However, the development of firearms is not something that can be done overnight. We need to give them a task in advance and let them work on it.

If once isn't enough, do it five times; if five times isn't enough, do it a hundred times, a thousand times!

In short, we absolutely must develop firearms.

No matter how much money, manpower, or resources it takes, we must make it happen.

Zhao Huan was determined!

The emperor not only painted a picture that almost made everyone cry, but he also acted like a rogue on the spot, saying, "Don't ask me, I don't know how this happened. How did I know about this?"

I am a time traveler... no, I am the true Son of Heaven, appointed by the will of Heaven!

After discussing the fire lance, Zhao Huan began to inquire about the current state of weaponry.

As people living in the 21st century, the ancient Chinese weapon we hear about most is probably the famous Tang sword.

Unfortunately, the Tang sword technique was lost during the Song Dynasty, and there are several main reasons for this loss.

The Tang sword has very high requirements for steel materials, and the iron mines in the Central Plains region could not meet the requirements, or rather, the iron mines that were known could not be used to forge the Tang sword.

Records from the Tang Dynasty indicate that the best iron mines were located in the Western Regions and the northern deserts.

The iron ore of the Xiagas tribe in the Qianhe River basin in northern Mongolia is very rich and of superior quality, known as "Jiasha", which is extremely sharp for military purposes.

The Yenisei River is the same river that flows along the border between Mongolia and Russia in later times.

During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the various branches of the Turkic tribes in these regions had a strong influence, and resources were not a major problem.

The steel used to forge Tang swords came from the Western Regions. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the route to the Western Regions was cut off. Moreover, the Song Dynasty had to pass through Turpan and Dangxiang along the way to the Western Regions.

Even if there were a thoroughfare, these strategic materials would not be allowed to pass through. Without sufficient raw materials, iron swords were only collected by a few people in the Song Dynasty and could not become standard equipment for the army.

The Song Dynasty was confined to a small area in the southeast, lacking warhorses and iron mines, so it naturally couldn't produce Tang swords.

This is one of the reasons.

The second reason is that the Song Dynasty lacked horses and had no cavalry. To fight against the cavalry of the nomadic tribes in the north, they needed longer swords.

At this time, the horse-slaying sword appeared. In fact, the horse-slaying sword was developed from the horse-slaying sword of the Han Dynasty. The horse-slaying sword was abandoned for a time, but became popular again in the Song Dynasty.

The Tang sword is about one meter long, with a straight blade that is only two fingers wide. It exudes a sword-like elegance, but also possesses its own unique killing intent.

Song Dynasty horse-slaying swords were generally 1.2 to 1.6 meters long, with some even reaching 2 meters. Both the handle and the blade were very long, requiring both hands to grip and slash.

The horse-slaying sword of the Song Dynasty was extremely sharp. It was called a horse-slaying sword not because it was specifically designed to cut down horses, but because it was used to sweep across the battlefield against cavalry with such force that it seemed capable of slicing down both the rider and the horse in one stroke.

Zhao Huan also remembered that although the Song Dynasty gave people a weak impression, it attached great importance to weaponry and equipment.

The infantrymen's armor often weighed tens of kilograms, while Europe at that time was still wearing chainmail. The Song Dynasty was far superior.

It's no wonder that most of Song's tax revenue was invested in the military, and that military equipment was frighteningly expensive.

However, vacancy is still the main reason.

Moreover, by the mid-Song Dynasty, due to the unbridled expansion of the military, the number of weapons needed had greatly increased, and corruption had also become increasingly rampant, leading the court to begin to cut corners on the quality of weapons.

Emperor Shenzong of Song once complained about the bows and arrows produced by the Imperial Arsenal, saying that the string had actually been broken by him, the emperor!

This is also the main reason why Zhao Huan came here.

The equipment of the Song army was frightening to talk about; each infantryman wore armor weighing as much as 30 kilograms, but the quality was incomparable to that at the beginning of the dynasty.

The armored infantryman's body is composed of 1,825 armor plates and weighs 70 jin (35 catties)!

This is simply burning money!

However, Zhao Huan was willing to spend money like that!

Before firearms came into existence, heavy infantry was the only way to deal with the Jin dynasty's "Iron Pagoda" and the Tangut's "Iron Falcons"!

At this moment, the armor in front of Zhao Huan was a newly produced infantry armor.

It was placed on a wooden frame, its entire body jet black, its color cold, and it exuded a heavy, chilling aura.

Next to it is a somewhat old-looking infantry armor set, which dates back to the time of Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji).

Chen Gui presented a horse-slaying saber with both hands. Zhao Huan gripped the saber with both hands and suddenly slashed at the older infantryman.

The blade struck the armor plate with a clang, leaving a deep mark on the infantryman's armor.

In the year since Zhao Huan traveled back in time, he has practiced diligently every day, and his physical fitness has reached an unprecedented level, as have the strength in his wrists and arms.

Zhao Huan reached out again, and Chen Gui took the horse-slaying sword from Zhao Huan's hand and replaced it with a new one.

Zhao Huan slashed again, and the marks on the infantryman's armor became even deeper, almost piercing through it.

Immediately, Zhao Huan slashed at the new infantryman's armor with his blade. The blade scraped against the armor plates, producing a series of tearing sounds, leaving a shallow mark on the armor.

The result is obvious: the infantrymen of Emperor Huizong's era cut corners by more than half!

Zhao Huan said, "Li Gang, have the Ministry of War investigate how many of these old armors are still in use, and replace them all! The same goes for these horse-slaying swords!"

"I obey the decree!"

Zhao Huan picked up the bow and arrow again, pulled it hard, and it made a creaking sound, as if it were about to break at any moment.

"I will forgive and forget what happened before. The Ministry of War shall cooperate with the Ordnance Bureau to compile a list of all previous weapons and have them all melted down and remade!"

Chen Gui and Li Gang both replied, "Your Majesty, we obey!"

Zhao Huan's tone was calm, but his meaning was clear: all inferior weapons were to be discarded, and efforts should be made to recall them in waves as quickly as possible. Anyone who dared to manufacture such garbage again would have their head taken by the Emperor!

"Minister Han, I require a horse-slaying sword of even higher quality than this new one, and I also want to reduce its cost and speed up its forging. This matter will be entrusted to the Academy of Sciences. Is this feasible within two years?"

"I will risk my old life to create it for Your Majesty."

Zhao Huan quickly helped Han Gonglian up, looking very concerned, and said in a very gentle tone: "Minister Han, you are too kind. Minister Han is my right-hand man."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for casting the curtain."

That's what they say, but anyone who believes the emperor's polite words is an idiot.

"The army is the shield of the Great Song Dynasty. Whether this shield is strong and how many Jin invaders it can block is closely related to the weapons. Imagine, if the soldiers are fighting on the front lines and the weapons provided by the court are as worthless as grass and trees, how can we fight? China will surely fall into the hands of the invaders. I hope you all will remember this!"

"We will remember this forever!"

There's no need for further testing; these military equipment definitely need to be replaced as soon as possible.

After returning from the Arsenal, Li Gang, Zhong Shidao, and Zhang Shuye from the Western Palace followed the emperor back to the palace.

At present, all the imperial guards in Jiangnan East Road and Jiangnan West Road have been wiped out.

This shocked the entire Southern Imperial Guard, and now all the other Imperial Guards are obediently staying in place, waiting for the court to dispatch them.

Before the deployment, the military system, which had been compiled over several months, was also to be announced.

The biggest difference is that the ranks of nobility among the generals were listed separately, and they were also assigned clearly defined military ranks.

P.S.: Sorry I had something to do and got back late today, so the update is a bit late. Please continue to support me with your votes.