Chapter 060: Real-name system for building weapons and equipment

Zhao Mengji is younger, has a relatively active mind and has a good memory. He seemed to remember something and suddenly said, "Sir, I remember that there are some colorful spider mines and the warehouses of Weizhen Fort. If the gears above are not damaged, I will go back and take a look and may be able to see something."

Xu Xingxia was overjoyed and asked in a deep voice: "Are you sure there are really such landmines in the warehouse of Weizhen Fort?"

Zhao Mengji said with little certainty: "It should be true. My subordinates have seen it several times. However, decades have passed, and these colorful spider mines should not be used. If adults want to use mines, they have to re-made them."

Xu Xingxia said happily: "It doesn't matter if the mines cannot be used. I can't use them for the time being. The key is, how do you think of ways to reduce the proportion of the gears and transfer them to the top of the musket. The musket I need can also be fired when it rains."

Zhao Mengji nodded and said, "My lord understands what he meant. Since there are ready-made references, my subordinates think it will be researched relatively quickly."

Xu Xingxia said to Zhao Mengji in anticipation: "Old Zhao, do you have this confidence?"

Zhao Mengji hesitated for a moment and didn't know how to answer. He had some confidence that he could study this flintlock rifle, but it was not suitable to say it. He was worried that he was too full to lead to the opposite consequences. What if the research failed? Wouldn't he be held accountable by the superiors? This is not a good thing.

Liu Guangliang suddenly interrupted and said with great appreciation: "Honor of Baihu, Zhao Mengji's old man once worked in the Military Weapon Bureau of the Ministry of War. He is the oldest craftsman in the Military Weapon Bureau. Zhao Shizhen, the head of the Military Weapon Bureau, also valued it very much. When Zhao Shizhen introduced the Lumi gun, he also participated and personally imitated the first Lumi gun, which was commended by Zhao Shizhen. Unfortunately, he later offended the powerful ministers, and his whole family was sent to the border and arrived in our Ningxia Town. His subordinates believed that it was still possible to make this flintlock gun."

Xu Xingxia immediately looked at Zhao Mengji in surprise and joy.

Zhao Shizhen?

This name is really familiar.

The Lumi gun imitated by the Ming Dynasty from overseas seemed to be invented by Zhao Shizhen! Since Liu Guangliang said that, that's right. Zhao Shizhen, a few great inventors in the late Ming Dynasty, should be considered one, and one of them in the early days. Unfortunately, he died five years ago (1611 AD, the 39th year of Wanli).

The old craftsman in front of him is actually a descendant of Zhao Shizhen's subordinates whom Zhao Shizhen valued? Yes, yes, I definitely found a treasure this time. With Zhao Shizhen's ability, he should leave a lot of relevant information. After he dies, his subordinates should have a lot of benefits. Those valuable research materials should be preserved by his subordinates.

As long as you sort out these materials and invest enough research funds, you can definitely create sharp firearms. If you have your own advanced theories and experienced craftsmen, if you still cannot create more advanced muskets, you will be really ashamed of your identity as a time traveler.

Xu Xingxia said slowly: "That... Zhao Mengji, I have also heard of your father's name. I hope you can be as outstanding as your father."

Zhao Mengji was encouraged by Xu Xingxia, and his face turned slightly red and he said excitedly: "Sir, I am willing to give it a try."

Xu Xingxia said with satisfaction: "Okay! You are still young, you must have such a spirit of striving!"

He took out four ingots of silver weighing about five taels very readily. Each of them gave one and said slowly: "I know that life in our homes is very difficult. We will take these silver first and improve our family's life first. From now on, as long as we do our best to build weapons for Niujiao Dun, I promise not to treat everyone badly. If you help me successfully research the flintlock firing device, I will also reward you."

The four craftsmen were naturally happy when they got the money, and Liu Guangliang was no exception. The key was not the five taels of silver, but Xu Xingxia had a long-term weapon demand. This means that in the future, they would have a little extra income and would no longer have to live a hard life. This is of course a good thing.

Xu Xingxia also said: "In addition to the flintlock rifle, there are some things that need to be troubled by you."

What he mentioned this time was the common equipment of the Ming army. Niujiao Dun's weapons and equipment were indeed too bad, and they were basically thrown away by Xu Xingxia as garbage. However, after throwing it away, we have to replenish it. How can we fight without equipment? We can't let the soldiers fight with the Tatars naked, right? From Yu Lijun, the information Xu Xingxia got should not rely on his superiors, be self-reliant and have enough food and clothing. Otherwise, the ones who were allocated by the superiors would definitely be another batch of junk. For this reason, Xu Xingxia decided to pay for it out of his own pocket.

Before he knew it, Xu Xingxia had already regarded Niujiaodun as his territory and Niujiaodun's soldiers as his servants. The people and things here seemed to have become his personal property. This idea is actually normal. Do you eat mine, wear mine, and use mine? If you don't rely on me and wait for your superiors to distribute money and food, you don't know that you have to wait until the Year of the Monkey and Horse Month.

Xu Xingxia needs to pay for his own equipment, what are there? There are the mulberry wood squid black lacquer bows, mulberry wood squid birch hard bows, black lacquer shark skin border bows, etc. As for the matching bows and arrows, they are black carved feather birch pole chisel iron arrows, black carved feather bamboo pole shooting horse iron arrows, black carved feather buckle armor-breaking iron arrows, etc. These weapons are not used to actively attack the Tartars, but are mainly used to train the soldiers' basic feel and defend the ox horn pier.

In addition, there are saddles, bridles, whips, bells, necks, etc. used by horses, and all of them have to be paid out of their own pockets. There are thirty war horses in the ox horn pier, and it is not easy to equip them all. However, it is not possible to not be equipped. You cannot expect the soldiers to equip themselves. If they have this ability, they will not come to be the servants. There is no way, Xu Xingxia decided to pay out on his own. If you wait and trust, you will not know what kind of junk goods you will finally wait for.

In addition to weapons, there are other military supplies that need to be purchased. The army must look like an army. Even if it is a servant, it must have a distinct armor, full of energy, and a new look. Armor and the like can be temporarily slowed down, but the military uniform must be purchased immediately. It also needs brand new military uniforms, and you don’t need to have a rags.

The cotton-flowered battle uniforms worn by the Ming sergeants are called Mandarin Ducks. They are red, purple, green and yellow, and are generally made of fine and broad white cotton cloth. Each top of the sergeant is four feet and six inches long, two kilograms of cotton-flowered velvet, and half a kilogram of fat trousers. There are also shoes that are nine inches and five cents long, one foot or two cents long. There are also various military clothing and equipment for the sergeants, such as the Qianhong felt sergeants, rain hats, rain cages, rain helmet cages, genuine leather bags, spear gun bags, flags, and numeral belts. These mixed things add up to a lot of price.

"I wonder how many copies you need, sir?" Guo Fuquan said.

"Make thirty servings first." Xu Xingxia said.

Guo Fuquan carefully calculated the price. The most expensive bow and arrows are, and they require five taels of silver, while the others are not worth the money. However, there are many items, and all of them are also needed to add up to eight taels of silver. In other words, one piece costs thirteen taels of silver. Thirty pieces of weapons and equipment are nearly four hundred taels of silver. For the craftsmen in Weizhenbao, this is a considerable order.

Xu Xingxia said again: "What I want is quality. After you have done it, you must engrave your name on the weapon. If there is any problem in the future, I will look for you."

Guo Fuquan and others were a little hesitant, feeling deeply stressed, and wanted to speak but stopped.

The name engraved on the weapon is to hold the responsibility accountable. This is a tight curse for the craftsmen. In the past, the Military Weapon Bureau of the Ministry of Works and the Military War Bureau of the Inner Government had implemented such a system to supervise the quality of weapons and equipment. At the beginning, the effect was still good, and the craftsmen did not dare to be careless about the quality of weapons and equipment. During that time, the quality of weapons and equipment produced in the Ming Dynasty was the best.

However, this very good rule was later abolished. Why? Nothing else was that it was firmly resisted by the craftsmen. The craftsmen of the Military Weapon Bureau and the Military War Bureau had no money at all, and their food and salary were often owed. They complained, so they naturally stopped doing it. Anyway, those who were barefoot were not afraid of wearing shoes. They had to make trouble, and there was no good solution for the boss, so they had to cancel this rule, and they still only looked at quantity and quality.

Xu Xingxia certainly understood the basic reason, it was all for money. It was impossible to want a horse to run away but not eat grass. If he was a craftsman, he would definitely not do it. He had to think from his perspective and understand the difficulties of others. If he wanted the quality of the weapons and equipment he had obtained, he had to raise the price. He smiled and said, "Fifteen taels of silver each, to ensure the quality, is it okay?"

The four craftsmen looked at each other and said slowly: "Okay!"

Xu Xingxia said this, which means that he gave them two taels of silver to each piece of equipment. The amount of profit is of course not small and very attractive. In fact, craftsmen can completely guarantee quality. They are all old craftsmen. They all understand what they should do and what they should not do. The key is whether they have this attitude, whether they have the sense of responsibility, and whether they are willing to do it.
Chapter completed!