In just a few breaths, a message came from Tangqi behind the ridge. This cannon blasted more than 800 steps.
Two steps is one foot, eight hundred steps is four hundred feet.
Before Li Chengzhi improved the trebuchet, he used stone cannons to deliver stone bullets weighing ten kilograms, and the longest distance was one hundred and fifty steps.
And it requires at least thirty people to operate it, and six to eight war horses or oxen to assist.
But now, at most three or four soldiers are used, and the range is more than five times longer...
Li Zhang felt that his brain was not enough.
Eight hundred steps?
What is this concept?
While he was stunned, he heard Li Chengzhi shout loudly: "Li Zhang!"
"Here!"
"This time it's up to you to fight accordingly!"
Li Chengzhi pointed to a beacon about a mile away, "You can calculate the amount of gunpowder, weight of iron bullets, elevation angle, range, etc., because I don't know either, Mr. Lang, but..."
After a pause, Li Chengzhi bared his teeth again, as if he was grinning ferociously: "If we can't destroy the pier today, you and your men will be hungry. When will it be fulfilled as I wish, when will you return to camp...
”
Li Zhang suddenly bared his teeth and couldn't close his mouth when he smiled.
Not to mention one hungry meal, just three or five meals, why does it matter?
Even if Li Chengzhi ordered him to sleep with a steel cannon tonight, Li Zhang would not be vague at all.
He responded repeatedly, shouted to his cronies, got up and climbed over the hillside, running towards the artillery.
Looking at the iron cannon with its cold light, Li Zhang wished he could hug the couple and kiss them.
Since the establishment of the firearms camp, Li Zhang has been the camp general. Therefore, his understanding of this thing is deeper and more comprehensive than anyone except Li Chengzhi.
Compared with things, the trebuchet is nothing worth mentioning...
Suppressing the throbbing in his heart, Li Zhang hurriedly ordered his confidants to clean the barrel, dig angles, and stabilize the barrel.
It weighs nearly six hundred kilograms, and the weight of the gun body alone can make the barrel stable enough. It was only because Li Chengzhi was not sure about the amount of gunpowder to fill, and he was afraid of overloading it in case the barrel exploded, so he let everyone
Hiding so far away.
However, because it was a temporary test shot and lack of preparation, it could only be set up on soft soil beams. Every time a shot was fired, the foundation needed to be laid down and the elevation angle increased.
Once the city wall is installed and fixed with anvils, stone drums, wood, etc., there will be no need for such trouble.
Seeing Li Zhang adjusting the angle, Li Chengzhi summoned Li Cong again: "You should return to the city immediately to deliver the order, and order your uncle to join Li Song, and all the guards commanders, deputy commanders, and chief and deputy chiefs of each department to come here to obey your orders... Then go to the school field and join forces."
In the iron yard, look for some straw men, straw horses, iron nails, and iron caltrops, and bring them all later..."
Li Cong responded repeatedly. Just as he was about to turn around and mount his horse, he heard another thud.
Li Chengzhi turned around and saw a black dot crossing the beacon and flying to nowhere.
Looking at the cloud of dust and smoke rising behind the mountain ridge, Li Zhangxiao's eyes narrowed into two slits: "Lang Jun, this cannon is farther, at least five hundred feet..."
Looking at Li Zhang standing behind the cannon, Li Chengzhi opened his mouth and cursed: "Are you looking for death by standing so close?"
Li Zhangyu insisted, pointing to the barrel and arguing in a low voice: "It just sank, and it didn't shift even half a minute from left to right!"
It means that the cannon body is so heavy, how can it explode and fly up?
"Idiot, if your body is blown up, why don't you just wait for your father to collect the body for you?"
Li Chengzhi's face turned dark: "Besides, it's not enough to hit a bird feather, you have to hit it accurately. You think this is a stone cannon, why do you put the cannon head so high?"
Li Zhang was used to playing with trebuchets, and he unknowingly adopted the inertial thinking, thinking that this thing required a large projectile angle. After being scolded by Li Chengzhi, he realized: within a short distance, as long as
Just like shooting straight when shooting a bow, just aim at the bullseye.
In this way, isn't it simpler than a trebuchet?
Li Zhang was delighted and quickly ordered his cronies to dig down the earth beams and lower the angle.
After trying a few more shots, Li Zhang finally figured out the trick. Then he fired three times in succession without missing a beat, destroying half of the beacon wall a mile away.
Li Liang was stunned.
Even if it were Meng, Li Zhang would not be able to get Meng accurate three times in a row.
I remember that when I made the catapult, I practiced for more than a month before Li Zhang got some tips.
But today was only the first time to test-fire the artillery. How could he shoot so accurately?
"Practice makes perfect, just learn by analogy!"
Li Chengzhi explained nonchalantly, "This thing has the same purpose as the stone cannon, so Li Zhang can adapt to such weirdness. Of course, it also depends on his hard work, tirelessness, and mastery of handling the stone cannon, so he can
Get twice the result with half the effort."
After being shocked for a long time, Li Liang came back to his senses and asked in a hoarse voice: "But I didn't expect that this thing is so powerful?"
The beacon was made of rammed red earth transported from Nanshan (Qilian Mountain). Although it is not high, the wall is extremely thick, more than six feet. Moreover, Li Song personally watched the construction and never cut corners. Li Liang estimated that even if it were exploded with gunpowder packets weighing hundreds of kilograms, it might not be able to explode.
And just now I saw Li Zhang loading gunpowder. Did he use ten kilograms three times?
In fact, these are two different things, not the same concept. Li Chengzhi taught Li Liang the secret recipe of gunpowder privately and taught him the method of making firearms.
But Li Liang did not turn around for a moment: if explosives are used, the most they can do is to throw the explosive package under the city wall. But if a hole is drilled in the city wall, and then the explosives are filled in and sealed, it may only take three to five kilograms.
It can blow up the entire beacon tower.
Li Chengzhi was about to take the opportunity to explain this to him, but when he heard a booming sound behind him, he subconsciously turned his head.
I saw a few streaks of smoke and dust like yellow dragons, with a flag holding a letter flag in front, which was Li Shiliang's guard of honor.
Li Chengzhi pondered for a moment and said solemnly: "You are now also the Ministry of Industry, and many firearms are made under your supervision. Therefore, you should pay more attention and study it carefully. Just like this artillery, if you had the intention, you would have made it long ago.
It should be obvious that it is just a fireworks tube that is many times larger..."
Fireworks tube?
Li Liang was stunned and suddenly realized.
That’s really it.
They also use an iron pipe that seals the tail, and then fills it with gunpowder. However, the artillery shoots iron bullets, while the fireworks tube shoots firecrackers that can fly out and explode sparks.
He had an idea and beamed with joy: "If that's the case, doesn't it mean that this artillery can also be used like fireworks to shoot thunder cans at enemies a thousand steps away?"
It’s not surprising that Li Liang can think of explosive bombs, so why didn’t he think of artillery before?
Li Chengzhi knew very well that it was not that Li Liang was not smart, but that he was very measured...
He sighed slightly: "Of course it can, but the craftsmanship requirements are more precise. At least the bullet cannot explode in the chamber before the cannon is fired..."
Li Liang responded from the side: "Just try a few more times!"
Li Chengzhi nodded slightly and confessed in a low voice: "But you must be careful and careful... It is not easy to train a complete craftsman. If you can save one person from death, one less person will die..."
The two of them suddenly thought about the past when he organized Li's craftsmen to adjust gunpowder when they first arrived in Zhenyi...
With just these few words, Li Shiliang and others rushed ten feet away. Everyone dismounted and greeted Li Chengzhi one by one.
There are more than a dozen people in Long, all of whom were confidants who followed Li Chengzhi when he launched an army in Jingzhou. Now they have their own responsibilities. Except for Li Song, who is only responsible for civil affairs, the rest of them have both military and civilian positions.<
/p>
There is no other way but to blame Xihai for its rapid rise, excessive rapid development, and serious lack of talent reserves.
Everyone asked about the courtesy and then stared at the things around them, their eyes full of curiosity.
The carriage was covered with square sacks, and you could tell just by smelling them that they must be gunpowder.
There was another cart carrying iron pellets and stone bullets, all three feet in size. In addition, there were also things like buckets, linen, and oxtail brushes, but I don't know what they were used for.
Looking back, Li Zhang and several of his cronies were playing with a dark iron pillar, as if they were washing it with water.
"Just now in Guancheng, there was a sudden explosion like thunder, which kept ringing and stopping. I was about to send someone to investigate, and Li Cong came to Bing and said that you are testing cannon in the west of the city!"
Li Shiliang circled around the cannon, "I guess this is it!"
"Uncle, see you clearly!"
Li Chengzhi responded with a smile and pointed at Li Zhang, "Why are you so stunned? Test the range first..."
Li Zhang grinned and filled it in himself.
Having tried more than ten cannons, Li Zhang has roughly mastered the amount of medicine, no more, no less, three kilograms is just right.
If there are more, the gun body will shake, and naturally it will be inaccurate. If there are too few, the range and power will be reduced.
Anyone who can be summoned by Li Chengzhi has naturally seen the power of explosives. There is no need to remind him at all. As soon as Li Chengzhi stepped back, everyone followed him in a hurry.
About five or six feet away from the cannon, Li Chengzhi stopped. There was no mountain ridge here. Li Liang shouted hurriedly. Dozens of personal guards hurriedly took off their shields from their horses and protected them for three levels.
Then he stood still and heard a loud noise.
Li Zhang couldn't wait long and cut off most of the fuse, leaving only a few feet. That's why it was so fast.
Feeling the shock under their feet, the cronies stretched their necks longer and longer, looking into the distance along the flying projectiles.
When the smoke and dust started to rise, everyone was shocked: How far away is it?
Li Chengzhi asked calmly: "How many should there be?"
Li Zhang squinted and said, "At least nine hundred steps!"
Suddenly there was a gasping sound from all around.
A three-foot-sized iron pill should weigh more than ten kilograms. How powerful is it to shoot it so far?
Li Chengzhi waved his hand, meaning not to make any noise, and looked up the mountain ridge again.
A Tangqiu held a pennant and waved it vigorously.
Li Zhang's experience is very rich and his eyes are very sharp. He is only thirty steps less than what Tang Qi reported.
It seems that the maximum range of this bottle cannon is about a thousand steps, but it is completely sufficient.
Li Chengzhi waved his hand again: "This time I'll still shoot the beacon, aim more carefully!"
Li Zhang responded respectfully and shouted to several of his cronies. After about a moment, the intermittent sound of cannons rang out.
Li Chengzhi specifically explained it, so Li Zhang was very cautious. The filling process was not fast, and it took about one word (five minutes) to fire.
The first is to cool down completely to avoid exploding the barrel. The second is to clean up the residue to avoid leaving hidden damage in the barrel. The third is to adjust the angle.
Therefore, before Li Zhang fired a shot, the smoke and dust on the mountain ridge dispersed completely, and everyone could see it very clearly.
Eight cannons were fired, three of which missed, and the remaining five bombarded the two-foot-high beacon to less than one foot.
How could you care about taking a breath at this time?
From Li Shiliang on down, everyone was dumbfounded and dumbfounded.
To demolish a pier city with walls six feet thick and two feet high one mile away is not shocking, but unthinkable.
Even if a bolt of thunder does fall from the sky, is it so harmful?
It wasn't until Li Chengzhi called Li Cong to place the straw man and horse a hundred steps away that anyone came back to their senses.
But no matter how shocked or surprised they were, no one dared to ask questions, they just watched Li Chengzhi give orders.
Seeing that the ground was too soft, it was necessary to cushion the cannon every time, which was not only troublesome but also affected the accuracy. Li Zhang simply asked Li Zhang to dismantle a carriage and place it under the cannon body. He also packed soil with hemp and stabilized it on both sides of the cannon body. Li Cong has also arranged the straw men and horses, no more, no less, exactly four hundred, and they have also arranged them into a small square array about twenty paces in radius.
According to Li Chengzhi's explanation, these were all moved from the school grounds, and they were specially wearing leather armor.
The reason why they don’t wear steel armor is because except for Xihai, no country in the world is so wealthy that nearly 30% of its entire army wears armor.
Of course, it is also because there are few soldiers in the West Sea...
This time it took a bit long, nearly half an hour.
Because Li Chengzhi was not sure how much medicine, broken iron, and iron nails were suitable for each load, he ordered Li Zhang to fire a few shots into the empty space to test the amount of medicine.
When the cannon was officially tested, everyone's eyes almost popped out.
There was just a loud noise, and more than half of the phalanx of four hundred men and horses fell immediately.
And this is only second.
Li Chengzhi led everyone forward to check. Not only were nearly half of the grass horses shot down, but even their leather armor was shot through. The rows near the front had even been shot through each other.
The cronies even involuntarily made their breathing movements much smaller, looking at Li Chengzhi with fear in their eyes.
This is beyond human power, but Li Chengzhi just did it?
Immediately, the face that reacted a little faster showed an uncontrollable joy.
In front of this thing, no matter how thick your armor is or how thick your formation is, it only takes one shot.
What if the most brave tiger rider in the world is here?
Even if you can't be shot to death, one shot can knock you down, and then two more shots...
Li Chengzhi had already passed the initial excitement, so he explained to Li Liang and Li Liang in detail: "First cast fifty cannons like this, and install twenty in Zhenyiguan City, and the rest
Just in case of emergencies...
In addition, you two need to study carefully after you go back and make some small cannons, ranging from two to three hundred kilograms at most to a hundred kilograms at least. First, cast one bottle and one out..."
Li Chengzhi wanted to make a squatting tiger cannon. This type only weighs more than a hundred kilograms. As long as you have a mule or horse, you can pull it around, which is very convenient.
Li Liang was a little puzzled: "I dare to ask Mr. Lang, I think the bigger this thing is, the greater the power, and the farther it shoots, so why build a small cannon?"
"You think I don't know that the bigger the cannon, the more powerful it is?"
Li Chengzhi smiled and scolded, "But on an expedition of thousands of miles, there are so many places to cross mountains and ridges. If the cannon is too heavy, and there are no roads or vehicles, is it possible that I can still call you Li Liang to carry it across the mountains?" p>
Li Lang was stunned for a moment, but the eyes of Li Shiliang, Li Song and others became brighter.