My brother Ying Zheng, who dares to kill me?

Chapter 181 I, Lao Pang, have never fought such a rich battle... Where are my soldiers? !
Cao Mao blinked: "Hang heavy objects to replace manpower?"

After imagining the scene of using a heavy object to drive a lever, Cao Mao frowned slightly: "Wouldn't it be necessary to use manpower to pull up the heavy object first, and then let the heavy object fall to drive the catapult?"

"This move is purely..."

Qi Ai slapped Cao Mao hard and glared at him fiercely.

The person standing in front of us is the coach!
Do you dare to question the coach's demands?
If you don’t want to live, why don’t you take us with you!
Immediately, Qi Ai handed over his hand and said, "I'll try it now!"

Cao Mao also realized that he had almost walked into the gate of hell unconsciously. A layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he suddenly held his hands in his hands: "I apologize! I will do what the general said and hang heavy objects under the sling pole!"

Although Cao Mao didn't finish what he said, Ying Chengyu also knew that what Cao Mao said after that was nothing more than "taking off his pants and farting" or something like that.

But Ying Chengyu didn't pay attention, and just waved for these craftsmen to gather around him.

After breaking off a branch, Ying Chengyu drew a sketch on the ground: "This is what I was thinking about."

"The main structure of the trebuchet remains unchanged, but the bottom of the trebuchet must be made into a strong square wooden frame, and wheels are added on both sides of the wooden frame so that it can be pushed."

Cao Mao couldn't help but refute: "If so, the wheel may be crushed."

"And the wheels will also cause the trebuchet to shake during the throwing process."

"Adding wheels is good for throwing, it just makes the car easier to push."

"It's easy to dismantle the trebuchet, so why bother?"

Ying Chengyu pondered for a moment, then drew another trebuchet with only a wooden frame at the bottom: "Then make two types."

"One is smaller, loaded with wheels, and uses rocks to jam the wheels when activated."

"The other is larger, does not carry wheels, and is built with the frame rammed into the ground."

Cao Mao still wanted to speak.

The current trebuchet consists of two supporting timbers, a beam and a tip pole.

It’s just four pieces of wood in total, and it’s easy to disassemble and install, and adding the wheels will definitely do more harm than good!

But before he could say anything, he was pulled hard by Qi Ai, and he had to hold all the complaints in his throat.

Ying Chengxuan continued: “In addition to the frame, I also wanted to make the tip rod into a shape that is thin at the front and thick at the back.”

"Connect the thick end of the tip pole to the bracket, and then fix a wooden basket at the end of the tip pole. The wooden basket is filled with a large number of stones and weighed down."

Qi Ai didn't hold him back. Cao Mao already frowned and asked, "In this way, the tip pole will be thrown up. How to make the tip pole fall down?"

Ying Chengyu also drew two traction lines on the front end of the tip pole extending to the ground: "Tie the front end of the tip pole with several ropes, and use the power of oxen, horses or soldiers to pull the tip pole downward."

"Wait until the tip pole hangs to the ground and then secure it with a hook lock."

"When activated, if you knock the hook lock open, the wooden basket will fall down, causing the stones at the top of the tip pole to be thrown out."

The corner of Cao Mao's mouth twitched slightly: Isn't this special girl's impurity just to lift her lower clothes and fart!

But Cao Cao thought about it and finally resisted the desire to complain.

Ying Chengyu continued: "And the matching stones..."

Squatting on the ground, Ying Chengyu talked with the two craftsmen for two hours.

After "full" and "friendly" communication, Ying Chengxuan finally agreed on specific regulations with the two craftsmen.

Throwing away the wooden stick, Ying Chengyu stood up and said with a smile: "Now that we have decided, we will start building it immediately."

"The corvee workers accompanying the army are at your disposal, and the materials in the baggage camp are at your disposal. The craftsmen in the army will allocate 500 people to you."

"If we need materials that are not available in the army, I will personally notify the rear and have them forged and sent to the army."

"Within half a month, I will need you to build a cross 180 feet outside Xiuyu City!"

Cao Mao immediately shook his head: "General Qi, we can't do it!"

"This object is new and extremely complicated. We have never built it before. We are likely to encounter new problems in the process."

"All types of wood also need to be re-cut, and some bronze accessories may even need to be forged, which will take time."

"Half a month is not enough time!"

Ying Chengyu said in a deep voice: "Half a month is the longest time I can give you."

"I will give you the right to confront me directly."

"If any problems are found during the construction, you can ask our general manager to solve them."

"I will give you the right to walk freely in the baggage camp at night."

"If it can be completed on time, the great craftsman Cao Mao and the great craftsman Qi Ai will both be considered to have two levels of merit, and the craftsmen who participated in the construction will all be considered to be one level of merit."

"But if it cannot be completed on time." Ying Chengyu's voice turned cold: "I will take your two heads, and all the craftsmen involved will have one thumb each!"

"Do you dare to take my order?"

Although being knighted for consular service will be looked down upon by military generals, Cao Mao and Qi Ai are not soldiers but generals themselves. They only need titles!
Level [-] deeds can earn them the title of Superior!
But if you can't do it, you'll have to pay for it with your life!

A pressure arose spontaneously, but in the end Qi Ai became cruel and handed over his hand: "If you are humble, you will live up to the general's expectations!"

If you can't complete it, you will just die alone. If you can complete it, it will benefit the whole family!
Qi Ai gambled on this life!

Cao Mao looked at Qi Ai in shock: "Brother Qi, time is too tight!"

Qi Ai whispered: "Didn't you hear that the general gave me the right to walk in the supply camp at night?"

"If you can't finish it in fifteen days, how can you not finish it in fifteen days and nights?"

Although it is very hard to work day and night, as long as Kuanggan completes this project in fifteen days, he will be at the same level as the township chief and will be appreciated by the commander-in-chief.

worth it!

Qi Ai's voice was a little more crazy and pleading: "Fight with your brother for fifteen days!"

"On my own, I will definitely not be able to complete this task, but if you and I work together, it is not impossible."

"If you win, you and I will be nobles from now on!"

Under Qi Ai's pleading, Cao Mao reluctantly handed over his hand: "I humbly accept my order!"

Ying Chengqiao nodded slightly: "Since I have accepted the order, we will start work immediately."

"I don't have much time to wait!"

Cao Mao and Qi Ai both raised their hands: "Wei!"

After watching Ying Chengyuan go away, Cao Mao smiled bitterly and shook his head: "I'm really crazy, I'm going crazy with you!"

"Look at this thing!" Cao Mao tapped the picture drawn by Ying Chengyu with a wooden stick: "What's the use?"

"The trebuchet is used to hit the soldiers on the city wall, but the general made the trebuchet so big and heavy that it can't move at all."

"A three-kilogram stone bullet can kill anyone if hit accurately. Can a thirty-kilogram stone bullet kill more people?"

"No!"

"You can still only kill one person!"

"What's the use of throwing heavier rocks!"

The target of today's trebuchets has always been the people on the enemy's walls, not the enemy walls themselves!

Even after 1000, the main targets of Chinese catapults were still soldiers on the city wall and buildings such as turrets and water dragon towers. They never thought of attacking the city wall itself. They followed two completely different development routes from Western catapults. .

But this is not because the Chinese craftsmen are not smart enough, but because the development speed of Chinese city defense far exceeds the development speed of catapults.

Just like Xinzheng City, its city wall is about five feet (11.55 meters) high, the base of the wall is eighteen feet (41.58 meters) wide, and the top of the wall is one foot (2.31 meters) wide.The entire city wall is made of rammed earth. Each layer of rammed earth is about 8 centimeters thick. There is a crossbar every 60 centimeters to strengthen the strength and withstand tensile force, just like the steel bars in later buildings.

With such a city wall, a stone weighing more than ten kilograms would not cause any damage to the city wall at all, and it could even help the enemy force the city wall to become stronger!
What's the use of smashing it?

It was not until more than a thousand years later that the development of city walls reached a bottleneck period. The counterweight catapults that had been developed in the West for more than a thousand years were also introduced to China. Only then did China finally begin to try to use catapults to attack enemy city walls.

The essential difference in tactical thinking and the generation gap of more than a thousand years made it impossible for Cao Mao to understand the new trebuchet proposed by Ying Chengyu.

On a normal day, Cao Mao might have been interested in studying whether there was anything subtle about this thing.

But now, this thing has been linked to Cao Mao's life. It's no wonder that Cao Mao is in a good mood!
Cao Mao sighed helplessly: "I don't know how powerful this thing should be in the general's imagination."

"But if this thing is used in actual combat, it will definitely be of little use."

"Based on the seriousness of the general who drew the sketch himself, I wonder if the general will kill you and me in a rage!"

Qi Aiqiang smiled and said: "Maybe the general wants to use this thing to hit the city wall?"

"I heard that when the general attacked Xinzheng City, he used a catapult to throw oil altars into Xinzheng City."

Cao Mao was stunned for a moment and said thoughtfully: "What Brother Qi said makes sense."

“But what’s the difference between oil from the big altar and the oil from the small altar?”

Qi Ai patted Cao Mao on the shoulder: "Don't think so much. Generals naturally have their own reasons."

Cao Mao sighed helplessly: "What Brother Qi said is true, hurry up and grab the construction deadline!"

Qi Ai directly brought the topic to the point: "The general needs this trebuchet to throw heavier stones, which must require harder wood."

"Brother Cao, what do you suggest?"

Cao Mao stroked his beard and thought thoughtfully: "How about Fraxinus manchus?"

……

Qi Ai and Cao Mao worked hard for the crowns they could wear on their heads.

On the other side, Wei Qi is also working hard for his own life and the great Wei behind him.

"Has Zhao Jun arrived?" As soon as he stepped into Xiuyu City, Wei Qi got an answer that surprised him: "Where is General Zhao Jun?"

The defender hurriedly said: "Zhao Jun is entering the city from the north gate."

"This army has not yet entered the city."

Wei Qi said excitedly: "Very good!"

"Everyone, quickly follow me to the North City Gate!"

With a pinch on the horse's belly, Wei Qi's horse galloped towards the north gate.

But it had already carried Wei Qi for eighty miles, foaming at the corners of its mouth, and it was really unable to run at high speed.

Wei Qi simply turned over and dismounted, holding the hilt of his sword with his right hand, and ran towards the north gate.

"General, wait, I'll wait!"

"Quick, catch up with the general!"

"I can't catch up. I'm so tired that I can't stand it anymore."

"The horse can't run anymore, can't you still run? Chase him!"

Wei Qi's soldiers and generals such as Chen Mao had to dismount.

A group of the most senior generals of the Wei army ran wildly in Xiuyu City in a panic, attracting many soldiers to look in surprise.

After walking through the entire Xiuyu City and running all the way to the North City Gate, Wei Qi could already see the big banner from a distance.

Wei Qi gasped in surprise and shouted: "I dare to ask, but~huh~but~chi~General Pang's face?!"

There was a faint commotion in the middle section of Zhao's army, and then dozens of people crossed the soldiers and rode forward.

Wei Qi waited impatiently for a long time, and finally, a handsome old man over ninety years old, with white hair and beard, a gentle and powerful face, and firm and energetic eyes rode into the city.

"Mr. Pengcheng?" Seeing that Wei Qi was not riding, Pang Nuan immediately dismounted and stepped forward: "The last time we met was three years ago."

"We haven't seen you for three years. How are you doing, Mr. Pengcheng?"

Wei Qi returned the favor and said bitterly: "It's not good at all!"

Seeing Wei Qi covered in sweat and panting, Pang Nuan's voice became more serious: "But something big happened?"

"Mr. Pengcheng, do you need my help in any way?"

Wei Qi looked towards the direction of the Yellow River, his eyes slightly moist: "Just today, I just suffered a huge defeat."

"All my former troops were trapped in the Yellow River."

"If it weren't for my soldiers fighting to the death to protect me, I would have died in the Yellow River!"

"I am ashamed of my expectations of my soldiers and my faith in my king!"

Zhao Jun's scouts had already reported the battlefield situation, so Pang Nuan also knew that Wei Qi had been defeated, and defeated miserably.

But seeing Wei Qi like this, it seems that Wei Qi's defeat was worse than he imagined?
Pang Nuan asked tentatively: "I wonder how much profit or loss Mr. Pengcheng will have from this battle?"

"Profit or loss?" Wei Qi smiled bitterly and said, "A miserable failure!"

Knowing that Pang Nuan wanted to ask for specific data, Wei Qi did not hide it and said bluntly: "Our army captured more than [-] enemy heads. This is roughly the total number of enemy casualties."

"Our army's estimated losses in this battle are more than [-], and nearly [-] soldiers are missing."

Pang Nuan's eyes widened: "More than [-] people were damaged in the battle and nearly [-] people were missing?"

"How many soldiers are there in Mr. Pengcheng's army?"

Wei Qi lowered his head in shame: "15."

Pang Nuan was shocked and asked: "With 15 soldiers, more than [-] were lost in one battle?"

"The general only has more than [-] soldiers left under his command?"

Wei Qi hurriedly said: "If there are not more than [-] soldiers, when those soldiers return, our army will have more than [-] soldiers!"

Pang Nuan was at a loss.

Pang Nuan was quite happy before the expedition.

In recent years, Zhao State has been relatively young and strong. Except for the Five Kingdoms' campaign to conquer Qin, Pang Nuan's several foreign wars were fought with a small number of troops against the enemy's superior strength.

Although only 25 of Zhao's [-] troops were dispatched by Pang Nuan in this battle, didn't that still include the entire army of Wei!
The combined forces of Zhao and Wei are on par with Qin. This is already a rare battle of wealth for Pang Nuan!

But Pang Nuan hasn't seen the army yet, so half of the Wei army's troops are gone?
Aren’t you just giving it away?

Wei Qi accompanied Xin and asked, "I wonder how many reinforcements the general has brought this time?"

Pang Nuan was silent for a few moments before giving the answer: "Fifty thousand."

Wei Qi's eyes widened: "Fifty thousand?"

"Only fifty thousand?!"

"You and I only have 13 troops in total?!"

"How do you fight!"

　Happy Mid-autumn Festival!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)