Bianjing.
The news that the Liao Kingdom was stationing troops at Yanmen Pass had already affected the nerves of everyone in the court.
Privy Councilor Zeng Bu had already ordered the Yanmen Pass area to be strictly prepared, and a large number of thunderbolts were mobilized on the front line.
"Officials can rest assured that all the cities on the frontline have been transformed into bastion structures. Coupled with the divine arm crossbows and thunderbolts, even if the Liao Kingdom sends troops, they will never get any advantage." Zeng Bu said with confidence.
The Song Dynasty was already good at defending the city, and with the presence of thunder, the Liao army would never be able to afford the losses caused by attacking the city.
"The Song Dynasty is naturally not afraid of the Liao army attacking the city! The only fear is that the Liao army will not attack the city, plunder the people of the Song Dynasty, and even gather a large army to imitate the battle of Chanyuan and attack Bianjing directly." Lu Dafang said worriedly.
All the officials couldn't help but have a flash of worry. The previous Battle of Chanyuan made Song officials extremely afraid of Liao.
Zhao Xu sneered and said: "I am not the Zhenzong! This is not the time of the Zhenzong. The Song Dynasty has thunder. Not to mention the 200,000 Liao army, even the 400,000 Liao army cannot attack Bianjing. The emperor guards the gate of the country and the king dies in the country. I will abolish this year’s currency!”
The Battle of Pingxia City gave Zhao Xu great courage, especially the astonishingly powerful Thunder, which made up for the lack of military force in the Song Dynasty. Although the offense was insufficient, the defense was more than enough.
"The official family is wise, and the ministers are willing to advance and retreat together with the official family." Zhang Dun said solemnly.
He originally advocated being tough on the Liao, not to mention that the Song Dynasty had already prepared, had sufficient money and food, and had the thunder in hand. If the Liao Kingdom went to war, the Song Dynasty would have a great chance of winning.
Although the neutral faction in the court were worried about the Liao Kingdom going to war, the thunderbolt in their hands emboldened them and they agreed to test the Liao Kingdom's reaction.
While all the officials in the court were waiting anxiously, a fast horse with a speed of 800 miles galloped into Bianjing.
"The Liao army has retreated!"
When the officials in the court got the news, they couldn't help but be stunned. They didn't expect that the Liao Kingdom actually retreated.
"really?"
Zhao Xu said in surprise.
The messenger said: "Emperor Yelu Hongji of the Liao Dynasty was outside Yanmen Pass and asked to see the sky-shattering thunder of the Song Dynasty. The general used the sky-shaking thunder to practice for a hundred breaths, and the Liao army remained silent."
"Can Emperor Liao agree with the Song Dynasty's Silk Road plan?" Zhang Dun asked eagerly.
The messenger said truthfully: "Emperor Liao said: If the revenue from the Silk Road cannot reach twice the annual coin, or how much less, the Song Dynasty will make up for it for me! Otherwise, the Liao Kingdom will use all its troops to investigate the Song Dynasty for betraying the alliance. thing."
"The Liao Kingdom agreed so easily!" Lu Dafang said in disbelief.
All the officials in the court couldn't help but look happy. They didn't expect that the Sui coins could be abolished so easily.
Now all the officials couldn't help but turn their attention to Fan Zheng. When Fan Zheng proposed the Silk Road plan to replace the Song Dynasty's annual coins, all officials in the court thought it was a foolish dream. How could the Liao Kingdom give up suppressing the Song Dynasty and give the Song Dynasty a chance to breathe?
But they didn't expect that Emperor Liao would agree to Fan Zheng's plan so easily.
"In my opinion, the Liao Emperor is just old and fatuous! He actually agreed to give up his annual coins for a princess who looks exactly like Xiao Guanyin."
"No! The Liao Emperor was just assessing the situation! The Thunderbolt of the Song Dynasty was a magical weapon for defending the city, and the Liao army just retreated in the face of difficulties! If they had to fight, the Liao army could not afford to lose."
All the officials were very excited and scolded Fang Qiu one by one, trying their best to belittle the Liao Kingdom.
Fan Zheng originally went from being a criminal who was criticized by everyone for damaging the diplomatic relations between Liao and Song Dynasties, to becoming a hero of the abolition of Sui coins.
"Fan Aiqing should take the lead in abolishing the annual coins this time!" Zhao Xu Longyan said happily.
Baiguan nodded with deep understanding.
The appearance of Zhentian Lei gave the Song Dynasty a big surprise. Although the Liao Kingdom still had the advantage, the Song Dynasty was not without the ability to fight back.
"I am ashamed to be a humble minister." Fan Zheng said modestly.
Lu Dafang said coldly: "Don't be too happy, everyone. This move by Emperor Liao will definitely temporarily paralyze our Song Dynasty. Once we find a way to resist Zhentian Lei, there will be a battle between Liao and Song."
The excitement on the faces of the officials froze slightly. Everyone knew that the Song Dynasty abolished the Sui coins without authorization, and the Liao Kingdom would definitely not be reconciled. If the Liao Kingdom found a way to deal with Zhentian Lei, they would definitely retaliate against the Song Dynasty.
When Fan Zheng saw this, he laughed and said: "The Liao Kingdom is just a paper tiger! Although it has a vast territory and has the advantage of cavalry! However, there are many Han and Liao Dynasties in the country, as well as Jurchens, Mongol and other tribes. The people are not unified, and there are constant rebellions in the country. The control over the various ministries has been greatly weakened, and the Liao Kingdom today is nothing more than a strong external force and a weak internal force!"
Zhao Xu nodded, and even he realized that the Liao Kingdom had indeed declined. In recent years, various tribes in the Liao Kingdom have continued to rebel, and they all relied on the help of the Jurchens and Xixia to suppress them! Coupled with continuous rebellions, the Liao Kingdom today is not unstoppable.
"The Liao Kingdom is a paper tiger!"
All the important officials in the court couldn't help but smile bitterly. They didn't expect Fan Zheng to be so big-hearted and dare to ignore the Liao Kingdom like this.
"As for the Liao Kingdom's attempt to crack the Sky Thunder, let's see who is better at gunpowder weapons. We sincerely ask you to change the law of weapons supervision!" Fan Zheng said solemnly.
"Reform Arms Supervisor?"
All the officials couldn't help but frown. The military weapons supervisor had always been the most inconspicuous existence in the court. What was the point of reforming the military weapons supervisor?
Even Zhao Xu was full of doubts.
Fan Zheng said solemnly: "Compared with the Liao Kingdom, the only advantage of the Song Dynasty is in armor. The divine arm crossbow is like this, and the thunder is like this. And who made these armors?"
"artisan!"
Zhao Xu blurted out.
"Yes! Craftsmen are the hope of the Song Dynasty to defeat the Liao Kingdom. Only by producing the strongest crossbows, the strongest armor, and more powerful gunpowder weapons can the Song Dynasty defeat the Liao Kingdom. And how did the Song Dynasty defeat the Liao Kingdom? How do you treat the hero who defeated Liao?" Fan Zheng asked rhetorically.
"Bad status!"
Fan Zheng sneered directly without waiting for Bai Guan's reply.
"Craftsmen are not allowed to be officials, the pay is low, and they serve frequently. Many craftsmen are unbearable and there are constant deserters."
“What’s even worse is that officials deduct money and food from craftsmen, use public services to benefit themselves, and mobilize craftsmen for personal gain.”
Fan Zheng recounted the hardships suffered by the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty, and the Manchu officials couldn't help but Hao Ran.
"Craftsmen are lowly people. If you treat them too well, they will only become pampered!" Yang Wei, the censor, said disdainfully. He has been studying the books of sages for decades, but how can he look down on lowly craftsmen?
Fan Zheng retorted angrily: "The soldiers go to the front line with weapons and armor produced by craftsmen. The lives of the soldiers are all in the hands of the craftsmen. How ironic that you call them lowly people. No wonder the Song Dynasty lost consecutive battles."
Yang Wei's face turned red and he retorted angrily: "The way to win lies in people rather than tools. Fan Taicheng is relying too much on external things."
Other ministers also nodded, agreeing with Yang Wei's theory of humanism and disapproving of Fan Zheng's theory of weapons only.
Fan Zheng shook his head and said: "Then why was it possible to win the battle of Pingxia City? Could it be that Fan is an unborn general?"
Yang Wei was immediately speechless. He had to say that the battle in Pingxia City was indeed won by weapons. Without the thunder, it would have been impossible for the Song army to kill 50,000 Xixia soldiers.
Fan Zhenglang said loudly: "The importance of a satisfactory piece of armor to a soldier is self-evident. It can not only increase the soldier's survival rate on the battlefield, but also help the soldier overcome obstacles and be invincible in war. However, in peacetime During the Battle of Xia City, Wei Chen discovered that the soldiers’ armor did not fit at all.”
"It doesn't fit?" Zhao Xu exclaimed.
Fan Zheng nodded and said: "There are only three types of armor in the Song Dynasty army. However, there are more than three types of combinations of tall, short, fat and thin. Many soldiers fight in ill-fitting armor."
Zhao Xu suddenly looked embarrassed. It was strange that the Song Dynasty was undefeated for such nonsense.
Fan Zheng solemnly said: "Now that the Song cavalry is at a disadvantage and has lost the natural barrier of Yanyun's sixteen states, if the Song Dynasty wants to defeat the Liao Kingdom, it must reuse craftsmen. As long as the Song Dynasty's weapons keep suppressing the Liao Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom will be better than the cavalry." Shooting, the Song Dynasty is better than soldiers and weapons, but the Liao Kingdom has always been afraid of the Song Dynasty and did not dare to go south."
Zhao Xu nodded slightly!
"I ask the officials to abolish the status of craftsmen, improve the treatment of craftsmen, and reward craftsmen for their inventions." Fan Zheng bowed solemnly.
He came from a later generation, so he naturally knew the role of craftsmen. The only thing that the Song Dynasty could defeat the Liao Xia was technology. Fan Zheng took advantage of Zhen Tianlei's appearance and chose to reform the weapons supervisor.
Once firearms exploded in the Song Dynasty and the military force increased greatly, it would be possible to stand firm under the successive attacks of Liao, Xia and Jin Meng.
"Accurate! Order Fan Zheng to serve as the Arms Supervisor and the Reform Arms Supervisor."
The appearance of Zhentian Lei made Zhao Xu very interested in firearms. He waved his hand and agreed directly.
Naturally, the new party and the old party will not pay attention to the small weapons inspection, and no one objects at the moment.
At this point, Fan Zheng's proposal to reform the Arms Supervision was successfully passed.
……………………
In the weapons prison!
"Abolish the craftsman status!"
"Improve the treatment of craftsmen!"
"Reward craftsmen for their inventions!"
When Fan Zheng came to announce the decree on behalf of Zhao Xu, it immediately caused an uproar in the weapons inspection.
"Thank you, Mr. Fan, for speaking out for us and other craftsmen." An old craftsman said with tears in his eyes.
"Thank you, Master Fan!"
All the generals said solemnly.
They are the most skilled craftsmen in the world, but their treatment is extremely poor. Their descendants can only work as craftsmen for generations without being allowed to take the imperial examination. It can be said that they are frustrated.
Fan Zheng took the initiative to speak out in front of the officials, giving them renewed hope.
Fan Zheng looked around at the generals and said solemnly: "From now on, the Firearms Department is divided into the Jiafang Department, the Nufang Department, and the Firearms Department. They are respectively responsible for the development of more powerful crossbows, stronger armor, and more powerful firearms. Each department is divided into two departments, which compete with each other every month. The winner will be rewarded and the loser will be punished."
"Ah!" All the generals couldn't help but look bitter.
Fan Zheng frowned when he saw this and said: "As the weapons supervisor of the imperial court, your performance is really unsatisfactory. The divine arm crossbow was presented by the Xixia general, and the thunderbolt was created by a doctor named Fan. The weapons supervisor Even the armor that is made may not fit properly. The Song Dynasty suffered a series of defeats, and you are not without responsibility."
"We are so ashamed!" Weapons Supervisor Mo Yue and all the generals said with shameful expressions.
The Ordnance Supervisor has indeed done nothing in these years, and even the armor produced cannot compare with that of Xixia.
"As for the armor that doesn't fit, I have asked outstanding folk embroiderers to formulate various styles and specifications. The Firearms Supervisor must ensure that every soldier wears armor that fits well." Fan Zheng said solemnly.
"Follow your orders!" Mo Yue said with an embarrassed expression, "Please also ask Mr. Fan to give the general some time as a prisoner. The general will not disappoint Mr. Fan and the officials."
Fan Zheng shook his head and said: "No! Fan has always been there to cure his illness. I want to see the results of the prison sentence in the shortest possible time."
"The shortest time?"
Mo Yue was suddenly startled and looked at Fan Zheng in disbelief. Fan Zheng was too anxious after taking office as a new official.
Fan Zheng shook his head and said: "The biggest shortcoming of the Song Dynasty is the cavalry. Fan wants to build two types of cavalry. One is heavy cavalry. The men and horses are armored. They need to use the strongest protective armor to be as light as possible.
"One is the light cavalry, wearing the lightest armor for maximum protection, equipped with bows and crossbows, and fighting together on both wings."
good!
What Fan Zheng wanted to build was the famous Iron Pagoda and the Kaizi Horse in later generations. It would be difficult to see results in a short time if the firearms were to be innovated. However, the Iron Pagoda and the Kaizi Horse of the Jin State were the best tactics to restrain the Liao army. , Fan Zheng decided to copy it in the Song army to defend against the Liao Kingdom.
"The strongest protective armor requires the lightest weight, the lightest armor, and the best possible protection."
When Mo Yue heard Fan Zheng's request, he was stunned.
"Lord Fan, there is a way to have both ends of the world." Mo Yue said with a wry smile. If the armor wants to have strong protective power, it must be heavy. If it wants to be light, the protective power will inevitably decrease.
Fan Zheng said solemnly: "How can it be done if all Xixia Xia Zijia is used?"
"Hao Zijia?" Mo Yue couldn't help but hesitate.
"In the battle of Pingxia City, Fan captured a Xixia iron kite armor. This armor is extremely thin, but extremely tough. It can even force a divine arm crossbow to charge up the city wall, which is enough to satisfy the requirements of Iron Buddha. Need it." Fan Zheng said excitedly.
Fan Zheng reached out and waved his hand, and a little Li placed a wart armor in front of the generals.
Mo Yue stepped forward solemnly, smiled bitterly for a long time and said: "The Haozi armor captured by Master Fan was smelted using cold forging technology. It is not a secret in our opinion, but this method requires constant forging, which is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. In particular, the requirements for iron materials are extremely high, and the iron materials from our Da Song Dynasty simply cannot meet the cold forging standards."
"Iron is iron! Since the iron from Xixia can be cold forged, the iron from the Song Dynasty can also be cold forged. It's just that you can't find a good way! I have a reward of one thousand coins for anyone who can crack the cold forging method. If you make cold-forged armor, you will be rewarded with five hundred guan! If you make the lightest armor, you will also be rewarded with 500 guan!" Fan Zheng said lightly.
In an instant, all the craftsmen suddenly stopped breathing. For them, five hundred guans was a full ten years' salary. At that moment, all the great craftsmen's hearts were pounding, and the warts on the ground were quickly divided up.
There must be a brave man under the heavy reward. Five hundred strings are so close that no one is willing to give them up.
Ten days later!
A pair of well-equipped cold-forged armor and a pair of thin cotton armor were placed in front of Fan Zheng.
"Master Fan, the weapons supervisor has fulfilled his mission!" Mo Yue said excitedly.
He never expected that under the stimulation of huge wealth, the weapons supervisors would work together to crack the forging method of cold forged armor in a short time.
At the same time, we also created cotton armor that had good protection but was almost half as light.
Fan Zheng couldn't help but smile when he saw this. The craftsmanship of the Song Dynasty craftsmen was the best in the world. It had been suppressed for a long time. Once it was released, it immediately burst out with amazing creativity.
There is something going on at home, so the update is unstable. I will make it up later.
(End of chapter)
