Not long after the construction started, Shen Bing and Cang were called over by Yang Duanhe.
This time it is a newly built handsome tent.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the position of the commander's tent was more than a hundred steps further from the "gunner" than before.
Yang Duanhe couldn't help feeling a little angry as he watched Shen Bing look up and down at the handsome tent.
I secretly thought, you guy, do you want to do it again?
But of course Yang Duanhe would not say this.
He raised his head to the middle-aged man next to him wearing a plate crown and a goatee, and said:
"This is Chen Huai, the gunner's stingy man!"
"He has objections to your improved trebuchet!"
As a Gong Cheng, Shen Bing knew that Chen Wei, known as the stingy man, was an officer one level higher than Xun.
So he didn't dare to neglect, and hurriedly bowed his hands to Chen Wei and said:
"This subordinate has met your Excellency!"
"The trebuchet has been improved for a long time and naturally has many flaws!"
"Please correct me, sir!"
What Shen Bing said is true.
The existing trebuchet improvement plan is only a prototype and there is a lot of room for improvement, so it is normal for Chen Wei to have objections.
How did Shen Bing know that Chen Wei's objection did not refer to "space for progress" at all.
Then Chen Wei looked Shen Bing up and down and asked: "Are you the Shen Bing who improved the trebuchet?"
"It's my subordinate!" Shen Bing answered with his hands raised.
Chen Wei hummed and then asked:
"Let me ask you, if you change it like this, how much does the trebuchet weigh?"
"Can soldiers still carry trebuchets onto the battlefield?"
"Or can it be transferred quickly?"
Shen Bing was speechless for a moment.
As the saying goes, "Every advantage must have its disadvantages." Because the improved trebuchet has a counterweight, it is indeed inconvenient to carry and move.
Chen Wei became even more proud when he saw Shen Bing not answering.
"I'm also here to ask you, how much wood does it take to make an improved trebuchet, and how long does it take?"
“If you are short of wood or short of time!”
"Can our army still produce enough trebuchets in a short period of time?"
Shen Bing was speechless again.
After the trebuchet was improved, because the wheel axle was added, there was indeed a problem of more consumables and long working hours.
"Let me ask you again, how long does it take for an improved trebuchet to launch a stone projectile?"
"If the enemy suddenly attacks!"
"Can our army launch a large number of stone bombs in time to stop the enemy in front of the formation?"
Shen Bing could not refute.
Because after the improvement, the control of the trebuchet requires a winch to winch the rope, so it takes longer.
To be honest, Shen Bing had not considered these issues.
Because in his mind, history has proven that the improvement of the trebuchet is definitely correct.
I didn't expect that these doubts would still exist when converting old and new trebuchets.
This also fully verifies the saying: "No reform will be smooth sailing."
Cang, who was standing aside, felt a little unconvinced after hearing this.
"Sir, although the improved trebuchet has these problems, it also has many advantages!"
Chen Wei asked back: "For example..."
Cang replied without thinking:
"Like doubling the range!"
"For example, only a few people can control it!"
Chen Wei obviously came prepared. He laughed and replied:
"So what if the range is doubled? Isn't it just stone bullets that hit the enemy's wall?"
"So what if we only need a few people to control it? Is our Great Qin still short of people?"
Yang Duanhe couldn't help but nodded slightly in agreement when he heard this.
Even Shen Bing had to admit that this analysis made some sense.
During the period of cold weapon warfare, there were hundreds of thousands of people at every turn, and they didn't care about the few people in the catapults!
However……
Shen Bing bowed his hands towards Chen Wei and said:
"Sir, I would like to ask, what is the purpose of our attack on the city?"
Chen Wei couldn't help but have doubts on his face. He didn't think this had much to do with the trebuchet.
However, after hesitating for a moment, Chen Wei still replied: "Of course it is to destroy the city and kill the enemy!"
Shen Bing nodded and said:
"What your lord said is true!"
"Then, have you ever thought about it..."
"Before and after the improvement of the trebuchet, which one is more conducive to destroying the city and killing the enemy?"
Chen Wei looked at Shen Bing as if he had seen a big joke:
"You're saying that improved trebuchets are more conducive to breaking down cities and killing enemies?"
"Have you ever thought: Although the improved trebuchet can hit the stone projectile far away, the time it takes to launch means that it will hit less stone projectile?"
"With fewer stones and bullets, how can it be more conducive to destroying the city and killing the enemy?"
Although the ancients did not understand science and technology, they could still do this simple calculation.
But Shen Bing still answered confidently: "Of course!"
Chen Wei smiled bitterly and shook his head, and replied in a disdainful tone: "I would like to hear the details!"
Shen Bing's answer was simple: "It's accurate!"
These words surprised Chen Wei: "Accurate?"
Shen Bing nodded:
"Yes, accurate!"
"The old trebuchet is launched by manpower. Although it is simple to make and has a fast firing speed, it misses nine times out of ten!"
Speaking of this, Shen Bing paused and looked at Chen Wei and Yang Duanhe.
Neither of them objected because it was the truth.
Shen Bing continued:
"But the improved trebuchet is different!"
"It uses counterweights, so the force is the same every time it's fired!"
"In other words, as long as the size of the stone bullets is similar, the distance after being launched will not be much different!"
"That's what I said!"
"We can even change the counterweight or adjust the trebuchet's manual control!"
"So, you can at least hit two or even three out of ten shots!"
"Isn't this not conducive to destroying the city and killing the enemy?"
Yang Duanhe looked confused when he heard this. He didn't know anything about "counterweight", "strength" and "human control".
Yang Duanhe looked at Chen Wei and asked:
"Is what Shen Bing said true?"
"The improved trebuchet can hit three out of ten shots?"
Chen Wei's expression changed. Although he didn't quite understand what Shen Bing said, he probably understood it a little bit.
However, he still said stubbornly: "There is no basis for what you say..."
Shen Bing interrupted Chen Wei: "Seeing is believing!"
It is not difficult to "see is believing", so Shen Bing doesn't want to talk nonsense anymore.
Yang Duanhe also wanted to find out what was going on, so he immediately ordered twenty trebuchets to be prepared.
Ten of them were pulled by human power in the old style, and the other ten were pulled by counterweights in the new style.
They were commanded by Chen Wei and Shen Bing respectively.
The target is two wooden pavilions.
Following Yang Duanhe's order, both sides, who were well prepared, fired stone bullets.
With a "crunching" sound, the stone bullets went straight to the target with the sound of wind.
The results of the first round were not ideal.
Even the effect of human control is better. One of his shots hit, while Shen Bing's command only missed one shot.
Chen Wei couldn't help laughing "haha" when he saw this, and shouted arrogantly at Shen Bing:
"Accurate?"
"Is it helpful to destroy the city and kill the enemy?"
"Do you have any misunderstanding?"
Shen Bing ignored Chen Wei and calmly waved the flag to command the trebuchet:
"Cart A takes two steps forward!"
"Car B takes five steps back!"
…
Each vehicle advanced and retreated according to the order, forming a jagged formation.
Then the second round of stone bullets flew out, and there was a loud "boom" sound of breaking wood. Four of the new trebuchets hit directly.
The wooden pavilion could not withstand the heavy impact of the stone bullets, and was smashed to pieces in an instant.
Looking at Chen Wei's goal again, he is still standing firm in front of everyone, almost the same.