Nie Dong nodded thoughtfully, and then asked: "County Magistrate, when will we start an incident?"
Previously, Han Zhen's ambitions were not revealed, everything was just his own speculation.
At this moment, after he said it himself, the last trace of doubt in Nie Dong's heart disappeared.
Unlike Liu Qi, he was a deserter. What else could he lose for a man like mud?
Deserters are even worse than those in the mountains. Although both are black households, deserters have tattoos on their faces. No matter where they flee, others will know at a glance.
Unable to enter the city and unable to work, they could only open up wasteland and farm in the mountains, or become bandits.
It’s better to gamble once.
If he wins the bet, he will be given the title of wife and son, and the general will be appointed prime minister.
Even if you lose the bet, your visit to the world is not in vain.
Thinking of this, he continued: "Now the Xiang and Jin armies are rotten and cannot bear a battle. Our Qingzhou army is strong and powerful, and now we have a magical weapon in our hands. If we raise an army, the general will dare to use his head as a guarantee. It does not take three days." In a few months, it will be able to sweep across the eight prefectures and thirty-seven counties in Jingdong. By then, it will become the king of Shandong, and then we will slowly make plans for it."
Nie Dong became more and more excited as he spoke, and his dark face turned red.
Han Zhen shook his head and laughed, patted his shoulder and advised: "Those who achieve great things should guard against arrogance and impetuosity."
"Excuse me, county magistrate, but this is the last general Meng Lang."
Feeling the heavy strength on his shoulders, Nie Dong felt a chill in his heart and hurriedly clasped his fists.
Withdrawing his hand, Han Zhen said seriously: "You are right. With the current combat power of our Qingzhou Army and the strength of firearms, it is not difficult to capture Shandong. Zhao Ting and Liu Mi have been paralyzed and are cooperating with the spies in the county. , Yidu can be captured in an instant. Then integrate the Zhenhai and Wuwei armies, select the best and strongest troops to join the army, then capture Linqu, and get the horse supervisors and war horses from all four places."
"By then, our Qingzhou Army will have tens of thousands of infantry and five thousand cavalry. The four prefectures of Wei, Mi, Lai, and Deng will all be in our pocket."
Nie Dong felt excited when he heard that, but then he looked puzzled and asked: "Then... why do you have to wait?"
Han Zhen didn't answer but asked: "Tell me, after we conquer these five states and thirty-one counties, who will help me take care of them? Is it you or the rough guys in the army who can't read all the words? The powerful people in various states and counties. How should the big players deal with it?”
"this……"
Nie Dong was immediately speechless.
Only then did he suddenly understand that there were so many ways and considerations for rebellion.
Looking at Zhang Wanxian, Gao Tuoshan and others from this perspective, Nie Dong only felt that they were a bunch of idiots.
Han Zhen continued: "Putting all this aside, there are more than 100,000 Western troops in Hebei. Now Zhang Di has been wiped out, and the remaining troops have fled to the East and West Road of Beijing. It is difficult to support a single tree on Gaotuo Mountain, and it won't last long even if you think about it. Once you free up your hands, , the Western Army will definitely move south to Shandong. Once attacked from two sides, our situation will take a turn for the worse and we will be in danger of destruction at any time."
"What do you think the county magistrate has to say?"
Nie Dong asked respectfully.
"wait!"
Han Zhen's eyes were firm and he said: "Wait for the firearms to be stocked up, wait for the ordnance to be ready, wait for the soldiers to drill, wait for the grain and grass to be full. I want to be the king of Chuzhuang. If I don't make a sound, I will be a blockbuster. The day when the Western Army goes south, that's when we will start. At this time, the first battle will be the decisive battle, and the outcome will be decided in one battle!"
"As long as the Western Army is defeated head-on, the thirty-seven counties in the eight prefectures of Beijing will surely tremble in fear. With the power of victory, who will dare to take the lead?"
The Western Army was the last trump card and support of the Song Dynasty courtiers. Only by defeating the Western Army in an upright manner could Song Huizong and all the courtiers recognize the reality and lower their heads.
It's a pity that Fang La lost in the last step.
Not to mention that he can defeat the Western Army, but if he can slightly block the pace of the Western Army, the defeat will not be so fast. It only takes two or three years. I am afraid that Song Huizong will be anxious by then.
Han Zhen learned from Fang La's lesson and formulated a strategic policy from difficult to easy.
If you rashly raise troops, those states and counties will definitely defend them to the death. With the high city and thick pool, it will take a lot of effort to capture them one by one.
After the key was taken, he turned his head and still had to encounter the Western Army head-on.
Instead of doing this, it is better to continue to lie dormant, defeat the Western Army in full strength first, and gnaw the hardest bone.
At that time, it will be countless times easier to take over the Shandong states with the power of defeating the Western Army.
Hearing this, Nie Dong couldn't help but his eyes lit up, and he said with admiration: "Good wishes, County Magistrate!"
Han Zhen warned: "Drill your soldiers well during this period. Whether you can succeed or not depends on this battle!"
"Don't worry, county magistrate, we will go all out in the end!"
Nie Dong made a fist with one hand and hit it hard on his heart, making a dull sound.
After that, he asked: "County Magistrate, now that Liu Qi has passed away, what will happen to the position of commander of the cavalry battalion?"
As Luo Sha continued to transport horses during this period, the number of cavalry battalions now reached 500.
These five hundred people were all elites selected from more than three thousand infantry.
It does not mean that there are as many cavalry as there are horses.
The heavy armored cavalry carries a heavy load. A cavalryman alone weighs one hundred and fifty kilograms, and the heavy armor weighs more than fifty kilograms. Plus weapons, bows and crossbows and other weights, it already weighs more than two hundred kilograms.
In addition, the war horses are also covered with iron armor. As a result, a war horse can carry a load of up to 300 kilograms.
Even Jingdong Ma, who is famous for its endurance, cannot sustain such a high load for a long period of time.
Therefore, Han Zhen adopted the strategy of riding one horse and four horses.
That is, two war horses, a pack horse, and a walking horse.
Pack horses and walking horses are used for carrying loads and riding during marches, and two war horses are used in turns for combat. This ensures the durability of the cavalry on the battlefield.
Having one person and four horses is not an exaggeration. When the Jingsai Cavalry was at its peak, it was one person and five horses, and these five horses were all high-quality war horses.
The cavalry was built with money.
No money?
Then we can only engage in infantry.
After all, how much does the ordnance required by an infantry cost?
Even for infantry armor, the manufacturing cost is only around 50 guan, plus other weapons, the maximum cost is 70 guan.
But the cavalry is different. Putting aside everything else, just four horses are worth more than 300 swords.
Moreover, raising these war horses also costs a lot of money.
Han Zhen ordered: "I will take over the position of battalion commander for now. He will be back soon."
"Got the order!"
Nie Dong cupped his fists and said.
Han Zhen thought for a while and ordered: "A letter came from Yidu County, saying that another 300 war horses will arrive today, plus a hundred pairs of infantry armor, and the army will be expanded by 1,000 tomorrow!"
The cavalry battalion was previously formed, and 500 elite troops had been transferred from the infantry battalion, and they had not had time to replenish them.
Now that another 300 war horses have been delivered, it's time to expand the army again.
Hearing Bu Renjia, Nie Dong looked happy: "This Luo Sha really has some tricks. It would be even better if he could get another batch of divine arm crossbows."
"Take your time, it will happen!"
Han Zhen smiled slightly, put on the heavy armor for testing, and walked towards the military camp.
Heavy armor is in short supply now, so we can't waste it.
This heavy armor was only punctured in a few places by caltrops, and was sent to the official workshop for a little repair. It could still be used after replacing some armor leaves.
Carrying the heavy armor, Han Zhen mounted his war horse and returned to the county town.
Linzi County is very busy now, with caravans coming in and out and people rubbing shoulders on the streets.
It is quite reminiscent of the past, recreating the grand scene of the capital of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
This is one of the dividends brought by the pillar industry.
With a large floating population, business will naturally flourish.
A caravan can range from dozens to hundreds of people. These caravans transport goods to Linzi County and cannot leave immediately. They have to rest for a day or two.
You have to stay in a hotel to eat for the next two days, right?
Do cattle, horses and livestock need fodder?
We have to have some fun in Washizi?
These can boost the local economy.
…
Han Zhen did not go to the official workshop first, but went straight back to the county office.
There are now more than 200 scribes and tax collectors in Bo Hall. The office space is not enough, so several houses have been expanded.
To be honest, Linzi County, as a middle county, has a population of only 30,000 to 50,000, so there is no need for so many subordinate staff.
Even in Wangxian County, which is adjacent to Gyeonggi Province, there are only a few dozen scribes and tax collectors.
There are more than two hundred subordinate staff, and the monthly salary expenditure alone is a huge expense.
The subordinate officials didn't understand this, but Changzhi County felt like it was a mirror.
The reason why so many scholars are called upon to serve as subordinate officials is because they have promised that they can become officials in the future.
But in Linzi County, including the chief registrar and the county magistrate, there are only two official positions vacant, which is not enough.
These subordinate officials are all reserve personnel for future officials from various states and counties on Jingdong Road.
Han Zhen said he had to wait, not only for the army, but also for these subordinate officials.
After the uprising, every time a prefecture or county is conquered, a subordinate with outstanding performance can be promoted to an official and go to manage it.
This move can not only rectify the subordinate officials, but also attract the unwilling scholars to take refuge. It also solves the management problems of the lower states and counties in the future.
Kill three birds with one stone!
Don’t think that subordinate officials are inferior to officials. In fact, subordinate officials have more advantages than officials in terms of grassroots governance, because subordinate officials have climbed up from the bottom step by step. It is clear how disaster relief is carried out.
On the contrary, those officials have studied hard for more than ten years. Once they were admitted to the Jinshi, they were then sent to manage tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people in a state or county. They had no experience at all. They still had to rely on their subordinates to govern the states and counties. The subordinate staff.
As usual, Xunhong Police inquired about the situation in the county, and Han Zhen started planning a gunpowder workshop.
The secret recipe of gunpowder is more important than refined salt.
Therefore, confidentiality should be given priority, followed by production efficiency.
Unlike the salt factory, he planned to dismantle the entire gunpowder workshop into three.
Build a nitrate-making factory in Xiaodong Village and a sulfur-making factory in Yangzhuang.
These two workshops are only responsible for purifying saltpeter and sulfur, and do not care about anything else.
After purification, they were uniformly transported to the gunpowder workshop set up deep in the military camp.
The gunpowder workshop in the military camp was once again split into three separate workshops: preparation, granulation and filling.
The blending workshop is only responsible for weighing and blending the three materials in proportion.
The prepared gunpowder is transported to the granulation workshop, where the powdered gunpowder is made into granular gunpowder, and finally sent to the filling workshop to be made into a complete firearm.
In this way, confidentiality can be improved while ensuring the efficiency of assembly line operations.
This is the best way Han Zhen can think of to keep it secret without affecting production efficiency.
If you want to get the complete gunpowder formula, you must go through all five workshops: nitrate making, sulfur making, and the three workshops in the military camp.
If one of these procedures is missing, the effectiveness of the imitation explosive will be greatly reduced.
After writing the plan, Han Zhen ordered Craftsman Yuan to be summoned.
Not long after, Craftsman Yuan hurried over, sweating profusely: "I wonder what the county magistrate's order is for me?"
"Just take a look."
Han Zhen handed over the planning book in his hand.
After taking it, Craftsman Yuan lowered his head and looked at it carefully.
After reading it, he wondered: "County magistrate, why don't you integrate the three workshops together? This way, you can save a lot of money during construction."
Han Zhen waved his hand and said: "You don't need to worry about this matter. You only need to tell me how many days it will take to complete it."
Craftsman Yuan thought about it in his mind and said: "It will be completed in about ten days."
Ten days?
Han Zhen shook his head and said in a dissatisfied tone: "It's too slow. Can it be faster?"
Craftsman Yuan replied: "Yes, it can be done. If we recruit more workers like we did when we built the military camp before, it will only take three to five days."
"Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. Once it's done, your reward will be indispensable."
"The county magistrate is relieved."
Craftsman Yuan assured.
Nowadays, they, the craftsmen of the government-run workshops, are the most loyal to Han Zhen.
The previous Chief Xu was an official appointed by the imperial court. As a result, craftsmen like them couldn't even eat.
Most of the craftsmen in the government-run workshops could not survive and became fugitives in the mountains.
Since Han Zhen took over Linzi County, the status of these craftsmen has increased, their monthly salary has also increased, and they have received rewards from time to time, and their lives have been extremely prosperous.
Now, Craftsman Yuan couldn't bear to hear the word "rebel".
Anyone who dares to mention that Han Zhen is a traitor in front of him will be treated like a fool.
"If the county magistrate has nothing to do, I will go on errands."
Craftsman Yuan was about to leave, but was stopped by Han Zhen.
"etc."
Hearing this, Craftsman Yuan paused and waited for Han Zhen's next words.
"Did many people from the government-run workshops flee to the mountains?"
"It's true."
Craftsman Yuan nodded and replied: "There were more than 230 people in the official workshop in the past, but now there are only 146 people left."
Han Zhen tapped his fingers lightly on the table and muttered: "You have been working hard these days. After building the workshop, help me select ten craftsmen. The craftsmanship is second. You must be honest and honest. It is best to have children at home." female."
"I understand."
This strange request made Craftsman Yuan confused, but he was sensible enough not to ask.
"Just go."
Han Zhen waved his hand.
After Craftsman Yuan left, Han Zhen sat for a while, then stood up and walked to the county government hall.
As soon as he went out, he met Chang Zhixian who was coming back from outside.
I saw that he was wearing a bamboo hat, rolled up his trouser legs, and his feet were covered with mud. He looked very much like an old farmer.
Han Zhen asked curiously: "Is Changzhi County going to the fields?"
Taking off his bamboo hat, lifting up his sleeves and wiping the sweat from his face, Chang Zhixian replied: "I went to inspect the ditch."
After summer, there has been a severe drought.
In order to preserve the corn harvest in late autumn, Changzhi County summoned the people early in the morning to dig canals and plan to divert a tributary from Mianshui River.
Han Zhen asked with concern: "How is the canal repair going?"
"Most of the digging has been done, and it will be over in a few days. After the construction is completed, it will be convenient for the villages of Yangzhuang and Zaocun to obtain water."
Chang Zhixian looked pleased and felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.
(End of chapter)
