Chapter 7, Hundred Refinements (Part One)
A series of reasons have led to the increasing cost of many weapons, with performance either stagnating or regressing. The soldiers under Wen Tianxiang are mostly militia, and the quality of their bows and arrows is inferior. For ordinary soldiers, it is already difficult to penetrate leather armor from a distance of fifty paces, and when facing the iron-clad warriors of Li Heng's Western Xia, it is even more futile. Crafting a good bow requires nearly a month of time and costs an exorbitant amount, close to two sheng of rice money, a price that the currently impoverished and poorly equipped troops cannot afford. Therefore, the generals have placed their hopes for victory on the newly developed secret weapon, the Thunder Bomb, and no one is considering distant solutions.
At this moment, no one cared about Xiao Zi's ostentation; they did not understand what carburizing was. They were also too lazy to ask about the differences between tempering, annealing, and quenching in terms of craftsmanship. A group of generals, disregarding that Wen Tianxiang was sitting right in front of them, scrambled to grab the piece of soft steel provided by Xiao Zi. Each person who got hold of it had to bend it with force until the steel bar suddenly snapped back straight in front of their eyes, producing the unique buzzing sound of metal materials, before reluctantly passing it to the next person.
The entire training ground fell silent in an instant. Zhang Godan did not hear the expected cheers and suddenly realized his reckless behavior. Lord Wen was the Prime Minister of the nation, and in front of so many people, he had knocked the weapon from his hand. Where could he possibly put his face
Instructor Du Hu lightly cleared his throat, giving Zhang Godan a subtle signal. Captain Zhang Godan was so engrossed in the fight that he did not hear it. He stepped forward, turned his body, retracted his wrist, and pushed the blade. With a crisp "bang," the wooden sword in Wen Tianxiang's hand was knocked away, landing on the sandy ground and kicking up a cloud of dust
"If we are to use it, then let us use it; what is there to fear? There are a few such trees in the forest. Let the brothers gather them all, and we can coat every arrow we have," Wen Tianxiang said with a hearty laugh, completely unlike the rigid demeanor that Miao Chun had imagined.
"Noble sir, why the shaking of your head? Is it difficult to refine these, or are you reluctant to teach your family’s swordsmanship to the other brothers?" Wen Tianxiang leaned slightly in his seat and asked with a smile
This is steel, but it cannot forge the soft sword of your dreams, my dear. You need not rejoice too soon," Wen Tianxiang teased Du Hu, noticing his loss of composure. He lightly tapped his fingernail on the soft steel, appreciating the melodious vibration.
Note from the author: The training methods in this section differentiate between the Eighth Route Army and the Xiang Army led by Zeng Guofan, with modifications made
Miao Doutu, what is the matter? Wen Tianxiang, with his keen eyes, immediately recognized this veteran from Jianghuai among the crowd.
"Young man, have you made any gains again?" Hearing Xiao Zi speak with such confidence, Commander Zou Ce stood up, calling out Xiao Zi's nickname. The generals had just made valid points, but no one had considered one issue: if the Mongolian cavalry were to launch an assault, after the first wave of thunderous bombs was dropped, the enemy cavalry would already be upon them. It takes a madman to claim absolute certainty in victory when facing the trampling of warhorses with mere flesh and blood.
On the opposite side, Wen Tianxiang stood with his feet together, the tip of his sword pointing downwards, and his fists facing upwards, adopting a standard posture of a junior seeking guidance from a senior. Zhang Godan was taken aback, quickly turning his body to the side, feeling so nervous that he didn't know where to place his hands and feet.
Wen Tianxiang nodded slightly, expressing his approval of Xiao Zi's progress. What the army needs most right now is this kind of unexpected surprise. Wen Tianxiang does not expect Xiao Zi to quickly produce large-caliber flintlock guns for him; he only hopes to gradually build the soldiers' confidence in victory through the excitement and mystery brought by the new weapons
I, I, Miao Chun nervously scratched his bald head and handed over a small tile. In the center of the tile, there was a bit of dark red liquid, faint and carrying a unique fragrance found in the forest
Seeing that everyone planned to abandon their crossbows, Wen Tianxiang felt a slight disappointment in his heart. The army in his dream, although poorly equipped, had never lost its confidence in victory. The generals under his command, focused solely on taking shortcuts to win, were far from the spirit of the army in his dream
Blocking, parrying, sidestepping, dodging, Wen Tianxiang gasped for breath, forced to retreat repeatedly by his sparring partner, Zhang Goudan. After all, being of scholarly background, in just a short while, his forehead was already drenched in sweat
"What is this?" Liu Zijun leaned over and asked in surprise
"The type of steel used for blade-making, I have also produced a bit, which saves a tempering process compared to making this soft steel," Xiao boasted, using terminology that no one else understood
"Subordinate, subordinate" Miao Chun was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. Lord Wen is the current Prime Minister, valuing his reputation as light as a feather; how could such despicable tactics be presented before him
The training ground in front of the Min King Platform has been trampled to the point where not a blade of grass can grow. The squad led by Zhang Goudan strides forward, maintaining a perfect square formation whether moving forward or sideways. The squad leader, Wang Laoshi, stands in the front row, his back straight as an arrow.
Shaving one's head is easy; however, eliminating the notion of valuing literature over martial prowess in people's hearts and changing the world's understanding of war is quite difficult
The grizzled beard danced in the wind, as Chen Longfu pushed the soldiers he was training back a few steps. The autumn sun illuminated the sweat on his forehead, and the instructor Du Hu, feeling sympathetic, handed him a towel, which was gently declined by the old master. With the tip of the sword pointing downwards, the contemporary sage made a gesture of invitation to the ordinary soldiers.
At that moment, in the eyes of the soldiers, craftsmen such as Xiao Zi and Zhang Daniu, who were throwing the thunderous bombs, seemed almost divine. During the Song Dynasty, the personnel of the logistics camp had never felt so proud and elated.
In the "Second Phase Training Plan" command tent, Du Hu was reading aloud the military training plan drafted by Wen Tianxiang. Beside the makeshift oval conference table, the generals of various ranks were sitting upright and attentively.
Indeed, he is no longer the chancellor he once was. I cannot discern whether this change is for better or worse. Du Hu gazed at the figure of Wen Tianxiang fighting alongside the soldiers and sighed softly.
"With that last strike, you have already been killed by me. On the battlefield, the dead do not protest," Wen Tianxiang interrupted Zhang Godan with a smile. Amid the soldiers' good-natured laughter, Zhang Godan lay down at the edge of the training ground, doing push-ups one after another while complaining.
Everyone is changing, the entire broken army is changing
Indeed, the range of a bamboo bow does not exceed one hundred paces, and it is also quite difficult to penetrate iron armor. In a real battle against the Tartars, archery is our weakest point. Several junior generals stood up and eagerly expressed their opinions. It is essential to speak up and to speak fully; this is the authority that Wen Tianxiang granted to all the generals
The generals speak nothing but harsh truths; the current state of the Broken Lu Army is indeed as such. Not only the Broken Lu Army, but the entire Song Dynasty military is on the brink of collapse. The accumulated weakness over several hundred years since the Northern Song Dynasty cannot be changed overnight
"This is soft steel, not pig iron," exclaimed Du Huxing, the military advisor of the governor's office, with excitement. In his youth, he was a wandering hero in the martial world, and his dream was to possess a legendary soft sword, coiled around his waist when not in use, ready to be drawn to slay enemies. For the sake of this dream, he had been deceived by countless swindlers in the martial world, yet his infatuation remains unchanged to this day
In the army of the Song Dynasty, there was a severe shortage of warhorses. To counter the cavalry of the northern nomadic tribes, the number of archers and crossbowmen in the army once reached approximately sixty percent. However, due to the court's neglect of military preparedness, the disqualification rate of bows and arrows produced by the Military Equipment Bureau exceeded forty percent. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song, an inspection of military equipment revealed the farcical situation where three bows were randomly checked, and none were found to be qualified.
"Begin" Du Hu waved his hand, signaling for the comparison of the *illustration* and the book to continue
When Du Hu forcefully struck the bronze gong in his hand, announcing the end of the round, the soldiers watching erupted in cheers. Zhang Godan, who had suffered a setback, had a flushed face and, touching his bald head, protested loudly: "Chancellor, Chancellor, this, this..."
At that very moment, Wen Tianxiang moved, stepping forward, striking with force, swinging his leg, and executing a diagonal sweep. His feet landed on the ground as he bent his knees into a crouch, and the wooden sword in his hand whistled through the air, heading straight for Zhang Goudan's waist
In the past, craftsmen were unable to produce good furnaces and could not master the techniques of tempering and annealing, which prevented them from creating quality steel. However, the method of furnace construction taught by the Chancellor makes it relatively easy to obtain steel. Currently, the military equipment produced by our logistics camp is not necessarily inferior to that in the hands of the Tartars
If one could produce soft steel, equipping a crossbowman unit would no longer be a dream. The construction of a bow requires six materials: wood, horn, sinew, glue, silk, and lacquer, and the sources and harvesting times of these materials are of great importance. A good bow, once made, must be gradually trained over several months to ensure accuracy in actual combat. Therefore, although the Song Dynasty possessed renowned bows such as those made of black lacquer and yellow birch, these were treasures that only high-ranking generals had the fortune to encounter. The weapons in the hands of ordinary military officers were inferior to the short recurved bows commonly used by the Mongols.
These tasks are not difficult to complete, as long as we proceed step by step and maintain adequate provisions, the brothers will have no complaints. I find the challenge lies in the fact that "Du Hu has presented the new training plan for everyone to see clearly, 'Archery and bow shooting overlap; currently, there are only over 200 horn bows available in the army, and the bows made from bamboo..." Du Hu shook his head, and his regretful expression conveyed to everyone that he was not optimistic about the performance of bamboo bows. 'Rather than letting the soldiers waste time, it would be better to have them practice other subjects, such as throwing. At Xiao Zi's place, they have already produced the Thunderous Boom; the power of that thing has also been witnessed by the Chancellor.'
"In ten days, forty crossbows will be produced, and I will issue a military order." Xiao Zi readily agreed, fully enjoying the thrill of being in the spotlight. Ten days ago, when he followed Wen Tianxiang's instructions and tested the first batch of explosive shells on the hillside, he completely fell in love with the position of Armaments Supervisor.
The chief of the supply battalion, Xiao Zi, who was responsible for overseeing the military equipment, was the most astute among them. Noting that Wen Tianxiang did not respond to the suggestions of the other generals, he stood up and said with a smile, "Everyone, do not expect too much from the Thunder Bombs. If we encounter enemy archers, the Thunder Bombs cannot be thrown that far and will only be suppressed. As for the bows and arrows, if General Chen can bring back the iron materials on schedule, I can guarantee that I will provide you with crossbows that are no less effective than the Divine Arm Bow. At that time, no matter what kind of leather armor or cotton armor, at close range, even tempered iron armor may not withstand my armor-piercing bolts."
The production of steel is underway, and the equipping of steel crossbows is only a matter of time. Training soldiers to shoot with crossbow bolts is a natural progression. The generals, filled with excitement, quickly accepted the new training program. Currently, the bows and crossbows scattered across various battalions are to be gathered together, ensuring that each afternoon, a battalion of soldiers can handle the bows and crossbows and learn the most basic shooting techniques. Xiao Zi's task is to strive to produce the first batch of steel crossbows within ten days, allowing the soldiers to witness the power of the steel crossbows, just as they had experienced the explosive force of the Thunderclap days ago.
Miao Chun gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and said loudly, "Respected Prime Minister, I have discovered two trees of arrow poison in the mountains ahead, known as the blood-sealing poison. The mountain folk apply it to the tips of their arrows; anyone struck will die from the poison within an hour if not treated."
The thick smoke from the explosion brought not only shock to everyone, but at that moment, in the eyes of every soldier, Xiao Zi saw hope
"When the bandits entered our home, any means that could be used to kill them is justified." Wen Tianxiang laughed heartily to the sky. What righteousness and compassion, what integrity and fairness, did the Mongols speak of compassion when they slaughtered innocent civilians
"Young man, you truly have talent; the Prime Minister did not teach you in vain," Zhang Tang excitedly punched Xiao Zi, causing the frail Xiao Zi to stagger. "In ten days, forty sets; first, equip a team for me. Is that possible?"
Zhang Goudan smirked, clearly still recovering from the shock of what had just happened. Prime Minister Wen had just conceded, punishing himself with ten push-ups. And he, Zhang Goudan, was one of the individuals who had defeated Wen Tianxiang.
After the Southern Migration, due to concerns over military generals usurping power, the court's strategy increasingly favored civil over military matters, leading to a rapid decline in military preparedness. During the period of Emperor Gaozong, the examination for the prestigious degree of Broad Learning and Profound Words saw candidates from the great Song dynasty, reputed for their extensive knowledge, no longer aware of what the divine arm bow was.
"Adult" Liu Zijun shot a fierce glance at Zhang Godan, quickly stepped forward, and handed over a hot towel. Wen Tianxiang smiled lightly and gently pushed the towel aside. He ran to the training ground and completed ten push-ups without missing a single one, picked up the knife, and returned to stand in front of Zhang Godan.
The Prime Minister? Du Hu hesitated somewhat; although he was naturally ruthless, he valued integrity and despised such underhanded and treacherous methods.
There are some gains, but the yield is not high, and there are too few craftsmen in the logistics camp. Xiao Zi smiled as he brought over a tray, placing a shiny iron bar on the table. "This is the wrought iron I obtained according to the furnace diagram provided by the Chancellor, after smelting and carburizing, as instructed by the Chancellor..." Xiao Zi bent the iron bar into a large arc, then released it, and with a buzzing sound, the iron bar snapped back straight, shining brilliantly in the sunlight
The Prime Minister has truly changed! Liu Zijun tugged at Du Hu's sleeve and whispered.
Zhang Goudan was forced to retreat repeatedly by these few moves, desperately trying to block, but alas, he had already lost the initiative. Wen Tianxiang swept with his sword, then quickly turned and raised his knee, executing a move akin to a dragon's tail sweep. The wooden sword struck with a loud "pa," landing heavily on Zhang Goudan's bamboo neck guard
If confidence collapses, no weapon will be of any use to them. On various battlefields, it is not a rumor that dozens of Tatar soldiers chase hundreds of local troops across the mountains like herding sheep
The oval conference table was set up according to the suggestion of Wen Tianxiang. During discussions, all generals, regardless of their rank, could sit and speak. The officers responsible for intelligence, military operations, and logistics stood by another large table, using a sand table to model the nearby terrain to scale, facilitating explanations from the commander and senior generals to everyone at any time
In the Wuyi Mountain region, due to the inability to gather the six materials necessary for bow-making in a hurry, the generals have thus abandoned their dream of establishing an archery battalion. Now, seeing Xiao Zi casually produce a piece of soft steel during a light-hearted conversation, everyone is filled with an indescribable excitement. While the process of steelmaking is not necessarily easy, it is still less time-consuming compared to the gathering of the six materials.
On the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days, there will be a formation drill after breakfast. On the 1st, 4th, and 7th days in the morning, there will be throwing practice. On the 2nd and 8th days in the morning, there will be drills for pursuit, crossing, and maneuvering. On the 5th and 10th days in the morning, archery will be practiced in three rounds. Every afternoon, martial arts such as boxing, knife techniques, and spear skills will be practiced in the camp. Every afternoon, outstanding soldiers from the training will be led by the captain to hunt in the surrounding mountains to supplement supplies... Du Hu shook his head while reading. Every afternoon, outstanding soldiers from the training will be led by the captain to hunt in the surrounding mountains to supplement supplies... Du Hu shook his head while reading.
Through the wide-open doors and windows, sunlight casts the sparse shadows of trees into the room, illuminating the faces of the assembled officers and brightening their eager eyes
"Do you want to smear this on the arrow?" Wen Tianxiang asked with a smile
Miao Chun approached, surrounded by several soldiers. He wanted to say something, but was hindered by the vast difference in their social statuses. Tentatively, he stepped a few paces closer to Wen Tianxiang, only to retreat back to the side.