Just as Ma Chao and the others were still immersed in the amazement of the new look of the guard camp, Ma Jun had already begun to explain.

Ma Jun walked over to a personal guard, who was very nervous when he saw so many big people in the army surrounding him, but he still stood straight and meticulous. Ma Jun pointed to the guard's pocket and said, "Young master, please see, this is a new pocket improved by his subordinates." In the past, except for generals, soldiers in our Han army rarely wore scarves, and most of them were only decorated with scarves and crowns. As a result, the soldier's head is almost completely unprotected, and it is easy for the enemy to have his head cut off or hit by an arrow. ”

Everyone listened to it with relish, and added iron pockets to the soldiers, which Ma Chao had also considered, but considering that the current steel production capacity is too backward, it has not been implemented.

Ma Jun said: "And even if the generals and some soldiers have a hood, it is only to weave the armor into a circle and wrap it around the head, which can only protect the forehead and the top of the head, and the back of the head is still unprotected." And despite the protection of the armor, the armor is very fragile, and it is difficult to stop even the arrows. The subordinates thought that this was not conducive to our army, so they cast a new Dough.

Cast in iron, it is lined with a layer of wool and a layer of silk to prevent the scalp from being broken, and can be decorated with bird feathers on the top, and the sides are tied around the neck with ribbons. Because it is made of iron and is one and a half minutes thick, it can block the shooting of ordinary arrows and the attack of ordinary swords and spears. Unless the enemy is very strong, it will be difficult to break through this hood with a sword and spear; The only ones that can shoot through are the arrows fired by the crossbow and the arrows fired by the marksman. ”

The degree of the two Han Dynasty is: one zhang is 231 centimeters, which is equal to ten feet; One foot is 23.1 centimeters, which is equal to ten inches, one inch is 2.31 centimeters, which is equal to ten, and one is divided into 0.231 centimeters. Therefore, Ma Jun's hood is about 0.3 cm thick.

Ma Jun untied the ribbon of the guard's pocket and held the pocket to Ma Chao, Ma Chao took it and weighed it, although it was a little weighty, but for the physically strong Xiliang soldiers, it was nothing at all. Ma Chao touched the pocket, and it was a layer of silk wrapped in a layer of wool, which was very soft. This design not only avoids the iron helmet from breaking the skin, but also has a great protective effect on the arrows that shoot through the helmet.

In addition, the top of the helmet is cast with a tube inserted into the tail feathers of two bright brocade pheasants, white, blue and purple and black complement each other, which is not only pleasing to the eye, but also conducive to the soldier to distinguish between friend and foe in the chaos of battle. However, Ma Chao thought about the 50,000 people in the army, all of whom had bird feathers on their heads, and he didn't know how many white-bellied golden pheasants had died of criticism, and he was still a little distressed in his heart, but fortunately, the white-bellied golden pheasants were not protected animals.

Ma Jun saw that Ma Chao was very fond of bird feathers, and said: "In addition, his subordinates also made a special helmet for the young master, made of steel, unless the enemy general has such natural divine power as the young master, it is difficult to break; There are exquisitely embossed dragon and tiger stripes, the helmet is lined with brocade, and the top is pierced with peacock tail feathers, which the young master will definitely like. ”

Ma Chao was overjoyed when he heard this, thinking that he would definitely make the enemy envious if he wore a helmet decorated with peacock tail feathers into battle, and it must be extremely popular.

Ma Chao just wanted to praise Ma Jun for two sentences, but Ma Jun began to explain again. He pointed to the guard's face and said, "In the past, soldiers never had facial protection, so the enemy's arrows could easily hit the soldiers' faces and cause death. His subordinates then created masks. ”

Ma Chao looked closely, this mask was the most conspicuous place on the guard's body, because the army had never worn a mask before, and this mask was also made to look like a tiger.

Ma Jun took off his mask, handed it to Ma Chao, and said, "Young master, please see, this mask is also made of iron, and his subordinates specially made it into a tiger face, and painted a tiger face on the front to deter the enemy; The back is lined with cloth; There are also ribbons on the sides that can be tied to the helmet. ”

Ma Chao took it in his hand and looked at it carefully, this tiger mask was slightly thinner than the helmet, but except for the tiger's eyes, which were two holes to accommodate the eyes of the soldiers wearing the mask, the rest of the place should be difficult to be pierced by arrows. Not only is the mask made to look like a tiger opening its bloody mouth, but it is also colored and lifelike. Ma Chao expected that such a mask would easily dazzle the enemy army and believe it in the chaotic battlefield.

Ma Jun pointed to the armor of the guards and said: "In the past, the armor of the Han officers and soldiers was very scarce and thin, and it could only protect the chest, abdomen and arms, and as for the neck, forearms, back, and feet, it was easy to be injured by the enemy. After the transformation of the subordinates, the armor can cover all parts except the calves. ”

As Ma Jun said, the guards presented in front of Ma Chao, in addition to wearing riding boots on their calves, have a basin collar at the neck, arm guards at the forearm, and the back and legs also have the same armor as the chest and abdomen. Ma Chao looked at it for a long time and found out that this was the basin collar armor of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Before Ma Jun could continue, the generals couldn't wait to step forward and pull the armor on the guards, who were like fish on the chopping board, allowing the generals to get up and down. But to the generals' confusion, no matter how they searched, they couldn't find the strap of the armor.

Pang De was puzzled: "Young master, Mr. Ma's armor seems to be one." ”

Ma Dai also pulled twice and said, "Yes, big brother, this can't be solved at all!" ”

Ma Jun happily pulled the guards out of the encirclement of the generals and said, "The generals are mistaken, this armor is not tied with a tie as usual, but with a buckle. ”

As he spoke, Ma Jun accurately touched a ring in the gap between the two pieces of armor, and then with a slight effort of his hand, he untied the ring from the buckle, and the two pieces of armor separated.

"Oh! I see! ”

After Pang De, Ma Dai, Ju Yi, Zhang Xiu and others understood, they immediately untied the armor on the guards. Ma Chao found that the armor was divided into a piece of armor on the left arm, right arm, chest, abdomen, left leg, right leg, upper back, and lower waist.

Ma Chao could see at a glance that the buckle was more convenient than the lacing. No soldier wears armor all day long, because armor is heavy. For example, the armor of the infantry of the Song Dynasty weighed 40 kilograms; Ma Jun's improved basin collar armor was lighter, also weighing 15 kilograms. If a soldier had put on armor for a long time, his strength would have been exhausted long ago, and he would not be able to kill the enemy and fight.

It is only before the enemy is met in battle that the soldier wears armor. Therefore, you must be quick to put on the armor, if it is slow, the enemy will run and stab you to death with a spear. For example, the reason why it is easy to defeat the enemy army with a sneak attack is because the enemy army does not anticipate the danger and generally does not wear armor, so it is easier to cause casualties. The buckle only needs to be fastened, and the various armor pieces can be connected into a solid one in a very short time, and the drape can be completed, even if it is attacked by a sneak attack, the casualties will not be too great.