Pirate Song

After entering the backyard, it seems that there is something special here. The whole backyard looks inconspicuous from the outside, except for a few chimneys, it seems that there is nothing to pay attention to inside, but after entering, it is not small. There are Several work sheds and several furnaces were set up in the work sheds. At this time, two of them were still smoking. It seemed that there was no rest here either.

When Gao Huaiyuan stepped into a separate stone room and saw a bright yellow bronze pipe placed on a wooden frame, Gao Huaiyuan's heart couldn't help beating wildly.

He strode to the front of the wooden frame, and raised his hand to remove the copper pipe from the wooden frame. He was so excited that his palms were sweating a little.

After he held the copper pipe in his hands, he took a deep breath and began to carefully observe the appearance of the copper pipe in his hand. He saw that the copper pipe was about two feet long, and the whole body was cast of bronze, because the casting The production time is relatively short, and after careful polishing by craftsmen, there is no copper-green rust on the outside, but it looks golden.

One end of the copper pipe is open, the other end is solid, and a small hole is drilled on a small raised platform at the end to lead into the interior. The diameter of the hole is about two centimeters. Because, to be more precise, it should be regarded as a kind of copper firecracker. After zooming in, it is a cannon.

Speaking of this thing, we have to start from the time when Gao Huaiyuan served in the army. Since he arrived in this era, he has been thinking about how to deal with the swarming Mongolian army. He wanted to find another way to solve the problem of dealing with the Mongolian army. question.

But when he thought about it, besides relying on the strong city and using a large number of bows and crossbows to prevent the Mongolian cavalry from attacking, he didn't think of any good way to deal with the Mongolian cavalry with the infantry of the Song Army in the field. It's not that they despise the capabilities of the Song army, but that the Mongolian army has already formed extremely fierce tactics after repeated battles. In addition to the extraordinary bravery of the Mongolian soldiers, they have a set that is quite effective for slow-moving infantry. It can be said that the mobility of the cavalry has been brought to the extreme, so that the infantry with slow mobility, when they encounter the Mongolian army in the wild, cannot fight or run away. It can be said that I think of the Mongolian army. This method of warfare makes people desperate. Unless you build a large-scale cavalry that can compete with the Mongolian army, otherwise, there is no chance of winning in a field battle with cold weapons.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Gao Huaiyuan could only think of using the advantages of weapons to solve this problem, so he thought of muskets and cannons. Right now, all he can think of is using the sharpness of firearms to deal with the flood of Mongolian troops up!

The application of gunpowder in the Song Dynasty, especially after the Southern Song Dynasty, gradually began to mature. As mentioned above, whether it was the Southern Song Dynasty, the Jin Kingdom, or even the Mongols, they all noticed the explosive properties of gunpowder, and gradually applied this explosive property to During the war, a large number of explosive firearms such as Zhentianlei and Thunderbolt appeared in the war, and even the prototype of the body weapon "burst gun" appeared. Therefore, various aspects can be said to be mature for the birth of artillery , as long as someone pushes this matter, it will be a matter of course.

As a person of later generations, Gao Huaiyuan's principles of firearms and artillery are naturally hundreds of years ahead of the people of this era. Although he did not study machinery or military manufacturing, his ideas are enough to guide craftsmen to create useful products. of artillery.

The reason why Gao Huaiyuan thought of this was also inspired by a weapon, that is, a long spear between cold weapons and hot weapons that appeared in the Song Dynasty, that is, the rainstorm pear flower gun that everyone is familiar with. I saw it once when I was in the army, so I know what the rainstorm pear flower gun is. It turns out that this gun is just an ordinary long gun with two bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder. Use the gunpowder in the tube to rush towards the enemy, use the flames sprayed and shot from the bamboo tube to burn the enemy at a long distance, or use the arsenic mixed in the gunpowder to poison the enemy, and only after the gunpowder is used up will the enemy be killed again. Using the tip of a spear to kill an enemy is considered a relatively advanced personal melee weapon in contemporary times.

In this era, it is said that there are quite a few people who use this kind of weapon. The most famous one is Li Quan, the leader of the rebel army who fought against the gold in Shandong. As I said, he is a very complicated person. First he raised troops and led the red coat army to fight against the Jin Dynasty, then he was recruited by the Southern Song Dynasty, and he took refuge in the Southern Song Dynasty. Finally, due to various reasons, he turned to the Mongols again. It plays an important role, and I don't know how to compare it to him.

And Li Quan is said to have a good marksmanship, and a pear blossom gun in his hand made him rule the roost and the Shandong area. He is recognized as "20 years of pear blossom gun, invincible in the world!"

And this kind of pear flower gun can also be said to be a kind of originator of barrel weapons, but it uses the performance of gunpowder to spray burns and poisonous smoke, instead of relying on the principle of gunpowder to push the projectile to shoot.

After thinking about it for a long time, Gao Huaiyuan felt that the power he had at hand already had the strength to create artillery, so he drew the graphics of the artillery some time ago, and handed it over to Xue Yan to start the trial production here.

And the copper pipe he is holding in his hand is a trial product made by them. It is only in consideration of the preliminary trial production that the size is made smaller. It looks more like an individual rifle without a gun handle. It's just guns.

The weight of this firecracker is about twenty catties. It is obviously a bit too heavy for one person to hold, and it is more troublesome to operate, but if it is smaller, it will not be easy to cast it in bronze, so it is not big. It's a little weird, to say the least.

But Gao Huaiyuan doesn't care about these things. After all, this is just a prototype, not something to be used in actual combat. What he needs to solve first is the problem of availability, and the problem of manufacturing technology, as long as it can shoot projectiles, and It is enough to ensure that the chamber will not explode. If these problems are successfully solved, then it is time to consider the serious casting of artillery or muskets.

Therefore, Gao Huaiyuan didn't pay too much attention to the weight and shape of the firecracker. He held it in his hand and looked at it carefully, and looked carefully at the barrel of the gun, and put his finger deep into the barrel to test whether it was smooth.

"Master! This thing is made by a small one. No matter how small it is, it will be difficult to drill holes! Besides, the small one has been carefully polished inside and out, but I don't know if the young master is satisfied!" At this time, from Gao Huaiyuan A voice came from behind.

Holding the brass pipe, Gao Huaiyuan turned his head and saw a middle-aged man with a flattering smile talking to him. He recognized this man's name as Jin Tong, who was also the Jin Jun he had brought back before the army. One of the prisoners of war, this person is from Bianliang. He was a coppersmith when he was in the Kingdom of Jin. He specialized in casting some copper tripods, bronze bells and other bronze wares for temples and Taoist temples. Zhongshi died, and was finally caught by himself.

This person has gradually settled down in Crouching Tiger Manor in the past two years. Some time ago, he had been casting some copper tools for the gunpowder workshop. The work was entrusted to him, and now Jin Tong is the person in charge in Tongzuo, under Zhou Botong's management.

"Jin Tong, you have done a good job. This is exactly what I want. You don't have to worry too much about things right now. I am already very satisfied that I can make such a thing. How many pieces of this kind of thing have you cast now?" How old are they? " Gao Huaiyuan smiled approvingly at Jin Tong, and asked.

Hearing what Gao Huaiyuan said, Jin Tong immediately felt relieved, and hurriedly bowed and replied: "Returning to the young master, I have never cast such a thing before. According to the young master's requirements, this thing should be straight in the center and the walls should be straight. Absolutely uniform, there must be no flaws such as air holes inside, and the length of the pipe is also very long, it is not easy to cast. I tried to cast a lot of small ones these days, but they were all scrapped because they could not meet the requirements of the young master. And this copper pipe is the best one that the little one has cast right now, and the other small one has also cast two larger ones, which are being polished in another shed, and the young master can take a look at it later! There are two more In three days, it can be polished and handed over to the young master!"

Gao Huaiyuan nodded. He also knew that he was not suitable for this job. He didn't know much about casting skills. Come on, I am very satisfied that you can achieve this step. After all, no one has ever made this kind of thing before, and my requirements are relatively high. It is really not easy to meet my requirements in one go. You can Take your time, gradually explore a set of perfect craftsmanship, and ensure that if you do it later, the finished product rate should be as high as possible!

I don't know much about casting, but I also know that it is not easy to open a mold. Every pipe needs a set of molds. If you want to do it, you can think about it and get some tools, especially about the inner chamber. Maybe it can be cast The time is slightly smaller, and then the drill pipe is used to ream the hole, so that the bore hole made will be more uniform and smooth, which may be better than your current manual grinding. As for how to do it, I, a layman, will not tell you. To add to the confusion, you and the other brothers have thought about it!

I'll take this thing back first, let's go and see the other two things you're satisfied with now!I'm eager to see the other two things!hehe!let's go! "

Gao Huaiyuan reached out and handed the brass pipe to Li Ruohu. Li Ruohu held it carefully in his arms. He didn't know what new thing Gao Huaiyuan was going to do, but they all saw that Gao Huaiyuan seemed to attach great importance to the manufacture of this kind of thing. , and I like this straight copper pipe very much, so I am very careful, lest Gao Huaiyuan break it if it falls to the ground.

Gao Huaiyuan followed Jin Tong into another work shed. After entering, he saw three or four craftsmen polishing the two copper pipes with various tools. They were working very seriously until Gao Huaiyuan walked in. It wasn't until Gongpen realized that he quickly put down the tools in his hands and stood up, saluting Gao Huaiyuan one after another.

Gao Huaiyuan greeted everyone while handing out the red envelopes, which made everyone relax, and each of them held the red envelopes with joyful expressions on their faces.

And Gao Huaiyuan quickly turned his attention to the two copper pipes on the platform, and his heart suddenly became more excited. Compared with the firecracker just now, the two copper pipes have basically appeared The embryonic form of a mature artillery has emerged, which is very close to the shape of the ancient cannon he envisioned.

The whole copper cannon presents a conical shape, gradually thickening from the muzzle to the tail, until the breech reaches the thickest, and lugs are cast on the body of the cannon according to his requirements, so that it can be mounted on the gun carriage for later use. They are all made of bronze. One of the front ends has an outer diameter of about three inches, and the inner diameter is about an inch or more. They are medium caliber cannons, and they are about four feet long. It is really a kind of artillery.

Gao Huaiyuan leaned down and carefully read the two cannons in front of him by the light. From the casting point of view, the casting process of the two cannons is quite good. At least there are no defects such as trachoma or air bubbles on the whole body. After polishing, it looks even more muddy and round, with a rather domineering feeling.

Observing the light from the lantern handed over to the side, Gao Huaiyuan saw that the inner chamber had been polished and smooth, without the roughness left by casting, but it was impossible to check whether the inner chamber wall was straight or not. , It was so dark inside that I couldn't see anything.

"I don't know what is the use of the young master casting such a thing?" Zhou Botong watched Gao Huaiyuan carefully examine the round bronze pipes in front of him, and couldn't help his curiosity, so he asked Gao Huaiyuan out.

"You can't say it now! Hehe! When I'm ready, I'll let you know!" Gao Huaiyuan said with a mysterious face.

Seeing Gao Huaiyuan's mysterious refusal to tell the reason, everyone's appetite was lost. In fact, when Gao Huaiyuan sent down the drawings and ordered them to cast this kind of thing, everyone was full of suspicion. What is this thing used for? Because this thing is neither like a bronze bell nor a sacrificial vessel. When it was cast, the quality requirements were so strict that these people made Monk Zhang Er unable to figure it out. Mind, now that Zhou Botong finally asked, but Gao Huaiyuan still refused to talk about it, the group became even more curious.

"Okay! Very good! Jin Tong, the outer walls of these things don't need to be polished too smooth. You can save a little effort. As long as the whole body has no flaws such as trachoma and blowholes, the key is that there should be no dark wounds, because it will be damaged. Under considerable pressure, the focus is on the interior and walls. Try to figure out that there are no flaws inside, and the polishing must be smoother. I think these two things are basically enough. I will help me load the car and bring them back to Zhuangzi. Inside, everyone has worked hard, and everyone has a good rest during the Chinese New Year, eating and drinking for a few days. After the Chinese New Year, everyone will be even busier!

In addition, I want to tell you a piece of good news, that is, I have sent people to the north, sneaked into the territory of the Kingdom of Jin, and tried to find a way to find your family members. I promised you this matter before, and it is time to fulfill the promise. For your family members, the people I arranged will find a way to transfer them to Daye County. It is estimated that there will be news within three months at the earliest, and half a year at the earliest. I hope everyone is waiting for the good news!

But in the war-torn era, many things are hard to say, and you all know it well, if you can't find your relatives, please don't blame me, I will definitely do my best to do this! "

After listening to Gao Huaiyuan's words, the northerners among the craftsmen immediately showed joy. They didn't have much hope for repayment, thinking that Gao Huaiyuan would fulfill his promise and go to Jinjing to find their families. After all, the two countries now They are still in a state of confrontation, and it is not easy to do this fact. If Gao Huaiyuan does not do it, everyone has nothing to say, and now the quality of their lives here is quite good. Although they miss their relatives, no one wants to return to the Kingdom of Jin If it is not guaranteed, it is a dead word to go back. If it is caught by the officials on the ground of the Kingdom of Jin, it will definitely be punished as a spy or a deserter.

What they didn't expect was that Gao Huaiyuan would actually send people to find their relatives in the Golden Realm at such a time, and the price to be paid would be very high. Naturally, they knew this in their hearts, so they immediately shouted Kneeling all at once, kowtowed to thank Gao Huaiyuan with tears in his eyes.

Gao Huaiyuan quickly helped these people up one by one, and said to them: "You don't need to thank me, anyone who enters my Crouching Tiger Village, I will treat you as my relatives, and your relatives are my relatives of Gao , the family does not talk about two things, you are treating me like this now, Gao, and Gao will never break his promise to treat everyone, so no matter how much he pays, Gao will definitely fulfill the contract and fulfill my promise! Thank you all What happened to Gao!"

Gao Huaiyuan's words could not help but make everyone's eyes filled with tears again. In today's world, there are many rich people without virtue, but Gao Huaiyuan has strictly kept his promise. How can he not make them feel grateful for treating them like this, so everyone once again I thanked Gao Huaiyuan with tears.

After being comforted by Gao Huaiyuan for a while, everyone gradually calmed down, and Gao Huaiyuan was not in a hurry to go back to Crouching Tiger Manor immediately. The craftsmen drank so much that they didn't leave the banquet until the middle of the night.