"My lord, the main purpose of this expedition to merge the states is to defeat the Qiang, Hu and Xiongnu. I thought about it with Yuan Hao. This expedition should be mainly based on cavalry and supplemented by infantry.
Therefore, I plan to mobilize Gao Lan from Youzhou to return with his cavalry, and at the same time expand the Yingyang Army and Prairie Cavalry to a deployment of 25,000. Ju Yi's Xianden Army is skilled in the art of Qiang fighting and can return with Gao Lan's cavalry.
The war in Qingzhou and Yanzhou has temporarily subsided, and Yan Liang's Polu army can be dispatched northward to return to Xunchen. Wen Chou's Huwei army will accompany them to conquer Bingzhou. In addition, they will bring 20,000 militiamen and 10,000 guardsmen, with a total of about 110,000 troops."
Xun You gave the specific legion and number of troops sent out this time, which totaled about 110,000 people, and included two main cavalry and three main corps. He only brought 20,000 militia groups, which can be said to be an elite outpost.
"It's not enough. The number of cavalry is not enough. We must do our best to satisfy it to the maximum extent. Don't each legion still have a thousand cavalry directly under it? Transfer them all, and arrange the craftsman battalion to make more carts. The carts are equipped with crossbows and arrows, and they can be ready at any time. They all need to form a ballista formation."
Yuan Shu thought for a while and felt that 50,000 cavalry might not be enough, so he made another arrangement.
"Lord, this will weaken the combat power of each legion."
Xun You thought for a while but didn't agree.
"No, the cavalry is at least 60,000. This is the minimum. We are fighting Qianghu and Xiongnu, and their cavalry is countless."
Yuan Shu still felt that it was not enough.
"My lord, it's not easy to get cavalry. Don't forget that there are also aliens near us."
Xun You didn't take it seriously. It was not easy to get cavalry.
"You mean the Wuhuan and Xianbei people?"
As soon as Xun You's words came out of his mouth, Yuan Shu knew what he was referring to.
"Yes, we can hire Wuhuan and Xianbei people to accompany us."
Xun You nodded.
"No, my lord also said that people who are not of my race will have different minds. If there is a problem with hiring these people, it will be difficult to solve."
Tian Feng did not agree with Xun You's method.
"It doesn't matter, they can't make trouble with me. I'll leave it to you to hire them. Twenty thousand, at least I want twenty thousand aliens."
Yuan Shu rejected Tian Feng's decision because he didn't think he would be able to suppress the barbarians.
"okay, I get it."
Xun You nodded.
"Well, if nothing goes wrong, just issue a transfer order. The troops will be dispatched in as little as two months and as many as three months."
"promise."
"promise."
Yuan Shu's order is heaven. No matter how Tian Feng objects, once it is decided, it must be carried out.
"Dianwei, let's go to the craftsman camp again and hope that Zheng Hun has refined the steel."
"promise."
The two men rushed to the craftsman camp again with a hundred personal guards.
When I arrived at the iron-making workshop, I saw that the blacksmiths there were all gathered around the iron furnace, while Zheng Hun and Master Zhou were standing on a high place, giving instructions and staring at the blast furnace where iron was being made.
"It's not stirred enough. Stir harder."
"Put in the ore powder."
"Add wind"
"Fill in more molten iron."
A full hour passed like this, and Yuan Shu also watched from behind for an hour.
"Out of the oven."
Following Zheng Hun's order, dozens of blacksmiths strode into the square pool containing cooked steel, picked out iron bars of varying thicknesses, and began to place them on the anvil and begin beating them.
For a while, the jingling sound kept ringing.
"Quenching."
After the iron bar was beaten into the shape of a knife, Zheng Hun shouted again, and then the apprentices who were already ready ran to the anvil with mouthfuls of liquids of different colors. The blacksmiths put semi-finished steel knives into the bucket. Throw it away.
"brush,"
"brush."
"brush."
Rifts of smoke rose up, mixed with iron gas, making the entire ironmaking workshop smell great.
After doing all this, Zheng Hun and Master Zhou came down from the high platform and began to carefully observe the finished steel knives.
"Mr. Wen, how are you doing?"
Seeing that it was finally completed, Yuan Shu shouted to Zheng Hun.
"My lord, it still doesn't work. I have experimented with Master Zhou many times in the past two days. The steel filling method you mentioned is indeed feasible, but just take a look."
After Zheng Hun said this, he handed the steel knife in his hand to Yuan Shu.
"Isn't this nice?"
Yuan Shu took the steel knife and looked at it but saw nothing.
"General Dian, please lend me your sword."
Dian Wei didn't know why, but he still took out the steel knife from his waist and put it in Zheng Hun's hand.
"My lord, please use your strength to cut with this knife."
"good."
Yuan Shu directly slashed the newly formed sword hard on Dian Wei's sword.
"clang."
The two swords collided with a crisp sound, and the sword in Yuan Shu's hand broke directly.
"what's the situation?"
Yuan Shu was also depressed now.
"My lord, this method does produce a lot of steel, but the swords made are extremely hard and brittle."
Zheng Hun couldn't help but frown as he looked at Broken Blade.
"Mr. Wen, do you know what the double-liquid quenching method is."
Since there is no problem with steel, it is a problem with quenching. Yuan Shu's mind recalled some military soft articles he had read in his previous life, which included an introduction to the quenching method.
"Please let me know clearly, sir."
Hearing Yuan Shu's new terminology, Zheng Hun's eyes couldn't help but light up.
"The double-liquid quenching method is to take animal urine in one way and grease in the other, and then quench the knife twice, and then temper it."
Yuan Shu thought for a while and told everything he knew, hoping to inspire Zheng Hun.
"Master Zhou, collect animal urine and various oils. Let's try again."
"Um."
Zheng Hun and Master Zhou nodded again and started a new experiment.
Yuan Shu also realized what he was doing and turned around and left the craftsmanship camp. It was only right to leave professional matters to professionals.
It took five days in a row before Yuan Shu got the news he wanted.
"My lord, Master Zhou invited you to the craftsman's camp and said that what you told us has been accomplished."
After hearing what the guards said, Yuan Shu took Dian Wei and rode his horse to the craftsman camp.
When they arrived at the iron-making workshop, Zheng Hun and Master Zhou were already waiting there. There was nothing in front of them but a forsythia steel knife.
Looking at Zheng Hun, who used to be neatly dressed, now he has become slovenly and bearded. Next to him, Master Zhou also has a messy beard and is much older. However, the two of them have one thing in common, that is, their eyes are extremely bright.
"Thank you for your hard work, two master craftsmen."
Yuan Shu couldn't help but sigh at the two of them.
"My lord, if you don't work hard, you can forge such a precious sword with Duke Wen. I will have no regrets in this life."
Master Zhou shook his head.
"That's right, my lord, Master Zhou deserves the greatest credit for being able to forge this precious sword."
Zheng Hun also shook his head and gave the credit to Master Zhou.
"Don't give away the credit. Neither of you can run away. Now it's time for me to see the knife."
Yuan Shu smiled knowingly, what he wanted was this kind of atmosphere, a sense of community, not grabbing credit, and being humble.
"Oh, oh, oh, please see the knife, my lord."
After speaking, Master Zhou handed the forsythia long knife to Yuan Shu's hand.
"choke."
Yuan Shu took the steel knife and pulled it out directly, with a reflection of the sun shining directly into his eyes.
"Good knife."
Dian Wei stood behind Yuan Shu, felt the coldness of the steel knife, and couldn't help shouting "Hello".
Yuan Shu can naturally feel that this sword in his hand is definitely a good sword. Although it is not as good as the legendary Cao Cao's Qinghong, Yitian, and Seven-Star swords, it is definitely much better than the army's standard ring-shou sword.
"Get the stakes."
Yuan Shu gave an order, and a craftsman brought a wooden stake as thick as a bowl and placed it in front of him.
"drink."
Yuan Shu shouted softly, and the steel knife in his hand struck the wooden stake like lightning.
