Chapter 148: Weapon Supplement

Chapter 148: Weapon Supplement

Chapter 148: Weapon Supplement
The next day, before dawn,
A huge amount of military equipment entered Gyeongju from Liaodong to replenish the losses incurred by the army during the northern expedition.

The imperial court took possession of Liaodong. From then on, the north no longer lacked fine iron, and military equipment could be replenished in a timely manner.
This will enhance the combat effectiveness of the Ming army to the same extent as the military household system.

In the past, during the northern expeditions, after each battle, the border towns of the imperial court had to rest and recuperate for a long time.
The Ming Dynasty had no shortage of skilled generals and soldiers. The reason why the northern expedition was interrupted was mainly because of the manufacturing of military equipment.

Before occupying Liaodong, the iron mines in Huguang accounted for at least half of the military equipment forged by the Ming Dynasty.
The border troops were separated from Huguang by a long distance, and it took months to transport military equipment and several months to manufacture it.

This resulted in the border troops falling into a situation of weakened combat effectiveness right after the battle.

In order to improve this situation, the imperial court gradually took back private iron ore mining.
Mei Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. was established in Xingguo, Huangmei, Chaling, Huguang, Jinxian, Xinyu, and Fenyi, Jiangxi to strengthen the management and control of iron ore resources.

In the 20th year of Hongwu, the construction was carried out day and night.
The border troops were no longer so short of weapons, so the number of troops sent by the imperial court to the north increased.

From the 100,000 troops that conquered Nahachu to the 150,000 troops that conquered the Northern Yuan court,
This was not only an improvement in the imperial court's military system, but also an improvement in iron smelting technology and iron ore mining.

With the Liaodong area, the weapons of the border troops will be further supplemented, and the combat effectiveness of the towns in the northern border will also be greatly enhanced.

At this moment, hundreds of huge carriages loaded with military equipment entered the Gyeongju camp, causing the soldiers who had gotten up early to open their eyes wide and salivate.

The moonlight had not yet completely faded, and the weapons were reflecting a cold, dark light that was breathtaking.

The quartermaster waited on one side, and every time he saw such a scene,

They couldn't help but smile, feeling grateful that they finally didn't have to be scolded anymore.

As the adjutant of the front army scout department, Liu Heiying had been waiting here long ago.
I was still drunk and my head was aching.

But compared to the real work, the pain after a hangover is nothing.
At this moment, around the ordnance, there were many military officers who were drunk from yesterday.

The news that the front scouts were going to fight also spread gradually among the army.
Especially since the general said that these weapons were first replenished by the front army scouts,

Its meaning is obvious, making countless people envious.

Just as others were envious, Hu Xiaowu next to Liu Heiying rolled his eyes, moved closer, and said in a low voice:

"Sir, some people in the central army are trying every means to come to us, and some have even set their sights on my brother."

Liu Heiying no longer had the reserved and honest manner he had in front of Lu Yunyi.
He was of strong build, with a dark complexion. His eyes were small, but they sparkled with sharpness, and he looked intimidating at first glance.

"Why, what does your brother mean?"

Liu Xiaowu looked a little embarrassed:
"My brother told me about this last night and asked me to ask the gentlemen if they could find a job for him.
That man was Zhang Zhengyi, who was guarding the war horses and food.
Having no father or mother, no children, he just wanted to fight in the war to save some money so that he could marry a wife.

My brother said that this man must be a good fighter, as he often saw Zhang Zhengyi practicing on his own.

"Oh? There is such a thing?"

Liu Heiying raised his eyebrows, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
His favorite soldiers were those who were lonely and miserable, and hoped to start a family and turn their life around by joining the army.

These people have no worries in their hearts and fight desperately on the battlefield.
Although he is unruly, if he gets married, he will be especially loyal to the generals of the army and will be easier to control.

"Sir, there are many people trying to get in touch with my brother.

But he just thought that Zhang Zhengyi was a good person, a little clever, but kind. "

Liu Heiying nodded and said, "I understand. Let Zhang Zhengyi come here in the morning to see what he can do.
Let me make it clear in advance that the front scouts are not short of people who can fight, but they are short of soldiers with skills. "

Hu Xiaowu's eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly.
Just like Wang Shen, who returned to the camp after drinking yesterday without staying, and hurried out of the city with his men.

Whenever Hu Xiaowu saw such people, he secretly admired them.

"Thank you, sir. I'll call him in the morning."

"We are family, why are you being so polite? When is your brother going to Beijing to get his leg treated?"

Hu Xiaowu's eyes flashed, and he stood on tiptoe and whispered:
"Sir, someone was searching the army last night.

My brother plans to wait until the search is over before leaving, otherwise it will only increase suspicion and make things difficult for the adults."

Liu Heiying sneered and scanned the faces of the people present. He could clearly see some unfamiliar faces looking back and forth:
"You've worked hard watching me all night.

After receiving the weapons, you should go back and rest early. You are young and it is the time for you to grow up.
Being too small in the battle formation will put you at a disadvantage in the fight."

"Don't worry, sir. I'm not tired. If my family doesn't work harder, other soldiers will gossip about it."

"You are a sensible person."

Liu Heiying understood this deeply. A smile appeared on his dark face, and his white teeth appeared in the darkness.

They were being stared at by countless people. Seeing him smile,
Some generals from other departments opened their eyes wide with surprise on their faces.

This fat black guy had a dark face all day in the army, and he was on guard against everyone.
But today he was smiling so happily, they could only attribute it to the credit of being the first to replenish military equipment.

The quartermaster Jiang Feng was still the one distributing the weapons.
Compared to before the army set out, he had lost at least twenty pounds, and his cheeks were already empty, without any flesh or blood.
The whole person became like a bamboo pole, and the armor that originally fit him well became loose.

He held a book in his hand, listened to the reports from his subordinates, and kept recording the numbers in the book.
In theory, these weapons should be put into the warehouse first and then taken out of the warehouse, and records should be kept of each trip.

But since they were all members of the army, the process of storing the weapons in warehouses could be skipped and the various units could just take the weapons away directly.

This can also save soldiers and quartermasters some effort.
In a large army, as long as the war can be won, some inherent rules may or may not exist.

But if it is in the guard post, even if there are huge obstacles,
You must complete the entire process, otherwise you will be in trouble.

As an official of the Five Military Commandery, Jiang Feng was familiar with the procedures and knew the importance of the front army scout department in the general's mind.

He opened the booklet and saw that the first people to receive the weapons were the front-line scouts, and the amount of weapons required was extremely huge.

He looked at the military supplies needed by the front army scout unit, then looked at the many soldiers who were eagerly waiting on the side, and sighed silently.

These generals must have returned disappointed.

The weapons needed by the front army scouts are:

Swords: One thousand long swords and eight hundred short swords.

Spears and halberds: 1,500 spears and 500 halberds.

Bows and arrows: 300 longbows, 200 shortbows, and 20,000 arrows.

Shields: 800 round shields and 700 square shields.

Helmets: One thousand iron helmets and one thousand five hundred leather helmets.

Armor: 500 sets of chain armor, 1,500 sets of leather armor, and 2,000 sets of cloth armor.

Leggings and arm guards: 500 pairs of iron leg guards and 1,000 pairs of leather arm guards.

Horses and Saddles: 300 war horses and 300 sets of saddles and stirrups.

Food and water bottles: 2,500 food bags and 2,000 water bottles.

Military medical supplies: 5,000 bandages, 200 packages of herbal medicine, and 100 simple stretchers.

Tools: 500 shovels, 200 pickaxes, 1,000 tents, and 500 sets of cooking utensils.

Seeing this, quartermaster Jiang Feng couldn't help but secretly have a headache.

He looked at Liu Heying not far away, hesitated for a moment, and then walked forward.

"General Liu, come and get the military equipment." Jiang Feng greeted him from a distance.

Liu Heiying was startled, and hurriedly went to meet him, with a smile on his face:
"Master Jiang, it's been a long time since we last met. Did you enjoy the dinner yesterday?"

Anyone who is not stupid in the army will greet the quartermaster with a smile, and he must not be offended.

"That's great, but we are poor people and have to get up and work before dawn." Jiang Feng smiled bitterly and pointed to the list in his hand.

Liu Heiying was a little confused, but still said with a smile:

"Master Jiang, you have worked hard. The front army has made black chicken soup for the soldiers to sober up.

When I get back, I'll have someone send a pot to Lord Jiang, so Lord Jiang can try the cooking skills of us Qingzhou people."

Jiang Feng was stunned, his mouth twitching slightly. He had heard rumors about the extravagance of the front army scouts.

What he saw with his own eyes today still made him feel uneasy.

As a quartermaster, he had to eat coarse food all day long and lived a life worse than that of a soldier.

"Then I won't be polite. Thank you, General Liu. I want to discuss something with you."

"What's the matter?"

Jiang Feng pulled Liu Heiying away a little, pointed at the book in his hand, and said softly:
"General Liu, can you please allocate half of the weapons needed by the front scouts?
The remaining weapons will be transferred after the next shipment of weapons from Liaodong. "Liu Heiying frowned and looked thoughtful.

Jiang Feng sighed, also looking embarrassed, and pointed at the soldiers surrounding the weapons behind him:

"The front army scouts asked for too much, there won't be much left, I'm afraid the other generals will be dissatisfied."

Liu Heiying turned his head to look at the generals who were eagerly waiting, and expressed his understanding of Jiang Feng's difficulties.
But Liu Heiying's dark face shrank, showing pain:

"Master Jiang, I will not hide it from you. These weapons are for the expedition.
If it were an ordinary time, it would be fine. But for Lord Jiang's sake, my front army scout unit can replenish the weapons at the last minute.

But now, I wish I could take all these weapons away.

Let the soldiers put on new weapons and armor to win the last battle of the Northern Expedition."

Jiang Feng was shocked. He understood Liu Heiying's hint.

This northern expedition has been smooth sailing since the battle of Gyeongju, with success all the way.
It starts with the troops of Gyeongju and ends with the troops of Gyeongju, so it has a complete beginning and end.

If the vanguard scouts were to lose this mission, it would not be the soldiers who would be disgraced, but the imperial court and the military commanders, and the northern expedition would also be left with a flaw.

After realizing this, Jiang Feng sighed. It was just an attempt, so being rejected was to be expected.

"Don't forget General Liu's black chicken soup.

You take the weapons, I take the black chicken soup, and I hope the front army will win a great victory."

Liu Heiying's face instantly broke into a smile, showing his simple and honest character:

"Thank you, Master Jiang. The black chicken soup will be here soon."

Soon, weapons began to be distributed.
The generals' eyes widened as they watched the soldiers of the front scout unit carry away the weapons one by one.
"Hey, hey, hey, Master Jiang, what are they doing at this time? Why did they even take the car away?"

A middle-aged man in his thirties, who looked burly, had red eyes.
He quickly trotted to Jiang Feng's side and asked.

He was a general in the rear army, and the weapons he used were of crude standard. He wanted to take advantage of this replenishment to replace them with new ones.

Jiang Feng's face was calm. He just glanced at him and didn't even say a word.

The big man's face flashed with anger, and he quickly smiled and lowered his voice:

"Hey, Lord Jiang~~Our rear army's weapons are also in urgent need of replenishment. Why did the front army take away all the weapons?"

Jiang Feng didn't even raise his head and said calmly:
"Follow the list of the Central Army's military equipment. If you have any objections, go to see Lord Shen. I don't know."

The big man's face froze, and he looked at the weapons being taken away one by one with a look of heartache, so painful that he couldn't breathe:

"This, this, this is too much."

The speed at which the front scouts were pulling away the weapons was still increasing. In the blink of an eye, half of the carriages were pulled away.
Now even some generals in the central army became anxious and hurried forward, asking questions in a flurry.

Jiang Feng ignored them all, lowered his head to read the booklet in his hand, and calculated the subsequent military equipment supplies.

Yesterday, Lu Yunyi got married. Jiang Feng could see the importance of General Lu in the hearts of the military officers.

The military officers who were usually unable to come together for meetings unexpectedly gathered at Lu's residence.
This is a huge respect, and he would not be so blind as to offend such a person.

As a quartermaster, I naturally have some considerations in my mind.

He knows exactly who he can offend and who he cannot offend, otherwise he would never have been given such an important task.

No matter how noisy the generals around him were, Jiang Feng remained calm and ignored them.

The sky gradually brightened, and finally the scouts of the front army took away nearly half of the weapons and returned with a full load.

Liu Heiying returned to the front army with weapons and saw a familiar figure waving a knife in front of the big tent at a glance, and hurried over.

"Brother Yun'er, why are you here?"

Lu Yunyi, who was feeling the force of the sword, stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead, with a look of doubt in his eyes:
"Why can't I come?"

"Aren't you getting married? You're here so early."

"We are about to go to war, and we cannot delay our work. We haven't had proper training for a while. It would be a great loss if we were careless and died on the battlefield."

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi swung the long sword in his hand again, and the sound of breaking wind could be heard one after another.

"Have you got the weapons back?"

Liu Heiying nodded and smiled:
"Jiang Feng has changed his ways this time. He is very happy and has no excuses."

"We are the only ones going to the war, so you should naturally consider us first. Ask the quartermaster for anything you need. Don't be polite. As long as we can win the war, we will do whatever it takes!"

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi's eyes gradually became more focused.

The long-lost sharp aura rose to his heart, and the long sword wielded in his hand became sharper and sharper, making a whirring sound, attracting many soldiers to stop and look with horror on their faces.

Even Liu Heiying's expression looked a little strange:

"Brother Yun'er, are you getting stronger? Why does it feel like the knife is much faster than before?"

"is it?"

Lu Yunyi blinked, but in the next moment he saw Liu Heiying's slightly frivolous face and curled his lips:
"You are obsessed with women and your eyes are dazzled.

There are only a few days left before the expedition. Order the entire army to abstain from lust and buy more nourishing foods to make up for the loss of these days. Don't be unable to hold a sword when you go to the battlefield."

Liu Heiying had a deep understanding of this and nodded repeatedly:
"Brother Yun'er is right. I will give the order in a moment.

By the way, Brother Yun'er, what did my father do in Peking? How did he make so much money all of a sudden?

This morning he sent over five hundred black chickens and one thousand wild ginseng roots, saying they were to nourish the soldiers, and they are now stewing in the pot."

Lu Yunyiyan was stunned, with some relief in his eyes.

Liu Huaipu had been in the business world for thirty years and was too cautious. He rejected Lu's offer for twenty percent of the houses and instead spent the money on the front army.

"Black Hawk, you have a good father."

"What on earth is this? It can't be a life-threatening business." Liu Heiying's heart tightened.

"Speculating in real estate is more profitable than a business that costs you your life."

Liu Heiying's eyes were full of doubts and his big face was filled with confusion.

“Housing speculation?”

"Anyway, it's a quick money-making business. You're going to get rich, Black Hawk."

Lu Yunyi panted heavily while swinging his knife.

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. He could already sense that beauty was harmful to the body.
When I wield this long sword, it feels much heavier than before.

Liu Heiying stood aside in a daze.
He didn't understand business matters, it was always Brother Yuner and his father who planned everything.

It made him feel that his own son might be an outsider.

However, Liu Heiying immediately thought of the ancient Yuan treasure and straightened his back.

Compared to treasure, no matter how much money you have, it is just a drop in the bucket.

At this time, Shi Zhengyu, with a wine-red face, appeared at the front scout unit, moving a little erratically.
He immediately spotted Lu Yunyi standing there brandishing a knife, and laughed:

"Brother Lu, you are really here. It was so hard for me to find you."

Lu Yunyi put away his long sword and looked over: "It's Brother Shi, what's the matter?"

"The general ordered you to go to the central army tent after you wake up to discuss important matters.

I just went to your house and the doorman said you left before dawn.

Brother Lu, you are too diligent. "

Shi Zhengyu pointed at the long knife in his hand, his face full of surprise, and some admiration welled up in his heart.

He knew he couldn't just leave his bride behind and go to the military camp so early on the wedding day.

Lu Yunyi smiled, handed the long knife in his hand to Liu Heiying, and then looked at Shi Zhengyu:
"I couldn't sleep, so I came early. Brother Shi, please wait a moment. I'll take the documents and go to the central army together."

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)