soldier was actually sent by Commander-in-Chief Deng. It’s not a bad idea for Su Hao to get on Deng Zilong’s boat.”
"I read in the newspaper a few days ago that Deng Zilong was dismissed again. He is currently idle in Yunnan," Han Wen said.
Fang Mengjin said: "Deng Zilong and Liu Wei recruited troops in Yunnan to form the Tengchong and Yao'an camps. Originally, Liu Wei was in charge of the Tengchong camp. Deng Zilong was in charge of the Yao'an camp. Later, Liu Wei was dismissed for some reason, and the court asked Deng Zilong to take charge of both.
Two camps. However, the old general's unfair treatment caused a fight between Tengchong camp and Yao An camp, so the court gave him away.
However, I heard someone say that although his title of Deputy Commander-in-Chief has been revoked, the border army is still under his control. I think the court also saw this man as brave and good at fighting. Once the war on the Yunnan border resumes, he will definitely be reinstated.
Professional."
Han Wen said: "Well, General Deng is a man of literary and military skills. He is proficient in everything. He is a rare tiger general. But he has a bad temper. He often causes troubles and is dismissed from office. It's not just once or twice. I'm not worried.
Regarding General Deng's prospects, I'm just worried that Su Hao has too many connections with the military. If he wants to take the imperial examination in the future, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the civil servants in the court to accept him."
Fang Mengjin said: "This son is very strict in his words and deeds. I really can't tell how he will develop in the future. With his nature, if he wants to take an official career, he will have many twists and turns. If he can take a military career, he might really be able to do it.
With the temperament of those warriors, if you can be a member of the Qianhu family, Tongzhi, etc., it can be considered a good background."
"This military career is not the right path after all." Han Wen said with complicated emotions.
Fang Mengjin looked at Han Wen and knew what he was thinking, so he asked in a low voice: "Qian'er, are you really interested in me?"
Han Wen has always kept tabs on Fang Mengjin's family affairs. When Han Qian was young, Han Wen once asked Fang Mengjin to be her first teacher, so when Fang Mengjin mentioned Han Qian, he would call her by her nickname. Han Qian
Han Wen had mentioned his relationship with Su Hao several times to Fang Mengjin. Fang Mengjin was also an old fox. How could he not guess the connection?
Han Wen was so concerned about Su Hao's future because of Han Qian. When Fang Mengjin mentioned it, he couldn't help but sigh and said:
"I don't know what kind of evil has possessed this child. She has been introduced to no less than ten young talents, but she has not taken a fancy to any of them. This Su Hao, on the other hand, has been in the county government for only two months. I
Looking at that Qian'er, she seems to have a different regard for him."
Logically speaking, it is not convenient for a girl to talk about a young man's admiration to outsiders, but Fang Mengjin is obviously not one of the outsiders. Han Wen has always regarded Fang Mengjin as his own think tank, and this matter is related to his daughter's life.
Happily, Han Wen also needs some advice from Fang Mengjin.
Fang Mengjin laughed and said: "Girls' feelings are nothing more than this. If you ask me, this Su Hao has been through the past and the present, and behaves openly and aboveboard. He is no worse than those young talents. Look at the people who have dealt with him, like those from the academy
Master Wu, all the students, Dai Qi and the scribes in the workshop all regarded him as a close friend. I also met Mr. Tu Wenhuan, the staff member of Deng Zilong's tent, and heard that he was once someone Zhang Shoufu valued. When I met Su Hao
, they were able to become lifelong friends. It is reasonable for Qian'er to admire his talent."
Han Wen said: "I also have a good impression of Su Hao. Judging from his age and experience, his future prospects are limitless. However, if he really wants to take the path of military service, I will not like it. Qian'er herself
I have been educated and courteous since I was a child, and I am a gentle man. How can I stay with a military officer for the rest of my life?"
Fang Mengjin said with a smile: "The proprietor's concern leads to chaos. Didn't Su Hao already say that he is only training the first batch of new scouts on behalf of the Jiangxi Governor, and will be relieved of his military status in the future. Besides, even if he continues to hold a military position,
He is not the same as those rough military men. How can he be regarded as a Confucian general? Think about the demeanor of Jiangdong Zhoulang in those days. In what way is he inferior to the civil servants? "
"That's right." Han Wen also laughed, "In that case, I don't have to worry about it. Let them take care of the young people's affairs. Maybe this Su Hao can really find a different path from ours. By the way,
Mr. Fang, Su Hao wants to recruit troops within the county and build military camps outside the county to train troops. Please take the time to take care of him. I'm afraid that he is young and ignorant and will mess up the matter."
Fang Mengjin responded: "Don't worry, proprietor, I will visit you often."
Ignoring Han Wen and Fang Mengjin's murmurs behind their backs, Su Hao explained some of the business at hand and devoted all his energy to recruiting and training soldiers. He found that he was more interested in recruiting and training soldiers than racking his brains to make money.
He is willing to do this kind of thing of cultivating talents, especially if the talents he trains are in a profession he is familiar with.
With the help of Hao Tong and Deng Kui, Su Hao found a barren hillside outside the south gate of the county, covering about 100 acres. He asked someone to build a circle of bamboo fence around it, and found a flat place inside to build it.
There are more than a dozen wooden houses, which can be regarded as his camp for hundreds of households.
After reporting to Nanchang Guard, Nanchang Guard officially gave it a name, Fengnan Baihusuo. Although this name is not very good, at least it is officially included in the military system of the Ming Dynasty and is not considered an illegal armed force.
The Nanchang Guard attached great importance to Fengnan Baihu Station, and within a few days they sent people to transport the clothing and weapons of 113 officers and soldiers, including Su Hao. Among the weapons, in addition to cold weapons such as spears and waist knives,
There were actually three muskets and some gunpowder. Hao Tong told Su Hao that he had specially requested this from Jiangxi Governor Zhang Hong. As for the purpose, it was of course self-evident.
Once we have the venue, the next step is to recruit troops.
The recruitment system of the Ming Dynasty began after the Civil War. The soldiers recruited in the recruitment system were all voluntary soldiers. Compared with the guards soldiers composed of hereditary military households, they had stronger combat effectiveness, greater mobility, and could be mobilized at any time.
garrison. The famous Qi Jiajun and Yu Jiajun were both recruited soldiers and became the main force of the Ming army in the anti-Japanese war on the southeast coast.
Su Hao recruited troops in the name of Deng Zilong. The troops led by Deng Zilong were established through the recruitment system. His earliest troops came from Jiangxi. Later, when he was transferred to Yunnan to fight, he recruited troops in Tengchong, Yao'an and other places.
A group of local people enlisted in the army. Su Hao was assigned by Zhang Hong to train a group of scouts in Fengcheng who could conduct map surveying. They would be allocated to Deng Zilong's troops in the future, so it was logical to use Deng Zilong's recruitment quota.
Su Hao listed the conditions for recruiting soldiers, which required him to be under 18 years old, unmarried, from a clean family background, of good character, and in good health. There was also a very important condition, which was to have a certain level of education and not be illiterate.
illiteracy.
Jiangxi in the Ming Dynasty had a rich cultural tradition, and many children from farm families were educated and literate, so the condition proposed by Su Hao was not very harsh. Han Wen arranged for the county officials to post recruitment notices to all townships in the county. Soon,
Each township sent a group of young people who volunteered to serve as soldiers.
Most of these people are proficient in writing, but not enough to be admitted as a scholar. Generally speaking, there are many brothers in the family, and the limited fields cannot support so many people. When encountering such an opportunity to serve as a soldier, everyone wants to go
Try your luck and see if you can find a career in the army.
One thing Su Hao didn't know was that quite a few of these young people came here because of their fame. They heard from the government officials who went to the countryside to recruit soldiers that the soldiers recruited this time learned from the local master Su Hao.
Su Hao was an artist. When he was digging wells, he traveled almost half of the county. His reputation was so great that women and children knew about it. When they heard that they could learn the geodetic method under Su Hao's name, many "Su fans" signed up one after another.
So, when Su Hao, wearing a mandarin duck war coat and a green soft hat, appeared in front of the group of young people who came to apply, everyone suddenly became restless.