I studied in modern times

Chapter 618 Cotton Armor
On the plateau in late autumn, the wind is biting, the temperature has dropped below zero, and the breath turns to ice.

The biting north wind roared and rolled in the mountain stream.

However, this sound was completely covered up by the roaring sounds of fighting and the miserable howls of countless people in the wasteland!
Even the biting cold wind was infected by the blood of the soldiers fighting on both sides at this moment.

The biting cold wind seemed to turn into a scorching hot wind at this moment.

Sweat and hot blood spurted out at the same time.

The narrow road meets the brave to win!

puff!
Wang Daaxe vigorously wielded the heavy ax he held. The eight-inch ax blade was forged from fine iron. The ax tail was thick and narrow, especially suitable for breaking armor and beheading.

Warriors holding such heavy axes have been the pioneers of the army since the Tang Dynasty.

Wang Daaxu's skills have been honed for more than ten years, and he is very familiar with how to kill enemies.

then!

As he wielded the heavy ax in his hand extremely skillfully, he slashed at the oncoming enemy.

The sharp ax blade effortlessly split through the thin leather armor of the person on the opposite side, slashed along the flesh, and directly split the body of the oncoming enemy.

Most of his body was split open like this, and hot blood spurted out, covering Wang Daaxe, who was wearing heavy armor, all over him.

Wang Daaxe wiped the blood from his face, held the heavy ax tightly with both hands, walked forward quickly, and continued to rush towards the next enemy.

At this time, in the wilderness of this plateau.

Civilization has dissipated, leaving only humanity's most primitive beastly instincts.

Brutality, bloodthirsty and ruthlessness dominate everything.

The Song troops wearing leather armor and felt hats fought in a melee with the Tibetan people wearing felts.

If someone looks down from the air, it will be obvious that the Song army, which claims to be civilized and based on benevolence and righteousness, is more barbaric, cruel and bloodthirsty than the Tibetans who only wear leather armor at most.

Especially those warriors who are like Wang Daaxe, wearing heavy armor, and holding heavy axes or iron maces.

They were like silent kings, releasing their anger onto the Tubo people.

The chain armors produced by the Ordnance Bureau and the Ordnance Supervision are specialized in manufacturing and are worn on these warriors, making them almost immune to the slashing of most Tibetan weapons.

The expensive weapons forged from fine iron they hold are like the scythes of death, harvesting the lives of their enemies.

This is the reason why heavy armored infantry can sweep across the battlefield in the cold weapon age.

This is also the trend of this era.

The Dangxiang people's iron kites, both men and horses, are equipped with armor, and the armor is forged using Dangxiang's unique cold forging technology. Its name is: Haozi armor.

This kind of armor can even be immune to all long-range firepower at a distance of fifty steps, except for the divine arm bow, eight-oxen crossbow and trebuchet.

Even with the Divine Arm Bow, if you want to break its defense, you need to use specialized armor-piercing heavy arrows to have a chance!

Considering the speed of the iron kite and the poor hit rate of crossbows and bows.

The Iron Kites can almost ignore all the long-range firepower projected by the Song Army and can come and go freely on the battlefield.

This is the real reason why Yuan Hao was able to establish the country.

After decades of cultivating Gu during the Song-Xia War, the Western Army of the Song Dynasty began to attach great importance to close combat.

Armor-breaking weapons such as heavy axes and maces have become symbols of the elite.

Relying on the national strength of the Song Dynasty, extremely expensive armor such as chain mail was also produced in batches by specialized manufacturing institutions such as the Military Equipment Bureau and the Military Equipment Supervision Bureau.

The Tubo people became the victims of this competition.

Just like now, their leather armor and a few inferior iron armors were unable to defend against the powerful bows and crossbows of the Song army.

Originally, they could still rely on fearless close combat to gain an advantage.

But now, this only advantage has been lost!
Because the Song army was more barbaric, more ferocious, and more fearless of life and death than them.

no way!
Under the reward order of Yuan Youjun, in Wang Daxu's eyes, all the enemies in front of him were walking copper coins.

One head is six guans of money or two pieces of silk cloth.

So, in the eyes of his neighbors in Bianjing City, this man was a loyal and honest man; in the eyes of the officials and people of Didao, he was a kind official; in the eyes of Xiang Zongji, he was an honest, reliable, and well-known fellow villager.

Transform into a violent murderer.

The heavy ax dances, and the steps are like flying.

The Tibetan archers pulled the bowstring desperately in an attempt to delay his movements.

But on the battlefield, it is not a simple matter to hit a warrior wearing iron armor and moving at high speed with a bow and arrow.

What's more, the weather is very cold now, and there is a north wind on the battlefield.

Their bowstrings were damp, and their hands had to fight against the cold. The arrows they shot were weak and weak, and when blown by the north wind, their accuracy was lost.

Once the Tubo people were approached by a heavily armored warrior like Wang Daxu, they would be defeated.

That would be even more desperate!

Their bronze and low-quality iron swords had no other effect except making people groan when they were struck on armor made of fine iron, with each armor leaf weighing at least two cents and five cents.

The few among them who hold armor-piercing weapons such as maces cannot get close to the soldiers of the Song Army.

Because behind these armored warriors, there followed a large number of lightly armored or unarmored infantry.

These infantrymen, carrying swords, guns, swords and halberds, and carrying crossbows, followed the soldiers.

It can be seen that even in the midst of fighting, the Song army was arranged in a dense and complete array.

This array allows them to respond to each other, protect and support each other.

So, by the afternoon of the war, the Tubo people in the wilderness finally collapsed.

A large number of troops broke out and began to flee.

The entire military formation could no longer be maintained and fell into chaos.

The Song army was overjoyed, beating drums loudly and waving their flags.

Wang Daxu, who had already fallen into madness, calmed down instantly after hearing the drum beat.

He raised the heavy ax in his hand high, and using the blunt Tubo language he learned in Xizhou, he began to shout at the fleeing Tibetan soldiers: "The emperor of the Han family is kind, as long as you return to righteousness, let bygones be bygones!"

These are all money!
According to the Yuanyou Army Reward Order, living prisoners are more valuable than beheadings!

The most important thing is - these are the best young men.

We might have to ask them to work on our cotton fields next year.

The Tubo people who fled were startled by the sudden change of the Song army.

Several guys who were already exhausted hesitated for a moment.

At this moment, Guo Gui, who had been following Wang Daxu with Baoding, immediately screamed strangely, took the dozens of Baoding he commanded, and ran up quickly.

They pushed these people to the ground and tied them up immediately. Everyone's movements were extremely skillful, as if they had practiced it thousands of times.

This is an old skill of the Song Dynasty official army.

It is a traditional skill passed down from the late Tang Dynasty. However, in the past, the Song army usually used it to loot civilians after breaking the city.

Nowadays, it is still very handy when used to capture prisoners.

Therefore, although these people are rough in their movements, their techniques are very particular and will not hurt anyone's vitals at all. They only focus on uniforms.

……

An hour later, when the battlefield calmed down.

The military judge sent by the Hezhou magistrate's office and a group of officials, accompanied by Zhong Jianzhong, began to inspect the battlefield, count the heads and prisoners, and seize them.

Heads were chopped off one by one and piled on the battlefield.

The prisoners were held together in groups, and their restraints had been lifted.

The Song army even set up a large pot on the battlefield and cooked porridge and rice.

Some of the prisoners had already eaten highland barley rice and barley porridge.

So they didn't panic much.

The military judge carefully examined the results of the battle and counted the heads.

Heads with hideous faces, stained with blood.

The officials carefully inspected the head to confirm its hairstyle, appearance and age.

Lest Qiu Ba kill a good person and take the credit, or even take the head of his comrade Pao Ze to receive the credit.

Such things happened endlessly in the past.

However, the Song Army now has a completely new look.

The officials checked it two or three times and found no problems.

The heads all have the appearance and hairstyle of Tibetan people, and they all look like adults in age.

There were no old people, no children, no women or children, and no heads of Song soldiers among them.

Therefore, after confirming, the military judge took out an official document, signed and stamped it, and handed it to Zhong Jianzhong: "Commander, please take a look. In this battle, your army beheaded 285 people and captured 860 thieves alive." Seven people received more than a thousand pieces of armor and weapons..."

It sounds like more than 3,000 Xizhou soldiers and horses under Zhong Jianzhong and the Tubo people have been fighting in this wasteland all morning.

In the end, only 285 people were beheaded and 867 people were captured alive.

It seems incredible.

But war in the cold weapon era is like this. Frontal fighting, hand-to-hand combat, and beheading have always been like this.

To be honest, the two hundred and eighty-five people who were beheaded by Zhong Jianzhong this time would have been enough to go to court and be called a great victory in the past.

This is because the Song army lacks cavalry, so even if it wins, it cannot pursue it, and even has to retreat after winning.

Therefore, it is impossible to clean the battlefield.

In general defensive combat, being able to behead dozens of people is already pretty good.

This time, Zhong Jianzhong was able to get so many beheadings thanks to his victory in the field. The Tubo people trampled themselves in the rout, allowing him to get more than a hundred more beheadings.

Otherwise, it would be lucky to be able to behead more than a hundred people after this battle.

Zhong Jianzhong took the document, signed and stamped it to express his approval, and then looked at the captured prisoners.

"You should be grateful to the officials of the current dynasty for their saintly virtues and benevolence, who put the livelihood of the people first, so even if you have turned into barbarians, you will still be very kind to you..." He said softly.

This is a fact!

Had it not been for the emperor of the dynasty, who was based on benevolence and used the teachings of the saints, to issue a reward order for Yuanyou's army, making the reward for prisoners alive higher than the reward for beheading.

Otherwise, Zhong Jianzhong knew that killing prisoners would be inevitable.

Even if he restrains his subordinates, at least half of the 867 prisoners today will have their souls returned here.

If it were a bloodthirsty general, he wouldn't even be able to take any prisoners!
As a disciple of a general, Zhong Jianzhong had a clear understanding of the Song Dynasty's official army.

……

In the evening of that day, the Song army camped.

Wang Daxu untied his robe, and his chest was blue and purple.

These are the marks left on his body by the weapons and arrows of the Tubo people.

Fortunately, the armor he wore was strong enough, so it was just a superficial injury. It should get better after a few days of rest.

Of course……

It's not just the armor that's strong enough.

Wang Daxu turned over the coarse cloth lining of his armor.

Inside the burlap, among the compacted cotton batting, there were iron pieces sewn with needle and thread.

He counted slowly and soon found several pieces of iron that had been deformed by external blows and chisels.

He immediately grinned and looked at Guo Gui, who was cleaning the armor he had replaced for him: "Guo Gui, your method is great!"

"Thanks to you this time, otherwise I might have been injured again. I will definitely go to Lieutenant Xiao Zhong to show my merit for you."

Guo Gui suddenly smiled flatteringly: "Thank you Tiha for the compliment!"

Wang Daxu has always kept his word to the township party.

After changing clothes in the camp and having dinner, he took his armor and lining and asked to see Zhong Jianzhong.

Zhong Jianzhong knew Wang Daxu because of Xiang Zongji. After dealing with Wang Daxu several times, he also had a good impression of Wang Daxu because of his loyalty and sincerity.

Of course, because Wang Daxu has the label of Xiang's family on his forehead, he has always kept a distance from him, and has not gotten close to him, let alone tried to win him over.

After receiving the notification, Wang Daxu was summoned.

After he finished listening to Wang Daxue's report, and then looked at the various marks on his armor, and also carefully observed the inner lining, wrapping iron sheets with cotton wool and sewing them together to protect his vitals, he immediately became interested. , and then he personally took off his robe and tried on the lining that Wang Daxu had modified under Guo Gui's suggestion.

He soon discovered that this kind of lining was both warm and comfortable, and also had a certain degree of defense.

It was simply tailor-made for the Song Army.

Zhong Jianzhong was overjoyed and said to Wang Daxe: "Daxe beheaded the fourth level today, and now that he has presented such a wonderful method, he can be transferred to an official position!"

Wang Daxu's current military minister rank is the third rank of the junior envoy, and he has been transferred to the right rank of Dianzhi.

This is the ninth-grade warrior rank.

Many famous generals of the Song Dynasty started their legendary lives from the right class.

Wang Daxu listened, but shook his head and said: "So that the Taiwei will know that this method was not created by the general, but was thought of by Guo Gui, a fellow countryman of the general, who is from Bianjing Xincheng."

Although he wants to be promoted, he does not want to engulf the credit of his township party.

Besides, this time he personally beheaded the fourth level, plus more than ten thieves under his command.

With this credit, after half a year of hard work, I will be qualified to transfer to another official position.

What's more, the war has just begun, and he still has the opportunity to perform meritorious deeds.

Zhong Jianzhong was stunned for a moment, then looked at Wang Daxu with admiration, and asked softly: "Has Daxu ever read a book?"

Wang Daxu bowed and said, "Report to Lieutenant Xiao Zhong, when I was a child, I studied in the Wang family's private school in Bianjing for several years, but because of my stubbornness, I never entered school, but I have some knowledge of writing!"

This is the norm for Bianjing people.

Bianjing has the highest literacy rate in the Song Dynasty. Even the strong men carrying big bags can read and even do arithmetic, and can calculate addition and subtraction within a hundred!

As a result, among the millions of soldiers and civilians in Bianjing, the illiteracy rate may be less than 40%.

As a result, the citizen culture of Bianjing was formed.

There are so many rich entertainment activities and gossip soil.

As a result, as soon as the new lyrics of Liu Sanbian and Yan Jidao come out, they can be sung throughout the capital.

Zhong Jianzhong received Wang Daxu's answer, stroking his beard and said: "It turns out that Daxu has read articles by saints, no wonder he is so loyal!"

"Now that Daaxe has an official status, he should work harder!"

"A general should read more. Only by reading can one understand the truth!"

This can be regarded as the tradition of the Song Dynasty.

Regardless of whether they are ministers of civil or military affairs, when they meet young and low-level military ministers who have an appetite for them, they will always advise them to read more and read good books.

If these young people did what they were told.

He will naturally promote and support them, and slowly cultivate them into his allies in the military.

Duke Fan Wenzheng and Duke Han Zhongxiang both trained a large number of talents in the Western Army.

The late Duke Di Wuxiang was the masterpiece of Duke Fan Wenzheng.

Of course, Zhong Jianzhong knew that it was not his turn to worry about Wang Daaxu's future.

Although Xiang Zongji is only a member of the Xiang family, he has this kind of relationship. As long as this king continues to maintain his position, the Xiang family will promote him sooner or later.

Maybe, this person's name will be on next year's martial arts recommended admission list.

Wang Daxu didn't know this, but when he saw people like Zhong Jianzhong, a son of a famous family who had served in the official family, and a person like the yamen of Lao Zhong Taiwei's family, he encouraged himself, and he was immediately moved and worshiped: "Xiao Zhong Taiwei" The teachings, I have written them down.”

"I will study hard..."

"It's just..." He raised his head and looked at Zhong Jianzhong. Thinking of the stories he had heard in Bianjing, he bowed his head and said, "I'm stupid, but I don't know where to study. I hope you can ask Mrs. Zhong Lieutenant gives you some advice!"

Zhong Jianzhong laughed and felt that this person was really sincere, so he asked, "Haven't you heard of Big Ax?"

"You Zhizhou of Xizhou is Mr. Hengqu's disciple."

"Mr. Hengqu is a great Confucian of our dynasty. Hengqu's sect emphasizes teaching without distinction!"

"Even I studied under Mr. Hengqu back then and benefited from his teachings throughout my life!"

"If I want to study now, I should take You Zhizhou as my teacher!"

"And You Zhizhou has hired many former classmates to take up posts at Xizhou Prefecture School. He wants to imitate Fan Wenzhenggong's feat at Nanjing Yingtian College and rekindle the meaning of the sage's scriptures in Xizhou!"

"If Daaxu sincerely wants to learn, he should go to Xizhou Prefecture to study and become a disciple of You Zhizhou."

When Wang Daxu heard this, he immediately bowed again: "General, thank you very much, Lieutenant Xiao Zhong, for your guidance!"

"It's just that I come from a humble background and I'm afraid that the Ming Dynasty won't accept me. I'd like to ask Taiwei Xiaozhong to write a letter and introduce it to me!"

After listening to this, Zhong Jianzhong's expression towards Wang Daxu changed.

He knew that there might be more to this person than what he appeared to be on the surface.

This Wang Daaxu’s thoughts are very delicate!

I actually took the opportunity to ask him for a letter of recommendation!

good! good!
Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said to Wang Daxu: "What's so difficult about this? When I return to the army this time, I will write a letter to Daxu and travel to Zhizhou to praise him."

"It's just that whether it succeeds or fails is not something I can decide!"

"Although You Zhizhou is my senior brother, he is also a selfless and unfaithful gentleman."

"If Daaxe wants to be his disciple, he must have a true desire to learn!"

Zhong Jianzhong is very familiar with You Shixiong's temper and character.

Among Hengqu's disciples, You Shixiong was the most serious in his studies and conduct.

Therefore, even though Mr. Hengqu has been riding a crane for many years, Hengqu's family has long been in disarray.

However, You Shixiong still insists on calling himself a member of the Hengqu sect and is unswervingly determined to revive his knowledge.

As a result, my energy was haggard and my hair turned gray prematurely, but I still worked hard without caring about myself.

As a junior brother, he can't help much now. He can only find ways to help the senior brother have as much relationship with the Xiang family as possible.

(End of this chapter)