Chapter 68

Although the 15th day of the first lunar month had passed several days ago, the air still retained a faint smell of gunpowder. In some corners of the Yue Family Village, loud explosions could still be heard from time to time, as some mischievous children were setting off firecrackers. Fine snowflakes were scattered across the sky, adorning the world with an especially enchanting beauty.

About two li east of Yue Family Village, there was a small valley surrounded by mountains. The land there was a mix of sand and gravel, unsuitable for farming, so it was usually uninhabited. However, a few months ago, a group of people suddenly arrived and began building things with a bang. By now, dozens of uniformly sized houses had been constructed in the valley, and many people were still busy working there.

In one of the large houses made of earth and stone, Yueyang, dressed in a blue work uniform, was sitting at a wooden table in the center of the room. In front of him were two windproof lamps, a lump of silvery-gray metal, and a square mold. Next to him was a furnace, on top of which sat a metal spoon that was now red-hot. Around him stood over a dozen craftsmen of various ages, all of whom were intently watching Yueyang.

Yueyang lifted his head and pointed to the metal block in front of him with his gloved hand, saying, "Look, this thing in front of us is made by combining lead and tin, with a ratio of two to one."

At this point, an old man with slightly graying hair couldn't help but ask, puzzled, "Young Master Yue, our court has always used only lead to make bullets for firelocks. Why are you mixing lead with tin to make the bullets?"

Yueyang turned to look at the old man, his eyes showing appreciation. He nodded and said, "Yes, this old man has asked a good question! Why do we add tin to lead? It's because pure lead is too soft, and even when made into a bullet, it can easily deform. Adding tin increases its hardness, thus preventing it from deforming. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I see!" The craftsmen around him nodded in agreement.

"Alright, now watch how I make the bullets. The process is simple, and I'm sure you'll learn it quickly after watching."

Yueyang reached out and picked up the red-hot spoon from the furnace. The spoon was filled with boiling metal, a mixture of lead and tin. He carefully and quickly poured the mixture into the mold holes on the table, then placed the spoon back on the furnace.

Soon, the metal mixture solidified. Yueyang picked up a bottom punch plate and placed it on the mold, securing it with screws. He then said, "Look, this ensures that the punch won't go off course and keeps the thickness of the bullet consistent!" After that, he inserted the bullet tail punch into the mold and gently tapped it with a hammer to secure the bullet, then pulled out the punch. Due to the tight fit, a "pop" sound was heard, similar to the sound of an old ox pulling its leg out of mud.

After completing this, Yueyang removed the bottom punch plate and used a craft knife to scrape off the excess solidified lead. He then turned the mold upside down and struck it with a wooden hammer, and ten silvery-gray metal bullets fell out. Yueyang picked up the bullets and handed them to an elderly craftsman nearby, smiling. "Look, these bullets are almost identical in weight and size, with no significant differences."

The old craftsman, surnamed Zhou, named Zhou Xingfu, was a veteran craftsman who had previously been a master craftsman in the Ministry of Works in Nanjing. Due to his excellent skills, he was highly respected among the craftsmen and was appointed by Yueyang as the head craftsman.

The other craftsmen around him also took the bullets, compared them, and marveled at their precision and consistency.

Yueyang smiled and took out a tool from a box behind him, showing it to Zhou Xingfu and the others. "Not necessarily. There are differences, but we can control them within a certain range. This tool is called a caliper, used to measure dimensional differences. Now, I'll teach you how to use it correctly..."

Yueyang then began to explain the working principle and usage of the caliper to the craftsmen. In Yueyang's view, ancient China had good technology, but it was later overtaken and far surpassed by the West. One reason was the system, and another was the lack of a unified measurement system. Each dynasty had its own measurement terms and scales. For example, the unit "shí" could be used as a unit of land area or volume, with different places using different standards. Another example is that ten dǒu equal one hú, and one dǒu equals ten shēng; one shí of millet equals 3.84 hú, showing the complexity and chaos of ancient Chinese measurement units.

This made Yueyang, who was accustomed to modern precise measurement units, unable to tolerate the situation. Therefore, he was now forcibly promoting modern measurement units in Wulizhai and the workshop. He also purchased a large number of measuring tools and taught the craftsmen Arabic numerals. However, he could only do so much; the rest depended on the craftsmen. Yueyang believed that the ancients were not stupid; they lacked a good system and guidance. Once provided with these, they would surely unleash amazing energy.

After teaching the craftsmen how to make Minié bullets, Yueyang hurried to the training ground.

The training ground had expanded significantly since a few months ago, from over twenty acres to over a hundred acres. Due to the good treatment and strict military discipline of the militia recruited by Yueyang, his recruitment efforts were quite successful, and the militia now numbered over five thousand.

This number was comparable to the number of troops commanded by a general. Yueyang also formed a cavalry unit of a thousand men using horses brought from Mongolia. However, what troubled Yueyang the most was the lack of a qualified cavalry commander. For now, the cavalry could only practice basic riding skills and familiarize themselves with the horses, which made Yueyang constantly lament the shortage of talent.

Yueyang found Hu Lao San, who was training the soldiers, and asked, "Old Hu, how are the new recruits doing?"

Hu Lao San smiled and replied, "Young Master, since I've been following your instructions and recruiting good people, they are easy to manage. They are all good candidates and are very enthusiastic about training. I estimate that the new recruit training will be completed in about two months, but..." He hesitated.

Seeing Hu Lao San's hesitation, Yueyang turned and asked, "But what?"

Seeing Yueyang's slightly displeased expression, Hu Lao San scratched his head and finally gathered the courage to say, "Young Master, I am grateful for your trust in me, but I must be honest. I am just a man who used to wander the streets. You have entrusted me with commanding thousands of troops, and I feel overwhelmed!"

"You..."

Seeing Hu Lao San scratching his head, Yueyang, who was initially displeased, shook his head and sighed, "Yes, it is indeed a difficult task for you."

Yueyang understood that Hu Lao San was not shirking his duties but was genuinely overwhelmed. Hu Lao San, who had no formal education, was capable of leading a small group of people or fighting, but the rapid expansion of Yueyang's forces to thousands of men was too much for him. No wonder he felt overwhelmed, but Yueyang had no one else to replace him.

Yueyang smiled bitterly and patted Hu Lao San's shoulder, saying, "Alright, I understand. I'll find someone to help you in a while. For now, you'll have to bear this burden."

"Alright!" Hu Lao San knew that Yueyang had no other talent to spare, so he nodded in agreement.

"Also, the firelocks I've assigned to you, you need to train the soldiers with them. Those bandits might attack again at any time, so we need to be prepared..."

"Report..."

Just as Yueyang was giving instructions to Hu Lao San, a soldier nearby shouted, "Young Master, a constable is outside requesting to see you. He says he has been sent by the Prefect of Yingzhou to invite you to a meeting at his residence!"

"Oh... Zheng Fakui is looking for me?"

Yueyang was slightly surprised...

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