Liu Zan turned around and saw Chen Qing, and quickly saluted, "Chen Dutong, we haven't seen you for a long time."
Chen Qing smiled and said: "It seems that General Liu is very interested in engineering?"
"I'm really interested. My father also set up a craftsmanship school on Xihe Road back then, and I even studied bow making there for several months."
"oh?"
Chen Qing asked with great interest: "Where is this craftsmanship school on Xihe Road?"
"It was in Didao County, but it has been abolished long ago. The court does not support it. It is a pity."
"Does General Liu have any good suggestions or opinions on running engineering schools?" Chen Qingxiao asked.
Liu Zan smiled slightly and said: "I really have a few ideas. Since everyone wants to hear them, I will tell them."
"General, please speak!"
"I think the current scale is still too small. To produce excellent craftsmen, there must be enough ordinary craftsmen as a foundation. I asked just now. It seems that ordinary people are not willing to send their children here to study, but are more willing to read scriptures. So
We have to find ways to attract more students.”
"Is there any good way?"
"We need to get rid of the stigma of military craftsmanship. I heard that ordinary people don't want their children to learn how to make bows, crossbows, and swords. Then we need to change it to practical skills, such as bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, papermaking, winemaking, planting, and raising crops.
Animals, etc., there will definitely be a large number of people sending their children, and then, the outstanding ones will be selected to continue their studies and learn various weapons and techniques."
“But it requires a lot of gentlemen who are both well-educated and knowledgeable about technology!”
Liu Zan smiled and said: "Don't worry, as long as the salary is high enough, a large number of talents will come from all over the country, and maybe many famous craftsmen can be recruited."
Chen Qing laughed and said, "What you say makes sense. If you plant a sycamore tree, you won't be afraid that it won't attract the golden phoenix!"
The two came to the school living room and sat down. Chen Qing said again: "I know Liu Guangshi has taken action against you. How are you doing?"
"Actually, the commander-in-chief should know that Wu Gao and his commander Wang Jun went to Tongchuan Prefecture to train the militia. Yang Zheng, Tian Sheng, I, and I were all idle. We were nominally on the military staff. In fact, we had nothing to do. A few days ago, Liu
Guangshi told us that we could choose our own way. He did not stop him, so Yang Zheng and Tian Sheng went to join Wu Jie. I originally wanted to join my father, but my father refused and wrote a letter asking me to come to Qinzhou to serve the capital. I don’t know.
Are you willing to include it?"
Chen Qing hurriedly said: "I hope you, father and son, think highly of me, Chen Qing. As long as you have me, your family will be rich and prosperous!"
Liu Zan was moved, knelt down on one knee and clasped his fists, saying: "If the governor is in trouble, I am willing to start as a commander!"
Chen Qing hurriedly helped him up and said with a smile: "If you don't mind, brother, then go and guard Lanzhou for me. I will appoint you as the commander-in-chief. Lanzhou will establish envoys and be in charge of Lanzhou's military affairs."
Liu Zan nodded, "Lanzhou, that's where I was born!"
Lanzhou is the bridgehead for Xixia's attack on Xihe Road. It is even more important than Baochuan County in Huizhou. If you capture Lanzhou, you can capture Hehuang to the west, attack Lintao and Gongzhou to the south, and attack Huizhou to the east. This is an extremely important strategy.
Important place.
At present, Lanzhou is guarded by General Cheng Heng and 3,000 troops. There are also 3,000 new troops, which is actually 6,000.
But Chen Qing still felt that Cheng Heng lacked a little experience. He was not very relieved, but he could not find a suitable candidate for a while. This time Liu Zan came to join him, and Chen Qing suddenly realized that he was the best candidate.
Liu Zan was both civil and military, and had guarded Beixianren Pass for many years. He was a steady man and had rich experience. He was the most suitable person to guard Lanzhou City.
In the afternoon of the same day, Chen Qing appointed Liu Zan as the commander-in-chief and the envoy of Lanzhou. He led a thousand troops to Lanzhou to replace Cheng Heng.
...........
Time gradually came to the end of December. On this morning, Chen Qing led a group of generals to the Chigu Town Firearms Testing Site as usual.
Xu Chunlai, Cao Cao's military officer, led everyone to inspect the warehouse where the heavy trebuchets were placed. He saw that the heavy trebuchets were dismantled into parts and soldiers were binding them with straw mats.
Chen Qing came to a copper wheel. The wheel was half a person's height and had become a little oxidized and blackened. It should be made of zinc-copper alloy, which was very strong. It also had an alloy shaft two feet long.
Chen Qing was a little confused by the axles and wheels, which were completely out of touch with this era. He felt that they were things that would only appear in later generations.
Xie Changzhi laughed at the side and said: "This wheel is really difficult to make. It took three blacksmiths two months to cast it and repeated tests dozens of times.
"Has it been tested in the field?"
"Of course I have tried it. Except for a little bump, everything else is much better than the wooden wheel. At least it won't break all the time. This solves a big problem."
Chen Qing also knew about horse-drawn carriages and ox-carts. The biggest problem is that the wheels are easily damaged. Of course, the cost of using metal to make wheels is too high and it is definitely unrealistic. It is also unrealistic even for the army. They only use them on heavy trebuchets.
"How many heavy trebuchets have been built so far?"
"Reporting to the capital, a total of twenty-five heavy trebuchets have been built so far. By mid-January, there will be no problem in building thirty."
"Where's the siege ladder?"
"There were originally 500 siege ladders in stock, and now there are 300 more, bringing the total to more than 800."
After a pause, Xie Changzhi added: "The horizontally moving siege ladder required by the commander-in-chief before will probably take some time."
"Is it too difficult to develop?"
"It's not difficult. Just make a pair of wheels. The key is that I used wooden wheels before, which was inconvenient to switch between fixed and mobile. Then I considered using metal wheels, but the cost was too high. Now I'm considering using wood for the wheels, but the axle
It's more convenient to use copper. The drawings are already out, but it takes time to trial and error."
"When will we expect to see results?"
Xie Changzhi thought for a while and said: "The fastest before next summer."
At this time, Xu Chunlai, a member of Kai Cao's army, stepped forward quickly and said: "Capital Commander, we are ready!"
Chen Qing smiled at everyone and said, "Let's go to the testing site!"
........
The valley is very wide, and a 500-step-long city wall and city gate have been specially built. The city wall is very strong, exactly like the solid real city wall. At this time, three heavy-duty vehicles are standing side by side 350 steps away from the city wall.
There was a trebuchet, and behind the trebuchet, stood two hundred soldiers. Each of these soldiers was wearing fire armor, and their faces were wrapped in wet cloth, with only their eyes exposed.
Behind the two hundred soldiers stood another five hundred soldiers, each carrying a thick wet bedding.
This is actually a fire attack tactics drill. Only troops with rich defense experience will know where the opportunities for siege are.
"let's start!"
Chen Qing gave an order, the red flag waved, the war drums beat loudly, and three heavy trebuchets simultaneously dropped three burning clay pots of kerosene, hitting the top of the city at the same time, and the top of the city suddenly burst into flames.
.
After three consecutive throws, the city was already a sea of fire.
"Attack!" the commanding general shouted.
Two hundred soldiers in fire armor ran forward carrying siege ladders, and five hundred soldiers carrying wet bedding on their shoulders also ran forward.
General Wang Jing, who presided over today's drill, said to the crowd: "After the enemy city was ignited by fire, the enemy soldiers basically retreated to the city on both sides and generally did not go down to the city. Our opportunity is here, Huo Huan."
After Soldier A came to the city, they ignored the fire and ran to both sides of the city to block the enemy soldiers on both sides. The fire-fighting soldiers were five hundred people behind. Once the fire was extinguished, a large number of troops would swarm into the city."
Chen Qing nodded. This was actually because they had discovered the loophole when they were defending the city, but the enemy had not discovered it. Now they are going to use this loophole to attack the city.
The trebuchets had stopped projecting, and soldiers in fire armor built siege ladders and climbed up the city. With crossbows and shields on their backs and spears in hand, they quickly climbed up the city and ran to both sides, quickly forming a formation on the edge of the city wall.
Two phalanxes of divine crossbows formed a cover for the siege army behind.
The second group of soldiers carrying beddings also went up to the city. Not long after they entered the city, the fire on the city quickly disappeared, leaving only a small amount of black smoke. Using wet bedding to extinguish the fire was indeed a good way.
At this time, the third group of one thousand soldiers rushed out and rushed towards the city...
