Chapter 108 [VIP]
In her previous life, when Ji Nanke presented this repeating crossbow, the Emperor asked her to demonstrate its power at the birthday banquet. Ten arrows were fired at once, all piercing through the dummy a hundred paces away, and the lingering force even sent the dummy flying dozens of paces further.
The people at the birthday banquet were both surprised and delighted, praising it as a powerful weapon for the nation, and believing that the Great Qi Dynasty would be able to use this divine weapon to prevent the barbarians from advancing an inch.
Later, the emperor even had it passed around to his officials.
When the young master returned, he told her about it. He said that the Divine Arm Crossbow was indeed very powerful, but it had a major problem with its structure. If it was not improved, it could never be used in the army.
The young master later submitted a memorial, but it was suppressed by the emperor.
No more than six months later, the Imperial Guards established a 30,000-strong Divine Arm Battalion, fully equipped with Divine Arm Crossbows. The Emperor ordered Xie Jing to lead the Divine Arm Battalion to Huaizhou to suppress the rebels.
The rebel army numbered 12,000. Everyone knew that the emperor was paving the way for Xie Jing, allowing him to gain military merit and thus establish himself in the army. However, the 30,000-strong Shenbi Battalion suffered a crushing defeat.
Eighty percent of the crossbows suddenly disintegrated on the battlefield, the quiver burst open, and the arrows inside were ejected, hitting nearby comrades.
The scene was horrific, resembling a free-for-all. The Shenbi Battalion suffered heavy casualties, giving the rebels an opportunity to exploit the situation. Even Xie Jing nearly perished at the hands of the rebels.
The situation was truly appalling.
The emperor concealed the truth and secretly sent reinforcements, five times the number of the rebels, to win the battle.
At the time, the young master was critically ill, and Gu Zhizhuo had no energy to care about other things. It was only later, when she discovered that the Imperial Guards were no longer equipped with the Divine Arm Crossbow, that she learned the whole story from Huai Jingzhi.
Such a powerful weapon, if discarded without any improvement, only signifies one thing—
Ji Nanke doesn't know how at all!
This wasn't her design, so she won't correct it if something goes wrong.
Gu Zhizhu lowered her eyes slightly. The design of the crossbow was actually quite perfect. She wondered if Ji Nanke had misremembered something, which led to this fatal flaw.
"Jiaojiao".
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly spoke up and asked, "If you were the master of this world, but you could not interfere with the changes in all things in the world. One day, a person appeared in your world. She knew about the future and brought out all sorts of strange and wonderful things, each of which would make this world a better place. Would you choose her to take charge of the affairs of the world on your behalf?"
Gu Zhijiao rested her chin on her hand and thought seriously for a while: "I guess so."
“However, my eldest brother and third brother have both said that those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. No matter how much this person knows, she is not one of us, but comes from somewhere else. I cannot be sure that she does not have ulterior motives. I will keep an eye on her, and if a more suitable candidate comes along, I will replace her.”
Gu Zhizhuo watched her silently.
"Big sister, did I say something wrong?"
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands and said, "Jiaojiao is right."
Heaven has no emotions; it will only choose the most suitable path for this human world.
"Qiongfang".
Gu Zhizhu spread the silk paper out on the stone table and instructed, "Go back and bring some paper. Take the Chengxin paper from my study and a few charcoal pencils that are kept with the Chengshou paper."
Qiongfang readily agreed.
She quickly made her way back and forth, bringing back paper and pens.
Qingmei made a soft gesture and gently lifted the gauze curtain.
Gu Zhizhuo pointed to the location of the arrow box on the blueprint and said, "...and here, the pivot is under too little stress."
Qiongfang quietly walked over and placed the paper and pen next to each of them.
She glanced at the ice basin; there was still enough ice inside. Then she quietly stepped aside.
Gu Zhizhuo picked up a charcoal pencil and drew the pivot on the paper with a few strokes.
She once obtained a perfectly intact crossbow, and only after trying it several times did she discover the clue.
Gu Zhijiao leaned closer to look, and the two sisters talked with their heads touching.
"It's generally not a problem for routine use and training."
"But if used on the battlefield, it is impossible to end the battle by simply firing a few or a dozen arrows."
"And if it is used too frequently, the pivot will come off the axis."
Gu Zhijiao understood immediately. She said softly, "The pivot is the connection point of the entire repeating crossbow. Once it comes off the pivot, the repeating crossbow will immediately disintegrate. If it was in use at the time, the quiver might have broken."
Gu Zhizhu snapped his fingers: "That's it!"
After she fired a hundred shots in a row, the crossbow suddenly disintegrated, and the arrows in the quiver flew off in disarray.
One shot, ten arrows, which is a mere thousand arrows.
During regular training, crossbows are not typically used at such a high frequency, but in intense battles, firing a hundred times in succession is not uncommon.
Of course, if the firing rate were reduced like a regular crossbow, it wouldn't disintegrate. But if that were the case, why use a repeating crossbow at all? Wouldn't that be redundant?
"So we need to adjust the pivot. But the pivot is the center of the entire repeating crossbow. If the pivot moves, the hook and the quiver will also have to move."
In her previous life, the young master died. She had no interest in improving weapons or anything like that. After figuring out why the young master said there was a problem with the structure, she put the matter out of her mind and never touched the Divine Arm Crossbow again.
Gu Zhizhuo stroked his chin: "In any case, let's find a craftsman to make it first. But we must find a reliable one."
The drawings must not be leaked.
"Big sister." Gu Zhijiao tilted her head slightly, her voice soft and gentle, "I think I can do it."
Gu Zhijiao placed her hands on her knees, a dimple appearing on her cheek: "I used to make eight-treasure boxes for the Xu family's shop."
The Xu family's business was moved from the north to the capital.
Besides furs, an object called the "Eight Treasures Box" was popular in the north. These boxes came in various sizes and had no lock; however, to open them, one had to twist a sliding latch in a specific sequence. Inside, there were compartments, each controlled by a latch—a remarkably ingenious design that was especially popular in the capital. Gu Zhizhuo himself owned one, using it to store contracts and similar documents.
"I do it even better than the master chefs."
Gu Zhijiao's beautiful eyes lit up.
She could never forget that day when her older sister used a beaded flower to tie up her hair and told her that she could live in this world with her head held high.
She is the daughter of the Gu family, and she also wants to do something for the Gu family and for her older sister.
Gu Zhijiao was afraid of being rejected, and her anticipation was tinged with a hint of trepidation: "Big sister, can I give it a try?"
"Try what?"
A familiar voice rang out from outside the gauze curtain. Gu Yican lifted the curtain and came in, smiling brightly: "Sister. Second sister, you really are here."
"Can Can!" Gu Zhizhuo waved to him happily, "When did you get back?"
“Just now. I went to pay my respects to my grandmother. I was going to look for you at Lingxiao Courtyard, but Granny Zhu said you and my second sister are here.” Gu Yican placed an oil paper package on the stone table. “Try it, it’s still warm.”
"Is it a donkey meat sandwich?"
"You have a really good nose!" Gu Yican opened the oil paper package, inside were two donkey meat sandwiches. "Second sister, you should have some too. I bought them from that old shop in the north of the city."
Gu Zhizhu tore the oil paper in half, wrapped a baked bun inside, and handed it to Gu Zhijiao.
She picked up another one, took a big, happy bite, and muttered, "Perfect timing, I haven't had breakfast yet, I almost forgot."
Gu Yican narrowed his eyes, staring at her from left to right: "What did you do when I wasn't in the manor? You didn't even eat breakfast, and you got so tanned!"
Is there?
Gu Zhizhuo thinks her current skin tone looks pretty good.
Unlike the flawless white skin of noble ladies in the capital, she was definitely not dark-skinned; she looked very healthy.
Anyway, as long as you stay at home for a few days, or wait until the summer is over, you can raise it back to health.
How dare he complain!
Upon seeing her expression, Gu Yican immediately changed his tune: "But it looks even better this way! Like a female general. Right, Second Sister?"
Gu Zhijiao took a small bite of the baked bun and smiled gently, "Big sister looks good no matter what."
Gu Zhizhuo was satisfied. He finished the baked bun in a few bites, patted the crumbs off his hands, and casually asked, "Are you all done with your work?"
He leaned back, resting his hands on the railing, and proudly boasted to his sister, "I led men to surround West Mountain, not allowing anyone from the Fifth Army Camp to step out of the camp. Anyone who came out was attacked. Jiang Zizhou and Qi Fu took turns transporting the arrows back in batches through the secret passage."
"Liu Guangming went to the capital to file a complaint, and the emperor sent someone to summon me back. I got scolded again, hahaha."
"In short!" Gu Yican slapped the stone bench, "They've all been brought back, not a single one missing."
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands.
Gu Zhijiao followed along.
Gu Yican's eyebrows danced with excitement. He noticed the silk paper on the stone table, leaned forward, and his high ponytail swayed with his movements.
He recognized it immediately: "This is a repeating crossbow."
"It was drawn by my second sister." Gu Zhizhuo briefly explained the situation. "My second sister said she would do it, and I think it's fine."
Gu Yican gave a thumbs up: "Once it's done, I'll buy you flowers to wear."
Gu Zhijiao curved the corners of her mouth, her smile becoming even gentler.
Gu Zhizhuo picked up a charcoal pencil and listed all the necessary items in a long and detailed manner, including a Luban ruler, an ink line, and so on. After finishing writing, he said, "Second sister, take a look at what else you need. After you finish listing them, have the maid give them to Wu Ping's wife. She is in charge of purchasing now."
Gu Zhizhuo didn't ask her if she could read. With her photographic memory, if she studied with a teacher for a while, she could even become the top scholar in the imperial examination.
Gu Zhizhu stuffed the paper into his mouth and then ignored it.
The repeating crossbow was made of wood, and most of its structure was also made of wood, but Gu Zhizhuo decided to use iron for the central pivot, pulley, and hook. In addition, some iron arrows also needed to be prepared.
"Brother, does the Thousand Machine Camp have a blacksmith?"
Gu Yican looked at the blueprints, only glancing at her words with a sliver of attention, and said without looking up, "Yes."
"That's fine. We can use the new iron we just acquired."
That box of iron was a real lifesaver! Otherwise, just five hundred iron arrows would have been a huge problem.
After reviewing the blueprints, Gu Yican solemnly folded them up: "Second sister, I'm entrusting them to you. I'll bring them to you once the pivots and other parts are finished."
Gu Zhijiao's heart was pounding, and her eyes were shining. It was a feeling of being believed in and recognized.
"Brother, are you going back to the army?"
"Let's use carrier pigeons," Gu Yican said, stroking his chin. "I just got scolded, sigh, I need to tone it down. I won't be going back for the next few days."
Gu Zhizhuo laughed so hard he almost fell over.
A maidservant came to the outside of the pavilion. Qiongfang went out to ask and came back to report, "Miss, Young Master Zhou has arrived. He said he has something urgent to discuss with you. He is in the front hall now."
"Big brother, big sister, I'm going back now," Gu Zhijiao said energetically. "I'm going to recalculate the measurements."
She curtsied and walked ahead with light steps.
"What urgent matter could that kid have on Saturday?" Gu Yican asked suspiciously. "I'll go with you."
As soon as he stepped out of the pavilion, a wave of summer heat hit him. Gu Zhizhuo fanned himself vigorously with a round fan, and soon sweat beaded on his forehead.
Stepping out through the moon gate, one enters the front courtyard, where guests are received. Zhou Liulang paces back and forth anxiously. Upon seeing Gu Zhizhuo, he immediately rushes to greet her: "Sister, something terrible has happened!"
"What's up?"
It was Gu Yican who spoke. Zhou Liulang's eyes were full of Gu Zhizhuo, and he was a few beats late in noticing that he was there. He quickly stood up and called out, "Hello, Brother Can, you're back." After calling out, he hurriedly added, "Sister, Zheng Si's sister's engagement has been broken off by her husband's family."
"Zheng Si's sister got dumped, what was she saying to my sister?" Gu Yican glared at him. "Does she even have any sense of propriety?"
"Stop arguing." Gu Zhizhuo tugged at him and said, "Go on."
"That's right, Zheng Si's sister fell for the stableman in their household, saying he was lame and pitiful and needed someone to save him, and her fiancé overheard it. He immediately broke off the engagement, and Zheng Si's father, in a fit of rage, beat the stableman to death. Now his sister is threatening to commit suicide for love. Sister, don't you think Zheng Si's sister is just like my fourth sister, just like her…"
Gu Yican didn't understand: "What happened to your fourth sister again?"
Zhou Liulang paused for a moment, then understood.
"Sis, you really keep your word!" I never expected that she didn't even tell Brother Can.
Gu Yican narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them.
Anyway, Brother Can wouldn't gossip, and Zhou Liulang was afraid of getting beaten up, so he simply told her everything about Zhou Jinnuo, saying thankfully, "Thanks to you for helping her, Sister... Sister, what do we do now?"
Gu Zhizhu pondered for a moment: "Are there any similar incidents in the capital recently?" These days she was running between the military camp and the government office, and had no energy to care about anything else.
Zhou Liulang shook his head.
He was extremely worried about his fourth sister's situation. If he hadn't seen Zheng Si drinking and acting crazy early in the morning, he wouldn't have known anything about it. He was thinking that Zheng Si's situation was too similar to Nuo'er's, and maybe Gu Zhizhuo could save her.
"How about this," Gu Yican said, "call all our people out, just call them out..."
There's nothing in this vast capital city that even the most dissolute young men don't know.
Gu Zhizhuo interjected, "I remember there's a restaurant next to the teahouse on Cat Street, so let's go there."
"good."
Zhou Liulang ran off in a hurry. Gu Yican went back to the courtyard first and wrote a letter, which was then sent to the military camp by carrier pigeon. She instructed Qi Fu to have the blacksmith make the bearings and other parts according to the blueprints. The brother and sister then went out together.
The teahouse on Cat Street was still a pile of rubble that hadn't been cleared away, but Zhang Xiucai, who had been trapped under the rubble, had already been moved away, leaving only a pool of blood. The surrounding stalls were completely unaffected, with people coming and going in a steady stream.
The brother and sister went to the tavern first and asked for two private rooms on the second floor, instructing the waiter to open the partition between them. Gu Zhizhuo sat by the window, leaning against the railing, her gaze falling on the fortune-telling stall sign across the street. The words "fortune telling" had an extra checkmark, which made her take a few more glances at it.
An old blind man sat at the fortune-telling stall, and business seemed pretty good; as soon as one customer left, another came in.
"Brother Can, Sister!"
Before long, the young men, who were not yet twenty, arrived one after another.
At Gu Yican's command, Zhou Liulang relayed the message, and they arrived in a flash. They had all fought together at the Prince of Jin's mansion, and when they saw Gu Zhizhuo, they addressed her as "Sister" with great intimacy.
They went into the private room and sat around the eight-immortal table. Those who couldn't fit on a table dragged a round stool to the window and sat there, laughing and chatting.
Zheng Si was so drunk that he staggered over and slumped onto the octagonal table, it was hard to tell whether he was asleep or awake.
That's right.
Gu Zhizhuo tapped the armrest of the armchair twice with his fingertips, and the surroundings immediately fell silent.
The sudden silence startled Gu Zhizhuo.
Gu Zhizhuo cleared his throat and asked, "Has anything strange happened in the capital lately? Or has anyone agreed to an extremely unsuitable marriage? Or has any girl suddenly 'died'?"
I originally thought there was only one Zhang Xiucai, but I didn't expect there to be more than that.
Since Scholar Zhang is dead, let's see if there are any others who are still alive.
Gu Yican slammed his hand on the table: "Think quickly!"
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