Wearing armor and helmets looks impressive and sounds impressive, but it's actually tough.
It was cold in winter and hot in summer, and bulky, so soldiers couldn't wear it until they were about to go into battle.
If the internal structure could be improved, the person wearing it would be more comfortable.
Song Liyun said, "Look, this woolen fabric is warmer and more insulating than the coarse cloth you wear. What would happen if the Zhenbei Army changed all their winter clothes to this?"
Zhao Tingduo was an expert; he could tell the world of difference just by touching the woolen fabric in his hands.
He quickly examined the woolen cloth several times, noticing the patterns that were clearly different from those of the Di people's weaving method, and asked, "Where did this cloth come from? How much can I buy?"
His first reaction was to follow his Di tribe soldiers.
He has fought more than a dozen battles in the past two years, losing six of his fifty personal guards. He wants to ensure that the remaining members of his clan enjoy the best of everything.
Song Liyun said, "These are samples that Manager Wan just sent over. I'd like to discuss with you the idea of providing the Wan family with raw wool from the grasslands, and then purchasing this woolen fabric for the military camp."
Zhao Tingduo's eyes gleamed: "They want to earn the Zhenbei Army's military pay..."
"Merchants don't get up early for nothing, and it's not just about making money. You and the garrison commander are well aware of the benefits it can bring."
Song Liyun is a businesswoman, and business is business. She needs to improve her combat strength and also make money from the Zhenbei Army.
The importance of improving the military's combat capabilities to generals is self-evident.
After a moment's thought, Zhao Tingduo said, "Alright, I'll go tell my elder brother about this, but the clan soldiers need to be equipped first."
His first thought was still for his own people.
"That's natural. In addition, I have already told Steward Wan to order another batch of fine silk for the armor lining, so that the woolen fabric won't prick the skin."
"Fine silk? Can't we use cotton? Our rough skin isn't afraid of being pricked!"
Zhao Tingduo felt a little sorry for the money. Wool was barely the same price as a cotton-padded coat, but silk was not cheap.
Just because it looks nice and doesn't hurt the skin doesn't mean you should wear something more expensive. Men going to war aren't afraid of this little bit of hardship.
Song Liyun smiled and was about to speak when her smile suddenly froze. She slowly turned to look at Zhao Tingduo, frowning as she asked, "What's lining your armor?"
Hearing her strange question, Zhao Tingduo raised an eyebrow and said, "Like everyone else, it's all fabric."
Zhao Tingduo's armor was a gift from Zhao Tinglei. There were fifty sets in total, and they were manufactured by the Ministry of Works. His armor was naturally the same as everyone else's, except that it was cleaned a bit more thoroughly.
Song Liyun's expression changed instantly. She hugged Zhao Tinglei tightly and murmured, "I'm sorry, I actually forgot about such a big thing!"
"What's wrong with you?" Zhao Tingduo patted her back.
He was perfectly fine, so why did he suddenly apologize?
"Quick, bring out your armor so I can see it! I need it urgently!"
Song Liyun immediately urged Zhao Tingduo to get his armor.
What are they trying to do?
What are they trying to do?
Not only Zhao Tingduo was confused about what Song Liyun was up to, but Song Dekui and Lin Qingyuan, who were standing nearby, were also drawn over.
Soon, two wooden pillars with leather-covered cow legs were tied to the side courtyard training ground where the Lei Battalion was stationed.
Zhao Tingduo personally covered the cow's legs with the leather armor worn by the soldiers.
Like humans, they also covered their leather armor with a coarse cloth cloak to protect them from the wind and sand.
The seven or eight guards who remained at the city lord's mansion gathered around and pointed at the beef legs.
Someone asked Fang Zheng, who was holding a small notebook, "Old Fang, what is the young master doing? He's even using a cow's leg as a target for archery practice now!"
These are the Di tribe's personal guards from the Wuda tribe.
Fang Zheng said mysteriously, "You'll find out soon enough, the young mistress is getting us some treasures!"
"What treasure?"
"Speak up! Speak up! Old Fang, you weren't always so secretive. How come you've become so indecisive now that you're in charge of the warehouse!"
"What does the Third Young Master want us to bring him a beef leg for?"
This is a soldier from the Lei Battalion.
Seeing Fang Zheng's feigned mystery, the soldiers around him were extremely anxious. If it weren't for Zhao Tingduo's presence, they would have grabbed the notebook to see what was written on it.
Actually, Fang Zheng didn't know what to do either. Just now, Song Liyun rushed into the warehouse and asked him to take out the finest silk.
Song Liyun had already prepared these things before, and among the dowry sent by the Duke of Anguo, there was even a bolt of silk that was a tribute item.
But when he watched helplessly as the young mistress tore the silk into pieces and sewed them into the lining of her leather armor, his heart felt as if it had been torn in two.
Fang Zheng is now in charge of the warehouse and knows the price of every item clearly.
The young mistress tore a bolt of silk worth ten taels of silver, which was easily shredded and used as padding for the armor plates.
The effect is good.
The armor was made of yellowish-brown leather on the outside, but inside was bright white silk, making the entire armor look shiny.
It's just that the young mistress's needlework skills are really embarrassing to mention.
He couldn't say this outright, so he vaguely pointed at Zhao Tingduo, who was adjusting her position, and said, "You'll see the city lord's archery skills in a moment."
"Get lost, Lao Fang. Do we even need to look at the Third Young Master's archery skills? Everyone knows he hits the bullseye every time! He's the best archer in the camp, only Qi Rong and a few others can compare."
"Hey, everyone be quiet, look!"
While the group of people were still chattering around Fang Zheng, Zhao Tingduo and Song Liyun were already ready.
Zhao Tingduo gestured to Fang Zheng and then took two arrows from the quiver.
The arena fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the young master.
Zhao Tingduo was less than fifty paces from the wooden stake; at such a close distance, hitting the target would have been effortless.
He raised his hand... and released it; with two whooshing sounds, the long arrow struck the wooden stake.
Zhao Tingduo walked over, and Fang Zheng quickly ran over with his notebook in hand.
Others also swarmed around.
The long arrow had already torn through the outer coarse cloth and pierced deeply into the leather armor.
Zhao Tingduo casually lifted the leather armor on the left, revealing an arrow that had pierced a hole in the cotton cloth and was deeply embedded in the cow's leg.
"Fang Zheng, pull out the arrow!"
Fang Zheng agreed, stuffed the notebook into the hands of the soldier next to him, and then drew the arrow with his bare hand.
He tried to pull it out, but it didn't come out. He quickly looked at Zhao Tingduo: "Third Young Master, it's hooked on the bone!"
The arrow went very deep, almost piercing through the cow's leg. The barb of the arrow hooked onto the bone, and before it could be removed, a cracking sound could be heard from inside the bone.
Zhao Tingduo frowned slightly; this was the severity of the arrow wound.
The so-called arrow wound is not only caused by the sharp arrowhead piercing the flesh, but also by the fact that a shot to the heart is extremely rare. The main cause of death is the barb specially made on the arrowhead.
If the arrowhead gets stuck in the flesh, it will snag on the bone and surrounding muscles, making it impossible to pull out. The only solution is to cut off the shaft and have a doctor perform surgery to remove the arrow.
If you try to pull it out by force, it could at least tear the muscles and bones inside, causing immense pain and even leaving you with a lifelong disability.
In severe cases, it can sever blood vessels and nerves, causing immediate death.
On the battlefield where medical care is unavailable, arrows cannot be removed quickly, and blood loss is also a cause of combat casualties.
Remembering what Song Liyun had said, Zhao Tingduo said in a deep voice, "Use the old method to retrieve the arrow!"
Fang Zheng switched hands, pulled a small silver knife from his sleeve, and began to dig the arrowhead out of the beef leg meat along the base of the arrow shaft.
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