PDLP Chapter 46 King of Cold Weapons
Chapter 46 King of Cold Weapons
The reason Qin Xuan suddenly thought of gunpowder research was mainly because everyone knew its components: one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal.
But the problem is that Qin Xuan doesn't quite remember the exact proportions of these three materials.
Therefore, it is necessary for the craftsmen below to conduct repeated trials.
This process is bound to be a long one!
In addition, Qin Xuan had previously gathered so much manpower and resources to produce refined salt and coal stoves because he was forced to do so in order to solve the crisis of food and warmth.
Now that the other two major chambers of commerce have returned, this crisis will surely be resolved quickly with time.
However, Beining City is far from being truly safe, as the Qi and Jurchen are still eyeing it covetously.
Moreover, with the promotion of refined salt and coal stoves, those foreign barbarians may not have thought of robbing at first, but when they see that Beining City is becoming richer and richer because of these two things, it is hard to guarantee that they will not come to rob it.
At that time, Beining City will not only face the Jurchens and the Great Qi, but may even face the Khanate, Goryeo, and the Khitan.
After all, the story of the He Shi Bi jade is right there in history books, so how could Qin Xuan not plan ahead?
Therefore, what Qin Xuan needs to solve most right now is how to improve the combat capabilities of the Shence Army, which must start with the existing weapons.
Therefore, Qin Xuan stayed in the craftsmen's workshop for the past two days, repeatedly using his memories from his previous life and combining them with the ingenuity of the existing craftsmen, trying his best to replicate the repeating crossbow.
"Your Highness, these are three new crossbows that we created based on your blueprints, and then added some of our own ideas."
On this day, Qin Xuan was training the Shence Army at the training ground when Zhuge Xuan walked over with Gao Xiong.
Qin Xuan immediately came out of the training ground and had three new crossbows, which were similar in design but different in size, placed on the table.
"Your Highness, is this the repeating crossbow you've been researching all this time?"
Zhao Luoying then walked over with Ning Yuanfeng and Du Manjiang, asking with a curious expression.
Qin Xuan nodded and said, "You've come at the right time. Help me test these three new crossbows."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Luoying and the other two immediately became interested. They each picked one and then had the soldiers bring over the target to test the crossbows.
"The distance is too close; it should be pushed to 200 meters."
Based on his memory, Qin Xuan knew that the effective range of the crossbow should be around 370 meters, but since it had just been developed, he chose 200 meters.
"Two hundred meters? Your Highness, is this thing really that powerful?"
Ning Yuanfeng was the vanguard officer of the archer battalion and had the best understanding of the range of arrows.
The effective range of an ordinary soldier is about 120 meters, while that of a more skilled one is about 150 meters. As for the most skilled archers, their maximum range is no more than 200 meters.
After all, the power of the bow determines the range, and this power depends on the archer's arm strength, as well as the strength of the bowstring and the bow itself.
With current manufacturing technology, it is impossible to create such a robust bow.
"Let's give it a try!"
Qin Xuan couldn't be sure at the moment, so he could only try it out first.
"Alright, then I'll go first."
Ning Yuanfeng nodded, picked up the largest new crossbow, examined it closely, and then asked somewhat awkwardly, "Your Highness, how do I use this crossbow?"
Qin Xuan was taken aback, then remembered that the crossbow was a trigger-operated weapon, and that aiming relied on the sight on the crossbow body, which was similar to the function of a scope.
Afterwards, Qin Xuan gave a brief explanation, and everyone finally understood how to use it.
Zhao Luoying exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, according to what you've said, doesn't that mean anyone can use this crossbow? There's no need for any special training!"
Indeed, this is one of the major factors that led to the crossbow being called the king of cold weapons.
Ancient archers underwent years of rigorous training and also needed a certain level of talent.
But crossbows are different; after a little familiarization and training, even beginners can use them flexibly.
Most importantly, the crossbow is several times more lethal than a bow and arrow.
“Indeed, if it meets my expectations, this new crossbow will be enough to make the Shence Army invincible on the entire battlefield.”
Qin Xuan said something full of anticipation.
Zhao Luoying and the others were so excited by Qin Xuan's words that they immediately urged Ning Yuanfeng to test the crossbow.
Ning Yuanfeng nodded solemnly, then braced his crossbow with one arm, aimed at the distant target through the lookout, took a deep breath, and instantly pulled the trigger.
With a whoosh, the arrow shot through the air.
"Snapped!"
The next second, the crossbow bolt hit the target, but snapped instantly.
Everyone in the arena, except for Qin Xuan, couldn't help but gasp in shock. The explosive power of this crossbow was terrifying!
If this were shot into a person, wouldn't it pierce right through them?
"No, let's try a second one!"
Qin Xuan showed no joy on his face; instead, he frowned.
This made Zhao Luoying and the others wonder if their prince was being too harsh on them.
Are you still not satisfied with these weapons?
Little did they know that a real crossbow not only shoots farther, but its arrows could never break so easily.
The problem must be that the arrows were mismatched, since they were just using ordinary bows and arrows.
"Then I'll try the second one!"
Zhao Luoying smiled softly and picked up the second new crossbow with a clean and efficient motion.
In Qin Xuan's opinion, this new crossbow is the perfect size and shape; he just doesn't know if it will perform better than the first one.
With the same explosive force, the second crossbow bolt plunged headfirst into the target after being fired.
"Good arrow!"
"This time, no arrows broke!"
The crowd couldn't help but cheer and all looked at Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan remained calm, and after a moment's thought, he had Du Manjiang try out the third crossbow.
The third crossbow was the smallest, but the arrows didn't even hit the target. This was clearly because the reduced size of the crossbow affected its explosive power, and it was directly eliminated by Qin Xuan.
"Old Gao, did you see it clearly?"
Qin Xuan summoned Gao Xiong and had a second target pushed in front of him.
Kaohsiung frowned, carefully examined the target, and then said, "Your Highness, it seems our arrows also need improvement."
Qin Xuan finally revealed a smile. It seems that this Gao Xiong is indeed worthy of being the world's top craftsman, with a sharp eye and a spot-on view.
"How do you know?" Qin Xuan asked, intending to test him.
Kaohsiung dared not be negligent and explained in a deep voice, "The first crossbow was the most powerful, but the arrow broke. This must be because the arrow was not tough enough, especially the arrowhead and the shaft."
"The second crossbow, although it seems to have hit the target and did not break, the arrow penetrated the target too shallowly, which is obviously due to insufficient explosive power of the crossbow."
"As for this third crossbow, although it is light, it has lost its explosive power and is even more unusable."
These three comments are all insightful and to the point.
Qin Xuan nodded repeatedly and said:
"Old Gao, the dimensions of the new crossbow will be based on the second crossbow for now."
"Secondly, the arrows must be remade. The arrowheads should be made heavier, and the shaft should be made of a different type of wood. We should try different approaches."
"Finally, the mechanism is still not flexible enough, and the crossbow string's flexibility needs to be improved. You could try using buffalo back sinew as a substitute."
The sinew from the back of a water buffalo is exclusively used for bowstrings in horn bows, making it the most suitable material for bowstrings.
Kaohsiung listened with shining eyes, already eager to return to the workshop to try it out.