Ten shields were placed on the city gate, and the emperor personally looked at them one by one.
This is not just a hole. It can be seen from the shape of the hole that the person behind it can really be shot.
The emperor's expression could not conceal his excitement.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the winding speed is very fast." A general said excitedly, "Just now, this young general shot ten times in a row, but he was panting and his hands were shaking. This is completely impossible if it is placed on a heavy crossbow.
It’s because it’s easier to exert force when you step on it.”
Hearing him mention the young general, the emperor turned his head and looked.
Next to Fan Jianglin stood a young man, whose crossbow had been removed and was not allowed to be brought before His Majesty.
"Whose family do you belong to?" the emperor asked.
Zhou Lang knelt down and saluted.
"I am the sixth son of Delang Zhou Yue, and now he is the third squadron of Zhou Yue under the account of Zhao Cheng, the Northwest Economic and Strategy Department." He said loudly.
The young man was brave and high-spirited, and it looked pleasing to the eye. The emperor nodded and smiled.
"Good archery skills, reward." He said, said reward and then paused, "Jin Youshi Jin."
Fourth level!
Liu Lang took a deep breath in his heart. He had been fighting enemies in the northwest for two years, but he had only been promoted to the first level. But now he tried out the crossbow in front of the emperor and was promoted to the fourth level!
Looking at the officials around, there was no reaction from the military generals. The military generals who could stand in front of the emperor were all very high-level. In their eyes, there was no need to mention even a right servant ban, so naturally they would not take it seriously. However, although the civil servants were very concerned about it,
The emperor was dissatisfied with the honors and awards given so casually, but he also knew that he was in a good mood and there was no need to seek displeasure.
Besides, he was just a military attache. If he were to be a civil servant, there would be many people who would dare to blush and scold the emperor on the spot. "Thank you," the chamberlain next to him reminded him hurriedly.
Only then did Zhou Lang come back to his senses and hurriedly shouted thank you loudly.
The emperor was not displeased with his gaffe, but instead praised him with a bit of joy.
Liulang stood up with a somewhat complicated feeling in his heart.
Let me ask you a favor.
If you do a favor, if you do her a favor, you will get an official title. Who is helping whom?
While he was still dazed, Fan Jianglin continued to speak.
"Your Majesty, you can find other people to try and verify this crossbow," he said.
The emperor smiled and shook his head.
"No need to try." He said, "I believe you."
Face? Being hurt? Compared with the achievements of the Northwest, being refuted by a little girl's family is no big deal.
As a little girl, she just has a lot of temper.
When Fan Jianglin heard this, he knelt down and kowtowed.
The emperor's face was smiling, and Gao Lingbo standing beside him was also smiling, but his smile was a bit cold.
His eyes fell on Fan Jianglin, and then turned to the shield beside him.
"Sure enough, it's a big killer. It's about the same size as a heavy crossbow and looks more sophisticated. Nowadays, it takes ten days to make a heavy crossbow." He said, looking at Fan Jianglin with a smile on his face, "I don't know if you want to use this one."
how long?"
When these words came out, the stunned Zhou Lang shuddered violently. No, Gao Lingbo had poisonous intentions!
The law stipulates that people are not allowed to hide crossbows secretly, and anyone with five can be killed. If Fan Jianglin made this crossbow and kept it secretly and did not report it, whether it was before or after entering Beijing, he would be punished for ten days and a half.
It's inappropriate. Although the emperor is happy now and won't think too much, but he can't bear to be mentioned and provoked in the future, the emperor will definitely doubt his intentions.
He opened his mouth to steal the conversation, but it was still a step too late.
"This bow is crudely made, and the people worked day and night, taking six days." Fan Jianglin said, with a bit of shame.
But my sister only took three days.
This is impossible! Gao Lingbo almost blurted out and gritted his teeth to stop it.
Other officials around him had already shouted out.
This is impossible!
The emperor had already taken a step forward excitedly.
"Six days?" he asked, "Really?"
Fan Jianglin nodded.
"The common people will not deceive Your Majesty," he said.
"Are you alone?" the emperor asked again, breathing a little quickly.
Fan Jianglin nodded again.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Hurry, let the Gongnuyuan build it, summon everyone, all the craftsmen, and build hundreds of them within ten days! Send it to the northwest, send it to the northwest! I will give them a copy for your majesty.
Big gift!" The general beside the emperor shouted crazily.
No censor came out to scold the general for his lack of etiquette, because they were all shocked by what he said.
This is impossible, this is impossible.
"Also, Your Majesty, Xiaomin's crossbows use wooden feather arrows." Fan Jianglin added.
The shouting suddenly stopped.
besides……
The emperor felt that his breathing stopped for a moment.
"No need for Lingyu..." he said tremblingly.
"Yes, just use wood chips. Also, the crossbow body and crossbow arms don't use tendon or horns, just mountain wood, plus hemp rope..."
besides…..
Fan Jianglin's voice was still speaking, but it sounded far and near in the emperor's ears.
The powerful lethality is surprising, but it is not the most surprising thing.
The most important thing about heavy weapons is money.
Arms are the most expensive. Who doesn’t want strong soldiers and sharp weapons? But money is not too much even if you throw it in tens of thousands. The key is that the national treasury is really poor. There are so many abandoned houses in the palace that cannot be repaired.
The emperor had saved enough, but he still felt poor.
This is why there are always ministers who accuse belligerence of causing harm, because the investment is too much and consumes the country's capital.
Now this problem has been solved. Not only is this crossbow a hundred times more lethal than a heavy crossbow, but its cost is less than half of that!
The emperor looked out of the corner of his eye and saw several courtiers who frowned and seemed to have something to say, retracting their feet.
They obviously also know that they cannot attack and refute in terms of expenditure.
What Fan Jianglin said was so good, it saved him from having to fight with the ministers in the court.
What does this mean? It means that it is not impossible for the entire army to be equipped with this kind of crossbow!
The whole army! The whole army!
"...It doesn't absorb water when it touches water...it's just that it wears out faster than a heavy crossbow..."
Fan Jianglin's voice continued, and the emperor's hands almost trembled.
"Come here, come here, hurry up and count for me, count, the whole army is equipped... equipped..." he shouted. Halfway through, he remembered that he didn't know the name of this crossbow and looked at Fan Jianglin. "What's its name?"
Fan Jianglin kowtowed again.
"I haven't given you a name yet, please give me a name from Your Majesty," he said.
The emperor looked under the city gate and saw that the crossbow had been put away.
"The divine bow...the divine arm bow...is called the divine arm bow." He thought for a moment and said.
"Congratulations to your Majesty for acquiring this magical object." Gao Lingbo was the first to shout.
Although he was filled with hatred, he was not confused about when to say what to say.
Immediately, people all around knelt down and shouted. The people on the city gate shouted, and the people below the city gate immediately followed suit. Suddenly, the mountain's shouts surged like ocean waves.
The emperor couldn't help laughing anymore.
Okay, okay, this birthday is really a good one!
After accepting the congratulations from the people, the emperor turned around and drove back to the palace. A group of ministers, royal relatives and relatives followed him to the banquet in the palace, including Fan Jianglin and Liu Lang who were also invited in.
"Fan Jianglin, I want to reward you, what do you want?" the emperor said, sitting on the dragon throne, the excitement has not dissipated, with a rare blush on his usually pale face.
Fan Jianglin kowtowed.
"The common people only want to kill the enemy and serve the country, but now they are disabled and cannot hold a bow and arrow, so the common people want to make bows and arrows so that others can kill the enemies. In this way, the common people have fulfilled their wish," he said.
The emperor nodded with relief.
"I will appoint you as the military leader of the Imperial Domain and the Military Supervisor of Gongnuyuan." He said. [Note 1]
As soon as these words came out, there was a gasp in the hall.
If it was said that the speed at which Liu Lang was promoted at the city gate just now was quite high, compared with now, even the military attachés present were a little uneasy.
"Your Majesty, would you like to discuss this with the Secretary of State?" An official stood up and said.
The emperor's face darkened.
"Have you agreed on the Northwest War?" He asked without answering.
The court official choked and had to retreat.
Anyway, although the official title is high, in fact, he only goes to the Gongnuyuan to supervise the production of crossbows, that's all, he is just a craftsman.
Buying bones with a thousand gold coins to encourage more people to contribute ideas and materials for the great benefit of the country has been used since ancient times, and it is also a normal thing in the past.
Fan Jianglin kowtowed and thanked him.
"The brother who made the horseshoes is also your brother?" the emperor thought of something and asked.
Fan Jianglin responded yes.
"At that time, my sister sent seven of us to the battlefield and said that each of us would be given a skill based on our strengths and preferences. My fourth brother was good at raising horses, so my sister taught me the skills of horseshoeing. Now that I am disabled, my sister gave me a skill.
Another way to kill the enemy." He said.
As soon as these words came out, the emperor's face suddenly changed, and the faces of the people in the hall also changed in response.
Jiang Wenyuan is finished.
Gao Lingbo closed his eyes slightly, feeling a little dizzy.
From the lethality of bows and crossbows to the ease and cost of making them, knives were thrown out one after another, until the last and sharpest one pierced the emperor's heart.
The seven brothers are each given a skill based on their strengths and preferences. Two of them have already chosen the enemy-killing skill that suits them, and both of them can be called military and national weapons. So what if the remaining five are good at what they like?
What amazing skills did you get?
No one knows anymore, because those five people are dead, they no longer have the skills and will no longer express their preferences...
It’s a mistake for the country.
This is what is wronging the country.
Whenever I think of this, I will think of these five people. When I think of these five people, I will think of their death. When I think of their death, the emperor will think of this incident.
The accumulation of thoughts day by day made Jiang Wenyuan unable to stay in the northwest anymore, and he could never hope to settle in the emperor's heart for the rest of his life.
Okay, okay, what a ruthless Jiangzhou fool!
Man's calculation is not as good as God's calculation, but I didn't expect that there are still people who can surpass God's calculation.
"Master, Master."
At this time, in the Chen family, Chen Shao, who was sitting in the courtyard playing chess and having tea with his father, was interrupted by a boy playing chess.
The young man didn't know what happened in the palace, but what happened in front of the city gate was visible to everyone, and the young man told it with excitement.
Chen Shao was surprised when he heard this. He waved the boy away, and Old Master Chen dropped the chess piece in his hand.
"Jiang Wenyuan is finished." He said, looking at Chen Shao and smiling meaningfully, "It turns out that she is really helping you."
Chen Shao nodded, his expression still a little surprised, a little surprised and a little sad.
"It turns out that she asked me to urge the emperor to award the reward in order to express gratitude to the emperor as a gift." He said slowly, "It was precisely because of this gift that everything changed."
Divine arm bow!
What a killer!
"What are you worried about? What's there to worry about? It doesn't matter if you anger the emperor. It doesn't matter if your reputation is taboo and disgusted by the emperor. It turns out that's not what she relies on at all." He shook his head and sighed, "It turns out that what she relies on is strength. Really.
What makes people unable to refuse is not the illusory benefits of the magic of gods."
With a mediocre status and no family to rely on, the reputation he has established is like a castle in the air, but what if under this reputation are solid achievements that benefit the country?
"I can't see through it, I can't see through it," Chen Shao murmured.
Before he finished speaking, he heard another voice from outside the door.
"Congratulations to the master, congratulations to the master." Two young men ran in and kowtowed.
Congratulations? It's appropriate for the emperor to say congratulations at this time, but what's the gratification for Chen Shao who has resigned and is staying at home?
"Sir, the eighteenth lady presented a book and was praised highly by the emperor. She has been granted the title of imperial concubine. Please grant the eldest prince a letter." The boy kowtowed and shouted.
What?
Chen Shao stood up in surprise, and even Mr. Chen could not conceal his surprise.
At the banquet in the palace, Chen Shiba Niang was kowtowing and thanking her. Under the admiration of countless eyes, she turned around and held the edict given by the emperor in her hand.
Although I have dreamed about it many times, when it comes true, I can never dream of that kind of feeling and emotion.
Chen Shiba Niang walked down slowly. She didn't know if her expression was still the same, but her eyes were already a little gleaming and she couldn't see the road clearly. However, she raised her head and walked steadily.
"Today is my happiest day. This is the day when I have received the largest number of birthday gifts."
The emperor on the throne smiled and raised his wine glass.
Suddenly, the hall was filled with shouts of long live the mountains, palace music was playing, dancers were dancing, colorful ribbons and clouds were flying, making it feel like a fairyland on earth.
It was quiet in the remote Qingwang Palace, and the excitement there could not be heard at all.
Prince Jin'an and Prince Qing also held a banquet, because Prince Qing was stupid and rarely brought it in front of people, let alone bothering the emperor on such occasions.
"Come, try this." Prince Jin'an said, feeding a mouthful of tea soup to Prince Qing.
Prince Qing grabbed the mutton with one hand and ate it happily, but he avoided it unhappily.
"Be careful of choking." King Jin'an persuaded patiently, and finally fed half a cup, and then looked at the servant standing in front of him, "So, three of them actually got the reward? It seems that your Majesty had a really good birthday.
.”
The waiter smiled and nodded in response.
Prince Jin'an smiled slightly.
"Just be happy," he said.
The waiter lowered his head and retreated, looking at the young man who was sitting leaning in the room, holding up a gold cup and drinking slowly, and closed the door.
At this time, pedestrians on the road outside the capital could not help but look curiously at a new tomb in the wasteland not far away. There stood a girl carrying a basket, and a woman wearing a cloak was sitting on the ground.
The autumn air was crisp, and the sun shone through the branches and leaves mottled on the woman's body, blurring her description.
Cheng Jiaoniang stretched out her hand to support a tombstone. There were chisels and other tools for carving tombstones scattered around her feet. After a while, she picked up the chisel and hammer and began to slowly tap on the tombstone.
"Fan Shitou."
"Xu Maoxiu"
"Xu Layue"
"Fan San Chou"
"Xu Bangchui"
My sister is here to erect a monument and inscribe your names.
The new tomb, the ancient locust trees, the standing maids, and the charming lady sitting on the ground formed a picture of a wild scene, which stunned the few scholars who passed by the roadside.
"It's a pity that such a beautiful woman is holding a hammer and chisel. It would be perfect if she could be used to play the harp." One murmured.
*********************************
Note 1: It is based on the story of Li Hong’s performance of the divine arm bow in the Song Dynasty. In the "History of the Song Dynasty", Li Hong’s specific rewards at that time were not found. In short, the rewards were generous and his official position was not small. (To be continued)
