Three Kingdoms

Close to the Qinling Mountains, deep in the mountains and old forests.

There are sentries on the surrounding hills, and soldiers stand among them with weapons, their eyes scanning the foot of the mountain and the mountainside from time to time, paying special attention to some places where people can hide.

This is a base for Fei Qian to test gunpowder, so it is often filled with gunpowder smoke and earth-shattering. The birds and animals in the surrounding woods have long since retreated and fled far away from this terrifying place.

A person in the wild is insignificant. Even insects can attack the front if they want, and the rear if they want. But if a group of people are in the wild and have sharp weapons, then the reverse is true. Even if Jackals, tigers and leopards should be kept away from each other, otherwise the chrysanthemum will not be protected.

"By the way, how is the construction of the Xuanwu Lake ship going?" Fei Qian smiled and looked at the craftsmen busy preparing in the middle of the open space, and asked Tai Shi Mingdao.

True ship.

Boat with wheels.

Building a ship is not an easy task. Just like Cao Cao's entire country, after losing a large number of ships in the Battle of Chibi, there was no way to continue. It's not that Cao Cao didn't have craftsmen at the time, but that he didn't have that many craftsmen. A lot of wood, not so many suitable places to build ships...

Fei Qian can only accumulate money slowly now. Anyway, there are not many places where boats are needed.

"Two ships have been built... The third one is under construction..." Tai Shiming replied, "It's just the wood... mainly the ship's bones... some have been transported from Sichuan and Sichuan, but the journey is long and there are still more to come." Dry in the shade..."

Tai Shiming talked nonchalantly, like a housekeeper complaining about all the shortcomings of her family. Fei Qian could only nod, and there was no good way to immediately change Tai Shiming's difficulties.

Can thousands of years of experience replace the growth of nature?

Can advanced knowledge allow trees to grow wildly against the laws of nature?

Because the Zhou Dynasty wanted to build palaces and mausoleums, the Qin Dynasty also wanted to build them, and the Han Dynasty also wanted to build them. Therefore, in the Sanfu area of ​​Chang'an, and even the Qinling area, there are big trees in areas that people can set foot on and can barely climb. , have all been cut down, so that now Fei Qian wants some suitable ship bones and has to turn his attention to the south.

Afforestation, soil and water conservation...

Fei Qian exhaled slightly. It's easy to be a heartless bastard who only knows how to toss. Once you want to get things done, you will naturally inevitably run into all kinds of troubles.

As long as a person is alive, he cannot be afraid of trouble.

After all, sometimes trouble also represents progress.

With new technology, it is natural to use new ones. This is just like the electronic products of later generations. When new people are introduced, the old ones are forgotten.

The current progress is in gunpowder.

The purification of gunpowder and the more powerful nitroglycerin, etc., because basic subjects such as physical chemistry have not yet met the requirements, so although I have ideas, I do not have the relevant foundation to support it, so I can only do some relatively superficial filtration and purification. , as for more precise ratios, etc., we can only wait for subsequent technological development.

There are grenadiers in the Fei Qian army, but even if they are careful, there are still many problems. For example, it is difficult to store gunpowder, and manual operation is also very dangerous. The mental pressure on the grenadiers themselves is also great. If they are a little careful... …

So basically speaking, Fei Qian is still taking a relatively cautious attitude towards the rationing of gunpowder, only distributing it during wartime and then recycling it after the war to avoid some troublesome matters.

In addition, when throwing by manpower, there will inevitably be problems with strength. Not everyone can have the same strength from beginning to end, and can throw wherever they want. Therefore, improving it to mechanical throwing is more or less a more reasonable direction.

There are two ways of mechanical throwing. One is a parabola similar to a trebuchet, and the other is a catapult similar to a ballista. Both methods have their own pros and cons. Throwing stones is mainly used to throw kerosene, while ballistas are mainly used to throw gunpowder. Today, Fei Qian came to see the results of Tai Shiming's experiments during this period.

"Lord, please take a look..." Tai Shiming pointed to the two instruments in the field and introduced, "Because the catapults and ballistas are cumbersome and difficult to transport, I was inspired by my lord's ship to make a wheeled cart to try... 』

"Both carts are baggage-sized. Although they are smaller than the original, and the throwing distance is also slightly reduced, they can travel with the army. There is no need to cut down trees for construction. They can be deployed directly, which is quite convenient..." Taishi Mingyi said There is a lot to talk about when it comes to these things. "Originally I wanted to use all steel, but it was too heavy and difficult to transport. In the end, I just used the machine extension arm, etc... The rest is still wood, covered with cowhide, and poured with water during war." On it, you are not afraid of fire arrows..."

"Ah... the assembly has been completed..." Tai Shiming pointed to the venue and said, "My lord, please review..."

In front of the two equipped machines is a dummy military formation set up with wooden stakes and some armor, which is used to test the destructive power of gunpowder.

Fei Qian nodded slightly.

Tai Shiming waved his arms excitedly, and immediately the flag began to waver. After receiving the order, the craftsmen and soldiers began to operate, starting with the catapult...

Amidst the whistling sound, the ignited kerosene jar rose into the sky, and then suddenly exploded when it was about to reach the imaginary "enemy position". With the roar, the flames enveloped it like a ruthless giant net. In a large area of ​​"enemy formation", flames clung to the wooden piles and armor, making crackling sounds.

Fei Qian estimated the coverage area of ​​​​the flames and found that it reached almost thirty steps, which means that it can directly devour a dense array of soldiers...

Of course, this would not be easy to use when facing an array of skirmishers. Let alone kerosene catapults, even later generations of artillery had to take a chance when facing skirmishers.

But the problem is that the infantry can only fight against the cavalry when they are assembled, and once they are dispersed...

"What if the fuse is set off in advance?" Fei Qian asked.

Tai Shiming said: "Every time, I will leave a little more fuse... This is because the craftsmen soldiers have thrown it many times and are very familiar with it, so it is effective..."

Fei Qian nodded.

On the other side, the ballista also began to fire the latest specially-made crossbow gun, and it plunged straight into the wooden piles in the "enemy formation" in the distance!

A wisp of green smoke slowly rises...

Everyone waited with bated breath.

Suddenly, there was a flash of fire, thick smoke rose into the sky, and then a loud noise reached my ears, as if the valley was shaking several times along with it!

After waiting for the smoke to dissipate, Fei Qian signaled to Huang Xu. Huang Xu nodded and took two or three people to the simulated position to check. After a moment, he turned around and took a piece of armor that was cracked by gunpowder.

Fei Qian took it and saw that the armor pieces had been basically broken, twisted and shapeless.

The power of gunpowder should be slightly improved, but this is not something worth bragging about, because the power of gunpowder itself is not very powerful. Even if it explodes around you, it will be difficult to save your head, blood, limbs, and internal organs. , but do you want to be like the future generations, with no bones left and iron melted into gold...

Therefore, this drill, whether it is a kerosene catapult or a gunpowder ballista, is slightly improved than before, but it does not mean that it has made great progress, which can make people feel like the world is turning upside down.

Tai Shiming seemed to see something of Fei Qian's intention, smiled, and then said with a slightly proud look: "My lord, stop for a moment, the martial arts performance is not over yet..."

"oh? Fei Qian was stunned for a moment, and then saw Tai Shiming order again. Immediately, a craftsman added a long box-like thing to the crossbow cart.

"This..." Fei Qian suddenly felt something familiar. When the craftsmen started to add lever handles to the bowstring of the ballista, he realized, "This is... a repeating crossbow?" 』

"Liannu?" Um! It's the Liannu! ” Tai Shiming clapped his palms and said in response, “Because of the lack of arm strength, the range is reduced, but it also makes it possible to continuously wind the string with the twisted arm and place the arrows in the box. One arrow will come out and one arrow will fall, so you can fire continuously! Just for the crossbow! 』

As Tai Shiming's voice fell, the commands of craftsmen and soldiers came from the distance...

"Win the string!" 』

"ignition! 』

"shooting! 』

Then there was a "boom", and immediately it was a new round of passwords!

It lasted for five rounds, which meant that there were five crossbows filled with gunpowder in the wooden box. Under the skillful operation of the craftsmen and soldiers, the five crossbow arrows were fired in just a few dozen breaths. Cum out!

Continuous explosions sounded, shaking the earth.

Fei Qian couldn't help but look around, thinking that Zhuge Liang did not go to Hanzhong, but stayed here secretly.

Although there are still many imperfections, even the delayed explosion of the gunpowder fuse caused the fifth crossbow bolt to be pushed aside by the shock wave of the first crossbow bolt. In addition, the power of the explosion was limited by the amount of gunpowder filled in the crossbow gun. , at most, it only has strong lethality within four or five steps of its crossbow. If it is far away, it will only produce a huge sound and the pungent smell of gunpowder smoke, but...

Even though there are shortcomings of one kind or another, this is already a step forward across the ages!

The transformation from close combat to long-range killing!

……─=≡Σ(((つ·?·?)つ……

On a huge battlefield, unless you have a God's perspective that can be adjusted at any time like a game, you can see all the details clearly. Otherwise, most of the time, you can only see a part.

Especially in the era of cold weapons.

When countless people are fighting each other, blood is gushing out in front of them, broken arms are flying in front of them, and lives are disappearing around them. If you don't lose your mind in the killing, you still know how to take a look or two at the surrounding situation and pay attention instinctively. A small military academy that can act as a front-line commanding officer with the command of the army's flag, and among thousands of troops, can still detect the enemy's movements through the chaotic situation, and then carry out targeted command Generally speaking, it can only be said to be talent.

Zhao Yun obviously has such talent.

The scouts sent out were like tentacles extending out, investigating everything that happened on the grassland and desert. The changes in the Dingling and Xianbei people were gradually conveyed to Zhao Yun through these scouts.

Such a big movement cannot be covered up even if one wants to.

Then the Xianbei people didn't seem to want to cover up, but directly sent a few soldiers to declare a war against Zhao Yun...

After getting the news, Gan Feng rushed over immediately, "Xianbei!" Haha, a bunch of melons still have the guts to declare a challenge! Life is boring! 』

"General!" "Gan Feng said with excitement, as if there were several nails stuck under his butt, making it uncomfortable no matter how he sat, "These guys! It’s so itchy! Keep it in order! Let me go? ! 』

Obviously, for Gan Feng, who likes and even has a hobby of fighting on the battlefield, facing the excitement and oppression of flesh and blood is the most refreshing moment, even more satisfying than trembling like that.

If you think about it carefully, Gan Feng's form is somewhat similar to a type of battlefield syndrome. Only a large amount of adrenaline and other hormones can be secreted to make Gan Feng's nervous system feel comfortable. Therefore, when facing the smell of war, When I arrived, the most excited and impatient person was Gan Feng.

But the problem is that as the commander-in-chief, Zhao Yun certainly cannot go crazy with Gan Feng.

Gan Feng stared at Zhao Yun.

It's a pity that Zhao Yun was born with a poker face, and it was also the Ace of Diamonds. Even though Gan Feng tried hard to identify the emotions represented, he still couldn't figure out anything.

"General!" How many sentences are correct or not? Gan Feng shouted, "These melon skins are so scared!" Just poke it in the ditch and it's over! I'll be a pioneer! You can definitely win! 』

Zhao Yun looked at Gan Feng, then picked up a roll of maps from the desk, spread it out, and motioned for Gan Feng to come forward.

"Here..." Zhao Yun clicked on a certain location on the map, "There was a battle... The Ding Ling people came from the north and ran into the Xianbei people... and the Youbei Cao army..."

"ah? Cao Jun? ! Gan Feng was stunned for a moment, then asked, "General, you mean...Cao Jun is following the Xianbei people?" 』

Zhao Yun nodded.

"Understood! "Gan Feng was also a veteran on the battlefield. He clapped his hands and said without thinking for long, "The Xianbei people will act as a cover, and then Cao Jun will take the opportunity to sneak attack... Humph, a coward without courage will do this trick! In this case, let’s just clean it up together! 』

Zhao Yun did not respond to Gan Feng, but continued to stare at the map, then clicked on the north side of the map and said, "You also think the Ding Ling people are no longer a threat?" 』

"ha? Ding Ling people? Wasn't Ding Ling beaten away? Gan Feng asked in confusion, "Ding Ling can't even defeat Xianbei... this..."

"According to the reports from the scouts we sent, the Ding Ling people have almost occupied...the entire northern desert..." Zhao Yun said slowly, brushing his hand over the map, "But this time...only less than 3,000 people came. ...Those who died in the battle, maybe five or six hundred, no more than a thousand at most... Do you think this... is normal? 』

Ding Ling had three thousand men, and then he was attacked by the Xianbei and Cao troops. He suffered five or six hundred losses in battle, and the rest were defeated. Of course, there is nothing abnormal about this battle value, but what Zhao Yun meant was not this, but the overall situation. , Since the Ding Ling people occupy a large area in the north, it is naturally impossible for the number of troops they can gather to be only three thousand. And it's not necessarily that the Ding Ling people are so stupid that they only use fueling tactics. The barbarians in the desert prefer to fight in the form of wolves.

"General, what you mean is... behind the Xianbei people and Cao Jun... there are Ding Ling people?" Gan Feng frowned and said, "Then these Ding Ling people were deliberately defeated in order to make Xianbei and Cao Jun feel that the Ding Ling people were no threat... But, well..."

Zhao Yun looked at Gan Feng encouragingly and said, "Just say whatever comes to mind." 』

"Why do Ding Ling people do this?" ” Gan Feng asked.

Zhao Yun nodded, "This is also something I have considered... Normally, there is no need for Ding Ling people to do this... After all, their relationship with us before was not too bad..."

During the period when the Xianbei people were still the lords of the desert and the two kings were juxtaposed, according to the habits of the Han Dynasty, these tribes under the Xianbei were relatively tolerant and friendly, and even provided preferential policies to a certain extent. , just like the relationship between the Han Dynasty and the Wuhuan people when the Xiongnu were strong...

"Liu Shijun wants to see the general!" ” The soldiers on duty outside shouted loudly.

"laugh! Gan Feng sneered, "Is this guy here to do the hammering?" Got the news and want to use our soldiers to avenge him? 』

"Wait a minute, shut up and stop talking!" ” Zhao Yun gave an order, and then raised his voice and said, “Please!” 』

Liu He walked in with Xian Yufu and bowed deeply, "I have met General Pingbei..."

"You're welcome, Commander Liu, please sit down..." Zhao Yun greeted, "I wonder what business Mr. Liu is here for?" 』

"Back to General Pingbei, I heard that Xianbei thieves came to declare war?" I wonder if this is the case? ” Liu He asked knowingly.

I recall the way I fled here like a lost dog. I was in constant panic all the way, with almost no hope, and the difficulty of having to force myself and my subordinates to cheer up. I also recalled the thought of being stabbed by soldiers who rebelled against me in the middle of the night. The fear of being stabbed to death and having his head cut off made Liu He's face distorted, even a little ferocious, "The Xianbei thieves are here, arrogant and arrogant, how dare they declare a challenge!" Could it be that he was insulting the general? ! Fight quickly! If the general dampens his arrogance, captures his head, and attacks his subordinates, the Xianbei thieves will no longer be able to gather together, and they will be able to pacify the desert and gain peace! May you be famous throughout the ages! 』

"What Liu Shijun said is true..." Zhao Yun nodded slightly, as if he was attracted by Liu He's description of the great achievements, but the topic changed, "There is just one more thing... Yun was a little confused and asked Liu Shi Please answer..."

"General, please speak..." Liu Hegong said with cupped hands.

Zhao Yun smiled slightly and said, "I heard that Ambassador Liu returned to the same place with the Wuhuan soldiers before... And I don't know where the Wuhuan people went now?" 』

"ah? "Liu He was stunned, "This... In the past, during the chaotic battle, a certain man was not brave enough and lost to Xianbei. He fled in defeat... I am really ashamed of the general... I am ashamed of the hussar... That day... I got separated from Wuhuan's people. I don't know where the Wuhuan people are at the moment. I guess they are hiding in Youbei, waiting for the general to march in, and they will definitely be in Yiyi! 』

Zhao Yun nodded again, and then said: "In that case, how about asking Liu Shijun to bring some people and contact the Wuhuan people first?" 』

Liu He was immediately dumbfounded...