Yes, Zhang Rui is ready to recruit bandit suppressors again.
Because he felt weak, he prepared to recruit more people, lay down more wasteland, and use the wasteland to attract more people under him to increase the possibility of further success for the rebellion.
Because a large number of blacksmiths have arrived in Foshan, there are currently 200 skilled blacksmiths gathered in Zhang Rui, and there are about a thousand apprentices following these blacksmiths.
These blacksmith masters are naturally very skilled in making ordinary cold weapons, but they don't know much about making muskets. But they don’t understand, Zhang Rui understands!
As a modern man (not counting sissies), how many of us don’t like guns? Anyone who knows about firearms will know the original barrel construction.
The black powder gun barrel does not have high material requirements. It is nothing more than finding a piece of wrought iron and wrapping it on a steel pipe, beating and welding it three times, and then processing it later. It's not difficult, it just takes some effort.
In fact, Zhang Rui also has better guns, such as flash cap breech-loading guns, Mini bullet rifled guns, etc. But he is not going to take it out now. After all, his strength is too low. If he takes it out, it will cause trouble for himself.
To build weapons, steel is indispensable. Currently, there is a lot of iron in Zhilian Mountain, but relatively little steel. As for steel, Zhang Rui also has a way to get it, but he really doesn't have the strength or energy to do it at the moment. Moreover, if these technologies were not fully protected and allowed to be obtained by the Qing Dynasty, they would actually become a boost to them.
Rather than weapons, Zhang Rui has always believed that the people who use weapons are the key. The war to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea proved this. Zhang Rui was not prepared to use these advanced weapons before he had the strength to protect himself, otherwise he would not be a help but would instead add strength to the opponent.
At present, Zhang Rui only asked these blacksmiths to give priority to making bayonets suitable for flintlock muskets, followed by knives, shields, flintlock muskets, and iron molds to be used to make light artillery.
At the same time, Zhang Rui recruited new people again.
After this recruitment, Zhang Rui's military strength increased a lot. Among them, there are 300 sword and shield soldiers, 300 spearmen, 1,200 musketeers, 100 scouts, 200 medical teams, etc., plus 200 members of each combat team.
Although the strong military strength increases the strength, it also brings huge economic pressure. Although the current monthly salary paid to the bandit suppression team members is low, they still consume a lot of supplies every day.
Fortunately, Zhang Rui brought back a lot of money and materials when he went out to fight bandits. Otherwise, after recruiting new soldiers this time, Zhang Rui would have to be nervous about money.
Even so, after the blacksmiths prepared all the weapons for the bandit suppressors, the recruits only received half a month of training and running-in. Zhang Rui was about to take the bandit suppression team to Yulin Zhili Prefecture to suppress the bandits.
After all, Zhang Rui didn't know how much time the Manchus could leave for themselves. No matter how well-trained the recruits were, it would be better to pull them out to fight. If even the bandits cannot be defeated with such sophisticated weapons, there is no need to talk about countering the Qing.
Yulin Zhili Prefecture is now Yulin City. In Zhang Rui's plan, as long as Yulin is opened, the North Sea can be directly connected, and Hainan Island can be captured based on the North Sea. At that time, we can take advantage of Hainan Island's superior geography, mineral resources, etc. to develop, and then gain enough wealth through maritime trade, and it will be much easier to fight against the Qing Dynasty later.
At present, the Qing Dynasty has not paid much attention to the Yulin Zhili Prefecture because it is remote and mountainous. At the same time, it has a vast territory and is sparsely populated. The Han people are the dominant minority and the people are mixed, so there are no chieftains.
The absence of toast would not have caused additional disturbance and would not have attracted the attention of the Manchu court. At the same time, Hainan Province during the Qianlong period was still a place of exile. There were not many people, so taking it quietly would not attract special attention.
As the saying goes. Man's calculation is not as good as God's calculation.
Zhang Rui himself didn't understand why he was targeted by Qianlong. Just when Zhang Rui was about to lead the bandit suppression team to Yulin Zhili Prefecture to suppress bandits, the spy Zhang Rui spent a lot of money to find in Wuzhou Prefecture some time ago handed him information.
He was surrounded and suppressed by Qianlong Yudian. Let him hide as far away as possible. At the same time, their contact would be severed, and he could no longer take risks.
"He was encircled and suppressed by Qianlong? Could it be that Qianlong has the ability to predict the future?"
Zhang Rui was stunned when he received the news. He really couldn't figure out how Qianlong knew about him and named him to encircle and suppress him.
When he first received the news, Zhang Rui thought he was being teased by the spy. As a result, Zhang Zhishan, the leader of the Musketeers, came over and told him about this not long after.
The encirclement and suppression troops are expected to gather in the next few days, Zhang Zhishan asked Zhang Rui to think of countermeasures as soon as possible. After all, Qianlong's imperial point was not only Zhang Rui himself, but also the entire bandit suppression team.
The development of the matter far deviated from Zhang Rui's purpose of "obscene development". Although I don't know why Qianlong knew about him and wanted to surround him. But when everything is like this, only the soldiers can come to cover up the water and the earth.
…
Wuzhou Prefecture, Green Camp Garrison.
"The Governor of Guangzhou Prefecture ordered Feng Jiubao, the green camp garrison stationed in Wuzhou Prefecture: There are rebels like Zhang Rui and others, who ignore the laws of the court and are encircled and suppressed by the Holy Spirit. The green camp soldiers stationed in Wuzhou Prefecture must not act rashly this time to arouse the enemy. Quiet. Wait until the full garrison in Guangzhou and the green battalion of the Governor of Guangzhou Prefecture arrive to wipe out Zhang Rui and others."
After receiving the order, Feng Jiubao, who was stationed at the Green Camp in Wuzhou Prefecture, was a little confused and could not understand the order. So he privately asked the person who came to give the order, and then he understood.
It turned out that the Guangzhou Garrison Man Camp and the Green Camp in Guangzhou Prefecture thought that Zhang Rui and the others only had more than thirty people. They were afraid that they and others would receive the news in advance, so they issued the order in advance. In order to save the Green Camp stationed in Wuzhou from encircling Zhang Rui and others alone, there was no credit to be given to them, so they used the power of their superiors to make the Green Camp soldiers in Wuzhou sit back and watch, and were not allowed to follow suit.
Originally, Feng Jiubao thought that doing more was better than doing less, so he just followed orders and acted. But it seems that the Guangzhou side is planning to slaughter all the people in the nearby villages in exchange for military honors. After all, they have done a lot of this.
Many of Feng Jiubao's soldiers were from nearby villages. If he really kept silent and quietly let people from Guangzhou come and slaughter the relatives of his soldiers, then he would not be able to lead any more troops in the future. . So he had to quietly tell several of his subordinates, Qian Zong, and let them leave quietly with their relatives.
At the same time, Feng Jiubao also sent his confidants to remind Zhang Rui. After all, Zhang Rui is capable and interesting. Although betraying military information involves a huge risk, Zhang Rui will definitely know it with his ability, and maybe he will know it in advance. As long as his people are careful, there is no risk. At most, it's just a favor.
Zhang Rui had given him several thousand taels of silver in the past two months, and said he would give him 500 acres of land when the land was cleared. In the past, no one would be willing to defend his face. If he didn't know why he was ordered by Qianlong, he would have to give him a hand no matter what.
"Want to take credit? I'm afraid you don't have such a good appetite."
Feng Jiubao, who had witnessed Zhang Rui's bandit suppression team, looked at the military order in his hand and said
Feng Jiubao believed that as long as Zhang Rui did not raise the flag of rebellion, he could carry out these waves of troops to encircle and suppress them. In the end, things will end with the imperial court's order. After all, the current imperial court is not so peaceful, and Zhang Rui will also become a powerful or chieftain.
