The low furnace refines the ore, and the blast furnace uses coke to make iron. This is the first and most critical step.
Once this step is perfected, the next steps will be much easier.
Because this new type of material invented by Yang Ming is easy to shape, resistant to high temperatures, and as hard as iron, it is also the first choice for making mold tables.
The weapons of the Sui Dynasty included not only the Heng Dao, but also the Mo Dao. Those equipped with these two weapons were imperial guards and elites.
Ordinary soldiers mainly have guns.
Take the Youwuwei that Su Wei is taking over now. Because Yang Ming once served as the general of Youwuwei for a short time, he is very aware of the ordnance reserves of the Weifu.
The entire Youwu Guard is equipped with 13,500 spears, 3,000 cowhide shields, 4,500 crossbows, 12,500 bows, 300,000 various arrows, and 5,000 horizontal knives. , 2,500 Mo knives, 2,500 sticks, 500 phoenix-headed axes, and 200 pairs of pumpkin hammers.
From this point of view, we can see what the main battle weapon of the Sui army was.
It’s the gun. Regardless of whether it’s infantry or cavalry, the main battle weapon is the gun.
Therefore, the first step that Yang Ming wanted to transform was the Sui Dynasty's gun.
Spear, gun, spear, and spear were various names for one weapon in the Sui Dynasty, and they were all classified under the gun.
Above eight feet, there is a spear, and below eight feet, there is a spear. These two are the main battle weapons of the cavalry.
Two feet long is the spear, which is the main battle weapon of the infantry.
The quality of these three weapons is mainly distinguished by the gun barrel and whether the gun head is filled with steel. However, at present, steel-filled weapons are basically going to be popularized in the military. As for the gun barrel, the best gun barrel is mulberry wood, so it cannot be popularized. , this stuff is quite expensive.
So what are the most common tree species in Hedong? Pine, cypress, locust tree, and willow, so Yang Ming planned to cut down a large number of these four types of trees to use them as gun shafts.
The durability and toughness of the gun rod depends on two things, fish bladder glue and tung oil, which can strengthen the toughness of the gun rod and prevent it from oxidative cracking.
These two things are also ridiculously expensive.
But there are alternatives. Fish bladder glue can be replaced by gelatin boiled from donkey skin, horsehide, cowhide, and pigskin, while tung oil can be replaced by wood wax oil that is a fusion of linseed oil, pine oil, and tallow wax.
Therefore, the refinery also needs to set up an oil cooking room and a glue extraction room.
Currently, the mold benches for various weapons are already being constructed, the most complex of which is the armor. The armor is made up of breastplates and backs connected by various connectors, and the process is very complicated.
At present, the shipment volume of refined molten iron is huge, which can provide a huge amount of accessories, so what is in short supply right now is actually the craftsmen who make armor.
There are no craftsmen, so we have to train them. Therefore, the training ground needs to build two new studios specifically for training new craftsmen.
Yang Ming has feelings for Hedong, and to avoid leaking the craftsmanship, apprentices can only come from the Hedong area.
Your household registration is in Hedong. You cannot run around. Those who can run around are not ordinary people.
Knowing that the prince's training ground was recruiting workers, major families sent people to Wenxi one after another, hoping to arrange for their children to join.
This is what a concubine does. If you can't inherit the family business, then learn more skills and make money for the family.
Yang Ming really needs to use people like these. After all, they can read and read, and their understanding of the world is far beyond that of ordinary people, but they can't use them all.
Therefore, there are two thousand new apprentices in the first batch, half from aristocratic families and half from civilians. Among civilians, priority will be given to those with relatives who have died in battle, relatives who are seriously ill, or only children.
In just over ten days, new apprentices from ten counties in Hedong County have entered Tangying Township and are being trained by Taifu Temple officials. After all, the Hedong Training Field is already the largest training facility under Taifu Temple. .
The road from Tangying Township to Wenxi County is also being widened. With the influx of a large number of people, the original road is already overcrowded.
Together with Yuanshou, the minister of Taifu Temple, arriving in Wenxi County was also the convoy of the Dugu family.
As soon as Dugu Xin arrived and heard the news, he found his cousin Dugu Huaien and asked him to let the prince know first, but Dugu Huaien was very impatient and said:
"The prince has many things to do every day, how can he have the time now?"
Dugu Xin suddenly felt unhappy, "You are my cousin, why can't you help me with this?"
In fact, he could go to Yang Ming directly, but he was embarrassed because he knew that the prince was indeed too busy recently, and he was busy with important state affairs. He did not dare to disturb others with the love between his children.
"Haha, you are so arrogant. I know your surname is Dugu, but those who don't know think your surname is Yang?" Dugu Xin sneered.
Dugu Huaien was currently holding the booklet that recorded the prince's words and deeds, studying it carefully, and became furious when he heard this:
"Your grandpa is not doing business all day long. The prince is working hard and worrying about it. His official duties are so heavy. At this time, you come to interfere, don't you think it's embarrassing?"
Dugu Xin didn't take his uncle seriously either. After all, they were about the same age. Hearing this, he retorted angrily:
"I've often heard that my uncle is dull and stupid, and that's true."
Dugu Huaien was stunned and said angrily: "No matter how big or small, get out."
"I won't get out," Dugu Xin said rudely: "If you don't tell the prince about Feng'er's coming here, I won't leave. Let's see what you can do to me. If you dare to touch me today, the elders of the clan will have their own say. "
"You," Dugu Huaien slammed the pamphlet on the table, then regretted it, carefully put it in his arms, and said, "If you don't leave, I will."
After that, Dugu Huaien left angrily.
Yang Ming was currently at the training ground, observing the construction of mold benches for various weapons. He showed Yun Dingxing a simple drawing of the nine-color picture of the gun in the later "Martial Arts Summary".
After careful discussion and consideration with a group of craftsmen, Yun Dingxing drew a more exquisite picture of the Nine Spears.
Seeing this picture, Yang Ming felt a little ashamed. What was the name of his painting? Look at this painting.
Or that those who engage in technology must be proficient in drawing.
There are nine types of spear structures, each with its own purpose. These nine types of spears are single hook spear, double hook spear, ring spear, plain wood spear, crow neck spear, awl spear, shuttle spear, mallet spear and pen spear.
In fact, it can be roughly divided into three types of gun heads: sword-shaped, tapered, and fusiform.
The sword-shaped spear head is like a sword, long, narrow and thin. This is the most common type.
The tapered gun head has a square shape, which is almost like an armor-breaking hammer. Calling it a gun is a bit forced.
The spear head is in the shape of a shuttle, suitable for throwing, wounding and stabbing.
Among them, the single-hook gun and the double-hook gun have changed the basic movements of blocking, holding, and stabbing the gun in the past, adding chopping and hooking, which requires the gun user to use it more.
Yang Ming was very satisfied with the shape of Sui's horizontal sword and felt that it did not need major changes. The main reason was that it was mostly used for close combat and it was difficult to exert its power on the battlefield. Most of them were sabers.
So what should be the sword in the army? They are Zhan Dao and Mo Dao, both of which must be mass-produced.
If we were to equip a 20,000-man Mo Dao team and a Zhan Dao team with refined armor, could Goguryeo be able to withstand it?
Yang Ming said to everyone in a high shed on the training ground:
"The number of blast furnaces should be around thirty. His Majesty has decreed that all the material resources in Guanzhong and Shanxi will be used for my use. Then the guarantee of materials is no longer in danger. However, I thought that ten of the blast furnaces would be temporarily used for tool making. , in the future, at least twenty of them should be used here to improve the people's power, which is the way to consolidate the foundation."
Yun Dingxing nodded and said: "What the prince said is absolutely true. Among other things, iron picks made of refined steel are first of all convenient for cutting rocks and mining, and their functions are extraordinary. Once this technology is widely used among the people, Our agricultural industry in the Sui Dynasty will definitely make great progress."
Yang Ming smiled and said, "Is there any way to make a shield from refined steel?"
Yun Dingxing smiled happily and said: "We are already exploring it. The first weight of a shield is tough, and the second weight is light. Needless to say, toughness. Refined steel can be said to be indestructible. As for lightness, if it exceeds 20 kilograms, it will be a soldier. As for the burden, I am currently studying how to use refined iron sheets as the bones and wrap them with cowhide to reduce the weight by less than twenty kilograms, so that they can be mass-produced. In this way, they will not be afraid of armor-piercing axes, hammers, and cones."
"Very good," Yang Ming nodded, then suddenly frowned and looked into the distance, only to see Dugu Huaien walking towards him in a furious manner, with a sullen expression, probably still angry.
Before Dugu Huaien could get closer, Yang Ming said, "Put away your stinky face."
Dugu Huaien was stunned when he heard this, and the corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a very forced smile that was uglier than crying.
It looks somewhat funny.
Yang Ming waved his hand, indicating to Yun Dingxing and others to go ahead, then walked forward and said:
"what happened?"
Dugu Huaien put away his fake smile and came closer and said, "My cousin's son is here, and he also brought his daughter."
Yang Ming was stunned and stopped: "Feng'er?"
"Well," Dugu Huaien said, "By the way, he was kidnapped. Although that boy Dugu Xin is thick-skinned, he is too embarrassed to bother you this time, so he expects me to give him a try first."
"Where is he?" Yang Ming asked.
Dugu Huaien curled his lips and said: "I have seen people in my camp, and they are still tied up. There is such a cruel father in the stall. Feng'er is unlucky enough. His hands and feet are all scratched. He is pitiful. .”
Dugu Huaien was unhappy when he saw Dugu Zuan and his family, but he only had a good impression of Dugu Feng'er. Why? Because they both have one thing in common, they were both raised by Dugu Jialuo.
Although Dugu Huaien rejected Dugu Xin, he still helped and said good things to him. Although he mocked Dugu Xin for being thick-skinned and Dugu Zuan for being cruel, it was harmless.
We are all our own people. Didn’t that bastard Dugu Xin still call me dull and stupid? I get really angry just thinking about it.
Then Dugu Huaien said again: "This kid Dugu Xin should be punished appropriately."
Yang Ming smiled, walked towards Dugu Huaien's camp, and said:
"You are his elder, you can punish him yourself."
"This kid doesn't take me seriously," Dugu Huaien complained:
"You called me uncle when you first met me, but after I refused, you called me by my first name? I'm small in bones, but I'm senior. Look what my cousin taught me? I don't know what etiquette is."
Your family is like that, one doesn't accept that, and the other looks down on this. Hasn't your family always looked down on the boss?
Dugu Zhun has tolerated you for so long, that's enough.
Yang Ming raised his hand to interrupt him and continued to chatter: "I will go see him myself, and you can do whatever you want."
"I'm fine right now, I'll go with you," Dugu Huaien said without any discernment.
I see my woman, what are you doing with me?
Yang Ming said helplessly: "Go away, don't be an eyesore in front of me."
Dugu Huaien grumbled and complained again, patted his butt and left.
(End of chapter)
