Everyone discussed for a while, and Zhang Yanling solved the urgent problems one by one on the spot and determined some key project nodes.
According to Zhang Yanling’s idea, the smelting furnace workshop on the top of the mountain will be completed in mid-August, and the construction of the smelting furnace and related supporting facilities will be completed. Then the focus will shift to the construction of the two workshops on the hillside. Before winter, all mountains
The main body of the surface project must be completed, and the supporting walls, roads, and buildings must also be basically completed. Renovations and improvements will be made slowly in the future.
After winter, the work of digging the inner wall of the mountain will also begin. It will be a longer-term project. There are also detailed project progress nodes set up.
Ultimately, according to Zhang Yanling's plan, within five years, Wild Dog Ridge will become a huge research institute that includes smelting and forging firearms production, ammunition production and gunpowder configuration, and even three major research institutes including gunpowder proportioning, steel smelting, and firearms production and improvement.
base.
Of course, it is not easy to complete all of this. This is an ambitious plan, and the money spent is definitely not a small amount. According to Zhang Yanling's calculations, the early construction alone will cost a huge sum of at least 50,000 taels of silver.
Once it is put into operation, the purchase, use and consumption of various raw materials will be astronomical.
For a while, Zhang Yanling actually didn't know how to solve such a huge amount of funds, but Zhang Yanling couldn't think too much. At the moment, she could only take one step at a time, at least the money she had on hand could still last for a while.
Just invest in the follow-up and slowly think of a solution.
Zhang Yanling regretted not getting Shen Liang's 30,000 taels of silver. But in fact, it was just a thought. Shen Liang's money must never be taken.
Xu Youtang led people to start the surveying and mapping work of the smelting furnace. The location has been determined, which is in the northwest corner, on the north side of the beacon tower.
Speaking of the beacon tower, I have to mention it. Originally, Ma Quan wanted to demolish the beacon tower, but the old blacksmith said that the beacon tower had existed for hundreds of years and was already an ancient relic. Although it collapsed, it was still a thought. In the future, Wild Dog Ridge will be completely different.
There are not many things left, and this beacon tower is left as a last thought.
Zhang Yanling thinks that the old blacksmith is right. Although Xishan Manor belongs to him, in fact the tenants of the manor have lived here for generations. There may be many old people playing next to this beacon tower when they were children.
, carries many memories, so it is very meaningful to stay. Moreover, if the beacon tower is repaired, it will also be the commanding heights of more than ten miles around. It may play a role as a commanding lookout point for the future arsenal.
Under the command of Xu Youtang, more than a dozen people used lime as a mark and a straw rope as a ruler to draw a circular area with a radius of more than three feet. Then they marked eight consecutive small circles around the circular area.
With one stroke and one vertical mark, it took nearly half an hour to mark a complex foundation pattern on the ground with lime.
To be honest, when I first saw this complicated and strange shape on the ground, I thought it was like a ghost painting.
After finishing all this, Xu Youtang's face turned red and he let out a long breath.
Zhang Yanling walked over and asked with a smile: "Is it done?"
Xu Youtang smiled and said: "This is just the ground datum line. After it is built, the smelting furnace body will still have many holes and air vents. However, for now, you can dig according to the ground datum line, spread the bricks with Sanhe soil, and then build it.
Build a four-foot base, and only then will there be change."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said with a smile: "Okay, thank you for your hard work. Don't worry, take your time, wipe off the sweat first. Your hair is wet with sweat, and your face is red with heat. The weather is too hot, and you can't stand it."
Zhang Yanling handed over his sweat towel, Xu Youtang was stunned for a moment, and then reached out to take it to wipe the sweat. When Zhang Yanling turned around and wanted to call everyone to stop working, two craftsmen who Zhang Yanling paid a lot of money to build the smelting furnace came over.
, frowning tightly.
"Master Zhang, I have something to say." A short and fat craftsman cupped his hands and said.
"Oh? Master Sun, Master Li, just say whatever you want." Zhang Yanling cupped her hands and smiled.
The short and fat Master Sun glanced at Xu Youtang standing aside and said, "Does Mr. Zhang really want to build a smelting furnace?"
"Of course, why do you ask this?" Zhang Yanling said with a smile.
"Since we are building a smelting furnace, we must build it properly. I, Sun Wanhou, have been dealing with smelting furnaces all my life and have built more than a dozen furnaces. I have never seen such a smelting furnace. Round is round, oval is oval,
Fang Zefang. There are only four or five styles, with at most some fire doors added.
adjust the size and height of the furnace. But the basic line of the furnace bottom drawn by this girl is really confusing. There are big traps and small circles, one after another. Forgive me for my poor eyesight and despicable knowledge, I have never seen it before
You can't go through this kind of smelting furnace." The short and fat Master Sun frowned and said.
"That's right, I, Li Dagen, have never seen it. I have worked in the imperial mines for more than ten years, and I have seen a lot of smelting furnaces. But I have never seen anything like this. This Miss Xu should be the young lady that the Marquis loves.
Yes, but the Marquis just loves him again
She can't joke about this matter. She wants to play, and the Marquis will buy her some hairpins and bracelets to please her, but don't mess around with this smelting furnace." The tall Master Li spoke straightforwardly.
, said dissatisfiedly.
Before Zhang Yanling could speak, Xu Youtang blushed and shouted: "Hey, what are you talking about? Do you know how to make a stove? Besides...I'm not from the Marquis...um...what are you talking about?"
Li Dagen said: "Then you shouldn't do it anymore. If you are also invited by the Marquis to build the smelting furnace, you can't fool the Marquis. The Marquis invited me and Master Sun here, but you also want us to listen to you.
Order. We thought you were very capable. Who would have thought that you were just fooling around. How can we do things properly with the money from the Marquis? We need to be conscientious."
Xu Youtang laughed angrily and chopped his feet: "Hey, I can't explain to you. This smelting furnace is not for smelting ordinary refined iron. I'm not fooling around. Come with me and I'll explain it to you so that you don't get confused."
say."
As Xu Youtang spoke, he quickly ran towards the beacon tower and quickly climbed up along the ruins to the top of the beacon tower.
"What are you doing? Are you just confused?" Master Sun said in astonishment.
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "The two masters go up together and you will know what she says."
Several people followed Xu Youtang and climbed to the top of the beacon tower. The top of the beacon tower was also three or four feet high from the ground. Standing on it, you can have a good view of the ground.
"Look at that lime baseline, could it be that I just painted randomly and couldn't get it right?" Xu Youtang pouted.
Several people looked down, and the lime baseline just planned on the ground was now in full view. Standing on the ground, it did look very messy, but from a high altitude, the overall effect was immediately apparent. It was in the shape of a petal.
The pattern, outlined in white and gray, is very beautiful.
"Two masters, this furnace is called a lotus furnace. The furnace is a circle in the middle, and the eight small circles next to it are the eight petals of the lotus. Do you understand? Those are also eight small furnaces. Our furnace is for smelting fine steel. So.
This Lotus Furnace is a furnace for smelting fine steel. You have never seen this kind of furnace, so you are making nonsense remarks and saying that I painted doodles. It really pisses me off." Xu Youtang shouted angrily.
Zhang Yanling almost laughed out loud, and Xu Youtang's angry look was really cute.
The two craftsmen were doubtful. They had indeed never heard of the Lotus Stove, but they always felt that the little girl's words were a bit unconvincing. She looked like she was only seventeen or eighteen years old, how could she know more than the two of them? What about the Lotus
Luzi must be bluffing.
"We don't believe it. Little girl, don't tell lies at a young age and become a spirit. Lotus furnace? We have never heard of it."
"That's right, why didn't you say this was Taishang Laojun's gossip furnace? You are too young to lie to others."
Xu Youtang was so angry that she wanted to hit someone, and almost jumped up with her eyes wide open. Zhang Yanling was so frightened that she quickly grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling off the beacon tower.
"Two masters, you are wrong to blame her. Don't look at her young age, but her skills are passed down from family." Zhang Yanling said with a smile.
"Family skills? I have never heard of any family having a lotus stove." Master Sun said.
"That's because you have little knowledge. How can you say you don't have it if you haven't seen it? This is my father's original stove. Of course you don't understand it. There's a lot you don't understand. Humph!" Xu Youtang shouted.
"Your father is original? May I ask who your father is?" Li Dagen chuckled.
"My father's name is Xu Gao, and you may not have heard of his name. My father doesn't want to show off or make a name for himself." Xu Youtang said.
"Ah? Your father is Xu Gao? Master Xu who is admired by craftsmen all over the world? Are you serious? Oh, you are his daughter?" the two craftsmen shouted in surprise.
"What? Do you know her father?" Zhang Yanling was also stunned.
"I don't know, but I have admired the name for a long time. The craftsmanship of the Xu family is famous all over the world. We craftsmen all know the name of the Xu family. It turns out that this person is the daughter of the Xu family, so what else can we say? It turns out that we are ignorant. It turns out that this is Master Xu's original creation
Lotus furnace. Ouch, we two are embarrassed." The two craftsmen said repeatedly.
Zhang Yanling smiled at Xu Youtang and said, "I didn't expect your father to be so famous."
Xu Youtang smiled and said: "This is the first time I know. But so what if he is famous? He refuses to help."
Several people came down from the beacon tower. Master Sun and Master Li had completely changed their attitude towards Xu Youtang. They nodded and bowed and followed them to laugh. Xu Youtang walked in the lead, and these two followed behind like two followers. Zhang Yanling looked at it
I thought it was funny, but I didn't expect that Xu Youtang would soon recruit two followers. That's good. With two experienced craftsmen at his command, things would be much easier to handle.
After lunch, the weather was too hot and I couldn't do anything. I could only rest in the house.
Zhang Yanling felt very hot and didn't want to disturb everyone's lunch break, so she took Xu Youtang to the lower reservoir to enjoy the cool air.
The two of them walked on the reservoir embankment. The floor was shaded by willow trees and the cool breeze was blowing, which was very comfortable. The two of them sat in the shade above the sluice gate. Xu Youtang looked at the green water in front of him and admired the blooming lotus beside the embankment in admiration.