General Qin

On the second day, Su Jiao, the leader of the five hundred short soldiers, summoned all the generals under his command to arrange today's defense.

Because Dongying is not the main attack today, and the five hundred of them are not supposed to accompany the general, so there are not many things to do, and the arrangement was completed in just a quarter of an hour.

"Although there is no fighting in our department today, you must also restrain your soldiers well. Don't relax your defenses. Wait for the general's orders at any time."

"only."

Hundreds of generals handed over their promises.

Su Jiao waved his hand and said, "Just wait."

The generals resigned in response.

But there is still one person in the tent who has not left.

"Zhao Baijiang, what's the matter?"

Zhao Tuo cupped his hands and said, "Report to the superior, and the subordinate does have something to report."

"What is it?"

Hearing the question, Zhao Tuo took a deep breath and said, "Now our army has attacked Jicheng several times, but all of them have been repulsed by the Yan people. The officials saw that the defense of Jicheng is strong, and the Yan people in the city are also desperately resisting. If this continues, we will Even if the army captures Jicheng, there will probably be heavy casualties..."

Before Zhao Tuo finished speaking, Su Jiao frowned, and his voice was cold: "Zhao Baijiang, are you trying to honor the enemy and fear the crowd?"

"The officials dare not!"

Zhao Tuo quickly denied it.

Good guy, he can't bear the accusation of defaming the enemy and fearing the public.

There is a saying in military law, those who honor the enemy and fear the hearts of the people will be killed.

If someone dares to flatter the enemy and damage the morale of our army, he will be tied up and dragged to the barracks to torture and humiliate the public, and finally beheaded.

Zhao Tuo actually wanted to lay the groundwork, but was frightened by Su Jiao, so he didn't dare to say anything, and quickly said: "The officials have a way to break the city, and they can help the general break through Jicheng."

"The way to break the city?"

Su Jiao's frown deepened now, he stared at the young general in front of him, and said in a deep voice: "What method do you have to break the city, let's talk about it first."

At this point, Zhao Tuo's heart was relieved, and it seemed that Su Jiao had no intention of embarrassing him.

"The officials believe that the reason why the Yan army in the city dared to resist desperately is the strong defense of Jicheng. As long as this defense can be broken, not only our army can enter the city, but the morale of the Yan people in the city will also be greatly reduced. , no longer able to resist."

Su Jiao said indifferently: "That's what you said, but it's not easy to break the city. The army has been besieging for many days, but still stopped at the city wall. Could it be that Zhao Baijiang wants to be the first warrior?"

"Your official has a sharp siege weapon to offer. As long as our army can make it, this city of Jicheng can be conquered right around the corner."

"Siege weapon?"

Su Jiao was stunned for a moment, he didn't expect Zhao Tuo to say that, then he shook his head and said, "Utensil manufacturing belongs to Baigong, you are a military official, this is not your duty."

Su Jiao really mentioned the household registration distinction.

Zhao Tuo hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Dare to report to the superior officials. Once the offerings from the subordinate officials are made, they can destroy the enemy's city. This is also a matter of military struggle. It is not used for other purposes. It is not beyond the reach."

Su Jiao nodded. What Zhao Tuo said made sense. As long as it was related to war, it was a matter of the household registration of soldiers.

He asked: "Since that's the case, then tell me what kind of artifact it is, which can break Jicheng."

"The siege weapon mentioned by the officials is a special kind of stone throwing machine, which can throw a hundred catties of boulders."

The counterweight trebuchet that Zhao Tuo wanted to make was the pinnacle of ancient trebuchet machinery. The limit of being able to throw a huge boulder of more than two hundred catties would only be greater when converted to the weights and measures of the Qin Dynasty, but Zhao Tuo lowered it a lot in order to save some escape and was afraid of scaring Su Jiao.

Even so, Su Jiao was also startled.

After all, trebuchets in this era were not the mainstream method of siege. The stones thrown were not only light in weight, but also had poor accuracy. They could be used to intimidate the enemy.

He looked suspicious, and said, "Zhao Tuo, are you playing with me? I've never heard of a trebuchet that throws a hundred-jin boulder."

Zhao Tuo immediately explained: "What the officials said is true. It was an old man who fell into trouble in Zhaodi and was rescued by my father. The old man claimed to be the descendant of Gongshu Pan, and he was clever."

"At that time, he was near the end of his life, so he gave some ancient books to my father, hoping to pass them down. I watched one or two when I was young, and I remembered that there was a record of a catapult on it. If it was manufactured, it could throw hundreds of Jin boulders, attacking cities and plundering land, invincible.”

Su Jiao was stunned when he heard that.

Gongshu like.

He has heard the name.

He was a master craftsman in the same era as Mozi. He invented and created countless things in his life, including many practical tools.

If Zhao Tuo mentioned other people's names, Su Jiao would not believe it. After all, it is hard to imagine a device that can throw a hundred catties of boulders.

But if it is the invention of Gongshu Pan, a master craftsman, then it is another matter.

Because the ladder car for siege is a Gongshu-like invention.

This master is very experienced in making siege equipment, as long as his name is put on, people cannot help but take it seriously.

Thinking of this, Su Jiao's expression also became serious. He stared at Zhao Tuo, and said, "Are you sure you can make this kind of siege equipment? The military law is strict. If you say something false, you will be severely punished."

Zhao Tuo said decisively: "The officials will definitely make it and help my army attack the city!"

Feeling the firmness in the boy's words, Su Jiao's sharp eyes gradually softened.

...

In a tent.

"Su Jiao, what you said just now is true, that general didn't lie to you for credit, did he?"

Li Sheng, the master of short soldiers of two to five hundred, looked at his capable men suspiciously. Su Jiao has always acted prudently, how could he believe such nonsense.

Su Jiao said in a deep voice: "My superior, that hundred general has a clever personality, he knows how to do things normally, and he also knows the consequences of deception, so there must be no falsehood. I think he is also worried about the war. Seeing that Jicheng is difficult to get off, It is commendable to offer this thing to help our army attack the city."

Li Sheng stroked his long beard under his jaw. Logically speaking, no one dared to speak big in the Qin army.

After all, the words are there, and the real chapter will be seen at that time. If they can't get it out, the harsh punishment is enough to make him regret it for life.

But how can there be such a sharp weapon in the world that can throw a 100-jin boulder?

Li Sheng still couldn't imagine, nodding his head for a while, shaking his head for a while.

Su Jiao said: "Sir, the name of the hundred generals is Zhao Tuo, who was called by General Li himself when he was in Zhuoyi. The general may have a lot of expectations for him, so it is better to report to the general. Everything will be decided by the general."

"That's what you said. I'll report it up and let the general know. Hey, isn't this Zhao Tuo the one who killed the fake Qin Wuji in the Battle of Yishui?"

Li Sheng patted his thigh and remembered.

During the Battle of Yishui, the person Zhao Tuo killed was suspected to be the general of the Yan Army, which caused a wave of fluctuations in the army. Although it was later proved that he was a double, Zhao Tuo's name was still remembered by many people.

He is not unknown.

"Bamboo Slips from the Qin Tomb in Sleeping Tiger Land Legal Questions and Answers": Those who honor the enemy and fear the hearts of the people will be killed.

Regarding the trebuchet (cannon), the only clear information in the pre-Qin period is the "Fan Li Art of War" quoted by Zhang Yan when he annotated the "Hanshu", "The flying stone weighs twelve catties, and it is fired by the machine and travels two hundred steps." The trebuchets from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period should not be much different from this standard. (Taking weight and measure conversions into account, stone bullets are probably lighter.)

The earliest record of actual combat is in "Three Kingdoms" where Cao Cao "struck a stone chariot and hit Shaolou", but the weight of the stone bullet was not recorded.

It was not until the Song Dynasty "Wu Jing Zong Yao" that there was a record about the weight of the shell. Among them, medium-sized trebuchets with single tip, double tip, whirlwind, tiger squat and other guns used 40-100 people to pull the rope, and the number of stone projectiles fired was only between 2 catties and 25 catties.

Among them, the tiger crouching cannon "seventy people dragged it, and one person set it free. It was set fifty steps away, and the stone weighed twelve catties."

Based on this, it is speculated that the data of the trebuchet in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period should not exceed the data of the stone bombs of the Song Dynasty after 1200 years, so it is set within 20 catties.

In addition, in "Wu Jing Zong Yao", there is a heavy-duty trebuchet seven-tip cannon that "is pulled by two hundred and fifty people, and the two of them are set to release, and the stone weighs ninety catties when placed fifty steps away." There is a huge gap between catty stone bombs.

Therefore, most people in the article heard that a hundred-jin cannon was made, and under the constraints of the times, it was hard to believe it.