Chapter 364: I am a mercenary

Although the scenery here in Shuige is pleasant, the first-class center of Jiaozhou Camp is not suitable for meeting outsiders, especially foreigners, except for the characters in this system.

Jinan City is divided into two halves, military city and Mincheng. Many wealthy families' mansions have become offices in Jiaozhouying, which is convenient. Li Menghe's subordinates chose a house near Daming Lake, waiting for the arrival of Father Federer and the foreigners he led.

Sitting in this room, Li Meng thought a little self-deprecatingly that after coming to this era, he was originally a very realistic person in modern times, but when he came to this era, he was a bit narrative and always felt that everything in the world must follow him. The last time, the "one game of chess" in Henan and Nanzhili was like this, and the same was true for recruiting talented foreigners. How could it be based on his own wishes?

After receiving the notice, Father Federer felt quite nervous. Of course, he also knew that being received by a noble figure like Li Meng in the Ming Empire was not something you could see just by seeing. It was not surprising that he had been waiting for almost two months.

But he knew that what Li Meng told him this time was not good, but what surprised Father Federer was that Zhang Lipu, the mixed-race boy who had originally made up the numbers, was said to have an errand.

No matter how strange it is, after coming to Jinan, the people brought with them did not feel any enthusiasm, but the accommodation and food were still provided, and the level was pretty good. Federer was still accommodating in front of the white people he brought with him. Father Federer himself was regarded as his own person in Jiaozhouying, or lived in an old place, and sometimes he was invited to class by a public school run by a soldier's children in the city, and his life was very prosperous.

Many years later, there was a diplomatic incident where Western envoys came to China and refused to kneel down and refused to allow him to see him. However, at that time, foreigners had already seen the kind of force in the Qing Dynasty.

There are not so many things to pay attention to now. In Asia, the Ming Empire is still a unique existence, and all outsiders must be convinced.

Father Federer walked into the house and saw Li Meng sitting in the hall. He quickly knelt down and kowtow according to the civilians' understanding of the general officer, and praised him.

"Master Fei, did you go and see Su Anqi? You have been leaving these days, that little guy misses you very much!"

Li Meng first spoke up about family matters. Federer stood up and quickly agreed, saying that he was Su Anqi's adoptive father, so the two sides were naturally very close. Father Federer quickly said a few words of politeness, and his originally nervous mood also became relaxed.

"I saw that the cost of going to Macau this time is really not much. You have been there a lot of time, Master Fei. Could it be that you saved money for Shandong?"

As soon as he opened his words, Father Federer's expression changed a little. If Li Meng had not made a preview in advance, he would have kneeled down again. This was also Li Meng's own thoughts. He could not follow his own wishes in everything and could not force it. Let it go with the flow.

He was relaxed in advance, and Li Meng's expression was not stern. Father Federer breathed a sigh of relief and tried to explain this matter with as gentle words as possible.

Sun Chuanting and Ning Qiangui next to him have different identities and knowledge, but their attitudes of looking down on this ghost are exactly the same. However, listening to Father Federer's narration, he gradually became interested and was full of interest.

Father Federer led the mission of a general of the Ming Dynasty, whose status was close to that of the Duke and Marquis of Europe. He also gave him a lot of money and entourage to recruit talented and skilled Europeans. Father Federer was very confident when he set out.

I thought to return to Shandong, with the merits of recruiting local people, I would allow myself to preach. What a great glory.

After arriving in Macau, the priest Federer began to select people with high standards. He must have the same faith as himself. He must have a firm belief and a pure and honest person.

Maybe they traveled thousands of miles away from home to Asia to make a living. A few of them had innocent wealth, not to mention that Macau is mostly Portuguese, but it is the territory of Catholicism. What kind of belief does it have? If you have innocent people, you will soon be unusable.

Then my wealth is not so innocent, but I must believe in religion. Later, it doesn’t matter whether I believe in Protestantism or not, and later it doesn’t matter whether I believe in religion or not, as long as I have talent.

But there is still no one to be recruited. In Europe, people from the Netherlands, Spain, France, Britain, and other countries can still make money in their own country and in the American colonies. There is no need to leave home and come to the East to be an internationalist warrior.

Similarly, after these white people came to the East, from India to Southeast Asia, they had their country's colonies on these Southeast Asian islands and peninsulars. If they could have a job in these colonies, they would be a wealthy life that could not be eaten and used. Why should they come to the Ming Empire?

Moreover, since these Europeans have come to the East, they may not have less knowledge of the Ming Empire than Father Federer. In their eyes, the military generals and warlords of the Ming Empire are the lowest-ranking bureaucrats. If they defect to them, their personal income and future will be very uncertain.

The places of the Ming Empire, except for Jiangnan and Fujian and Guangdong, were too uneasy. Most of them were under the threat of landless peasant riots. They didn’t know when they would become a chaotic place without law and order. Taking risks here is just pursuing status and excellence, why bother to lose their lives?

For these white people, if they go to the Ming Empire, it is best to give them appreciation from the royal family. The second-class one is senior civil officials or nobles in the capital, and the second-class one is civil officials in Jiangnan and Fujian and Guangdong. As for the generals in Shandong, I'm sorry, where is Shandong? Isn't it that province close to the most chaotic Central Plains region of the Ming Dynasty? Who will go there after the head is kicked by a donkey.

Later, Father Federer was obviously anxious and at least he had to recruit a few white people to make up for the numbers. But since he was thousands of miles away from Europe, he could come here either by merchants, officials or soldiers, and each had subordinate responsibilities. There were idle people, but most of them were priests like him.

Most of these priests were from the Jesuits. Father Federer, who was born in the Calvinist sect, would not make trouble for himself.

With such an attitude of not having fish and shrimp, there were finally more than a dozen white people. They ignored whether they had the skills or skills. As for Zhang Lipu and others, they were also among them, so they were also unwilling to care about it.

Father Federer was nervous, and the people in the room were still attentive at first, but behind him she couldn't help laughing with a smile on her face. When Father Federer said in the last sentence:

"General, the villain knows that these people may not be of use, but they have to spend less money. It is also a helping hand to join the adult army..."

After saying this, Li Meng laughed out loud. Ning Gangui and Sun Chuanting in the room laughed loudly. Father Federer was a little confused and didn't understand what they were laughing at. In wealthy families in Guangdong and Fujian, there were also white people as personal guards, which was much more respectful than using Kunlun slaves.

If Li Meng used white men as guards, it would be somewhat of a shame. Such laughter made Federer very uncomfortable. He thought these nobles were targeting him, but soon, Father Federer found something wrong. Except for the three nobles with high identities who were laughing, the rest of the people were very quiet, and the guards and their followers were still stern, so this should not be targeting him.

The laughter stopped, and Li Meng had a rare look of complacent on his face. Sun Chuanting beside him clasped his fists and said:

"My lord's technique of keeping low profile is indeed brilliant. Shandong is so obscure that he will definitely gain the upper hand if he is unexpected."

Li Meng said clearly and said with a smile:

"Since I started my business, I tried to be as low-key and unpretentious as possible. When I encountered this thing that recruited others but was disdained by others, I knew that there were pros and cons to do so, but I found it ridiculous."

Ning Gangui, who was next to him, also smiled and said:

"The Dashuai said. Xiao also felt the same way. Lingshan Trading Company and Shandong Officers often encounter this kind of treatment outside, which is really ridiculous."

Everyone talked and laughed at each other, and Li Meng said to Father Federer in a gentle voice:

"Master Fei, I've been busy with chariots these days and have a good rest and recuperation. There are still many troubles in the public school and manufacturing bureau. Sit down quickly."

The guard brought a round stool and handed it to the priest. Federer also felt a little moved. Although this matter was not done, General Li was still very kind to him. Speaking of his life in Nanjing when he was poor and sick, thinking about Su Anqi's healthy growth today, Denggras also became an officer, and he had his own career and world. This is the gift of the Lord. Perhaps he should not ask for anything else.

Sitting there, Father Federer was about to call the foreigners waiting outside to come in, but seemed to suddenly remember something. He reached out and patted his forehead, quickly got up, and claimed that he had something to bring to the Grandmaster later, so please wait.

This behavior was quite rude, and everyone was puzzled that the house where Li Meng and the others were located was very close to the place where Father Federer lived, so they came back soon.

The priest held a short stick in his hand, looking like a round-headed cane. On the upper half of the cane, it was covered with metal foil, but it looked very old.

When he walked into the hall, several personal soldiers stopped him. The foreign monk took out this equipment, which made people confused. Moreover, according to the rules of the guard, these things must be passed to Li Meng through the personal guard.

Father Federer also knew this rule and respectfully presented it to him, sitting there explaining:

"This is bought by a wealthy businessman in Macau. Thinking that our Jiaozhou Army might be able to use it, I bought it for two taels of gold."

"Two taels of gold!!"

Ning Gangui couldn't help but exclaim when he heard this price. He was familiar with the price of this goods and couldn't help but speak:

"This price is a cane, and a hundred old gambola pear wood are more than enough, so I bought one..."

The cane was handed over to Li Meng's hand. The part wrapped in metal foil was engraved with some Arabic numerals. The top was "1600=40x40" and other numbers went downwards in sequence, until "400=20x20". I squinted my eyes and looked for a while. This should be the square root formula.

Before he could figure it out, the priest Federer said:

"Franchise and the Netherlands, now the infantry regiments in Europe, have the same local formation tactics as our Jiaozhou Camp. The regiment commander has such a cane in his hand. The numbers on the cane are the numbers in each row and column when the square array is in different numbers. The regiment commander can arrange the numbers on the cane as they look at the numbers on the cane. These numbers are calculated by mathematicians, and they are accurate."

Hearing this, Li Meng was moved. On the battlefield, if there were casualties in the phalanx, there would be a gap. If there was a gap in the infantry phalanx, it would be easy for the opponent to catch the gap and attack and collapse. It must be rearranged. Moreover, on the battlefield, how many soldiers in each battalion were armored? These armored soldiers were often arranged in the forefront. The armored soldiers formed the first row and formed the square array, which also required calculations.

The mathematical ability of the General Manager of the Qianqian is not that good, not to mention that the square and square roots require corresponding written materials in modern times. The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly, so there is time to calculate.

Now, Jiaozhou Camp is on the battlefield, because of the differences in combat power and the advantages of weapons, it usually uses the front of the square team to face the enemy, and the spear phalanx is also rectangular. But if it faces a truly strong army, the phalanx will definitely be attacked from all sides. Only by always maintaining the state of the phalanx can it be invincible.

This cane or the ideas provided by this cane are very beneficial to Jiaozhou Camp.

Li Meng raised his head and was about to praise the priest for a few words, but when he saw the priest Federer's expression seemed to be thinking hard. When Li Meng looked over, he happened to recall the taste and said:

"Master, the length of this cane is the distance between the horizontal row and the horizontal row when the team marchs and arranges. The commander takes this cane to measure the distance and adjust it at any time."

Father Federer's official words were spoken in a straightforward manner. Ning Qiangui couldn't hear anything, but Sun Chuanting and the personal soldiers behind him were all moved. Before Li Meng could speak, Sun Chuanting sighed first:

"When thinking about this Western extraterrestrial, there are so many studies on the way of war. Think about it, I, the Ming Dynasty, is it really inferior to me?"

From the words of the priest, Sun Chuanting could also hear that he had never understood the military system and formation of the Jiaozhou camp, which was probably derived from the Western system. Looking at the current Ming army, looking at the other party, it is indeed touching.

In military history, Qi Jiguang's training and European infantry phalanx are called the revival of classical militarism. However, after Qi Jiguang, the last military glory of the Ming Empire or the East was the three major expeditions of Emperor Wanli, and the following was the endless decline.

The West is constantly moving forward, from the Swiss cold weapon infantry phalanx to the Spanish and French firearms combining spears, then the medieval guns, flintlock guns, artillery pure firearm tactics, and then... the Chinese Empire, which has been ahead of the world for thousands of years, was left behind, and is still chasing it today.

In this era, although the gap is not obvious, the land and the land have indeed been widened. The West has gradually taken the lead. Sun Chuanting, who had just despised the ghost of the earth, certainly did not know these things. In fact, Li Meng did not understand them either. However, from those imitating Western artillery, from muskets, to the battlefield concept reflected by this musket, the Ming Dynasty is indeed behind now.

"When it's time for today, please ask Master Fei to write a specific description. If it's convenient, ask Master Fei to go with you and watch it for Director Sun of the Weapon Manufacturing Bureau, so that they can make it as soon as possible according to our Shandong needs, and it must be fast."

If the general manager of the camp has such a cane in his hand, his efficiency will be much better. On the battlefield, a quicker reaction may be victory.

Li Meng called a soldier over to give orders in a formal manner, and then smiled and said to Father Federer:

"Master Fei, even if you haven't recruited it alone, you'll have merits with this cane. Let's reward you later on. Come on, call the people you recruited in and take a look."

For safety reasons, these people were not allowed to enter the inner hall. Li Meng surrounded him and walked to the door to see the foreigners who had been given great hope by him.

The Europeans of this era were not the people Li Meng saw in modern times. Their height was similar to that of the civilians in the Ming Dynasty, and their strength was the same.

There are a few people who are obviously malnourished and have just recovered. It seems that they have eaten and drunk well these days in Jiaozhouying and have recovered slowly.

As soon as he saw Li Meng coming out, Father Federer spoke quickly:

"This is the steward of this place, the noble Marshal Li, salute quickly!!"

After saying this, the people on the court knelt on the ground and kowtowed to greet each other, saying hello to Li Meng in either skillful or erratic Chinese.

Seeing these "cracked melons and cracked dates", Li Meng couldn't help but smile bitterly. Seeing that there was nothing surprisingly special about these people, Sun Chuanting next to him frowned secretly, but he was hidden under the mask and no one saw it.

"What would you do?"

"General, the villain is a blacksmith."

"Oh? Then what weapons would you build, cannons and guns?"

"... That... the villain used to build farm tools in the countryside of Franchise. Later, he owed debts to be a sailor. After the ship sank in the Ming Dynasty, he had been doing odd jobs for people on the shore."

This is the first person to ask. He looked like he was in his forties and was a Spanish. However, he had been in Macau for a long time. He was familiar with the Southern accent of the Ming Dynasty, but what's the use? Li Meng turned around and said to Yuan Wenhong:

"This man was sent to the Weapon Manufacturing Bureau to be a blacksmith. If there is any new technology or major improvement, his status will be changed."

There is still no shortage of ordinary blacksmiths in Shandong, and this person is useless. Li Meng turned to a few others. Some people know Chinese, while others need Father Federer to translate.

"The villain has been a gardener." "The villain has been a shop assistant." "The villain has been a shop assistant"...

If there are any professional skills, you can make a fortune in your own country. Who would come to the East? Even those who come to the East do not go to colonize but come to the Ming Empire, even if you come to the Ming Empire, you don’t go to Catholicism, but go to Protestantism. Even if you go to Protestantism, why don’t you go to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the wealthy people in Taiping Province come to the war and fight for a general.

After screening through layers of screening, no one would have come to Shandong to be an internationalist warrior so by coincidence. It was already a rare harvest for Sun and Dou, and Denglas was also helpful. If you hope for anything else, it would be a disastrous idea.

Asked about these positions just now, they could only be used by Lingshan Private Port and Lingshan Trading Company. After retrieving the ship, the department of Ning Shiye was also preparing to do foreign business with Kong Sande. The Lijin Bureau of the Canal Transportation Bureau. There was almost all the relationship with the major merchants in the north and south, although it was not a good relationship.
To be continued...