But here, neither mounts nor carriages could move forward; Jiang Tian and his party also moved forward on foot. It didn't take long to pass through the still-standing palace walls. The next moment, a large open space and a series of buildings appeared in front of them.
It is really hard to imagine that inside this city wall that looks like ruins on the outside, there are actually a large number of residential buildings and busy scenes like a cave; these buildings are obviously the product of renovation and reconstruction on the old site, so they look somewhat full of... Military camp style.
While walking through a house, Jiang Tian even smelled the unique smell of various burning materials, including refined fire oil; in the open foyer, a group of craftsmen wearing fire cloth/asbestos robes were carefully weighing and filled with something, and finally turned into oval bottles.
In another building, it was filled with the more familiar smell of saltpeter and sulfur products being processed and concocted. Under the pergola of the open-air storage yard, there are already some finished products that are similar to enlarged versions of later generations' fireworks; but they are firearms inherited from this era;
Among them, there are flying rockets (Hale rockets) with wooden poles tied to bamboo frames and shaped like flying monkeys, and fire nest cars with wheels that are densely packed with shining arrows. There are also some that look like a big long box. A swarm of bees loaded with more than a dozen arrows...but the most eye-catching thing is the cannon.
It is a transitional firearm with a wrought iron inner chamber wrapped in leather or other fabrics; it is equipped with a fist-sized projectile or a spoon weighing thumb-sized powder. Although this thing looks crude and has a very limited service life, it is fortunately light and simple enough.
In addition, in another venue, Jiang Tian saw a small net bag projector modified from a wooden single crossbow; a rotating lever-like large net ejection machine-throwing rod; a crossbow with an iron track; and bundles Prefabricated wire barriers, together with fixed pickets, are wound into a spindle shape;
Jiang Tian even noticed that in addition to the thorn-like spikes and curved hooks, there were also tiny bells tied inside, which would ring incessantly with just the slightest touch. After passing through this busy and bustling construction area with constant clanging and clanging everywhere, we arrived at the Miyagi Terrace inside.
In the field in front of the stage, which was used to review Chinese and foreign troops in ancient times, there was a lively scene of drills. It's just that the way they train and the equipment they use are obviously different from most traditional armies of this era. Instead, they are divided into many groups and scattered in different areas.
Some of the sergeants wearing leather suits were throwing special hook-blade throwing axes; while others were getting used to throwing a short hook-headed stick with a tough thin rope. In addition, some people are using hammer-head throwing ropes to circle the target stake over and over again.
In cooperation, there are some stout sergeants who are wielding long and heavy weapons such as spears, maces, hammerheads, steel flails, etc., and pounding the targets; but the most conspicuous thing is the traditional equipment of the Tang Army. An array composed of a human-high long-handled Mo Dao and dual-wielding long Ke axes.
I saw these soldiers, who were fully clothed with only their mouths, noses and eyes exposed, like iron men, divided into small groups and slowly moved forward, shouting, slashing and striking; whether they were blocking horses, carts, or deliberately made The wooden targets on the specific platform suddenly fell into pieces and were scattered all over the place.
Therefore, they were only a hundred or so in number, but they seemed to be fighting out of thousands of troops, and they seemed to be full of vitality.
After seeing these scenes, Jiang Tian finally calmed down a little. This is the essence of a great empire that has maintained prosperity for more than a hundred years, and the political system is still functioning well, but it has a relatively large bureaucratic (central) system and is slightly slow.
After slowly passing through these sergeants who were distracted and immersed in targeted drills, Jiang Tian was only followed by his disciple Zhang Wusheng. However, Chen Wentai did not lead him up the steps of the palace platform, but to a new brick doorway under the palace platform.
When Jiang Tian walked in, he discovered that there was a very open hall inside. Even in broad daylight, the hall was brightly lit and bustling with people. There are several spacious corridors around it, extending inward. From time to time, people wearing armor or military uniforms pass by in a hurry.
The most conspicuous among them are undoubtedly the corrals on both sides, which are divided into large and small stalls; and the various large and small living animals kept in the stalls for feeding. From the most common chickens, dogs, pigs and rabbits, to elk, donkeys, mules, and even a listless camel.
Valley
Therefore, in this underground space, there is an unpleasant smell; but the air is not turbid at all, and you can also feel the sound of wind flowing through the air. Obviously, there is no means of exhaust ventilation. But here, Jiang Tian also felt faint prying eyes and threats.
It wasn't until Chen Wentai showed his credentials to the clerk sitting next to the central corridor that this sense of being spied on and a faint sense of threat gradually faded away. Obviously, the front door cave hall excavated and expanded under the palace platform is not without precautions and vigilance.
Next, follow the aisle in the center, which is the widest and can almost accommodate carriages or parallel riders. Jiang Tian quickly saw the various functional areas extending out from the palace platform. There are arsenals, material rooms, living quarters and dining halls, and are connected to large and small test areas.
It looks like a secret underground base. Of course, according to Chen Wentai's introduction, these underground space patterns are actually ready-made; they were left by the previous dynasty like the caves for hiding soldiers and underground palaces, so they only repaired and widened them after taking over.
Therefore, while walking through it, Jiang Tian even saw the small ferocious beast that looked like a wild boar that was captured alive; it was actually alive and well. However, all the fur on his body has been shaved off, revealing scarred pink skin; his body has also become bulging in size; he lies lazily in the cage.
Only when someone occasionally comes forward and uses a thick needle to extract body fluids from it, will it let out a habitual squeak or two; then it will continue to look like it is not resisting or struggling, lying down and letting the hammer go after all the vicissitudes of life. It looked like someone had ruined him mentally and physically.
Of course, it will only suddenly reveal another side of its ferocious instinct when someone else brings a bucket of slaughtered livestock entrails soaked in thick plasma on a push cart. Suddenly, he roared from his mouth to his ears, buried his head in the iron bucket and made a clanking sound, sucking and licking until the juice flew everywhere.
And when it devoured the seven or eight pieces of blood, it began to open its mouth and flick its tongue outward with unsatisfied desire, trying to roar in a deep voice. The next moment, a strange-shaped iron fork was hit hard on the cage pillar, making a clanging sound. Immediately, the cleft in his mouth merged, his tongue retracted, and he lay down again.
The indifferent state of the sage was as if the ferocity sprouted before had never existed at all. This scene reminded Jiang Tian of an experimental joke called "Pavlov and Gouzi". Obviously, this once ferocious beast has become accustomed to this daily routine of lying down.
"This is our current treasure," Chen Wentai explained upon seeing this: "Especially the body fluids extracted from it are of great use. Not only can it be used to mask the breath, but it can also be formulated to target alien animals. A medicinal arrow. After hitting it, it can be paralyzed and weakened."
Then in another adjacent hall, Jiang Tian saw rows of display racks. They were samples of various strange beasts and ghosts hunted by the Jinwu Guards. Most of them only had their heads nailed to a specific chopping board. There seemed to be hundreds of them of different shapes and sizes.
Correspondingly, in the cave hall opposite, they were restricted with thick chains and iron hoops; a few strange beasts could only neigh in low voices inside the iron cages. Their bodies were covered in scars or their limbs were mutilated, and their claws and claws no longer existed. It was obvious that the previous test subject came from this.
In the large rooms connected to the side, there are some transparent jars with thick colored glass; inside they contain limbs and organs soaked in some kind of antiseptic liquid. In addition, those personnel whose smocks were stained and who were suspected of being robbers/medical officers were immersed in dealing with the situation of a strange beast being disemboweled;
And this smelly place is full of the meaning of some kind of villain-style underground human experiment base. However, this scene made Jiang Tian feel more at ease. Because this also represents the results of various efforts of the political institutions of this era to cope with such sudden changes.
Next, under the leadership of Chen Wentai. Jiang Tian also visited a dispensing room that specializes in processing various by-products from the body fluids and organs of alien animals. Several results have been obtained through past in vivo experiments and have begun to be tested in actual combat.
These include medicine and arrow poison prepared with herbs, which can paralyze and weaken most alien beasts and ghosts in a short period of time, or make wounds temporarily unable to heal; sprays used to disrupt the sense of smell and other senses of alien beasts baits; even spearheads and arrow clusters made from minions' bones...
Later, Jiang Tian also met the actual person in charge of this underground place at the end of the innermost underground palace.
