Chapter 257: Craftsman Camp, Composite Bow and Mass-Produced Bamboo Bow
History is as vast and deep as the ocean, and is also full of unpredictable possibilities. Sometimes it is calm, and sometimes it is swept by waves. Countless warm ocean currents are raging under the sea, flowing to perhaps destined distant places. The civilizations of various ethnic groups are like the sea.
Schools of fish move forward in the lightless deep sea. They follow the direction of the ocean current, waiting for an unknown encounter.
Only a fish that traveled through time and space fell into the water from the distant sky. He saw the path to the future clearly, struggled to swim forward, squeezed to the front of the school of fish, and finally became a young alpha fish. He was looking for
Heading in a new direction, exploring new possibilities, and also leading the school of fish behind them towards a new and unknown road!
North of the equator, the summer monsoon connects the sea and land. It brings Portuguese exploration ships to the southern continent, and also carries water vapor from the Caribbean Sea to the western lake area. In the warm and abundant rain, the farmland in the lake area is green and full of vigorous plants.
Vitality. August passed by in the rain, and September came with the wind.
The weather in September was very hot, and rolling clouds enveloped the city of Qincongcan. Shulot raised his head and looked at the first break of clouds and rain, as well as the clear sky after the rain. He turned to the warrior commander and smiled.
"Haha, the heavy rain a few days ago was really bad! It seems like the big lake in the sky has leaked to the bottom. I wonder if there will be fish?"
"Your Highness, during the rainy season, the valleys in the Lake District are actually not bad. At most, the rain is heavier. If it is the seaside lowlands of the Huastec people, the wind god will be angry almost every two years. At that time, there will be roaring winds in the sky.
The beast sweeps through, destroying the villages, towns and farmland in its path, and will really leave behind countless leftover fish! Therefore, in various coastal areas, the belief in the wind god is often second only to Quetzalcoatl."
Bertard explained calmly. Behind him, two hundred personal guards were wearing strong armor and guarding the traveling king closely.
Shulot was startled when he heard this. He thought for a moment and nodded.
The Gulf of Mexico is hot and rainy, and typhoons often hit during the rainy season, and they are often catastrophic hurricanes that are difficult to deal with even in later generations. Once these hurricanes land, they will often have a devastating blow to the agricultural society of this era. Therefore, the eastern
Although the coastal Huastec and Totonac tribes have fertile land, they have always been underpopulated. And the coastal land cannot be used as a foundation for long-term operations.
"Your Highness, I asked the old farmers in the lake area. Although the rainfall this year is heavy, it is still at a normal level. The rise of Lake Patzcuaro is limited and will not have much impact on the farmland along the lake. With sufficient rainfall in August,
On the contrary, it will be beneficial to the growth of corn and increase the autumn harvest in October!"
Hearing this, the young king smiled. He looked beyond the craftsman camp in front of him and looked at the sky outside the city.
"The sowing was late this year, and every village is in a hurry. I don't expect a bumper harvest in the lake area. As long as there is a good year, the minds of the Prepecha villagers and the field army will be settled! I can, too.
Free up your hands to deal with the nobles in the south..."
The two were talking and laughing, and the black wolf Toltec had already walked out of the craftsman camp with his head held high and his chest high. He bowed his head and saluted the king.
"Your Highness, the inspection of the craftsman camp has been completed, and the guards have been deployed! The craftsmen of Prepecha are ready and waiting for your Highness's inspection!"
"good!"
Xiuluo nodded and walked towards the craftsman camp first. The warrior chief and the black wolf followed closely, followed by a large group of personal guards.
It had only been a few months since the army captured the city of Qincongcan, and there were more than two thousand craftsmen recruited into the craftsman camp. At this time, when entering the camp for inspection, you must be extra vigilant. When the Mexica craftsmen from Tenochtitlan moved
When you come to the royal capital, the Shenqi Institute near the palace area will officially start operating. At that time, the craftsmen in the camp will be further divided into levels and sorted into different places.
Soon, the young king entered the craftsman camp and looked around. The entire camp was surrounded by solid bluestone walls and covered an extremely large area. In the warehouses in the camp, there were a large amount of wood, stones, cotton and leather stored.
According to the current functions of the craftsmen, they can be roughly divided into four main areas, two are responsible for civilian use, and two are engaged in military industry.
Shulot kept walking and moved forward. The first thing he passed was the Noble Supplies Production Center. This place used to serve the Tarascan royal family and make exquisite and gorgeous palace supplies, but now it is used to manufacture expensive trade goods.
The young king's eyes paused for a moment on the various exquisite palace painted pottery, noble clothing, gold and silver jewelry, and then strode away without caring. The warrior captain followed closely behind, also looking intently. Toltec was one step behind,
Instead, he opened his eyes curiously and looked at the noble utensils along the way.
Next, there is the most lively farm tool and wheelbarrow production center. The young king stopped and made a brief inspection. The management warriors shouted sharply, and the busy craftsmen fell to the ground together, waiting for the king's review.
Both military and civilian villages in the Lake District strictly practice farming, and the per capita cultivated land area is much larger than before. Commonly used stone agricultural tools are easy to wear and need constant repair and replacement. The wheelbarrows used for transportation are difficult to make and are subject to
The wheels of force require metal reinforcement and are extremely easy to damage. In order to improve efficiency, Shulot deployed a large number of craftsmen and allocated sufficient bronze tools to provide logistical support to the soldiers and civilians in the field.
The young king watched it for a while, then pushed a unicycle to try it out with his own hands.
The manufacture of studded wooden wheels is a technical job that requires not only wood but also carpentry skills. With the current manufacturing level of single-carriages, it can only be used on the flat fields around the lake area. The terrain only needs to be slightly undulating.
, or if there are too many root systems of trees in the wild, this thing will be damaged quickly.
After trying it for a moment, Shulot nodded slightly, indicating that the quality was okay. He looked at the warrior commander.
"Bertard, reward the craftsmen who made the wheelbarrows and encourage them to further study reinforcement... Also, where are the bronze farming tools I want?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Yes! Your Highness, the bronze farm tools are not here, but in the final manufacturing center."
Shulot said yes and continued to move forward. Following closely behind him was the military equipment manufacturing center.
This is an important military area, with hundreds of warriors garrisoned and more than a thousand craftsmen busy here. According to different groups, they make longbows, war clubs, bronze spears, shields, cotton armor and wooden helmets. The armament center once supplied
With tens of thousands of Tarasco royal regiments, it also has the largest number of craftsmen and is home to the best master craftsmen.
After walking for a while, Shulot's eyes narrowed, he stopped and stood in front of the largest workbench.
He picked up a new longbow in front of him and reached out to touch it. The bow was smooth, made of fir, and simply painted. What was noteworthy was that after the string was unloaded, the two ends of the longbow were greatly concave, and the middle
Forming an obvious arc. The main body of the bow bends backwards towards the shooter, looking like a long-used shoulder pole.
Shulot lowered his eyes slightly, and some fleeting memories came to his mind, accompanied by flashes of war scenes. Then, he raised his long bow and measured it. The straight length of the bow was only one meter sixty-seven meters, which was more suitable for battlefield fighting. The young king was slightly longer.
He pondered, and when he looked at the old craftsman in front of him, his expression was already majestic.
"Recurve single bow, small bow tip...Did you make this long bow? Why is it designed like this?"
"Yes, I made this by myself based on the improvement of the Mexican long bow."
The craftsman in front of him is about fifty years old and has a simple appearance. He wears a flat leather hat that symbolizes status. Behind him are more than a dozen hand-tied craftsman apprentices. He is obviously a master craftsman. Hearing the king's inquiry, the master craftsman lowered his head carefully.
Head, explained respectfully and in detail.
"Your Majesty, I have tried bow tips of different lengths and hardness, and have also studied the characteristics of long bows made of different materials. This long wooden bow with a small recurved tip can effectively shorten the bow body while maintaining range and power.
Length. Although its shaping is slightly complicated, it does not increase the difficulty and the requirements for materials are not high.
In fact, there is also a small tip bow I made out of bamboo. Its range is about 70% of that of the fir bow, and the arrows are slightly shorter. The bamboo bow is slightly less powerful and can only hit the leather armor of the samurai within 60 steps.
Cause damage, and damage civilian militiamen within 90 steps. However, its cost is extremely cheap, and it can be quickly deployed in large quantities. It was originally prepared for previous... wars. Similarly, this bamboo bow is very effective against arrows.
The requirements are not high and can significantly reduce the cost of making arrows."
The master craftsman observed the king's face and carefully took out a recurved bamboo bow. Xiulote took out the bow and tried it, and his expression immediately changed slightly.
"The drawing force is about 60 pounds, and ordinary militiamen can also use it... cheap mass production, bamboo bow, light bow..."
The young king thought deeply and whispered to himself. After a moment, he looked at the master craftsman standing in front of him and smiled with satisfaction.
"Very nice improvement, very useful research and development! Tell me your name."
"Your Majesty, I am Kundili, the 'bowmaker' of the Prepecha people."
Kundili straightened up and proudly said his title. This is an inherited title, meaning "the bow maker in the tribe". It also represents the highest level among bow craftsmen.
Hearing this, Shulot nodded clearly. The Prepecha people have a large group of craftsmen who are good at craftsmanship. They were the first to discover and use bronze weapons in the world. Their master craftsmen are able to study and study longbows.
Improvement, this is not beyond the king's expectation.
The young king thought for a moment and then made a decision. He looked solemn and said loudly.
"Kundili, you have done a great job in improving the longbow! From today on, you are the military noble of the kingdom, and you will receive the same rewards as the warriors! I appointed you as the person in charge of the longbow production in the capital, and gave you two tasks.
!”
Hearing this, Kundili opened his mouth wide with disbelief on his face.
Under the traditional three-level system of the Kingdom of Tarasco, he was only a craftsman all his life, with no possibility of becoming a noble. The air around him was silent for an instant, and the other craftsmen were also shocked. After a while, until the man behind him
The apprentice quietly kicked his butt, and then he suddenly fell to his knees and paid homage to the king of the feudal kingdom.
"Your Majesty, thank you for the reward, I will die for you!"
"There is no need to die. You need to remain useful and use your wisdom and experience to further transform the longbow for me!"
Shulot smiled indifferently. Now that he was used to seeing people dying for him, he rarely felt troubled anymore.
"Kundili, you have two tasks. The first one is to research a new large bow with a composite bow body! It should have a shorter bow body and stronger power. Since you have made fir and bamboo bows respectively,
If you want a long bow, you must have an in-depth understanding of these two materials. Then, let’s start with the bamboo and wood composite bow! You can use bamboo wood and then glue it with corn mortar to create a double-layered long bow.
...You should study the specific process yourself! Someone will give you some brief tips later for your reference."
Shulot looked serious and did not say much. Regarding the production of compound bows, he only had sporadic memories, and he only mentioned them as a reference for these real master craftsmen.
"Second, determine the standard shape, service life, and arrows used for this single bamboo bow! Then I will send personal guards to help you organize manpower and carry out mass production. I want to produce this kind of bamboo bow on a large scale.
Equipment. Under the condition of ensuring that it can threaten the samurai at 60 steps, the lower the cost, the better!”
Shulot stretched out his hand and shook the other person's hair. Kundili's eyes suddenly shone. He lay on the ground and paid respect again. The faces of the craftsmen behind him showed obvious envy.
Seeing this, the young king nodded, looked around, and spoke loudly again.
"In the name of the king, I declare: The alliance has its own new policy, which is different from the old system of Tarasco! All craftsmen, regardless of origin, can concentrate on their work and produce high-quality equipment in a long-term and stable manner; save manpower and material resources, and improve the original production
; Or go one step further and develop new and more efficient instruments...The alliance will not be stingy and reward you generously, giving you cotton cloth, gold and silver, land and even titles!"
The king's voice spread far away and echoed in the vast craftsman camp. The craftsmen knelt on the ground and all let out low shouts of surprise. Then, whispers were noisy in the camp, like a buzzing swarm of bees.
The faces of the warriors in charge of the defense also showed expressions of confusion and yearning. However, after the Western Expedition, the king had enough majesty to suppress all disobedient people and fully implement his will!
Shulot turned his head and gave a few simple instructions. One of the guards took out a pen and paper, wrote a notice with mixed pictures and text, and then posted it in the center of the craftsman camp.
The supreme king stretched out his finger and pointed out the direction to those who followed. The followers explored forward, but the king's footsteps did not stop. He still had too much to do.
Shulot took one last look at Kundili, who was still kneeling, and then led his guards to the innermost floor. There was the kingdom's secret workshop, the bronze production center.