From the cold spring to the blooming flowers, Yang Anxuan spent nearly two months touring the county.
Seeing the green fields, flat roads, and smiles on the farmers' faces, Yang Anxuan's heart was filled with joy. This vibrant land was changed because of him.
The last stop is Xiping County. Xiping is in the northwest of Runan County and produces iron ore. It has been a famous sword-making place since ancient times. This is one of the most important purposes of Yang Anxuan's trip.
Yang Anxuan remembers records in historical books: There is Yelu City and Tangxi Village in Xiping. The swords are tempered by water and are extremely sharp. They are where the general Mo Xie came from, so they are also called Chuan.
The iron smelting industry was mainly government-run during the Han Dynasty. The government controlled all aspects of iron ore mining, steel smelting, iron casting and sales. After Yongjia moved south, the court was unable to control the salt and iron industry, and the salt and iron industry became privately owned.
Xiping was captured by Later Zhao in the second year of Daxing in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (319), belonged to the former Yan in the seventh year of Yonghe (351), returned to the former Qin in the fifth year of Taihe (370), and returned to the Eastern Jin after the Battle of Feishui.
The war was fought with money and food. With money and food, we can implement good governance and win the support of the people. Yang Anxuan vigorously provided disaster relief, absorbed refugees, manufactured Yang Jiali, etc., all of which were laying a solid foundation.
Next is the baggage, including weapons, armor, and horses. Runan's territory is not vast and its financial resources are limited, so it can only take the specialized route.
At the beginning of this year, Yang Anxuan asked Zhao Tian and Yin Ji to recruit troops, eliminated most of the original county soldiers, and recruited more than 500 new soldiers. The current number of Runan County troops is 1,876.
The number has decreased, but the treatment has increased. More than 1,800 county soldiers were fed three meals a day, and less than 2,000 people ate the wages of 3,000 people.
Because there were 500 war horses, Yang Anxuan requisitioned a pasture in the north of the city to raise war horses. In order to maintain the physical strength of the war horse, it must be carefully raised. The consumption of one war horse can be equivalent to the use of ten people. Every time Yang Anxuan saw the soldiers galloping on horseback, he felt both joy and heartache.
In order to improve the physique of the soldiers, Yang Anxuan asked Zhao Tian to have meat, poultry, eggs and other food supplies every other day. Not to mention the newly recruited soldiers, even the original tribes of Pei and Yan had never enjoyed such treatment.
Corn was the military ration provided by the imperial court, but meat, poultry and other items had to be paid for by Yang Anxuan. The original purchase of grain had already emptied his pocket. Fortunately, Yang Li learned that he was short of money and asked Chen Yu to bring him the dividends of the past two years, two hundred gold. Two taels of gold, plus the hundred taels of gold sent by Shulan Yuan, temporarily relieved Yang Anxuan's dilemma.
The King of Kuaiji attached great importance to Runan's soldiers and horses, and ordered the Fifth Military Department to provide sufficient supplies, such as tents, leather armor, swords, guns, arrows, etc. The equipment was barely enough, but most of them were old things. It was okay for daily practice and really useful. Fighting on the battlefield may cost the lives of soldiers.
Changing clothes and weapons has become a priority for Yang Anxuan. Sometimes he really wants to gamble again, and win a thousand taels of gold and all the problems will be solved.
Xiping has been a place for producing sharp soldiers since ancient times. Xiping provided the weapons for the county troops. Yang Anxuan was ready to see if there was any chance to find some sharp weapons for his subordinates. It would be good if he could gradually change the weapons.
Because of the existence of iron ore, the iron smelting industry in Xiping County is very developed, and its tax revenue ranks among the top three among the fifteen counties in Runan. The county magistrate is a good vacancy.
Ye Yuan, the magistrate of Xiping County, was a little frightened when he learned that Master Yang was coming. During this time, Master Yang inspected the place, and many people were punished by Master Yang. Many people were fined and whipped. The officialdom in Runan was in turmoil. Hearing Yang's expression changed.
Compared with the panic in the officialdom, ordinary people talk about Chief Yang's punishment of corruption. The talk in the streets is about who lost his official position and who was whipped. Chief Yang is a well-deserved good official in the hearts of the people.
Ye Yuan did not tamper with the relief grains, but he knew that officials in the government were bound to be corrupt. He didn't know who would be unlucky this time, so he must not implicate himself.
In the courtroom, Yang Anxuan asked a few questions about the disaster relief situation in Xiping County. Ye Yuan was well prepared, and the damage was not serious. A series of figures were reported, and Yang Anxuan nodded with satisfaction.
Ye Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and learned that Chief Yang wanted to visit Tangxi Iron Station, so he happily accompanied him there.
Tangxi is located in the southwest mountainous area of Xiping and is rich in iron ore resources. Yang Anxuan read a report in his previous life. The reason why Tangxi can produce magic soldiers like General Mo Xie is because the water in Tangxi contains special trace elements, which are very effective in heat treatment and can harden swords. Extra sharp.
A few miles away, thick smoke could be seen billowing, the air was mixed with dust, making it difficult to breathe, and the leaves beside the road were covered with a layer of ash, half dead.
"There is an iron smelting shop in Tangxi.
The two families of Zhou and Ying were the largest. "Ye Yuan rode a horse and rode side by side with Yang Anxuan. The road to the mining area was paved with slag, which was smooth and solid.
Yang Anxuan secretly sighed in his heart. Since Emperor He of the Han Dynasty came to the throne in the second year of Zhanghe (88 years), the court announced the lifting of the ban on salt and iron. The iron smelting industry in various places has gradually been monopolized by the powerful nobles. The Tangxi Iron Smelting was also privately owned by the powerful nobles. Iron smelting is a profitable business, and the Zhou family and the Ying family are the top families in Runan, so they will not let them go.
Iron smelting began to rise in the Qin Dynasty. By the early Western Han Dynasty, a large number of iron weapons appeared. Bronze weapons gradually decreased, and agricultural tools such as iron plows and iron sickles also appeared. After the Three Kingdoms period, iron weapons became fully popular in daily life. .
First, we went to the Zhou Family Iron Shop. Zhou Hong, the steward of the Zhou Family, was the younger brother of the family head Zhou Wei. He was lukewarm to the arrival of Yang Anxuan and Ye Yuan. Yang Anxuan was secretly thinking that it seemed that the Zhou family relied on their family background and virtue.
The Zhou family's iron industry is second to none in Tangxi, occupying 40% of the share, while the Ying family only has 25%, and the remaining share is divided among sixteen iron shops, large and small.
Yang Anxuan wanted to see how the Zhou family smelted iron, but Zhou Hong refused, saying that this was a Zhou family secret and could not be shown to outsiders. Yang Anxuan looked at the spear points, machetes, iron sickles and other objects smelted by the Zhou family, and tried the blades, which were good.
Seeing Yang Anxuan nodding, Zhou Hong winked at Ye Yuan, and Ye Yuan smiled and said: "The ironware made by the Zhou family is the best in Tangxi, and the quantity is also large. The county army purchases a batch every year."
The county army purchased large quantities and high prices. The Zhou family fed the former Sima Xu Yan, and the weapons they produced were easy to sell. Now Xu Yan has become Yang Anxuan and needs to be reorganized.
When Yang Anxuan provided disaster relief, the Zhou family only donated 300 shi of corn. Later, when he heard that the Nandun Ying family had donated two warehouses of grain and 4,000 shi, Zhou Wei was a little uneasy. Soon after, the county magistrate Meng He was taken to Xinjiang by Yang Anxuan for corruption. Xicheng.
Seeing Yang Anxuan's sharp methods, Zhou An deeply regretted his original decision. The county magistrate Ma Cong was temporarily appointed as the county magistrate and visited Zhoujiawu. Zhou Wei took the opportunity to propose donating another 500 shi of grain to the county in order to ease the relationship.
Yang Anxuan was noncommittal, and Zhou Hong ordered someone to bring a sword and said with a smile: "This Liquan sword is made with hundreds of practices and can cut iron as well as mud. I heard that Master Yang is a brave general on the battlefield, so he gave it to the general as a sword is given to heroes." .”
Yang Anxuan had been admiring the legend of General Mo Xie for a long time. He happily took the sword and took out the sheath to watch.
The blade of the sword is bright and has faint patterns, which must have been forged repeatedly. Yang Anxuan raised his sword and waved it. The sword weighed about two kilograms, was of moderate thickness, had a straight spine and a sharp edge.
There is an official script inscription on the sword: In June of the 20th year of Taiyuan, the Zhou family made a hundred refinings to create good fortune for their descendants.
Yang Anxuan knew that good swords that were repeatedly refined like this would usually leave inscriptions. Pay attention to the number of times they were refined. The more times they were refined, the better the quality of the sword.
"Good sword." Yang Anxuan held two sword flowers, sheathed the sword, handed it to him and told Zhang Feng to put it away.
Seeing Yang Anxuan put away his sword, Zhou Hong looked happy and took the opportunity to say: "Yang Sima, according to the custom, the county soldiers will replace a batch of weapons every June. I wonder what the rules are this year?"
Yang Anxuan said with a smile: "I came here this time to find out about the situation of Tangxi Iron Furnace and do some comparison shopping."
Military procurement is a big deal, and Yang Anxuan cannot be moved by just a sword.
Zhou Hong knew from Yang Anxuan's tone that this year's arms purchase situation was not good. He couldn't tell the private benefits in front of Magistrate Ye and others, so he had to laugh dryly and said: "That's right. But it's not Zhou's boast. Tangxi's swords and guns are as good as those of the Zhou family." The quality is the best, Master Yang might as well inquire before making a decision."
Yang Anxuan got up and followed Magistrate Ye to the Ying family iron furnace. The Ying family iron furnace shop was on the other side of the mountain. After receiving the news, Ying Hao, the steward, stood outside the shop door to greet him early.
Seeing Yang Anxuan and Ying Hao chatting and laughing with cordial attitudes, Ye Yuan sighed inwardly. It seemed that Master Yang had a grudge against the Zhou family. It would be difficult for the Zhou family to win this year's arms purchase.
After returning from Ancheng and Nandun to collect grain, Yang Anxuan asked the government to announce the results of the grain collection. The Ying family's donation of 4,000 dan topped the list, and the people praised the Ying family's righteous deeds.
In comparison, the Zhou family's 300 shi seemed inconspicuous and was looked down upon by the people. Even if Zhou Wei later donated 500 shi, the bad impression had already been left and it would be difficult to recover.
Ying Hao took Yang Anxuan around the mine without any care. Standing on a high place, he pointed around several miles and introduced: "The Ying family has
There are twelve iron-making furnaces, one furnace and one forge each, five iron pits, two ore pits, and one batching pool. Master Yang, there is a row of houses where casting molds and various iron tools produced are stored. "
Yang Anxuan asked with great interest: "How many craftsmen are there in the Ying Family Iron Furnace? How many refined iron can it produce in a year, how many weapons can it forge, and how many iron tools can it produce?"
Ying Hao responded: "There are more than three hundred craftsmen in the iron furnace. They can produce a thousand kilograms of fine iron every month. They can forge about two to three hundred swords a year. A small amount of them are made into ironware. Most of the fine iron is sold to the blacksmith shop."
Yang Anxuan nodded. Making knives, swords and other weapons requires repeated tempering, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. History books once recorded that Cao Cao ordered his chief to make five swords, which took three years. The sword like the one given to him by Zhou Hong probably took less than a year or two. It cannot be made.
I went to the warehouse where Ying's weapons were stored and took a look. The knives and guns were of average quality and had been cast about thirty times at most. If they came into contact with the sword Zhou Hong had just given me, they would probably be broken.
Yang Anxuan asked: "Have the Ying family's swords and guns been sold to the county?"
Ying Hao's heart moved. The replacement of swords and guns in the county has always been controlled by the Zhou family. Yang Sima asked if he wanted to switch to the Ying family for supply.
Most of the swords sold on the market are made in the 30s, and the swords and guns of the county army are also of this quality. The price of ordinary swords sold in the market is about 3,000 yen, while the government purchase price is 5,000 yen. The county army replaces about 200 swords and guns every year, which is one million yen. After excluding the cost of 300,000 yen and taxes, 50,000 yuan, more than 100,000 yuan for various management, still nearly half of the net profit.
Ying Hao was very excited. If he could win the deal to exchange weapons for the county army, the Ying family could buy more mines and hire more manpower to fight against the Zhou family.
Yang Anxuan ignored Ying Hao's eager eyes and said with a smile: "I just came from the Zhou family, and I told you the same thing, shop around, and the one with the best sex will get it."
Ying Hao was a little discouraged. Frankly speaking, the quality and craftsmanship of the Ying family's swords and guns were not as good as those of the Zhou family. Apart from lowering the price, they couldn't compete with the Zhou family.
After walking around, Zhou Hong came to invite him and prepared a banquet to welcome Yang Anxuan.
The shopkeepers and stewards of Tangxi Iron Stove Shop heard that Yang Sima was interested in changing the person who provided the ordnance this year, so they all came to the door, and the restaurant was packed with people.
Zhou Hong forced a smile. These opponents clearly wanted to steal food from the Zhou family's bowl. How dare they be so bold in the past. He probably believed the rumors and thought that the clan brother had offended Yang Anxuan, so he dared to act recklessly.
Zhou Hong secretly gritted his teeth, and when his hands slowed down, he would crush all these ungrateful things to death. .
At the banquet, Yang Anxuan reiterated what he had said, "Compare your options, and the one with the best sex will get it."
This made Zhou Hong's face look much better, and he glanced at everyone with pride. In terms of the quality of the swords and guns, who among the iron furnace shops here could compare with his own.
"Today is April 22nd, and it will be May 25th at the East Campus of Xinxi City. Anyone who is interested in bidding for the county army's ordnance can bring ten of their own weapons to participate." Yang Anxuan said with a genuine smile.
"Yang Sima, the sharpness of this sword will be different depending on the number of times it is forged. How to compare?" someone asked.
Yang Anxuan put down his wine glass and said: "According to the previous pricing, I don't care how many times the sword you bring has been forged. I only require that the quality of what you provide is guaranteed. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."
During the banquet, everyone was happy and worried, thinking about what kind of sword and gun they should use to participate in the bidding.
Zhou Hong's face darkened again. As a result, the weapons he sent for bidding were 30% better than those from before, and the profit was much thinner.
He glanced at Yang Anxuan who was chatting and laughing with Ying Hao. In this case, money for the government would be saved.
Chapter 192 Tangxi Asks Tie
