Song Yi

Chapter 459 Farewell
Du Wenhao said coldly: "You didn't arrive at Dianmao, and you went to business again. The Empress Dowager Yizhi has already decoupled from all for-profit businesses for a limited time. Now that the deadline has passed, you have not decoupled. I can only say that you You have been obsessed with obsession, and you have abandoned your armaments for such petty gains. You have lost the awareness and vision that a senior commander should have. I can only deal with it according to the military law! ——Come here, drag him down and beat him with thirty army sticks!"

The guards agreed in unison, and ignored the officer's begging, dragged him outside the gate of the yamen, and pressed him to the long stone bench under the flagpole, which is the place where military law is enforced.

All the soldiers from Sanya came out to watch the excitement. This commander was far worse than Wu Ren who hadn't arrived yesterday. The thirty army sticks beat him down until he was crying and crying.

After the thirty military sticks were beaten, the guards carried him back to Du Wenhao's lobby.

Du Wenhao still said the same thing: "What do you have to say?"

The commander kept wailing, as if he was about to die: "The last general knows his mistake, please forgive me!"

"Since you know you're wrong, I'll give you a chance to commit crimes and make meritorious deeds. I'll give you another day. Remember, this is your last chance. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to visit your camp. If you still don't decouple your business, I will dismiss you! Do you understand?"

The commander repeatedly agreed while screaming.

Only then did Du Wenhao wave his hand to let the guards carry him down.

A day later, Du Wenhao sent someone to investigate, and the army where the general was in did indeed deal with all the livelihoods.Du Wenhao was secretly complacent, it seems that it is better to be stricter.

That afternoon.

The Security Bureau promoted Shen Shengping to report that Han Zhen, the former privy envoy who colluded with the enemy and rebelled, had been arrested.Du Wenhao was overjoyed and immediately brought Han Zhen to trial.

Han Zhen was also refreshed, seeing that Du Wenhao had captured Li Chang, Yushi Zhongcheng, and confessed him, and he confessed before he was sentenced.

Du Wenhao immediately reported to Gao Taotao.

The next day, Gao Taotao decreed that Han Zhen be beheaded, his family property confiscated, and Li Changzhang fifty, and flow three thousand miles.At the same time, it was decreed that the Compilation and Edict Institute should turn the orders of Song Gaozong and Song Shenzong to execute scholar-bureaucrats and Han Zhen himself into imperial edicts, thus legally confirming the legal provisions that scholar-bureaucrats could be executed for treason and treason.

As for the Xixia spies, Gao Taotao did not order to execute them, nor did he take any measures, which made Du Wenhao very puzzled, but at this time he had no time to ask Gao Taotao, because the director of the military department reported that the artillery and the second batch The flintlock has been made.

Naturally, Wang Runxue was going to watch the excitement. Du Wenhao took her and the guards to the armory excitedly. Sure enough, a cannon stood there majesticly, and there were three new flintlock guns.

The young supervisor, Li Hong and the others looked at each other. This was the second time they saw gunpowder-powered weapons. The power of this kind of artillery was far worse than that of a trebuchet. The trebuchet fired small stone projectiles weighing about ten kilograms. , can easily reach two hundred steps away, and the heavy stone bombs used for siege can also reach more than one hundred steps.What kind of artillery is this, the range is more than half that of the stone bomb, and it is troublesome to operate. It will explode and be scrapped after a few times, and it will consume a lot of iron and gunpowder. powerful.Why not invest energy in developing the trebuchet instead of developing this thing.

But Du Wenhao had already ordered, and although they had different opinions in their stomachs, they still had to obey.

Du Wenhao tried firing flintlock guns made of bronze again, two rear-loaded guns and one front-loaded gun.

As a result, one gun never ignited, and the other two shot smoothly, but the airtightness of the breech-loading gun that used the metal bullet case was still not good, and the bullet fell a few steps away when it came out of the muzzle.There is no air-tightness problem with the muzzle-loading gun. After the barrel was changed to brass, the chamber did not blow up after continuous shooting, but the longest range was still less than [-] paces, and the effective range and power were even worse. The thin planks are impenetrable.

What's even more irritating is that the range of the brass barrel flintlock is getting closer every time. After pondering, it is discovered that the brass quickly expands and deforms under the high temperature and high pressure of the gunpowder, resulting in worsening air tightness and a natural range. Getting closer.

Du Wenhao was also discouraged. He was a layman in gun manufacturing and didn't know how to improve it. He just told the problems he found and let the craftsmen go back and figure out how to improve it.

He asked the craftsmen to solve two problems: the first is the range problem, the minimum requirement should not be lower than the range of the bow and arrow; the second is the bombing problem, it is necessary to ensure that the chamber will not explode after more than a thousand consecutive shots.In addition, focus on developing the front-loading gun first, and then study the rear-loading gun after the technology is mature.

The development of artillery is also the same idea and requirement.Although Li Hong and the others couldn't understand why Du Wenhao insisted on developing such a thing that was neither fancy nor useful, it was after all the first task Du Wenhao entrusted to them, so they all vowed to resolutely complete the task .

After returning from the test site, he received a verbal order from the Empress Dowager Gao Taotao, asking him to enter the palace immediately.

Du Wenhao came to the palace in a hurry, the two of them were naturally very affectionate.

Afterwards, Gao Taotao put his arms around Du Wenhao's neck, stared at him, and said quietly: "The Empress Dowager Liang of Xixia invites you to Xingqing Mansion as a guest, are you interested?"

"Are you kidding me!" Du Wenhao laughed, "We are now trying to find a way to kill this old hag."

"He's not old, he's a few years younger than me."

"You descended from a fairy, and she descended from a goblin, there's no comparison!"

Gao Taotao smiled and kissed him: "Maybe we don't have to kill her, because she is seriously ill and dying."

"Really? That's good, but before she dies, let Emperor Huizong take back the imperial power. Otherwise, after the death of a Queen Mother Liang, there will be another Queen Mother Zhang, who is worse than Queen Mother Liang." Ruthless, it's even worse for us."

"Yes, but the Empress Dowager Liang sent an envoy to request that you be sent for treatment. For this reason, Xixia is willing to be a minister and accept the canonization of the Song Dynasty, and dedicate the princess to our emperor as a concubine. In order to show sincerity, I said that as long as you agree to see a doctor for the Empress Dowager Liang, the Xixia army will immediately retreat a hundred miles across the board. That is to say, no troops will be stationed near the Song Xia border! Of course, I also ask us to stop attacking and retreat a hundred miles Here, the two sides reopened trade. If the Empress Dowager Liang’s illness can be cured, I am willing to double the number of war horses sold to us at the Danshan Racecourse every year, and the price will be based on the domestic price of Xixia.”

Du Wenhao was both surprised and delighted. If he could import a large number of war horses, he would be able to solve his most desired goal. He asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Well, the envoy arrived at noon. After the discussion, I will send someone to you to discuss it. What do you think?"

Previously, there was no news about the Xixia Huizong sending secret envoys to form an alliance. Now they suddenly sent official envoys to beg Du Wenhao to treat the Empress Dowager Liang, and offered such an attractive condition. Du Wenhao was very surprised and asked: " How did you decide?"

Gao Taotao put his arms around his neck and said, "They are begging you to see a doctor. Of course I can't make a decision, so I ask you to come and listen to your opinion."

Du Wenhao asked, "They didn't say what would happen if the disease couldn't be cured? Would they detain me in Xixia? Or even attack me?"

"I was also worried about this, so I asked, and the envoy said, I would like to send Bingsheng, the son of Empress Dowager Liang and Emperor Huizong's younger brother, to come to Bianliang as a hostage in my capital. Send it back to the Great Song Dynasty. And, regardless of whether it is cured well or not, you will respectfully invite the daughter of the Royal Family of the Great Song Dynasty to be your concubine. When you cure the Empress Dowager Liang's illness, you will bring Princess Xixia back to be the emperor's concubine. At the same time, Bingsheng also took me back, Princess Song, to make Emperor Huizong his concubine."

Du Wenhao nodded: "Is there such a good thing?"

Gao Taotao smiled: "Do you think this is a good thing?"

"Of course! Our army is at a disadvantage now, so it's best not to use military means. When our army is strong, we can send troops to attack Xia. That's why we are sure. So now the marriage is a win-win result. We can not only exchange for the border Peace, gaining time to strengthen the army, you can also import a large number of war horses, and build a strong cavalry. Very good. Even if the Queen Mother Liang’s illness can’t be cured, I can take this opportunity to adapt to the situation and help Emperor Hui of Xixia regain the imperial power. It is very beneficial to us. So this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that cannot be missed!"

"Then you agreed?" Gao Taotao smiled a little reluctantly, "But... I don't want you to leave."

Du Wenhao kissed her somewhat cold red lips: "I'll come back after I cure her. There will be no delay."

"Hmm..." Gao Taotao put his arms around him and kissed him on tiptoe, "You must be careful!"

"Don't worry, with Empress Dowager Liang's own son as a hostage, they won't do anything to me."

"I'm still worried, I'll send Banzhi Heavy Armored Raiders to follow you?"

Du Wenhao lightly scratched the bridge of her nose: "No need! Xixia really wants to embarrass me, a heavy armored army is not enough, and it will increase losses for nothing. If the Xixia people don't embarrass me, I will bring a heavy armor The surprise soldiers went, but made them laugh."

"Then..., you can't go alone, can you? I'm worried!"

"Don't worry, I'll just take my escort."

"Bring your concubine, Lin Qingdai, and I heard from the late emperor that she is very powerful in martial arts, and that she can be used against a hundred. If she is in danger, she will have an extra layer of protection."

"Well, okay, I'll listen to you. Healing a disease is like saving a life. There is no delay. I will leave immediately!"

…………

(End of this chapter)