Seven days later, Zhang Ye received the Mo Dao drawings urgently sent from Chang'an.
Establishing a powerful Modao Army has always been Guo Song's wish. The Modao Army's role is not only in attacking cavalry, but also playing an important role in infantry, ambush operations and attacking city gates.
In Lingzhou, the Hexi Army collected more than 500 sets of heavy armored infantry equipment from the warehouses of several large families, including Modao and heavy armor, bringing the number of heavy armored infantry in the Hexi Army to 1,500, followed by Zhu
In order to redeem the thousand sets of Modao and heavy armor sent by Xiao Guan, Si increased the number of Modao army to 2,500.
But Guo Song's goal is to reach 5,000 heavy armored infantry. Of course, this cannot be achieved in a day or two. To achieve this goal, we need the most skilled craftsmen, a large amount of high-quality pig iron, and an improvement in metallurgical level.
There is also a lot of financial support. It can be said that Modao is a product of the Tang Dynasty when its national power and metallurgical forging technology reached its peak.
If Hexi can forge the Mo Dao, then the entire metallurgical forging technology in Hexi will reach a higher level, which will play a huge role in promoting the forging of other weapons.
"War is actually a competition of national strength!"
When Guo Song visited the Ordnance Department, he told the officials around him: "If one of our swords can be used ten times, but the opponent's sword can only be used three times, then our pig iron can be used in more ways.
For example, by forging more Mingguang armor, you can also make more weapons. On the contrary, the opponent will gradually face a situation where there are no weapons available. In addition, with the improvement of forging technology, each of our soldiers' weapons can cut iron as well as mud.
The armor is stronger, and both offense and defense can be greatly strengthened. When the two armies fight, we are more likely to win."
The Ordnance Department's forging camp is located in the south of Cangcheng, close to the Zhangye River, covering an area of about one thousand acres. It is divided into two parts: smelting and forging, with hundreds of iron-making furnaces and more than a thousand blacksmith furnaces.
There are materials and technology experimental camps and craftsman training camps.
The smelting here mainly involves refining crude iron and crude copper transported from the mines to produce hard iron, wrought iron, steel and other products, as well as refined copper, which is mainly used to cast copper coins.
Guo Song and other officials came to the experimental camp. There were only about twenty craftsmen here, and they were all the top swordsmiths. Three top swordsmiths recruited by Guo Yuniang were making Mo Dao, and more than twenty people on both sides were watching and learning.
An official who is proficient in technology introduced to Guo Song and other officials: "There are two ways to make Mo Dao, one is to use hundred-refined steel and the other is to cover it with soil and burn the blade. There are actually three types of knives made of hundred-refined steel.
Inside is the core iron, which is the hardest and sharpest steel. Although the core iron is hard enough, its toughness is relatively poor and it is easy to break. Therefore, a layer of hard iron with a slightly lower carbon content should be sandwiched on the left and right outside.
Pig iron, and then the outermost layer is wrought iron. Although it is not hard enough, it has excellent toughness. Finally, it is forged repeatedly to integrate the core iron, hard iron and wrought iron into one. This is Baidu Steel."
"What about the earth-covered burning blade?" Guo Song asked again.
"Reporting to the envoy, the earth-covered burning blade is to cover part of the blade with secret soil, and only the blade part is calcined and then quenched. The advantage is that it is not as complicated as the steps and saves manpower and time. However, it requires very high technical requirements.
Especially the quenching technology is extremely difficult and easy to fail. If the knife falls on the ground, it will break into pieces, which means it will be completely scrapped."
"Then which method do you plan to use?" Pan Liao asked next to him.
The official bowed and said: "We still plan to use the hundred-refined steel clamping method. The technology is mature. Although it is more time-consuming and laborious, it is easy to succeed."
Guo Song pondered for a while and said: "I would like to raise a point called 'technical surplus'. For example, our army all uses Mo Dao, which is extremely sharp and invincible in the world, but the enemy uses extremely inferior weapons. This is a bit like using a weapon to kill chickens."
It’s a sledgehammer, so we can’t do it behind closed doors. We must collect intelligence from the armies in various places, and then study the weapons in various places, and then decide what kind of weapons we can build to deal with it. Of course, if the cost is not high, we can build a large number of them.
I don’t object to high-quality weapons, but if they cost too much and take too long, we need to think about it.”
Pan Liao cautiously said: "Then do we need to establish an Ordnance Intelligence Agency to be responsible for this matter?"
Guo Song smiled and said: "That's what I mean, I will arrange this matter."
Everyone went to visit the crossbow workshop and the armor workshop. Before leaving, Guo Song called for the official in charge and said to him: "We must train as many high-level craftsmen as possible. Nowadays, good weapon craftsmen are extremely in demand in various vassal towns.
If we protect them, it will be difficult for us to dig them out, so we have to cultivate them ourselves."
"Beizhi has been working hard to cultivate. Before, it was because there were no high-level craftsmen. This time we have three high-level swordsmen, so we can speed up. Please rest assured that Beizhi will definitely do a good job in this matter."
........
After coming out of the weapons camp, Guo Song went directly to the military camp. On the military camp's martial arts field, 1,500 newly recruited Mo Dao soldiers were being trained intensively. The Mo Dao Army and the Scout Army were the best-paid arms in the Hexi Army, and their military salaries were
High, well-paid, and of course the most stringent requirements. He must be taller than 5 feet 8, that is, over 1.85 meters tall, able to easily lift a hundred kilograms over his head, and run thirty miles with a fifty kilogram load.
Despite the strict requirements, there are still a large number of applicants. Hexi Army soldiers are generally tall. In terms of height, there are thousands of qualified candidates. Then, soldiers with strong strength and good physical strength are selected, and the best ones are selected.
One thousand and five hundred newly recruited Mo Dao soldiers shouted in unison, and the sound resounded into the clouds. One thousand five hundred Mo Dao soldiers were shining coldly and uniformly. They were practicing sword skills and fighting together, following the demonstration of Dutong Yasuo
Action training.
At this time, Kang Bao saw Guo Song and ordered the soldiers to rest for lunch. A soldier helped him take off his heavy armor. Kang Bao quickly came to Guo Song's side.
"How are these soldiers?" Guo Songxiao asked.
Kang Bao praised without hesitation: "It's very good. The conditions are better than those of the first batch. We have only trained for three days now, but I think they can already go into battle to kill the enemy."
"They are far from experienced!"
"They all have experience in fighting the enemy, but the Modao Army has no combat experience. Starting tomorrow, I plan to mix the old and new Modao troops, and then divide them into two teams for confrontation. After twenty days of continuous confrontation, the new recruits will
You’ll be ready to teach.”
"What about physical fitness and strength training?" Guo Song asked again.
"Report to the Commander-in-Chief, we have paid special attention to strength and physical fitness during selection. These 1,500 soldiers were selected from 8,000 soldiers who were qualified in height. Their strength and stamina are the best. In fact, they will fight in armor.
Training is a huge test of physical fitness and strength, and soldiers will be exhausted after every day of training."
Guo Song nodded and said: "Once our heavy armored infantry becomes powerful, the enemy will slowly find a way to fight us. Duan Xiushi told me that the Dashi Cavalry once organized a group of cavalry to use ropes to deal with the Anxi Army.
The heavy armored infantry caused a lot of losses to the heavy armored infantry. For the Central Plains soldiers, I think we should be more careful about the shooting of the rhubarb heavy crossbow. Generally, ordinary crossbows cannot hurt the heavy armored infantry, but the heavy crossbow is different, especially the rhubarb crossbow.
It can shoot through the armor of heavy infantry within a hundred steps, which is a threat we must consider."
Kang Bao thought for a while and said: "In this case, intelligence is very important. Once the enemy is discovered to be using the Rhubarb Crossbow, the heavy armored infantry needs to retreat in time."
"So I am considering equipping the heavy armored soldiers with a large shield so that they can effectively participate in protecting the heavy armored infantry."
Kang Bao's eyes lit up, he gave a thumbs up and said: "This is a very good suggestion, I will definitely make it happen as soon as possible!"
At this time, several cavalrymen entered the military camp along the horse road. The leader was thin but extremely light and agile. It was Guo Yuniang, the commander of Tiance Tower. She received Guo Song's order and hurried to the camp.
Guo Song returned to the Chinese army's tent and smiled at Guo Yuniang: "Another important task has been handed over to Tiance Tower."
Guo Yuniang quickly bowed and said: "Please give me your orders!"
Guo Song sat down and asked, "Where are Xiazhou's spies?"
"Envoy Qi, a few of them have gone to Taiyuan and continue to open a store in Jinyang County."
Guo Song asked again: "What is the situation in Taiyuan now?"
"Taiyuan was searching house-to-house for Zhu Tao's spies a few days ago. I heard that Zhu Tao's spies penetrated very hard. One of them was arrested and a lot of confessions were taken. Taiyuan was searching all over the city. Our spies were okay and were not arrested.
spread."
Guo Song nodded, "The tasks I give you are actually two. The first is to find out the number of people and equipment of the Taiyuan army. The second is to find a way to get one or two swords and spearheads of ordinary soldiers in each feudal town.
The Ordnance Agency urgently needs this information."
"I understand, I will make arrangements immediately!"