Chapter 79: gunpowder

Although Pei Yan gave a bad breath for himself, Qin Nuo did not have a good face when he saw him again.
The two met in the courtyard of the Department of Economic Affairs, which had just been laid out by Gewu.
Pei Ye was in Tsing Yi, with bright eyes, under a big tree on the east side of the yard, holding a crossbow in his hand. There are several officials with white beards around, all of whom are senior academicians of the Ministry of Industry, and there are also several artisans, including Zhao Ding.
When the emperor came over, everyone saluted on his knees. Qin Nuo raised his hand.
"Hey, come here today to see how the development of new weapons is going? I didn't expect the general to be here."
Pei Yue stood up, with a reassuring smile in his eyes: "The Secretary of Gewu has just made another improvement on the crossbow. Come and try it."
Talking to the bow in his hand, the crossbow was handed to Qin Nuo.
After playing with it twice, Qin Nuo immediately discovered that the new version of Kaitian Crossbow 2.0 is more delicate and meticulous than before, and it has a hinge on the handle that can be folded.
When folded up, a chopstick is about the same length, of course, it should be thicker.
"Previously, the emperor said that if he could fold the long handle and carry it with him, it could be equipped for daily use in the army on a large scale, and the minister ordered the craftsmen to try it." Pei Yi laughed.
When meeting at the Perak camp last time, Qin Nuo did talk about it. The range of the crossbow is long, and it can fire multiple rounds. It can be used as a subsequent munition. Unfortunately, it is too large to carry. And the bowstring is easy to pull and wear during transportation. If it can be improved into a folding type, it will not only greatly reduce the difficulty of transportation, but even a boudoir woman such as Huo Yousil who can not be bound by chickens can also be used to defend herself.
I didn't expect that he had just proposed an idea, and he was really troubled by it.
"How about the power?" Qin Nuo opened with interest, aiming at the target beyond fifty steps.
Pei Yue stepped forward to help, correct his posture, and moved slowly and respectfully.
Qin Nuo pulled the trigger, an arrow penetrated the target, and nailed it to the wall.
At the same time, a back momentum came, Qin Nuo was caught off guard, leaning back, but felt his body warm.
It was Pei Ye who caught him from behind.
Qin Nuo stood firm, glanced at him, and said with a smile: "Pei Qing is really attentive." There was no word to say that in the past, the general was not so considerate. Do you feel guilty if your nephew is in trouble?
Pei Yue smiled: "Although this improved version is meticulous and small and easy to carry, the recoil is not small. It is a regret, and it can only be improved by the craftsman."
After a pause, he whispered again: "Before the junior was young and ignorant, because of the dispute over the duty route, he walked around at random after the key was set, and was ashamed of disturbing the holy drive."
Qin Nuo replied: "Lead leader and Pei leader are in charge of the inner palace, this time it's OK, just pay attention to it in the future." Although he was still annoyed, he couldn't really punish the two. Even if they found other excuses in Yanwutang, at most they could only beat two people out, and the same punishment Pei Yi had already performed for himself, and now he whispered an apology and could only expose it temporarily.
"Thank you for your generosity."
Pei Yan secretly fortunately, Qin Nuo did not want to let the news of his martial arts leak, and at the same time did not know what Pei Tuo ’s kid was doing. Feifeng Pavilion is within the East Palace and surrounded by free and closed palace rooms. As guard officers, the two went up and took a trip to plan a rotation route, which could barely explain.
Qin Nuo continued to put his mind on the open crossbow in his hand.
Shot several times in a row, with precautions, the recoil is easily resolved.
In the end, Qin Nuo was glad to find that the power was more than 90% of the previous one! After all, with this bow, the crossbow relies on the power of its exquisite organ box, and the folding changes on the bowstring crossbow handle will not affect the power of the organ.
Qin Nuo tried several times and couldn't help it. It was not put down until an arrow box was shot empty. Sighing: "With this thing, the army is even more powerful, but it's a pity that the manufacturing land is too slow."
Due to Qin Nuo's help before the launch of the crossbow, although the successful development of this bow, the bow and crossbow box was too complicated and delicate, and the old craftsman who had been immersed in it for decades could not make it successfully, so the progress has been very slow.
The era of handicraft is such a tragedy. After all, there are no high-density precision tools such as lathes.
Pei Yue laughed: "Before, the minister also arranged for the craftsmen to simplify the production process of the crossbow according to the emperor's opinion, and split it into multiple parts. The simple ones were done by ordinary craftsmen, and the precise ones were needed Old craftsman, the speed has been doubled. "
Before Qin Nuo was worried that the production speed was too slow, he put forward suggestions for assembly line operations. But Pei Min and Huo Donglai opposed at the same time. Opening the crossbow is now the number one secret for military aircraft, with too many artisans involved, and confidentiality will be greatly reduced.
Later, even they couldn't stand the backward production speed, so they took a compromise and produced less important parts by outside craftsmen. The most critical central box was still made by the dozen or so old craftsmen.
So far, more than half a year has passed, and only over 500 have been produced. It is no problem to support a small war, but it is still far from being popular.
"If it is against Beishuo in the future, if this thing can form a battle array, all arrows will be launched, and it will become the natural enemy of the cavalry." Pei Wei lamented.
"I have heard them talk in Yanwutang before. To deal with the cavalry warhorses of Beishuo, they often need to fill the lives of the soldiers in the northern Xinjiang. If this can be used to reverse the war situation, it will not be difficult for the general to work hard for years." Qin Nuo Laughed.
As an emperor, there is more information available. Qin Nuo has seen the development of Kaitian Crossbow, which is far more difficult than he thought. It lasted for several years and invested huge amounts of money. The Ministry of Accounts and the Ministry of Industry were struggling for several days, and several times requested to stop the project. Among them, for a period of time, Pei Min himself invested in silver to support it.
The gatekeepers and nobles of this era were very rich, and Pei Ye also held a number of business channels in northern Xinjiang. Every day, his financial resources were rolling, but it was still necessary to be able to contribute his own silver.
Based on this alone, how can Qin Nuo not be given a high look at the person in front of him?
Pei Min struck the bowstring: "Opening a crossbow against the common cavalry is effective, but if it is against iron floating slaughter, I am afraid it may not be effective."
Tiefu Tu is the most elite cavalry unit in Beishuo. From knights to warhorses, they are all clad with armour. They are almost invulnerable. They rammed the battlefield. North Xinjiang soldiers and horses have eaten their defeats over the years.
It was Pei Ye who made several victories. Once he was elite on Tiefu Tu, he could only stop and couldn't continue to expand the results.
"I have a new idea for Tiefu Tu." Qin Nuo laughed.
Pei Yan followed Qin Nuo to the far corner of the backyard, in a separate small yard.
Unexpectedly, the emperor would come at this time, and several young officials inside fell to his knees.
They were all gray-headed and dirt-faced, saying that the gray-headed and dirt-faced ones were still polite. The faces of several people were covered with dark gray mud, especially the one headed, even the official robes were full of dust, and they also carried several holes. He was originally a black-faced fat man, but now he is even more rampant.
If this appearance is shown to Yu Shi, impeachment of an instrument is impermissible and Guan Wei cannot be beaten.
Qin Nuo was surprised: "Did you just experiment?"
"Uh, the emperor could not help but try a little bit."
Qin Nuo's face sank: "Confused, fried, medicinal things, can it be tested casually?"
He hurried around several people and came to the yard. Sure enough, there was a large hole in the center of the yard, and the earth and stones were flying across. Fortunately, this yard is vast, and it has rained in the previous two days, and the soil is moist underneath, so the pit is not too scary. Qin Nuo still frowned.
Shi Yongchang followed, seeing that the emperor was displeased, and only honestly said, "The minister knew something wrong."
He was originally a student of the Hanlin Academy. This unremarkable black fat man was one of the three selected by Qin Nuo to help review the memorial. After working and losing his job one day, he had no ambition to choose to work as a composer in Wenhua Pavilion. He was an idler, and thought that he could safely take the iron rice bowl for a lifetime. After hearing the news of Qin Nuo's opening of the Gewu Bureau, he even recommended himself and wanted to be deployed here.
Qin Nuolue learned that this guy was born in a wealthy business family. He likes to tinker with charcoal, wood, stone and other activities at home. He has also deployed fireworks for the New Year celebrations and sold them in his own shops. It is quite popular. Make a lot of money. He has always been interested in the way of grid things, but Naihe court did not pay attention to these trails. Tight at home, expecting him to study hard and to shine brightly at the door, he had to give up his hobbies and concentrate on imperial examinations. Hearing that the Gewu Division recruited artisans who knew the fireworks, he was overjoyed and came here to recommend himself.
After reviewing this person's resume, Qin Nuo found it available and approved the deployment. And gave him a very important task.
Fire and medicine have already begun to take shape in this era, but they are only used when the New Year celebrations are used or when the opera team changes its tricks, because it is easy to cause fires and the popularity is not high.
There is also a special torch inside the Weapons Division of the Ministry of Industry, which can fire fire bombs, but its main function is to fire attack, attack the other party's granary and set a fire, etc., is not significant in killing the enemy.
Qin Nuo urgently needed to transform fire and medicine into weapons and give them unparalleled lethality.
After that, Qin Nuo personally talked with Shi Yongchang for a long time, including some ideas on things like fire and medicinal artillery. He found that the boy was quite insightful about the way of chemistry. Hearing Qin Nuo's suggestion, he became more glaring, and couldn't wait to try it.
Qin Nuo specially allocated them to this remote courtyard, and dispatched more than a dozen artisans who were good at this. I thought that it would be good to have results in two years. Who knew that this guy was so eager to experiment and started to deploy things in his yard.
Thanks to his repeated admonitions, the yard was only used for scientific research, and experiments were carried out in Zhuangzi outside the city.
Even if the yard is really blown up, the Ministry of Industry is not short of these two buildings, in case anyone was killed. In this era, it is hard to find talented people in the chemical field!
Shi Yongchang was reprimanded, and Qin Nuo asked about the test progress. Pei Yan listened silently.
Left here. Pei Yue followed Qin Nuo, and after a moment, he laughed: "The emperor is really imaginative. If fire and medicine can really increase the power, he will be able to shine on the battlefield." After a pause, he continued. "However, the best use of this thing is to siege the city and play against the Beishu cavalry. I'm afraid it may not work."
Qin Nuo scratched his head in distress, "I also understand that I will find a way again."
The two broke up at the gate of Gewusi. Qin Nuo turned inside the palace. On the way, his expression gradually dignified. He couldn't let Pei Yue know everything, especially the secrets of the fire and medicine formula.
In fact, fire and medicine can really be made into artillery. Even if it is used against the cavalry, it is extremely lethal. Maybe the power of the explosion cannot be compared with future generations, but it can be improved! For example, sharp iron needles and iron sheets are filled in the interior, and the world's poison and medicine are quite advanced. The ammunition hides the weapon, and the poison is smeared on the weapon, the medicine ...
Alas, I seem to be increasingly anti-human!
But this is the wild age. If you do n’t kill people, others will come to attack you.
Qin Nuo sighed helplessly and returned to the Qianyuan Hall.
Soon after Qin Nuo left, Pei Ye also left Gewusi. He rode a horse slowly on the road, followed by a dozen or so guards.
Zhao Ding was among them. Because the development of Kaitian Crossbow was transferred to the Division of Gewu, Father Zhao also took a position in the division.
Pei Yue was going to the Perak camp station, just happened to follow Zhao Ding.
Out of the city on horseback and strolling in the lush green woods, Pei Yue was in a good mood today, and laughed: "The fire and artillery proposed by the emperor seems to be very powerful, but unfortunately there was no such weapon in the attack on Nanchen. Shang Beishuo, this thing is afraid that the effect is not significant. "
"The general need not worry. With the crossbow, He Chou can't wipe out the gangs in Beishuo." Zhao Ding said vigorously. Speaking of Bei Shuo, he still has lingering hatred in his eyes.
Zhao Ding was originally from the northern Xinjiang, and has been a craftsman in the army for generations. With a good craftsmanship, he is also rich in the local area. His family loves his wife and son and lives in peace. Unfortunately, a Beishu invasion later shattered the happy life. The parents were killed by the Beishu cavalry, and his wife was plundered because of her outstanding appearance. Zhao Ding and his wife were newly married at that time, and his wife was still pregnant.
Suffering from this tragedy, Zhao Ding was so desperate to live, he joined the army, killed the enemy bravely, and nearly lost his life several times. Later, due to an abdominal injury, he spent most of his energy and only retired to the second line.
Because he had accumulated some military merits before, he also had some field properties, but he was not willing to step back, always remembering the hatred of his early years, thinking about continuing to serve in the army.
Later, I happened to meet Pei Yi, and found that he was very talented in ordnance casting, only to be recruited again, and he became an officer in the guard camp.
Following Pei Yue's campaign for more than ten years, he killed countless people in Beishuo. Later, Pei Hui returned to Beijing. He was old, the old injury recurred, and he simply returned to run the Zhao family workshop.
Speaking of the past in northern Xinjiang. Even after many years have passed, Zhao Ding still feels heartache.