Chapter 44: Plan to open the way

Building a workshop in a mountain nook is not a wise choice.

The main problem is the inconvenience of transportation.

Materials have to be shipped in and finished products have to be shipped out. I don’t know how much effort it takes.

The only advantage is that it is concealed and safer.

Fortunately, what is needed now is safety and concealment, and there is no shortage of labor. There are still 5,000 young people in the Crescent Valley, and there are tens of thousands of healthy women who can work. The land in Crescent Valley has long been cleared to grow food, but now most of it is idle. Since there is no shortage of labor, the problem of transportation inconvenience can be offset by manpower for the time being.

There is too much chaos outside the mountain now. The troops of the imperial court and the troops of the bandits are all intertwined. It is not a good place to develop in peace.

A night of silence.

The next day, Ying Yi spent the entire day in Bibo Valley, confirming the levels and categories of the 247 craftsmen.

As far as levels are concerned, according to what Ying Yi and Pu Tiechui said before, there are three levels for the time being. Among them, there are only eight third-level craftsmen, 41 second-level craftsmen, and the remaining 198 are all first-level craftsmen. Among them, Pu Tiechui, as a third-level craftsman, temporarily acts as the master craftsman of the workshop.

It is also divided into categories. According to their respective strengths, they are divided into five categories: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. There is also something to say in this. Gold is the craftsman who prepares metal utensils, wood is naturally the craftsman related to carpentry, water is mainly the craftsman who digs wells and builds canals, fire is naturally the craftsman in smelting and firing, and earth is naturally the stonemason and mason. artisan.

Classify them into categories and then register them.

It was very formal and made the craftsmen excited and very happy. The more formal it is, the more trustworthy it is. If it is too casual, it will naturally not be credible.

After registration, the entire Bibo Valley began to undergo major construction. These craftsmen include almost all categories, and they are experts when it comes to construction. Seeing that there was hope, they all exerted their strength. Under the leadership of Pu Tiechui and seven other third-level craftsmen, they divided the labor and cooperated, felling wood and quarrying stone, and they were in full swing for a while.

Eight third-level craftsmen, all in five categories. Among them, there are two types of metal, wood, earth, and fire. They were appointed by Ying Yi as the chief and deputy leaders, responsible for the craftsmen of a category. There is only one third-level water craftsman, so there is no deputy.

He also formally introduced Er Niu and Fourth Sister-in-law, and told all the craftsmen what they would be responsible for in the future. The temporary shelf of Bibogu was put up.

Before Ying Yi left, the fourth sister-in-law pulled him aside and said: "There is not much food in the valley. There are more than 200 mouths, all of them are big-bellied men. Twenty shi of food, and seven of them have gone in just two days." Eight hundred catties. Brother Ying, you have to think of something."

Ying Yi said with a smile: "Fourth sister-in-law, just don't worry. There will be food."

He called Er Niu over again: "From now on, you and the fourth sister-in-law must take responsibility. If there is anything that can be solved, solve it immediately. If you can't solve it, write it down, and either go to the scholar or me."

With the two of them looking slightly uneasy, Ying Yi left.

Back in Crescent Valley, the sky had just darkened. The soldiers just dispersed. Ying Yi looked on from the side and nodded slightly. Although it has only been a day or two, compared to the beginning, I can finally see a little bit of structure.

Grandpa Qi Jiguang Qi once said in his military book that there are strict requirements for selecting soldiers. Don't be a slick business gangster, don't be a strongman who shows off his strength and show off his strength, but only choose honest and good family members. There is certainly his reason for this.

A gangster in the market, a strongman who shows off his strength and fights fiercely. To put it bluntly, he is a thorn in the side, disobedient to discipline, thoughtful, and self-centered.

Qi Jiguang's idea was to open a large formation, fight against the enemy, and practice a majestic formation. The cowardly will not retreat, the brave will not advance, the whole army will be like one body, and a thousand men will be like one arm. The more honest a person is, the easier it is to train. The more dishonest a person is, the easier it is for him to slip up at critical moments.

In this regard, Ying Yi strongly agrees. Although the army is a big melting pot, all kinds of people can be refined. But for now, time is of the essence. Of course, the thorn head can be smelted, but it will take longer, and Ying Yi doesn't have that much time to polish it for the time being.

Therefore, these more than 3,000 people are all honest people.

Under strict military law, it took only two days to take shape. If you are not an honest person, you will definitely not be able to do it.

After the army was disbanded, meals and rest were arranged. Afterwards, Ying Yi exchanged opinions with Zhou Li and Zhu Bingkun, two thousand households, and then called Sun Xiucai and Lian Biao.

"I guess we have to open a road." Ying Yi said: "Open the road from Crescent Valley to Bibo Valley and the road from Bibo Valley to Xiaowangzhuang. Transportation in the mountains is inconvenient, and Bibo Valley has to be used as a workshop. Construction, whether it is transporting materials in or transporting finished products out, is extremely difficult. There are so many people with nothing to do nowadays, so we can temporarily plan to open roads. What do you think, scholar?"

The scholar nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "If you don't tell me, your subordinates will make suggestions."

Ying Yi nodded slightly: "Then you plan to organize the manpower. In my opinion, there are three batches. The first batch in Crescent Valley will open a road from this end to the direction of Bibo Valley. There will be two batches in Bibo Valley, and one batch will open a road in the direction of Crescent Valley. A group of people are going to open a road to Xiaowangzhuang outside the mountain. But before opening the road, we must first explore the path and walk along the valleys and streams. We cannot force it."

Sun Xiucai replied: "Don't worry, sir, I will save you."

He said: "But it's difficult to open a road in the mountains, and the tools..."

Ying Yi nodded: "Don't worry, I will get a batch of materials from Ye County as soon as possible. Once the shelves in Bibo Valley are set up and the armaments are met, the required tools will be made by ourselves soon. You need to organize the manpower first. , I have my own issues with the rest.”

He added: "There are five tiger squatting cannons in Ye County, which means there should be some gunpowder stored. Some craftsmen in Bibo Valley can also make gunpowder, but they need materials. If there is enough gunpowder, it will be much easier to open the road. But there may not be any for the time being. The only way is to do it manually.”

He paused and sighed: "Now that everything is just beginning, there are problems everywhere. Let's put the army first. I plan to wait for the craftsmen to make the first batch of gun heads I need, and then start making guns."

Sun Xiucai also sighed, but quickly cheered up: "As long as we get started, it will get smoother and smoother in the future. Don't lose heart, sir."

Ying Yi laughed: "Since I have taken this step, why do I have the right to be discouraged?"

Then he said, "Besides opening the way, there is one more thing that you need to put on the agenda immediately."

The scholar said: "Please give me your instructions."

"The gun head is made in Bibo Valley first. Once the gun head is available, the gun barrel cannot be missing. Therefore, I want you to organize some manpower and start making the gun immediately. I'm afraid some people say that the manufacturing of this gun barrel is not easy. If you don't understand, go to Bibo Gu asked some craftsmen to come over and give guidance." The gun barrel was the first priority, so Ying Yi said it very solemnly.

Then he added: "Besides weapons, armor... I'm afraid there is nothing to think about for the time being. But I am thinking that if conditions permit, we may be able to unify the military uniforms first. But there are no resources in the valley, so I may have to hold back for the time being."

Sun Xiucai thought for a while: "I will think of a solution after I get down."

"As long as you have a way, don't force it if you don't have a way." Ying Yi said, "Remember not to force the people."

Sun Xiucai responded solemnly.