Across the Water Margin: Officials of Ximen

Ximenqing thought about it in his mind. It would be too slow to rely on Tang Long and some blacksmiths he recruited to really promote the development of firearms in this era.This Ling Zhen in front of me is a talent in firearms, why not give him some advice and let him use the power of the imperial court to develop firearms in Bianliang, Tokyo.A two-pronged approach will eventually allow real guns and artillery to appear in this era.

Ximen Qing nodded to Tang Long. Tang Long wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hands, and told Ling Zhen and Xu Ning with relief that he learned all the firearms he knew from Brother Ximen.

Ling Zhen and Xu Ning were shocked, they got up and bowed to Ximen Qing, they really admired Ximen Qing.

Ximen Qing hurriedly supported Ling Zhen and Xu Ning, and said in his mouth: "Please come up, two brothers, why is there such a big gift? We are all brothers in our own family, so it's okay for you two to ask."

After Ling Zhen and Xu Ning looked at each other, they asked Ximen Qing: "Brother, the muskets and cannons mentioned by Brother Tang Long just now were developed by Brother himself? Is there a real thing in Yanggu, Shandong? Brother, really want to go Take a look!"

Ximen Qing smiled and said, "Brother Ling Zhen, I don't have any real objects in my hands! To tell you the truth, my brother, I got a book from a sea merchant by chance a few years ago, which recorded the manufacture of this musket and artillery. And the art of improving gunpowder. Brother, I have mastered the art of gunpowder preparation in the past few years, but I have not found a good blacksmith, so I have not started to make guns. It was not until I found Brother Tang Long in Jizhou Start preparing for this."

Ling Zhen stared round his eyes, which were already very energetic, and asked Ximen Qing urgently: "Brother, may you pass on the skill of making firearms and gunpowder to Ling Zhen? Brother, I know that these secret skills are the most important in a family. My brother needs something in exchange, but it doesn’t matter.”

Seeing Ling Zhen's longing expression, Ximen Qing smiled and said: "Brother Ling Zhen, we are all good brothers, so I won't hide it from you. The art of making muskets and cannons is indeed a secret of my Ximen family. Outsiders, ten thousand gold is worthless! But I know that brother is a hero, and you have admired him for a long time, so I can teach you the skill of firearms. However, brother, I also have a request, I wonder if brother can agree?"

"What do you want, brother?" Ling Zhen asked impatiently.

Ximen Qing said unhurriedly: "Brother Ling Zhen, although I have taught you the art of firearms, it is not a day's work to make usable firearms. Brother Tang Long returned to Yangzhou from Bianliang, Tokyo. After Gu County, I will do my best to develop these new firearms. Brother, I believe that you will definitely go all out to develop these new firearms in Bianliang City, Tokyo. Brother only hopes that the two of you can communicate with each other and often tell each other what you have learned. , to make usable firearms earlier. If brother has achieved something in the past few years, I hope that brother can keep this secret first, and I will buy back the firearms made by brother with a lot of money. Brother Ling Zhen, brother, this request, you Can you agree?"

"Brother, brother, but all achievements are thanks to brother! Why don't brothers agree? Brother, brother still has something to say. If you don't give up, brother is willing to sworn brotherhood with brother. In the future, brother's business is brother's business Brother knows that brother must be recruiting capable blacksmiths. I am afraid that the Shandong states may not be able to find so many people who satisfy brother. If you want to say where the blacksmiths are the best in Song Dynasty, except for the Western Army, this is Tokyo Bianliang It’s in the city. Brother, I know some good blacksmiths in Bianliang, Tokyo, and I can recommend them to my brother and Brother Tang Long.”

Ximen Qing was also overjoyed when he heard that his weapon workshop in Yanggu County lacked excellent blacksmiths, and Ling Zhen's proposal this time could be regarded as a solution to his urgent need.

Chapter 100 Goose Feather Armor and Hooked Sickle Spear

Ximen Qing and Ling Zhen had a very happy conversation, and they were congenial, and they became brothers at Xu Ning's house.Seeing this, Xu Ning wanted to make obeisance to Ximen Qing, so the two set up incense again and worshiped as brothers.

Ximen Qing gave Ling Zhen a detailed explanation of the matchlock gun and smoothbore artillery technology he knew, and told him the best formula for making black powder produce explosive power: sulfur accounted for about [-]%, charcoal accounted for about [-]%, When saltpeter accounts for about [-]% of the black powder, it is the most suitable proportion of black powder, and there is no need to add other combustibles.

Ling Zhen immediately took note of the gunpowder formula that Ximen Qing told him, which could save him a lot of time in researching the gunpowder ratio when developing new firearms in the future.

Before that, Ling Zhen's predecessors, firearms developers and generals in the early Northern Song Dynasty, Feng Jisheng, Tang Fu, Shi Pu, etc., created the first batch of primary firearms such as fireballs and gunpowder arrows, which were used in combat. And passed down to this day.

After development, the Song Dynasty researched the three earliest gunpowder formulas, namely "fireball gunpowder prescription", "tribulus fireball gunpowder prescription" and "poison smoke ball gunpowder prescription".However, these three gunpowder recipes all added dry lacquer, yellow wax, tung oil, turpentine, asphalt, aconitum, croton, chamaejamas, asphalt, arsenic and other strange things, mainly used for arson and poisonous smoke, etc. The explosive power is not great.

After Ling Zhen became the deputy gunner of the Tokyo Jiazhanku, he also thought about a new gunpowder formula, hoping to surpass Feng Jisheng, Tang Fu, Shi Pu and other seniors, but after several years of groping alone, he still failed.

This shows how important the gunpowder formula that Ximen Qing told Ling Zhen today was to him.

Seeing Ling Zhen's excitement beyond words, Ximen Qing also told Ling Zhen that he had to be careful.When developing firearms, muskets and artillery must be made of good materials to prevent gunpowder from exploding and endangering one's own life.

Ling Zhen found a pen and paper at Xu Ning's house, and recorded everything carefully.

The senior officials of Ximen Qing used advanced technology to invest in this "Thunderbolt" Ling Zhen, which is similar to the venture capital of modern society. It's not time to reap the rewards. I don't want Ling Zhen, a scientific and technological talent, to be killed in a muddle. , Let your investment be in vain.

Half a day had passed by the time Ximen Qing and Ling Zhen had finished talking about firearm manufacturing technology.Xu Ning held a banquet at home to entertain the three brothers Ximen Qing, Tang Long and Ling Zhen.Seeing Brother Ximenqing shine today, Xu Ning couldn't hold back, and told the three of them at the banquet how his family's ancestral hook and sickle spear could restrain cavalry.Tang Long also came to join in the fun and talked about some tips for making various weapons.

At the banquet, the four of them opened their arms to each other and talked freely.They raised their wine glasses and looked at each other, deeply congenial, and laughed heartily.

The official Ximen finally made two good brothers in Bianliang City, Tokyo.

……

After lunch, Xu Ning went upstairs and took down his precious armor from the beam.Take it downstairs for the three brothers to admire.

Ximen Qing looked intently, and saw Xu Ning carefully holding a red sheepskin box on the table.On the box, there is a white thread piercing the head of the green cloud, and there is a pattern of a lion rolling a hydrangea ball in the middle.Xu Ning carefully opened the leather armor, and wrapped it tightly with fragrant cotton.Open the incense stick again, revealing a pair of shining silver armor.

Although Ximen Qing didn't study armor, but in his previous life, when he was watching movies and TV dramas and playing games in the dormitory, he had seen all kinds of armor from the East and the West, so he could probably see them.

Ximen Qing looked at Xu Ning's Yan Ling chain mail, which was probably composed of two parts. The inside was a close-fitting chain mail made of small steel wire hoops; Arranged and woven iron armor.This armor is also lined with cotton cloth, probably for shock absorption.

Ling Zhen looked at it, and praised him: "Good armor! Brother, you don't usually show your precious armor easily, and it's the first time I've seen you, brother. I heard that Hua'er Wang Taiwei wants to buy your treasure with [-] guan. A, brother, you don’t want to sell it? But is there really such a thing?”

Xu Ning replied: "Brother, this is indeed the case. This pair of goose feather armor is a treasure handed down by my ancestors for four generations. It has never been lost. Wang Taiwei wants to buy my armor with [-] guan. I am afraid that the army will use it after a long time, and I am not willing to sell it to him."

Tang Long also praised Xu Ning's high-end suit as a treasure.

How good this armor is, Ximen Qing can't see a clue.However, he wasn't prepared to worry about it.

This matter of carefully observing the treasure armor and going back to imitate it is handled by Brother Tang Long, who is an outstanding blacksmith.As a senior official, I just need to make good friends with Brother Xu Ning and Brother Ling Zhen.

Tang Long and Ling Zhen, two weapon makers, watched Xu Ning's Yanling chain mail carefully, but Ximen Qing dragged Xu Ning into the yard.

The Xu Ning brothers are known as the "Golden Gunners", and even the "Leopard Head" Lin Chong, the 80-thousand-thousand gun stick instructor of the Forbidden Army, admired him in terms of spear skills. Ximen Qing wanted to take this opportunity to ask him for advice.

Xu Ning admired this brother Ximen in his heart, and he was willing to show his skills in front of him.He picked up a hook and sickle gun, put on a posture and acted freely, and Ximen Qing who was by the yard cheered for a while.

Xu Ning taught Ximenqing: "Whenever you use this kind of weapon immediately, you should step up from your waist and crotch, go up the middle seven ways, pull three hooks and four times, and make a total of nine reforms. If you use this weapon on foot The hook and sickle spear is also the most useful. First make people move four steps, swing open the door, make a change in twelve steps, turn around in sixteen steps, and divide the hook and sickle. 24 steps, move up and down, hook east and west .36 steps, covering the whole body, fighting hard and strong. This is the rectification method of the hook and sickle spear."

Ximen Qing took the sickle gun from Xu Ning's hand and used it once in the courtyard.That Xu Ning stood aside and instructed carefully, after several times, Ximen Qing also roughly learned the hook and sickle spear technique.

……

The four of them stayed at Xu Ning's house for half a day. After dinner, Ximen Qing, Tang Long and Ling Zhen agreed on a date for the party, bid farewell to Xu Ning, and left the classroom.

The night was dark, Ling Zhen returned home, Ximen Qing and Tang Long also returned to Gaoyang Zhengdian.

This time, he came all the way from Yanggu County to Bianliang, Tokyo. Ximen Qing's first goal of getting to know "Golden Gunner" Xu Ning and "Thunderbolt" Ling Zhen has been achieved.For the rest of the day, Tang Long only needs to go to Xu Ning and Ling Zhen to study the manufacture of armor and firearms, and Ximen Qing doesn't need to do it himself.

Senior official Ximen Qing has nothing to do, and he can finally start to complete the second goal of his secret plan.

Back in the shop, Ximen Qing and Yulan spent the middle of the night romping about, and after a good night's sleep, Ximen Qing got up energetically and called his brothers together.

Ximen Qing arranged for Tang Long to continue to visit Xu Ning and Ling Zhen to study the art of armor and firearms, and through Ling Zhen to purchase some materials needed for making firearms and hire some capable craftsmen.

Jiao Ting and Brother Qiao Yun, Ximen Qing let them still accompany Yulan to travel around every day, familiarizing themselves with the geography and customs of Bianliang, Tokyo.

After making arrangements for the three brothers, Ximen Qing left Gaoyang Zhengdian alone with the five-string Ruan inlaid with mother-of-pearl in his arms, heading north.

Chapter 1 Little Imperial Street

After Ximen Qing left the Gaoyang main store, Jiao Ting and the three stood outside the store door, looking at Ximen Qing's back and discussing in whispers.

Brother Qiao Yun asked, "What is the official doing out with a musical instrument in his arms?"

Jiao Ting said: "When I was in Mengzhou, brother Ximen bought this instrument and played it often. I heard that brother Ximen played it more beautifully than the people in the Goulan Washeri. Could it be that brother is going to perform in a washroom? Brother is not short of that little money!"

Tang Long thought about it for a while, and said in his mouth: "I remember that when my brother was in Mengzhou, he seemed to say that he had practiced this musical instrument called Ruan for some young lady. I thought my brother was playing it for Yulan. Little lady, now it seems that the little lady is not Yulan, but someone else. That person must be in Bianliang City, Tokyo."

Jiao Ting heard the words and sighed: "Brother Ximen is really a passionate person! There are several beautiful girls in Yanggu County, and a little lady Yulan in Mengzhou. I didn't expect that there is also a friend of my brother in this capital!"

Brother Qiao Yun smiled and said: "A senior official is an ordinary person? In my eyes, there is no one like him in the world. How can little ladies not love a senior official? Brother Jiao Ting, you follow a senior official, don't you?" Did you also marry a dainty young lady from the Zhang family?"

Tang Long said: "Brother Yun is right. Brother Jiao Ting, you have a family and a career. Brother, I haven't settled down yet. My brother is a full man who doesn't know the hunger and hunger. I don't know the suffering of my brother. Brother Jiao Ting, this When choosing a geisha to accompany drinks for a few days, you have to let my brother choose first."

Hearing this, Jiao Ting scolded: "You are not serious at all! Who stole it from you? If you have the ability, you don't need to spend any money. Just go out and find a young lady like your brother."

Tang Long touched the pockmarks on his face, winked and said: "The brother has to change Brother Ximen's face first!"