Fenghou

Chapter 521 Drills
Liu Zan turned around and saw that it was Chen Qing, and hurriedly saluted, "Chen Dutong, we haven't seen each other for a long time."

Chen Qing said with a smile: "It seems that General Liu is very interested in engineering?"

"I'm really interested. Back then, my father also set up a craftsman school on Xihe Road, and I specially learned how to make bows for a few months."

"Oh?"

Chen Qingrao asked with interest: "Where is this craftsman school on Xihe Road?"

"It's in Didao County, but it has been abolished long ago. It's a pity that the court doesn't support it."

"Does General Liu have any good suggestions and opinions on running engineering schools?" Chen Qingxiao asked.

Liu Zan smiled slightly and said, "I really have a few ideas, since everyone wants to hear them, I'll talk about them."

"General, please speak!"

"I think the current scale is still too small. To produce excellent craftsmen, there must be enough ordinary craftsmen as the foundation. I asked just now, and it seems that ordinary people don't want to send their children here to study, but prefer to study scriptures, so We have to find a way to attract more students.”

"What's the best way?"

"To get rid of the brand of military craftsman, I heard that making bows, crossbows, and casting knives, ordinary people don't want their children to learn, so change them to practical skills, such as bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, papermaking, wine making, planting, and breeding. Animals, etc., there will definitely be a large number of people sending their children here, and then select the outstanding ones to continue their studies and learn various weapon technologies."

"But it needs a lot of gentlemen who have both read books and technology!"

Liu Zan smiled and said, "Don't worry, as long as the salary is high enough, there will be a large number of talents coming from all over the country, and maybe many famous master craftsmen will be recruited."

Chen Qing laughed, "It makes sense, if you plant a sycamore tree, you might not be able to attract a golden phoenix!"

The two came to the school living room and sat down. Chen Qing said again: "I know Liu Guangshi has done something to you. How are you doing?"

"Actually, Dutong should know that Wu Ling took the commander Wang Jun to Tongchuan Prefecture to train the militia. I, Yang Zheng, and Tian Sheng are out of work. In name, they are military staff officers. In fact, nothing happened. A few days ago, Liu Guangshi told us that we can choose our own way out, and he didn’t stop him, so Yang Zheng and Tian Sheng went to join Wu Jie. I originally wanted to join my father, but my father didn’t allow me to write a letter asking me to come to Qinzhou to join Dutong. Are you willing to include it?"

Chen Qing hurriedly said: "My father and son think highly of me, Chen Qing, as long as I have one day, I will definitely have the glory and wealth of your family!"

Liu Zan was moved, knelt down on one knee and cupped his fists and said, "If Dutong is in trouble, I'm willing to start as a conductor!"

Chen Qing quickly helped him up, and said with a smile: "If you don't dislike it, then go and guard Lanzhou for me. I will appoint you as the commander, the envoy of the Lanzhou system, and in charge of Lanzhou's military affairs."

Liu Zan nodded, "Lanzhou, that's where I was born!"

Lanzhou is the bridgehead for Xixia to attack Xihe Road. It is even more important than Baochuan County in Huizhou. To win Lanzhou, you can capture Hehuang in the west, attack Lintao and Gongzhou in the south, and attack Huizhou in the east. This is an extremely important strategy. important place.

At present, Lanzhou is guarded by Cheng Heng, the commander of the general, with [-] troops, and there are also [-] new troops, actually [-] people.

But Chen Qing still felt that Cheng Heng lacked a little bit of experience. He was not very relieved, but he couldn't find a suitable candidate for a while. This time Liu Zan came to join him, and Chen Qing suddenly realized that he was the best candidate.

Liu Zan is both civil and military. He has guarded the Beixianren Pass for many years. He is stable and experienced. He is the most suitable guard for Lanzhou City. .

In the afternoon of Chen Qing, he appointed Liu Zan as the commander and envoy of the Lanzhou system, and led [-] troops to Lanzhou to replace Cheng Heng.

Time gradually approached the end of December. This morning, Chen Qing brought a group of generals to the firearms testing site in Chigu Town as usual.

Xu Chunlai, who participated in the military affairs of Kai Cao, took everyone to inspect the warehouse where the heavy trebuchets were placed, and saw that heavy trebuchets were dismantled into parts, and some soldiers were binding them with straw mats.

Chen Qing came to a copper wheel. The wheel was half the height of a person, and it was a little oxidized and blackened. It should be a zinc-copper alloy, very strong, and there was an alloy shaft that was two feet long.

The axles and wheels made Chen Qing a little dazed, completely out of this era, feeling that this is something that will only appear in later generations.

Xie Changzhi smiled and said, "This wheel is really difficult to make. It took three blacksmiths a full two months to cast it, and they tried dozens of times.

"Has it been field tested?"

"Of course I tried. Except for a little bump, everything else is much better than the wooden wheel. At least it won't always be broken. This can solve a big problem."

Chen Qing also knew that the biggest problem with horse-drawn carts and ox carts was that the wheels were easily damaged. Of course, the cost of making wheels from metal was too high, and it was definitely unrealistic. Even the army was also unrealistic, and they only used them on heavy trebuchets.

"How many heavy trebuchets have been built so far?"

"Reporting to Dutong, a total of twenty-five heavy trebuchets have been built so far. By mid-January, there will be no problem in building thirty."

"Where's the siege ladder?"

"There were originally [-] siege ladders in stock, and now there are [-] more, making the total more than [-]."

After a pause, Xie Changzhi said again: "I'm afraid it will take some time for the horizontal movement of the siege ladder that was requested by the governor before."

"Is it too difficult to develop?"

"It's not very difficult. Just make a pair of wheels. The key is that wooden wheels were used before, and it was inconvenient to switch between fixed and mobile. Later, I considered using metal wheels, but the cost was too high. Now I consider using wood for the wheels, but the axles It is more convenient to use copper, and the drawings have come out, but it will take time to trial and error."

"When will you expect to see the results?"

Xie Changzhi thought for a while and said, "Before next summer at the earliest."

At this time, Xu Chunlai, who joined the army of Kaicao, stepped forward quickly and said: "Dutong, you are ready!"

Chen Qing smiled at everyone: "Let's go to the testing ground!"

The valley is very wide, and a section of city wall with a length of [-] steps was specially built, as well as the city gate. The catapult, and behind the catapult, stood two hundred soldiers, all of whom were wearing fire armor, with their faces wrapped in wet cloth, with only their eyes exposed.

Behind the two hundred soldiers stood another five hundred soldiers, each carrying a thick wet quilt.

This is actually a practice of fire attack tactics. Only an army with rich defense experience will know where the opportunities for attacking the city are?

"let's start!"

Chen Qing gave an order, the red flag was waved, and the war drums were beating loudly. Three heavy trebuchets simultaneously threw three flaming kerosene pots, and they hit the top of the city at the same time, and a raging fire ignited on the top of the city. .

Immediately after three consecutive throws, the city was already in flames.

"Attack!" The commander shouted.

Two hundred soldiers in fire armor ran forward carrying the siege ladder, and five hundred soldiers carrying wet bedding on their shoulders also ran forward.

General Wang Jing, who presided over today's exercise, said to the crowd: "After the enemy's walls were ignited by the fire, the enemy soldiers basically retreated to the walls on both sides, and generally would not go down to the walls. Our opportunity is here, Huo Huan After Soldiers A went to the city, they didn’t put out the fire, but rushed to both sides of the city head to block the enemy soldiers on both sides. The fire-fighting soldiers were the five hundred people behind. Once the fire was extinguished, a large number of troops would swarm the city.”

Chen Qing nodded. This is actually because they discovered the loophole long ago when defending the city, but the enemy did not. Now they are going to use this loophole to attack the city.

The trebuchets had stopped projecting. Soldiers in fire armor built siege ladders and went up to the city. With crossbows and shields on their backs, and spears in hand, they quickly climbed up to the city, ran to both sides, and quickly formed a formation on the edge of the city wall. The two divine crossbow phalanx formed a cover for the siege army behind.

The second batch of soldiers carrying quilts also went to the city. Not long after they went to the city, the flames on the top of the city quickly disappeared, leaving only a small amount of black smoke. It is indeed a good way to put out the fire with wet quilts.

At this time, the third batch of one thousand soldiers rushed out and rushed to the top of the city.
(End of this chapter)