Chapter 296 Crossbow

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Huan groggily opened her eyes.

The night outside the window grew deeper and deeper, and the chill intensified.

She rubbed her eyes and realized that she was lying on a soft couch in the inner room, gently covered by a brocade quilt.

Oh no! She promised to stay with Huo Lin, but in the end, Huo Lin has to take care of her.

But I have to admit, isn't my excessive sleepiness a bit too severe lately?

As she thought about it, Jiang Huan rolled out of bed.

As soon as I approached the outer room, I unconsciously slowed my pace.

Huo Lin was still sitting upright behind his desk, but his head was slightly lowered, his elbow resting on the table, and his other hand was still holding a pen, but the pen was nowhere to be seen.

He actually fell asleep in that position.

Jiang Huan's heart clenched instantly, and the heartache in her eyes almost solidified.

Sigh, I wish there was anything I could do to help...

In the end, all she could do was take the shawl from the rack and gently drape it over Huo Lin's shoulder.

In that instant of bending down, Jiang Huan's gaze inadvertently swept over the map and several of the latest military reports on the desk.

One report was urgent, saying that the Northern Barbarian cavalry had developed a new tactic: using light cavalry to constantly harass our supply lines and logistics units.

Taking advantage of the terrain, they were as slippery as eels in the water, making it difficult for the heavily armed infantry and wagon convoys escorting the grain to cope, resulting in considerable losses.

Another document was a petition from a border general on how to effectively counter such harassment tactics, but several of the proposed solutions were rejected.

Jiang Huan's brows furrowed as well, and she found herself engrossed in the story.

But she wasn't a professional after all. Most of her previous "good strategies" were thanks to her good history knowledge, but now that she was dealing with military matters, her knowledge was insufficient.

But for Huo Lin, I'll risk it all!

She racked her brains, even burning out the CPU, before finally arriving at a conclusion.

The Northern Barbarians' harassment tactics were highly mobile, and their heavy infantry couldn't keep up.

If we had more flexible and more lethal long-range weapons, it might be easier to deal with them.

for example……

Repeating crossbow!

Or, to put it another way, a small crossbow that can fire rapidly in rapid succession and is easy to carry and operate.

She remembered seeing similar things in museums and movies before. If they could design something like that and equip it to the elite squads escorting the grain transport routes, wouldn't that effectively curb the harassment of the Northern Di light cavalry?

Once the idea took hold, it became incredibly urgent.

She carefully took out a clean sheet of Xuan paper, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to sketch intently, relying on her memory and understanding.

Her drawing skills weren't professional, but the core structure and principles were clearly demonstrated.

Crossbow body, crossbow arm, quiver...

Jiang Huan was completely absorbed in her own thoughts, her eyes shining, as if she had found the key to solving the problem, unaware that the people around her had already woken up.

Huo Lin actually woke up when Jiang Huan approached; his long-standing vigilance prevented him from falling asleep for too long.

He wanted to speak, but he saw Jiang Huan pick up a pen, pondering intently over the map and military report, and then begin to draw with complete concentration.

Curious, he didn't disturb them, but simply watched quietly.

In the candlelight, Jiang Huan's profile was incredibly soft. Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, and she would sometimes furrow her brows in thought, and sometimes write furiously.

This focused demeanor, so absorbed in creation, is quite different from her usual lively and energetic self, yet it possesses a unique and captivating charm.

He watched quietly until Jiang Huan finished drawing the rough sketch, let out a long sigh, and met Huo Lin's gaze.

!!

Jiang Huan was so startled that her hand trembled, and the blueprint almost fell into the inkstone.

"When...when did you wake up?"

Huo Lin did not answer immediately. His gaze slowly moved from her startled face to the drawing in her hand.

"What are you drawing?" His voice was still hoarse from just waking up.

Jiang Huan regained her senses and quickly handed over the blueprints, her tone tinged with excitement.

"I just read your military report, which said that the Northern Di cavalry are constantly harassing our supply lines. I was thinking about whether we could develop a small crossbow and have the elite members of the supply escort team carry it. Here's something like this..."

As she spoke, she pointed to the structure on the blueprints and explained, her tone hesitant due to uncertainty, but her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Huo Lin took the blueprints. After Jiang Huan offered several suggestions, he had been completely impressed by her abilities and began to study them carefully.

After only a few glances, Huo Lin immediately realized the immense value contained in this sketch.

[Rapid firing, lightweight and portable, relatively simple to operate.]

This is practically the perfect counter to the Northern Di light cavalry harassment tactics!

He suddenly raised his head, staring intently at Jiang Huan, his gaze so sharp it seemed he could see right through her.

Jiang Huan knew he understood her meaning, and her smile became even more confident.

But blueprints are one thing, and whether they can actually be made is another.

Thinking about it, he said, "I just don't know if the military industry can manufacture it."

Just as she was lost in thought, Huo Lin suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Jiang Huan..." he began, his voice low and slow, filled with amazement, "Are you a goddess descended from heaven?"

[The problem that had troubled Bingbu for so long was solved by her drawing here for a while.]

[His head is practically overflowing with surprises for me.]

Jiang Huan was somewhat stunned by the sudden praise.

Last time she was Zhuge Liang reincarnated, but this time she's become the Seven Fairies of Joy?

But it's alright, she's already quite used to Huo Lin's exaggerated metaphors.

Huo Lin said no more, suddenly stood up, his eyes shining brightly.

"Wang Degui!" he called out.

Wang Degui appeared silently immediately.

Huo Lin hurriedly ordered, "Immediately summon the Minister of Works and the Minister of War to the palace. Be quick!"

Wang Degui dared not delay and immediately accepted the order and left.

Huo Lin took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and turned to Jiang Huan, saying, "Your map might be able to solve the urgent problem in the Northern Border!"

Soon, several high-ranking officials, who had been woken from their beds, rushed to the Imperial Study, still looking sleepy.

But when Huo Lin showed them Jiang Huan's sketch, everyone's sleepiness vanished instantly.

The Minister of Works studied the sketches carefully, becoming more and more excited as he looked at them: "Brilliant! Your Majesty, although this design is somewhat crude, the principle is feasible and the structure is ingenious. If it can be made and equipped for soldiers, the Northern Di light cavalry will certainly not dare to be so rampant again!"

The Minister of War was so excited that his beard trembled: "Heaven bless the Great Liang! Your Majesty, if this crossbow can be completed, our supply lines will be secure!"