Chen Shuren spent a few days reorganizing the ordnance manufacturing in Huangzhou. With everything on track, he calculated that the time was almost up and embarked on a journey back to Suzhou for the New Year.
It is not difficult to make samples of bayonets and recessed tomahawks, which are much more convenient than muskets.
Before leaving, Shen Shuren also got dozens of samples. The initial model had some flaws, so he quickly iterated and modified it. After confirming that there was no problem, he finally decided on a sample and mass-produced it according to the sample.
During the whole process, Shen Shuren also had to point out and emphasize some commonplace issues of standardization and unification of dimensions, weights and measures that travelers often talk about.
Money was also allocated to the craftsmen in the workshop, who were equipped with neat and uniform new measuring tools. This ensured that the processed barrel and ferrule bayonet could fit together, and the problem of barrel eccentricity could be alleviated to the greatest extent.
As for the dozens of axes and bayonets produced in the first batch of trial production, Shen Shuren did not intend to waste them, so he directly gave them to his trusted guards.
On the 16th day of the twelfth lunar month, five large sand boats carried Shen Shuren and his party, and more than 300 escorting soldiers, on their way back down the river from Huangzhou.
Zhang Huangyan personally went to the dock to see them off, and also gave them a few words of advice, asking the Shen family's fleet to bring more copper and iron materials when they returned later in the year.
In the next month and a half, Zhang Huangyan will organize the production of bayonets and long-handled battle axes step by step. However, there are no local iron mines in Huangzhou, and the existing iron materials in the government can only sustain full military production for two or three months at most.
In the past, Shen Shuren relied on outsourcing for their equipment, so the problem of purchasing raw materials was not yet prominent. Now that they all make their own equipment, the contradiction has suddenly been exposed.
After Shen Shuren noted this down, he didn't have to take care of it all by himself. After the ship set sail, he asked Shen Shou, who was helping him manage the money, to purchase copper and iron according to daily business procedures on the return trip.
If the transportation needs escort, let Shen Shou's younger brother Shen Fu take care of it.
However, Shen Shuren also asked one more question casually: "Our family originally needs to purchase copper and iron. Where do we usually purchase it?"
Shen Shou had been running the business and purchasing goods for the Shen family for many years, so he answered without thinking:
"Back to Master, if you want the iron materials in Huangzhou, the most convenient way is to purchase them in Wuchang Prefecture. If you want the goods in Suzhou, it is more convenient and cheaper to transport them with Fujian Railway.
There is an iron mountain in Daye County, Wuchang Prefecture, which has been mined since the Tang Dynasty. Daye County is across the river from Qishui County, Huangzhou, and it doesn't cost much to transport it here.
As for copper, whether it’s Huangzhou or Suzhou in the south, copper materials are imported from Tongling in Anqing Prefecture, which is an old copper mine that has been mined since the late Han Dynasty.”
Listening to Chen Shuren, it was a good idea to catch up on the geographical knowledge of the late Ming Dynasty, review the past and learn the new, and understand which copper and iron mines have been mined now and which ones have not yet been discovered.
According to Shen Shou, the Maanshan Iron Mine, which was relatively famous in the south in later generations, does not exist today.
The iron mines in Daye, Hubei have long existed, but when Zhang Zhidong was engaged in the "Hanyeping" project in later generations, the Pingxiang Anyuan coal mine supporting the iron mines must not have been discovered yet.
If you want to use metallurgical coal in the south, you probably have to go to Zhejiang to look for small coal mines in Changxing, Huzhou, which have been mining since the Song and Ming Dynasties. Although the proportion of bituminous coal is high and the quality is slightly poor, the advantage is that the transportation around the Taihu Plain is extremely convenient, making it easier to transport the coal. come out.
If you have to get coal from the Pingxiang Coal Mine, the mining difficulty is easy to solve, but transportation will be very troublesome - in history, Zhang Zhidong built a small railway from the Anyuan Mountains to Pingxiang County for the Anyuan Coal Mine.
After the coal is transported to Pingxiang County, the coal can be transported by water along the Xiangjiang River. The subsequent mileage cost after boarding the ship can be ignored. The Xiangjiang River connects to Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River, so you can go anywhere.
Chen Shuren did all the calculations, and without avoiding his confidants, he directly spoke from the bottom of his heart: "The quantity of iron and copper materials we want to purchase this year is not huge, and it will not arouse the suspicion of the court.
However, when I am in Huangzhou, I will definitely continue to expand the army and prepare for war, pursue the bandits, and prepare for being transferred by His Majesty to deal with the Tatars in the future. The speed of ordnance construction will definitely be accelerated many times next year and the year after.
In the past two years, you still have to be careful about your private settlement of land, encircling and opening private mines, and be self-sufficient and low-key. Don't buy all the copper and iron in Jiangnan and raise the price too conspicuously."
After the New Year, it will be the 14th year of Chongzhen. Historically, until the 15th year of Chongzhen, the emperor still had the appeal to punish local powerful people, so it was necessary to keep a low profile and provide some cover.
It was not until the end of the 15th year of Chongzhen that the emperor completely lost control of the local power. Shen Shuren wanted to develop his acting in a low-key manner, and it would be enough to keep a low profile until then.
From now on, no one will cause trouble for you just because you smelt steel to make firecrackers.
When Shen Shou saw that the young master dared to talk to him about such topics as "deceiving the court", he felt quite trusted. He cheered up, thought hard, and helped make suggestions:
"Master, since you want to open an iron ore privately by yourself, you must pay a large sum of money to the local government, and then cover it up. The profits that should be shared with the government must not be less, so as not to give others the leverage.
However, at present, the most suitable iron mine around Huangzhou is Daye Tieshan, and Wuchang Mansion is under the guard of Zuo Liangyu. I heard that the master’s family letter also mentioned that Zuo Liangyu and our family..."
At this point, he was afraid that his words would be inappropriate, so he stopped talking for the time being.
Chen Shuren also understood and raised his hand to indicate that this was not something he should worry about: "I have my own discretion regarding Zuo Liangyu's affairs. All you want to think about is the details of management and accounts. No matter whether these iron mountains can If you get it, you should first assume that you can get it and think carefully about the preparations."
…
During the past few days on the ship, Shen Shuren was idle and chatted more with his subordinates about future military supply chain issues.
It is always easy for people to think about many problems when they calm down. In the past few days, Shen Shuren also had new views on how to deal with Zuo Liangyu in the future.
To be honest, according to Shen Shuren's established rhythm, he originally planned to stabilize Zuo Liangyu first. He had to eat his food one bite at a time. He would first completely kill the fifth battalion of Gezuo, and then deal with Zhang Xianzhong. After Zhang Xianzhong was disabled, he would slowly It's not too late to deal with Zuo Liangyu.
According to the preliminary timetable of dealing with the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo in the 14th year of Chongzhen and the preliminary timetable for dealing with Zhang Xianzhong in the 15th year of Chongzhen, the deal with Zuo Liangyu will not be until at least the 16th year of Chongzhen. This can avoid "fighting on two fronts" at the same time.
Cleaning up is definitely necessary, and there is no doubt about the general direction.
Historically, Zuo Liangyu raised the banner of "Qingjun side" during the Southern Ming Dynasty, which was actually a rebellion. It also directly led to the military strength of at least two of the four towns in the Southern Ming Dynasty being restrained and unable to be used to deal with Duduo's southward march.
Therefore, Zuo Liangyu must bear considerable responsibility for Shi Kefa's defeat in Yangzhou and the final fall of Nanjing.
Of course, some people may think that Zuo Liangyu's situation should be better than Zheng Zhilong's. At least Zuo Liangyu himself died of illness on the way to the army, and he did not have time to be surrendered to the Qing Dynasty as a traitor.
But after his son Zuo Mengeng inherited his military legacy, he did not hesitate to lead his troops to surrender. This debt was settled on Zuo Liangyu, so it was not too unfair to him.
For a person who will become a traitor family in history, Chen Shuren will certainly not have any moral pressure to deal with him. This is just doing justice for heaven.
But now, Shen Shuren first realized that Zuo Liangyu was in Wuchang and that the relationship between the two parties had already broken down. If he carried out any major demolition and construction in Huangzhou, he would be easily targeted by Zuo Liangyu. If he wants to take over Daye's iron mine and start construction nearby, he will be hindered by Zuo Liangyu.
In his father's letters home, the hostile measures he had taken against Zuo Liangyu were clearly stated.
In this case, it is better to move ahead and try to compress it to the fourteenth year of Chongzhen to start dealing with Zhang Xianzhong. By the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, make a plan to let Zuo Liangyu restrain himself out of personal hatred when dealing with Zhang Xianzhong.
Historically, in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, Sun Chuanting was still able to kill the domineering general He Renlong. However, in history, Zuo Liangyu became completely arrogant and domineering. It was after the sixteenth year of Chongzhen's reign that the court was completely powerless.
If I could anger Zuo Liangyu in advance, make Zuo Liangyu angry and irritable, restrain his friendly forces in advance, and undermine the overall plan of suppressing thieves, would it be possible for Zuo Liangyu to enjoy the fate of He Renlong in history?
The biggest advantage of doing this is that it can prevent internal strife in the Ming army - according to Shen Shuren's original plan, when he wants to deal with and annex Zuo Liangyu in the future, a battle will definitely be inevitable. Both sides are officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, and whoever dies will be the winner. The consumption of force by the Han people was too uneconomical.
It would be great if Chongzhen could use his last imperial righteousness to deal with only the culprits and recruit Zuo Liangyu's army, and everyone would be happy.
However, the flaws and risks of this plan are also obvious - Shen Shuren had to take risks and bear a certain risk of "making enemies on two fronts".
It is also common sense for military strategists to avoid fighting on two fronts. If we break up with Zuo Liangyu before completing the final blow against Zhang Xianzhong in the future, it will mean that we will have to face Zhang Xianzhong and Zuo Liangyu at the same time for several months. The madness!
Will I be able to withstand it when the time comes?
After thinking about it, Shen Shuren felt that the risk was worth taking for the extra benefits.
The key is that even if he doesn't provoke Zuo Liangyu, Zuo Liangyu's hatred value is difficult to control. Instead of leaving a remote-controlled bomb with unknown hatred value, it is better to turn it into a time bomb with the fuse length shortened by oneself.
"After the New Year, when I go to Nanjing to go through the formalities, I have to inquire about Zuo Liangyu's relatives and friends in Nanjing, and I can grab some dirty information." Shen Shuren thought to himself and silently made a plan.
The ten-day Yangtze River cruise ended quickly. On the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, Shen Shuren's fleet successfully arrived at Liujiagang, Taicang, Suzhou.
From the time he went north to Beijing to take the exam after the Lantern Festival at the beginning of the year, to today when he returned to his hometown at the end of the twelfth lunar month, he felt that he was a bit like a worker in Beijing.
It's just that his performance as a North drifter was better. After eleven months and ten days, he was promoted from an eighth-rank official to a seventh-rank, sixth-rank, and fifth-rank official. He achieved meritorious service twice in one imperial examination. He was like a rocket.
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