Early the next morning, Jia Changchao took a few officials to the post house. Du Zhongxiao greeted him to the living room, chatted a few words, and then got up to watch the cannons.

Looking at the behemoth in front of him, about six or seven feet long, erected on an additional shelf, Jia Changchao exclaimed: "This newly made cannon is much bigger than the previous iron cannon, no wonder the bachelor is full of confidence." Such a cannon, I don't know how heavy it is? ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Back to Xianggong, this cannon weighs more than 500 catties, and only the materials and construction costs are worth hundreds of pounds." ”

Jia Changchao nodded again and again: "With such a huge cannon, it's time to ask for this money." I wonder how powerful it is? Let's take a look. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Xianggong, this cannon is amazingly powerful, you must find an open place, no one near and far, so that it can be cast." ”

Jia Changchao thought for a while and said, "Let's go to the north of the city, where there is a silted river, which is uninhabited for several miles, and it is just time to test the artillery. ”

Du Zhongxiao agreed, and asked Tao Seventeen to take people to put on mules, pull artillery, and a group of people followed behind and went around to the north of the city.

The Yellow River in the area around the Daimyo Prefecture has flooded many times, and the flooded areas have become uninhabited wasteland because of too much salinity and alkali to cultivate. This is the case in the north of the city, where the yellow sand is everywhere, and the salt is everywhere, and there is no one for several miles.

When they arrived at the place, they unloaded the mules, and Tao XVII led the people to set up the cannon and reload it with iron bullets.

Jia Changchao saw that the two of them were still struggling to carry the iron bullet, and asked Du Zhongxiao beside him: "Bachelor, the iron bullet used in this cannon is so huge, how many catties does it weigh?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Back to Xianggong, the iron bullet weighs thirty catties, and it can hit about a mile away, and those who touch it will be destroyed." ”

Jia Changchao raised his eyes and looked around, looked at a big tree about a mile in front of him, and said, "How about hitting that big tree when the bachelor tests the gun?" ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head helplessly: "Xianggong, although the cannon can reach far, it is not so good at the head, where can you hit the middle tree?" ”

Jia Changchao was a little disappointed in his heart, such a big tree that needed to be surrounded by one person could not hit, and the accuracy of this cannon was too poor. Those who use bows and crossbows well in the army can penetrate Yang in a hundred steps, and their accurate heads are much stronger than artillery.

Seeing Jia Changchao's expression, Du Zhongxiao guessed his thoughts and said: "Xianggong, the advantage of the cannon is that it can reach far and is powerful, and the accuracy is not its strength." Xiang Gong can choose a strong place to test the gun, so that the power can be seen. ”

Jia Changchao looked around, and saw a decaying house about a hundred steps away, with the walls still intact, and pointed: "It's good to fight there." If you can knock down the wall, you can shake the wall. ”

Du Zhongxiao took a look, it was an ordinary dilapidated house, and the remaining walls were made of rammed earth, which was still strong. Although it is also made of rammed earth, this wall is far worse than the city wall. The walls were several steps thick, and they were many times stronger than the walls. Even if you can smash the wall, you may not be able to get the wall. However, he didn't want to delay much in the Daimyo's Mansion, so Jia Changchao said it, so he prepared Tao Seventeen.

Tao XVII took a few soldiers, loaded the cannonballs, set up the medicine, shook the gun mount, and aimed at the distant houses with the front sight.

Du Zhongxiao is a gun carriage made according to the cannon seen in the film and television in his previous life. On the commonly used cart chassis, a special frame was made, and after the front wheel was supported to the ground, the height of the gun muzzle and the elevation angle of the shot could be adjusted. In Du Zhongxiao's impression, artillery must be like this, but it does not start with artillery and develop to gun carriages, which has gone through a long period of exploration in history.

Aiming really, Tao Qiqi crossed his hand to Du Zhongxiao: "Official, you can fire!" ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at Jia Changchao beside him and nodded to Tao Seventeen: "Fire!" ”

Tao Seventeen commanded, with a pre-prepared torch, lit the medicine twist, and together with a few soldiers, turned around and squatted down, blocking his ears.

Jia Changchao saw Qi Dao: "Bachelor, what are they doing there?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Xianggong, the cannon is ignited, and when the cannon is ejected, the sound is shocking, and if it is not good, it will break the ears." Just in case, they all do. Husband, let's plug our ears quickly, so as not to break them! ”

Jia Changchao was a little reluctant, but when he saw that Du Zhongxiao blocked his ears, he also covered his ears with both hands. The officers and soldiers who followed did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly blocked their ears.

The twist burned so fast that it burned out in the blink of an eye. In a flash, an earth-shattering sound was heard, thick smoke came out of the muzzle, and the iron bullet in the barrel flew into the distance.

This loud bang shook Jia Changchao's heart in fright, and it took a while to come back to his senses. Turning to look at the houses in the distance, the front and rear walls had collapsed to the ground, a mess and dust.

Jia Changchao looked at the previous iron cannon, and felt that the new cannon would not be much different, but he didn't expect the power to be so terrifying, and he was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a while. calmed his mind and said: "With this sharp weapon, why worry that Beizhou City will not be broken!" Let's go over and have a look. ”

Du Zhongxiao said in his heart, he has nothing to do to see what he is doing in the place where the shells have been bombarded, and the cannons are still here. However, Jia Changchao wanted to go, and he couldn't refuse, so he had to ask Tao Seventeen to take people to collect the cannon and follow behind Jia Changchao.

When he arrived at the collapsed house, Jia Changchao realized that he had underestimated the power of the new cannon. The cannon pierced the front and rear walls, and the shell landed a dozen paces away from the house. Two walls were smashed to pieces, and broken clods of earth were piled all over the ground.

Jia Changchao looked at it, and said to Du Zhongxiao: "I underestimate the bachelor, I didn't expect the new cannon to be so powerful." With the help of this sharp weapon, the city of Beizhou can be broken in a few days! Bachelor, just go to Beizhou, I'll wait for you in the Daimyo Mansion to come back in triumph and drink the celebratory wine! ”

Du Zhongxiao bowed his hand and said a few polite words. He looked at the scene and had a rough estimate in his mind. Beizhou is an important place, and the city is strong, and it is not realistic to collapse the city wall by artillery bombardment. How thick are the walls of a house? How thick are the walls? It's not the same. However, it is not difficult to destroy all the guards on the city wall with the new cannon. As long as its protective facilities are destroyed, it will not be difficult to break the city.

It is basically impossible to use solid cannonballs to blast a gap directly in the city wall. Unless it is a small city, it is possible with thin walls, and it is difficult for a big city to do. The use of artillery is not to collapse the city walls, but to suppress the defending enemy, so that the besieging troops have a chance to climb the city.

After bidding farewell to Jia Changchao, Du Zhongxiao did not return to the post house, and went directly around the Daimyo's Mansion and went to Beizhou in the north.

All the way to the hurry, on the fifth day of the first month, Du Zhongxiao finally arrived at the city of Beizhou.

After attacking the city for several days, Ming Ho was anxious, and when he heard Du Zhongxiao's arrival, he personally greeted him regardless of the disparity in status between the two.

Seeing the huge artillery in the team, Ming Hao's eyes lit up: "Such a cannon must be a sharp weapon, the bachelor is here, save me from fire and water!" ”

Du Zhongxiao stepped forward, bowed his hand, and introduced the newly made cannon to Ming Ho.

Myeongho circled around the cannon for a few times, and said, "Okay, good, with some sharp weapons, you won't have to worry about it!" Bachelor, can you fire a cannon to see how powerful it is, and it can also boost the morale of the army. ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at the sky and bowed his hand to Minghao: "Advice, it's not early, let's wait for tomorrow." Tomorrow, choose the terrain and fire a cannon at the city wall, and you will know how to use it. ”

The new cannon brought by Du Zhongxiao is more than ten times larger than the small cannon now equipped in the army, which gives Ming Ho confidence. Although Myeongho still has some doubts, he has been suppressed for a long time, forcing himself not to think about bad things.

Led Du Zhongxiao back to his big tent, Ming Ho said to Du Zhongxiao: "Early this morning, the imperial court sent Li Jihe in the palace to bear it for the horse, and he just settled down. Li Jihe brought a decree to limit me to break the city before the Shangyuan Festival, and not to delay the Khitan envoy to return north. If not—"

Otherwise, the court didn't say anything, but it was obvious that Ming Ho had worked hard for more than a month.

Du Zhongxiao was taken aback, he didn't expect this kind of thing, and said to Ming Hao: "Advice, Beizhou is a strong city, and it is not easy to break through, why is the imperial court so harsh?" Now that this place is surrounded to death, and the surrounding state troops are safe, what if it drags on for a few days? ”

Ming Ho sighed: "Because here is on the way back to the north of the Khitan envoys, it has been delayed for a long time, won't it make the northern kingdom laugh?" What's more, at the time of the New Year, Dang Xiang Yuanhao died violently, the situation in the north was unclear, and the imperial court could wait. ”

Du Zhongxiao was stunned: "What? Yuan Hao is dead? How did he die? ”

Ming Ho said: "Barbarians, unethical, how different from beasts? It's just your own death! ”

It turned out that Yuan Hao's crown prince was Brother Ning Ling, and he was given a family affair, and he was the daughter of the Wuyi clan. When it was time to marry, Yuan Hao saw that the Wuyi clan was beautiful, so he married himself and was called the new queen. Brother Ning Ling couldn't stand this humiliation, and stabbed Yuan Hao with a sharp blade desperately, but his skills were not perfect, and he just cut off Yuan Hao's nose. Soon, Brother Ning Lingge was found to be executed, and Yuan Hao also died of a nose injury.

Hearing this, Du Zhongxiao was stunned, he didn't expect this kind of thing. There is an example of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty snatching his daughter-in-law in front of him, and in his hands the Tang Dynasty has gone from prosperity to decline, and now there is another Yuan Hao doing this kind of thing. And it was even more excessive, he directly attended his son's wedding, and when he saw that his daughter-in-law was beautiful, he became the groom's official himself.

Because of Yuan Hao, Da Song has been tossed miserably over the years, but he didn't expect this ending in the end.

Listening to Ming Hao's general story, Du Zhongxiao asked: "Yuan Hao is dead, the crown prince Ning Lingge is also dead, and Yuan Hao has no other son, isn't Chang Xiang ownerless at this time?" There is no owner and chaos, no wonder the imperial court is so anxious to pacify Beizhou. ”

When encountering this kind of thing, there are many people who use the party's brains in the borderlands, but the Song Dynasty really can't afford to toss it, and they don't have the intention of attacking the party. But the Great Song Dynasty didn't have this mind, but the Khitan did, and they were at war with the party. Hebei Road was chaotic, and the Khitan attacked the party without worries, which was not a good thing for the Great Song Dynasty. After quelling the Beizhou Rebellion, the heavy Khitan troops on Hebei Road had to take precautions, so as to drag them back.

The Great Song Dynasty, the Khitan and the Dang Xiang were the Three Kingdoms at this time, containing each other, although the Great Song Dynasty was defeated by the Dang Xiang, the Khitan was unwilling to swallow it alone.

./35_

.。 m.