The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

"My lord, I want all the people who participated in the battle at Qianshandun last time. Of course, it's on a voluntary basis; if they don't want to return to Qianshandun, I won't force them," Jia Chen said.

"No problem, this is simple." Liu Tianwang nodded and said, "Many of them have been dispersed to nearby watchtowers, so it won't take much effort to gather them."

Jia Chen's request is very reasonable.

Everyone seeks out familiar subordinates, especially on the battlefield, where these comrades with whom one has shared life and death experiences are the most reassuring and reassuring.

"I also need gunpowder, firearms, and other support." Jia Chen's mind raced. Since he was going to Qianshandun, he had to secure the best possible conditions for himself.

Whether it was Qianshandun or later Qianshanbao, its main task was defense.

Even if the northern barbarians invade from the south in the future, as long as Qianshan Fort does not fall, it can become a thorn in their side when they enter Datong Town to plunder.

This nail must be hard enough that it cannot be easily pulled out.

Therefore, Jia Chen must do everything he can to increase the defensive fortifications of Qianshan Fort.

A fortified village has a limited number of soldiers, so the rest can only rely on the superior weapons and firearms of the Great Hong Dynasty over the various tribes of the grasslands.

Last time he was lucky and found smuggled gunpowder in the Sun family's caravan.

If it weren't for the extra gunpowder, he wouldn't have been able to withstand Abne's attack at all.

Now that the conditions are right, Jia Chen naturally wants to try to get more.

"Okay." Liu Tianwang nodded.

Gunpowder and firearms were common military supplies in the army. However, the success rate of ignition was too low, and due to poor quality, they often misfired or even exploded. Therefore, the soldiers could not trust them and most preferred to use swords.

Firearms were a secondary option and were rarely used.

"I will select the best firearms for you on Beidong Road," Liu Tianwang continued.

He wasn't saying he wanted Jia Chen to go and die.

Jia Chen is now a hero of the North East Road. This report has reached the ears of the Emperor, and even the Emperor himself should have heard of Jia Chen's name.

Since that's the case, I certainly can't let Jia Chen suffer such a loss.

If Jia Chen can hold the front mountain mound, it will be of great benefit to him.

If Jia Chen makes a contribution, he, as the adjutant, should be credited with it.

He needs to leverage Jia Chen's reputation and achievements to increase his chances of promotion.

Whatever Jia Chen needs, as long as it's not too outrageous, he's naturally willing to fully support him.

"My lord, is it possible to select some craftsmen to make firearms for Qianshan Fort?" Jia Chen asked.

"Craftsmen?" Liu Tianwang asked, somewhat puzzled. "What do you need craftsmen for?"

"I think that since Qianshan Fort is going to become a thorn in the side of the Northern Barbarians, we should be prepared for a long-term siege," Jia Chen said.

"Very good, I'm pleased that you think this way." Liu Tianwang nodded and smiled. "The future provisions and rations for Qianshan Fort will be prioritized, and the quantity will be guaranteed without any deductions. I will personally oversee this, so you can rest assured. But is this craftsman necessary?"

If Qianshanbao can hold out, it will definitely be besieged.

The Northern Tartars' raids in the south usually don't last too long, at most a little over a month. So, the food supplies prepared for the soldiers in Qianshan Fort for about two months should be enough.

With sufficient provisions and pay, and considering that a small fortified village only has a maximum of one or two hundred people, he, as the deputy commander, could still guarantee that.

Qianshanbao will be a typical example of his northeastern route, and it must stand out.

He couldn't possibly be unwilling to pay this price.

Jia Chen couldn't believe that the rations and pay wouldn't be reduced.

Perhaps Liu Tianwang really had such thoughts, wanting to ensure that the future grain and salary of Qianshandun were sufficient, but such a thing could only be maintained in the short term at most.

In the long run, it is absolutely impossible to do so.

Jia Chen understood this in his heart and knew he needed to prepare for it early.

"To be honest, sir, I believe firearms are remarkably effective in defending the city," Jia Chen said. "Those northern barbarians are indeed fierce and warlike. One of them can even hold his own against several of us, and may even gain the upper hand. I don't want our soldiers to make unnecessary sacrifices, and gunpowder and firearms are the best way to kill the northern barbarians. If we have firearms craftsmen, I can have them make some adjustments to the firearms based on the northern barbarians' attack on the city, which I believe will enable us to better defend Qianshan Fortress."

Liu Tianwang paused for a moment.

He was well aware of the power of firearms.

For example, those cannons were truly impressive.

However, it is too unstable; if things go wrong, it will harm itself before harming the enemy.

The soldiers were unwilling to use them, and many were simply left to mold in the warehouse.

"Last time, Jia Chen did rely on those gunpowders to achieve a great victory. I think Jia Chen is quite knowledgeable about firearms, so we should let him use his strengths. As for those inferior firearms? Hmph, I'm not saying this to criticize, but the embezzlement was too severe. It's not easy for the lower ranks to even produce these inferior firearms. As long as Jia Chen keeps a tight grip on things and the supply of materials is sufficient, I believe the quality can be guaranteed." Hu Youcai snorted coldly.

Although he had not been in the army for long, he had heard about the drawbacks of these firearms.

Seeing Liu Tianwang's hesitant expression, how could one not know what he was thinking?

"You're right, sir. I was overthinking it," Liu Tianwang laughed. "Good, Jia Chen. As for firearms craftsmen, I'll select the best batch from the Northeast Circuit and give them to you. If that's not enough, I can request support from the General. Is there anything else you need?"

"My lord, if we are to build a fortified village, we will need a lot of people. The people from the previous fortified village at Qianshandu may not be enough," Jia Chen said.

"We will arrange laborers specifically for building the fortress, and the number of them will be considerable. Although everyone thinks that the Chahar tribe will not move south again this year, we cannot let our guard down. We must build the Qianshan Fortress as quickly as possible," Liu Tianwang said.

"How many soldiers will be stationed at Qianshan Fort in the future?" Jia Chen asked.

The positions of Tunpu officials actually varied in rank, and the number of people under their command was not fixed.

These fortified villages may be divided into villages with hundreds of households and villages with thousands of households.

Jia Chen was a centurion, so his garrison was naturally of the size of a centurion's fortress.

Generally, there are around 100 soldiers stationed there, but in dangerous and strategic locations like Qianshanbao, there should be more.

It's important for Jia Chen to know how many soldiers Liu Tianwang can give him.

Liu Tianwang's expression changed, and after a long while, he sighed, "Jia Chen, to be honest, the North East Road is currently short of soldiers and men. The General took a lot of troops with him when he took office in Datong Prefecture. Those left behind..."

At this point, Liu Tianwang couldn't help but shake his head.

When Chen Tai took office as general, he took some of the original elite troops from the North East Road.

This is only natural. Although he was a general, his background was not as good as some of the deputy generals and brigade commanders below him.

He needs a certain number of troops to ensure his strength.

Therefore, the fighting strength of the troops left behind on the North East Road is worrying.

He brought about 1500 troops from the Beijing garrison with him this time, of which at least half were going back to Beijing; leaving half behind would be quite good.

As a result, Liu Tianwang, the adjutant general, didn't really have many troops under his command.

"However, I have already reported the difficulties of the Northern East Road to His Majesty, hoping to transfer some troops from the Beijing Garrison to supplement it, which may be able to gain his support." Liu Tianwang said, glancing at Hu Youcai.