Qin Xiao smiled and said: "Sir Huo, we have previously discussed that we would forge armor weapons on Brother Island in the Penglai Islands. I wonder if you have made preparations?"

"Reporting back to the general, the lower officials and colleagues in the Armament Department have been preparing for this matter." Huo Mianzhi immediately said: "We have specially allocated a sum of money for this matter, and we have also raised a lot of forging tools.

In addition, Xiaguan has also recruited a group of craftsmen, but the problem that has been troubled before is still the craftsmen. It is not a big problem for the recruited craftsmen to forge some swords, guns and weapons, but how to make fine armor, almost no one can do it.

"

Yu Wen Huaiqian also nodded and said: "The general has told us before to build a fire-armored dragon cavalry. The fine armor of the cavalry is very important, so Xiaguan and Mr. Huo also put some thought into it. Mr. Huo spent all their efforts.

I found a pair of bright armor in my mind and wanted the craftsmen to make one, but no one could make it."

"Bright Armor?" Qin Xiao thought the name of this armor was very familiar.

He soon remembered that when he was in Turtle City, when he was chatting with people from the Duwei Mansion, he mentioned the armor of the Tang Dynasty. Among the many armors, the one who was praised as the best armor of the Tang Dynasty was

Bright armor.

He also clearly remembered that the bright armor was a cavalry armor. It was very complicated to make and the cost was extremely high, so there were very few cavalry actually equipped with the bright armor.

"When Emperor Wu Zong was on his eastern expedition, he had a Royal Guards Cavalry Regiment with him, about five hundred people in total. These cavalry were equipped with bright armor." Huo Mianzhi immediately explained: "The materials used to make the bright armor are unusual.

, not only needs the best iron ore, but also

It requires high-quality cowhide, coupled with the complicated process, the cost of a armor is almost a thousand taels of silver. Such a high cost cannot be equipped on a large scale." After a pause, he continued: "But if the cavalry is equipped

The heavy armor of light, coupled with their mounted combat capabilities, even if there are not many in number, they will be an extremely terrifying force."

Yuwen Huaiqian nodded and said: "At first we thought about equipping the Fire Armored Dragon Cavalry with ordinary armor, but we also thought that the general valued the Fire Armored Dragon Cavalry very highly, and there were not many of them, so we thought we could give it to the Fire Armored Dragon Cavalry.

They are equipped with bright battle armor, which can greatly enhance the defense and combat effectiveness of the Fire Armored Dragon Riders."

"You are right." Qin Xiao said excitedly: "Last time I had a detailed discussion with Lieutenant Yuwen. He has carefully selected more than 300 cavalry from the army and incorporated them into the Fire Armored Dragon Cavalry. In addition, the 600

The Dragon Scale Forbidden Army are all elite cavalry with one equal to ten, so they are also qualified to be incorporated into the Fire Armored Dragon Cavalry. Calculated in this way, the current official establishment of the Fire Armored Dragon Cavalry should be around a thousand cavalry. What I mean is, if possible,

These thousand fire-armored dragon knights are all equipped with light armor."

Huo Mianzhi said: "If in the past, the general asked us to build a thousand pairs of bright armor, we would not be able to do it even if we were killed."

"One battle armor requires nearly a thousand taels of silver, and a thousand pairs requires a million taels of silver." Feixin couldn't help but said: "This does not include the maintenance of the subsequent battle armor, so if there is no one million taels of silver,

It’s simply impossible to build thousands of armors!”

Qin Xiao was startled and realized this problem at this time.

Although due to the two-pronged approach of land equalization policy and trade field, Liaoxi’s money

Food began to become abundant, but it was only the beginning. There were too many places to use money. Whether it was the cost of building a navy army or maintaining the Long Rui Army, a large amount of money and food needed to be invested.

There is only one county in western Liaoning. Although Yingping has been captured, it has only just begun to be digested. It is impossible to collect too much money and food from Yingping in a short period of time, so the warehouse is still quite sufficient at present, but if the steps are taken too far

It's so big that it can easily exhaust the warehouse.

"General, there is no need to worry too much." Huo Mianzhi saw a slightly disappointed look on Qin Xiao's eyebrows and said with a smile: "It takes a thousand taels of silver for the imperial court to make a pair of bright armor, but we don't need it. Tianzhai gave his brother a gift

The iron ore on the island is given to us, which saves us a lot of expenses. In addition, we now have a good relationship with the Modong tribes. The high-quality cowhide needed to build the armor can be traded from the Modong tribes.

Come on. Cow hide is not worth much silver on the grassland. We can trade it with silk. In this way, the cost of materials required to build the armor will be greatly reduced."

Qin Xiao heard this and asked: "If you calculate it like this, how much silver does a pair of bright armor cost?"

"We have calculated that it is no more than three hundred taels." Yuwen Huaiqian said immediately: "And because the materials are all of the highest quality, the bright armor made will not be inferior to the Royal Guards Cavalry who served Emperor Wuzong back then."

After a pause, he said: "It's just that Mr. Huo and Xiaguan have been worried about the blacksmith. There are the best materials, but there are no skilled blacksmiths. Everything can only be a fantasy." But his voice immediately became relaxed,

He smiled and said: "But the general brought him back this time

Dozens of hard-spoken people, it’s just timely rain.”

Huo Mianzhi also smiled and said: "As soon as the hard-working craftsman arrived, all the problems were solved."

Feixin hurriedly said: "Wait a minute. General, I'm not doubting the blacksmith's forging skills, but have they ever seen bright armor? The process of bright armor is complicated, and it is not easy to make it. We found a batch before

The craftsman put the pair of bright armor that Mr. Huo had finally found in front of them, and let them fumble for two days to understand every detail of the bright armor, but they were still at a loss. They all said that even if they imitated the original armor, they couldn't make it.

come out."

"It can only be said that their skills are not yet good enough." Qin Xiao sighed: "None of them have ever been exposed to battle armor. If they are suddenly asked to build the most complicated light armor, they will definitely not be able to do it."

Feixin said: "This is exactly what I'm worried about. Although the Kou Nan Craftsmen have a great reputation on the grassland, they have never come into contact with the Bright Armor. I still have doubts about whether they can build it."

Yuwen Huaiqian and Huo Mianzhi looked at each other and nodded involuntarily, feeling that what Feixin said was reasonable.

After all, the Bright Armor was never made by folk craftsmen, but was made by forging offices affiliated with the imperial court. The forgers there were all the most skilled craftsmen in the Tang Dynasty, and they had been exposed to armor for a long time and were very familiar with making battle armor.

"Master Huo, where is Guangming Jia now?"

Huo Mianzhi said: "Guangning City has two sets of bright armor. Some of the Royal Guards Cavalry who followed Emperor Wuzong later stayed in the Northeast and became generals in the Liaodong Army. Two of them were in Guangzhou

Ningcheng passed away,

Their descendants settled in Guangning, and their ancestors' battle armors were preserved. Xiaguan found two families and talked it over, so he borrowed the two battle armors, but they have already been returned.

"

"That's it." Qin Xiao thought for a moment and then said: "Master Huo, if you can trouble me again, please borrow those two battle armors in my name. Tell them that we will not destroy the battle armor."

Every penny of it will be given back later."

Huo Mianzhi didn't waste any time. He stood up and said yes, then went to borrow the armor.

After Huo Mianzhi left, Qin Xiao asked Yuwen Huaiqian: "Sir Yuwen, I heard that an envoy was sent from Xuzhou. Do you know where the envoy is now?"

"Emissary?" Yuwen Huaiqian was startled, with a confused look on his face. Qin Xiao looked at Feixin and saw that Feixin also had a confused look on his face. He immediately understood that it seemed that neither of them knew that Xuzhou had sent an envoy.

There is no doubt that the envoy sent by the princess was quite secretive. If nothing else, the person receiving the envoy should be Bai Yulou, the governor of Liaoxi County. After all, Bai Yulou is nominally the highest-ranking official in western Liaoning. The envoy cannot see him, so he must be

I'm looking for the governor of Liaoxi County.

Even Yu Wen Huaiqian and others did not know that Xuzhou sent an envoy, which can only mean that Bai Yulou did not disclose the matter to the outside world.

He called one of his subordinates and ordered: "Go and tell the governor that I have returned to Guangning and am at the General's Mansion."

If Bai Yulou was arranging the envoy, then Bai Yulou would naturally come with the envoy after hearing the news of his return.

The Sheriff's Mansion and the General's Mansion are not far apart, only separated by a street. Baiyulou rushed over quickly when he arrived.

As Qin Xiao expected,

Bai Yulou brought an elder who was over fifty years old, dressed in casual clothes. After the ceremony, Bai Yulou had not introduced him yet. Qin Xiao looked at the elder directly and asked: "Your Excellency, are you the envoy sent by the princess?"

Yuwen Huaiqian and Fei Xin were both startled, but they remained calm.

Qin Xiao had no doubts about employing people. Yuwen Huaiqian and Fei Xin were both people he brought from Kyoto, and they were considered direct relatives. Although the envoys sent by the princess were very secretive, he did not avoid them.

Hearing this, Bai Yulou knew Qin Xiao's intentions and said to Qin Xiao: "General, it has been seven or eight days since Lu Changshi arrived in western Liaoning. I arranged for him to wait at the governor's mansion without publicizing it to the outside world."

The elder bowed and saluted again: "I am under the command of the governor of Xu, Shi Lu Zhi, and by the princess's order, I have come to pay homage to the general!"

"Sit down and talk." Qin Xiao raised his hand and invited the two of them to sit down and asked them to serve tea. Then he asked Lu Zhi: "Lu Changshi, how is the princess now?"

"Princess is now in Xuzhou, everything is fine." Lu Zhi said respectfully, but he stood up, took out a document from his arms, presented it to Qin Xiao, and said: "General, this is what the princess ordered me to bring here.

Please ask the general to read your appeal against thieves!"

After Qin Xiao took it, he looked at it carefully.

The appeal is naturally of great literary talent, but the general meaning is just as Gu Baiyi said, the princess denounced the current saint for murdering the late Emperor Dezong and usurping the throne, and he was the number one traitor that everyone could punish.

In the letter, the princess claimed that she wanted to restore Li Tang, and she even asked the people of the world who were loyal to Li Tang to fight against the traitors.

The hostility towards the saint was not concealed in his words.

After Qin Xiao read it, he handed the letter to Yuwen Huaiqian, who hurriedly stood up and took the latest and fastest update with both hands.

"What's the situation over there now?"

Lu Zhi hurriedly replied: "All the seven counties in Xuzhou have sworn allegiance to His Highness, and the governor of Yuzhou also went to Xuzhou in person to swear allegiance."

"I heard that the Yanzhou Army was incorporated?"

"Yes!" Lu Zhi said: "When General Huangfu attacked Xuzhou, Yanzhou gathered five thousand soldiers and horses. The Yanzhou battalion was led by Hu Haibiao, who entered Xuzhou and was dispatched by General Huangfu. After the princess arrived in Xuzhou, Hu Haibiao was unparalleled in loyalty and swore an oath to the Yuzhou army together with the Yuzhou army.

Princess’s allegiance.”

"Then what is the attitude of the governor of Yanzhou?"

Lu Zhi hesitated for a moment and stopped talking.

"We are all our own people here. If you have anything to say, it doesn't matter. There is no need to worry." Qin Xiao said warmly: "You don't have to be reserved when you sit down and speak."

Seeing Qin Xiao's gentle attitude, Lu Zhi was a little relieved. After sitting down, he said: "Zhang Zhuo, the governor of Yanzhou, was promoted by the Prime Minister. He was transferred to Yanzhou by the Demon Queen four years ago. This person has a deep relationship with the Xiahou family, so so

She must be determined to be loyal to the Demon Queen."

Qin Xiao heard Lu Zhi unceremoniously call the saint "the demon queen", so naturally he really did not regard the saint as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

"According to the information we received, after Hu Haibiao led his men to swear allegiance to the princess, Zhang Zhuo immediately had the families of many Yanzhou Army generals, including Hu Haibiao, arrested and imprisoned." Lu Zhi looked solemn, "But Commander Hu and others

She is loyal and has not affected the morale of the army. The princess has sent people to Yanzhou to negotiate, persuade Zhang Zhuo to surrender, and let Zhang Zhuo release the hostages."

Feixin looked sternly and said, "I know that Zhang Zhuo is indeed a direct descendant of the Xiahou family. It is unlikely that he will submit to the princess."

"The princess also understands, so she has made two preparations." Lu Zhi said: "If Zhang Zhuoming is stubborn, the princess will send troops to Yanzhou. The main force of Yanzhou's troops has surrendered to the princess. The current defense of Yanzhou is weak and cannot strengthen the defense in a short time.
To be continued...