The new design focused on maximizing efficiency and effectiveness. The huge outer city was eliminated and replaced by a watchtower ten miles apart. In addition to transmitting warning signals with smoke, the watchtower could also station ten soldiers, which was suitable for a group of ten soldiers. .
The original inner city has also been modified. The tall and mighty city wall has been eliminated and the existing city wall has been reinforced. The dock area of ??Xicheng is separated from Tingli City and is used as a commercial area. The city is divided into two districts: north and south. The south district houses commercial and residential areas and the north district houses military and administrative affairs. The two districts are separated by a city wall to ensure that the core area is in the hands of the army.
Compared with the previous design, this drawing was praised by Li Fusheng. He made a rough calculation and found that the urban part can be completed within one year, and the outer towers will also take one year. The total of the two times only takes two years. Pingxiangzhou can fully support it. can afford this project.
"Hongchang, the matter of building the city has been decided. Let the craftsmen discuss how to build it specifically. By the way, Cheng Peng sent people to say that Lord Ruan Phuc wanted to renew the alliance and hoped to get more support from Pingxiangzhou. Cheng Peng Peng asked Hongchang to go back and discuss countermeasures." Li Fusheng wanted to drive Zhou Shixiong away. He was afraid that Zhou Shixiong's stay in Tingli Town would bring trouble to the city. Originally, Guan Chongguang just wanted to ask Zhou Shixiong whether he agreed or not. It was a matter of one sentence. Li Fusheng changed it to asking him to return to Pingxiangzhou.
"It seems that my godfather is in big trouble. Okay, then I'll leave this place to Jishi. I'll go back and see what's going on." Zhou Shixiong didn't know that he had been promoted to trouble, so he rushed out under the protection of Ma San. Return to Pingxiangzhou.
Nguyen Phuc Bao is in a very bad situation these days. Although Taiyuan Prefecture, Beijiu Prefecture and Quang Ninh Prefecture all support him, these supports come at a price. Taiyuan Prefecture requested 30,000 stones of grain and grass from Lang Son Prefecture as payment for additional troops to the border with Tuyen Quang Prefecture. In addition to receiving a thank you gift of 10,000 taels of silver, Guangning Mansion also received a new trade route. Bac Giang Province requested Lang Son Province to send troops to assist in defense against possible attacks from Thang Long Province. Ruan Fubao felt overwhelmed by the demands of the three prefectures. He didn't care about money, and there was plenty of food, but there were not enough soldiers to begin with. Where could he find thousands of people to go to Beijiang Prefecture to assist in the defense?
Ruan Phu Ajiang gave his eldest brother an idea to borrow troops from Pingxiangzhou. If it is diplomacy between countries, borrowing troops can turn into a tragedy at any time. Nguyen Phuc Bao and Nguyen Phuc A Giang were assured of borrowing troops from Pingxiangzhou because it was impossible for Pingxiangzhou to capture Lang Son House. This was a private deal between the two parties. If the Ming Dynasty court knew that Pingxiangzhou was doing this, the officials in Pingxiangzhou would not only receive no reward, but their lives would also be at risk.
Zhou Shixiong returned to Pingxiang Prefecture and quietly moved into the small courtyard behind the commanding officer's Yamen. That night, Guan Chongguang came to see him in civilian clothes. "Hongchang, what do you think about this?" Guan Chongguang brought Ruan Phuc Bao's requirements and conditions. The new covenant was beneficial to Pingxiangzhou by expanding trade routes. Ruan Phuc Bao was responsible for opening up the trade routes between Taiyuan Prefecture and Quang Ninh Prefecture. Road, Beizhi Prefecture is not included in the scope of trade routes for the time being. We will discuss it in the future after the ownership of Beizhi Prefecture is determined.
"This thing must have been made by my aunt. It seems that Xiangzhou has received huge benefits, but in fact, Lang Son can do this without paying any price." Zhou Shixiong saw through this so-called offer at a glance He was very dissatisfied with the details of the conditions and complained.
Guan Chongguang also saw the fishiness in it, but he had a different view. "Hongchang, this is an opportunity. Why Huang Dongman wants to take back Pingxiangzhou is not just a matter of negotiation. In the past, Pingxiangzhou had a Zhennanhou sign to protect it from wind and rain. Now this sign is no longer useful. Why not take advantage of it? This opportunity brings other toasts in, and everyone gets rich together.¡±
Zhou Shixiong thought about it and realized that Guan Chongguang's suggestion was very valuable. The expanded trade route could not be operated by Xiangzhou alone. The elephant team needs to expand to cope with the increased cargo volume. This is not difficult for Ping Xiangzhou. However, purchasing more goods to send to the North and Vietnam, and then transporting the goods from the North and Vietnam back to Nanning for sale is a very difficult task, and Pingxiangzhou really does not have the ability to do it all.
The purchasing and selling system of Vietnam and North Korea is left to Nguyen Phuc to take care of. Pingxiangzhou is unable to organize more supply sources and sell more goods, so he can only choose to find new allies to help. Guan Chongguang suggested bringing in several neighboring chieftains to give Zhou Shixiong a heads up. "Cheng Peng, the Huang family is the dominant one in northwest Guangxi. If we allow them to take a stake in the trade route, I'm afraid it will be swallowed up by them sooner or later. I think we must leave the Huang family aside and cooperate with chieftains with other surnames. This is a good choice."
"I'm afraid it's inappropriate to exclude the Huang family so obviously." Guan Chongguang understood Zhou Shixiong's concerns, but he had to consider the reality. If Zhou Shixiong's ideas were followed, Huang Dongman would definitely destroy the trade routes at all costs. Pingxiang Prefecture could not afford to cause such a big trouble now.
"That's right. Otherwise, the Huang family chieftain who is adjacent to Pingxiangzhou can join, but other state governments will refuse. It is best to limit the amount of shares held by the Huang family chieftain and not give them the chance to become bigger." Zhou Shixiong estimated that Pingxiang's chieftain would not be allowed to join. Xiangzhou really couldn't withstand the threat of force from the Huangdong barbarians, so it was better to make concessions than to sign an alliance under the city.
"Well, in addition to these chieftains, how about the officials of Nanning Prefecture?"Did you express something? "Zhou Hou was active in Nanning Prefecture. He had scared a salt and iron envoy to death, and also stole the prefect's seal, which made the prefect Wang Qingyu very anxious. But this kind of revenge can only be carried out secretly, and it is impossible to make it public in Pingxiangzhou. To express dissatisfaction with Wang Qingyu, necessary wooing must be done.
"Forget it Wang Qingyu, this guy has been in Nanning Mansion for nearly eight years and has deep roots. The theft of the official seal this time will probably trip him up. Cheng Peng should still consider how to build a good relationship with the new prefect. If he is new. The prefect is also like Wang Qingyu, so we can only use the name of Zhennanhou to ask Emperor Chongzhen for help, hoping that the emperor can take care of Zhennanhou's mansion." In the Northern and Vietnamese Dynasties, Zhou Shixiong was invincible, and when he returned to Ming Dynasty, he immediately took a break, and everyone The threat from Fang forces could submerge the small Pingxiangzhou at any time, making Zhou Shixiong very uncomfortable.
"It's just that Lang Son Prefecture wants to borrow five thousand soldiers. Should we give him new soldiers or elites?" This new covenant is definitely a good thing for Pingxiangzhou. Guan Chongguang never thought that Zhou Shixiong would refuse, and indeed Zhou Shixiong would not refuse.
"There are still more than 2,000 people in Beizhu Mansion. Bring them back first. We will mobilize 1,000 Zhennan Guards and 1,000 auxiliary military battalions and 3,000 new soldiers to form a Zhennan Camp. Zhou Er will serve as the camp manager, Qi Chuge and Yu Jiao They have been back for such a long time and there is no arrangement, so let them go down and become the Qian General." Zhou Shixiong divided the ten personal guards into five pairs, and the two were in charge of a thousand troops. Among the five personal soldiers who followed Zhou Shixiong in the capital to kill the enemy, only Peng Wuyi did not get a full-time job. , he served as Qi Chuge's deputy, and the other four people took their seats.
"What is the best distribution of soldiers and armor?" Pingxiangzhou has money and craftsmen, so steel swords and armor can be widely distributed. One of the reasons why I haven't done this yet is that I'm afraid of making people jealous and causing unnecessary trouble. The other is to divide the ranks of the army, so that the best soldiers can be equipped with the best armor, and ordinary soldiers can be encouraged to train hard.
"No need, the Zhennan Guard is issued with first-class armor and the second-class auxiliary barracks. The new recruits can use leather armor and spears." Last time Zhou Er suffered a loss due to the issue of armor in Kuikun, Zhou Shixiong had another opinion after learning about it. . He believed that only in this way could soldiers evolve from ordinary people to warriors as quickly as possible. Although the losses would be greater, the results would be more significant.
"I heard that the chariot has been built. I wonder what Hongchang's plans are?" Guan Chongguang has not seen the chariot yet, but he only heard from Tie Yong that it was very sharp. He really wanted to see this new thing.
"The first batch of ten combat vehicles are mainly used for actual combat training. I can't say exactly how to use these vehicles. I will try to find the most suitable method as much as possible, and then fully promote the combat vehicles after this step is completed." The idea came from tanks. Zhou Shixiong remembered that early tanks were used to fight together with infantry. It was the Germans' first initiative to use tanks as the main combat force. It seemed to be a method of warfare that only appeared in World War II.
Zhou Shixiong¡¯s cautious attitude towards the chariot is not excessive at all. Even if he has knowledge beyond that of the ancients, things like elephant chariots still belong to an unfamiliar field, and there is no existing experience to refer to. Let¡¯s not talk about anything else, just the issue of feed. Tanks use diesel, and several tanks equipped with one oil truck can travel a long distance. Elephants need to eat fodder and consume 300 kilograms of feed every day. It is transported by ordinary bullock carts. One cart can carry up to five elephants' feed for one day.
If the problem of replenishing feed cannot be solved, the elephant chariot can only move near the camp, which will seriously limit the practicality of the chariot. Zhou Shixiong worked so hard to create a chariot that could withstand crossbows. Of course, he did not want it to be a flashy invention. Therefore, the chariot would not be put into use unless all problems were solved.
Not long after Guan Chongguang left, You Min and Shimazu Nan disguised themselves as servants to find Zhou Shixiong. After not seeing each other for so long, Zhou Shixiong arrogantly carried the two ladies to bed, and with a roar of a tiger, he pounced on them and started a series of battles to make up for the owed homework.
"My lord, Hu'er can talk now. He asked me where my father had gone. I don't know how to answer him." After the desire is satisfied, there are still places that need to be filled mentally. You Min talked about his son, and Zhou Shixiong was speechless.
Zhou Shixiong understands the pain of single-parent families because he has experienced it himself. Zhou Shixiong lost his mother when he was young, and it was his father who raised him up. No matter how responsible his father was, when he saw other children being cared for by their mother, Zhou Shixiong's young heart was filled with jealousy. He was jealous that others were happier than him.
"Madam, you may not understand what my husband is doing now, but you will naturally understand why in more than ten years." Zhou Shixiong could not think of a way to satisfy his son's request. He needed his son to stay in Pingxiang Prefecture to support the Zhennan Hou Mansion. Fame attracts the attention of the court.
You Min looked at Zhou Shixiong sadly and said softly, "Mr. sir, you don't need to tell me these important principles. I just hope that my husband can see Hu'er. My husband hasn't been home for more than half a year." Zhou Shixiong smiled bitterly and nodded. Although You Min said It wasn't much, but he stopped all Zhou Shixiong's excuses when he returned home. This sentence truly achieved the effect of one sentence worth ten thousand.