Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 752 The Screw and the Spy

I don't know if it's because I've been in the military factory for a long time and I'm used to the noisy voices. The officials and master craftsmen who have been in the military factory for a long time speak very loudly, and the voices of kneeling down and shouting long live are so loud that they can Spread three miles.

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Xiangfu Country's Weapons Research Department has been set up in the weapons production base from the very beginning, and it is located in the most central position.It is also one of the most heavily guarded bases and one of the places with the highest level of secrecy in the entire Xiangfu Kingdom.If the regulations were strictly followed, even Han Xizai and Ma Wentao would have to go through strict approval before they could enter. Naturally, Zhang Bo's level would not allow them to enter at will. Yu Wen even tactfully raised this question face to face.But Ye Chen looked at Zhang Bo who was a little embarrassed and unhappy. After thinking for a while, he pardoned Zhang Bo and entered the Weapons Research Department, and saw the latest achievements of the Research Department.

There were two iron rods on the table, Ye Chen picked up the short one first, and after carefully looking at it, he picked up the long iron rod, stroked it carefully, and compared it with similar things he had seen in later generations in his mind.There was a look of joy on his face.Sighing somewhat inexplicably, he said after a while: "I pass on my will, and the master craftsmen Ma Depeng, Xu Bo, and Li Gengxi who participated in the research and manufacture of this thing will bestow a seventh-rank official body, and each reward 3000 taels of silver. 1 taels of silver from the Research Department as a reward."

Yu Wen hurriedly led the three master craftsmen who had already been ecstatic to kneel down to thank them.

Zhang Bo remembered that when he defeated the invading army of the Song Dynasty twice, His Majesty the Emperor did not show such a look. Only when he rescued the Empress some time ago, His Majesty the Emperor had such a look of joy. Now these two iron rod-shaped Things made His Majesty the Emperor so happy, Zhang Bo was so curious that he died, and after Ye Chen got Yu Wen and the others up, he couldn't help asking: "Your Majesty, I am really curious, what is the importance of this iron rod?" Something special?"

"This is not an iron rod." Ye Chen stretched out his hand and carefully put the thing back on the table, handed the other short rod on the table to Zhang Bo, and said, "Zhang Aiqing, take a look at this, it's not too important .”

Zhang Bo also took the short stick with both hands carefully, and found that it was only about 20 inches long, while the long one on the table was more than five feet long.

Ye Chen waited for Zhang Bo to look at it over and over for a while, and then asked him leisurely: "Did Zhang Aiqing see anything special?"

"The pattern on it is very interesting." There are three spiral patterns on the iron rod, from the beginning to the end.

"So this thing is not called an iron rod, but a screw." Ye Chen said to Yu Wen, "Yu Wen, tell Master Zhang how long it took the Weapons Research Department to research this thing, and how much money it spent."

Yu Wen respectfully said yes, and then said with a smile: "Master Zhang, more than a year ago, when His Majesty was still in Song Dynasty, he gave us the most accurate three-dimensional drawing of this object. From that time, the Huaxia Weifu Weapons Department, we So we began to mobilize the best master craftsmen to study this object, and until yesterday, we have spent a total of more than 75 taels of silver on the research and casting of this object."

Zhang Bo trembled in shock at Yu Wen's words. He held the short screw tightly in his hand, looked left and right, and asked in disbelief, "That means this iron guy is worth more than 75 taels of silver."

"To a certain extent, he is a priceless treasure." Ye Chen was very satisfied with the expression on Zhang Bo's face, and said with some emotion.

Zhang Bo swallowed, looked at the things in his hand again and again for a while, and said, "Your Majesty, this iron rod... no, why is this screw rod so rare and precious?"

It was Yu Wen who answered this question. He told Zhang Bo that although there were only three short threads on the screw, the entire thread was exactly one-tenth of an inch thick, which was almost exactly the same. The protrusion is also three-tenths of an inch in thickness, which is exactly the same as that drawn by Ye Chen's drawing more than a year ago. This screw is almost the ultimate artificial, so these three threads took three of the best blacksmiths. Handmade for almost two years.

After the three-turn screw passed the acceptance inspection, a batch of three-turn wood screws were manufactured using it as the mother rod, and then five-turn, nine-turn, seventeen-turn wood screws, etc., and then a set of hydraulic grinding tools was specially built. Finally, a large number of uniform wood screws and waterwheel power were used to grind the 800-turn iron screw with a length of five feet and three inches. This means that the screw designed by Da Vinci appeared in practical products more than [-] years earlier than in history.

Although Zhang Bo didn't understand it very well, it didn't affect his judgment of the preciousness and hard-earnedness of this thing. He couldn't help sweating. He held the original screw in his hand like a peerless jade, and Ye Chen smiled. He said: "This three-turn screw is useless. What I'm looking at today is this long screw. This thing is the real priceless treasure, which cannot be measured by gold and silver."

Zhang Bo stared blankly at the screw on Ye Chen's table, and asked in disbelief: "Your Majesty, I'm stupid, and I want to ask, what's the use of such a screw after spending so much manpower and effort? "

"With him, we can equip the entire army with iron armor, and at least the mountain-pattern scale armor worn by battalion commanders today, and even better armor than the mountain-pattern armor."

Although Zhang Bo is a civil servant, he also knows that a set of scale armor with mountain patterns is worth a thousand taels of silver, because even at the current armor production speed of the military factory in Xiangfu Kingdom, the output is only a hundred or so pieces a year.But now Ye Chen said that the entire army of Xiangfu Kingdom can be equipped with such armor, what kind of concept is this?What will this mean?To use the technical terminology of playing games in later generations, it is to increase the soldiers' defense by more than two or three times.

Ye Chen tapped the screw, and continued: "And this point falls on this baby."

What Ye Chen said was not to equip all soldiers with mountain-pattern scale armor, but to equip plate armor that could be comparable to mountain-pattern scale armor.

Plate armor made of fine iron is much stronger than scale armor.First, if the armor is the same thickness, the scale armor will be heavier due to the overlapping parts; second, the weight of the scale armor mainly sits on the shoulders of the person, which greatly affects the movement of the arms; The scale armor is less than [-] catties of iron, and the [-] catties of plate armor is all iron, and the [-] catties of plate armor can be equivalent to the defensive effect of [-] catties of scale armor.

The main advantage of scale armor is that it can be repaired as long as the damaged scales are replaced. This design idea is to let the human body share part of the impact force. After all, human life is not as valuable as armor.But since Ye Chen intends to take the route of an elite soldier, he would rather let the armor be damaged than try to protect the human body inside.

Whether the bow and arrow can tear the metal plate armor is a problem. Even if it can, it will definitely consume more energy according to the law of energy conservation.It's just that plate armor is too expensive under the existing technical conditions, and it is also difficult to repair.But now that there is a screw, the hydraulic forging machine will soon be born.Once the water power can be used to cold forge the armor, the plate armor can be made faster than the scale armor, and much faster.

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As soon as Ye Chen returned to the palace, Xin Shi reported that Hu Sanguang was waiting outside the palace. It was already evening. Hu Sanguang came to him at this time, obviously there must be something urgent. Ye Chen has been a little worried these days Concerned about Yu Daoxiang's safety, he hurriedly let Hu Sanguang in.

Hu Sanguang looked solemn, and after entering the hall, he saluted and said, "Your Majesty, there may be a high-ranking spy from the Song Dynasty and Song Weifu in Xiazhou City. According to the summary and analysis of various information obtained by our security department, this It is very likely that people have dragged an important official in the court of our Xiangfu Kingdom into the water."

Ye Chen frowned slightly. He thought about it in his mind, and the faces of the important officials in the court flashed. He really couldn't think of who was the spy: "Is it a civil servant or a general?"

Hu Sanguang said: "It is not clear yet, but according to analysis, it is speculated that the possibility of civil servants is higher."

Ye Chen's expression had regained his composure, and he said, "Song Wei's Mansion in Song State has made a lot of progress. In the future, when your Ministry of Security fights against them, you still cannot take it lightly. After all, Song State has many adults, and there are many talents of all kinds, and the enemy should not be underestimated. "

Hu Sanguang hurriedly said: "I would like to follow your Majesty's instructions."

Ye Chen said: "I don't need to say more about how to do it. Find this person soon."

Hu Sanguang said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, this matter has been listed as the top priority of the Ministry of Security. The minister has made careful arrangements, and the most likely servants of the chief and deputy chief officials' mansions of the Sixth Ministry of Zhongshu Province, as well as the minor officials and officials of the Sixth Ministry. Excluded one by one, and all suspects are also under surveillance..."

"Surveillance on them? Who are they most likely to be?" Ye Chen asked.

Hu Sanguang said: "Through analysis and speculation, in addition to Li Junhao, Bai Canghai, Lian Jicheng, Xu Xuan and Yu Wen, Hei Yue, Yang Jiye, Wang Chao, Tuoba Gelu, and Li Guangshun, there are all important officials from the third rank and above in the court. Possibly treason."

Ye Chen frowned and thought for a while. If Hu Sanguang's conclusion is correct based on the most rational analysis, then other than these people, everyone else might really be treasonous.However, after Ye Chen thought for a while, he still said: "Han Xizai, Ma Wentao, Han Hu, Zhan Xiongwu and all members of the Yang family can be ruled out. As for the others, if they know about the secret surveillance, I'm afraid it's not very good. Because of one person, people's hearts are broken."

Hu Sanguang quickly explained: "Your Majesty, don't worry, they won't know. Besides, if this person can often see important officials in the court, if he is not dug out early, it will be even worse for the court, and he will threaten the lives of all officials in the court at any time." , and even your Majesty’s safety. Therefore, monitoring them is a last resort. However, I assure Your Majesty that within a month at most, I will find this person and revoke the monitoring of them.”

(End of this chapter)