253 AD, April 8.
Luoyang Imperial Palace.
"Start your Majesty!"
Li Feng, the minister's servant, bowed and reported: "Yesterday evening, Shaanxi County fell, and Zhennan General Guanqiu Jian was defeated and died for his country."
As soon as Li Feng said these words, the entire hall fell into silence.
Hongnong fell a few days ago, and now the western gate of Luoyang is open, and the Han army may attack Luoyang at any time.
Cao Fang, who is only 21 years old,
He really wanted to revive the prestige of the Wei Kingdom. Although he would not restore the situation before the Battle of Guanzhong, he at least wanted to preserve the territory of the Wei Dynasty.
"Your Majesty!"
General Xia Houxuan came out of the queue and saluted, saying: "The Han army's King of Han artillery is so powerful that only we, the Wei Dynasty, can compete with it."
Xia Houxuan glanced at the important civil and military officials in the hall and frowned.
"Your Majesty!"
"Wei ministers requested His Majesty to move the capital.
Temporarily avoid the edge of the Han army."
Xia Houxuan was the great general of the Wei Dynasty, but faced with such a sharp attack from the Han army,
There is also the rumored Hanwang Cannon,
These days, he has been thinking about moving the capital.
Moving the capital——
As the saying goes, there is no need to worry about leaving green mountains without firewood, and if you continue to stay in Luoyang, once the Han army invades the border, the Wei Dynasty may not be able to escape the fate of annihilation.
"Wei Chen seconded the proposal!"
Jinan King Cao Kai also followed suit.
Cao Kai is the biological father of Emperor Cao Fang. From the moment the war between Han and Wei began, he proposed to move the capital. Now that the general has made this suggestion again, of course he will agree.
With the generals in place, the emperor's father took the lead, and soon more than a dozen civil and military ministers also supported moving the capital. In their view, moving the capital was not something embarrassing.
Even if the capital was moved, they were still important ministers of the Wei Dynasty.
If they stick to Luoyang, they may face death, even if it is slightly better,
Or maybe they are slaves who have subjugated their country.
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
All the ministers asked in unison to move the capital to temporarily avoid the attack of the Han army.
But at this moment,
A burst of hearty laughter resounded throughout the hall.
Cao Fang was stunned for a moment and looked up.
"Zhong Ai Qing!" Cao Fang looked at Zhong Hui and asked, "Why are you laughing?"
Zhong Hui is currently serving as General of the Dian Army. Although he is not old, he is only twenty-eight years old this year, but he also demonstrated his extraordinary talents during the Sima Division rebellion and the outbreak of the Han-Wei War.
It is precisely for this reason that Cao Fang made an exception and promoted him from the original Sili Xiaowei to General of the Dian Army.
"Move the capital!"
"Move the capital!"
Zhong Hui shook his head helplessly and bowed to Cao Fang: "Your Majesty, now that the Han army is approaching, we, as ministers of the Wei Dynasty, should solve the country's problems." As he said this, he looked at the few people in the hall indifferently.
The minister smiled coldly: "The enemy is pressing on the border, so we are just trying to escape for our lives?"
"If so!" Zhong Hui snorted coldly,
Buchi said: "If you are really so afraid of the Han army and the Han army's King of Han artillery,
It’s better to take advantage of this opportunity to surrender.”
"Zhonghui!" Xia Houxuan was furious when he heard this: "How can you, a child with a yellow mouth, know about the important affairs of the country? As the saying goes, a man can bend and stretch."
With that said, Xia Houxuan looked at Cao Fang and said: "Your Majesty, if Hongnong and Shaanxi County are lost, Luoyang will no longer be in danger. Once the Han army comes to the city, if you want to move the capital again, you will have no chance."
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"Besides, the range of the Hanwang artillery of the Han army today is three times that of the thunderbolt artillery and rocket launchers of the Wei Dynasty." As he said, Xia Houxuan glared at Zhong Hui again and asked, "Tell me, now the Wei Dynasty, when
How to resist the attack of Hanwang Cannon?"
Xia Houxuan is afraid of death, but he also sees the current situation clearly.
The Han army's Hanwang artillery was too powerful.
Before Zhong Hui could answer, Xia Houxuan offered his hand to Cao Fang again and said, "If the Han army has not yet arrived in Luoyang, Your Majesty will move the capital to another place, and then send spies to the Han army camp to inquire about the craftsmanship of the Han king's cannon.
”
As soon as Xia Houxuan said this, many courtiers in the entire hall lit up.
The general is right.
Obviously, the Wei army did not have the strength to compete head-on with the Han army, but the Wei army had super strong imitation capabilities. For example, the previous rocket launchers were carefully investigated. In just two months, the Wei army not only had
We have developed rocket launchers, and also produced thunderbolt cannons that are more practical than rocket launchers.
"What if we, the Wei Dynasty, imitated the Han Dynasty cannon?"
"Move the capital!"
"Moving the capital is just a temporary measure. When we, the Wei Dynasty, can also build the Hanwang Cannon, or weapons more powerful than the Hanwang Cannon."
,Return to Luoyang."
Hearing this, Cao Fang was shocked and seemed a little moved.
He has heard of the power of the Hanwang Cannon.
Even though he did not see it with his own eyes, the fact that Hongnong and Shaanxian counties were captured by the Han army so quickly was enough to illustrate the power of Hanwang's artillery.
After all, the Wei army deployed a total of 70,000 to 80,000 troops in Hongnong and Shaanxi counties this time.
Seventy or eighty thousand people defended two cities. In the past, even if the other party came to attack the city with three to five million people, it would not take more than a year and a half to break the city.
But what about now?
Counting the first Battle of Hongnong, it took the Han army less than a month to capture two cities, and for more than twenty days, the Han army did not launch any war at all.
The real siege time is actually only a few days.
This is the powerful effect produced by advanced weapons.
If we temporarily avoid the Han army, take the opportunity to obtain the forging technology of the Hanwang cannon, and then mass-produce the Hanwang cannon, and then compete with the Han army, who will win is hard to predict.
"Hahaha!"
When Zhong Hui heard this, he laughed loudly and said: "Your Majesty, I have obtained the forging technology of Hanwang's cannon."
"What?" Cao Fang was also stunned and asked Zhong Hui: "When did Aiqing learn about this craft? Why didn't you report it to me in advance?"
Cao Fang did not doubt Zhong Hui's ability. After all, Zhong Hui secretly sent people to obtain the formulas for the Hanwang cannon and gunpowder.
"Report to Your Majesty!"
Zhong Hui saluted Cao Fang and said somewhat helplessly: "I only received the news last night, and I wanted to report it to Your Majesty this morning."
Cao Fang nodded slightly, that’s it.
After all, the Hanwang Cannon has not been around for a long time. In total, it only took six or seven days. Zhong Hui was able to know the forging method in such a short period of time, which is actually a very remarkable thing.
"Ai Qing, please tell me!" Cao Fang no longer cares about avoiding the edge. If the Wei Dynasty can forge the Hanwang Cannon, he will naturally not want to leave Luoyang. As the emperor of the Wei Dynasty, moving the capital means running away.
Although Cao Fang has always been timid, she still has a natural character in her heart.
Zhong Hui said slowly: "Your Majesty, the production process of Hanwang cannon is much more complicated than that of rocket launchers." As he said, he frowned slightly, glanced at Ma Jun, the master craftsman among the courtiers, and sighed helplessly:
"This Hanwang Cannon was developed by the Han Emperor before the Battle of the Western Regions."
"The shells are forged from pig iron and then filled with explosives, iron sheets and other materials. The Han army spent a long time making just this shell."
"In comparison, the shells of the Hanwang Cannon are not the most complicated;" Zhong Hui sighed again before saying: "The real key to the Hanwang Cannon is the barrel for its launch."
"The gun barrel is forged from fine iron. To forge a gun barrel requires dozens of blacksmiths and takes three months to build a gun barrel."
Hiss——
As soon as these words came out, everyone present was stunned.
The barrel is made of fine iron. Casting a barrel actually requires dozens of blacksmiths and takes three months to complete.
Zhong Hui was surprised when he saw Cao Fang and the ministers. He continued: "After Liu Chan built the first Han Dynasty cannon, he led his army to conquer the Western Regions. It took him nine years to return to the Central Plains. During these nine years, the Han court
I have been forging Hanwang cannon in secret."
"Do you know?" Zhong Hui looked at the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty and asked doubtfully: "Do you know how many Hanwang cannons they have forged in the past nine years?"
"Nine years?"
Several old ministers couldn't help but take a deep breath. How many doors would have to be made? Even if the Wei Dynasty knew the forging process now, it would be difficult for him to catch up.
"Yes! Nine years!" Zhong Hui affirmed.
"Are there ten thousand gates?" Cao Fang asked.
Thousands of Hanwang cannons. Although the ministers did not want to hear this number, there is a reason why Cao Fang asked such a question. Since the Han Dynasty invented the Hanwang cannon, such a cutting-edge weapon must be produced vigorously.
Anyway, Cao Fang felt that if the Wei Dynasty invented such an advanced weapon, he would definitely order large-scale production, the more the better.
"No!" Zhong Hui shook his head when he heard this. Cao Fang was suddenly startled and asked: "Is there more than Wanmen?"
Before the Battle of Guanzhong, the Han Dynasty was not as powerful as the Wei Dynasty, and its territory and domestic population could not match the Wei Dynasty.
But after the Battle of Guanzhong, the world situation reversed.
The Han Dynasty not only occupied the three states of Yi, Yongliang, and Liang, but also opened up the Western Regions, pacified the Tang Dynasty in the southwest, and then captured the Bingzhou of the Wei Dynasty. By this time, the Han Dynasty's national power, territory, and population were actually on par with those of the Wei Dynasty.
, the territory of the Han Dynasty at that time had surpassed that of Wei and Wu.
In terms of population, before Liu Adou's expedition to the Western Regions, he conducted a census and basically dug out the hidden population of those wealthy families. As a result, the population of the Han Dynasty increased dramatically in an instant, with the total population approaching ten million.
At that time, Liu Chan invented the Hanwang Cannon. Although dozens of blacksmiths were needed to forge a Hanwang Cannon, it was very easy to recruit a large number of blacksmiths among a population of nearly ten million.
Could it be that the Han army now has more than 10,000 Hanwang cannons?
Cao Fang was a little unbelievable, because if the Han army really had tens of thousands of Hanwang cannons, this battle would be impossible to fight. Let alone bringing tens of thousands of Hanwang cannons over, even if there were hundreds of Hanwang cannons, it would take a few hours.
Luoyang can be blown into ruins.
"Return to Your Majesty!" Zhong Hui didn't show off. He first made the sign of six. Just when everyone thought it was sixty thousand gates and their eyes widened, Zhong Hui said: "The Han Dynasty lasted nine years.
Only six hundred Hanwang cannons were forged."
"How much?" Prime Minister Chen Tai asked in horror.
"Six hundred!" Zhong Hui's answer was affirmative: "There are only six hundred Hanwang cannons and more than 30,000 shells."
Getting this answer shocked everyone.
They originally thought that they would have to forge tens of thousands of Hanwang cannons in nine years, but to their surprise, there were only 600.
In shock, even Emperor Cao Fang paused.
It took the Han Dynasty nine years to forge only 600 Hanwang cannons. Now, although the Wei Dynasty knows the forging process of Hanwang cannons, it may be difficult to produce them in a short time.
"Ma Jun!" Cao Fang paused and looked at the master craftsman Ma Jun and asked: "You are the master craftsman of our Wei Dynasty. If we, the Wei Dynasty, start to forge Hanwang cannons now, Aiqing will forge a hundred Hanwang cannons."
Cannon, how long does it take?"
When Cao Fang asked, Ma Jun was stunned. He quickly stepped out of the queue and bowed to salute. Then he shook his head slightly and said, "Report to your majesty, what does the King of Han's artillery look like? I don't know anything about it now, and what's more?"
Its functions and so on..."
Before Ma Jun finished speaking, Zhong Hui smiled slightly and took out a book from his arms. This was a book made of Shu paper.
Zhong Hui stepped forward and handed it to Ma Jun, and said with a smile: "Master Ma, the forging techniques and usage methods of the Hanwang Cannon are all recorded here." After speaking, he glanced at Cao Fang. Cao Fang was very satisfied. Zhong Hui is now his
The most trusted minister.
When Ma Jun saw the book, he was immediately overjoyed.
As a forging craftsman, let alone detailed drawings and breakdowns, even if you get him a sample, it won't take long for him to analyze the forging method.
Ma Jun took the book and flipped through it quickly.
The civil and military ministers in the main hall, as well as Cao Fang on the throne, all looked at Ma Jun expectantly, because this might be a good opportunity for the Wei Dynasty to make a comeback.
Once the Wei Dynasty forges the Hanwang Cannon, will it still be afraid of the Han army?
Just——
The more Ma Jun flipped through the book, the uglier his face became.
I originally saw a book recording the forging process of the Hanwang Cannon, so I could save the need for research and just start forging it according to the gourd painting.
"Ma Aiqing!" Cao Fang was stunned for a moment and asked, "Can it be forged?"
The content of the book is very detailed, recording almost every step of forging, and there are notes and explanations next to it. It has a total of twelve pages. Ma Jun quickly read the book.
"Report to Your Majesty!" Ma Jun slightly cupped his hand: "The records in this book are very detailed. If you have enough time, I can forge it."
"Great!" Cao Fang was overjoyed upon hearing this.
However, Ma Jun said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, this process is very complicated and cannot be accomplished in a short time."
"The key to the Hanwang Cannon, as General Zhong said, is the barrel used for firing." Ma Jun nodded slightly to Zhong Hui as he spoke, and then continued: "The barrel needs to be repeatedly forged with fine iron, and then it is
It is cast into a tube shape, and the thickness must be moderate. If it is too thin, the cannonball will explode before it is launched, that is, the barrel will explode, and the entire barrel will be blown off."
"If the casting is too thick, it will take a long time."
"Cannon barrels made of ordinary pig iron are also very easy to cause explosions."
"Also, the production of artillery shells is also very cumbersome."
At this time, the ministers present and Cao Fang understood why Ma Jun frowned more and more as he looked back.
Cao Fang was very anxious, because the Han army had captured Shaanxian County and might march into Luoyang at any time. The Han army would never give him time to build the Hanwang cannon.
"Ma Aiqing!" Cao Fang asked anxiously: "How long does it take to forge a Hanwang cannon?"
Ma Jun saluted Cao Fang and said affirmatively: "It will take thirty blacksmiths at least two months to cast one door."
In an instant, the entire hall fell into silence again.
......
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This chapter has been completed!