Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 174: Healing Instruments
The various armors seized from Pingyang City can bring the armor coverage rate of the eight buildings to 40%.

Although bamboo armor is easy to obtain, it is not durable. After a major battle, the bamboo armor was already damaged. In a slightly more intense battle, the bamboo armor is completely useless.

It can be used temporarily, but only as a transition and not as formal equipment.

Everyone has a bow and crossbow. The workshops in the city of Yu are able to make their own bows, and the raw materials are the mulberry trees that grow all over the mountains.

Mulberry trees are good things. Their leaves can be used to raise silkworms, their mulberries can satisfy hunger, and their trunks are the best material for making bows.

Men farm and women weave, farming and fighting are integrated. The ancestors of the Chinese people have long integrated war, life and production.

As for iron mines, there is a connected iron mine in Weishan, Dongshan, Moshan and Chishan in the southwest of Lanling. It is also a rich open-air mine. During the Han Dynasty, iron officials were set up in Pengcheng and Qiao County.

In the past, only Pengcheng was mining it. Cao Ji had coveted it for a long time, but did not dare to take action.

But now Liu Daogui has become the prefect, and Pengcheng is also the ancestral home of the Liu family, so there is no need to worry about so many things.

Liu Daogui directly ordered the opening of two iron mines in Weishan and Chishan.

Having so many prisoners on hand is just what we need.

In every major battle, thousands of weapons were damaged. Liu Daogui was thinking about improving the quality of the weapons. He didn't want to make them into magical weapons, but they had to be useful.

Taking into account the characteristics of several major battles with the Xianbei people, the ring-handled sword was somewhat outdated and it was difficult to break the enemy's armor on the battlefield.

It had been more than eighty years since the Five Barbarians invaded China. The northern barbarians had made many innovations in weapons and cavalry tactics. Heavy armored cavalry, long spears, and heavily armored infantry were commonly equipped.

The ring-handled sword was made by the Han Dynasty to deal with the unarmored Xiongnu cavalry.

It is not enough to deal with the Hu people today and can only be used as an auxiliary weapon.

Liu Daogui thought for a long time and asked the craftsmen to make heavy armor-piercing weapons such as long axes, hammers, iron whips, and long spears.

Hammers and iron whips appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period.

In order to assassinate Qin Shi Huang, Zhang Liang selected a strong man to ambush on the roadside with a huge iron hammer weighing 120 kilograms. When Qin Shi Huang was on tour in Bolingsha, he accidentally hit the secondary carriage. Many strange people came to seek out famous craftsmen and imitated the hammer to make it, which was named Boling Hammer.

During the Jie Zhao period, the Liangdu garrison soldiers rebelled. They stole axes from the people and made long axes into long axes. They fought their way from Yongcheng to Luoyang and defeated the Jie Zhao army of more than 200,000. Shi Hu was terrified and mobilized the entire country's troops of Yao Yizhong and Fu Hong to put out the rebellion.

In the previous battles, Liu Daogui also felt that the axe was more useful, especially against armored soldiers.

A worker must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do well.

Since we are taking the elite route, we must be well-equipped.

There were also 4,000 civilians captured from Pingyang City, among whom were more than 230 military craftsmen, most of whom were blacksmiths and carpenters.

Liu Daogui was overjoyed, because in those days craftsmen were either enslaved by the aristocratic families or occupied by the Hu people.

These two hundred and thirty craftsmen are more valuable than Pingyang City.

Liu Daogui set up a separate camp for craftsmen, provided them with good food and drink, and selected more than 500 young men from the eight buildings to learn skills from them.

Liu Daogui also made improvements to the arrows, making them into triangular pyramids, making them more slender and sharper.

"We only have more than 200 craftsmen, and I'm afraid we can't make as many weapons as you want." Cao Ji's face was full of worry.

"If we don't have enough craftsmen, we can just train more. I'll have people go to Pengcheng to recruit more. A big reward will surely attract brave men. If we pay enough, we won't be afraid of no one coming."

The craftsmen in Jiangzuo were monopolized by the noble families.

However, a large number of craftsmen from the north moved south. The south had been in turmoil in recent years, and the Jin army's methods of dealing with refugees were no less effective than those of the Hu people. Pengcheng became the largest settlement place.

Liu Daogui was not going to make some fancy things, just an axe, a hammer, a whip, and a spear. Only the spear was a bit difficult to make. The axe, hammer, and whip were all big, black and rough things, and the craftsmanship was not complicated.

"If you say so, then it will be easy. There are iron mines everywhere in the Chishan area, and it is also a profitable business..." Cao Ji's eyes lit up.

Chishan, you can tell it is a mine from its color.

In the past, people in Guangling sold weapons to the northern barbarians and made a fortune. But that was Guangling, and Liu Daogui had not yet fallen into the money trap.

"We can sell the salt, and we can use the iron ourselves, but we must not sell it to the barbarians!"

In the early Han Dynasty, one Han army fought against the Five Barbarians, and later one Han army fought against the Three Barbarians. This was all thanks to weapons and equipment that offset the advantage of the Xiongnu's war horses. When the Five Barbarians invaded China, the Hu people also knew how to make weapons and equipment.

With the addition of war horses, they gradually gained military advantages.

It was impossible for Liu Daogui to sell the things he made to the Hu people and let them use them against him.

There is no room for compromise on principle.

"It's up to you. Recently, the new governor Dai took office and made three big moves. He appointed five county magistrates right from the start and also tried to win over the powerful people. He must be quite scheming."

The Cao family is now tied to Liu Daogui, and they prosper and suffer together.

The court appointed the Lanling Prefect, which clearly had bad intentions.

Dai Qizhi pretended to be low-key for a few days, but his true colors were finally revealed.

"If you have any concerns, why not let me handle it? I will make sure he dies without anyone knowing." Cao Ji was under the greatest threat and was the most willing to contribute.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "I am now the governor of the imperial court. I can no longer resort to violence over a disagreement like before. Besides, Governor Dai hasn't openly rebelled, so why bother with violence?"

Cao Ji's eyes widened. "Could it be that... you took the Five Stones Powder and started talking nonsense? Were you not the first to start shouting for war and killing?"

"Times have changed. In the past, we were not afraid of wearing shoes when we were barefoot. Now that we have shoes, we have plenty of ways to deal with him."

"That's true..."

"Don't worry, I've sent people to keep an eye on him and everyone he brings with him. We've also set up an ambush in Xia Pi. Now that Dai Qizhi is here, don't even think about leaving."

With Liu Daogui's current strength, he could easily trap him in Lanling and prevent him from ever returning.

As long as he is still alive, Jiankang will have nothing to say.

"I feel relieved when you say that." Cao Ji nodded.

Liu Daogui said, "First, I won't bother you. The five forts on the east bank of the Si River... I can't come up with the money for now. You..."

Cao Ji invested in a fleet and formed a merchant caravan. His business was booming, so he was so concerned about the iron ore business.

Liu Daogui needed money everywhere, and he really didn't have the energy or manpower to build a dock.

The five forts are not five camps. They are all made of stone and have guard towers, arrow towers, houses and government warehouses. They can accommodate thousands of people. They are basically a small city and require a lot of supplies.

During Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty, fortifications were already very developed. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Central China was bustling with fortifications, and the north was almost everywhere, and their scale was getting bigger and bigger.

"Those are five docks!" Cao Ji looked embarrassed again.

"Your Cao family has made a lot of money following me over the past two years, right? Don't be so stingy. There will be more ways to make money in the future. Besides, Lu County is stable now. Are you afraid that your Cao family will not make money?"

"Well, I'll lend it to you..."

"It's embarrassing for a family to ask for a loan."

Liu Daogui knew better than him how much wealth the Cao family had...

Although Cao Sifei married into the family, the Cao family's account books still passed through her hands.

However, the cost of building five docks is indeed very high, so it is understandable that he is in such a difficult situation. After all, everyone will feel pain when cutting flesh from their own body.

Liu Daogui was also testing his obedience. If he was unwilling to participate, then don't blame him for not taking the Cao family to play in the future.

Although Cao Ji was a money-grubber, he had good eyesight and knew the huge benefits involved. The Pengcheng Liu family was no longer what they used to be. He gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, five forts, I'll consider them my Cao family's dowry!"

(End of this chapter)