After Zheng Quchi expressed his deep disappointment with the current state of handicrafts in Ye Kingdom, he found that he received no feedback or response.
She tilted her umbrella slightly and looked up, only to see the two guards staring at her blankly with their mosquito-coil eyes after hearing her words, as if they hadn't understood any of the mysteries she was talking about.
The guards were there to protect the people; they didn't have the opportunity to manufacture weapons on the side.
"Is this gun standard issue for officials, or is it exclusive to your guards?" Zheng Quchi asked curiously.
It's one thing for government officials to use these things to scare petty thieves, but can't all border guards be treated like this?
The guards understood now, but their faces darkened, and they said impatiently, "Where did this madman come from, spouting nonsense? If you won't leave, then we'll have no choice but to take action."
Seeing that they regarded him as a suspicious person and were about to arrest him, Zheng Quchi took two steps back with his umbrella and quickly tried to take out the gold seal from his sleeve to show his identity, but he couldn't find it. Then he saw the guards being stopped by a voice.
"stop!"
The guard, who was standing under the eaves and about to descend the steps, turned around immediately upon hearing the news. Upon seeing the newcomer, he immediately suppressed his anger, stood at attention, and respectfully saluted the newcomer: "Iron Official of the North Hall."
"Okay, you two keep watch, I'll handle this."
The guards looked at each other, puzzled, but obediently stepped aside.
Zheng Quchi, who was halfway through taking something out, stopped and looked at the person walking towards her.
He looked to be in his thirties or forties. He wasn't very tall, short and stout, with a round face, dark skin, several creases under his eyelids, and dark circles under his eyes. His eyes looked squinty and wide-eyed, as if he had poor eyesight, or as if he was tired and listless from staying up late all year round.
Iron official, what kind of official is he? Is he an official who forges iron?
Zheng Quchi guessed to himself.
"Madam, what did you just say?"
He wasn't afraid of getting wet in the rain. Although the rain had lessened considerably, the drizzle was still falling on his hair and clothes, slowly soaking them, but he didn't mind.
"Me? What did I just say?"
“You said…” Beitang Mu had a good memory, so he simply repeated what she had said earlier: “The proportions of the blade and the handle are not right. The angle at which the blade reflects light is obviously not sharp enough. Although it is blunt, it is not hard enough. The gun is made of wood, which is not strong or tough enough. It cannot achieve both thrusting and killing power. Can’t we choose a better material to forge the gun body?”
After he finished speaking, he strained his squinty eyes to look at her, as if waiting for her to tell him the whole story.
Zheng Quchi twirled the umbrella handle, but instead of following his plan, he asked, "Why don't you answer me first? Other countries have long abandoned this kind of wooden spear shaft. It's just ordinary wood. At the very least, it should be made of thick wood or composite wood. I've heard that the spear shafts of Hongsheng Kingdom are made of a composite material, with a core of sinew wood, wrapped with bamboo strips, and then tightly wrapped with a layer of copper wire and rattan to ensure the shaft's flexibility. Finally, it's coated with raw lacquer. Why does Ye Kingdom still use such a primitive method?"
Beitang Mu was greatly amazed to hear her speak so eloquently about the manufacture of spears. The spears of Hongsheng Kingdom were indeed famous among the seven kingdoms. However, he did not expect that she not only pointed out the key secrets in one sentence, but also knew the manufacturing process like the back of her hand.
"...Madam, you don't know, the long spears of Hongsheng Kingdom require excessive arm strength to bear the load. Our wooden spears, though primitive and simple, can be used more quickly and easily for sprinting." He could only make up some nonsense to save face for himself and his colleagues.
We can't say that our Ye Kingdom's craftsmen are ignorant and lack inspiration, and therefore cannot make weapons as excellent and amazing as those of other countries, can we?
Zheng Quchi shook his head: "I think this idea is wrong. Lightness should not be the first consideration for a spear. The priority for long-handled weapons should be how to make the attack range wider. When a spear is charging, the damage will be concentrated on the tip of the spear, so sharpness is the only way to have excellent armor-piercing function. On the battlefield, its penetrating power and killing power are the most important."
The weapons used by the military and those used by ordinary martial arts practitioners cannot be considered in the same way. The former should focus on large-scale combat on the battlefield, while the latter simply need a weapon that is powerful and easy to carry.
This brings up the spear tip again... After silently noting down the key points she pointed out regarding the manufacture of spears in Hongsheng Kingdom, Beitang Mu said with a wry smile, "What you said is insightful, but unfortunately it doesn't fit the reality of our Ye Kingdom."
How to say it?
"As the saying goes, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. The iron blocks we currently have, forged from bronze, wrought iron, copper, white tin, black tin (lead), and other ores, are always unsatisfactory. Either they are hard enough, but cannot be kept sharp, or if they are sharp, they are easily broken..."
She already knew about this in Fu County. At present, the smelting technology in Ye Kingdom is still relatively immature, but she can temporarily solve this problem by using the solid decarburization of cast iron to produce steel. The advantage of this method is that it can produce steel with a huge output. She can then use the crucible steel method to improve the quality.
"Anything else?"
"...Our Ordnance Bureau is severely lacking in capable people. It is extremely difficult for some of the older staff to manufacture a suitable gun for the battlefield. Apart from learning from other countries' advanced weapons and upgrading them, it is really too difficult for us to slowly refine and study them ourselves. Nowadays, most of the Ordnance Bureau staff are just going through the motions."
Oh, besides technical issues, there are also talent issues, and even issues with slacking off at work. It sounds like the Ordnance Supervision Bureau is indeed a mess.
"Can I go in and take a look?" she asked.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
