As far as the musket is concerned, the biggest problem now is that the manufacturing process of the moon gun has reached its peak. No matter how it is improved, there is not much room for improvement. Its range, its accuracy, its reload speed, are all limited. It is, after all, a front-loading rifled gun, and its inherent flaws are impossible to change.

If the small arms of the troops were to be improved, breech-loading guns had to be developed. And the key to the breech gun is the primer of the bullet. The key to the primer of the bullet is again the mercury. According to Xu Xingxia's description, the workshop specially dispatched more than a dozen craftsmen to set up a special research team to study mine mercury. However, for the time being, there is no clue. I have to admit that the chemical level of the Ming Dynasty is indeed a bit problematic, and no one understands it at all!

Thunder mercury belongs to the vein of Taoist deception. Ordinary regular craftsmen are actually dismissive. When Xu Xingxia talked about Lei Mercury, several people in charge of the craftsman's workshop looked at me and I looked at you, and their expressions were more or less embarrassed. Obviously, they are very unfamiliar with such things. In the end, Liu Guangliang had to suggest euphemistically that perhaps a few Taoist priests with alchemy experience should be found to participate.

However, at that time, it was not so easy to find a few Taoist priests who knew how to do alchemy. At that time, what was the most active elixir of Taoist priests refining? In addition to the so-called elixir, it is an aphrodisiac. These two elixirs are the most popular and profitable among the powerful. However, these two elixirs do not seem to have much to do with thunder mercury.

"Take your time!"

Xu Xingxia could only comfort himself.

Suddenly, I thought of Miss Azhu's master, that is, the bull-nosed Tang Chendao chief, I wonder if he knows Lei Mercury's fur? This guy is said to be a master of alchemy, and often has some "magical" pills dedicated to Emperor Wanli, otherwise, he would not have been valued by Emperor Wanli. It seems that it is necessary for me to deal with this bull's nose!

However, he has made such a big move in Ningxia City, and even in the entire northwest, I am afraid that the imperial court is already eager to break his body into thousands of pieces. If you want to get in touch with Niubi, I'm afraid it's a little difficult. However, there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, and the boat is naturally straight to the bridge, if there is a fate, it is estimated that there is still a chance to meet.

…… In the craftsman's workshop, Xu Xingxia stayed for a night, carefully checked all the production procedures, and felt that there was no major problem. Several people in charge of the craftsman's workshop are still very dedicated, and the rules and regulations, as well as the production process, are basically very mature. In fact, as long as the craftsman workshop continues to develop normally, it will inevitably be able to provide a large amount of weapons and equipment to the white-clothed army. With enough weapons and equipment, the white-clothed army can run rampant in the world. Even if it is only Yue Yue, the white-clothed army can still fight the world.

After encouraging the craftsmen, Xu Xingxia left the craftsman's workshop and prepared to go to Ningxia City. The craftsman workshop in Weizhenbao can only produce muskets, mini shells and explosives bags, but the craftsman workshop in Ningxia City can produce artillery. With the development of future warfare, the status of artillery will become more and more important. Whether it is to siege or defend a city, a large number of artillery is required. To be precise, it requires a large number of high-power, long-range artillery.

I don't know if there has been any progress in the artillery research presided over by the Ningxia City Craftsman Workshop in the past few months? If it is still an outdated and backward Francophone artillery, it will not be interesting. The caliber of the Franc machine gun was too small and no longer suited to the needs of the times. In front of the red-coated artillery, the Franc machine artillery basically had no chance to play.

At the very least, the study of artillery should develop in the direction of redcoat cannons, with high power and long range. It would be better if it could mount Napoleonic artillery, with moderate power, moderate range, and easy maneuverability. The combination of the Mini gun and the Napoleonic artillery was able to maneuver with a large number of enemy cavalry in the field, even without a van. Of course, it would be better if there was cover from an eccentric car. The main force of the white-clothed army in the future will definitely be a multi-arm mixed army.

When Xu Xingxia came out of Weizhen Fort, it was exactly morning, and the sun had just come out. The sun is shining, the air is fresh, the heat has not yet begun, the wind blowing from the direction of Helan Mountain, there is still a little coolness, it is the most pleasant time of the day. At this time, it was already outside the field, and it was already very busy, and the people were all working in the fields. The roads between the fields were also full of people coming and going, as well as horse-drawn carriages one after another.

At the beginning of July, it happened to be the harvest season in Ningxia Town. Most of the crops in Ningxia Town are harvested three times in two years. It is at this time that the rice harvest is abundant. In addition, there are a considerable number of medicinal herbs such as wolfberry, which are also harvested in July. At this time, it was the hottest time in Ningxia Town. Xu Xingxia estimated that the temperature in the field at noon must have exceeded 40 degrees. The outside temperature is also above thirty-five degrees. In the era when there was no air conditioning and no fan, no matter where you stayed, you must be sweating and sweating like rain.

However, no one complained about being tired, no one complained about the hot weather, and no one stayed at home because of the hot weather. Because, this harvest is a real harvest. Except for the very low taxes, the rest of the harvest is all their own. Even for the people of Fort Will, this was the first time they had harvested so much food. Having food in your hands and not panicking in your heart is the most simple truth in any dynasty.

Before the white-clothed army completely closed the fortresses such as Zhenyuan Pass, there was no way to cultivate the fields around Weizhen Fort. Who is not worried about the arrival of the Tartar cavalry? The painstaking efforts to plant the food, only to turn around and come and destroy all the hard work, is too many times to have such a grief experience. As a result, the fields that were close at hand had to be abandoned. But now, these fields have been reclaimed, all planted with grain, and they are lucky to have a good harvest, can the people not be happy?

At the beginning, Xu Xingxia's mulberry fish pond developed in Niujiaodun was gradually imitated by some people. They also dug some fish ponds, planted some mulberry trees, and next to the mulberry trees, raised chickens, ducks and pigs, and gradually became some climate. Facts have proved that as long as you are willing to work hard, there is nothing you can't do. It seems that Huang Fei's father, Huang Tianlai, is a good hand at this mulberry fish pond. Relying on the chickens, ducks, fish and pigs that he raised, he really made a lot of silver taels. The food for many troops of the White Army was supplied by Huang Tianlai.

Standing outside Weizhen Fort, if you raise the clairvoyant mirror and look at the bank of the Yellow River, you will definitely be shocked by those dense waterwheels. In order to ensure that the fields around Weizhenbao and even Zhenshuo Fort and Heishan Camp had enough water sources for irrigation, the steward built a large number of waterwheels on the banks of the Yellow River to guide the water of the Yellow River to irrigate the fields. Because the water required to grow rice is very large, and the planting area of rice is large, therefore, on the bank of the Yellow River, there are many waterwheels, almost less than 20 zhang apart, there is one.

These large waterwheels of the Yellow River have been invented in the Zhengde period. Its work efficiency is very high, and a large water truck can ensure the irrigation water of thousands of acres of fields. However, it is also expensive to make. A large waterwheel costs nearly three hundred taels of silver. Except for Xu Xingxia's big money, others really can't do it. This is the basic reason why it has not been able to be promoted to the whole country, and there are not many people who are willing to pay for it!

"Huang Xiaohu!" Xu Xingxia suddenly saw a person, his heart moved slightly, and he shouted.

The person he saw was Huang Fei's younger brother, Huang Tianlai's youngest son, a young man of fifteen or sixteen. At this time, he was pushing a cart full of rice in a wheelbarrow back from the field. Due to the hot weather, all his clothes were soaked, and beads of sweat continued to flow down. The towel he used to wipe his sweat was already wet.

"Captain!" Hearing Xu Xingxia call himself, Huang Xiaohu hurriedly put the wheelbarrow away and trotted all the way over. Like many teenagers, the most desired thing for a young man of their age is to join the army. With the gradual strengthening of the white-clothed army, fighting in the east and west, fighting in the south and the north, more and more places have been visited, and there are more and more things to see and hear.

Especially after the white-clothed army entered the Bayannur grassland, there were constantly new things coming from them, which stimulated them even more. The white-clothed army defeated so many Tartars and defeated so many Mongols, and naturally there will be no less captures. According to the discipline regulations of the White Clothes Army, non-valuables are generally handed over to the person who seized them after they are handed over. For example, Tatar or Mongol waist knives, daggers, bows and arrows, leather armor, leather hats, wrenches and other items, after being counted, are basically issued to the soldiers as souvenirs.

Therefore, ordinary soldiers in white can get a lot of so-called "souvenirs". Some warriors who like to collect loot, after several battles, can have a lot of loot, among them, there are some very useful things. If there are certain fighters who are not very disciplined and secretly drift away some souvenirs, the number is even more. Whenever they come back to visit their relatives, they will dry all kinds of souvenirs, and they will immediately envy others.

You must know that in the past, it was the Tartars who came to rob us, and the Tartars were drying souvenirs, but now, it's our turn to grab the Tartars, and it's our turn to dry the souvenirs. They have been instilled with the idea that the Tartars are their sworn enemies, and they are incompatible. As long as they meet, they must not coexist at the same time. Now that there is a chance to abuse the Tartars, who wants to let it go? Not to mention anything else, just getting a few Tartar waist knives back is a very glorious thing!

Especially later, there was news that some white-clothed soldiers even married some girls from other tribes. Well, I don't know if it's marrying or what, anyway, it's hooking up, and it's good. Some young girls from the Tuyuhun people even returned to the Black Mountain camp with them. This has excited a lot of young people again. They didn't know the discipline of the white-clothed army, and they thought that after joining the army, they could play with other people's girls casually. It has to be said that this is also one of the great temptations. Hmph, I can't find a wife in the mainland, let's go outside and find one.

Huang Xiaohu is a typical young man of this kind, who has all kinds of thoughts, and wants to get into the ranks of the white-clothed army. It's a pity that he was too young, not yet eighteen years old, and the white-clothed army did not accept him. At the same time, Huang Tianlai has two sons, the eldest son Huang Fei has joined the army, and the younger son is generally not allowed to join the army. Of course, there are exceptions.

"Huang Xiaohu, how many acres of land have your family planted? How much grain was beaten in total? Can you get busy? Xu Xingxia turned over and dismounted, and asked with interest.

"Thirteen acres, it is estimated that there are 3,500 catties." Huang Xiaohu was excited, and thought that Xu Xingxia would make an exception to approve him to join the army in advance, but he didn't expect that what Xu Xingxia asked was about his family's farming, and he immediately became listless and responded sheepishly.

"Oh? Three thousand five hundred pounds? Xu Xingxia nodded to himself. That's a good number! On average, there are about 270 catties per mu, which is equivalent to one and a half stones. The yield per mu is almost there. After all, the Jiangnan is not the real Jiangnan, and in terms of the average yield of grain per mu, it cannot be compared with the real Jiangnan. In the real Jiangnan, the highest yield per mu of rice should have gone to more than three stones and approached four stones.

In fact, before, the estimated figure reported by the steward's association was about one and a half stones. Deng Linyong, Lin Hainiu and others are all experts in farming, and according to the situation of farmland in various places, the numbers they deduced will definitely not be too far apart. And the number reported by the No. 1 farm presided over by Chen Erfu is about the same number. Under the first farm, there are tens of thousands of acres of fields. It can be seen that the harvest of the first year is indeed this number. There may be some farmland highs, a little farmland lows, but on average, it is not far from ten.

Frankly speaking, Xu Xingxia is not satisfied with this number. The yield of one and a half acres is too far from Jiangnan compared with Jiangnan. One acre of paddy field in the south of the Yangtze River is comparable to two acres in Ningxia Town. If we take into account the characteristics of Jiangnan with two crops a year, this gap is even farther. However, to eat one bite at a time, the road must be taken step by step, and the increase in grain yield per mu must be carried out step by step and step by step. If you want to be fast, you can't reach it, and it's not good to be too impatient.

"Your father is busy delivering goods, and your brother is in the army, can your family be busy? How many people are in your family? Xu Xingxia thought about it and asked with concern. The report of the stewardship committee and Chen Erfu is all written words, and it is definitely not as good as understanding the truth in person.

(To be continued)