When Zhang Lixin came to the cave not too far from Mancheng County, which was temporarily used as a shelter for Wang Wei and others, he couldn't help frowning slightly. At first glance, this is the kind of person who has just fallen into the grass when Liangjiazi was killed and has not much experience. The place chosen is not only very poorly concealed, but also too close to the county seat, and the water is not taken, which is really not suitable as a place to rely on.

When Zhang Lixin followed Wang Wei, Li Yi, Cheng Hai and others to the hillside and walked into the cave under the cover of night, he saw a group of refugees. When I learned that I had harvested more than 40 taels of silver this time, and each person could share more than one tael, it was like a group of beggars meeting the porridge, and many people gathered around.

However, Zhang Lixin's vision is not too bad in the past few years of military career, and he has more or less a soldier-aware vision: although these people are not the best source of soldiers, there are no people who are too slippery at first glance or too good at doing things, and there are not many people who have obvious gangsterism.

"This time we have taken great luck, General Zhang of the Weiyuan Battalion, who was once a formidable enemy, has also joined us, and everyone's life will be better in the future. . . ." Wang Wei said bluntly to everyone. The voice of celebration was also remembered from the silence.

In the excited eyes of many people in the cave, Zhang Lixin also came to the vicinity of the bonfire in the cave, and his complexion quickly eased.

In the old era, many people grew up watching other people's faces since they were young, and the most common thing was to have a straight face and scolding. Equality between people was the most scarce thing in the old traditional society.

When people feel Zhang Lixin's inadvertent honesty in treating people as equals everywhere and saying anything, the kind of mental defense that many people have cultivated in their long-term life in the old days has gradually opened.

"I heard Brother Wang say, many of you have no family? There didn't seem to be a major disaster in the Beizhili area last year? Zhang Lixin asked tentatively

"My father was tired from working all year round and died very young. After I remarried, those people couldn't tolerate me, and I left home in a fit of rage... ”

"The conscription there in Hejian Mansion was very heavy, my father was beaten to death by the subordinates of Wang Dahu's family, and my mother also died of illness. . . ."

In fact, there was not much surprise and surprise to Zhang Lixin, what surprised Zhang Lixin was that when some of them told their unfortunate experiences, they didn't seem to have much sadness and nostalgia at all, as if those things were just ordinary things.

The death of a loved one may be considered a sad thing for a modern person, especially for those who are not yet in their prime. However, for some people in the lower classes of this era, the cruelty of life has made many people's hearts hardened, so that they have lost the function of grief.

Of course, there are some people who have suffered some of the same as Li Yi, Cheng Hai and others in the past, who couldn't stand the bullying and oppression in the army and had to leave, and they can be regarded as relatively young fugitive soldiers.

Zhang Lixin's initial plan was to complain and talk about righteousness, but even if he complained and Mingzhi, when these people can't feel a good life that is completely different from the past and don't know what a normal life is, how much effect will it have?

Therefore, Zhang Lixin felt that he should take the first step to test the hearts and qualities of these people with some dangerous things. Zhang Lixin, who has been on the battlefield in Liaodong, knows: The so-called knowing people and faces but not knowing their hearts is not only good or bad, but also brave and cowardly. In addition to "seeing people's hearts over time", the best way to test the character of a group of people is to go to the battlefield.

If a person has a natural habit of weighing his own interests and losses, or is more civilized, philistine, and not simple; It is okay to bully the weak or carry out some obviously undangerous combat missions. If you're ready to fight a tough battle, you'll hesitate when you hear it.

"At the end of the first month, I am going to lead you, that is, more than 30 of us--- maybe more than 20 or less, to go to Hejian Mansion to fight a thousand households in Hejian Mansion east of Suning. At this time, Zhang Lixin suddenly said in a surprising voice.

"What? Go to the thousands of households in Hejian Fuzhong? Could it be that the general has an internal response there and knows that there will be a mutiny there? Even Wang Wei was taken aback when he heard this.

"Yes, or the four of us..." Obviously, Cheng Hai is not a person who is good at words, but the meaning is very clear: Xin Qiji can break into the camp "outside the fifty strings", but at present, except for Zhang Lixin and Wang Wei and other four people, a considerable part of the remaining 30 people have equestrian problems, and there is no decent equipment training, and the combat effectiveness is probably not as good as a person like Li Yi and Cheng Hai.

"General, we are thieves now, but we are not anti-thieves" Li Yi also decided to dissuade Zhang Lixin.

"I don't talk about the pros and cons, I just want to make those people feel bad, killing a wicked person is enough, killing two to earn one. There are many wicked people in the world, but there are some places where they are most concentrated. We are not thieves, we are righteous soldiers who do the right thing for heaven. Sometimes, the act itself is more important than the outcome. What do you think? If everyone is unwilling, or Brother Wang, the three of you are also opposed, then forget it. If anyone is willing to act with me, then we will prepare tomorrow ... It doesn't matter: if you don't want to act, you can stay in the cottage when the time comes... ”

Most people hesitated, but out of trust in Zhang Lixin, who was once a general of the Weiyuan Battalion, Wang Wei and the other three, as well as the vast majority of people in the cave, successively expressed their agreement with Zhang Lixin's decision.

Zhang Lixin couldn't help but shake his head in his heart: It seems that he underestimated the herd mentality of people in this era. Of course, at this time, Zhang Lixin also decided not to sell Guanzi anymore: "If we go to steal a thousand households like this now, it is tantamount to sending them to death." So naturally I was prepared and planned, I don't know who has ever done carpentry? ”

"Carpenter? Seven years ago, I worked with the master in the village for two years, and I often helped out later. But it's mostly helpers, and it's a little difficult work, such as roof beams or something, I still don't understand. Simple tables, chairs, farm tools are barely enough... One of his thirties, a little older, replied.

"So, has anyone ever been a blacksmith? Helpers are also becoming. Zhang Lixin asked again.

As Zhang Lixin expected: the blacksmith also didn't, this year has not yet reached the time of chaos, not the year of the catastrophe in Shaanxi, a little bit of craftsmanship can barely make a living, and few are forced to go to Liangshan.

"I haven't worshipped a blacksmith as a master, but I still have a helper, but... It's limited to repairing farm tools... ”

In fact, Zhang Lixin is quite satisfied with this answer, and the technical difficulty of what he has to do is lower than that of metal farm tools--because there may be no need to make iron, and it is the same level or slightly higher than the shields of tables, chairs, beds, and boards. But even if it were the case: it would have to be someone with a minimum of labor experience in this field. A "nobody" who starts from scratch may waste a lot of time making even the most ordinary things.

Then, Zhang Lixin looked at Wang Wei: "I don't know if there is a pen, ink, paper and inkstone here?" Preferably a hard pen? ”

To Zhang Lixin's surprise, Wang Wei really prepared: "Let's think about it, sometimes we are not sure about the soil fence, and it is inevitable to invest in something that threatens the finances, so I really prepared some... ”

"Not bad! It is worthy of being a person who was able to stand out when he was choosing a pro-soldier in Fuzhou! Zhang Lixin said with satisfaction.

Seeing that everything was ready and only the east wind was owed, Zhang Lixin was ready to stop writing and write the idea that suddenly occurred some time ago on the paper and personally read it. Looking at the Arabic numerals and arithmetic formulas that look like ghostly drawings, some people who don't have much culture in the vicinity feel unfathomable, thinking that it is some kind of charm. Wang Wei and others once followed Zhang Lixin when they were in Fuzhou, so they are not surprised.

"Let's prepare a ruler first, and then I'll draw a few sketches, and we'll give it a try. Maybe it's easy, maybe it's not going well, but everyone has to be patient. Our craftsmanship is improving, and the performance strives to be one point more advanced, and the possibility of many dead people or the entire army going to Hades to accept the roll call will be less than that... ”

Zhang Lixin did not have the conditions for the modern French Academy of Sciences to engage in rice prototypes, but when he was in Weiyuan Camp in Dengzhou Town, he attached great importance to standardization, and finally determined his height according to some known city walls with a circumference of many zhang, which he had done. It's not entirely accurate, but it's okay to get close...

And that's it: it took about two hours to make a wooden "meter ruler" with ink marks and a "wire ruler" made of twine.

With the most basic ruler, Zhang Lixin's design on the "drawings" is also more realistic. Although it is not a qualified engineering drawing at all, the appearance is roughly determined:

"Say it up front: I've just had an idea, it's just the first time I've designed. Some of the sizes are not suitable and may need to be adjusted later. What you need to learn is the way of thinking... ”

"This is ... Trebuchet? Wang Wei, who had worked in the Fuzhou military camp, was still somewhat impressed.

"Yes, it's a small trebuchet like a whirlwind cannon. Counterweight trebuchets, no matter how small, are too bulky as long as they are valuable. And small manpower trebuchets, such as two-wire guns, I feel that they are actually on the battlefield: it is not easy to pull evenly and forcefully to ensure accuracy. So my idea was: a five-person trebuchet: weighted by body weight. ”

"Weighted by weight?" Wang Wei seemed to understand something.

Zhang Lixin continued: "Four heavily armed people - well-fed and well-fed, weighing nearly one hundred and twenty pounds; Then carrying a shield to protect the enemy's incoming arrows, and hanging supplies such as food and water in front, in short, a weight similar to the total weight of a hundred catties of burden, that is, two hundred and twenty catties, four people plus some counterweights at the front end can have a weight of nine hundred catties. ”

Zhang Lixin said: "In order to facilitate carrying: then a wooden beam with a slot at one end and a fifteen-foot pole are combined to form a lever of about twenty-five and a half feet. Seven and a half years before the front, we save weight while maintaining strength: we use a thick-bottomed trapezoidal vertical wooden knife-like pole with the least resistance and the most conducive to structural consideration, with a thick short end and a thin long end. According to the drawings, I estimate that the total weight of the long end of the pole should be about six catties, and the short end should be about twenty to forty catties. With the addition of shelves and bases, two people can carry them when necessary, and it is easy to adjust the direction conveniently. Two people can easily carry it on horseback while carrying some other things, and of course ammunition should be carried separately. In such a single launch, excluding mechanical losses, it is also possible to throw twenty stone projectiles with more than 13 taels and 3 coins to sixty paces away... ”

In fact, Zhang Lixin's calculations are calculated according to the metric system that is more convenient for himself, and it is inconvenient to reform the system when he was in the Ming army, and Zhang Lixin at this time is also thinking about whether to at least re-establish a metric system based on the standard in his own team--- even if this "metric system" may not be exactly the same as the "rice" and "kilogram" of later generations.

Li Yi's family background is different from others, and he has also read some books. When I was in Fuzhou, I talked with some old soldiers, and I had some doubts in my heart, but at this time I also said bluntly: "Stone thrower, even if it is a more convenient whirlwind cannon, is also common in ancient times, and it is mostly used for siege or city defense battles." But is this thing really sharper than the new artillery and self-generated heavy guns of the Weiyuan Battalion? If that's the case, why have there been so few soldiers in the past and present as a class of soldiers in the wilderness? ”

Zhang Lixin did not shy away from saying: "Now I am no longer the general of the Weiyuan battalion. The weight-forward simple trebuchet is the only thing we can make with the humble talent and conditions. Not to mention the self-generated heavy firecrackers, Lumi guns, turtledove guns, or small and medium-sized Hongyi field guns. Now we rely more on the capture of a cow tendon bow than by war. However, I think that if the traditional trebuchet is to be used in field combat, it is not illegal, and it needs to be closely coordinated with hand-to-hand combat melee soldiers to prevent the opponent from moving to dodge and contain the opponent. The range must not be too far, otherwise it will hinder accuracy and coordination. Don't focus too much on power and ignore the rate of fire. Such as this simple weight trebuchet, five people to operate, one breath and one shot like the rate of fire of a war bow, dozens of bullets per shot, the range requires the use of counterweight to reduce by half or more, and close cooperation with hand-to-hand combat, maybe there will be a surprise effect... ”

At this time, Zhang Lixin didn't think that the weapon and tactical system he had newly come up with would be stronger than the main routine of the late Ming Dynasty of the protagonists of those traversers in the Weiyuan Battalion.

It was only later that I realized that I was blazing a new path, not only in terms of technical methods, but also in other aspects.