Chapter Ten: In war, logistics are paramount.
"Whoosh!" An arrow struck the bullseye precisely, penetrating more than an inch into the thick wooden target. Accompanied by a soft, sweet laugh, Lin Ruoxi's face, as delicate as fine porcelain, blossomed with joy.
Allen and Seaman watched from the sidelines, extremely satisfied to see Lin Ruoxi accurately hit the target a hundred paces away, penetrating the wood an inch deep. Seaman was even a little proud. He had made a suitable pulley bow based on the few simple diagrams Qin Mo had given him. Lin Ruoxi, this little girl, could easily use two bows, whereas before she could only use one bow at most.
In essence, a pulley bow uses pulleys to distribute the force at the most strenuous point of drawing the bow, thus reducing the force required to hold the bow after drawing by extending the stroke. A person who can barely draw a 100-pound bow can only use a 70-pound bow because they lack the strength to maintain stability and aim properly after drawing the bow fully.
The pulley bow, on the other hand, allows for easy and precise aiming while maintaining a fully drawn bow thanks to the pulley system. Anyone with a background in mechanics can easily grasp this principle. However, for Seaman and the elven archers, it represented an absolute boost to their skill.
The pulley bow has a slower rate of fire than a recurve bow, which limits its use of skills like rapid-fire arrows. However, it is far superior in both power and accuracy, making it ideal as a sniper bow when combined with the Elven archery skills. Of course, high-level elves would be best off using a high-end bow like the "Evening Moon," but unfortunately, that's beyond Qin Mo's current capabilities.
Qin Mo drew several blueprints for Ximan, including those for faster arrow speed, straighter arrow trajectories, and better handling. He just drew them randomly from memory and let Ximan, this half-expert, figure them out. Sooner or later, he would find the best solution.
While Ximan was so busy he forgot about day and night, Qin Mo was neglecting his duties again. He was teaching people how to make shoes, specifically the kind of combat boots suitable for various terrains.
Located in the south, Dayuan has a warm and humid climate, so most people wear cloth shoes, and many don't even wear shoes. Seeing the beautiful straw sandals woven from plants on the elves' feet, Qin Mo was deeply worried. On the battlefield, you can lack the best weapon, but you cannot lack good armor; you can lack good armor, but you absolutely cannot lack a pair of reliable shoes.
The harsh snowstorms of the North are nothing like the gentle, misty drizzle of Jiangnan; the Siberian winds are like deadly steel blades! Qin Mo already felt guilty for bringing his troops to a place where even urinating required carrying a stick. If he didn't take proper protective measures and suffered non-combat casualties, then his reputation as a transmigrator could be thrown away like toilet paper.
Dayuan was rich in deerskin, and deerskin boots, a legendary high-end item, became Qin Mo's standard military equipment. Several layers of thick cowhide were used to make the soles, which were then glued together with fish glue. This provided some cushioning and protection against thorns and spikes.
The uppers were made of deerskin, and the eyelets were hammered onto copper caps. A simple yet beautiful pair of military boots was finished. After the half-elves and the old assassins tried them on, they were full of praise and repeatedly thanked Qin Mo. Have you ever seen a prince personally making shoes for his subordinates?
When Qin Mo finished making the fingerless leather gloves, everyone stopped laughing. They sensed that this prince was different from before; he was no longer the aloof prince, but rather a commander-in-chief prepared to share joys and sorrows with everyone.
Ship after ship of sea salt was transported away, followed by ship after ship of fine iron passing the blacksmith's workshop. The blacksmiths worked day and night, forging a simple type of armor according to the blueprints given by the crown prince.
It wasn't as beautiful as the Bright Armor of the Great Xia Dynasty, nor as intricate as the Leaf Armor, but the solid breastplate gave it a reassuring look. It also featured arm armor extending to the elbows, legs, thighs, and even iron gauntlets covering the hands. Finally, after donning the new helmet that only revealed the eyes, the entire figure transformed into a heavily armored warrior encased in steel.
"How much iron does this take? In the past, only generals and captains could wear full armor. If a common soldier had a breastplate, that was considered a sign of the general's mercy. These guys have really messed up this time." Uncle Lin and a group of white-haired old men were chattering away. Three thousand pieces of full heavy armor were really breaking their hearts.
After several discussions, it was decided that Qin Mo would lead two thousand veterans, one thousand new recruits, and five hundred elven longbowmen on this expedition. The rest would be recruited from Fusang. As for the one thousand new recruits, they were all the sons and nephews of the veterans. They were going with him to gain experience, otherwise, after these battle-hardened veterans passed away, there would be no one to succeed them.
As for the five hundred elven archers, Qin Mo suggested using lightweight chainmail for protection, but Seaman and Allen disagreed, arguing that the iron armor would reduce the elven archers' agility. Qin Mo, however, thought they simply found the dark chainmail unattractive. The three argued endlessly, finally settling on a compromise: leather armor with steel inlays in the main areas would replace the chainmail.
The saltworks currently generate a profit of approximately ten thousand taels of silver. Qin Mo's intention is to use all the remaining funds, after deducting necessary construction costs, to upgrade military preparedness. He knows that to develop, one must first become wealthy; and to become wealthy, one must have sufficient military strength to protect one's gains from being taken away by others.
So he told Uncle Lin that after he left, the sea salt should continue to be sold as usual, but he should try to open up more trade routes to avoid attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives and causing unnecessary trouble. He shouldn't save the money he earned; instead, he should use it to make cement, build irrigation projects, and buy fine iron to forge armor and weapons. In two or three years, they would no longer be afraid. They could then throw all their attacks, open or covert, back at anyone.
After discussing it with his uncles and elders, Uncle Lin also agreed. Qin Mo hadn't even been promoted to Prince Heng yet, and he was being conscripted to fight in the north against all reason. This series of abnormal actions had already sounded an alarm for them. They were all veterans who had crawled out of piles of corpses on the battlefield; their hearts were hardened, and they were not comparable to those timid scholars.
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