Ministry of Works.

Li Mu and Li Daliang have really been seen for many days. The two don't have much chance to meet, Li Daliang lives in the Ministry of Industry, although he is a scholar who should be named, but he also has to write a recital every now and then, and participate in the court meeting. Basically, it is the Ministry of Industry and the court, these two points are one line.

As for Li Mu, these two places are almost not gone, and there is no chance to meet each other.

Seeing you today, you have a lot to say. What Li Daliang wanted to talk about was the matter of the factory, the reason for the construction of the factory was to house Li Daliang's widowed son, Li Mu agreed, and he did it for him. Originally, Li Daliang thought that this so-called resettlement was just for food. Unexpectedly, Li Mu was so thoughtful, not only gave them a bite to eat, but also arranged for a female gentleman to teach them to read and write.

You must know that in this era, literacy is the privilege of the scholars, and the common people can know their own names, which is considered erudition. These apprentices in the factory, even if their parents are still alive, they will not have the opportunity to study.

There are people in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Industry. I don't know if Li Mu was negligent or forgot, but this factory is the only one that does not designate people to take care of it. Li Daliang took this responsibility by himself, and he didn't ask about other things, so he devoted himself to the factory, and 'sat in the factory' every day, which made the craftsmen under great pressure.

The factory is now producing parts for Zhenguan ploughs under Li Mu's arrangement. Li Daliang has seen a lot, and he can actually make it. When he was young, he worked as a blacksmith, and the ploughshare he built was exquisitely workmanlike, and even Li Mu couldn't find fault with it.

"How? The old man's craftsmanship, have you seen it yet? Li Daliang stroked his short beard and said quite smugly.

Li Mu put down the ploughshare and said, "I really didn't expect that Lord Shangshu would have such skills. It is not boastful at all that there is such a craft, even if Lord Shangshu is demoted and exiled to Lingnan tomorrow, he can still rely on this craft to make a fortune in Lingnan. ”

This is really not a boast at all, Li Daliang smiled helplessly, this is also his good temper, if it was replaced by Cheng Biting Jin, he would have started a fight at this time.

couldn't talk anymore, Li Daliang diverted the topic and said, "The old man can't talk to you as a stubborn person, just say it, what's the matter." Thinking that you have done the old man a great favor, the old man will do his best to repay you this favor. ”

Gift?

Li Mu was a little puzzled, he didn't remember what he had helped Li Daliang. The matter of the factory, Li Daliang regarded it as a favor, but Li Mu did not think about it so. The factory was part of the plan he had set up a long time ago, and Li Daliang found these war orphans, which was exactly what he wanted. In this matter, Li Mu felt that he owed Li Daliang a favor.

However, Li Mu asked for someone at this time, since Li Daliang said that there was a favor, he also responded vaguely, did he say it again, it was true that he had done something.

"It's not a big deal." Li Mu coughed lightly and told him about the training. He knew that Li Daliang had always been cautious, so he first mentioned Li Shimin's words, and then said: "If Lord Shangshu is not at ease, I will go and ask for a formal will." ”

Li Daliang smiled: "Don't bother like this, the old man will naturally believe you." The old man is good at military training. Three hundred people is not too many, and it should not be difficult to come from a guard. I just don't know what you want these people to be. ”

"Look?" Li Mu didn't understand, and said, "I don't know what Lord Shangshu is referring to?" ”

Li Daliang said: "The soldiers of my Tang Dynasty are always called guards, those who are good at arching horses are called Yue Cai, and the rest are infantry, spearmen, and foot archers. Among the infantry, there were halberds, shields, swordsmen, etc., spearmen were divided into spears and short spears, and among the foot archers, there were slingers, crossbowmen, archers, ......"

Li Mu had a headache when he heard this, he thought that the ancient classes of troops were very simple, but he didn't expect that there were so many differences, so he hurriedly interrupted Li Daliang's tirade and said, "Lord Shangshu, don't say it, these are not what I want." ”

This time it was Li Daliang's turn to be surprised, and said, "Then what do you want?" ”

Li Mu thought about it, he originally wanted to say, what I want is special forces, which kind of person can do anything. But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back. The idea should be combined with reality, since there are so many types of troops, it means that there are no soldiers who can do it at all.

In that case, what kind of soldiers should we have?

"Hmm......" Li Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Lord Shangshu, I have a brother named Li Chongyi, does Lord Shangshu know about him?" ”

Li Da nodded and said, "The big man who is inseparable from you, I naturally remember." Saying that, Li Daliang smiled again: "That's a good seedling, if he joins the army, over time, he will be a fierce general!" ”

"I think so too. Your Majesty gave me these three hundred soldiers, and I want him to lead me as a captain, and this brother of mine, eight feet tall, is born with divine power, and is unstoppable. The soldier I asked him to choose was also based on him, although he was far inferior to him, but he was also a brave and fierce man among the guards. The soldiers I want are brave soldiers like my brothers. ”

Li Daliang heard something and asked, "Infantry?" ”

Li Mu shook his head and said, "Datang takes cavalry as the most, so it is naturally cavalry. ”

Li Daliang thought for a while and said, "If you want cavalry, I have to tell you some things in front first, so that you can be prepared." ”

"Lord Shangshu, please speak."

"My Tang Dynasty's military system, those who serve in the army, except for the forbidden army, need to prepare their own military horses, blades, and make meritorious contributions. Although Your Majesty has given you 500 soldiers, you are also allowed to choose people in the garrison. But the guard is a forbidden army, and after leaving the guard, naturally you can't take away armor, blades, and military horses. These have to be prepared by you, 300 military horses, armor, blades, the cost is not low, and after that, people eat horses and chew, it is also a huge expense, are you sure you want cavalry? ”

Li Mu was stunned, he hadn't thought about it before. If Li Shimin asked him to recruit on his own, he would have already prepared to bring these things by himself. But since he was selected from Tunwei, Li Mu didn't think about it. He subconsciously thought that he had to pick people, so he couldn't come shirtless, weapons and armor were all carry-on things, could he still bring them?

But when I heard Li Daliang say this, I really didn't let me bring it.

Li Mu knew that even if he went into the palace now to ask Li Shimin for it. Most of Li Shimin will not give it, first, this is a rule, and it is not easy to change. Moreover, Li Shimin is so picky, he will be weird.

Li Mu gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Shangshu can rest assured that he needs any weapons, armor, and horses, and I, I can buy them with my own money!" ”

"I'll tell you first, if you buy a full set again, you will have to do more than 10,000 yuan!"

"Huh?" Hearing this price, Li Mu was stunned for a moment, and blurted out: "Ten thousand times is enough?" So little? ”

"......" Li Daliang was speechless for a while, Wan Guan, this is Wan Guan! What is this tone of surprise? Isn't it too much? People say that there is a way to make money by chasing deer and marquis, making money every day, making money every day, and the treasury is full of copper coins, and it is going to overflow.

"Since you can accept it, just treat it as if the old man didn't say it." Li Daliang continued: "Since it is a cavalry, you must practice riding and shooting, and you must also prepare a strong bow. ”

Li Mu said: "My lord, there is no need for a strong bow. Although I don't know how to bow and arrow, I also know that practicing bow and arrow is not something that happens overnight. If these guards start practicing at this time, I am afraid that it will not be effective for a short time, so I have prepared a replacement for them. ”

"Alternatives? What? Could it be a crossbow? Without waiting for Li Mu to speak, Li Daliang said again: "I'm afraid the crossbow is not good, there is only one crossbow arrow, after shooting, the time to change it is enough for the enemy to shoot three arrows." Moreover, the range of crossbow arrows is much shorter than that of strong bows, and they are not used in battle. ”

"What if it's a Zhuge repeater?"

Li Daliang laughed and said: "The legendary Zhuge Repeater has twice the range of ordinary crossbow arrows, which is comparable to a strong bow. And with ten arrows in a box, you can shoot continuously. When the salvo is fired, it obscures the sky and the sun, making the enemy unable to hide and unable to defend. If there is such an artifact, it can naturally replace the strongbow. But this is just a legend, the old man is fortunate to have seen a few Zhuge crossbows handed down, but they are all the same, none of them can really shoot arrows, the old man thinks, this Zhuge crossbow, I am afraid that the descendants of the story made up for the respect of Zhuge Kongming, not true, such rumors, what is the use? ”

"Lord Shangshu, there is nothing groundless in the world." The corners of Li Mu's mouth hooked up a confident smile, and said, "Zhuge Repeater, I have recovered." ”

Li Daliang was shocked and said, "Is this true? ”

"Seriously." Li Mu said: "I have already built one, and I submitted it to His Majesty a few days ago. His Majesty personally tested it, and its effect was the same as that of the Zhuge Repeater. ”

Li Mu said this, and Li Daliang no longer doubted it. Li Shimin is a general of Tiance, and his understanding of ordnance is even better than Li Daliang. Since he has tested it with his own hands, it should be true.

Li Daliang sighed again and again, and said: "I really can't imagine that there is really such an artifact in this world." And you can actually recover it, it is really the reincarnation of Lu Ban, and it is ingenious. All right! Datang is very lucky! Datang is very lucky! ”

Li Mu interrupted Li Daliang's words with a wry smile, and said the disadvantages of the Zhuge Repeater that he had discussed with Li Shimin. When Li Daliang heard that the cost of this Zhuge repeater was so high, he couldn't help but be very disappointed, and sighed again and again.

"Don't be discouraged, Lord Shangshu, in time, maybe I can find a way to reduce the cost. Although I can't supply the whole army, I can still afford to equip 300 people. ”

Li Daliang listened to Li Mu say so confidently, and he was a little envious in his heart. In his life, he has never cared about money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken out all the money and distributed it to the children of the robe and the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works, but at this moment, he felt that the money was useful. There are two disadvantages of Zhuge repeater, one is the large anti-shock force, and the other is the high cost. But Li Daliang felt that the large anti-shock force was not a particularly big disadvantage.

He is good at defending the city, and his consideration is also to give priority to defending the city. For defending the city, the Zhuge repeater can be fixed with a shelf, and the person only needs to pull the trigger. Imagine that with the support of enough arrows, the continuous Zhuge repeater crossbow can top ten strong bows, and one battlement can arrange one, even the gods will never want to climb the city wall.

The biggest problem is still in the cost. But if you have enough money, this is not a problem. Just like Li Mu now, if he has money, he can let his own soldiers be equipped with Zhuge Repeater. In this way, when a salvo is fired, will not three hundred men be used as three thousand?

Although military strength cannot be calculated so simply, it is still enviable.

Li Daliang sighed in his heart, and continued, "Since the Zhuge Repeater can replace the strong bow, then the strong bow does not need to be prepared. I wonder what blades you're going to use for their primary weapon? A giant axe like your brother will definitely not work, he is born with divine power and can dance. Ordinary people can't do it, fighting immediately, it's not a matter of killing for a while, if the weapon is too heavy, I don't think it is at first, and the fierce battle will be lacking, and I don't need the enemy to kill it, and I will be dragged down. ”

This was another thing that Li Mu expected, his original idea was to cultivate a group of "berserk warfare", each with a double axe, rushed into the enemy army, and used a trick 'whirlwind slash' to kill the enemy army in a river of blood.

Hearing Li Daliang say this, it seems unlikely again.

Of course, Li Chongyi's innate divine power can still be done, but the soldiers he selected will definitely not be able to do it.

Li Mu thought for a while, and then said, "What does Master Shangshu think?" ”

"Cavalry to cavalry, an inch long and an inch strong! The longer the weapon, the better, spears, halberds, are the best choice. If cavalry is against infantry, too long a weapon is not very useful. Use more sabers, lances, etc. ”

Li Mu frowned and asked, "Then there is no long or short blade?" ”

Li Daliang said angrily: "What are you a soldier?" Can it be long or short? The old man has never seen it, you have to have the ability to invent it for the old man to see. ”

Li Mu looked down at his crotch, and said secretly in his heart, why not? The bright silver spear under the crotch of the marquis of this army can not only be long or short, but also thick or thin, and when he is angry, he can also spray out, but at the age of Lord Shangshu, I am afraid I can't understand it.

Li Mu didn't speak but laughed, Li Daliang was inexplicable, and said with a tiger face: "What are you laughing at?" ”

Li Mu shook his head and said, "It's nothing, I'll think about it again." Adults practice first, and when I think about it, I will discuss it with adults. ”

"It's okay, when I was training, in order to avoid injury, I used more wooden weapons, and I practiced according to the routine first."

At this time, a scribe came in at the door, Li Mu thought that he rarely came to the Ministry of Industry, so he naturally didn't recognize it, but the scribe recognized him, and after the salute, he said: "Lord Shangshu, Lord Hou, there is a decree in the palace, please chase the deer Hou into the palace to see." The eunuch knew that Shangshu and Hou Ye were talking, so he didn't come in to disturb him, and asked the villain to report it. The eunuch said that His Majesty was in a hurry, and asked the Hou Ye to hurry up. If Hou Ye's affairs are in a hurry, he can wait a little longer. ”

Li Daliang smiled: "Look at you, isn't it famous?" The eunuchs in the palace are afraid of you. Go ahead, we've talked about it almost, and the old man will watch the rest by himself, so you don't have to worry. ”

Li Mu said with a smile: "Then I will enter the palace to meet first, everyone is in the square, I let Chongyi come to see you, bother." ”