bookcurios Chapter 374 New Weapons
Chapter 374 New Weapons
In Zhao Hong's mind, Qin was his territory. If the emperor did not grant him a fief, he would seize it on his own. He did not care whether Zhao Qin was his brother or not.
Now that Dingbian has been captured, if they want to take Shangjun, Yanzhou and other places, the existing weapons in their hands are far from enough, and they urgently need more powerful siege weapons.
The cannons and double-barreled shotguns he imitated were, in his opinion, the most effective weapons at the time.
So he recruited craftsmen in Dingbian and devoted himself to production.
Conicoda previously had many skilled craftsmen under his command and also had some ready-made gunpowder. Now the two of them worked together and almost became one, and the speed of producing these equipment was greatly increased.
Especially in the field of casting, the Zhou Dynasty's skills in processing pig iron to enhance its strength are far beyond the reach of the Liang Kingdom or the grassland tribes.
……
Luancheng welcomes the new year, and the new year brings new hope.
This year's early spring is not as cold as in previous years. As winter passes and spring comes, the earth revives. In just February, farmers have already started breeding work.
Because Zhao Sheng successfully achieved glass production, greenhouse breeding was able to proceed ahead of schedule.
Initially, Zhao Sheng used these greenhouses to grow vegetables and cultivate fruits with a greater contrast in winter. Now, he has an idea, which is to widely popularize these technologies in various states and counties of the Great Zhou.
Of course, he still planned to adopt a joint venture approach, and the partners he would form alliances with would be those large families with whom he had long-term cooperation.
"Sir, aren't you planning to go to Weizhou and other places for an inspection this year?"
Zhao Yongsheng was sitting in the office, sorting documents. He looked up at Zhao Sheng who was leisurely drinking tea and asked casually.
Zhao Sheng took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Zhen'er is about to give birth, and Ning Yue and Xin Yue are also planning to start their education this year. I'm thinking about who should teach them."
When Zhao Yongsheng asked this question, his thoughts drifted away.
"Your father-in-law is a teacher, why not invite him?"
Zhao Yongsheng blurted out without thinking.
"What you said is..." When Zhao Sheng heard this, he couldn't help but think of Zhao Shicheng.
Although many years have passed and Zhao Sheng has long since let go of what Zhao Shicheng did, Zhao Zhen still holds a grudge.
It’s not because he was abandoned by Zhao Shicheng, but because after being abandoned, he unfortunately died on the road.
Some things can be forgiven, but some things are unforgettable.
In Zhao Zhen's opinion, if he had followed Zhao Sheng, perhaps his younger brother would not have died young. But the past is gone, and it cannot be changed.
"I've had this thought before, but I still need to discuss this with Zhen'er."
When Zhao Sheng said this, he couldn't help but recall Shigang Village and Zhao Long.
In this era, the biggest advantage for men is that they can live without a wife but cannot live without offspring, and taking concubines is also relatively casual.
Zhao Long not only had concubines in Weizhou, but also sent one of his concubines and her child back to Shigang Village.
Thinking of this, Zhao Sheng raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
"Some people look honest, but they can't escape the temptation of beauty after all!" Zhao Sheng secretly laughed at himself. Although he had two wives and three concubines, he only had two children born to Li Shuya.
Wandong, Wanqiu, and others were concubines in name only. He had never even taken action against Xiaotao, his concubine.
"This year, Zhao Long, Zhao Yongqiang, and the others were away. You sent a letter asking them to come back. They're not that far away, so why didn't they come back for the New Year?"
Zhao Sheng said to Zhao Yongsheng who was busy.
"The conditions outside are good this year. Some of them are busy assisting with law and order, while others are busy preparing for matters. They are even busier during festivals like this."
Zhao Yongsheng spoke seriously, as if he was reporting something extremely solemn and important.
"Go and find out if your Qiangzi has a woman. I've noticed that some of our generals are away from home and their lives aren't very respectful."
Zhao Sheng looked solemn. He specially sent some secret agents to monitor these people outside.
Although they have not made any big mistakes yet, as their lives get better, some bad thoughts begin to grow quietly.
Especially Zhao Yongqiang, who often went in and out of Jinyang and was dragged in and out of the Red Mansion by those aristocratic families, it was inevitable that he would gradually relax his self-requirements over time.
Zhao Yongsheng has been in charge of intelligence work and was deeply touched by Zhao Sheng's words.
"I will pay special attention to these matters, but how should I deal with them?"
He wanted to get some information from Mr. Zhao to find out how strong the handling would need to be.
"Some big mistakes often stem from small ones. If we don't stop them now, it will be too late to realize the seriousness of the problem later."
Zhao Sheng's words were firm and serious.
Zhao Yongsheng understood the meaning of this, which was to nip the problem in the bud. At present, the situation has not developed to the point where it needs to be dealt with seriously.
"I'll send a letter to warn them right away," said Zhao Yongsheng.
"Let's arrange for them to come back for a meeting first. Not just them, but all the officials in charge who are away need to come back. We'll hold an expanded meeting, and some people's positions should also be changed."
Zhao Sheng felt that now was the time to reward people according to their merits and it was also time to adjust the positions of some people.
If these people are not given a sense of crisis, they will inevitably develop laziness after staying in one place for a long time.
……
Shan Ning has been in Shangjun for more than half a year. Not only does he need to maintain peace on the border, but his most important responsibility is to urgently harvest local resources.
At the same time, it also brought some benefits to the local people.
However, more detailed work still depends on local officials such as Yan Ruxiang.
In the battle of Yanzhou, many remaining artillery pieces were seized, and Yan Ruxiang also wanted to imitate the equipment of Shan Ning's army.
According to Zhao Sheng's original intention, it was all for the combat troops of the Great Zhou, and he planned to use some advanced weapons in exchange for resources.
As a result, Shan Ning directly rejected Zhao Sheng's idea. He believed that it was better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. It would be more appropriate to directly imitate cannons and shotgun weapons in Shangjun.
During this year's Lantern Festival, the blooming of fireworks gave Zhao Sheng a sudden idea.
There was originally a plan to manufacture the Unscrupulous Cannon, but due to changes in the war situation, the mine only produced a few hundred of them before stopping.
Zhao Sheng used the principle of fireworks to create bombs, which were similar to mortars and dropped from the barrel.
This not only saves time in reloading ammunition, but is also extremely convenient when attacking siege or meeting enemy infantry and cavalry.
The only disadvantage is that it needs to be protected from moisture.
“Is this the new type of artillery?”
Yan Ruxiang looked at the pagoda-like objects, which looked a bit like the mortars of the New Army, but he didn't understand why they needed to be ignited before they could be fired.
"This is a very convenient weapon we have developed. It is simple to manufacture and has greater lethality than any previous weapon."
Xu Xiang, the commander of the first regiment, held a bomb and explained patiently.