Towards the end of the year, the lively atmosphere in Kaifeng City is no different from this time of the year. On the streets and alleys, red lanterns are hung high, and the shouting and selling are endless.

Although the news that the Five Route Army is about to hunt Kaifeng has spread, the people of Kaifeng City do not seem to care about it, and the song and dance rhythm continues, and there is a scene of peace and prosperity.

After Yan Zongyi, standing at the door of the Drunken Hibiscus Restaurant, looking at the bustling crowd, his mood was extremely complicated.

He originally thought that Kaifeng City would be panicked because of the upcoming war, but the scene in front of him was completely beyond his expectations.

"Your Highness, the atmosphere in this Kaifeng City is really strange." One of his men stepped forward and whispered.

Wanyan Zongyi nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice: "That's true, the people here don't seem to be worried about the upcoming war. ”

As he spoke, he turned around and walked into the restaurant of "Drunken Hibiscus".

The restaurant is full of people, and the steaming hot pot exudes an enticing aroma.

Wanyan Zongyi found a place to sit down, ordered a hot pot, and began to listen to the surrounding discussions.

"This year's harvest is good, thanks to the seeds of Her Royal Highness the Princess." A middle-aged man's voice came into Yan Zongyi's ears.

"Yes, yes, Her Royal Highness the Princess is really our lucky star." The other chimed in.

To Yan Zongyi's strange thing, these people's words did not mention the slightest word about the army's invasion of Kaifeng, they were talking more about how this year's harvest was and what new seeds Her Royal Highness had cultivated.

Wanyan Zongyi's brows furrowed slightly, and a wave of doubt surged in his heart.

He stood up, walked over to one of the tables, and asked softly, "Aren't you afraid of the great battle that will open next year?" ”

The middle-aged man at the table laughed, patted Yan Zongyi's shoulder and said, "There is Her Royal Highness the Princess in Kaifeng City, which is as solid as gold." No matter what kind of five-way army he has, even if the golden dog goes south with the strength of the whole country, he will still be beaten back by Her Royal Highness the Princess. ”

The word "golden dog" in the man's mouth made the faces of several of Wanyan Zongyi's subordinates change suddenly, and they glared at the man angrily, and they were about to make a move.

However, Wanyan Zongyi waved his hand to stop them.

He gave the man a deep look and then glanced at some of his men, who had to return to their places in a huff.

After telling the service staff in the store that he had covered the man's meal today, Wanyan Zongyi sat down with a smile and asked, "This eldest brother, Her Royal Highness the princess is just a woman, how can she resist the 800,000 combined forces of the Jin Kingdom and Great Xia?" ”

At about this time, Wanyan Zongyi and several of his subordinates were dressed as Han people, and the middle-aged man was not overly wary of them, so he said, "Her Royal Highness the princess has fought several battles in a row, and built a capital view in Lanzhou, which makes the golden dog frightened, not to mention the 800,000 coalition army, even the 8 million coalition army will not want to break through Kaifeng." ”

Wanyan Zongyi smiled awkwardly and left his seat, he knew that in Kaifeng City, "Her Royal Highness the Princess" had become an irreplaceable symbol, an existence that could give people endless confidence and strength.

If you continue to ask, won't you continue to find yourself unhappy?

After eating that simple hot pot, Wanyan Zongyi returned to his temporary residence in Kaifeng City, but his heart was overturned. He took a deep breath and shouted softly outside the door, "Su Feng, you come in." ”

After a while, a short, shrewd-looking middle-aged man walked in, who was none other than Wanyan Zongyi's henchman, Su Feng.

"Your Highness, are you looking for me?" Su Feng asked respectfully.

Wanyan Zongyi nodded, and said with a frown: "In the autumn, we took a lot of trouble to get the design of the artillery from Zhao Yingluo. However, after returning to Yanjing, no matter how our craftsmen imitated it, they always blew up frequently. Now, the war between Dajin and her is about to be rekindled, and we only have fifty artillery pieces in our hands, how can we compete with her? ”

Su Feng was silent for a moment and said, "Your Highness, I know the reason. When I was in Zhao Yingluo's foundry, I secretly observed their production process. The problem of the barrel blowing up is mainly caused by two aspects. ”

"Oh? You say come and hear it. Wanyan Zongyi said eagerly.

"The first reason is the casting process of the barrel." Su Feng said slowly, "The steel used in Zhao Yingluo's foundry has been quenched by a special process to improve its strength, so it is not easy to blow up. And when we imitated it, we didn't master this process. ”

"And what about the second reason?" Wanyan Zongyi asked.

"The second reason is gunpowder." Su Feng continued, "The ratio of gunpowder is also the key. Different raw material ratios will affect the explosive power and stability of gunpowder. We have to get their gunpowder recipes. ”

After Yan Zongyi heard this, a trace of fierceness flashed in his eyes: "Su Feng, I order you to get the casting process and gunpowder formula of the iron pipe as soon as possible." Do whatever it takes! ”

Su Feng bowed down to receive the order......

At this time, Zhao Yingluo was in the mansion, and she was also thinking about the upcoming war in spring.

Her heart seemed to be swirling with a storm, and the situation of the various armies appeared in her mind one by one. Although she didn't know how Zhao Zhen would deal with the threat of Guo Yan and Zhu Zhenhai's 250,000 troops on the West Road, her heart was full of firm conviction.

She recalled Zhao Zhen's experience in Wuma Cottage, the years like wind and rain, like a sword and a sword, had already tempered this younger brother into a wise and brave general. She was convinced that Zhao Zhen would never let her down.

And when it came to Han Shizhong's troops on the East Road, the corners of Zhao Yingluo's mouth hooked up with a confident smile.

Her imperial brother's stupidity had completely chilled the loyal general's heart, and this provided Zhao Yingluo with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

She believed that at the critical moment, Han Shizhong's troops would burst out with amazing combat effectiveness and become a sharp blade in her hands.

At this point, the Fifth Route Army has gone to the second.

Zhao Yingluo's gaze passed through the courtyards, as if she had seen the far north.

It was where the combined forces of Western Xia and Dajin were located, and it was also the battlefield that was coming, and now Yue Fei was in Xingzhou, as long as he was given enough support and trust, he would be able to withstand the ferocious attack of the northern alliance.

In Zhao Yingluo's heart, the status of artillery and firearms can be described as very important. She had seen firsthand how these two weapons could be used on the battlefield, and she knew they would be the decisive tools to turn the tide and decide the outcome.

So, she did not hesitate to summon Feng Jing, who was in charge of the foundry, to know the latest production capacity of the foundry.

"What's going on in the foundry today?" Zhao Yingluo's tone revealed a hint of eagerness.

Feng Jing bowed down and replied: "Back to Her Royal Highness the Princess, now the foundry is already in full swing, and it can produce one cannon in two days, with a daily output of about ten guns." ”

Zhao Yingluo's brows furrowed slightly, such production capacity obviously could not meet her needs.

The Spring War was getting closer, and she had to build more artillery and guns to support Yue Fei during this time.