As soon as he got up in the morning, Yi Zhishu found that it was drizzling outside, Jin Ying came in with a basin of water, and said with a smile: "Young master, I'm late today." ”

Late? Yi Zhizu took out his pocket watch and looked at it, it was already seven o'clock, it was indeed a little late, he said indifferently: "It's okay left and right, it's okay to be late." ”

"They all went to the docks to see the excitement." Jin Ying put down the basin and combed his braids with his hands and feet, but his mouth didn't stop, "It rained in the morning, and many people went to the dock to see the batch of tea, and Huang Gongzi and Senior Sister Bai also went." ”

"What's so beautiful, it's just tens of thousands of taels of silver thrown into the water." Yi Zhizhi was not angry, and he was very angry, the 1,600 boxes of tea were donated by the merchants of the Thirteen Lines, and his Futai Bank also had a share, he was really dissatisfied with Lin Zexu's assertiveness, even if he wanted to be vindictive, there was no need to waste the silver so much, it was really not his own silver that was not heartbroken.

Jin Ying was curious: "Why don't those Western merchants want those teas?" ”

"Bai Zhi asked you to ask?" Yi Zhizhi said in a muffled voice.

"People are just curious."

"It's a long story." Yi Zhizhi said: "I'll tell you slowly when I'm idle when I go to sea." As he spoke, he asked, "What about Gongzi Wu?" ”

"That slacker, he hasn't gotten up yet."

"Who says I haven't gotten up yet?" With the words, Wu Changqing pushed the door in, glanced at Jin Ying, and said, "Slander behind your back is not a gentleman's doing." ”

Jin Ying was not afraid of him at all, made a grimace at him, and said, "A slave is not a gentleman. She knew that the two of them had something to say, so she immediately sped up, quickly tied her braids, and withdrew, and only after washing up did she turn around and ask, "Is the matter half right?" ”

Wu Changqing came to Macau a few days ago in order to buy a fire cap. He immediately nodded and said: "Okay, we are paying three times the high price, those arms dealers estimate that they have even cleaned the bottom of the warehouse several times, and they have not let go of the merchant ships entering the port these days, a total of more than 2,600, which have been loaded last night." ”

More than two thousand six hundred. It sounds like a lot, but in fact, it is for the training of the merchant group, one person is three or four, which is not enough for one day of training, Yi Zhixiang is a little disappointed, it seems that the live ammunition training can only be delayed until the beginning of next year.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Wu Changqing said with a smile: "Those arms dealers said it." It can be provided every month this year, and it can be supplied in large quantities next year. ”

"Next year?" Yi Zhizhi smiled, "Next year, we will be able to produce mass production ourselves." ”

"Young Master." Li Wang reported softly at the door: "Come early." ”

After Li Wang laid out the tea early, Wu Changqing poured himself a cup of tea and asked, "How long will you stay when you go to Basuo this time?" ”

"It's hard to say." Yi Zhizhi said: "This time I want to go to Changhua County." ”

"Brother Contentment isn't worried about the situation in Guangzhou?"

"What's there to worry about?" Yi Zhixin said vaguely, swallowed the steamed dumplings in his mouth, and then continued: "Guangzhou is a place of right and wrong right now. Lord Lin is tough and vows to not achieve his goal. The law of righteousness is capricious, if we want to stay in Guangzhou, it must be that both sides are not pleased, and it is the best policy to dodge, and the situation is clear for half a year. Let's come back again. ”

Half? Wu Changqing felt that the tea in his mouth was bitter and astringent, needless to say, the ghost place of the eight places, Changhua County is estimated to be not as big as a town in Guangzhou, and he hurriedly said: "There is a plague in that place in Changhua." Can contentment be prepared? ”

"Don't worry." Yi Zhisuff said with a smile: "I invited five or six langzhong at a high price, and I also prepared a large number of medicinal materials for epidemic prevention diseases and miasma, how dare you not care about such a big thing?" ”

The summer rain comes and goes quickly, after the wind and rain, the sea is unusually calm, Jin Ying and Bai Zhi, who took a Western sailing ship to the sea for the first time, are a little excited, and go to the deck to enjoy the scenery, Yi Zhicontent, Wu Changqing, and Huang Dianyuan are nested in the cabin to drink and chat.

In the early morning of the fourth day, the fleet arrived at the eight institutes, but only two or three months, the eight institutes were already a little lively, in fact, during this time, Yi Zhizhi and Wu Changqing successively recruited a group of craftsmen and men from Guangzhou to send them over, and the two fleets that went to Manila and Annam to purchase grain and various materials also brought a lot of coolies back and forth, in addition to a large number of exploration technicians of the Yili Railway Company stationed, and some fishermen nearby also gathered to solicit business.

In the eyes of Yi Zhixiang and Wu Changqing, this place is already popular, but in the eyes of people who come here for the first time such as Huang Dianyuan and Bai Zhi, it is a desolation. ”

"This is the port." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "The iron ore is near Changhua County, and the mined iron ore will be shipped to Guangzhou from here." ”

"Is it profitable to transfer like this?"

"Of course, Yuanqi won't do a loss-making business."

Bai Zhi said: "This place looks very flat, and the forest is still lush, why is there no human being?" ”

"There are few people." Wu Changqing said lightly: "There has been a plague, and after the plague, there is a military disaster, and ten rooms and nine empty rooms will naturally be barren." ”

Pestilence? Huang Dianyuan was taken aback, and hurriedly said: "Contentment, thousands of people, this is no joke." ”

"Don't worry." Yi Zhishu hurriedly relieved: "The plague happened in the eighth year of Daoguang, and now it is long gone, and I have also made sufficient preparations, invited Lang Zhong, and prepared medicinal herbs, so there is no need to worry." ”

After listening to the time so far apart, Huang Dianyuan put his mind at ease, and as the boat moved forward, the camp of the merchant group at a slight leeward point entered everyone's sight, and when he saw the neat tent, Bai Zhi said curiously: "What is that place?" ”

The merchant group used a military tent, and Huang Dianyuan saw at a glance that it was a military camp, and said in surprise: "There is still a garrison in this place?" ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said, "How can there be a garrison in this place, that is the camp of the Yuanqi Protector Merchant Group." ”

The Yuanqi Guardian Merchant Group is actually here? Huang Dianyuan was surprised, no wonder Su Mengdie said that he couldn't see the Protector Merchant Group appearing, it turned out that he was hiding in this ghost place, he really wondered in his heart, why did Yi Zhixiang throw the Yuanqi Protector Merchant Group here? He is an old Jianghu, although he has doubts in his heart, he does not dare to inquire at will.

Jin Ying's girl said with a big grin: "The Yuanqi Protector Merchant Group is not a righteous school, why are you here?" ”

Yi Zhishu glanced at her and said with a smile: "Naturally, I was pulled here to train." ”

Righteousness? Huang Dianyuan secretly wondered in his heart, the soldiers of the Merchant Protector Regiment were all selected from the Yixue students? Thinking in his heart, he said: "Look at the camp that is quite orderly, content and understand the art of war?" ”

"I don't know the art of war." Yi Zhisuff said with a smile: "It's just a gourd to draw a scoop." ”

Hesitated for a moment. Huang Dianyuan finally couldn't help but say, "Can I go to the barracks and have a look?" ”

"Of course, let's go to the barracks for breakfast."

The fleet arrived at the harbor, because the wharf was still on the drawings, and the big ship could not dock, so everyone changed to a small boat to land, and Yan Yangtian had already learned from the lookout that it was a contented ship. Immediately brought a platoon to the dock to greet him, and as soon as he came ashore, Jin Ying ran with joy to the two ponies led by a soldier.

The two horses are no more than three or four feet tall and three or four feet long, and they are very small, one is jujube and the other is yellow, which is quite beautiful, and it is no wonder that Jin Ying likes it. Yan Yangtian stepped forward quickly, raised his hand and saluted, and said, "Student Yan Yangtian has seen the principal. As he spoke, he turned his head to salute the others.

Yi Zhishu nodded slightly, smiled, and said, "What is this pony bringing here?" ”

"Back to the principal, this is a native pony from Hainan - Guoxia, only so big, it can be used for transportation."

Hainan still produces horses? Yi Zhishu was a little surprised. However, this horse is obviously only suitable for pets. After looking at it with a smile, he said, "Go back to the camp." ”

When he entered the barracks, Huang Dianyuan felt fresh everywhere, the entire barracks was quite neat and clean, not to mention, and it was very neat, and he could enter a tent at random to take a look. The tent was also neat and clean, and everything was in order, toothbrushes, cups, towels, quilts, basins, lunch boxes, and kettles were all neatly arranged. Especially the quilt, folded squarely, with edges and corners, is very beautiful.

After a long time, Bai Zhi said: "I have never entered the barracks, but I didn't expect the barracks to be so exquisite." ”

Huang Dianyuan glanced at her and said, "What the white girl said is wrong, you haven't entered the barracks of the Green Battalion, compared to this, it is simply a pig's nest." As he spoke, he pointed to the toothbrush and said, "Isn't this merchant group all young master soldiers, all of them use toothbrushes?" ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said: "The merchant group is all rich and noble soldiers, two oceans a month, and they can also top Yuanqi's body, brush their teeth, they are personal hygiene, personal hygiene is not particular, and they are expected to pay attention to collective hygiene?"

Can you still top Yuanqi's body? Yuan Qi is a rich flowing oil, and it is indeed a rich soldier, Huang Dianyuan secretly thought in his heart, and after scanning the utensils in the tent one by one, he tentatively said: "These things are all uniformly distributed?" ”

"Of course." Yi Zhizhi smiled and said: "Yuan Qi is not short of money, so can he wronged them?" ”

"Stinky and exquisite." Bai Zhi muttered softly, "Can these rich soldiers come in handy?" ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled: "It should be stronger than the green camp." ”

After breakfast, Yi Zhixin accompanied everyone to watch the daily training of the merchant group, which was nothing more than physical training, queue training, and stabbing training, and looked at it all the way, Huang Dianyuan said with emotion: "I really didn't expect that contentment would also train soldiers, these soldiers fought one or two battles, and they were far from being comparable to the green battalion soldiers, but the number was too small." As he spoke, he paused for a moment and said, "These muskets are not the shotguns of the Green Battalion, they are all Western goods?" ”

"Brother Rong has good eyesight." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile.

"The birds of the Green Battalion don't have bayonets." Huang Dianyuan said and smiled, "Can you buy us a batch of muskets for contentment?" Hearing this, Bai Zhideng's ears pricked up.

Yi Zhishu glanced at him and said with a smile: "Brother Rong is sure that your guild can afford to use a musket?" ”

"What do you mean?"

"Muskets are money-burners." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "Let's just say this gun, sixty silver dollars a shot, but also equipped with high-quality gunpowder and bullets, every live-fire training, is to burn money, and it is not durable, a gun can be scrapped with two or three hundred rounds of bullets, and then the loss of parts and components is also large, there is no certain machine production capacity as a backing, or enough financial resources to support, it can't be raised at all." ”

So expensive? After a slight groan, Huang Dianyuan said: "I can still afford to raise five hundred people." ”

Smiling, Yi Zhizhi said, "Then I will help Brother Yourong order five hundred muskets?" ”

After a slight hesitation, Huang Dianyuan said: "This is not a trivial matter, I will go back and discuss it with the master." As he spoke, he glanced at Yi Zhicontentment and said, "Contentment took us to visit the military camp of the merchant group, there should be a plan, right?" ”

"This little bit of caution seems to be hidden from Brother Rong." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "Yuan Qi is in charge of the money of Guangdong Province, and a large amount of silver money is escorted, and the five hundred merchant groups are not enough at all, and there are also mines and ports here, and it is impossible not to garrison the town." ”

As he spoke, he glanced at Bai Zhi and said, "I plan to select five hundred people from the Qinglian Sect and the miners sent by the Three Points Association to form a mine protection team and a harbor protection team, of course, these two teams are under the control of Yuan Qi. ”

This kid had the idea, Huang Dianyuan smiled and said, "It's not profitable, it's not early, what good are we?" ”

"What benefits do you want from Brother Rong?"

Huang Dianyuan said with a smile: "Favor, I want Yuan Qi to be a favor." ”

"Brother Rong has a good calculation." Yi Zhicontent said with a smile: "Yuan Qi is a favor, it is difficult to buy." After a slight pause, he said briskly: "Okay!" There will be something at three o'clock in the future, just ask. ”

"Happy." Huang Dianyuan said with a smile.

After lunch, after arranging Huang Dianyuan and Bai Zhi to rest, Wu Changqing found an opportunity, pulled Yi Zhifen aside, and said puzzledly: "After those miners come, they want to build a mine protection team, a port protection team or something, can they still be up to them?" Why bother to favor a favor? Besides, aren't the brothers worried about their growing congregation in the Guardian Merchant Corps? ”

"There must be a lot of those miners who are from the Qinglian Sect and the Three Points Society, if they don't say hello, it will be a trouble in the future, and it has to be said clearly, what kind of mine protection team, Shanghai and Hong Kong team, are just a name, these thousand people are the people of the business protection group." Yi Zhishu said with a slight snort, and said: "As for infiltration, it may be possible to say who infiltrates, don't worry about Changqing." ”

Seeing that he was so sure, Wu Changqing couldn't help but remind: "Those gangs are still a set of methods to deceive people's hearts. ”

"Changqing, don't worry, they can't bewitch the people of the merchant group." Yi Zhizu sighed lightly and said, "The recruitment of Yixue students is too slow, and with these thousand people, we will be more sure." ”

This is also the top priority, first expand the strength and then talk about it, after a slight groan, Wu Changqing said: "The musket of the Protector Merchant Group is much stronger than the bird gun, and the Western musket is so powerful?" ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhishu looked at him and said, "Changqing walked around when he saw the musket shooting, why did he suddenly ask like this?" See how powerful the Merchant Regiment's musket is? Or did the old man guess it? ”

"Brother Si Fen is full of confidence in the merchant group, how can the old man not be suspicious?"

"It seems that I really can't hide it from the old man." Yi Zhizhi said: "The musket of the merchant group is more powerful than the Western musket, the key is in the gunpowder and bullets, don't leak this matter, I am trading with American businessmen, in exchange for their machinery and equipment to make muskets, guns and gunpowder caps, and besides, the British invaded Guangzhou, we can also beat them hard." (To be continued.) )