Domineering Daming

He touched it for a while, but still shook his head, still far from meeting his requirements.

Zhu Xu looked up and asked, "How far can you shoot?"

Bi Maokang said: "Return to Your Highness, I tested it last night, occasionally it will be far away, and it is usually less than fifty feet."

Zhu Xu frowned slightly. One zhang is almost three meters, which means it is about 150 meters. The effective kill is estimated to be less than 100 meters.

"How about the front sight?" Zhu Xu asked again.

Bi Maokang hesitated for a moment, and said: "It hasn't been calculated yet, but judging from last night, it should be out of control."

Zhu Xu nodded. Most of these flintlock guns have no front sight. Although there is no front sight, it doesn't mean that they have no lethality, especially when cavalry charges on a large scale, they will be extremely powerful.

Zhu Xu pondered for a while, and said: "There is still a way to find the barrel, the barrel can be lengthened, and other ways to cool down, try more."

"It's Your Highness." Bi Maokang also echoed, this is also a question that has been bothering him.

Zhu Xu glanced at him, and tentatively said: "If it is a large-scale casting, how much can you cast here?"

Bi Maokang was stunned, looked at Zhu Xu thinking, and said, "I can't cast much here. When the blueprint is completed, it will be much faster to hand it over to the Military Weapons Bureau. One or two hundred rods a month will not be a problem."

Naturally, Zhu Xu would not hand it over to the Military Weapons Bureau, so it would be better to tell Zhu Youxiao directly that it would be easier for him to rebel.

"It seems that an arsenal that can mass-produce firearms has to be rebuilt."

Zhu Xu thought about it, nodded his face and said: "In a few days, I will find a way to get you a cannon in red. You should study it carefully and increase the power to the maximum."

Chapter 87 Salt

Going down the mountain is easier than going up the mountain. The most important thing is that the uphill has survived, and the downhill is not so embarrassing.

Naturally, Zhu Xu didn't make people forget her either.

Zhu Xu was thinking as he walked, Bi Maokang's research, even with his reliable and unreliable guidance, it is not easy to achieve the effect he wants to use in a short period of time, especially for mass production. things.

This is not a question of cost either. The conditions are immature for training a musketeer army with strong combat effectiveness. Zhu Xu asked Cao Wenzhao to select 500 people. In fact, it is already a limit, and there will be problems if there are more.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhu Xu still frowned and pondered.

It is not easy to build an arsenal that can mass-produce firearms. Gunpowder, ironware, and coal, none of which can attract the attention of others. Unbelievable.

Thinking about it, Zhu Xu glanced at Yao Qingqing. She looked sad, as if her heart was broken and powerless.

"Hey, it's all annoying."

Zhu Xu is also weak, and his life is not very good recently.

The carriage went all the way back to the city, Zhu Xu sighed again, and said: "There is still half an hour, so hurry up." Although he has been lifted by Empress Zhang, he only has one hour outside the palace, and he still has to go See Fu Changzong.

After entering the city, he had to change his carriage again and stopped in front of a private house.

A boy who looked like a buddy opened the door, stretched his head to look around, and then said to Zhu Xu: "Your Highness, please hurry up, the master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhu Xu nodded, straightened his clothes, and walked in.

"Going up the mountain?" Fu Changzong said at the door, looking at Zhu Xu.

There was still a lot of mud on Zhu Xu's feet, he rubbed it on the ground, and said with a smile: "It's not bad, but it's a bit troublesome to mass-produce it."

The two of them talked, turned and entered the room, they sat opposite each other, Fu Changzong said: "It's really hard to do things with the Military Weapons Bureau, but it will be much more convenient if I get promoted to be the servant of the household department, and then I will secretly build a small army." It shouldn't be difficult for the machine bureau."

Zhu Xu shook his head. Fu Changzong underestimated the needs of an arsenal. Even the servant of the household department can't live in a capital where bureaucrats are everywhere. Besides, he didn't want to build a small one.

His time was limited, so he focused on the key points and said: "I don't know what the emperor's plan is, but the servant of the household department is a good position. After entering, he will not compete for fame or profit. I figured it out. After so many years, there must be a set of unspoken rules in it.”

Daming was thoroughly corrupt from top to bottom, among which the money bag and household department was the most serious.

Zhu Xu wanted to figure it out so that he could rectify it in the future.

Fu Changzong looked calm, and said: "I know this. I have been investigating taxes, various appropriations, and debts recently. There is nothing obvious in the accounts, but a few people hinted at me a little bit, as if to test me. "

Zhu Xu nodded, and was about to speak when Fu Changzong suddenly said, "By the way, I've been assigned to a saltworks."

"Salt field? Assigned? What does this mean?" Zhu Xu was stunned, and looked up at Fu Changzong.Although the salt tax of Ming Dynasty was almost corroded, the total tax revenue was more than 200 million, and the salt tax was only more than 100 million. From this point of view, it was still a lot, and all parties in the court also valued it very much.

Fu Changzong frowned, looked at Zhu Xu and said, "I also just learned that the Ministry of Household Affairs has extremely strict control over Yanyin. Therefore, the Transshipment Department, Lifting Department, and Salt Envoy are very flattering to the Ministry of Household Affairs, and they control The production and sales of salt have formed a system from top to bottom. The Shangshu of Hubu has a good salt field, and the two servants in Guangdong have a piece of salt that is not close to it. Once they are accepted in Shandong and Zhejiang, then all output profits , it’s all mine, I don’t need to worry about making, selling, just waiting for the cashier.”

Zhu Xu grinned, dumbfounded.If it wasn't for what Fu Changzong said, he would never believe it. This group of people is not only corrupt, but even the saltworks can be given and received privately.

Zhu Xu stroked his chin, and gradually there was a fierce look in his eyes.

When Fu Changzong saw it, he hurriedly said: "Xu'er, don't think about the salt tax. This is not a joke. If there is any damage, it is not as easy as privately forging firearms."

The corners of Zhu Xu's mouth curled up, and as he tapped his fingers on the table, the sound of horseshoes resounded crisply.

As for the salt tax, it stands to reason that it is not a problem for the imperial court to collect 1000 million taels a year, but it only collects more than 100 million taels a year, one-tenth of it. Instead of giving it to these corrupt officials and evil gentry, it is better to give it to me!

However, as Fu Changzong said, this salt is not only watched by the emperor above, the imperial court, the lifting department below, and the transshipment department, even profiteers and evil gentry who sell it and traders who smuggle salt. Finally, it rose to the national level and went to war.

"Xu'er." Fu Changzong looked at Zhu Xu, knowing that he was thinking, frowning and persuading him: "You must be careful about this, otherwise those people in the court will not give up so easily like last time."

Zhu Xu nodded with a smile, looked at Fu Changzong and said: "Uncle, come down, and then replace all the people, everything must be mine!"

Seeing that Zhu Xu had already made up his mind, Fu Changzong sighed in his heart, and then murmured: "The salt is quoted in the household department, the right to appear is in the transshipment department, the sales are in the lifting department, and then there will be traders who take over. After this set, It's not that easy."

Zhu Xu's fingers tapped faster and faster, and his eyes narrowed.

The Ming Dynasty’s salt law can be said to be a wonderful work. According to the outline law, 200 million salts are exported every year, and each lead is estimated to be 12 taels. The total tax revenue is 2204 million taels, which is almost half of it.

But if another algorithm is used, the retail sales are 400 Wen per catty, and the salt tax is 20 Wen per catty, which is 1000 two million taels a year, but in fact, most of them are still lost.

Zhu Xu tapped, suddenly calmed down, stood up and said in a deep voice: "Instead of giving it to those corrupt officials, local tyrants and evil gentry, it's better to give it to me, so it's decided! Uncle, I want a big one, which can dry a lot of salt, it's best Satisfy everyone in Daming!"

Fu Changzong looked at Zhu Xu's expression and shook his head secretly. His nephew is good at everything, but he has a stubborn personality. Once he makes up his mind, no one can persuade him.

He also had no choice but to cooperate, sitting and thinking for a long time: "Okay, I'll think about it after I go back, Yanyin, transshipment should not be a problem, the lifting department has to find a way, and there is selling, which is a big trouble."

Zhu Xu had already made a plan in his heart, and said with a sneer: "Yanyin will eventually fall into the hands of the merchant, and it doesn't have to go through the lifting department. As long as there is someone in the lifting department, if it is found out, it will be right. What's more, I'm afraid that no one will check, if someone checks, I want to take the opportunity to check."

Fu Changzong's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, the young man in front of him was the one who dared to raid most of the six departments and nine ministers, he couldn't help worrying and said: "Xu'er, are you going to take action on this salt class? You must not be as impulsive as last time!"

Chapter 88

Zhu Xu looked at Fu Changzong, smiled and shook his head and said: "That's not true, there is no reason, even the emperor would not dare to touch this piece, but if there is a chance, I will not let it go .”

Fu Changzong was a little relieved, and said: "Well, that's good, I will deal with it when I go back. Once the salt field is obtained, you are ready to manpower, but the movement should not be too big."

Zhu Xu nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."