Back to the end of Ming Dynasty to be a warlord

Chapter 178
In addition to these constructions, the head of the gunsmith and the head of the armorer of the Bingzhan Bureau also sent a bird gun and a pair of armor.

The bird gun is a standard bird gun, which is smaller in caliber than the western arquebus, but it has more sights for aiming, so it is more accurate and has a longer range, just like the difference between the Japanese Sanba Dagai and the German Mauser rifle in later generations Same.

Armor is the full-body iron armor that the generals in the Ming army are qualified to equip. It is made of pieces of fine iron, strung together by cowhide strips, and the inner lining is cowhide. It looks like pieces of fish scales, so it is commonly known as fish scales. Armor, each place has the protective power of two iron plates superimposed.

Moreover, this pair of iron armor has two flying wings extending from the shoulders, which can protect the elbows, and the iron skirt underneath, which can protect the knees. The defense is also comprehensive. If it is to protect the whole body, it is too heavy, more than forty The weight is a lot of pressure on the load, and according to Yang Chao's request, a protective curtain hangs from the lower edge of the iron helmet, which has a lot of defense on the neck.

The craftsman who made the blunderbuss was surnamed Guo, who was in charge of the blunderbuss in the military battle bureau, and the craftsman who made the armor was surnamed Feng, who was also the craftsman who made the armor in the military battle bureau. of craftsmen.

The shooting time of the bird gun and the iron armor is also similar. Both of them stepped up the time to make it after the next year, and they just finished it two days ago.

Yang Chao invited them here today, and also brought the blunderbuss and iron armor they made.

"Carpenter Guo, your birdcage looks well-made, how can you guarantee that it won't explode?"

Exploding the chamber was what Yang Chao was most worried about, so he didn't dare to ask for the stock in the warehouse of the Bingzhan Bureau. Even Qi Jiguang felt that the imperial court's blunderbuss often exploded at that time. In the end, he asked a blacksmith to make it specially to improve the situation.

In Qi Jiguang's time, the Ming Dynasty had not been corrupted to the extent it is today. At least at that time, Qi Jiguang was still able to form the Qi Family Army, which wiped out Japanese pirates and defended the northern border for more than ten years, but the current situation is worth mentioning.

Therefore, Yang Chao didn't dare to use the things of the military battle.

Guo Jiangtou obviously put a lot of thought into this bird gun. The barrel of the gun is smooth and flat as if it had been polished.

Guo Jiangtou was obviously also very confident, took the bird gun from Yang Chao and began to explain.

"Look, my lord, the back of this gun is thick and the front is thin, and the villain specially thickens it at the back to prevent the chamber from blowing up. In addition, it is rolled with two layers of fine iron. If it is handled properly, it will never blow up the chamber."

Yang Chao nodded: "Carpenter Guo, would you like to give it a try?"

Guo Jiangtou said: "If the adults don't believe it, the villains can try it themselves."

He even brought the corresponding gunpowder and other items, it seems that he came prepared.

After a series of complicated operations, Guo Jiangtou charged the bird gun, and finally ignited it to win. He aimed at a target [-] steps away and calmly fired, straight to the chest and abdomen.

"it is good!"

Yang Chao couldn't help praising, because he saw that the target was directly smashed to pieces. Those targets usually have no problem with bow and arrow shooting. Embedded deeply into the wooden stakes inside.

"I don't know how much Carpenter Guo charged for this bird gun?"

Yang Chao asked the price directly.

Craftsman Guo chuckled, opened his mouth and said, "Ten taels of silver!"

Before Yang Chao could speak, he saw Carpenter Feng curled his lips slightly but did not speak.

Yang Chao knew that Carpenter Guo probably offered a sky-high price, and he was waiting for him to pay it back.

Yang Chao laughed and said, "It's expensive!"

Craftsman Guo immediately explained: "My lord, this is not expensive at all. Look at the workmanship and the weight. It's all made of good materials."

Yang Chao said with a smile: "I don't need to be so good at work, as long as I open my mouth without exploding my chest, hit accurately, and hit hard. I don't need your fancy work."

Carpenter Feng curled his lips at the side. There wasn't much fancy work on his armor, it was all strung together with solid iron pieces.

Guo Jiangtou said: "Then how much money do you think is suitable, my lord?"

Yang Chao asked the price: "Five taels!"

Craftsman Guo shook his head violently: "Your Excellency, you can't even keep the cost."

Yang Chao counted

But in business, you have to allow others to make profits.

Yang bargained, of course he couldn't let it go: "The bird gun uses seven catties of refined iron, one catty of refined iron that has been forged repeatedly does not exceed two taels of silver, and the cost of materials does not exceed two taels of silver. Rolling and drilling gun barrels a month, plus apprentices helping to make the wooden handle of the gun stock, etc., the monthly wages of two people can’t exceed three taels of silver, so the cost is definitely not five taels of silver. So five taels is not a lot.”

Guo Jiangtou gritted his teeth and said, "Eight taels, cheap enough!"

Yang Chao shook his head and said, "I don't want your fancy work, so I only pay six taels of silver, if it's okay, if it's not, I'll get it."

Six taels of silver Guo Jiangtou can get a profit of one tael. If he does not include his wages, he can have an income of two taels a month, which is not too low.

After thinking about it, Guo Jiangtou sighed: "Okay, six taels is six taels, who made us and Mr. Yang's father be friends."

Guo Jiangtou lowered the price and did not forget to give Yang Chao's father a favor.

Yang Chao was also very sensible: "Then I will thank Carpenter Guo on behalf of my father."

Guo Jiangtou didn't even dare to say anything, but he also felt that Yang Chao was very easy-going, and his smile seemed natural.

Then Yang Chao began to communicate with Feng Jiangtou again.

Feng Jiangtou's iron armor is very solid, there is no fancy work.

The nail leaves on the iron armor are also refined iron, which may not be as good as the iron used for bird guns, but it is also refined iron obtained after many forgings. It is said that the refined iron of bird guns can only be forged for ten catties of ordinary iron. Five catties of refined iron can produce one catty of crude iron.

This iron armor consumes 35 catties of iron, and it is lined with cowhide inside, which adds up to [-] catties.

The cost price of thirty catties of iron is about five taels of silver, and the cowhide is definitely not more than one tael of silver, so the material cost is six taels, because the forging of iron sheets is more complicated, so more people are hired, and the cost is counted as five taels. Yang Chao's estimated price for this piece of iron armor was eleven taels of taels.

"Carpenter Feng, what is the price for your armor?"

Yang Chao asked Carpenter Feng directly.

Feng Jiangtou was probably influenced by Yang Chao's bargaining with Guo Jiangtou just now, and felt that Yang Chao was also an expert, and knew that the Yang family was also a family of artisans for generations, so he couldn't be fooled.

He simply offered a fair price: "15 taels of silver, and the gross profit of favors is included."

Yang Chao is also straightforward, earning a profit of one tael for a bird's gun, and three or four taels of profit for the more difficult iron armor is not too much.

"Okay, let's try it. If your iron armor is qualified, I will give you 15 taels!"

Carpenter Feng said: "I don't know how my lord will try it?"

Yang Chao directly called Li Liang to put the iron armor on a target.

Then let Li Wuliu shoot three arrows at a distance of one hundred steps, and the arrows hit the target, but the iron armor was not damaged at all.

Carpenter Feng couldn't help but smile.

Then let Li Wuliu shoot three arrows at a distance of [-] steps, and one of the arrows landed in the gap between the nails.

Another thirty steps of shooting the arrow finally pierced through the armor plate.

The armor's defense against bows and arrows is about thirty to fifty steps.

Then let people use a knife to cut, and it took three cuts to cut through the armor, so the defense against the sword is three cuts.

Seeing that his armor was damaged, Carpenter Feng couldn't help frowning.

Yang Chao directly asked Zhang Dun to stab with a long spear, but it pierced through the armor with one shot.

Carpenter Feng frowned even deeper, while Carpenter Guo had a smile on his face.

"Carpenter Guo!"

Yang Chao said suddenly.

Guo Jiangtou was smiling, and quickly responded: "Yes, the villain is here!"

Yang Chao said: "Use your blunderbuss and shoot from a hundred paces away!"

Guo Jiangtou didn't hesitate, and immediately repeated the loading procedure, and finally shot, and as a result, two holes were pierced, and the iron armor could not prevent the bird gun from a hundred steps away.

Carpenter Feng shook his head, while Carpenter Guo grinned.

However, Yang Chao nodded. The defensive power of this iron armor is not bad. Compared with the description in the military books he has read, it should be regarded as a high-quality iron armor.

After all, it is impossible for armor to be invincible. If it really wants to be able to defend against all weapons, then the weight is unacceptable, and it can be directly put on the tank.

"Okay, if you can guarantee that every piece of iron armor is of this level, I'll pay you 15 taels!"

Carpenter Feng was still complaining in his heart just now, but when he heard that Yang Chao didn't seem to only want one, he immediately regained his energy.

He thought that Yang Chao bought the iron armor for himself, who would buy this for the big soldier?

"How much do you want, my lord?"

Carpenter Feng couldn't help asking, if it's a long-term business, he can still make a profit. He thought it was just one piece, but he broke it directly. He thought he couldn't get the money back, and he expected to pay a lot of money in advance.

"How many?"

Yang Chao smiled.

"I have [-] soldiers now, I don't think anyone is worthy of one, I'm afraid you won't be able to fight!"

"What? Eight hundred!"

Carpenter Feng couldn't help exclaiming.

15 pieces of iron armor, 1 taels per piece, that is more than [-] taels of silver. Carpenter Feng couldn't help exclaiming.

But then I became worried again. With my apprentices, I could only make one or two sets a month, and it would take at least 40 months to make [-] sets, and it would take three to forty years to finish.

Yang Chao laughed and said: "So, you have to find a way to speed up. The official suggests that you hire someone to make nails and wear them. If you divide the work like this, it may be faster. But you have to guarantee the level. There is something wrong with that armor, I won’t pay for it.”

Carpenter Feng suddenly felt that he was on the edge of a dead end. That’s right, he could hire people. There are many craftsmen in the war bureau who have skills but no work. I also have a tap of three taels of silver for each pair of armor. After finishing eight hundred armors, I can draw more than 15 taels of silver just by tapping.

The only thing I have to do is to supervise other craftsmen to do their jobs well, isn't this just like Master Supervisor.

Guo Jiangtou said suddenly at this time: "Feng Jiangtou, actually I can wear armor, otherwise we will help you. I only need 13 taels of silver for each pair of armor."

Seeing Carpenter Guo's cheeky smile, Carpenter Feng couldn't help but blacken his face. Isn't this breaking the stage? Master Yang gave him 15 taels, but Carpenter Guo asked for 13 taels on the spot. Doesn't this mean that he cheated two taels of silver?

Carpenter Feng immediately stated: "My lord, if it's 13 pairs, the villain will only charge you [-] taels."

13 taels I also have a tap of one tael of silver, and eight hundred pairs are 800 taels, which is also a windfall.

Yang Chao said with a smile: "15 taels is 15 taels. I mean what I say, but you have to make sure that every pair of armor is good. If it's not good, I won't pay for it, and I won't look for it again in the future." is you!"

Carpenter Feng quickly assured: "My lord, don't worry, the villain will never dare to betray his conscience!"

Guo Jiangtou couldn't help but envy his colleagues for receiving a big business.

Reluctantly said: "My lord, I wonder how many bird guns you want?"

He also wants to do a big business.

Yang Chao thought for a while and said, "Let's shoot a hundred first."

This is also a big business, one hundred is 600 taels of silver, but when he thought of Feng Jiangtou's eight hundred pairs of armor, Guo Jiangtou felt that it was not the case again.

(End of this chapter)