Returning the flintlock gun to Li Zhi, Lu Xiangsheng said: "Look at your cannon!"
Li Zhi asked the soldiers to roll out the six-pounder cannon and demonstrate it on the school grounds.
The cannon fired several times and hit a large circle three miles away. It fired several times directly and broke several large wooden boards four hundred meters away.
None of the generals were equipped with artillery and had no idea about artillery. They didn't know that Li Zhi's light cannon was lighter by more than 100 kilograms, which greatly improved its maneuverability and reduced its cost. On the contrary, they all felt that Li Zhi's cannon was ordinary. They all felt that
This is an ordinary small Hongyi cannon. There are more or less Hongyi cannons in each military town on the nine sides, but the number Li Zhi has is really amazing. Such a volley of forty cannons on the battlefield must be very spectacular, no wonder
Lao Huihui fell into Li Zhi's trick.
But how much money would it cost to have so many Hongyi cannons?
Lu Xiangsheng asked: "How much does this cannon cost? How can a deputy Qianhu have so much money to build a cannon?"
In the Ming Dynasty, copper coins always weighed six kilograms, and seven hundred and fifty kilograms of copper required more than one hundred and twenty taels of copper. However, Li Zhi's six-pound cannon used 60% bronze and 40% pig iron, and the cost was lower. The cost of casting a six-pound cannon
Only one hundred taels.
But of course Li Zhi would not report his family fortune directly, but said: "It is very difficult to cast a cannon, the yield rate is only one-tenth, and each cannon costs 600 taels of silver! There are some weaving mill industries here, and we rely on these weaving mills.
The money earned from the workshop is used to support the army."
These forty cannons are worth twenty-four thousand taels of silver!
These mighty Tianjin soldiers and horses were originally made of money.
Hearing Li Zhi's words, all the generals were stunned. A small defense officer actually spent tens of thousands of taels on his own property to raise an army of horses! I only heard that officers deducted military pay to make money.
, I have never heard of anyone raising soldiers and horses out of his own pocket. How high a level of thinking does one have to have to raise an army for the country out of his own pocket?
This Li Zhi is really an anomaly.
Even Lu Xiangsheng was very disappointed when he heard this figure. He secretly said that Li Zhi's method of strengthening the army was very costly and could not be copied. I am afraid that this would be the only example in the Ming Dynasty.
After watching the performance of Li Zhi's soldiers, Lu Xiangsheng and the generals became interested. They couldn't find anything to learn from, so they left separately.
On September 25, the eighth year of Chongzhen, the vanguard selection regiment that ended the Battle of Ruzhou broke camp and headed back to Tianjin.
When they came, the soldiers walked on two legs, but on the way back, there were more than a thousand war horses and pack horses: 200 war horses were captured when Luoyang defeated 2,000 pond horses, and three were captured when Lao Huihui was defeated.
With more than a hundred uninjured war horses, plus a thousand pack horses assigned to Li Zhi by Lu Xiangsheng, the vanguard selection team had more than one man and one horse, making the march much easier.
In addition to Lu Xiang's 10,000 taels of silver loot, this trip can be considered a fruitful return.
The troops traveled northward for two months and returned to Fanjiazhuang on November 21.
When all the members of the vanguard selection team returned and achieved unparalleled military exploits, the people of Fanjiazhuang were extremely happy. Thousands of people gathered at the Chongwen Gate of the south gate, setting off firecrackers and beating gongs and drums to welcome the triumphant return of the soldiers.
The crackling firecrackers were hung on the city gate, like dancing elves, welcoming the return of the heroes.
At the front of the welcoming group, Li Zhi saw Cui He, who kept standing on tiptoes and looking this way.
Seeing Li Zhi's figure on the horse, Cui He ignored the maids around him and ran towards Li Zhi. When the soldiers saw the deputy Qianhu's wife rushing towards him, they quickly got out of the way. They waited until Li Zhi jumped off the horse and hugged her.
She, Cui He, had already burst into tears.
Hiding in Li Zhi's arms, Cui He's nose twitched and said: "You are finally back! I was afraid I would never see you again!"
Li Zhi smiled and touched Cui He's head and said: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm back!"
Cui He raised his tearful head and said, "If you are beaten to death, how will I live alone?"
Li Zhi comforted him: "I won't be beaten to death. I'm the only one who beats others!"
Cui He then stopped crying, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and said, "Did you win?"
Li Zhi nodded and said: "Yes, we killed more than 6,000 traitors!" After a pause, Li Zhi said again: "But they divided my military achievements and only left me a thousand heads.
’s military exploits!”
Cui He pouted angrily and said, "They bully us!"
Li Zhi nodded and said, "Yes, you are bullying our junior official!"
Cui He hugged Li Zhi and said childishly: "We will ignore them from now on!"
Li Zhi smiled and said: "Yes! Ignore them!"
After saying this, Li Zhi jumped on the Wusun BMW. Then he pulled Cui He onto the horse, and rode towards the city with Cui He in his arms.
Cui He was a woman who loved novelty. This was her first time riding a horse. She was so happy sitting in Li Zhi's arms that she burst into laughter.
Along the way, when the common people saw the victorious defense officers, they all stood on both sides of the road and looked up, as if saluting Li Zhi. However, a group of children jumped and chased in front of the crowd, and even sprinkled wild flowers on Li Zhi's body.
When Li Zhi walked to the Deputy Qianhu Official Hall, he saw Luo Lizong, the guard of Tianjin Left Guard, already waiting there. Luo Lizong didn't have the airs of a Shangguan. As soon as he saw Li Zhi, he strode up to greet him and said loudly
: "I'm here to congratulate Li Xiandi on his triumphant victory! I'm also here to congratulate Li Xiandi on his promotion to the fourth rank as a commander!"
Luo Lizong heard that Li Zhi had made great contributions and was about to be promoted. He felt that Li Zhi's future was limitless, and he had already taken the initiative to change his title to Li Zhi to Li Xiandi. He got the news yesterday that the selection team would enter the city today, and he has been calling Li Zhi since the morning.
I have been waiting for Li Zhi in Fanjiazhuang for an hour now.
Luo Lizong felt that Li Zhi was very powerful and had great future, so he seized the opportunity to make friends with Li Zhi now. As a superior officer, Luo Lizong could not be more friendly.
Li Zhi smiled and jumped off the horse, helped Cui He off the horse, and then prepared to salute Luo Lizong. But he just made a gesture, and Luo Lizong quickly supported him and said loudly: "Brother, why do you need such a big gift?"
?Don’t try to discredit Brother Yu! Brother Xian’s expedition this time outshone all the lieutenants and generals. What does Brother Yu’s defense mean?”
Luo Lizong got the news from Di Bao.
Di Bao was the official information channel in the late Ming Dynasty. It was similar to newspapers in later generations. It conveyed important news from the court and local areas to officials in various places, so officials in the late Ming Dynasty could know the affairs of the world. Luo Lizong read Di Bao and said that Li Zhi had
More than a thousand levels of military exploits. These more than a thousand levels of military exploits were more than those achieved by other lieutenants and generals in the Battle of Ruzhou.
Luo Lizong knew the rules in the army. Li Zhi was assigned to a thousand heads with a small defense function, and the actual gains must be more. Luo Lizong was shocked after reading the Di newspaper, and re-examined Li Zhi's strength.
Li Zhi respected him more and more.
Li Zhi smiled, stood up straight and said, "Brother Luo is joking! Has the promotion from the Ministry of War come down?"
Luo Lizong smiled and said: "I came down half a month ago. This time you won the battle in Ruzhou, the emperor was very happy, and asked the Ministry of War to implement the reward immediately. Your badges and orders are all with the governor.
Originally, I wanted to bring it here for you, but the governor said that you should go to the governor’s office to get it in person!"
Li Zhi knew that the governor wanted to remember his favor, so he smiled and said: "Then I will go to the governor's office to get it!"
Luo Lizong stroked his beard and said, "I will go with my dear brother to enjoy my brother's happiness!"
