Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

Chapter 174 Liu Bei's surprise, Zhuge Liang's sword seal (5K)

Although the repeating crossbow has become worthy of mass production after Zhuge Liang's improvement, it is still not easy to build a complete Zhuge Liang repeating crossbow.

For example, the drying of wood, soaking of beef or deer tendons, carving of the crossbow arm and body, and polishing of the crossbow mechanism and quiver require the cooperation of carpenters, blacksmiths, and tendon craftsmen, and it takes two months to complete.

Assembly and commissioning would take another month.

It takes at least three months to build a complete Zhuge Liang Crossbow.

With the current efficiency of the government-run workshops, they can only produce 200 Zhuge Crossbows a year.

It may seem small, but given the current level of productivity, it is already very good.

Liu Feng was not in a hurry.

Any complex military equipment is bound to be inefficient when it is first produced.

Once the craftsmanship becomes proficient, efficiency will be continuously optimized, such as increasing production scale, increasing craftsman proficiency, increasing the number of apprentices trained by craftsmen, the court's inclination towards military equipment manufacturing resources, increasing craftsmen's treatment, and so on.

Come August.

The workshop produced the first batch of complete Zhuge Crossbows.

Fifty brand new crossbows were lined up neatly, like fifty soldiers waiting for inspection.

Liu Feng skillfully loaded the crossbow arrows into the box, pulled the trigger, and fired at the test target.

This feeling is like holding a semi-automatic rifle in your hand!
Liu Feng made an assessment: If he had a thousand crossbows in hand and combined them with corresponding tactics, he could achieve effective suppression within fifty to a hundred steps. Combined with the long-range sniping effect of traditional powerful crossbows, even if Cao Wei's most skilled cavalrymen such as Cao Ren and Cao Zhang came in person, they would have to sing the song of conquest honestly.

Subsequently.

Liu Feng brought Zhuge Crossbow to see Liu Bei again.

Whether the production scale should be increased still needs Liu Bei's approval.

Before seeing the power of Zhuge Liannu with his own eyes, Liu Bei could not just expand the production scale just because Liu Feng said "Zhuge Liannu is great".

Expanding the scale of production requires financial appropriations.

Financial allocations cannot be decided by just one word from Liu Bei.

Be convincing!
Otherwise, there will be suspicion of intention to embezzle or abuse.

While producing Zhuge Crossbow, Liu Feng was also producing double-sided stirrups.

Why wasn't Liu Feng worried that the double-sided stirrups would be imitated by Cao Wei?

The reasons are similar.

Double stirrups and single stirrups have different tactical requirements for light cavalry.

It takes one person a week to make a pair of double-sided stirrups. Without the imperial court's funding to expand production, mass production is basically impossible.

In order to get the emperor and his ministers of Cao Wei to agree to allocate funds to expand the production scale of double-sided stirrups, the preliminary evaluation, testing, tactical supporting design, etc., would require a lot of time and money.

The most important thing is: the lack of double stirrups does not affect the suppression of Liu Han infantry by Cao Wei cavalry!
The large-scale production of any military equipment is to make up for one's own shortcomings and restrain the enemy's advantages.

Unless Cao Wei also has an awakened memory person who holds power like Liu Feng, who can come up with Zhuge Crossbow and double-sided stirrups while also coming up with tactical supporting designs and predicting the future development trend of cavalry, Cao Wei will not imitate it on a large scale before suffering losses.

At most, it would be improved by the Cao Wei nobles into a pleasure item, specially prepared for those nobles who were not good at riding horses.

For example: It is difficult for people in later generations to understand why gunpowder was only used in large quantities for fireworks to "drive away evil and bring good luck" rather than in military affairs for hundreds of years during the Tang and Song dynasties. It was not until the Southern Song Dynasty that thunder bombs that could only deter the enemy began to appear, and it was not until the Ming Dynasty that the Shenjiying with effective killing power appeared.

The strength of a country and the needs of the powerful will determine whether technology will be used for entertainment or military purposes.

Fifty trained crossbowmen, under Liu Feng's command, practiced the crossbow formation in front of Liu Bei.

Liu Bei, who had fought in battles for most of his life and was well aware of the strength of Cao Wei's cavalry, saw the practical value of Zhuge Crossbow at a glance!
He couldn't help but step forward and pick up a Zhuge Crossbow to play with it himself, and couldn't let it go.

"My son just said that this is Zhuge Crossbow. Why is it named after 'Zhuge'? Could it be that the Prime Minister is also involved?" Liu Bei was a little surprised.

Liu Feng said truthfully: "This crossbow was improved by the Prime Minister based on the previous crossbow."

The repeating crossbow had existed for a long time, and Liu Feng was not lying. It was just that Zhuge Liang improved the repeating crossbow to make it more suitable for carrying.

Liu Bei was surprised and delighted: "I never thought that the Prime Minister could be so skilled. This really surprises me."

Suddenly, Liu Bei had an illusion that his understanding of Zhuge Liang was not comprehensive enough.

Liu Feng took the opportunity to say: "However, with the current production scale, we can only produce 200 Zhuge Crossbows a year. With such efficiency, it is difficult to equip the army.

Therefore, I beg you, father, to increase the number of official workshops for the production of Zhuge Crossbows, and transfer more craftsmen from Yizhou to Jiangling."

Liu Bei nodded: "Two hundred crossbows a year is indeed too few. Leave these crossbows here for now. I will consider it."

Although he did not get a positive answer, Liu Feng also understood the reason.

Since Zhuge Liang left Jiangling, Liu Bei felt great financial pressure, and Fa Zheng had complained to Liu Bei more than once.

If I had not discussed it with Fa Zheng and directly thrown a funding plan to Fa Zheng, Fa Zheng would probably have rushed directly to Liu Feng's Prince of Yan's Mansion, and then shouted with red eyes: I am a human being, not a money printing machine!

Subsequently.

Liu Bei put down Zhuge Crossbow and let Liu Feng follow him into the room.

"The prince sent someone to deliver a letter a few days ago." Liu Bei picked up a piece of silk and handed it to Liu Feng.

original.

After Liu Chan, Zhuge Liang, and Ma Chao arrived in Hanzhong with more than 70 people including Qu Chang and Tun Jiang, as well as more than a thousand people including Tu Jiang, Wu Qian, Qiang Sou, Qing Qiang, San Qi, and Wu Qi, as well as Chen Dao and 500 Bai Li soldiers who followed Liu Chan as his personal soldiers.

The power consolidation of the Dongchuan generals was completed on the same day.

Wei Yan was a die-hard fan of Liu Bei. Before Ma Chao gave any hint, Wei Yan was the first to express his full support for Liu Chan.

Zhang Yi, Yan Zhi and others who had gone to Hanzhong to welcome Liu Chan and others also expressed their opinions after Wei Yan did.

Although Li Yan and Meng Da were somewhat reluctant about Liu Chan's "airdrop", they did not dare to say a word of objection in such an occasion.

However, in the subsequent combat deployment against Yongzhou, Li Yan and Meng Da were dissatisfied with Zhuge Liang's holding of the sword seal.

According to Li Yan and Meng Da's ideas, Liu Chan was unfamiliar with military affairs and was the crown prince, so after arriving in Hanzhong he would definitely be just a figurehead.

In fact, the one who holds the sword seal is either Li Yan or Ma Chao!
Li Yan and Meng Da have a personal relationship. If Li Yan holds the sword seal, he will give the opportunity for great merit to Meng Da. Therefore, Meng Da is ready to fully support Li Yan in holding the sword seal.

The relationship between the Dongchuan generals and Ma Chao was not friendly, and Ma Chao was also responsible for winning over the Dongqiang and Di people, so he could not stay with Liu Chan all the time.

No matter how you look at it, Li Yan is the best candidate to hold the sword seal.

result.

The one holding the sword seal became Zhuge Liang!

Li Yan and Meng Da were naturally dissatisfied that a prime minister who had never commanded troops was suddenly asked to take charge of the army.

Even Wei Yan, Zhang Yi, Yan Zhi and others who expressed their support for Liu Chan from the beginning had doubts about Zhuge Liang's holding of the sword.

According to everyone's understanding: Zhuge Liang followed Liu Chan to Hanzhong to be responsible for logistics.

Everyone, including Li Yan and Meng Da, was convinced of Zhuge Liang's ability in logistics coordination.

As a result, Liu Chan actually let Zhuge Liang hold the sword seal!

however.

When Meng Da questioned Zhuge Liang's knowledge of Yongzhou's geography and wanted Zhuge Liang to voluntarily give up his position as the sword holder, Zhuge Liang knew the geography of Yongzhou like the back of his hand!
Meng Da, who was dissatisfied, asked Zhuge Liang for advice on how to command the army.

Never thought.

Zhuge Liang's understanding of military command was so detailed that he could include terrain, logistics, enemy situation, morale, weather and other dimensions.

What is genius?

Genius means that even if one majored in medicine, when he switches to making movies, he can still rank among the top ten in the global box office.

Zhuge Liang was a genius.

Managing logistics does not mean only managing logistics.

While traveling from Jiangling to Hanzhong via Western Sichuan, Zhuge Liang first discussed the geography of Yongzhou with Fa Zheng before departure, and then humbly asked Ma Chao for advice on the way.

And all of the more than seventy Quchang and Tunjiang who followed the army had been consulted by Zhuge Liang!
The prime minister of a country humbly asked the Quchang and Tunjiang for advice on military affairs. For the more than 70 Quchang and Tunjiang, the feeling of excitement was beyond words.

Zhuge Liang only needed to ask a question, and all the commanders and generals told him all their life experiences.

Zhuge Liang questioned all of the more than a thousand Tujiang, Wuqian, Qiangsou, Qingqiang, Sanqi, Wuqi, as well as Chen Dao and the Baili soldiers who followed the army, either individually or in groups.

Such a cumbersome method may be difficult for others.

But for Zhuge Liang, who always did things personally, it was just a common occurrence.

It's just turning government affairs into military affairs.

Therefore.

Meng Da's questioning not only failed to make Zhuge Liang retreat, but instead gave Zhuge Liang the opportunity to intimidate the generals!
After integrating the specific military affairs he learned from the public, Zhuge Liang optimized them according to the theories he mastered. He explained in a concise and to the point how each general, from the chief general to the deputy general, from the deputy general to the commander of the army and the garrison commander, and even down to the ranks, how they should perform their respective duties.

First it was Meng Da, then Li Yan, Wei Yan, Zhang Yi, Yan Zhi and others. After half a day of "asking for advice", they were all speechless in the end. Especially Meng Da, who often boasted that he had the ability of Yue Yi, was hit hard.

Only then did everyone truly understand that Zhuge Liang's comparison of himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi before following Liu Bei was not empty talk.

In the past, Zhuge Liang only made use of Guan Zhong's talents, and had no chance to display Yue Yi's talents!

After carefully reading the details on the silk, Liu Feng couldn't help but be amazed.

One advantage geniuses have over ordinary people is their strong learning ability!

For example, the generals under Liu Feng, even though some of them had followed Liu Feng for ten years, were only barely able to handle specific military affairs and could not be said to have mastered them.

It took Zhuge Liang only less than three months, and during the march, to master the knowledge that ordinary people would not be able to master even after ten years of study!
It can be seen!
If it weren't for the defeat at Jieting, Zhuge Liang would not have been criticized for not being his strong point in military affairs.

I guess Zhuge Liang's thinking at the time was: I have tried to switch from politics to military affairs, it is not that difficult. I can make some arrangements for Ma Su and easily let him make a great contribution to establish his prestige in the army.

"The prince said in the letter that Yongzhou governor Guo Huai has repeatedly suppressed rebellions of the Qiang and Hu people, and those who surrendered called them 'gods'. If the situation is delayed for too long, there will be great trouble. Therefore, the prime minister will send troops to Longyou this winter and take Tianshui first to test Cao Wei's reaction. Does my son have any ideas?" Seeing Liu Feng put down the silk, Liu Bei asked slowly.

Liu Feng lowered his head in thought.

The situation is different, so the strategy of deploying troops will naturally be different.

According to historical records, although Zhuge Liang also took Tianshui during his first Northern Expedition, his purpose was to cut off the Long Mountains.

In Liu Chan's letter, he specifically emphasized that taking Tianshui was just to test Cao Wei's reaction and did not require Liu Feng's special cooperation.

Think for a moment.

Liu Feng guessed, "The Prime Minister has always been cautious. If this is a test, he must be suspicious of the information about Yongzhou that Li Yan and others have found.

The prince also emphasized in the letter that he did not need his son's special cooperation, which should be because the prime minister was not sure that the military campaign against Longyou in winter would be victorious.

however.

The battlefield situation is ever-changing. When the time comes, a great victory suddenly falls from the sky. It is very difficult to choose. "

Just like Guan Yu flooded seven armies in Fancheng to capture Yu Jin and kill Pang De, Guan Yu had not expected that there would be a flood that had not happened in a hundred years, which even confused Yu Jin, who had always been strict in military discipline.

Doesn’t Yu Jin know how to set up camp?
It’s impossible not to understand!
Yu Jin just didn't expect that the flood would come so suddenly.

Normal rainfall is not enough to flood Yu Jin.

This meant that by the time Jin realized something was wrong, it was already too late to move camp.

The camp of tens of thousands of troops was in rainy weather, so there was no way to move the camp!

On the other hand, Guan Yu already had a large number of warships, and at most his ships would be pushed higher by the tide, which would have some impact but not be fatal.

A great victory fell from the sky, and Guan Yu was in a difficult position to choose.

Just as ordinary people cannot resist the temptation of winning the first prize in the lottery, Guan Yu could not resist the temptation of marching to Wanluo.

And this time.

Liu Bei in Xichuan knew nothing about it.

It was not that Liu Bei did not want to cooperate with Guan Yu, but Liu Bei never expected that Guan Yu would be so powerful as to send troops in July, capture Yu Jin and kill Pang De in August, and scare Cao Ren so much that he almost abandoned the city and fled.

Novels dare not write like this!

If you write this, you will definitely be scolded!
If Liu Bei had a mobile phone in his hand, he would personally lead his troops into Jiangling to cooperate with Guan Yu, even if "men should fight in the battles and women should transport troops."

The same reason.

What if Zhuge Liang takes Longyou this time and is unstoppable all the way, how should Zhuge Liang choose?
Should we quit while we are ahead?
Is to take advantage of the victory?

If we stop while we are ahead, will Li Yan, Meng Da and others support us?
Therefore.

Even though Liu Chan emphasized that no special cooperation was needed, Liu Feng still had to be regarded as "special"!
Liu Feng and Zhuge Liang had slightly different ways of using troops.

Zhuge Liang has always been cautious, while Liu Feng, while cautious, tends to take risks.

Although Zhuge Liang sent troops to Longyou in winter just to test Cao Wei's reaction, Liu Feng also regarded it as Zhuge Liang's ability to respond with unstoppable force.

Opportunities are for those who are prepared.

When Liu Bei heard Liu Feng say this, he understood Liu Feng's intention: "My son, what are you going to do?"

Liu Feng chuckled: "It has been a while since I last went to greet Xiahou Shang. It is a good opportunity to take the newly formed Dian Horse Cavalry to visit Wancheng."

Liu Bei frowned: "Zhuge Liang's crossbows have not yet been deployed. Sending Dian horse cavalry to Wancheng will only lead to ridicule, right?"

Without Zhuge Crossbow or double-sided stirrups, the Dian cavalry was like the difference between a child and an adult in front of the Cao Wei cavalry.

If you show off your skills in front of an expert, you will surely be ridiculed by Xiahou Shang.

Liu Feng didn't care: "Although it will make them laugh, it can also boost their morale.

I have also heard that Xiahou Shang has a concubine whom he dotes on even more than his wife. Xiahou Shang's wife is Cao Zhen's sister, and was personally appointed Lady of Deyang by Cao Pi.

Maybe we can figure it out!"

It makes sense that Du Xi, the Shangshu of Cao Wei and a famous official from Yingchuan, looked down on Xiahou Shang. If Xiahou Shang were put in the context of the article "Favoring Concubines and Killing Wife", he would be the ultimate male protagonist.

Liu Feng also wanted to try it.

Can you find opportunities through trials?

The use of troops requires the right time, place and people, and the right time is rare. When both sides have the advantage of place, the only thing left is the right people, which can be artificially stimulated.

Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "Since my son is going, you can take Han Sheng with you. Han Sheng came to me recently and said that he was not able to fulfill his duties as the general of the guard."

Overwhelmed?

How could an old man who was full of energy in the middle of the night be unable to do anything?

Liu Feng understood what was going on as soon as he heard it.

It must be that Zhao Yun was transferred to be the prefect of Xiangyang, and Ma Chao followed Liu Chan to Dongchuan, which made old Huang Zhong unable to sit still.

Although the General Wei was a noble position, his duty was just to lead the northern and southern armies of the imperial city to patrol the imperial city, which was no different from a sinecure for Huang Zhong.

It would be better to be a lieutenant general in Xiangyang than to be a general of the Wei army.

The so-called "inability to do something" was just an excuse Huang Zhong gave to Liu Bei.

"Are you only bringing General Huang?" Liu Feng asked tentatively.

In Jiangling City, Huang Zhong is not the only one who wants to go to the border town.

There are also Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Guan Yu is now a general, and is forced by Liu Bei to stay in Jiangling, so he cannot leave even if he wants to.

If the general moves, it will be a war for the whole country.

Zhang Fei is different.

Liu Bei couldn't help but hold his forehead: "Alas."

Judging from Liu Bei's sighing expression, it was obvious that someone else had also come to see him.

Now is not a national war, and there are not many opportunities to achieve success. The generals under his command are all vying to achieve success, which will give Liu Bei a headache.

Liu Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Wang Ping, the garrison commander of Nanxiang, will be returning to Fangling to visit his relatives soon. I am worried about who should be sent to Nanxiang to temporarily replace Wang Ping to guard the city."

Liu Bei looked up, somewhat surprised: "Really?"

Liu Feng nodded and said, "But I have a request. Those who are sent to Nanxiang to temporarily replace Wang Ping cannot whip the soldiers, otherwise the 30,000 households that I have migrated from Nanzhong will be uneasy."

Liu Bei laughed: "Don't worry, my son. I know you love your soldiers like your own sons. I will tell Yi De carefully. Uh, haha, don't worry, my son. Yi De has changed a lot now."

Realizing that he had let the cat out of the bag, Liu Bei quickly laughed it off and defended Zhang Fei.

Liu Feng smiled secretly.

Liu Feng's original intention in transferring Wang Ping back was actually to let Wang Ping assist in commanding the Dian cavalry.

In order to enable the Dianma Cavalry to form combat effectiveness, the current 1,000 soldiers of the Dianma Cavalry were selected from the 30,000 households in Nanzhong who migrated to Xincheng County.

First, people from Nanzhong ride Nanzhong horses, so the match is high; second, Zhuge Liannu requires good archery, which is more suitable for people from Nanzhong.

As for training the people of Nanzhong into soldiers, Wang Ping has both prestige and experience.

Just right.

Liu Bei intended to arrange a general to go to the border town, so Liu Feng did him a favor.

Sending Zhang Fei to Nanxiang could also deter Zhang He and make him unclear about Liu Bei's intention of suddenly changing the commander of Nanxiang.

If Zhuge Liang had been successful in Longyou, Zhang He would not have been transferred to support Longyou in the first place.

As for the future.

That depends on how successful Zhuge Liang can be in Longyou!
(End of this chapter)