Chapter 68: Thunder

Xiao Yan is really the most relaxed during this period. Now the whole Jiankang City has slowly entered the formality, and the personnel are basically complete. The only trouble now is Huang Shan. He can't kill, and he can't let him go. Fortunately, Xiao Yan can let go.

After the craftsmen of the craftsman's workshop that Yue Fei asked for him to come back, Xiao Yan personally took them into Zhongshan. Xiao Yan wanted to build a Jiankang craftsman workshop here, because the mountain was relatively hidden. The reason why Xiao Yan chose this place was that he wanted to use all the knowledge of future generations to command these craftsmen. Of course, the study of firearms and artillery of later generations must be kept secret. In the early Southern Song Dynasty, these aspects were still still very backward, and although Xiao Yan wanted to study some simple things in later generations, if it was really successful, it was still very appalling at this time.

...

Finally, there was some achievement. Looking at the two feet long thing in front of me, there was a thick bucket. Except for Xiao Yan, none of the craftsmen standing on the side knew what it was. With the knowledge of Xiao Yan's later generations, some artillery* and other things are still more than enough. In the countryside in the 1970s and 1980s, in the era of material scarcity, children's toys were all homemade. Among them, the simple * made of bicycle chains and some bullet shells was the children's favorite toys. Of course, Xiao Yan also played them when he was a child.

The only thing that gave Xiao Yan a headache was that the steel refining technology was too backward, and the quality of the steel extracted was too poor. And these aspects were exactly the knowledge that Xiao Yan lacked. He finally gathered some blacksmiths and blacksmiths at that time to get such a good steel under countless experiments. Xiao Yan couldn't wait to let them build such a thing. Looking at the surprised expression of the group of craftsmen, Xiao Yan did not explain much. After all, facts speak louder than words!

For good, gunpowder had long ago in the Southern Song Dynasty. Xiao Yan ordered them to take out the gunpowder they had prepared, poured it into the gun barrel himself, took out a wooden stick with a thick arm and gently pounded it. Xiao Yan was also muttering in his heart, and he couldn't know the amount of gunpowder. After seeing that Xiao Yan had pounded a bucket, he put on the prepared stone bullets and stuffed them with cloth. Xiao Yan compared the front for a long time and inserted the long-rolled fuse into the back of the cannon. For the sake of safety, the fuse was more than ten feet long. Is it the first time? Safety is the main thing.

Everyone saw Xiao Yan busy for a long time and had the intention to help. Xiao Yan didn't need it until Xiao Yan pulled the fuse and walked back. They saw Xiao Yan greeting him together.

After finishing his busy work, Xiao Yan took a breath and looked at his masterpiece in front of him. He was also muttering in his heart. I don't know what the result of this experiment was. Not long after, Xiao Yan took the torch raised by Gao Zhan and reached over the fuse.

The fuse moved forward like a tongue of fire, and Xiao Yan's heart rose higher and higher as the fuse became shorter and shorter. Finally, it burned into the artillery, and Xiao Yan's heart rose to his throat.

This is Xiao Yan's feeling that time passed so slowly. What's the matter? In fact, after a while, Xiao Yan really felt that it seemed to be very long. After looking around and seeing everyone's inexplicable expressions, Xiao Yan was about to step forward to check.

"Boom!" With a loud noise, it is estimated that people in Jiankang City can also hear it. Looking at the people around Xiao Yan, they have already lying on the ground, and even two people fainted. They should have fainted instead of really fainting. Xiao Yan was also shocked and the sound was too loud. When Xiao Yan came to his senses, he immediately shouted, "It worked... Successful..." He ran over as he spoke.

With Xiao Yan's shouting, the group of craftsmen also recovered and came to the front of the cannon with a frightened face. Seeing that the gun body was nothing, the wooden frame made of wooden barrels could not stand the huge recessary force. Looking at the direction of the cannon, although the shooting was not accurate, the distance was very far, so he ordered to stand in front to investigate the situation, but he stood still and thought about something.

With the success of the first shot, the former craftsmen of the court workshop took a 180-degree turn towards Xiao Yan. At first, some of Xiao Yan's actions or arrangements were blind command in their eyes. They just obeyed, but goodbye, after Xiao Yan's " blind command" made an incomparable cannon, these people were sincerely convinced. They saw the power of the cannon with their own eyes, and a stone ball hit seven or eight hundred not far away. There is a pit more than a foot deep. If it hits people on the battlefield, it's not bad.

A few months of suffering were not in vain. That night, Xiao Yan had a big banquet to celebrate the success of the first shot. This is the officials who heard the sound in the city who knew what Xiao Yan was doing mysteriously during this period. During the dinner, they listened to the drunken bragging of those immersive craftsmen. These people were itchy and wanted to see the power of the cannon in person. Lu Chen also gave a cannon after getting drunk. It was very enjoyable to listen to it. The name "Sky Thunder" means that this cannon is as powerful as thunder in the sky.

The success of the first shot has increased everyone's enthusiasm for work. In less than a month, three thunderstorms have been built, and these three doors are much better than the first one in terms of quality and appearance. With the enthusiasm and technical maturity of the craftsmen, Xiao Yan has changed his job.

He selected strong sergeants from the garrison and formed a special army, artillery. And a group of skilled gunners were selected and trained in a short time. Due to the huge size of Tianlei, each gun must be equipped with at least 100 strong sergeants to move. While training a sergeant, Xiao Yan is studying the new type of artillery.

Working day and night! It was not until Jiankang's steel inventory was over.

At this time, the building of the craftsman's courtyard has also been completed, and Xiao Yan also wrote some of his theories about making large and small firearms during this period and sent them to each craftsman, requiring them to systematically learn how to make firearms.

One method, one hundred methods. Soon, these craftsmen not only blooded Xiao Yan's theory, but also came out of blue, and some cleverly designed some small cannons that were surprised to Xiao Yan. It is a bit similar to the cannon of later generations. Although it is less powerful, it is easy to carry. It's just that there are no materials and it can't be made.

Xiao Yan involutated that the creative experience of our working people is infinite.

To this end, Xiao Yan has set up a special institution that is only responsible for himself to manage these firearms drawings and documents and prevent the disclosure of secrets. It means to be as vigilant as a wolf, be as sharp as the wolf's teeth when you meet the enemy, and tear up the enemy at all costs. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan, an inconspicuous institution specially set up to keep secrets, would play a decisive role in the future. Of course, this is a later story.

On the way back to the city, Xiao Yan said to Gao Zhan, "We have kept this secret. Whenever we have the capital to save our lives."