With the elite of the Dragon Tooth Army, if it is just to train a group of firecrackers, Zhao Xingde feels that it is too wasteful. Musketeers no longer carry bows and crossbows, and spears are an established tactic in melee combat, rather than using weapons such as swords, shields, maces, etc. He remembered that when the city was besieged by Hejian, the dead soldiers of the Jinguan Mansion of the Great Song Dynasty were trapped in the battle with earth-shaking thunder, and their power was not trivial. Because the earth-shattering thunder is too heavy, it can only be carried by a strong man. If it is reduced in size, it will be lighter, and although it will be less powerful, the sergeant will be able to throw it into enemy lines. The battalion of the Dragon's Tooth Army, which was preparing to change to the fire gun, was originally a bow and crossbow battalion, and the sergeants in the battalion were extremely strong, and if the weight of the earth-shaking thunder was right, they could throw dozens of paces away. Zhao Xingde thought about it again and again, and felt that it was extremely feasible, but this earth-shattering thunder suitable for sergeants to throw needed to be made and finalized as soon as possible, otherwise it would not be able to catch up with the training.

Worried that the power of gunpowder was not enough, Zhao Xingde suggested that the Ordnance Department should make a groove on the cast iron mold in advance to produce fragments, and then adopt the method of gradually thinning the outer wall of the cast iron to try out the appropriate wall thickness. At the same time, without reducing the power of the explosion, a layer of iron sand and iron bullets were wrapped around the gunpowder group. Zhao Xingde named this new weapon grenade.

The basic tactics of the musketeers were also changed to fire a volley about fifty or sixty paces away, and then the guns were stabbed to charge the enemy formation, and before engaging the enemy, the mine-throwers threw several rounds of grenades to disrupt the enemy's position, and then the gunners charged together to complete the assault. Originally, some of the firecracker battalions were strong in defense and weak in attack, but after the mine-throwers were included in the formation, the power of the attack could be greatly improved. However, according to this tactic, the mine-thrower must have great strength and be at the forefront of the team when attacking, and non-elite soldiers cannot take on the role. Zhao Xingde estimated that despite his efforts to reduce the weight, the grenade with sufficient power would still be very heavy in terms of gunpowder at this time. Although the crossbowmen of the Dragon's Tooth Army may be able to handle the tactics of throwing thunder, it is not bad that one or two percent of the elite soldiers can act as mine-throwers among the ordinary firecrackers, and a special mine-thrower battalion may be established.

The proposal to make grenades and train mine-throwers was submitted to the military government and received a positive response quickly. General Zhang Shanfu personally put forward a request to the Ordnance Department to manufacture grenades, because Zhao Xingde had already provided preliminary drawings and trial production processes, and the Ordnance Department also promised to make a few samples within two months, even if it could not manufacture a large number of grenades in time, a batch of solid bullets of the same weight and size could be made for the training of mine throwers.

After this, Zhao Xingde felt the status of the Dragon Tooth Army in the Xia Kingdom. All the war horses, armor, ordnance, the arsenal of the military government was almost completely open. Considering this rare advantage, as well as the experimental nature of the Dragon's Tooth Arms Gun Battalion, Zhao Xingde proposed to the military government to equip the Fire Gun Battalion with a cavalry team of 100 people, in addition to the commonly used spears and sabers, each cavalry was equipped with a short handgun. He had seen this kind of short handcuff at Li Sihai's place, and he did not need to be specially ignited, but used an iron piece to strike the machine as a bolt, and fired sparks to ignite the gunpowder. However, it is said that Li Sihai said that this kind of tap gun handcuff is not very reliable, and it is extremely expensive if it is reliable, and the only advantage is that it can see the opportunity quickly. And when the cavalry meets the two armies, the horse speed is extremely fast, and the speed of the opportunity is more important than anything else. There is no need to bend the bow and arrows, and there is no need to light the fire rope in the blight, and the opponent will be given a blow with his hand, and the life of the opponent is more important than anything else. Therefore, Zhao Xingde suggested that while the handcuff cavalry tactics were tested in the firearm camp, the Ordnance Department tried to produce cheap and reliable tap guns, and if the bolt device was mature and available in the future, the infantry gunners could be replaced with tap guns. In Zhao Xingde's memory, it seems that the flintlock pistol of later generations did not need to be ignited, but the structure of the flintlock pistol has never been seen at all.

Not long after the letter was written, news came from the General's Mansion that it was agreed to equip the musket battalion with a cavalry hundred-man squad to be used as scouts, counterattacks against the opposing cavalry, and pursuit of enemy troops. At the same time, the military government will equip these cavalrymen with "reliable" handcuffs. At the same time, the response from the Ordnance Department is that the tap musket machine has been trial-produced, but it just can't meet the requirements of "cheap and reliable" at the same time.

The weather was getting hotter and hotter, and when Zhao Xingde received the news from the Military Intelligence Department, it was already July, and the group of more than 50 people pretending to be a caravan stayed in Luoyang for two days before passing through Hangu Pass. Entering the territory of the Xia Kingdom, Zhao Xingde sold the tea and silk and other goods carried by the caravan, and distributed the silver money earned to the accompanying soldiers.

............

"As expected by the prime minister, Zhao De has already entered Hangu Xiguan and has settled in the post station."

Liu Yi took the pigeon book handed by Zhang Shanfu and sighed: "This Zhao Xingzhi can really toss." Fortunately, he only led a small battalion, and if he was really allowed to lead 50,000 regiments for training, he was afraid that the treasury would not be able to issue another 5 million bonds. He unfolded the pigeon book, glanced at it, and said with a smile, "For his sake, for the sake of his public heart, this trip passed through the Song Realm, came back safe and sound, and there was no out-of-the-ordinary behavior, so this account book will not care about him." ”

Liu Yi's mood was quite relaxed and happy. This time, the Military Intelligence Department deliberately arranged for Zhao De to return to the Xia Kingdom through the Song Realm, three or four months before and after, traveling thousands of miles, and it did not mean to test his loyalty. The Dragon Tooth Army is the pride of the soldiers of the Xia Kingdom, not a place for scheming and half-hearted people. If Zhao Xingde had any act of leaking military planes or privately serving the Song court, then what was waiting for him opposite Hangu Pass would not be the post station of the Baggage Division, but the jailer of the Military Justice Division.

"Count this kid as interesting," Zhang Shanfu also nodded and smiled: "It's not in vain that the prime minister's cultivation heart is in vain." "The tap firearm is extremely expensive, it was originally a self-defense thing used by wealthy businessmen and princes, but Zhao Xingde actually proposed to equip the cavalry hundred-man team with a pole. Due to the special status of the Dragon's Tooth Army, the marching division also had to discuss with the Prime Minister's Mansion, and the Prime Minister's Mansion specially arranged a sum of money, so as not to incur the dissatisfaction of other battalions in the army.

Zhang Shanfu's mood is also excellent. The grassland barbarians attacked Beizhou, so that the Anbei Military Division, and even the entire Great General's Mansion were a little disgraced, but fortunately, Zhao Xingde made great contributions in Liaodong and shared some of the accusations of the Zhuguo Mansion and the Protector Mansion. The General's Mansion originally planned to transfer Zhao De back to the Tiance Academy for training, and at the same time assist in the formation and training of the fire gun battalion, but Zhang Shanfu tried his best to disagree with the public, believing that meritorious service would be rewarded, and the fire gun was a sharp weapon for the future war between the two armies. The Dragon Tooth Army was the most elite and reliable army in the Xia Kingdom, and he couldn't know anything about the firecracker, so he strongly advocated the transfer of Zhao De to the Dragon Tooth Army. At the same time, in order to balance the suspicions of others about Zhao De, Zhang Shanfu acquiesced to the route arranged by the Military Intelligence Department for Zhao Xingde to return to Xia through the Song realm. Luckily, the end result of the test was excellent. Except for visiting an old friend who had lived in seclusion in the mountains for many years, Zhao De had never had contact with other old friends, and the affair with the Song court was even more unreal.

"The iron barrel cannon of the Liao State has also been transported to Yunzhou City." Zhang Shanfu sneered, "It's really a long and a wise, I thought that Xiao Tachi, a young man, was strong-blooded, and 10,000 cavalry rushed to the city of Datong Mansion, and he would definitely be eager to fight Yang Yanqing." Who knew that he could bear to see the Song army capture Datong Mansion, and the army had been stagnant, only dividing the troops to forcibly recruit the army, and driving the people to build a road to transport heavy artillery. It seems that Zhao De gave him this lesson in Nanshan City, and it was not in vain. The Military Intelligence Department said that the Song court was still clamoring whether the Hebei camp and the Hedong camp should be stationed in Shanhou Kyushu respectively, or whether they should directly establish another Yunzhou camp and the general would lead the Beijing Forbidden Army to go out. Qian Qi, the eunuch of Guangzhou City, was still on the table this month, saying that the Henghai Xiang Army could fight hard, and asked the Privy Council to transfer Yue Fei to Yunzhou. ”

"It seems that this fierce general Yue Fei has offended the eunuch of the city." Liu Yi smiled slightly, "Your Majesty has already used the seal to convey the letter of state of the envoys to the Liao and Song dynasties. The Liao Emperor seems to be quite dissatisfied with the envoy of Cui, and it seems that he has to send another cadre to replace him. Since Yelu Dashi had ordered the Great Khan of Erbo to go south to attack the Song Dynasty, the Anbei military division would wait first, and then send troops to attack after his army fell into the Central Plains. ”