The big bandit in the Red Mansion robbed Lin Daiyu at the beginning

"Zhang Zhubu, the rebels are already at the gates of Yancheng. If we don't send troops now, I'm afraid Yancheng will be captured in the blink of an eye. By then, no matter how much we withdraw here, it will be in vain."

Zhang Zhubu, who was wearing a green official robe, said with a smile,

"General Zhao, you're wrong! Yancheng's walls are over 23 feet high! And those rebels are just bandits looking at some hoes. Why should we be afraid?"

"In my opinion, we have to prepare for the Japanese army and guard against the Japanese pirates along the coast. How can we act rashly?"

"you……"

General Zhao was so angry that his face turned blue and he said angrily,

"But the Wuyou Salt Works is under Yancheng. If we lose it, how could the imperial court let you and me off?"

"This……"

Zhang Zhubu hesitated for a moment after hearing this, and finally said helplessly,

"The key is that Guard Wang is not in the barracks right now, so neither you nor I have the authority to mobilize troops!"

"Why not wait for Guard Wang to return, and then send troops to Yancheng to suppress the bandits? By then, we can cooperate with the defenders inside the city and catch the rebels in one fell swoop!"

General Zhao was so angry that his nose almost became crooked.

"Even if we want to cooperate with the outside world, we can only do so after we arrive in Yancheng."

"By the time Guard Wang returns, Yancheng will have already become a den of rebels!"

Zhang Zhubu frowned.

"General Zhao, do you not trust Magistrate Qiu of Yancheng? Or do you not trust Garrison Commander Wang's judgment?"

"No matter how much you talk, anyone who dares to mobilize a single soldier without the king's presence will be executed!"

"You... hum!"

General Zhao snorted angrily.

"Then tell me, where is Guard Wang right now?"

"You tell me and I'll go find it right away!"

Zhang Zhubu glanced at General Zhao.

"How can a mere guerrilla general like you know the whereabouts of the garrison general?"

At the same time, he cursed in his heart, what an ignorant General Zhao!

Yesterday, Wang Shoubei was invited by Mr. Meng, the magistrate of Funing County, to go there to enjoy the flowers and scenery.

How can I stay in the camp with this vulgar person?

General Zhao snorted coldly upon hearing this, stood up, and strode out angrily.

……

In Yangzhou City,

Li Qingfeng was looking through Xiao Ai's summary of the expansion of the Datongshan Arsenal over the past two days.

After the last meeting, the arsenal's production line and production capacity were expanded.

Datong Mountain can now produce 3,000 rounds of bullets and about 300 Type 38 rifles every day.

Such a huge leap in production capacity is a world of difference compared to the past.

After reading it, he nodded with satisfaction, and then asked,

"The current output is certainly encouraging, but it's still not enough to equip the entire army."

"Xiao Ai, can we keep up with the smelting of metals? If so, let's double our current output! What do you think?"

Xiao Ai replied without any emotion.

"Resources like ore and pig iron are plentiful. Last month, the Xue family's Feng brand in Jinling stockpiled over 300 tons of pig iron ore, which should be enough for at least the next six months."

"However, Xiao Ai does not recommend expanding production capacity at this moment."

"Oh? Tell me the reason." Li Qingfeng raised his eyebrows, sat down in a comfortable position, and asked lightly.

Xiao Ai replied,

"According to Qingfeng Village's next strategy, the political and economic center of gravity will shift to Jinling for some time to come."

"If we invest a large amount of production capacity now, it will be inconvenient to relocate. Furthermore, Yangzhou has no strategic location to defend. If we fail to defeat the imperial army, if this technology is obtained by the imperial court, it will cause immeasurable damage to your future plans!"

Li Qingfeng nodded slightly after hearing this, and after thinking for a moment, he put the summary report aside and looked at Xiao Ai again.

"There's no rush to expand production for now. Let's wait until we take over Jinling."

"However, Yangzhou has been undergoing reforms for some time now. Have the results of the first major population census been released?"

Xiao Ai shook her head directly.

"Currently, the population of Yangzhou City is still being registered, and the counties and towns outside the city are also registering and allocating land. Preliminary estimates indicate that it will take at least two weeks to complete the population census in the Yangzhou area."