Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 189 The Secret of the Southern Cape (Part 2)

Xu Guangqi and Song Yingxing had not seen each other for a long time.

When the two met, they inevitably exchanged a few warm greetings.

After they finished exchanging pleasantries, Zhu Jue asked, "So, Chang Geng, how many sets have you prepared for Zixian?"

Song Yingxing quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I have prepared twenty steam engines, twenty boilers and one hundred water-cooled fans for Zixian. I wonder if that is enough?"

He decided to build a sample first to test it out; even a few sets would be enough, and twenty sets would certainly be sufficient.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then asked, "What about the steam engine casing? Has it been made and installed?"

That thing is actually very simple; it's not difficult to make with specialized equipment.

Song Yingxing nodded repeatedly and said, "I have covered all twenty steam engines. Without our specially made wrenches, an ordinary person should not be able to open them."

This secrecy is crucial.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then waved his hand and said, "Let's go, let's go take a look."

Upon hearing this, Song Yingxing quickly led them to the warehouse next to the moat dock of the inner city wall.

The warehouse was about the same size as the factory, but it didn't have water-cooled fans installed. Instead, it was neatly stacked with a row of boiler units, water-cooled fans, and square boxes about knee-high.

Zhu Jue examined it carefully and nodded slightly.

By this time, the processing level of the Ming Dynasty was already quite good. Even the cast shell looked very neat and the surface was polished. It looked like the finished steam engine was a square box.

He took a closer look at the rows of screws at the joint and nodded with satisfaction, saying, "Hmm, not bad, Chang Geng, these screws are installed well."

The screw was indeed installed well, because Song Yingxing didn't even provide a nut, but directly provided a threaded hole, and the nut side was also cast with a countersunk hole, so the entire nut was sunk in. To open it, unless you have a special wrench, it's like a tiger trying to bite a hedgehog, impossible to get a foothold.

Xu Guangqi examined it closely and couldn't help but admire it, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. I was just worried that the steam engine would be stolen. With this cover, unless you smash the cover with a sledgehammer, you won't be able to see what a real steam engine looks like."

Who dares to smash my steam engine casing with a sledgehammer?

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then solemnly said, "Zixian, this secrecy must be kept very tight. The steam engines should be enclosed in separate small rooms and guarded closely. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter. Anyone who sneaks in and tries to open the lid will be killed without mercy!"

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, I understand."

Zhu Jue thought for a moment and then instructed, "Zixian, this time Chang Geng will send about ten experienced craftsmen to accompany you. You don't need to worry about how to install the boiler, pipes, and steam engine. Just gather people to make a prototype first so you can calculate the materials and labor. Then quickly send Zhibao to send a fast ship to Guangdong and Guangxi to recruit craftsmen and start construction as soon as possible."

I plan to move over 100,000 disaster victims there in November. It shouldn't be too hot in Qiongzhou Prefecture at that time, so it doesn't matter if the houses aren't finished yet. I can just have them help build them.

As for money and provisions, just send a fast ship to tell me how much you need, and I will allocate it for you.

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, I understand."

The next questions are farmland, mountains, water conservancy projects, and even what crops are suitable to grow there.

This was all the Minister of Agriculture's business, and Zhu Jue couldn't go there himself to see it, so he could only wait for news from Xu Guangqi in the capital.

As for the pirate Liu Xiang, Zheng Zhibao has already led hundreds of fast ships and twenty to thirty thousand soldiers to follow Xu Guangqi there, so there's no need to worry about that.

The Zheng brothers were known for their bravery. With hundreds of fast ships, they dared to sail even against dozens of warships of colonial pirates in coastal waters, let alone the pirate Liu Xiang, who had only a few warships.

If this guy dares to go and plunder or harass us again, he's asking for death.

He entrusted the affairs of Qiongzhou Prefecture to Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Agriculture, believing that with Xu Guangqi's abilities, developing the far south should not be a problem. He only needed to wait for news in the capital.

Unexpectedly, before Xu Guangqi's message arrived, news from Liaodong came instead. Around 1:00 AM that day, as he was pondering whether to visit the steam engine factory, the boiler factory, or the shipyard, Lü Zhi suddenly rushed in with a memorial in his hand, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, Lord Sun has delivered a report."

Huang Taiji has finally made a move.

He had already received the report from Datong Prefecture that Huang Taiji had hurriedly led his troops back about half a month after Sun Chuanting recovered Liaonan.

It's been almost a month and there's still no sign of it!
Zhu Jue took the memorial, opened it, and couldn't help but sneer.

Sun Chuanting reported that, according to scouts, more than 50,000 Jurchen cavalrymen had come out of Dingliao Right Guard and thoroughly inspected the fake camp where they had left siege equipment. They then set up a large camp there and chopped up all the unfinished siege equipment into firewood to cook.

Huang Taiji probably intended to ambush them.

This guy initially thought Sun Chuanting would attack Dingliao Right Guard again, so he didn't show up when he returned.

As a result, after waiting and waiting without any movement, this guy led his cavalry out of Dingliao Right Guard and set up a large camp in the valley, trying to lure Sun Chuanting into a trap.

Sun Chuanting is not Yang Hao, so naturally he wouldn't fall for such a trick.

Dingliao Right Guard was located in the middle of mountains, with mountains covering a radius of over a hundred miles. The terrain was similar to that of Sarhu, and the Jurchens were particularly good at fighting in such mountainous terrain.

Even if they sent chariots, it would be useless, because the mountain roads were too narrow for the chariots to spread out, and they would easily get trapped in the valley with steep slopes on both sides.

Unless the Sichuan Army's White-Spear Soldiers, who are also skilled in mountain warfare, are deployed, it is unlikely that they can defeat the Jurchens in the Dingliao Right Guard area. Otherwise, fighting the Jurchens in the Dingliao Right Guard area would most likely result in heavy losses.

The problem is that the Sichuan Army's White-Spear Soldiers still have to guard Sichuan and Chongqing. If he transfers the Sichuan Army's White-Spear Soldiers to Liaodong, the rebels will definitely sneak into the Sichuan and Chongqing region, which is rich in food and supplies, and obtain a large amount of supplies.

Zhang Xianzhong liked to rush into Sichuan and Chongqing, and only Qin Liangyu's White-Spear Soldiers could stop him in the entire region.

Zhang Xianzhong is probably already waiting near Sichuan and Chongqing.

Upon reading Sun Chuanting's memorial, he understood that Huang Taiji likely intended to lure the Sichuan army's White Spear soldiers there, making it easier for Zhang Xianzhong to infiltrate Sichuan.

This is because after the Battle of Sarhu, everyone knew that the Jurchens were very good at fighting in the mountains, and the only soldiers in the entire Ming Dynasty who were equally good at mountain warfare were the Sichuan Army's White Spear Soldiers.

Historically, the Sichuan Army's White Spear Soldiers were transferred to Liaodong or the capital region to fight countless battles against the Jurchens. As a result, Sichuan and Chongqing were repeatedly attacked and riddled with holes by Zhang Xianzhong.

The fact that the Jurchens and the rebels always cooperate like this is really troublesome.

He cannot mobilize a large army to suppress the rebels right now. He needs to strengthen the defenses in Liaodong and plant more grain, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. Only when there is sufficient food and supplies there can he mobilize a large army to recover Liaoyang, Shenyang, and other places.

Right now, he seems to be stuck here and can't move. He can't move in the Northwest, he can't move in Liaodong, he can't deal with the rebels, and he can't deal with the Jurchens.

Are we just going to wait and let things develop slowly?

That doesn't seem right either. The weather is about to cool down, and once winter arrives and the world is frozen, that will be a good opportunity for the rebels to grow stronger.

Last year, the number of rebels grew from around 200,000 to 400,000 to 500,000. If we don't find a way to deal with it this year, the number of rebels could surge to over a million.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then decisively said, "Go and tell Boya to first consolidate the defenses, develop in peace, and wait for the right opportunity. He doesn't need to worry about the Jurchens unless they rush out to attack the city and fortresses."

Upon hearing this, Lü Zhi quickly cupped his hands, bowed, and took his leave.

We need to think of a solution to the problem of the rebels. Dozens of shares totaling hundreds of thousands are not a big problem, but if each share is worth hundreds of thousands or millions, then it will be a big problem.

Zhu Jue watched Lü Zhi's departing figure and fell into deep thought.

(End of this chapter)