Daqin Engineering Corps

"Have you ever heard a word?"

"Life must be reserved, and never show your cards easily?"

……

Chapter 6 Seeing Is Believing

It was not all smooth sailing for Shen Bing.

Not long after the start of work, Shen Bing and Cang were called by Yang Duanhe.

This time it is a new handsome tent.

I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, the position of the handsome tent is more than a hundred steps away from the "Panon Master" than before.

Yang Duanhe watched Shen Bing look up and down the handsome tent, and he couldn't help feeling a little angry.

Secretly thought, you guy, do you still want to do it again?

But of course Yang Duanhe wouldn't say that.

He raised his head towards the middle-aged man with a crown and a goatee next to him, and said:

"This is Chen Huai, the cannon master!"

"He has objections to your improved trebuchet!"

Shen Bing, who was a Gong Cheng, knew that Chen Wei, who was called a coward, was an officer one level higher than Xun.

So he didn't dare to be negligent, and hurriedly bowed his hands to Chen Kui and said:

"This subordinate has seen the miser!"

"The trebuchet has been improved soon and naturally has many defects!"

"I also ask the miser to correct me!"

What Shen Bing said was the truth.

The existing catapult improvement plan is only a prototype, and there is a lot of room for improvement, so it is normal for Chen Kai to have objections.

How did Shen Bing know that Chen Wei's objection did not refer to "room for improvement" at all.

Then Chen Kui looked Shen Bing up and down, and asked, "Are you the Shen Bing who improved the trebuchet?"

"It's my subordinate!" Shen Bing answered with cupped hands.

Chen Kui let out a "hum", and then asked:

"Let me ask you, how much does the catapult weigh if you make such a change?"

"Can soldiers still carry trebuchets to the battlefield?"

"Or can it be transferred quickly?"

Shen Bing was speechless for a moment.

As the saying goes, "There are advantages and disadvantages", the improved trebuchet is indeed inconvenient in handling and movement because of the addition of counterweights.

Seeing that Shen Bing didn't answer, Chen Kui became even more proud.

"Let me also ask you, how much wood and how long does it take to make a trebuchet after it is improved?"

"If there is insufficient wood or time is tight!"

"Can our army produce enough trebuchets in a short time?"

Shen Bing was at a loss for words again.

After the improvement of the trebuchet, because of the addition of the wheel shaft, there are indeed problems of more consumables and long working hours.

"Let me ask you again, how long does it take to launch a stone bomb after the trebuchet is improved?"

"If the enemy suddenly attacks!"

"Will our army be able to launch a large number of stone bombs in time to stop the enemy in front of the formation?"

Shen Bing could not refute.

Because after the improvement, the control of the trebuchet requires a winch and a rope, so it takes longer.

To be honest, Shen Bing didn't think about these issues.

Because in his mind, history has proved that the improvement of the trebuchet must be correct.

Unexpectedly, these doubts still existed when the old and new trebuchets were transformed.

This also fully verifies the saying: "No reform will be smooth sailing."

Cang who was standing by the side was a little unconvinced after hearing this.

"Coward, although the improved trebuchet has these problems, it also has many advantages!"

Chen Wei asked back: "For example..."

Cang replied without thinking:

"Like doubling the range!"

"For example, only a few people can control it!"

Chen Kui obviously came prepared, he laughed and replied:

"So what if the shooting range is doubled? Isn't it the stone bullet that hit the enemy's wall?"

"So what if only a few people control it? Is my Daqin still short of people?"

Yang Duanhe couldn't help but nodded slightly to express his agreement when he heard the words.

Even Shen Bing had to admit that this analysis made some sense.

During the cold war period, there were 10 people at every turn, and they didn't care about the catapults at all!

however……

Shen Bing cupped his hands towards Chen Wei and said:

"Coward, I want to ask, what is the purpose of our siege and battle?"

Chen Wei couldn't help being puzzled on his face. He didn't think it had much to do with the trebuchet.

However, after hesitating for a while, Chen Wei still replied: "Of course it is to destroy the city and kill the enemy!"

Shen Bing nodded and said:

"What the miser said is true!"

"Then, have you ever thought about..."

"Before and after the improvement of the trebuchet, which one is more conducive to breaking the city and killing the enemy?"

Chen Kui looked at Shen Bing as if seeing a big joke:

"Are you saying that the improved trebuchet is more conducive to breaking the city and killing the enemy?"

"Have you ever thought about it: Although the improved trebuchet hits far away, the time-consuming launch means fewer stones?"

"With fewer stone bullets, how can it be more conducive to breaking the city and killing the enemy?"

Although the ancients did not understand science and technology, they could still do this simple calculation.

But Shen Bing still replied confidently: "Of course!"

Chen Kui shook his head with a wry smile, and replied in a disdainful tone: "I would like to hear more about it!"

Shen Bing's answer was also very simple: "Accurate!"

This made Chen Wei a little surprised: "Accurate?"

Shen Bing nodded:

"Yes, quasi-head!"

"The old-style trebuchets are launched by manpower. Although they are simple to make and launch quickly, they miss nine out of ten shots!"

Speaking of this, Shen Bing paused and looked at Chen Wei and Yang Duanhe.

Neither objected because it was true.

Shen Bing continued:

"But the improved trebuchet is different!"

"It uses a counterweight, and the force is the same every time!"

"That is to say, as long as the size of the stone bullets is similar, the distance after firing will not be much different!"

"That's what I'm talking about!"

"Even we can change the counterweight or adjust the human control of the trebuchet!"

"So, at least two or even three out of ten shots!"

"Is this not conducive to breaking the city and killing the enemy?"

Yang Duanhe was dumbfounded, he didn't know anything about "counterweight", "strength", and "manual control".

Yang Duanhe looked at Chen Kui and asked:

"Is what Shen Bing said true?"

"The improved trebuchet can hit three out of ten shots?"

Chen Wei's expression changed. Although he didn't quite understand what Shen Bing said, he probably understood a little bit.

However, he is still stubborn: "There is no evidence for what you say..."

Shen Bing interrupted Chen Wei: "Seeing is believing!"

It is not difficult to "seeing is believing", so Shen Bing does not want to talk nonsense.

Yang Duanhe also wanted to find out, so he immediately ordered twenty catapults to be prepared.

Ten of them were pulled by old-style manpower, and the other ten were new-style ones that used counterweights.

Commanded by Chen Kui and Shen Bing respectively.

The target is two wooden pavilions.

Following Yang Duanhe's order, the prepared two sides fired stone bombs respectively.

With a "creaking" sound, the stone bullet went straight to the target with the sound of wind.

The first round didn't work out well.

Even the effect of manpower control would be better, one of its shots hit, while Shen Bing commanded only one shot that missed the edge.

Seeing this, Chen Kui couldn't help laughing "haha", and shouted arrogantly at Shen Bing:

"Accurate?"

"Is it beneficial to break the city and kill the enemy?"

"Did you have some misunderstanding?"

Shen Bing ignored Chen Wei, and calmly waved the flag to direct the trebuchet:

"A car moves forward two steps!"

"Car B back five steps!"

……

The cars advanced and retreated according to orders, forming an uneven formation.

Then the second round of stone bullets flew out, only to hear a loud "boom boom" of broken wood, and four rounds of the new trebuchet hit directly.

How could the wooden pavilion withstand the heavy impact of stone bullets, and it was smashed to pieces in an instant.

Looking at Chen Wei's goal again, it is almost the same as standing in front of everyone.