The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

The economic storm in Beijing was quickly quelled by Sun Xiang's swift and decisive actions.

The establishment of the Ministry of Commerce did not "damage the national image" as those old-fashioned civil officials had worried. On the contrary, it injected the first life-saving funds into this dynasty on the verge of bankruptcy in the most direct way.

When a full five million taels of gleaming silver were transported into the national treasury, which was so empty it could run a horse across it, the Minister of Revenue, an old official over sixty years old, held a box of silver and wept uncontrollably. He had been an official for half his life and had never seen so much money.

Watching all this, Zhou Wenyuan was filled with mixed emotions. His initial doubts about Xiao Jingchen's governing philosophy had turned into complete admiration. In chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary. This regent, though seemingly ruthless, had in fact struck the most crucial points with every step.

Having solved the problem of "money bag", Xiao Jingchen devoted all his energy to "gun barrel".

Northern Frontier, outside the city of Shuobei.

Three massive camps rose from the ground; this was the armory that Xiao Jingchen had ordered to be built.

Tens of thousands of skilled craftsmen, recruited from all over the country, worked day and night, with furnaces burning brightly, forging pieces of pig iron into weapons of war.

The most central and secretive of all was the arsenal located in the center, which was personally overseen by Chen Jing, the Minister of War.

Today, this place is heavily guarded, with a sentry every three steps and a patrol every five. Apart from Chen Jing and a few core master craftsmen, not even a bird can fly in.

In the center of the arsenal, on the drill ground, there was a strangely shaped wooden box.

It is larger than a regular crossbow and has a complex structure, with a quiver that can hold ten bolts.

This is the first finished product that Xiao Jingchen drew up using his memories from the future, and that the craftsmen spent countless efforts to create – the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.

"Your Highness, is this thing... really going to work?"

Lei Lie circled the wooden box several times, his face full of doubt. He was now the Mighty General, nominally one of the highest-ranking military officers under Xiao Jingchen, but deep down, he was still that northern frontier man who admired cavalry charges.

In his opinion, this thing looked bulky and must be slow to wind up. It was nowhere near as quick and easy as a cavalry saber.

Xiao Jingchen didn't speak, but simply nodded to Chen Jing beside him.

Chen Jing understood and stepped forward to pick up the repeating crossbow. He wasn't particularly strong, but lifting the crossbow seemed effortless for him.

He pointed at a straw man target a hundred paces away and pulled the trigger.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

A series of rapid, teeth-grinding mechanical clicks rang out.

Almost instantly, ten crossbow bolts, as if guided by an invisible thread, were fired one after another, leaving afterimages in the air.

Lei Lie didn't even see the trajectory of the crossbow bolts before he heard muffled "thud thud thud" sounds coming from afar.

He turned his head sharply, his pupils contracting instantly.

The straw man target, a hundred paces away, had its upper body riddled with arrows, turning it into a hedgehog. All ten crossbow bolts had hit their mark, embedding themselves deeply in the straw man's chest, the fletching still trembling slightly.

The entire training ground was deathly silent.

Lei Lie's mouth gaped open, unable to utter a single word. He had just been doubting the power of this thing, and the next second, reality slapped him hard in the face.

In an instant, ten arrows?

What does this mean?

Even the most elite archer takes at least several breaths to nock an arrow, draw the bow, aim, and release. And this thing only requires pulling a trigger?

This...this isn't a weapon, this is a monster!

"This...this..." Lei Lie stammered, pointing at the repeating crossbow and looking at Xiao Jingchen, "Your Highness, this...this thing, if we gave one to each of our cavalrymen..."

He was already fantasizing about his iron cavalry, each soldier armed with a repeating crossbow, charging forward and unleashing a hail of arrows upon the enemy. Just imagining it made his blood boil. What were those guys on the grasslands even worth fighting for? They might as well just kneel down and surrender!

"You wish." Xiao Jingchen glanced at him indifferently. "This thing isn't for your cavalry."

"Huh? Why?" Lei Lie exclaimed anxiously, "Such a precious treasure, if not for the cavalry, then who should use it?"

"Give it to the infantry." Xiao Jingchen's gaze deepened. "Lei Lie, tell me, what is our biggest disadvantage when fighting against the steppe cavalry?"

"Is that even a question? Of course, it's mobility." Lei Lie answered without hesitation. "Their cavalry are like the wind, they fight when they can win, and run when they can't. Our infantry phalanx can't catch up with them or stop them, so we're very passive."

"That's right." Xiao Jingchen nodded. "Therefore, our previous tactics were all cavalry against cavalry. But in our Great Yan, warhorses are precious, and the cost of raising a cavalryman is more than five times that of an infantryman. In terms of numbers, we can never compare with the grassland tribes where everyone is a soldier."

"So, I was wondering, is it possible for our infantry to become the nightmare of the steppe cavalry?"

Xiao Jingchen's hand stroked the cold receiver of the repeating crossbow.

"This is the answer."

"Its effective range is about 120 paces. Although it is not as powerful as a bow, its advantage lies in its rate of fire."

"Imagine this," Xiao Jingchen's voice carried a seductive power, "a square formation of five thousand infantrymen. The first three ranks are heavy infantrymen wielding heavy shields and spears, responsible for defense. Behind them are three thousand crossbowmen armed with these repeating crossbows."

"When the cavalry of the steppes charge, what awaits them?"

Following Xiao Jingchen's description, Lei Lie sketched out the scene in his mind.

Tens of thousands of steppe cavalrymen roared and surged towards the seemingly frail infantry formation like a black tide.

Just as they entered within a hundred paces and were about to launch their final sprint.

Suddenly, a dense clatter of mechanical clicks rang out from within the infantry formation of the Great Yan.

Three thousand repeating crossbows can fire thirty thousand bolts in an instant!

That wasn't a rain of arrows; it was an insurmountable wall of death made of steel!

The cavalry at the forefront would fall in droves, like wheat being cut down. The screams of men and horses would be drowned out by the terrifying whooshing sound of the wind.

After the first volley, they didn't even have time to change their quivers before the second wave of the steppe cavalry's charge would crash into a second wall of death.

Cold sweat beaded on Lei Lie's forehead.

As a cavalry commander himself, he knew all too well how devastating such a scene could be to the morale of his cavalry.

That wasn't a battle, that was a massacre.

"My God..." he muttered to himself, "This...this is simply...a method of fighting that will wipe out our lineage..."

"To deal with jackals, you need the most ruthless hunting rifle." Xiao Jingchen's voice was as cold as ice. "Minister Chen."

"Your subordinate is here!" Chen Jing stepped forward excitedly. He was also completely shocked by the power of the repeating crossbow and the tactics described by Xiao Jingchen.

"Destroy all the blueprints. Place all key craftsmen involved in the manufacturing on a top-secret list, under strict guard and protection. From today onwards, all three arsenals will operate at full capacity to produce this repeating crossbow and its accompanying bolts. I want to see at least 30,000 finished units and 500,000 bolts by next spring!"