prosperous age

Chapter 1073 1164 Rattan shield can really protect against bird guns

"Can the rattan shields used by the Burmese army protect against bird guns?"

Li Chengliang asked suddenly.

The rattan shield was considered a relatively unpopular weapon in the Ming Dynasty at that time, mainly because it was mostly used near the southern border and was almost never seen in the inland and northern armies.

The reason why Li Chengliang could call out the name of this thing was mainly due to the spread of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

In fact, in historical materials, whether it is "Records of the Three Kingdoms" or "Book of the Later Han", there is no record of rattan armor.

So just like Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Lu Bu's Fang Tian Hua Ji never appeared during the Three Kingdoms period, the rattan armor soldiers, a very famous type of soldiers in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", also did not appear during the Three Kingdoms period, so naturally there were no rattan armor soldiers.

The actual record of rattan armor was in the Ming Dynasty, and it was not a specialty of ethnic minorities. Mao Yuanyi's "Wu Bei Zhi·Ji Qi IV" recorded: "Red rattan armor, 50 kilograms of red rattan, soaked in water in a stone trough for half a month, taken out and dried for three days, and then put back into the trough to add water. Soak for a year, dry, weave and wear according to the pattern, a total of 20 sets. The outside is oiled with tung oil. The armor is light and strong, can block arrows and blades. It is good for water and fire. This rattan is also used to make hats, helmets when facing the enemy, and rainproof when it is cloudy."

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written in the Ming Dynasty. In fact, it was an artistic image of the southern barbarian rattan armor soldiers created by Luo Guanzhong based on the rattan armor equipped by the Ming army.

However, this record in "Wubeizhi" not only does not mention that rattan armor is afraid of fire, but it specifically emphasizes that it is "beneficial to water and fire", which means that rattan armor is not actually afraid of fire.

In fact, when Qi Jiguang was fighting against the Japanese pirates in Fujian, there was a military position called rattan shield bearer in the army. From this, we can actually make a rough judgment on the origin of rattan shields, which were first produced in Fujian.

As to whether it was created by Fujianese or introduced from overseas, it is unknown.

However, at that moment, Li Chengliang saw that the Burmese army was equipped with a large number of rattan shields, so he speculated that the Fujian rattan shields might have been brought over from merchant ships from the West and made by domestic craftsmen.

Of course, the Liaodong Army that Li Chengliang led at the beginning did not have this thing, but after all, he and Qi Jiguang had fought against Wang Gao together, so it was not surprising to see rattan shields in Qi Jiguang's army.

However, because of the material used to make the rattan shield, Li Chengliang actually despised this weapon.

The shields equipped by the Liaodong Army were wooden shields with a layer of iron on the front and back to increase their defensive capabilities. In Li Chengliang's eyes, they were definitely better than this crudely made thing.

Unfortunately, it was only today on the city wall that he became interested in this thing for the first time after seeing the Burmese army’s Teng badge.

The rattan shield is made of old and thick rattan collected from the mountains. It is usually woven into a disc shape with a bulge in the center and high edges around it. The diameter of the circle is about three feet and the weight is no more than nine pounds. The inside of the shield is made of rattan strips woven into two upper and lower rings to accommodate the arms to hold it.

This rattan shield is simple to weave and easy to use. The rattan itself is strong and flexible, smooth and tough, and is not easily penetrated by weapons.

Thinking that it was made of rattan, Li Chengliang asked again without waiting for Liang Dingnan to answer: "Is this thing afraid of fire? Use rockets and order the crossbowmen to shoot the rattan shield accurately. Can it be set on fire?"

Upon realizing the terrifying weapons in the opponent's hands, Li Chengliang naturally thought of how to crack them first, rather than just acting recklessly and treating the lives of his soldiers as a joke.

"General, this rattan shield is different from what is said in the storybook. It is not so easy to ignite."

Liang Dingnan was stationed in Yunnan for many years, so he naturally knew about rattan armor. In fact, his army also used a small amount of rattan armor, so he hurriedly explained it to Li Chengliang.

"Oh, isn't it that after collecting the rattan, we need to soak it in tung oil? That should make it easier to ignite."

Li Chengliang was puzzled.

It can only be said that at that time Mao Yuanyi, who compiled the "Wubei Zhi", had not yet been born, and no one had systematically recorded rattan shields, so since no one introduced Li Chengliang in detail, he would never have thought that rattan shields were not afraid of fire attacks.

Of course, this also shows that when Luo Guanzhong wrote Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was more likely to have heard of rattan shields among the people, so he created a kind of weapon in the novel.

However, Li Chengliang had read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and had a preliminary impression of rattan shields. He thought that he could use fire to burn the rattan shields to fight the enemy.

“Marshal, the rattan shield is not easy to ignite.

To be honest, Marshal, there are soldiers in my army who use rattan shields. When I read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I also asked someone to use rattan shields to make fire. "

Liang Dingnan spoke.

"How is the result?"

Li Chengliang became interested and asked immediately.

"The wood was burning, but the shield didn't catch fire. It took a long time for it to catch fire.

Of course, once the shield is lit, the fire is really big and not easy to put out."

Liang Dingnan replied.

Li Rusong also read "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". In fact, anyone who could read in that era would read vernacular novels.

Books like "Journey to the West", "Water Margin" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" are must-read books.

Of course, there is no "Dream of Red Mansions" which is called a strange book. As for another truly strange book, "Jin Ping Mei", it has not yet begun to circulate, or it has circulated, but only in a small range of handwritten copies, and it may not even have been published as a book.

Li Rusong had read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and when he heard his father and Liang Dingnan talking about the rattan shield, he naturally became interested and interrupted, "You mean to say that this rattan shield is not easy to ignite?"

"It's not easy. I have tried it myself. If you don't believe me, I can find a rattan shield and burn it for you to try."

In order to prove that his words were true, Liang Dingnan had already planned to find a rattan shield to burn in front of the two Liaodong men.

Li Chengliang waved his hand and said, "According to what you said, this thing is actually very good in actual combat, so why didn't the Southern Army equip it in large quantities?"

In Li Chengliang's eyes, if something is good, it should be promoted, not kept for personal use.

Liang Dingnan's expression did not change when he heard Li Chengliang's words. He knew that they were from the north and did not know anything, so he explained: "General, do you think that rattan shields are made of rattan strips, so they are easy?"

"Is not it?"

Li Chengliang said immediately.

Hearing what Li Chengliang said, Liang Dingnan hurriedly explained: "General, the first step in making this rattan shield is to select old rattan from the mountains, soak it in tung oil, and then expose it to the sun and rain for at least a year, and soak it in tung oil repeatedly during this period.

Only when the rattan strips are well made can they be woven. This is a skill that only experienced craftsmen can master. The woven rattan shields are airtight, and this is not the way rural people weave baskets. "

Well, what he meant was that the cost of making this rattan shield is only higher than the iron-clad shield that the Ming army is currently using.

In the Ming army, ordinary garrisons did not have the financial resources to manufacture rattan shields in large quantities to equip soldiers. Only Qi Jiguang, who was not short of money, dared to do so. Moreover, there was only one rattan shield bearer in a team, and the entire army had only a few hundred rattan shields.

Looking outside the city, the Burmese army took away the corpses and wounded when they retreated, so naturally they would not leave any weapons behind.

Liang Dingnan immediately sent his personal soldiers to the military camp below the city to look for rattan shields. "Look for rattan armor as well. I remember someone in the army wore that in the early years."

"Yes, General."

The soldier agreed and quickly went down the city wall to look for something.

Li Chengliang and Li Rusong were waiting on the city wall. Today, they were both shocked to see the rattan shields defending against bird guns.

If the Burmese army was equipped with a large number of such protective gear, it would be difficult for the Ming army to fight this battle.

You know, the Liaodong Army used a lot of firearms, which gave Li Chengliang full confidence when he led his troops to fight. That was why he was not too worried about the deployment of troops in the southwest this time. He just wanted to bomb them if he couldn't win. He didn't believe that the flesh and blood of the Burmese could be stronger than iron cannons and stone bullets.

Therefore, when he was training troops in Guizhou, his main focus was to train the soldiers in the use of firearms, and half of the soldiers were equipped with muskets and falconets.

After all, Qi Jiguang's military achievements were too tempting.

Not only was there a great victory over the enemy, but there were also minimal casualties among the generals. This was the result every general dreamed of.

It is not easy to train soldiers, so Li Chengliang is not a general who does not value the lives of soldiers. He has a large number of veterans with rich battlefield experience, so the generals are more confident in fighting.

What is said about "one general's success is built on the sacrifice of hundreds of soldiers" is just talk. It is not true at all. No one will take the lives of his subordinates as a joke.

After waiting on the city wall for a while, the soldier who went out to look for something came back with a rattan shield and a set of rattan armor in his hands, but the rattan armor looked very small, more like a vest.

Li Rusong, who was beside him, jumped out at this moment, snatched the rattan armor from the hands of his personal soldier and examined it carefully.

"The weaving of this thing is quite surprising. What kind of leather is this?"

There is a layer of leather inside and outside the rattan armor. I don’t know what animal the skin is from, but I can feel that it should be very comfortable to wear.

"This, I really don't know."

The personal soldier was stunned by Li Rusong's question. The thing was not his. He took it from a young soldier and it was also a family heirloom.

Li Rusong weighed it and said, "It feels lighter than the cotton armor, but not light either."

"Haha, Major General, there is no iron in it, just rattan and leather, it must be lighter than cotton armor.

It’s just that the inside is very tight, so it’s much heavier than folk rattan tools.”

Liang Dingnan walked over and spoke, then took the rattan shield from the hand of his personal soldier and walked back to Li Chengliang.

Li Chengliang took the rattan shield from Liang Dingnan and took a closer look. It was indeed woven very tightly, and the technique was completely different from those of rattan baskets and other farm tools.

Feeling the weight, it is much heavier than those rattan tools because it has been soaked in tung oil.

"Generally, rattan shields are like this. Some owners of rattan shields will also cover the outside of the shield with a layer of leather, just like the rattan armor, which is more waterproof and fireproof."

Liang Dingnan kept introducing the advantages of rattan shields, and Li Chengliang kept nodding as he listened.

"Is this thing difficult to make?"

What Li Chengliang was concerned about was whether the good stuff could be used to equip the Ming army in large quantities.

“It’s not difficult to make, but it’s quite time-consuming. From collecting rattan to making rattan shields, it takes at least a year.

Moreover, even a skilled craftsman would need at least half a month to weave this rattan shield, so the army did not mass-produce it. "

At this point, Liang Dingnan pointed at the rattan shield in Li Chengliang's hand and the rattan armor in Li Rusong's hand and said, "These things actually belong to the soldiers themselves."

The Ming Dynasty implemented the military household system, which meant that soldiers were passed down from generation to generation, so the court only issued them the initial weapons, and they had to find ways to solve the remaining weapons, armor, and maintenance on their own.

Of course, this does not mean that the court will completely ignore it.

In fact, the imperial court would allocate military funds from time to time and distribute them to soldiers. For example, during the reigns of Emperor Yingzong and Emperor Hongzhi, the equipment of the Ming army underwent significant changes, and the same was true during the reign of Emperor Jiajing.

However, once the armor and weapons were distributed, no one would take care of their subsequent maintenance. Only in times of war would craftsmen from the garrisons be arranged to maintain them.

Therefore, soldiers usually have to maintain the weapons they are issued by themselves, and pass them down from generation to generation before new equipment is issued.

This system meant that the Ming army's equipment level was always relatively low, so there was also the practice of temporarily allocating equipment to supplement the garrisons during wartime.

The mandarin duck battle jacket that Wei Guangde wore when he went into battle was replenished by Nanjing Hyogo under this circumstance.

"Bring two muskets and try out the power of this thing."

Li Chengliang had not seen it clearly enough from the city wall before, but now he had the real thing in his hands. Although there were some differences between it and the Burmese army's, he thought it would not be too big.

Soon, several musketeers were called over to test their guns on the city wall.

They ordered people to place rattan shields several dozen steps away, which was roughly at the edge of the range of the Ming army's bird guns. They then set up the shields on wooden frames and ordered people to shoot at them.

But Li Rusong didn't have time to pay attention to the rattan shield at the moment. He ran to the side and asked his personal soldiers to help him take off his armor, and then he put on the rattan armor himself.

Soldiers are naturally interested in this kind of equipment, after all, it is the first time they have seen it.

Over there, the sound of "bang bang bang" gun testing began, lead bullets continuously bombarded the rattan shield, and Li Rusong had already put on the half-vest.

"Is this what rattan armor looks like? I saw some Burmese soldiers wearing what seemed to be this all over their bodies."

Li Rusong grabbed the soldier and asked.

“The generals in Burma and Siam could not afford iron armor, so they could only choose rattan armor to wear.

Although it is lighter than iron armor, it is not flexible enough to wear because it has no toughness. It is far less protective than the iron armor on the general. "

The soldier explained.

The personal soldiers around Li Rusong would definitely not be able to answer these questions, after all, they had never seen it before.

The soldiers in Yunnan, especially those in border areas like Shidian, had naturally seen chieftain soldiers wearing this kind of protective gear. Even merchants from the Ming Dynasty had rattan armor.

The Ming Dynasty court prohibited private collection of armor, but rattan armor does not seem to be included in this exception because the army does not equip it.

Since it is not used in the military, it is naturally not considered armor. The guards of the caravan merchants choose rattan armor for self-defense.

Of course, not being able to buy armor with money is also a major reason.

After several rounds of shooting, someone took the rattan shield and took a look, and found that it really was not shot through. At this time, Li Chengliang's face turned ugly.

"Get closer, keep shooting, and see how far you can penetrate."

At this time, Li Chengliang was furious and gave orders loudly.

While the soldiers were testing their guns, Li Chengliang had already pulled Liang Dingnan aside and asked, "Does Yunnan have rattan shields? The army needs a lot of equipment. I will also report this to you."

This thing is not simple as it can protect against bird guns.

"General, don't worry too much. There aren't many rattan shields in the Burmese army. The ones under the city today must be the elite of the Burmese army."

Liang Dingnan spoke at this time.