Chapter 226 Truth is only within the range of the cannon and dignity is only at the edge of the sword
Chapter 226 The truth is only within the range of the cannon, and dignity is only above the edge of the sword.
Leave the Ministry of Industry.
Lin Yi came to the research center in the industrial zone.
Anyway, that's what he calls himself.
Come to the Artillery and Explosives Research Institute, where the top firearms craftsmen, smelters and gunpowder makers from the Ministry of Industry have been recruited.
In fact, firearms already existed in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Thunder cannons, thunderbolts, rockets, fireballs, fire caltrops, etc.
The thunder cannon is not a real artillery, but a bomb-like thing thrown out by a trebuchet. The thunderbolt is more like an iron can of explosives. It is recorded in history books that "the iron pot holds the medicine and ignites it with fire. The sound is like thunder. It can be heard hundreds of times." Inside and outside, over half an acre of land surrounded by fire, the fire burned through the armor and iron."
Lin Yi gathered these people together and asked them to study several things, one was artillery + shells, and the other was grenades + landmines.
Artillery ranged from small cannons like mortars to red cannons weighing more than a thousand kilograms. The small ones were placed on chariots, while the large ones were mounted on chariots and pulled by mules.
They couldn't make anything too advanced now, so what Lin Yi brought out were firearms that had been improved in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, along with blueprints and accessories, and Lin Yi drew them all.
As for the bomb, it was naturally a blooming bomb. Lin Yi came up with the best black powder ratio and made it into granular powder.
As for the more advanced yellow gunpowder, Lin Yi can actually get it, but he doesn't need it yet. Black gunpowder is enough now.
The Song Dynasty had abundant raw materials for making black powder. Think about how many fireworks are set off every year during the New Year and festivals. If these were put on the battlefield, how many times could they blow up the enemy.
As for grenades and landmines.
This is what Lin Yi is best at. A militia manual can turn countless people into bomb experts and use various things to piece together bombs. Moreover, with the current situation of the national team, it is not difficult to make grenades and landmines.
The biggest problem is that this thing requires a relatively large amount to cause damage. Lin Yi thinks it's okay, the worst thing is that it will cost money.
Money earned is not meant to be spent.
In the artillery workshop, craftsmen were building the parts on Lin Yi's drawings piece by piece. On the wooden frame next to them, there were many artillery pieces of different sizes, with the largest one mounted on a wheel.
"Finally done?" Lin Yi asked the supervisor who was following behind him.
The supervisor replied with a happy face: "Back to my husband, the general cannon was finally finished last night. The captain's cannon, the general cannon, and the general cannon are all here."
Lin Yi nodded,
"The artillery team was completed the day before yesterday, and the grenade and mine team was earlier. I just have time today to invite everyone to the testing ground to test the power of these guys." Lin Yi said.
"yes."
Suburban testing ground.
It is surrounded by a saline-alkali land with a radius of more than ten miles, which is enough for them to toss around.
Lin Yi transferred Lu Junyi, and Lin Chong's forbidden army was spread out for ten miles around to guard. No one was allowed to get close. On the one hand, they avoided danger and on the other hand, they were careful of spies.
In addition to all the managers of the firearms factory, the people who came this time also included all the craftsmen of the firearms factory. Lin Yi wanted them to see with their own eyes what was being made and produced.
During production, Lin Yi requires each component to be engraved with a number, or printed with a number. Each number represents a person. As long as the service life is not reached, you will be punished, no matter when, so everyone builds I was very careful when I was doing it, for fear of making any mistakes.
There were hundreds of people at the scene.
"Sir, would you like to start the experiment?" The steward came over and asked.
"Let's start." Lin Yi said.
As prime minister, it is impossible for Lin Yi to end up personally.
Who knows if there is any danger.
The experiment is naturally the responsibility of the craftsmen, and they can see the results later.
"Colonel Cannon, start testing!"
Lin Yi named the three current cannons respectively the famous captain cannon, the general cannon and the general cannon, which are used in different scenarios.
Someone asked, now that he is a general cannon, how will he name him in the future? Lin Yi smiled and said, he can call him Houyepao, Wangyepao, or Prince Cannon.
The captain's cannon weighs about 150 kilograms and is fixed with a wooden frame. The elevation angle of the frame can be adjusted to control the distance of shooting. A carriage can pull more than ten cannons, or they can be tied to horseback for transportation, which is very convenient.
When casting, a better copper-iron alloy was used, the thickness was appropriately increased, and a copper hoop was added in the middle to further protect the gun barrel. The shells released were about the size of later grenades and could fly five to six hundred meters. In addition to the iron sheet of the shells, there were 30 shells inside.
Steel balls can cover a range of 30 meters around and have a very good armor-breaking effect.
"Charge."
The Colonel's Cannon only needs two soldiers to serve it. One of the two soldiers took out a paper bag and stuffed it into the cannon's chamber, and the other used a wooden stick to poke it in. Lin Yi could not let go of such a simple and practical trick as setting the charge bag.
"Load!"
The soldier loaded a round round shell.
The steward looked at Lin Yi again.
Lin Yi nodded.
The steward raised the red flag.
"Light the fire~!"
When the fire stick was poked into the medicine twist, sparks suddenly flew out.
Sizzle.
"Boom~!"
A burst of white smoke erupted from the muzzle.
The next second,
A second explosion occurred at the position in the distance, and a larger puff of white smoke rose. Some targets could be seen flying, and some were staggering.
It seems to work well.
The so-called position is a target set up in advance, with hundreds of wooden stakes inserted, and various armors tied to them, including the Song Dynasty armor and the Xixia people's armor from the Liao Kingdom and the Jin Kingdom, including soldiers' armor and general's armor, so that the effect can be fully tested.
Several fast horses galloped past.
Not long after, he came back carrying more than a dozen targets.
Before Lin Yi could reach him, the craftsmen gathered around to check, and then the craftsmen cheered, "It's amazing, it can penetrate such a thick armor."
"One explosion can injure so many!"
"Stop standing around and show it to your husband," someone shouted.
The crowd quickly separated, and more than a dozen targets were brought to Lin Yi. Lin Yi went over and took a closer look, and found that some were blown to pieces, and most of them were broken through the armor by fragments.
Lin Yi was very satisfied with the effect.
"Try firing a few more rounds and use several gun barrels to fire together to see the effect." Lin Yi said.
Someone immediately went down to continue the experiment.
"Everything, everything, everything~~!"
"Boom boom boom boom boom~~!"
There were constant explosions.
Looking at the hundreds of targets, they were about to collapse. Another group of people passed by. This time they did not take back the targets, but the military academy officer in charge came back and reported: "To the Prime Minister, almost all targets have shrapnel and bullet holes."
Lin Yi was very satisfied.
If you can exchange dozens of artillery shells for hundreds of enemy soldiers, especially cavalry, then the deal will be worth it.
"Continue the experiment, switch to the general cannon and see the effect." Lin Yi waved happily.
A larger general cannon was launched. The general cannon weighed 450 kilograms and was similar in size to the Fran cannon. It was also called a short-barreled cannon. It was a rear-mounted cannon. In later generations, the Fran cannon was replaced by the red cannon due to poor air tightness. However, in some cases
In terms of performance, Lin Yi feels that it still has advantages. For example, it is easier to load it on the boat.
So he also took out the Franco machine gun.
Besides,
Even if it is not advanced, it is hundreds of years more advanced than other countries today.
The general's cannon was pushed out of the line by a wheeled cart. Now only three of them have been built, requiring four soldiers to cooperate in firing them.
loading,
emission,
"Boom~!"
The sound of the general's cannon is much louder than that of the captain's cannon, and of course, it is also much more powerful.
General artillery can shoot about 1,000 meters. There are three types of artillery shells: solid shells, exploding shells and incendiary shells.
Solid bullets are used to destroy cities.
The shells are used to kill enemies. In addition to shrapnel, there are 60-80 steel balls in the shells, which can cover a range of 60 meters around.
Incendiary bombs are used to set fire, and are very effective in attacking cities and disturbing the enemy to burn food and grass.
The only drawback is that the cannonballs are a bit expensive, and one cannonball usually costs around $100.
The last one to appear is naturally the general cannon. It has a long barrel, thick wall and large caliber. It is definitely more powerful than Kong Yunlong's Italian cannon.
The general's cannon weighs 1,800 kilograms. It is made of copper-iron composite metal, which is stronger. It is equipped with a cart wheel and is pulled and hauled by two horses. If it is marching in the wild and mud, it may require four horses.
The general cannon also has three types of shells, with a range of up to 2,500 meters.
"Boom boom boom~!"
Several cannonballs were fired.
The huge explosion sounded like thunder,
The earth shook,
Fire shot into the sky.
The power cannot be guaranteed.
The craftsmen and the imperial guards all cheered, such a powerful weapon would definitely greatly increase the army's combat power.
Lin Yi was very satisfied with today's experimental results.
He has always agreed with the saying, 'Truth is only within the range of the cannon, and dignity is only above the edge of the sword.'
Only when you are strong in force will others respect you.
I won’t bully you at will,
Only then will you be treated as a human being.
You have the right to say 'no' and 'get out'.
The next day.
At the court meeting,
Lin Yi reported to Song Huizong in person that he had developed several new firearms, which were extremely powerful. He asked Your Majesty to take a look at them and see if they could be prepared to equip the army, so as to increase the army's combat effectiveness.
Song Huizong immediately issued an order,
Take all officers to the training ground to see the effects of the new firearms.
Experiment of the day.
Shocked all the ministers.
After the drill, the ministers gathered around several cannons and kept looking around, asking about the characteristics of these cannons.
after,
Lin Yi also asked people to demonstrate the use of grenades and landmines.
Landmines are suitable for ambushes in advance, can seriously kill cavalry, and are miraculous in many places, while grenades are especially suitable for use in charges and sieges.
The officials were very happy, but military leaders such as Tong Guan, Gao Qiu, Zhong Shidao, Zong Ze, etc., had already begun to wonder where to equip these powerful weapons.
certainly,
Some people care in different directions.
The Minister of Hubu and the Third Division were more concerned about the price. The Minister of Hubu came to Lin Yi and said, "Mr. Lin, how much do these artillery cost, how much does one shell cost, and what is the approximate budget for equipping the army?"
Lin Yi smiled and said: "The cost of a captain's cannon is 100 guan, and a shell is about 500 guan. A general cannon costs 300 guan. The three types of shells have different costs. Solid shells are the cheapest, one is consistent, and one is split.
5 guns, 3 guns for each incendiary bomb, the general cannon is the most expensive, 1,000 guns for one gun, 2 guns for solid bullets, 8 guns for split shells, and 5 guns for incendiary bombs.”
This price was increased by Lin Yi, which basically doubled or tripled it.
The officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs chewed their teeth after hearing this.
It feels so expensive.
I don't think so, but if we equip the army in large quantities, it will require a lot of money.
"Can the Ministry of Industry make this by itself?" asked an official from the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Lin Yi's face sank slightly.
"You also want to make plans for His Majesty's business, Cui Shangshu. Your Majesty has already reduced the annual tax from 20% to 50% of the total tax. What else do you want?"
Cui Shangshu quickly forced out a smile.
"Don't dare, don't dare, I am also thinking about the national treasury."
Among the world's major high-income industries, selling arms and weapons is definitely at the forefront. How could Lin Yi give up this part of his interests?
Besides,
What belongs to him does not belong to the country, and what belongs to the country does not belong to him.
When the officials returned to Bianjing, Song Huizong called Cai Jing, Lin Yi, Tong Guan, Gao Qiu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, and the three envoys to discuss the matter of artillery.
One is how much to purchase.
The second is which troops it will be equipped to.
The imperial army definitely needs equipment, but the border army needs it even more.
Finally Lin Yi suggested,
The Forbidden Army formed a firearms battalion with brand-new equipment and new tactics, combined with cavalry, spearmen, archers, artillery, etc., to create a new type of army.
Song Huizong agreed,
Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Gao Qiu and others did not dare to object.
In the end, Lin Yi was given full responsibility for this army. After all, he was still the deputy commander of the Imperial Palace, and he also invented the artillery. No one could say anything about how he would form a new army.
As for the soldiers,
Then Lin Yi would choose at will among the Forbidden Army.
Now,
The low-level military officers trained by Lin Yi have their uses.
Lin Yi's idea is very simple,
He didn't need many people. He took 50,000 people from the Forbidden Army to create a truly combat-effective army equipped with artillery. With just 50,000 people, he was not afraid of facing the Jin army.
Besides,
The remaining imperial troops and border troops will also be equipped with some firearms by then, and their combat effectiveness will also be improved.
A large knife and a group of kitchen knives.
He believed that he would be able to kill the golden dog by then.
As for the issue of purchasing firearms, the result of the discussion was to ask the Ministry of Household Affairs to pay for the purchase of 2,000 captain cannons, 500 general cannons, and 200 general cannons.
Part of it was used to equip the new army, and part of it was used to assemble the frontier army.
This is just the first batch.
On the border army side, Lin Yi would send people over to teach how to use it, and even directly send people to control the artillery. This was equivalent to breaking into the border army system and controlling the most powerful artillery.
As for the cannonballs,
The Lieutenant Cannon is equipped with three base numbers of 180 rounds. The General Cannon and the General Cannon are each equipped with one base number of shells. The three types of artillery shells are also equipped with 180 rounds. In total, the total is 1.6 million rounds of artillery shells.
Coupled with various supporting equipment, such as vehicles, horses, etc., this is not a small amount of money, as well as matching grenades, landmines and other firearms, the total amount reaches tens of millions.
But Lin Yi thinks the money is worth spending.
Everyone knows that with this army built by Lin Yi himself, Prime Minister Lin's power is even greater.
In the next few days,
Lin Yi is busy forming a new army.
Lin Chong, Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, and Yang Zhi were all granted official positions, but they were all low-level military attachés, such as Peirong Colonel, Renyong Deputy Lieutenant, Xuangjie Colonel, and Zhiguo Colonel. The lowest was only ninth rank.
The highest one was only seventh grade, but this already made them excited.
Finally got a background.
Li Gang, the secretary, was also recruited into the army by Lin Yi, and he was given a military position as a recorder. He was a general clerk. He was in charge of the records of all Cao Cao, and he was responsible for good and evil. It was a very training position.
The Forbidden Army of the Song Dynasty can be divided into the Central Forbidden Army, the Hebei Forbidden Army and the Northwest Forbidden Army based on their geographical location. The Central Forbidden Army was mainly stationed around Bianjing.
Recently,
According to Song Huizong's request, Tong Guan and Gao Qi sorted out the problem of starvation and the actual number of forbidden troops in various places, and found that the problem was far more serious than they imagined.
It is said to be 800,000, but in fact it is only half.
There are about half of the Central Forbidden Army. The Western Army is the best and currently the most combat-effective unit, with seven to eight out of ten, while the Hebei Frontier Army has only three to four out of ten.
Hear the report.
Tong Guan and Gao Qiu both broke out in cold sweat.
Lin Yi was not that surprised when he heard the report. He had read the history of the Song Dynasty and knew the reasons for the shortage of troops in the Northern Song Dynasty.
An important reason is the chaotic management of military registration, which is caused by the separation of the power to dispatch troops and the power to command troops.
Another reason is military and political corruption. Since the number of soldiers is "unregistered," it is convenient for the generals to conceal their occupation. Since the generals can benefit from the shortage, the army's shortage will not be improved.
The corruption of the military and political affairs of the Song Dynasty was also reflected in the private soldiers and mean soldiers. The generals ordered the private soldiers to build houses, grow vegetables, weave satin, embroider, play music... everything, which made the army a mess, neglected training, and the army was incompetent.
Like the army, it greatly damaged the army's combat effectiveness.
Some historians have commented that "the Northern Song Dynasty was definitely not beaten because of its backwardness, but actually perished due to extreme corruption." Lin Yi feels that what he said is very true.
What Lin Yi has to do now is to reverse this phenomenon.
Officialdom is like this,
So does the army.
So he wants to form a new army.
The New Army camp outside Bianjing City. This was originally a camp of the Ma Army, twenty miles away from Bianjing. It is now owned by the New Army.
In the conference room.
About 120 generals were seated.
Basically, they are all newly recruited by Lin Yi, and they are completely loyal to him, and they all use the "this worship" skill.
Lin Yi is in class.
From the knowledge in his mind, he pieced together several teaching materials, including marching and fighting, logistical supplies, joint field mine and artillery operations, field physician's manual, etc.
He wanted to build a military academy similar to that of later generations.
These 120 people are the first batch of trainees. They are all carefully selected by him. Don't worry about their loyalty. Their abilities are all above average. They will become the seeds of the New Song Army and will support the backbone of the New Song Army in the future.