Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 117 Opening a Banquet and Introducing the Ancestral Tent (2)

The Chengying camp is no different than other troops, and the families of the sergeants do not live together.Therefore, according to the request of Zhao De, the ten husband of Chengying Camp, the supply department arranged him next to the scholar's mansion.The house with two entrances and one courtyard was originally owned by a bachelor student. Later, when he went to Chang'an, the courtyard was vacant.The servants hired by the shipping department swept it clean, Zhao Xingde didn't even need to prepare furniture, he only bought bedding and other things in the city, and moved in with Li Ruoxue.

The husband and wife settled down to the house, Captain Qiu Shiliang of the Anton Military Division, Sergeant Shi Wenhu, friend Li Rui, commander Jian Cheng of the Chengying Battalion, fellow teammates Chen Yongqi, Chu Tianrui, and Cui Wenhao , Fu Bin, Hu Yanjie, Liu Zheng, Shi Yan, Tan Binglong, Yang Xin, Zhang Changling, came to congratulate him on his housewarming.Xia Guoren can join the army at the age of 20, and he has successfully applied for the examination many times, and he is nearly [-] years old by the time he becomes a sergeant.Many sergeants settled their marriages after retiring from the military. Like the sergeants in Zhao Xingde's team, except for Liu Zheng and Shi Yan who had wives, the rest were unmarried.

It was lively for a while, just as he felt at home in Dunhuang, Zhao Xingde was forced to say goodbye to his wife, pack up his luggage, and go to the desert west of Dunhuang to participate in the formation training of Chengying [-]th Battalion together with the sergeants of the battalion.

The first level of the training test is to use the sky-observing locator mentioned by Li Rui, relying on the detailed map provided by the Military Intelligence Department, march westward on foot, pass through Ruoqiang, and arrive at Qiemo City, which hangs alone in the desert. The shadow army commander Zhou Zhongyuan was waiting for them there.

When Zhao Xingde got the map, he almost cursed Zhou Zhongyuan, a lunatic, for marching from Dunhuang to Qiemo City was not a thousand miles, but eight hundred.The route runs along the Qiemo River and passes through the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, which is called "Great Quicksand" at this time.There are frequent and severe winds all year round, and [-]% of the sand dunes flow under the action of wind and sand.Only at the edge of the desert and along the river, where tamarisks and shrubs grow, there are a small number of fixed sand dunes.

Zhou Zhongyuan didn't even appoint a temporary centurion or school lieutenant, but asked five hundred sergeants to march together and not to be separated.Mrs. Xia, most of them are not willing to stay behind. Since they have not been formally elected, no one can control anyone now.As a result, when discussing the march, fifty commanders gathered in front of the map and chattered in a chaotic situation.

"Let's go to Changhai first," Zhao Xingde pointed to that place, which was still a vast salt lake at this time. The Hu people called it Lop Nur Zhuoer, and the Han people also called it Changhai, or Yanze. "Then march along the Qiemo River until Qiemo City."

"Zhao De, do you know how to use this thing?" Jian Cheng fiddled with the sky observatory for a while, but this thing is a little more complicated. Even in the legion, except for the marching Sima, almost no one knows how to use it.I don't know why Zhou Yuanzhong ordered a valuable astronomical instrument from the Ordnance Department, and sent it directly to the newly recruited [-] sergeants, and then ordered them, no matter what method they used, to arrive and arrive within a month. last city.The marching Sima sent by the three generals' mansion even put on a look of indifference, claiming that General Zhou had greeted them, and they would not 'intervene' in any military affairs unless it was absolutely necessary, and only followed them all the way. end.

"Let me take a look." Zhao Xingde took it over, this instrument is actually a telescope, it is also common in Song and Liao countries, but it is not as precise.The three marching Sima looked at him with a sneer in their eyes.Zhao Xingde frowned slightly. Although there were scales on the objective lens of the telescope, there should be a table to cooperate with it. He didn't believe that Xia Junzhong had reached the level where he could independently use astronomical measurement to calculate latitude and longitude without a data sheet.So, he walked up to the wooden box containing the astronomical instrument, and stretched out his hand to poke inside. Sure enough, two books full of data were placed in the deepest part of the box. .

The key to positioning is these two data sheets called "Licheng".Zhao Xingde flipped through it roughly, and one of them obtained the latitude of the army based on the positions of Ziwei and other stars.When there is no 'lost' way, the army relies on obvious geographical signs, such as mountains, rivers and the like to advance.In case of "lost" in the wilderness, the army should find the latitude of the destination on the map, march to the same latitude circle under the guidance of the compass, and then approach the destination along the same latitude.If you still can't find the road in this way, you can only find the longitude of the army on another more complicated record by observing Juweishi and accurately measuring the time from noon to Juweishi.See if you have missed your destination by marching along the latitude line, or if you have not traveled far enough.The establishment of the measured longitude made by the Ordnance Department is extremely complicated.What was sent to Zhao Xingde was only a part of a huge establishment form.

"Without an accurate clock, it is impossible to measure the longitude conveniently during the march. The Ordnance Department must be working hard to manufacture high-precision pocket watches." Zhao Xingde thought to himself, looking at the map, he clearly drew the detailed longitude lines. In the absence of accurate clocks and watches, it is possible to achieve this, and I don't know how much manpower and material resources have been invested in it.

Zhao De flipped through Licheng with great interest, as if he wasn't putting on an act, the three marching Sima looked at each other, showing surprised expressions.

"I know how to use a little, and this thing must be put away." Zhao Xingde said to Jian Cheng, knocking on the wooden box that kept the astronomical instrument, "At critical times, it can save our lives." Once it strays into the quicksand, The road is looming, and travelers in the past are easily 'lost' due to wind and sand.Since the opening of the Southern Silk Road, I don’t know how many caravans have been buried on the edge of the mysterious quicksand, so that later generations can only pile up the remains of the predecessors to mark the direction and indicate the road. A "sea of ​​death" reputation.

"It's really yours." Jian Cheng smiled and patted the wooden box, he had no doubt that Zhao Xingde was boasting.He knew that Zhao De had a good friend who was a disciple of the Tianji Institute of the Bachelor's Mansion, and that Zhao De would rather have his mansion next to the Bachelor's Mansion, and marry a wife with seven apertures and a delicate heart, which shows that he is very good at such complicated things. set.

The eyes of the other ten commanders around were either envious or wary.Not only is Zhao De's archery skills amazing, but he can also use the sky-observing device, which is usually something that the general's mansion's marching Sima can do.Several people immediately listed Zhao De as one of the candidates who might compete for the centurion or even the captain in the future.

Zhao Xingde returned to the map, deliberated on the preset route, and said in a deep voice again: "No matter what happens, you can't deviate from Qie Mohe."

In order to keep the road unimpeded, Xia Guo consciously restricted the reclamation of the upper reaches, so that the water volume of the several rivers flowing into the big quicksand should still be sufficient. If he did not deviate from the Qiemo River, Zhao Xingde was still sure to lead his team to the river. to Qiemo City.

"Naturally." "Of course we can't leave Qiemohe." The ten chiefs rushed to say immediately, as if Zhao Deduo had said this sentence, and he seized another opportunity.The centurion and lieutenant have not yet been elected, and all the ten commanders who have won the position with martial arts are holding back their energy.