xymnovel Chapter 456 Zong Yu: Your subject has something to report.
Chapter 456 Zong Yu: Your subject has something to report.
The saddle has high protrusions at the front and back, with iron rings connected by leather straps hanging down on both sides of the horse's belly, and U-shaped iron plates painted below the hooves.
As soon as the drawing was finished, Zhao Ben stepped forward, staring at the iron rings and saddle in the drawing, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
He stared at the two hanging iron rings, mentally simulating the posture of riding a horse.
Suddenly, Zhao Ben slapped his thigh, his voice rising sharply.
"Master! With these iron rings on both sides, when soldiers ride horses, won't their feet be inside them?"
Zhao Ben pointed to the blueprints, his tone urgent, "With a place to step, their feet will have a point of leverage, and the soldiers won't need to grip the horses' bellies so tightly!"
A nearby captain also realized what was happening, his eyes wide with shock: "And this saddle with its raised front and back sections! When soldiers sit in the middle, their bodies will be secured during a charge or when subjected to force, preventing them from sliding backward!"
To verify his idea, Zhao Ben immediately brought over a long wooden bench.
He stepped onto it, his legs dangling in the air, his hands mimicking the grip of reins.
"When I ride a horse, my legs are dangling in the air. But if I swing a weapon with one hand, I easily lose my balance." Zhao Ben swayed on the bench and almost fell.
Then, he placed his feet on the crossbars at both ends of the bench, simulating the position of stepping on stirrups.
He exerted force with his thighs, leaned his body slightly forward, and planted his feet firmly, managing to stand up halfway on the bench.
"We've stabilized!"
Zhao Ben released his left hand, which was simulating reins, and simultaneously made a waving motion with both hands, as if brandishing a long spear.
No matter how much he moved, he always maintained his balance with both feet on the crossbeam.
"With the support of the iron rings under their feet, soldiers can stand up directly on horseback! Their hands are completely free to wield long spears, and they can even draw their bows and shoot arrows from horseback!"
Zhao Ben jumped off the bench, strode to the table, looked at the blueprints, and exclaimed in amazement.
The generals took turns stepping forward, their breathing becoming heavy as they looked at the blueprints and Zhao Ben's demonstration.
This simple design completely solved the weakness of Qin cavalry, who could not fight with both hands on horseback.
Why didn't anyone think of this before!
With just a few leather straps and iron rings, a farmer on horseback could have a balance that was no less than that of the Huns.
Pointing to the area below the horseshoe in the painting, Zhang Fan added, "That's not all. That piece of iron nailed to the bottom of the horseshoe is called a horseshoe."
"Without protection, the horses of the Qin Dynasty would easily wear down and crack their hooves during long-distance raids on hard ground. If the hooves were ruined, the warhorse was ruined. With the protection of horseshoes, the lifespan of a warhorse could be extended several times!"
Everyone finally understood the value of these items.
These three items combined can instantly transform Qin infantry into heavy cavalry capable of fighting on horseback.
In a frontal charge, the Qin cavalry, with their two feet supporting them and their hands wielding heavy weapons, would directly crush the Xiongnu light cavalry who could only rely on their legs to grip the belly of their horses.
Zhang Fan took a blank bamboo slip and wrote a few lines of explanatory text next to the drawing, indicating the specific materials used for leather and pig iron.
"General Zhao, this thing is not difficult to manufacture at all. The Mo family can make it with just one glance."
Zhang Fan rolled up the letters and drawings and put them into a bamboo tube.
He picked up the seal on the table and pressed it heavily onto the clay seal.
"Take it, and use the fastest horses at the post station, send it back to Xianyang immediately by express courier, covering 800 li!"
Zhang Fan handed the bamboo tube to Zhao Ben.
Zhao Ben accepted the bamboo tube with both hands, his expression solemn.
He knew that the bamboo tube contained not blueprints, but a crucial national weapon for defeating the Xiongnu.
Once Xianyang rushes to produce and transport them to the northern frontier, equipping the army's warhorses, the course of the war will be completely reversed.
"I will personally make the arrangements! I will not delay for even a moment!" Zhao Ben turned and strode out of the main tent.
Fusu watched Zhao Ben's departing figure, then turned to look at Zhang Fan, his eyes filled with admiration.
"The teacher could change the course of a military and national crisis with just a casually picked-up object. The student has learned a lesson."
Zhang Fan waved his hand, yawned, and said lazily,
"I'm done with this, I'm going to catch up on some sleep. Call me if there's any military news outside."
He left the main tent, leaving the generals inside gathered around the table to continue discussing the tactical deployment after the cavalry equipment was upgraded.
……
The swift horse, traveling at an urgent speed of eight hundred li, traveled from the northern border to the Guanzhong Plain.
The courier traveled day and night on horseback, changing horses but not riders along the way, and didn't even have time to drink water.
When the knights charged into Xianyang, shouting "Urgent dispatch from the Northern Territory," the entire city was shaken.
In just two days, the bamboo tube was presented to the Qilin Palace.
The atmosphere inside the main hall was somewhat somber and oppressive at that moment.
News of the great victory at Gaoque Pass had already been reported two days prior. The Qin army, with 50,000 troops, had decisively defeated 60,000 elite Xiongnu soldiers, a feat that should have been a cause for universal celebration.
However, along with the battle report came shocking figures of casualties.
Nearly 30,000 Qin soldiers fell forever inside and outside the walls of Gaoque Pass.
Such a devastating price cast a shadow over the hearts of all the officials and civil servants.
Although the Qin Dynasty unified the world, it always needed to maintain a balance of military strength in the north. Losing 30,000 elite troops in one go meant that even if they won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.
On the high dragon throne, Ying Zheng wore a black dragon robe and a twelve-tassel crown, his face ashen.
He reached out and took the bamboo tube that Eunuch Li handed him.
The courtiers in the hall held their breath, awaiting His Majesty's final decision on the war situation in the north.
Ying Zheng's gaze swept over the detailed reports on the battle situation on the bamboo slips. His brows were slightly furrowed, but when his gaze fell on the last drawing, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
Immediately afterwards!
He sat up abruptly, his breathing becoming heavy without him even realizing it.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Suddenly, Ying Zheng's repeated praises echoed through the silent hall.
"Hahaha! God bless the Qin Dynasty! God bless the Qin Dynasty!"
The sudden laughter echoed throughout the hall, leaving all the officials and military officers below completely bewildered.
The crowd looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt and confusion.
Although the Battle of Gaoque was won, it was a Pyrrhic victory that cost the lives of 30,000 Qin soldiers!
The situation in the north remains critical, and the main force of the Xiongnu has not yet been destroyed. Why did Your Majesty not grieve after reading a secret letter, but instead laugh heartily?
Immediately, in the ranks of civil officials, Zong Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Household, frowned deeply, held a jade tablet in both hands, and strode out from the ranks.
"His Majesty!"
Zong Yu, with a solemn expression and a voice filled with grief and indignation, shouted: "I have something to report! In the Battle of Gaoque Pass, although we annihilated 60,000 enemy troops, our Qin soldiers also suffered heavy casualties of nearly 30,000!"
Those were nearly 30,000 precious lives, the backbone of the Qin Dynasty!
Zong Yu's words were fierce, pointing the finger directly at the Northern Commander: "Although Immortal Master Zhang Fan has extraordinary abilities, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he failed to cherish the lives of his soldiers, resulting in such a heavy loss!"
This is a dereliction of duty by the commander!
Your Majesty, I humbly request that you discern right from wrong and severely punish Master Zhang Fan, so as to comfort the spirits of the thirty thousand Qin heroes who died on the battlefield!