In terms of military uniforms, Zuo Mengeng made great changes.
In addition to eliminating the iron plates and arm armor, straps were also added to the waist and trousers.
There were no straps on the cloth armor of the Ming army. Sometimes in order to tighten the belt, another cloth strap had to be wrapped inside.
This is not only loose, but also very complicated to wear.
This is one of the reasons why night attacks were so successful in ancient battles.
After adding the strap, the belt hangs directly on it. Soldiers don't need to think about the storage of the belt at all. They just wear the military uniform and wear the belt together.
As for the buckle of the belt, Zuo Mengeng also adopted the simplest method.
It is a sun-shaped iron ring with a curved pin in the middle. There are eyes at regular intervals on the belt. When wearing the belt, you only need to pass the buckle pin through the eyes to secure the belt firmly.
It is not that there were no belts of this style in ancient times, but they were rarely used, and they were not for ordinary people.
At this time, Zuo Mengeng brought up the military uniform, which made the women marvel and learn a lot.
In addition to military uniforms, shoes are also what Zuo Mengeng pays most attention to.
He took out the later method of making cotton shoes.
Regardless of whether it matches the military uniforms of this era or not, the most important thing is that it is practical and can reduce costs.
Zuo Mengeng asked and found out that the cloth boots worn by Ming army soldiers at this time actually cost one or two and a half silver.
It's simply unaffordable.
Another thing is that most of the Ming army did not have cloth boots to wear at all.
Don’t be fooled by movies and TV shows.
Due to cost and corruption, the vast majority of soldiers wear straw sandals.
Cloth boots?
Only officers could afford to wear it.
Moreover, Zuo Menggeng discovered after research that the cloth boots of the Ming Dynasty were very impractical.
It is especially unfavorable for long-distance marching and running. Not only does it cause great damage to the human body, it is also easy to fall off.
This is not as good as cotton shoes with shoelaces.
Everyone also participated in the discussion about the military uniforms of the rear camp.
Liu Yiyuan and others worked together to find Zuo Mengeng.
"Qianzao, we feel that the helmet must be retained."
Zuo Mengeng removed the iron plates and arm armor from the cloth armor, and everyone had no objections.
Because the protective capabilities of those gadgets depend purely on luck. If the enemy's bows, arrows and swords hit it, there is a high chance that it will be protected.
But the protective area of the iron sheet is not large, otherwise the weight alone could drag the soldiers to death.
With such a large vulnerability, the probability of this protection is very impressive.
But when it comes to helmets, Liu Yiyuan and others are very insistent.
Zuo Rong also said: "Qianzuo, when we fight in the future, can we avoid hand-to-hand combat with the enemy?"
Zuo Mengeng shook his head regretfully.
"Does not."
Let alone now, in wars of any era, hand-to-hand combat is inevitable.
Zhou You followed: "That's why a helmet is a must."
Although the others did not speak, they all looked at Zuo Mengeng, needing him to make a decision.
Zuo Mengeng was very calm.
"I neglected this point, thank you for filling in the gaps."
That's what's good about soldiers. Right is right, wrong is wrong, and they never take things lightly.
He sincerely admitted his mistake, but it made everyone uncomfortable. But I felt very happy, and found that following such a leader was really enjoyable.
Now that Zuo Mengeng was aware of the problem, he immediately spoke openly and honestly.
"Let's talk about it. Do we need to keep the style of the helmet as it is?"
Zuo Rong, who has been on the battlefield, has more say in this regard.
"Our back camp is going to use all firearms. Even if there is hand-to-hand combat, it will definitely not be much, so we don't need to spend too much thought on helmets. Helmets are enough, and we always wear military hats."
The helmet is actually a flying saucer helmet.
This was inherited from Mongolia and improved by the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the helmets of the Ming army.
Of course, this is for generals. How can ordinary soldiers get it?
If it is to be used by ordinary soldiers, it must be improved.
"Then use a helmet and remove unnecessary patterns and red tassels. I'll go back and think about it with the blacksmith to see if it can be molded in one go."
Zuo Mengeng felt that he should be able to do it.
Let the blacksmith make a mold in advance, and then pour the wrought iron juice into it, so that you can get a helmet that is formed in one go.
Although it is a bit rough, it is better for ordinary soldiers to use than not having a helmet at all.
He thought of something else.
"We should also carefully consider the helmets we use in daily life. It is best to match the helmets. In this way, soldiers can wear their helmets outside the helmets during wartime, and there is no need to make special linings for the helmets."
The helmet is made of iron and is heavy. No one can bear the friction between the surface and the scalp. Therefore, helmets need to have a lining inside to protect the head.
Adding lining means increasing cost.
Zuo Menggeng planned to consider uniforms and helmets.
When not fighting, soldiers only need to carry their military hats. In case of war, just pick up the helmet and buckle it on the soldier's hat, saving time and trouble.
This idea impressed everyone.
Zuo Mengeng thought for a while and handed the matter over to Zuo Dai.
Since there are not many talented people at hand, they must be cultivated.
It's still just one battalion now. In the future, as the army expands in size, he can't rely on him to do everything himself.
Zuo Dai accepted the order and went to think about it himself.
The most important thing for Zuo Mengeng at the moment is the development of financial resources.
There is no sign of the army yet, and only one-third of the wealth stolen from Feng Yuanwai has been used.
If you want to create financial resources, Zuo Mengeng has high hopes for glass.
If you want to make glass, you need a furnace that can withstand high temperatures.
Over at Yang Gui, the brick kiln is almost ready. After drying, the refractory bricks will be fired.
Time waits for no one, Zuo Mengeng returned home and found Zuo Xianmei.
"Sister, brother, I need your help with something here."
Zuo Xianmei knew that Zuo Mengeng was busy with important things outside, and didn't know what she needed help with.
But it felt so good to be needed, so Zuo Xianmei immediately agreed.
"I don't know what's going on, just ask me, brother."
As a result, Zuo Xianmei was confused by what Zuo Mengeng said.
"I want to ask my sister to help me buy some eyebrow pencils. The more the better."
"My dear brother, what do you want from this woman's thrush? Even if it is given to the person you like, one or two is enough..."
Zuo Mengeng forbade her from thinking wildly.
"I have great use for this thing, and it cannot be known to outsiders. There are many people around me, and it is easy for others to miss me. I have to ask you to come forward, will you help me?"
What kind of eyebrow pencil does a woman use?
It's actually graphite.
When planning to build a high-temperature-resistant smelting furnace, the first thing Zuo Menggen thought of was the graphite crucible.
This kind of furnace can not only be used to make steel, but of course it can also be used to melt sand to make glass.
The matter was of great importance and confidentiality had to be considered. Zuo Mengeng immediately thought of Zuo Xianmei.
It's so common for a woman to buy eyebrow pencils that no one would care.
Seeing that he said it carefully, Zuo Xianmei obediently stopped asking.
"Oh well."
Zuo Mengeng was very happy and hurriedly handed the money to Zuo Xianmei, and asked Zuo Rong and Zuo Hua to accompany Zuo Xianmei out.
As soon as this matter was settled, Zuo Yan ran over.
"Young Master, there are guests from outside the house. They are said to be the family members of the Minister of Rites, and they came to express their gratitude."
"Oh, so fast!"
Hearing that Xu Guangqi had sent someone, Zuo Mengeng hurriedly went out to greet him personally.
"The younger one is Xu Xiang, the steward of the Xu Mansion. Master Zuo saved my young lady and saved my husband. Everyone in the Xu Mansion is very grateful. My husband specially prepared a generous gift and ordered me to send it to express my gratitude for my great kindness."
How dare Zuo Mengeng be negligent.
"When the road is rough, I just draw my sword to help. I don't dare to take it as a gift from Duke Xuanhu."
Xu Xiang observed Zuo Mengeng while talking.
He knew that Zuo Mengeng was not old, but he had seen it with his own eyes and couldn't help but marvel at the young man's figure.
As expected, he is the son of a general and a member of the Xiong family. Although not handsome, he is domineering and impressive.
However, underneath his heroic appearance, he speaks politely and behaves elegantly, far from being comparable to ordinary vulgar warriors.
After welcoming Xu Xiang into the house and asking him to take his seat, Zuo Menggeng didn't treat him as an ordinary servant at all.
No matter where he goes, he will not be looked down upon as a seventh-rank official in front of the Prime Minister.
Xu Xiang felt at ease, took the package again, and handed it to Zuo Mengeng himself.
"My husband knows what Mr. Zuo wants, so I prepared it and sent it to him. Mr. Zuo said that Mr. Zuo cares about the common people, and his heart is full of heaven and earth. If you have any doubts, you can write to your husband and ask."
Zuo Mengeng opened the bag and found that the jars had already been divided. It was full of seeds, and the jar also specifically labeled what kind of seeds they were.
Although the names and memories are different, you can guess them just by comparing them.
In addition, what surprised him the most was that it contained the original manuscript of "The Complete Book of Agriculture" written by Xu Guangqi himself.
The thick manuscript, with the strong fragrance of ink, is the precious hard work of an old man.
Holding the book in his hand, Zuo Mengeng couldn't help but feel emotional.
