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During the few months of the Northwest Campaign, Lin Zhao deeply felt some problems. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

The elite of the Western Xia army, especially in the field battle, far surpassed the Song army in combat effectiveness. The main reason for this is that the cavalry and archery level of the Western Xia people is higher than that of the Song army.

Riding and shooting are two parts, "riding" and "shooting", and the party people live on nomadism and are a people on horseback. And since the Song Dynasty lost the sixteen states of Yanyun and the horse breeding land in Hexi, there has been a serious shortage of horses. The cavalry itself was not much, and it was even weaker in terms of horsemanship as a whole.

This is not impossible to change, and now if we find a way to buy horses from Tibet and Sichuan, form cavalry, and train them, the skill of controlling horses will inevitably be greatly improved. Although it is difficult to completely surpass the Tangut people in this regard, it is not impossible to be on par with it.

Another important point is "shooting", cavalry combat, long-range attacks are very important, the most important weapons are bows and crossbows, to be precise, bows and crossbows.

There is a big difference between a bow and a crossbow.

The bow is made up of elastic bows and flexible bowstrings, and when the force built up during the stretching of the string is released in an instant, the arrows that are fastened on the bowstring can be fired at distant targets. As a long-range weapon, bows and arrows were widely used in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

It mainly relies on the strength of its arms, coupled with the elastic force of the bowstring, to launch feathered arrows, and the attack distance is relatively long. Relatively speaking, in terms of accuracy and lethality, it is much worse than a crossbow.

The crossbow is also called the "nest bow" and "cross bow". A weapon used to shoot arrows in ancient times. It is a bow equipped with arms, which is mainly composed of parts such as a crossbow arm, a crossbow bow, a bowstring, and a crossbow machine. In layman's terms, bows and arrows require a person to pull the bowstring, master the direction and aim. The crossbow is directly placed with the arrow, and the trigger is enveloped, using the power of machinery.

In ancient times, the elasticity of the material of the equipment was average, so a bow that used human power had a longer range than a crossbow. Crossbow arrows have a reloading process, which is more time-consuming, while bows have a faster rate of fire. However, in terms of accuracy, it is impossible for all archers to be marksmen, and the aiming error itself is much larger, especially the shaking of the arms and body during the archery process, which will also affect the direction and accuracy of the arrowhead. In this way, the lethality will inevitably be affected as well.

The arrows fired by the crossbow are short and thick, the center of mass is in the front of the aerodynamic center, and the arrows are easy to fall when flying in the air, so the lethality is stronger than the bow at close range, and because the crossbow is a stable shooting platform, there is no need for strong arm support after the bow is fired. Moreover, between the bolts and the crossbow machine, and between the human eye... The first line, which is the same as the guns of later generations, is easy to aim and therefore the crossbow has a higher hit rate.

More importantly, a good bow and arrow must have good talent, and practice diligently, and the quality of the user is relatively high. However, in ancient warfare, most of the soldiers were recruited from the peasants, and they were often used as soldiers, and the quality of the soldiers was also uneven, and the effect of archery could be imagined.

Relatively speaking, the crossbow is easier to use, and the lethality and accuracy are also good, so it has become a commonly used standard weapon in the army.

During the defense of Dashun City, crossbow arrows were the best weapons to suppress and prevent the Western Xia army from attacking the city, but the crossbows used by the Song army seemed to have many flaws. After Lin Zhao went through the actual battle, he felt that some places needed to be improved.

In his previous life, he had read some military books and related film and television documentaries, so he had some impressions of this and had some thoughts in his heart. Dashun City is not a place to conduct research and experiments, and he has to face the threat of the Western Xia side at any time, and he does not have the energy.

Therefore, Lin Zhao wrote out some of his ideas, or drew drawings and sent them to Yanzhou to hand them over to Shen Kuo, asking Mr. Shen to help design and improve.

Lin Zhao didn't have a lot of hope, in ancient times, thousands of years, the progress of weapons was so slow. How easy is it to improve a weapon? Where can it be achieved in such a short time?

Of course, since he was passing through Yanzhou, Lin Zhao still wanted to find out, and it was clear that there might be progress. I didn't expect the results to be pleasantly surprised!

Shen Kuo took Lin Zhao into a room, and as soon as he entered the door, Lin Zhao saw a crossbow placed on top of the desk, was that it? Lin Zhao's heart moved for no reason? Expectant anticipation in my eyes.

Shen Kuo explained: "According to Dongyang's prompts, I studied for a while and made this crossbow. The mountain mulberry wood is used as the crossbow bow, and the solid sandalwood is used as the crossbow body, the hemp is the string, light and strong, the bow is three feet three feet long, and the string is two feet five. ”

Three feet three, that is, one meter, the most intuitive feeling is that the size of this crossbow is much smaller. This makes it more portable.

"How's it powering?" This is the problem that Lin Zhao is most concerned about, the intuitive response to the effectiveness of a weapon is its power, and it is also the most necessary significance of its existence.

Shen Kuo hesitated for a moment and said, "Three hundred and forty steps, half an arrow into the elm!" ”

"What?" Lin Zhao was suddenly shocked, extremely surprised. Three hundred and forty steps? What is this concept? In ancient times, the step was often used as a unit of measurement, and one step was about one meter away. If the range of this crossbow reaches three hundred and forty paces, that is, about four hundred meters. The range of 400 meters is nothing in later generations, but in the ancient society of the Cold Weapon Age, it is amazing.

En/Gus said that the longbow used by the English infantry in the 14th and 15th centuries, which could shoot 200 yards away, was "a very terrible weapon" at the time. Two hundred yards is not even two hundred meters, compared to the crossbow designed and manufactured by Shen Kuo, it is simply a small thing, and it is not worth mentioning at all. How terrible should this crossbow be?

As for the power, it is even more amazing, half an arrow into the elm, that is to say, half an arrow into the elm. Elm is a relatively hard wood, which shows the penetrating power of crossbow arrows. If it is shot on a soldier, even if there is armor to protect it, it is estimated that it will not have much effect, and the lethality is very large, and it is obvious.

"Is that really the case?" Although Lin Zhao has read a lot of information, he vaguely remembers that it seems to be such data. But when I heard Shen Kuo say it, I was still shocked and seemed a little unbelievable.

Just imagine, three or four hundred meters away, the arrow can penetrate the armor and kill people, what a terrible thing? In the face of such weapons? Does anyone dare to approach, or to charge?

"There is no lie, as soon as you try it, you will know that this crossbow even surpasses the big yellow bow!" Shen Kuo is full of confidence in this.

The so-called big yellow bow originated from the Western Han Dynasty flying general Li Guang, it is said that the arrow used by Li Guang is called "big yellow arrow", and there is often a saying that "a strong bow shoots in all directions, and the arrow is like a flying locust". Later, Li Guang also used this arrow to shoot the tiger, and since then, the rhubarb arrow has been famous all over the world, inherited for a long time, and has become a landmark representative of the strong bow and arrow. Now Shen Kuo is full of confidence, the crossbow arrow in his hand can surpass the big yellow bow? It's really exciting!

I have to say that it definitely makes sense for Shen Kuo to build a mansion here. There is a huge field in the backyard, which seems to be a school field dedicated to drills, and of course, it is also an excellent place to test weapons.

In the distance, the elm planks had been erected, and the person in charge of measuring the distance was ready, everything was in order, just waiting to test the range and power of the crossbow arrows.

Shen Kuo said: "Dongyang will shoot an arrow first, don't look at the power first, only look at the distance, how about it?" ”

"Good!" Lin Zhao loaded the crossbow arrows under Shen Kuo's guidance, walked to the front, and pulled the bolt into the distance. The frame on the crossbow machine immediately moved, and a powerful elastic force came into being, and with a whoosh, the crossbow bolt flew out, and it seemed to disappear in an instant.

Lin Zhao watched with some amazement as the feather arrow flew into the distance, and finally fell to the ground with all his strength. You don't need to measure, you just need to look at it to know that the range is definitely not close.

Soon an attendant stepped forward to measure the distance, and the result was three hundred and twenty-three steps, and it must have been about three hundred and sixty or seventy meters down. In the subsequent tests, the results were almost the same, all above 320 steps. It can be seen that Shen Kuo is not untargeted, and the range of this crossbow is really amazing!

"How? Dongyang! Shen Kuo had a smile on the corner of his mouth, obviously satisfied with his results, and even a little proud.

"Yes, yes, such a range is enough to be proud of the world!" Lin Zhao waved the crossbow machine in his hand and observed it carefully to see if he could find the mystery in it.

"Let's try again!" Obviously, Shen Kuo is full of confidence, this is the rhythm of wanting to speak with facts.

Later, some attendants set up elm planks in different positions, and Lin Zhao shot crossbow arrows separately for testing. The result is very obvious, within a hundred steps into the elm half an arrow; Within two hundred and fifty steps, the arrow is more than an inch deep; It can also deal damage at a distance of 300 paces, and the arrows are deep. With such power, it seems that it is not a problem to penetrate ordinary armor, and if it is closer, it can cause fatal damage. At the same time, it also verifies the problem of accuracy from one side, which can be said to be the arrow.

Lin Zhao was shocked by such a result, he just informed Shen Kuo of some information and ideas that he had seen in later generations, but he didn't expect to really create such a divine weapon.

"Sir, is there anything special about this crossbow?" Lin Zhao asked nonsense, if it weren't for that, how could there be such a range and power? At the same time, it is also a huge question, and it also involves a huge number of secrets.

Shen Kuo said: "If it is an outsider, this is a secret, but the manufacture of this crossbow is inspired by Dongyang, so it is naturally told truthfully." The focus is on the crossbow arm, where a small bracket is installed to increase the strength and elasticity of the crossbow arm. The faster the bolts are fired, and the more range and power they have! ”

Lin Zhao lowered his head and saw that there was indeed a small opportunity. He'd seen it, but wasn't sure. It looks very simple, but it is extremely troublesome to make, and the role it plays is immeasurable.

"By the way, can this crossbow be named?" Lin Zhao took the crossbow machine in his hand and played with it, observing, it can be said that he couldn't put it down, and asked curiously about its name.

Shen Kuo shook his head and said: "The idea is what you think, I once wanted to name it Dongyang Crossbow, but I was afraid that something would be wrong, and it was better for you to decide if I thought about it!" ”

Dongyang crossbow? There is no opinion on naming Lin Zhao after his own name, but what if it is rumored to slowly evolve into an "Oriental crossbow"? In order to avoid this unnecessary embarrassment, it is better to name it separately from the beginning.

"Why don't you just call it a god arm crossbow? The small machine bracket makes the crossbow arm extraordinary, like a divine help, a divine arm crossbow? What does the gentleman think? Lin Zhao pondered for a moment and gave an answer.

Divine Arm Crossbow, that's right! It is the divine arm crossbow that appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty Shenzong period!

This crossbow has many advantages, such as its long range. The "Divine Arm Crossbow" requires more force than the bow when opening the string, so it has a longer range than the bow; Another example is that it can aim at the target and has a high hit rate. The "Divine Arm Crossbow" is actually a strengthened bow and arrow, which can be aimed at the target and wait until it is needed before firing, which is conducive to capturing the timing of the shot, and the hit rate is higher than that of the bow. It is even possible to fire several or even dozens of arrows at the same time, which is more powerful in combat and more practical than a bow.

The reason why the divine arm crossbow is magical is that the parts on it are bracketed, and its production method and its mystery are still recorded in the "Yongle Canon". It's a pity that the "Yongle Grand Canon" itself was also destroyed in the war, so the divine arm crossbow was completely lost. Although Ji Xiaolan recorded it in "Notes on Reading Wei Caotang", it was only a few words and a fragmentary part.

Lin Zhao had seen it in a film and television documentary in his previous life, so he had some ideas, and then told Shen Kuo. I didn't expect Shen Kuo to be so powerful that he actually answered this question and completed the production of the Divine Arm Crossbow. This magic weapon will have an important impact on the Song army's operations, and to some extent, it will also have some impact on history and even change. Lin Zhao once again flapped his wings, adding some variables to this era......

"Sir, that's amazing!" Lin Zhao now admires Shen Kuo a lot.

Shen Kuo shook his head and said, "If it weren't for your idea, where could you design it?" By the way, thanks to Li Ding, the problem of Ji Kuo is what he found a way to solve! Now he is in a hurry, and when Ming ** leaves, he can make a few divine arm crossbows, you take them to Suizhou, maybe you can use them! ”

"Thank you!" Lin Zhao only understood at this time, Shen Kuo was in a hurry, it turned out that he was helping himself.

Shen Kuo shook his head and said, "It's just a little thing, but the Divine Arm Crossbow is too cumbersome, and the infantry is suitable for carrying it...... Of course, it's best to drive in a car...... There is one thing that Dongyang must pay attention to, if it is defeated on the battlefield, the divine arm crossbow must be burned if it is not taken away, this thing is magical, and it cannot be obtained by Western Xia and Liao for the time being! ”

"I'll save it!" Lin Zhao knew in his heart that this was a first-class technical and military secret! It's a good thing, but it's just that you have to use the frame, which is inevitably a little troublesome, and maybe it's easier to use in offensive and defensive battles......

Offensive and defensive battles... Driving... Crossbow...... Lin Zhao suddenly seemed to think of something, was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Sir, let's study the bed crossbow again when you have nothing to do, such as using the divine arm crossbow on the bed crossbow?" Or is it an improvement on the crossbow of the bed crossbow...... One bow won't work, so change it to two, or three...... I wonder what Mr. thinks? (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe (this site), reward, your support is my biggest motivation. )