"I've met the boss." Zheng Chao took a few steps forward and saluted Liu Heng as he walked to the end of the field.
The guards around Liu Heng separated the surrounding farmers, leaving space for Liu Heng and Zheng Chao to have private conversations.
"Did you just come back from the grassland?" Liu Heng asked.
Zheng Chao said respectfully: "If we go back to the boss, our Tiger Flag convoy just returned to Xujiazhuang. When my subordinates met Zhao Weiwei, they came here with him to meet the boss."
Liu Heng nodded, and then said: "Is this trip to the grassland going well?"
"It didn't go well." Zheng Chao said in a deep voice: "After robbing the Fan family's goods, the convoy encountered horse bandits on its way back. After a hard fight, although the horse bandits were repelled, the horse team lost more than twenty people. Riders, several of Captain Zhang Hong’s soldiers were also injured.”
Liu Heng was heartbroken when he heard that more than 20 riders had been lost.
Every rider of their tiger-character flag is very rare. Unlike the people on the grassland, they can ride horses since they were young and are natural cavalry.
However, he knew that the Tiger Flag's cavalry would have to go through this step sooner or later if they were to grow up. He believed that after this incident, the cavalry would definitely undergo radical changes, and the battlefield was the best teacher.
"I wonder why the master called his subordinates down?" Zheng Chao asked, bowing.
"Don't be so nervous." Liu Heng reassured, and then said, "You and your brothers used to be seafarers. Do you know about sweet potatoes and potatoes?"
"Subordinate Fanshu knows. As for potatoes..." Zheng Chao said thoughtfully, "I have never heard of potatoes."
"It shouldn't be!" Liu Heng frowned. Potatoes should have been introduced to the Ming Dynasty by this time.
Zheng Chao said: "Master, can you tell me in detail what that potato looks like? Maybe my subordinates have seen it, but I don't know the name."
Liu Heng stretched out his hands and made a ball shape, and said: "Potatoes are smaller than sweet potatoes, and they also grow in the soil. One seedling can produce many potatoes of this size, which can be steamed and eaten as food."
Zheng Chao frowned, thought for a while, and said: "From the description of the boss, it's a bit like the Dutch potatoes that red-haired ghosts often eat."
Liu Heng was stunned.
He only knows that potatoes are called potato, yam egg, and potato. As for Dutch potatoes, he has never heard of this name.
However, he wouldn't be surprised if potatoes were really called Dutch potatoes. The Ming Dynasty was so big, and potatoes were introduced to the Ming Dynasty through the Westerners, so he didn't necessarily need to know the name.
"Then can you get Dutch potatoes and sweet potatoes?" Liu Heng asked.
Zheng Chao nodded and said, "In Fujian, south of the Ming Dynasty, people grow sweet potatoes and Dutch potatoes. It's not too unusual."
Liu Heng said: "If I ask you to go to Fujian, can you guarantee that you will bring these two things back to Lingqiu for planting?"
"Yes." Zheng Chao nodded solemnly and said, "My subordinates will take a boat from Tianjin Wei to Fujian. It will take at most three months to bring these two things back."
"I'll give you half a year." Liu Heng said in a deep voice, "Not only do I want to bring back sweet potatoes and Dutch potatoes, I also want to build a gunner. Can I do it?"
"Cannon maker?" Zheng Chao was stunned for a moment, and then said, "Hou Dafu has been building artillery in our weapons bureau. Not only the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Folan Cannon, he can also cast the General Cannon and the Second General Cannon. .”
"No, it's not these kinds of guns." Liu Heng said, "You have been to the sea before, and you should have heard of the four-pound guns, six-pound guns, and nine-pound guns used by the red-haired ghosts. This kind of field gun is suitable for field operations. "
Zheng Chao lowered his head and was speechless for a moment.
"Having trouble?" Liu Heng asked.
Zheng Chao hesitated for a moment and said: "The way the boss mentioned that the level of artillery is determined by the weight of the cannon is the name of the red-haired ghost. I do know that there is a place where this kind of artillery can be made."
"Where?" Liu Heng's eyes became eager.
"Macau." Zheng Chao said, "The red-haired barbarians have a gun factory in Macau, and the artillerymen there can cast field cannons like the one you mentioned."
Liu Heng asked: "Can the gunner from that artillery factory be invited to our Lingqiu?"
"It's difficult." Zheng Chao shook his head slightly.
Liu Heng said: "In silver! It's not that the red-haired ghosts like gold and silver. I can give them more wages, as long as they are willing to come to Lingqiu and cast cannons for our tiger flag."
Zheng Chao thought for a moment and said, "There must be a way to get the gunners from the artillery factory."
"What can we do?" Liu Heng asked.
"Tie people here." Zheng Chao said, "As long as we tie people on the boat and get them to Lingqiu, then even if the other party is unwilling, they must obediently build cannons for our Tiger Flag."
"As long as you can get people here, just tell me how much money you need, and I'll ask Deputy Director Li to prepare it for you." Liu Heng agreed without thinking.
He didn't believe it. After tying people to Lingqiu, the red-haired barbarian could not obediently build cannons for the Tiger Flag.
Zheng Chao said: "It's best to find someone who runs the sea to do this. They have a lot of money in the south. We only need to pay the money after the completion."
"Bring back two cannon makers and give you 20,000 taels, is that enough?" Liu Heng held out two fingers.
Zheng Chao nodded and said, "That's enough. Ten thousand taels is about the same."
Liu Heng said solemnly: "I will leave this matter to you, and I will give you 20,000 taels of silver. I only need two artillery builders who can make field artillery like Taixi to come to Lingqiu."
"Don't worry, Boss, my subordinates have some connections among the people running to the south, so this matter will be handled properly." Zheng Chao assured.
Liu Heng nodded, and then said with a smile: "You just came back from the grassland, and it was quite hard along the way. Go back and rest for a few days, and I will arrange for someone to take you to the boat later."
"Yes." Zheng Chao puffed up his chest and crossed his right arm across his chest.
………………
Back in Xujiazhuang, Zhao Yutu, Ma Yunjiu, and Zhang Hong were already waiting in the meeting hall.
"The boss!"
When the three people saw Liu Heng coming in, they all stood up.
"Sit down, you have worked hard along the way." Liu Heng pressed his hands to indicate for them to sit down.
Liu Heng walked to the innermost seat of the long table and sat down, and said, "Tell me about your trip to the grassland. I heard that you encountered some trouble."
"My subordinates are incompetent and have lost twenty-seven riders. Please punish me." Ma Yunjiu stood up and lowered his head.
"I know, but it's not your fault." Liu Heng comforted, "You can lead more than a hundred riders to repel hundreds of horse bandits, and kill more than a hundred horse bandits, which shows that it is correct for the cavalry to be commanded by you. If it had been someone else, the casualties might have been greater."
"But……"
Liu Heng interrupted Ma Yunjiu and said: "After you left, a Hall of Merit and Martyrs was built on the mountain of Hutou Village to place the memorial tablets of the deceased riders. They will enjoy the incense of the Tiger Flag forever. If the riders with family members are not willing to put the ashes The spirit tablets can be left in the Gonglie Hall, or you can take them back and worship them yourself."
Li Shuheng, who was standing next to him, said: "The boss and I have discussed that in the future, as long as a member of the Tiger Flag is killed in the line of duty or killed in battle, his family will receive three cents of silver, three dou of rice, three dou of noodles, and three kilograms per month. Meat, if you have a child, Tiger Character Flag will help raise ChéngRén, and if you are an old man, Tiger Character Flag will take care of you until you die."
This was a decision he made after discussing with Liu Heng before.
The reason for doing this is, firstly, to eliminate the worries of the Tiger Flag soldiers, and secondly, to enhance the cohesion and identity of the Tiger Flag.
