Hanhou

The arrow box was shot empty, and the craftsman took back the hand crossbow, and dismantled it into a pile of parts in twos and threes, piled up scatteredly, and it was impossible to see what it was.

"Why did you tell me?" Zhao Jia said in a low voice, suppressing the initial excitement.

Even a hand crossbow the size of a palm is a taboo according to the court's laws.The craftsman assembled it in front of him without any cover, isn't he worried at all?

"The Xiongnu invaded last year, and then there was a natural disaster, and the millet harvest was wiped out. It is the kindness of the gentleman who opened a barn to help the nearby villages, and most people survived." A craftsman said.

"The two of us are old, we injured our legs earlier, and we walked with a limp, so we were not included in the draft. The children and grandchildren in the family were drafted into the army, and all died on the battlefield. Only the old and the weak remained in the family, and Liju was burned by bandits. If it weren't for the kindness of the gentleman, he would not have survived the war and the severe winter." At this point, the voice of the craftsman was already choked up.

"There is no way to repay the great kindness of life. When I heard that Mr. Lang is looking for someone to burn bricks, the two of us recommended ourselves. If Mr. Lang doesn't dislike it, the two of us are willing to join Mr. Lang's family and be your servants for Mr. Lang to drive!"

Looking at the gray-haired old man, Zhao Jia's nasal cavity was slightly astringent, and it was hard to say what it was like in his heart.

"It is a great honor for the two elders to stay. However, there is one matter that needs to be clarified by the elders."

"Sir, please speak."

"The elders can make crossbows, why don't they contribute to the army?"

"Mr. Lang, all the crossbows used in the army are strong. The range of the two we made is less than twenty paces. It is useless against the Xiongnu."

When the Han army fought against the Xiongnu, they used strong bows and crossbows.The city-defending crossbows in Yunzhong County, the crossbows are as thick as a human's arm, and their strength can penetrate a war horse.

The craftsman didn't intend to keep it private, but such a small hand crossbow is a treasure for ranger assassins, and it is of no great use in army battles.If the distance is too far to shoot, if the distance is short, it is just a blink of an eye for the cavalry.Charging face to face, fighting with a short knife is more useful than this kind of hand crossbow.

Before the children of the family went to battle, the craftsman also prepared hand crossbows and told them to carry them with them.The fact is, such weapons are not enough to keep them alive.

However, it is not used in the army, and it can always play a considerable role in guarding villages and livestock farms and guarding against savages.Moreover, for children who are not yet able to draw a strong bow, the lightweight hand crossbow is more useful than the Yi bow.

"Lang Jun is worried about violating taboos, so he usually disassembles it and reinstalls it when he needs it."

After listening to the craftsman's explanation, Zhao Jia took a deep breath and said, "Jia has a suggestion, please think about it."

"Lang Jun, just give orders."

"There are strong crossbows in the army, but few continuous crossbows." Zhao Jia looked at the gray-haired craftsman and said seriously, "If a continuous firing mechanism can be made, with the strength of the crossbow bolts, it will definitely injure the incoming enemy."

"batter?"

Hearing Zhao Jiazhi's words, the craftsman's expression changed.

Their skill in making crossbows was inherited from their father, and they have always been ashamed of not being able to make strong crossbows.The burst mechanism was obtained by accident, limited by thinking, and never thought that it could be used on a strong crossbow.

After Zhao Jia's point, the two of them suddenly opened up as if the clouds and mist in front of them were pushed away.

The most critical part of the repeating mechanism is the arrow box.There are skilled craftsmen in the army, as long as they understand the ingenuity, it may not be impossible to modify the existing bows and crossbows.

A continuous crossbow is made, which will surely play a role in wartime.

The white-haired people gave away the black-haired people. They had a blood feud with the Huns.As long as you can kill more Huns, not to mention the craftsmanship of making Liannu, you can kill them!

"Jia is not talented, there is a senior official, and he is the guest of Wei Taishou." Zhao Jia continued, "If the two of you agree, I will report this matter to the third son of Wei, and give the two of you a family background. If you have scruples, Jia will not Reluctantly, the two of you can continue to stay in the livestock farm, and the wages will be settled as usual, and today's incident will be treated as if it didn't happen, what do you think?"

The two craftsmen looked at each other and quickly reached an agreement. They both bowed their hands to Zhao Jia and said, "I am willing to present the method of making Liannu."

Zhao Jia breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not that he doesn't know good from bad, but that he has to do so.

The two craftsmen were out of good intentions and sincerely took refuge in making some detachable hand crossbows. As long as they were careful, they wouldn't cause too much trouble in Bianjun.But his ambition is not to settle down in one place.When he enters the court in the future, this is a handle, it can be big or small, small enough to laugh it off, big enough to kill someone.

Experience told Zhao Jia that one must be cautious in everything.Resolutely not to keep the handle that can not be kept, not only to yourself but also to those who follow you.

In addition, the stirrups and saddles brought the cavalry level of the Han army and the Xiongnu closer, and the bow and crossbow that could fire continuously would definitely add another card to the Han army when the two armies fought.

Chang'an Longcheng is not at odds, and one must fall.

In this case, the more the Xiongnu died, the more beneficial it was to the Han family.The so-called benevolence should not be used on the enemy. If you want to survive, you must pick up a knife and gun, and do everything possible to kill the enemy on the grassland.

The craftsman was settled in the livestock farm, Zhao Jia quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with clay, and handed it to Wei Tong to send to the military camp.

"Remember, it must be handed over to the third son."

Wei Tong took the order to leave and galloped all the way to the barracks.It just so happened that Wei Yue was not there.Ask Ming Wei the whereabouts of the third son, and then turn around and rush to Yunzhong City.

When we arrived at the prefect's mansion, it was already dark, and Wei Shang was hosting a banquet for the envoy from Chang'an.

Wei Yue got a report during the banquet and excused himself to leave the room.Seeing Wei Tong who was waiting in the corridor, he took apart Zhao Jia's handwriting, browsed through it from beginning to end, and quickly re-attached the wooden tablet.

"The gate of the city will be closed. Take my warrant and go out of the city. When you go back, tell Ado that the two craftsmen must be settled properly. Don't let others know about it. When I tell Ah Weng, I will go to the livestock farm tomorrow."

"promise!"

Wei Tong took the order to leave, Wei Yue returned to the banquet, just sat down, and met Wei Shang's questioning eyes.Wei Yue shook his head lightly, Wei Shang understood what he meant, temporarily suppressed his doubts, and continued to entertain the visitors.

As the night darkened, the banquet dispersed, and the envoy from Chang'an was sent to a side room to rest.Wei Yue followed Wei Shang into the study room, and brought the wooden tablet sent by Wei Tong.

Seeing the remaining clay, Wei Shang's eyes narrowed, and his expression became more and more serious as he looked closely at the contents.

"Carpenter Qin? Is it true?"

"Ah Weng, Ah Duo has always been cautious, and he will send this letter only after seeing it with his own eyes." Wei Yue said.

The first emperor swept all over the world, and the strength of the Qin army was famous all over the world.

It was only a few dozen years since Qin's death, but the method of making Qin's crossbow has been lost.

Ironically, in the Warring States period, it was not Qin who had the strongest bow and crossbow, but Han.According to historical records, all the most powerful bows and crossbows in the world come from Korea. Those far away cover the chest of the hole, while those close by swell the heart.

Han is one of the seven heroes, and his strength is definitely not weak.It's a pity that the land is limited and the geographical location is really bad. Surrounded by Qin, Chu, Wei, and Qi, surrounded by heroes, and beaten in turn, the prosperity cannot last long.When Qin Shihuang started his hegemony, he was crushed by the tyrannical Qin army, and was the first to die under the sword of the first emperor.

According to what Zhao Jiaxin wrote, the two craftsmen were concubines of the Qin State and built the mausoleum for the King of Qin. If they were not criminals in their own country, they were most likely captured prisoners of war.To have such superb craftsmanship, it is very possible to be a Korean craftsman.

However, now that the Six Kingdoms have perished, and the Qin State has also perished, it is really unnecessary to trace the origin.For Wei Shang and Wei Yue, making a strong crossbow that can fire continuously is the most important thing.

"It's better not to be late for this matter." Wei Shang put down the wooden tablet and said seriously, "When the city gate opens tomorrow, you go to Shaling County, bring these two people into the city, and hand them over to the king's master."

"promise!"

"Ado," Wei Shang said after a pause, "open the warehouse and take three carts of silk. The copper coins are too heavy. Take a box of gold."

"Take them with you tomorrow?"

"I will make other arrangements." Wei Shang shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The Son of Heaven allowed the Qiang tribe to surrender, and we must hurry up to build the fort. If the crossbow making can be completed, I should write it as a memorial and report it to Chang'an together with the cement. Pass the memorial, The name of Ah Duo must be heard again in Chaotang. The key to this, when you see Ah Duo tomorrow, tell him carefully."

Wei Yue nodded, and the scene of Zhao Jia wiping off the saddle and stirrup painted on the ground flashed before his eyes, please hide his name, and he couldn't help sighing softly.

Some things cannot be avoided if you want to.

From the moment he knew Zhao Jia's determination, he knew very well that this day would come sooner or later.

In Yunzhong County, he was still able to protect Zhao Jia.Once he walked out of the cloud, it would not be so easy for him to continue to protect the baby he held in his arms when he was young.

Faithful servants lit new lamps, and the room was as bright as day.

Wei Shang and Wei Yue talked until late at night, until the sky was brightened and turned pale, and Wei Shang became a little sleepy.Wei Yue didn't have time to rest, so she washed with cold water, cheered herself up, summoned Wei Wu and several guards, and galloped out of the city on horseback.

In the livestock farm, Zhao Jia had a good night's sleep and had no dreams until dawn.

As spring plowing approached, people in both villages took action. Except for the young and healthy women, the elderly and half-old children all carried farm tools and went to the fields.

Plowing the fields is a big deal, and the manpower for making cement and burning bricks has been greatly reduced. In addition to the shortage of raw materials, according to Zhao Jia's estimation, if a new circle is built and two more brick houses are built, the gypsum will be exhausted.

Fortunately, the county already knew how to make cement, and the speed of building the fortress was bound to be accelerated.The demarcated pastures set up a barrier to block the Huns to the greatest extent.

Blocking the iron hoof in the north, the spring plowing in the border county can be stable. For Zhao Jia, the purpose of making cement is more than half completed.

Next, if we can ask Wei Yue to help us reserve more gypsum, we can start to strengthen the earthen walls of the village and further smooth the road from the livestock farm to the village.

If necessary, cement and blue bricks can be used instead of stones to build up the field seal.Such a field seal, even if the bricks on the top are pried away, there will be traces of cement pouring on the bottom.Whoever it is, don't try to make trouble with it.

"Lang Jun is up?" Mrs. Sun was carrying a basket of steamed cakes and was walking towards the brick kiln where the craftsmen were working.

Wei Qing and Ah Zhi tied the rope of the trailer to their bodies, and ran forward like a race.The forage on the cart was higher than their heads, and there were bean cakes in the middle, which made it hard for them to walk like flying, dragging forward all the way.

After watching for a while, Zhao Jia suddenly let out a "huh" and called to stop the child who was running towards the sheepfold.

"Ah Qing, Ah Zhi, come here."

"What are your orders, Mr. Lang?"

The two children untied the rope, wiped the sweat off their faces with their sleeves, and walked to Zhao Jia one after another.

"Just stand there and don't move."

Signaling that Wei Qing and Ah Zhi were back to back, Zhao Jia gestured with his hands, then compared himself, and said with a smile, "It's grown."

When Wei Qing first arrived at the livestock farm, he was skinny and skinny. According to Mrs. Sun, she was as small as a lamb.Now, the height is close to Zhao Jia's chest.Looking at Ah Zhi, she is not as tall as Wei Qing, but her body is much stronger.Zhao Jia had no doubt that if they grew up like this, each of these children would become a man of eight or nine feet.

Thinking about the three-headed body who was soft and hugging his legs at the beginning, compared with the young boy who had begun to fade away and was as tall as a sapling, Zhao Jia had an inexplicable feeling of "my child has just grown up".

Seeing Zhao Jia's expression, Wei Qing and Ah Zhi looked at each other, smiled and scratched the back of their necks together.

"Lang Jun, we have grown not only in size, but also in strength." Wei Qing raised his arm and waved it twice vigorously, "Uncle Xiong said, it won't take long for Ah Zhi and I to draw a strong bow!"

"Okay." Zhao Jia smiled and patted the shoulders of the two, promising, "I will give you the horn bow on that day."

"Thank you sir!"

While the three of them were talking, the patrolling youth came to report, and Wei Yue led them to arrive.

Knowing the purpose of the other party's visit, Zhao Jia didn't delay, let Wei Qing and his companions meet up, whistled, called the bay red horse, jumped on the horse's back, and galloped in the direction Qing Zhuang pointed.

Changan

Emperor Jing's condition was under control and his body gradually recovered.Nearly half a month after the strikeout meeting, he finally appeared in front of the officials.

During this period, Empress Dowager Dou has been regent on behalf of Emperor Jing.The prince went to Changle Palace every day to study with Empress Dowager Dou, and benefited a lot, no less than what he learned in the proclamation room.

Liu Che's memory of Empress Dowager Dou's thunderous tactics was particularly deep.

Even if she admires Huang Lao's inaction and kills people, Queen Mother Dou is not relentless at all.In Liu Che's view, at certain times, Empress Dowager Dou was even more resolute than Emperor Jing.

When Emperor Jing gradually recovered and was able to deal with the government affairs again, Empress Dou resolutely withdrew, and handed over power to Weiyang Palace without the need for courtiers to evacuate.

After the meeting, Liu Che sat in the proclamation room, looking at Emperor Jing who was pale and still coughing from time to time, so thin that his cheeks were sunken, thinking of the gray-haired Queen Mother Dou, and then thinking of the powerful prime minister and general, his heart tightened for a while. , There was a burst of panic for no reason.

Seeing Liu Che's thoughts, Emperor Jing put down his pen, coughed twice, drank half a glass of warm water, and said, "Archer, study hard. If you learn a lot and see a lot, you won't be what you are today."

"Follow your father's instruction."

"In half a month, Yang Xin will marry into Pingyanghou's residence." Emperor Jing stared at Liu Che and said, "Pingyanghou please join the army, and the empress please stay Yangxin in Chang'an. The queen mother thinks Pingyanghou should be the country. What do you think?"

Liu Che frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice: "The imperial court has established regulations for a long time, and I think we should follow the rules."

Guantao was able to stay in Chang'an City because of the extra favor of Empress Dowager Dou and Emperor Jing.

Yang Xin is the eldest sister of the prince, and Marquis of Pingyang is very young, so it is not impossible to stay in Chang'an after marriage.However, after knowing the plan of the Queen and Tian Fu, Liu Che became bored, and even didn't want to see his eldest sister again.

After watching Liu Che for a while, Emperor Jing sighed, and said, "Archer, as a ruler, you should not act according to your preferences."

"Father?"

"Read more history books, and think about it when you go back."

"Your respect."

Seeing Emperor Jing's tired face, Liu Che saluted, got up and exited the announcement room.

After walking out of Weiyang Palace, looking back at the palace wall, thinking deeply about Emperor Jing's words, Liu Che stood on the stone steps, letting his sleeves be blown up by the wind, standing still for a long time.