In September, at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, when the mountains and forests far and near gradually turn gray, Jishan County ushered in the last lively moment in previous years.
The black-bottomed Morning Star flag fluttered in the wind. A large number of horse teams gathered here, and there were also rice merchants who came with the boats. Most of the bustling crowds carried longbows and swords. After several years of running the black flag, they talked with the Ni people.
, several trade routes near Liangshan have been relatively peaceful, but for the business travelers of the Wu Dynasty, trade between Liangshan and the outside world was still a dangerous thing that could not be carried out without courage, strength and background.
Along with the horse teams, most of the items transported from the Wu Dynasty were grain, cotton, linen and other items, as well as copper and iron. What was transported away was often mainly iron cannons, but also exquisitely processed crossbows, swords and other items.
The cargo of hundreds of pack horses was brought back, and several iron and wooden cannons were transported back, as well as some artillery shells. To the outside world, the Black Flag Army has exquisite craftsmanship. Although the iron cannons are expensive, they are now a weapon that outside armies have to buy.
, even the original wooden cannon, after the Black Flag Army "upgraded" it with steel and many crafts, its stability and durability have been greatly increased. Even if it is used as a consumable, it can more or less guarantee its durability in future battles.
winning rate.
The three-year bloody battle in Xiaocanghe was the best publicity for the new weapon "cannon". Let's not talk about the confrontation with the Jurchens for now. Millions of people including the Puppet Qi, Tian Hu and others came one after another. As soon as the cannon was fired, they immediately
There are countless soldiers lying on the ground scared to death, and according to recent intelligence, the Jurchen side's artillery has also begun to enter the ranks of the army. Anyone who does not have this in the future will basically be eliminated in the war.
.
In addition to the various forces in the Wu Dynasty, Liu Yu's regime in the north is actually one of Xiaocanghe's current trading customers. This line is currently relatively hidden, and the transaction volume is not large, mainly because the distance between resources is too large.
It is long, expensive and difficult to ensure a smooth transaction - since the Wu Dynasty army secretly bought artillery from Xiaocanghe, the puppet Qi warlords also sent several caravans. Instead of transporting food, they were willing to transport steel and other
Strategic materials were transported to Xiaocang River and returned in exchange for iron cannons. This way, they could get more money.
Xiaocanghe pretended not to know about the forces behind these transactions, but last year Qi General Guan Shihu sent an army of 500 people to transport iron ingots in exchange for twenty iron cannons. This army transported iron ingots
, directly joined the Black Flag Army. Guan Shihu was furious and sent people secretly to negotiate with Xiaocanghe to no avail, so he spread the rumor in private. When the generals of Qi heard about it, they secretly laughed at it, but the trade between the two sides
After all, I still couldn't get back to normal, and remained in a state of piecemeal fights.
The trade with Dali is not limited to war equipment.
Although it was the Black Flag Army's strong attitude that initially opened the door to Dali, and the most attractive materials were these steel instruments, soon after, Dali's demand for military equipment dropped, and correspondingly, the demand for military equipment increased.
Beautifully printed books, which are almost "art" in this era, decorative objects, perfumes, glass containers, etc. Especially "collector's edition" Buddhist scriptures with fine paper are in short supply in the aristocratic market in Dali.
Although the upper echelons of Dali have always wanted to close and restrict trade with Black Flag, when the door was knocked open, Black Flag's traders lobbied and exaggerated in Dali, making it impossible to close the trade door, and Black Flag therefore
A large amount of food can be obtained to meet internal needs.
At this time, Jishan was already a city with nearly 60,000 residents and soldiers. The city was distributed in a narrow north-south shape along the river. There were military camps, fields, and residential buildings in the upper reaches. In the middle section, near the river dock, was the external commercial area, Black Flag.
The staff's offices are located towards the mountains to the west. There are concentrated workshops, iron smelting and gun factories with thick smoke. There are also some military industry, glass, paper and printing factories downstream, and more than ten water turbines are connected together by the river.
, the chimneys erected in each factory area spit out black smoke. It is a novel sight rarely seen in this era, and it also has an amazing momentum.
Since Ning Yi came to this era, he has gone through physical and chemical experiments on his own, to research by craftsmen in small workshops, and has experienced the threat and baptism of war. In more than ten years, today's Jishan is the industrial foundation of Black Flag.
location.
Due to the addition of residents from the northwest and refugees from the north, there are some small self-run workshops and various restaurants here, but most of them are the industries currently operated by Black Flag. During several years of war, Black Flag has ensured the survival of craftsmen and assembly lines.
The division of labor has become so sophisticated in various places that it is no longer appropriate to call it a workshop. Every piece of it is already regarded as a factory.
Nearly nine thousand Black Flag elites are gathered here to ensure that the technology here is not easily explored by the outside world. It also prevents the escorts, soldiers, and Ni people who come to Jishan from making trouble here no matter what their backgrounds are.
.
Over the past few years, although the specific technology has not been leaked to the outside world, Black Flag has been open to the outside world regarding the basic concepts of Observation of Things. "A Preliminary Study of Observation of Things" and "The Principle of All Things" originally compiled by Ning Yi and others are on the market.
The booklet is sold extremely cheaply, and based on the basic principles of physics, chemistry, and mathematics, it finally exaggerates the prospect that as long as there is enough computing power and in-depth exploration, everything in the world can be studied... The development of these theories in Europe is possible
It's extremely twists and turns, but in the East, people actually don't have many taboos when it comes to investigating objects, and Ning Yi has already committed treasonous acts such as regicide, so the outside world can treat these things more calmly.
These pamphlets leaked out secretly. Wu Dynasty, Dali, Central Plains, and various Jurchen forces have studied them in private. But the most important ones are probably Junwu's Gewuyuan and the Jurchen Wanyan Xiyin's side. Dali
It is a peaceful country with little interest in making weapons. The people in all parts of the Central Plains are in dire straits and the warlords are very purposeful. Even if you take a few such pamphlets and throw them to the craftsmen, the craftsmen with no foundation will still be confused. As for the Wu Dynasty
Many officials and great Confucian scholars often burn them to ashes after reading them casually. On the one hand, they feel that such fallacies are not good for the world, and they obviously have no awe in studying the world. Secondly, they are afraid of leaving evidence to others. Therefore,
Even if the literary style of Nanwu flourishes, it is okay to criticize the country at many literary conferences, but the discussion of these things is still a treasonous and unethical thing.
In Jishan, the discussion of geophysics within the Black Flag industrial system has become a trend. It was first exaggerated by Ning Yi, and later by the propagandists of the Political Department. Now, people have vaguely stood at the source.
I saw the future of physics. For example, building a cannon that can penetrate a mountain with one shot. For example, the steam engine prototype that Ning Yi envisioned and is currently the focus of our research, a chariot that can run without horses in armor, increase in size, and equip
Giant airships with guns, etc., many people have believed that even if they cannot be done now, they will definitely appear in the future.
Located near the upstream military camp, at the Jishan Gewu Research Institute of the Chinese Army Engineering Department, a discussion about Gewu Research Institute was taking place. At this time, the Huaxia Army Engineering Department included not only industry, but also agriculture, and wartime logistics support.
For some things, the Research Institute of the Engineering Department is divided into two parts. The main part is in Hedeng, which is internally called the Upper House. The other half is arranged in Jishan, generally called the Lower House.
In the past few years, this was probably the most extraordinary seminar for the institute. After several years, Ning Yi finally appeared in front of everyone.
"... Regarding the future, I think the most important node lies in an independent power system. As mentioned before, the steam engine... We need to solve the problems of steel materials, casting cutting, lubrication, and sealing...
... In the next few years, war may still be our most important thing, but we might as well pay attention to it as a technological accumulation... In order to solve the problem of bomb blast, we must have better steel with a more reasonable carbon content, and in order to have a larger
The power of the cannonball, the cannonball and the gunbore must fit more closely. These things are used in muskets. The bullets of the muskets can reach a distance of two hundred feet. Although there is no accuracy, the big gunbore that exploded failed once or twice.
, it is all the accumulation of technology in this area... In addition, in the use of water wheels, we have improved a lot in lubrication, and every link has been improved a lot..."
"...In addition to physics, in terms of chemistry, explosions are already quite dangerous. Those responsible for this should pay attention to safety...but there must be methods for safe application, and there must be methods for large-scale production..."
"...In terms of agriculture, don't always feel that it is useless. In the past few years, we have been fighting back and forth, and we have been running around. This aspect of things needs time to settle, and we have not yet seen practical results, but I think this is the most important thing in the future.
An important part..."
The seminar was basically a progress report on the current Chinese military research. After the report, Ning Yi made a summary at the front. Most of the more than two hundred people below were craftsmen, and many of them were not even literate at first.
, Ning Yi could only hand over the tasks, but there was no need to discuss them. In the past three to five years, the initial enlightenment of studying things was gradually completed, and some young students taught by Ning Yi himself were also included. Only in the meeting did the significance of this kind of outlook exist.
.Some people below have bright eyes and nod their heads, while some people are blinking and trying to understand.
At the back of the auditorium, thirteen-year-old Ning Xi sat there, immersed in writing with a pen. Sitting next to her was Min Chuyi, a girl who practiced martial arts with Hongti and was inseparable from Ning Xi. She blinked, her face filled with emotion.
It was an expression of "I don't understand but I feel very powerful". She seemed a little reserved about sitting next to Ning Xi.
Ning Xi had an innocent temperament when she was young, and she and Min Chuyi often played together. For a while, they were inseparable playmates. Ning Yi and others thought it was a good thing when they saw this situation, so they decided to appoint Min Chuyi, who had good qualifications.
Once he was accepted as his disciple, he also hoped that Ning Xi would have more protection around him.
As they grew older, their personalities gradually became different. After three years of war in Xiaocanghe, everyone went south. After that, the news of Ning Yi's death came out. In order to prevent the children from inadvertently telling the truth and being discovered, even if
It was Ning Xi, and his family never told him the truth. After his father "died", little Ning Xi was determined to protect his family and immersed himself in studying. However, he was much more silent than before.
Min Chuyi's family was poor at first, and her parents were both honest people. Even though Ning Yi and others didn't care, she gradually regarded herself as a bodyguard around Ning Xi. When she was twelve or thirteen years old, she
Ning Xi has grown up and is a head taller than Ning Xi. Ning Xi takes care of her brothers and their families and gets along well with other children in the Black Flag Army. However, she gradually feels awkward with Min Chuyi around her and wants to throw him away from time to time. So.
In this way, although Tan'er likes Chuyi very much and even has the idea of getting a baby kiss between the two, Ning Xi and Min Chuyi are currently in a rather awkward period of getting along.
Recently, Ning Yi "suddenly" returned, and Ning Xi, who once thought her father was dead, was in a state of confusion. The last time he saw Ning Yi was four years ago. His mood when he was nine years old was completely different from when he was thirteen years old. He wanted to get close but failed.
Most of them are a little shy and resentful of being so cramped. In this era, monarchs, ministers, fathers and sons, and juniors treat their elders with a lot of etiquette. Ning Xi has already received this kind of education, but Ning Yi used to treat children with a modern mentality.
, relatively free and easy, and able to play together from time to time. At this time, the awkward thirteen-year-old boy was a little overwhelmed. Within half a month after returning home, both parties could only feel the distance.
, let nature take its course.
Getting along with other children is relatively good. Ten-year-old Ning Ji is good at martial arts, and his sword and boxing skills are quite good. Recently, he has lost a few teeth. He purses his lips and does not speak all day long. He is very aloof, but he has no interest in Jianghu stories.
Resistance and admiration for his father - Ning Yi told his children at home about the killing of Lu Tuo and others on the road:
"... He relied on his martial arts skills to get ahead, but in the fight in the forest, they were losing ground. Lu Tuo shouted there: 'You guys leave quickly, they can't keep me', trying to get his followers to escape.
A few more swish swish knives to chop open your Uncle Du, Uncle Fang and the others. He is a big owl from the North. He is very arrogant when he acts violently, but I happened to be there and he couldn't escape... I blocked him and followed him.
After changing two moves, he hit him on the head with a Heaven-shaking Seal. Before his followers could run very far, they saw him fall... Well, we caught a few more this time..."
Ning Ji and five-year-old Ning He's eyes sparkled and they were filled with admiration. Later, Ning Yi told them about what they saw in Tian Hu's territory in the North, and the competition between Lin Echan and Shi Jin: "That fat monk didn't dare
Come here, or let him look good" and so on.
As her name suggests, eight-year-old Wenwen is fond of literature but not martial arts. She is a quiet little girl who loves to listen to stories. She has been carefully taught by Yunzhu. She has felt that her father is the most talented person in the world since she was a child. There is no need for Ning Yi to spread rumors again.
Brainwashed. In addition, the five-year-old Ning Ke has a warm personality, and the two sisters Ning Shuang and Ning Ning are only three years old. They usually get close to Ning Yi after spending two days together.
On this day, Ning Yi came to Jishan to show up. Among the children, Ning Xi was the one who understood and was interested in studying things. Everyone walked with them all the way. After the meeting, they walked around the streets and alleys of Jishan.
.The market not far away was busy. A group of vendors were blocking the former county government office in Jishan. The mood was fierce. Ning Yi took his children to a nearby teahouse to watch the excitement. However, it was the iron cannon from Jishan recently.
A price increase was announced again, which attracted many inquiries.
Black Flag's political officials are clearing up doubts.
"...At the beginning of July, everyone knew about the chaos in Tian Hu's power. After Tian Hu's rebellion, the 'hungry ghosts' launched an attack north of the Yellow River. In the south, Xiangyang fought for the second time, and Beiwei's army defeated the Jin Dynasty.
, Qi Lianjun. Although there have been reprimands and warnings within the Jurchens, no action has been taken so far. Based on the reaction of the Jurchen court, it is very likely that big actions will be taken..."
"...Outside, you can say that the Wu Dynasty and the Chinese army are incompatible with each other, but even if we kill the emperor, we still have a common enemy. If the Jurchens come, we do not want the Wu Dynasty to be defeated miserably. Once defeated,
All life is in ruins and the world is overturned! In order to deal with this matter, we have decided that all workshops will work hard and start preparing for war regardless of losses! The price of iron cannons has increased by 30%. At the same time, our scheduled shipments have also increased by 50%. You can
Accept it. When the fight is over, the price will naturally drop. It doesn’t matter if you come back and buy again then——"
"...The current situation is critical, and Black Flag will not change the decision to increase the price within two years. The price of iron cannons will only rise and not fall! As before, the price may be adjusted. Everything is based on what we agreed when we made the contract.
Subject. You go back and tell the adults behind you, whether you want to buy or not, we are not forcing you..."
No one was willing to accept such an explanation easily. There was a lot of noise from all kinds of voices in the front. Some people scolded Hei Qi for sitting on the ground and raising prices. Others said that in the past, everyone went to transport grain to the mountains. Now Hei Qi is ruthless. Naturally, some people are rushing to fight with Hei Qi.
The scene where Qi signed the contract was noisy and lively. Ning Xi looked at all this, frowned, and asked after a moment: "Dad, do you want to fight?"
"It's still early, don't worry."
"Yeah." Ning Xi nodded dully, and after a moment, she said, "Dad, I'm not worried."
Ning Yi looked at the children beside him, suddenly smiled, and understood. Black Flag's propaganda has been tragic and generous for a long time. Even children are not afraid of fighting. I am afraid those who want to fight are the mainstream. He patted Ning
Xi's shoulder: "This war may end after your generation becomes successful, but don't worry, we will defeat those bastards."
"Yeah." Ning Xi nodded dullly again.
Everyone watched upstairs for a while, and Ning Yi said to Ning Xi: "How about you go out to play first?" Ning Xi nodded: "Okay."
"Take the first grader to the market. You are a boy and you must learn to take care of others."
Ning Yi said with a smile. When he said this, Ning Xi became a little embarrassed. A young man of twelve or thirteen years old always seemed awkward to the girls around him. The two of them were originally somewhat mentally disturbed, but Ning Xi
When Yi said this, it became more obvious. He watched the two of them go out and dismissed a few entourages around them. When he closed the door, he and Hongti were the only ones left in the room.
There was still some noise outside the window. Ning Yi sat down on the chair and opened his hand to Hongti. Hongti just pursed his lips and came over to sit in his arms. Ning Yi was not formal and treated the two of the old couple.
People have long been accustomed to such intimacy.
During the two years when Ning Yi stayed away from the three counties of Hedeng, Yunzhu, Jin'er and others took some time to see him secretly. Only Tan'er and Hongti hadn't seen each other in four years. The day they first arrived home
, Ning Yi and Tan'er went to pay homage to Su Yu's tomb, while Hongti led the people to further clean up the traitors. After the work was done, late at night, Ning Yi waited for her to come back, whispered for a while, and then acted willfully
The ground pulled her and Tan'er to sleep together.
Hongti and Tan'er didn't refuse, but the three of them lay together, and they were no longer in the mood to mess around. They held hands and chatted quietly until the early morning, cuddling each other and fell asleep. The next day, Ning Yi felt that
It would be more interesting to sleep separately.
The family has been separated for too long, and each other has also had a period of adaptation. After Ning Yi came back, he did not have any leisure. During these days, he was doing things while looking at the air conditioner and playing with the people around him. Now he has stolen half a day of leisure. Ning Yi
He usually likes to see the shy and submissive look of this highly skilled wife, but sitting here today, she did not make any small gestures between husband and wife. Listening to the sounds outside, he poured himself a cup of tea and chatted with Hongti.
Waiting for something to happen.
"I always feel that there is something wrong with plotting against my own children." Hongti put her chin on his shoulder and said softly.
"...Yes." Ning Yi took a sip of tea.
…
Ning Xi and Chu Yi walked through the street one after another. The thirteen-year-old boy was actually handsome, with slightly furrowed brows. He looked somewhat calm and dignified, but his eyes were somewhat disturbed at this time. After walking for a while,
When we were in a relatively secluded place, the girl behind me came closer.
"You..." Ning Xi didn't want to walk side by side with her. In a sense, although he could be regarded as the "Crown Prince" of the Black Flag Army, he actually didn't have much squeamishness - at least on the surface.
No - he is usually easy-going and likes to help others. The scenes of suffering and dead people when he followed people south made him particularly cherish the people around him. He often helped with things and was not afraid of hard work. He was unwilling to do anything until he was covered in stinky sweat.
stop.
It's just that he has a different emotion towards the girl around him. He doesn't like that his peers always have the intention of "protecting him", as if she is inferior to him. We all grew up together, why should she protect me? If
What to do if she dies when he meets an enemy - of course, if others are following him, he usually doesn't have such awkward emotions. The thirteen-year-old boy is not aware of these things yet.
"Someone is following..." Chuyi lowered his head and whispered. The young man's eyes calmed down and he looked at the alley ahead, ready to shout out as soon as he saw the patroller.
However, things happened faster than he imagined.
The figure from behind suddenly approached. Min Chu turned around and drew his sword: "Who -" The man's voice was hoarse: "Haha, Ning Yi's son?"
Figures intertwined, and the sword light of the girl who had obtained the true inheritance of Hongti was flying. However, the man's fierce fist knocked down a shed, and the wood splinters flew away. Ning Xi walked forward and shouted: "Spy - come quickly -" picked up the
There was a wooden stick on the roadside and she turned around. Min Chu said: "Ning Xi, hurry up -" Before she could finish her words, the man put a stamp on her shoulder.
Min Chu stepped back a few steps, almost bumping into Ning Xi, and said: "Let's go!" Ning Xi shouted: "Get him!" He hit him with a wooden stick, but it was only two moves.
The wooden stick was abruptly broken by a punch, and huge force surged in. Ning Xi's chest felt tight, her hands hurt, and the man swung his second punch fiercely.
Min Chuyi rushed up from the side and used his long sword to push back the fist. Ning Xi took two steps back. Min Chuyi exchanged two moves with the masked man in a hurry. The wind of the fist roared like a rushing river and he was about to fight.
On Ning Xi's head. He has been taught by famous teachers since he was a child. In terms of martial arts, he studied under masters like Hong Ti, Xigua, and Chen Fan. Even if he is not very talented or interested in this area, it is enough to see that
The opponent's skills were terrifying. In this moment, Ning Xi just swung the broken stick to retaliate. Min Chuyi rushed over to hug him, and then the two of them flew out, and blood sprayed on his face.
"Go quickly..."
The girl's voice was almost moaning. Ning Xi fell to the ground, and her head went blank for a moment. After all, he had not gone to the battlefield. Facing the crushing force of absolute strength, how could he react quickly in a life-or-death situation? At this moment, he could only hear
Someone from behind shouted: "Who is-" "Stop!"
The sound of fighting rang out, and more people came one after another. The assassin flew away and ran out of sight in the blink of an eye. Ning Xi sat up from the ground, her hands trembling. He picked up the girl's soft body and watched the blood come out of her mouth.
, half of her face was dyed red, and the girl tried her best to smile at him. He was confused for a moment, and tears flowed out: "Hey, hey, you...doctor, come quickly..."
After a while, he tried his best to collect himself, looked at the girl's condition, picked her up, and ran out of the alley while shouting...
…
"...Yes." In the teahouse room, Ning Yi took a sip of tea, "Unfortunately...there is no normal environment for him to grow up. There are some setbacks, let's simulate it first..."
Hongti looked at him for a while: "You are afraid too."
"Well, I'm very scared." Ning Yi held her hand and squeezed it for a moment, "I won't tell him until he is thirty."
The sound of commotion in the distance came over, Hongti stood up, Ning Yi nodded to her, his wife's figure had jumped out of the window, along the eaves, the tiles flew past, and disappeared in the distance after a few ups and downs.
in the streets and alleys.
Ning Yi pushed the door open and walked out, frowning. The people around him had already followed him and followed him down quickly: "What happened? Tell everyone to hold their positions. Why are you panicking..." Everyone around him started to move.
The sunshine of early winter hangs lazily in the sky. Liangshan is like spring all year round. There is no intense heat or cold, so the winter is very easy. Perhaps due to the blessing of the weather, the assassination incident that occurred on this day did not cause too much damage. Protecting Ning
Xi's Min Chuyi suffered some minor injuries. He just needs a few days of good rest and will get better... (To be continued.)