Across the Water Margin: Officials of Ximen

Because of Ximenqing's instructions and mandatory requirements, "Thunderbolt" Ling Zhen escaped several times while developing the artillery, and was not injured by the explosive artillery.After witnessing several times of cannon explosions with his own eyes, Ling Zhen admired the omniscient Ximen Qing even more, and kept Ximen Qing's concern in his heart.

It was also through Ximenqing's expected failures that Ling Zhen finally figured out the best gun barrel that could be made with the current smelting technology, ensuring that it would not deform or explode after multiple shots.

After seeing the cannon developed by Ling Zhen, Ximen Qing was very satisfied, but for safety reasons, he suggested that Ling Zhen add a few iron hoops to the current cannon barrel to increase the strength of the cannon barrel.

Compared with the shortcomings of the cannon body being bulky and inconvenient to carry, Ximen Qing was more afraid of the cannon being blown up in his own army when it was in use.When such a tragedy occurs, it is very likely that one's own army will not fight and lose a battle.

Therefore, in the case of already leading technology, we still have to pay attention to safety and leave more room for ourselves.

After several years of sharpening the sword, it seems that it is time to verify the power of firearms in actual combat.

Chapter 662 Erlong Mountain Waiting for Recruitment

On Peach Blossom Mountain, Ximen Qing told "Booming Thunder" Ling Zhen that the artillery was very heavy and difficult to carry on land. Therefore, his plan was to first assemble the artillery to the warships of the Dengzhou Navy and put it into use in water battles .

Now "Big Sword" Xu Wen is leading the navy to wipe out the pirates on the Bohai Sea, just in time for those pirate ships to serve as live targets for Ling Zhen's artillery.

This move can not only improve the naval combat power of Xu Wen and others, but also test the shortcomings of the artillery produced by Ling Zhen through actual combat, and then improve the performance of the artillery.

After the artillery on the warship was fully used, Ximenqing used the Dengzhou navy to transport the artillery to the newly built castle on Posu Road to build a fortress with powerful firepower.

After discussing with Ling Zhen, Ximen Qing came down to the mountain and stayed in Taohuazhuang to ponder with Ling Zhen how to increase the power of the artillery.

At the same time, Ximenqing sent Jiao Ting back to Dengzhou on a fast horse to meet Xu Wen, the commander of the navy, and asked Xu Wen to bring five sailing warships to the coast of Qingzhou to receive the artillery produced by Taohuazhuang.

The cannons produced by Ling Zhen are bulky and heavy. If they are pulled by ox carts to Dengzhou by land, it will take a lot of manpower and material resources to climb mountains and wading, which is very inconvenient.However, it is very labor-saving to transport the artillery components to the seaside of Qingzhou by boat through the Zishui River at the foot of Taohua Mountain.

In this way, as long as Xu Wen drives the warship to the mouth of Zishui, Ling Zhen can easily equip his warship with newly-made artillery.

Brother Jiao Ting went there very quickly on horseback, and Xu Wen's warship came even faster from the sea. In just a few days, he brought the warship to the seaside of Qingzhou.

After Ximen Qing and Ling Zhen got the news, they immediately loaded ten cannons and ammunition made by Ling Zhen in a boat, went down the Zishui River, and came to the seaside to meet Xu Wen.

Xu Wen's warship had already reserved gun positions and ammunition warehouses according to Ximenqing's instructions, so Ling Zhen led the craftsmen and sailors to assemble the artillery on the warship without much effort.

This first batch of artillery was still for trial use, so there were only ten of them, and two were installed on each warship.

Ximen Qing asked Ling Zhen to take his men on Xu Wen's warship, and together with Xu Wen participated in the crusade against the Koryo pirates.

Xu Wen's navy had never seen such a weird weapon as a cannon before, and it was necessary for Ling Zhen and his subordinates to teach them how to use the cannon.

The navy generals Xu Wen, Wang Dingliu, and Song Wan had to see the power of artillery before they could gradually adapt and study the new naval tactics.

And Ling Zhen also had to experience actual combat on a warship in order to understand which direction to improve the artillery so that it would be more suitable for future wars.

On Xu Wen's warship, Ximen Qing carefully told Xu Wen, Ling Zhen and others one by one, asking them to be more careful at sea.

In addition to ensuring the safety of Xu Wen, Ling Zhen and the others and the safety of the five artillery warships, Ximen Qing also asked them to be careful to keep it secret, and not let outsiders know that Ximen Qing's navy has this mysterious weapon.

In other words, the Dengzhou Ping Navy of the imperial court is also the object of wariness.Do not use artillery to fight pirates in the presence of flat navies.

"Every man is innocent, but pregnant is guilty." Xu Wen and others understand this truth.

Ximenqing's water army helped the officers and soldiers to destroy the pirates, which was welcomed by both the court and local officials.But if the imperial court finds out that Ximen Qing has a private armed force stronger than the official army, it will be a troublesome matter after all.

Ximen Qing counted with his fingers, and had to endure it for several years before he could wait for the opportunity to explode.Therefore, when it is time to keep a low profile, it is still necessary to keep a low profile.

Two days later, Xu Wen, Ling Zhen and others commanded the new artillery warship to leave the coast of Qingzhou, and returned to Dengzhou to go to Huihui and other warships to fight against pirates.Ximen Qing also took Jiao Ting and his guards on their way home.

Going up the Zishui River, turning into another road halfway, Ximen Qing went to visit "Flower Monk" Lu Zhishen and "Blue-faced Beast" Yang Zhi and others in Erlong Mountain.

Now on the border of Shandong, the bandits in Shuibo Liangshan have all been wiped out, and the leaders died and fled, which can be said to be awe-inspiring.However, Erlongshan's power has not been damaged at all. Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi seem to have become the strongest brothers in Shandong's underworld.

In recent days, many desperadoes from all corners of the world have come to vote, and Erlongshan's career has become even more prosperous.

Of course, after receiving Ximen Qing's advice, Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi kept restraining their subordinates from harming the common people, and waited for the chance of the imperial court to recruit them. Therefore, Erlong Mountain did not attract the encirclement and suppression of the officers and soldiers.

Among them, Ximen Qing had the credit for coordinating and mediating secretly.

In short, in order to support the cottage, Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi would occasionally rob wealthy businessmen passing by, but they never harmed human life.Most of the time, Erlongshan relies on the food it produces and the support of Mrs. Liu from Taohuazhuang to maintain its livelihood, and there is no need to harm the surrounding people.

Therefore, Qin Ming and Huang Xin, the officers and generals of Qingzhou City who had been hinted by Ximenqing, naturally pretended to be deaf and dumb, as if they were unaware that there was still a powerful bandit in Qingzhou.

Erlong Mountain and Qingzhou City co-exist in Qingzhou without interfering with the river.With such a silent tacit understanding, the security of the entire Qingzhou has miraculously surpassed that of the surrounding Weizhou, Mizhou and Yizhou.

It's not surprising if you think about it carefully.

Although Weizhou, Mizhou, and Yizhou don't have big villages like Erlong Mountain, there are many small thieves in small groups and murderous lone wolves like Li Gui.It is not easy for the officers and soldiers to arrest them one by one.

On the other hand, in Qingzhou, where banditry was the most serious, Qingfeng Mountain and Taohua Mountain were destroyed successively, leaving Erlong Mountain alone.Because of the gigantic Erlong Mountain, the petty thieves in the rivers and lakes would not dare to come to Qingzhou to commit crimes and compete with the two big brothers Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi for food.Therefore, as long as there is no chaos in Erlong Mountain, Qingzhou will be peaceful and peaceful.

In the Baozhu Temple of Erlong Mountain, Ximen Qing, Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi and others drank happily.

At the banquet, "Hua Monk" Lu Zhishen complained to Ximen Qing, saying that he only practiced martial arts on the mountain every day, and he was going to fade away these days, so depressed.

"Green-faced Beast" Yang Zhi also asked Ximen Qing when the time for the imperial court to summon security would come.He and Lu Zhishen had already trained the young men of Erlong Mountain according to the standards of the imperial army, and taught them to form troops and march for battle.Now everything is ready, only the east wind is owed, waiting for the imperial court to recruit.

Ximen Qing knew that Yang Zhi was only focused on gaining fame in the army, so he told him with a smile that, based on his own judgment, the recruitment would be settled within two years.

Now Tong Taiwei is in the south of the Yangtze River to conquer the rebel Fang La.As long as Fangla's bandit army is flattened by the officers and soldiers, Tong Taiwei will lead the troops northward.At that time, Erlong Mountain's opportunity to recruit security will come.

Both Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi had been in the army, and Yang Zhi's ancestors even had blood feuds with the Khitan in the north.When they heard Ximen Qing's words, they immediately became excited and asked in unison: "But the imperial court wants to use troops against Khitan?"

Chapter 663 The Purpose of Liangshan Park

Ximen Qing wanted to treat Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi well, so he asked them to back off, and told Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi the secret of the alliance between the Great Song Dynasty and the Kingdom of Jin to jointly conquer Liao.

Ximenqing told Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi that Taiwei Tong Guan had been in charge of the Western Army for many years, and if the imperial court wanted to attack Liao, it would definitely let Tong Taiwei lead the Western Army northward.The two brothers Zhong Shidao and Zhong Shizhong, the famous generals of the Western Army, will definitely follow the army to attack Liao.

The two brothers of the Chong family were Lu Zhishen's immediate bosses, and they had always trusted Lu Zhishen.When Lu Zhishen killed the "Zhenguanxi" Zheng Tu, he was serving as the governor in Zhongshi Zhongfu.

The imperial court's crusade against the Liao Dynasty was a time when there was an urgent need for personnel. When the Zhongshizhong arrived in Hebei, Lu Zhishen led the army to join him, and he would definitely retain them and successfully achieve the plan of recruiting security.

Thinking about Zheng Tu's death for many years, and this place is far away from Weizhou, how could someone in the Western Army make things difficult for Lu Zhishen because of a pig butcher?

After hearing this, Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi asked in disbelief, "Brother Ximen, is this serious? Are you sure the imperial court will go north to conquer Liao?"

"How dare my younger brother lie to my two elder brothers? This matter is absolutely true. I will not lie to my two older brothers. Not long ago, my younger brother followed the imperial court secret envoys Zhao Liangsi and Ma Kuo to the Kingdom of Jin, and was attacking Liao for the alliance." Ximen Qing swore said.

"Okay! I have finally waited for this day! My sixth ancestor, Old Linggong Yang Ye, was killed by Khitan dog thieves. This time, I will go to battle and kill Liao dog to avenge my ancestor!" Yang Zhi patted the table, excited endlessly.

"Is Mr. Xiaozhong's manager coming to Hebei too? The Sa family can also repay his father and son's kindness." Lu Zhishen also sighed.

Seeing that Lu Zhishen and Yang Zhi were eager to join the army and make contributions, Ximen Qing was secretly happy.

Ximen Qing loves talent for the two fierce generals, "Flower Monk" Lu Zhishen and "Blue-faced Beast" Yang Zhi.

Although one of these two made friends with gangsters in a daze, and the other was unlucky and always messed up errands, but compared with the other robbers on Liangshanbo, these two are really not bad people.