Looking at the smoke of gunpowder drifting in the wind from the muzzle of the cannon, Shi Quanbin said to Du Zhongxiao: "After trying for two days, it seems that the power of the artillery is only like this, and the wall built yesterday can't collapse." Tomorrow on the Shangyuan Festival, the lights will be put on in Kaifeng City for three days, and I will rush back today to report to the official's family. Otherwise, everything is busy on the third day of the Shangyuan Festival, and I don't know when to go. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Tai Lieutenant, how thick the city wall can be collapsed depends on how big the artillery is." Now the cannon is so powerful, it is more cast, and it is different. However, it is not necessary to collapse the city walls in the siege, as long as the soldiers can get to the city, it is enough. ”

Shi Quanbin said: "Then let me ask you, how big can the cannon be?" ”

Du Zhongxiao thought for a while, shook his head and said, "I haven't tried it, who knows?" As long as it can be cast, it can be done bigger. ”

Shi Quanbin smiled: "Can you still cast tens of thousands of catties of cannons?" How can such a cannon be used! ”

"What's so strange about tens of thousands of catties? If you are willing to pay the capital, hundreds of thousands of catties may be cast. ”

Du Zhongxiao said, and he was also a little skeptical about how big the artillery could be. If I remember correctly, the famous huge copper cannon should be the cannon used by the Ottomans during the attack on Constantinople, I don't know if there are hundreds of thousands of catties. However, I vaguely remember that the Ottomans finally attacked Constantinople, not by artillery to collapse the city walls, but by destroying the defense system and seriously affecting the morale of the defenders. Not to mention the kind of giant cannon, in the Ming and Qing dynasties in history, there were many tens of thousands of catties of cannons.

Shi Quanbin didn't believe it, the power of a cannon of a few hundred catties was so amazing, if it was tens of thousands of catties, would it be worth it?

After thinking for a while, Shi Quanbin asked again: "The power of the artillery is so amazing, won't the city be useless in the future?" What can be done to prevent the siege of the city with artillery? If you wait there to be bombarded, sooner or later the city will be destroyed. ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Tai Lieutenant, this is a bad word, with artillery, the city is more useful." Now we have artillery, we are attacking the city, if the other way around, we have artillery, we defend the city, it is a different look. The best way to defend the city against artillery is to defend the city with artillery. If there is such a cannon at the head of the city, no matter what siege equipment is used, it will be destroyed with one shot, and the city will not be easier to pass. ”

Shi Quanbin thought about it and said with a smile: "That's really the truth." There were dozens of cannons at the head of the city, and no number of people could capture the city. However, if the enemy made a larger cannon, it still could not be defended. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Then when you defend the city, you will cast a bigger cannon!" The artillery at the head of the city always hit farther than the artillery at the besieger's besieger, and always had the upper hand. ”

This is the importance of the commanding heights in artillery battles. Whoever has a higher gun position will have a longer range and a wider range, and with this convenience, the defenders say that they always have the upper hand. Even if there is a mountain of earth outside the city, the head of the city can be suppressed by artillery fire, and Beizhou is just bullying that there is no cannon in the city.

Of course, this is when the two sides are evenly matched, and in most siege battles, the defenders are far inferior to the attacking side.

This involves a lot of issues, Shi Quanbin thought about it for a while, but he couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. He asked again: "Bachelor, the test cannons have been here for the past few days, I wonder if if a bigger cannon is cast, will it hit farther?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Actually, no. In terms of the two types of artillery in the army now, the bronze cannon is ten times that of the small iron cannon, but when the cannon is launched, the two hit almost far. This principle is actually very simple, the barrel is thicker, so that it can hold more gunpowder and hit far. But the shell must be large enough to seal the muzzle, otherwise the power of the medicine will leak out, and it will not work. As a result, the shells are heavier, the amount of medicine increases, and in fact, it is still so far. ”

When making bronze artillery, Du Zhongxiao also thought that the range of the cannon would be far when it was bigger. When the cannon is cast, no matter how you try, the best range is still about the same as that of an iron cannon. Because the barrel is thicker, the charge increases, and in order to seal the barrel, the projectile is also larger and the weight increases. As for using hollow bullets to reduce the weight of the projectile, Du Zhongxiao has not tried it.

Now, whether it is a copper cannon or a small iron cannon, the firing range is about one mile, which is about the same. As for the books I have read, it is recorded that this kind of artillery can fight more than ten miles, or even dozens of miles, but it can only be said that it is exaggerated too much, and it is not easy to fight several miles.

If you want to increase the range of the artillery, it is not very useful to increase the caliber, and it should be to lengthen the barrel. However, this involves the nature of black powder, which does not have such a large explosion speed. In short, this problem is very complicated, Du Zhongxiao has not tried it, and there is no need to try it.

It is impossible for artillery technology to be blocked forever, or for many years, enemy countries such as Khitan and Dangxiang will always try their best to obtain relevant technology. Du Zhongxiao just wants to take advantage of the technical generation difference before spreading it out, so that he can stand on military merits. As long as a big victory is achieved and a strategic advantage is obtained, there is no fear of technology being passed on.

If artillery is widely used on the battlefield, there will inevitably be fewer and fewer offensive and defensive battles in cities, and more and more field battles. At that time, the field artillery will be more effective for the army, and it will no longer pursue thicker barrels and greater power.

In the past two days, he has tested the cannon with Shi Quanbin, and Du Zhongxiao can feel that the emperor's attitude this time is different from the last time he returned to Beijing, and he has become very important. Looking at Shi Quanbin's attitude, Du Zhongxiao felt that this bronze cannon had already gotten enough things for himself.

Nearly noon, Shi Quanbin left Xianping County. He was to return to the capital before dark and report to the emperor the results of the test gun.

After bidding farewell to Shi Quanbin, the soldier Ning and Du Zhongxiao returned to their residence together and asked for some wine, which was relatively drinking. In two days, the wall was almost constantly blown down, and Shi Quanbin ordered someone to build a thicker one, and the soldiers Ning and Du Zhongxiao were a little tired,

After three rounds of drinking, the soldier Ning said to Du Zhongxiao: "Bachelor, this time you have made a great contribution to the city of Beizhou, have you ever thought about how the imperial court will reward you?" ”

Du Zhongxiao shook his head: "As courtiers, we just want to do our own thing, so why worry about that." Not afraid of jokes, studying and becoming an official, who doesn't want to soar? But I know it's useless to think about it, so why bother thinking about it. ”

Warrior Ning smiled: "How do you know it's useless? Bachelor, I have some news here. ”

Du Zhongxiao was stunned. It is not surprising that the warrior would rather have news, he is the Privy Council, and the news is the most well-informed. Strangely, why did he tell himself? The friendship between the two is not so deep, and without instructions from above, it is impossible for the warrior to let go of his mouth. This position is the most demanding.

After thinking for a while, Du Zhongxiao asked, "I don't know what news is there from Chengzhi?" If it's convenient, can you leak one or two? ”

Soldier Ning said: "I heard what the ministers in the Privy Council meant, they want to exchange the bachelor for military qualifications, move the Zhuang Mansion Envoy, take Yao County, and go to the three roads along the border for one jurisdiction." It's just that the literature is exchanged for martial arts, and in recent years, Wenchen has been unwilling, I don't know what the bachelor wants? ”

Hearing this, Du Zhongxiao didn't speak for a while. Listening to the meaning of the warrior Ning, where is this leaked news, it is the prefect of the Privy Council who asked him to ask what he meant. Even the official position has been decided, just waiting for his nod.

At this time, people called civil servants for their right positions, and only civil officials under the age of 40 who have military cadres can do so. After the change of military rank, the rank is higher, and the military general's salary is also better than that of civilian officials, but the status is lower, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are not many civilian officials who take the initiative to ask for a change of military position, but there are still some who fought against the northwest in the past few years, such as Zhang Kang. There are two types of such people, one is greedy for higher income, and they are exchanged for money. There is also a kind of martial arts strategy that wants to make contributions, Liu Ping and Zhang Kang are in this category.

Du Zhongxiao is now a metropolitan official Wailang, Zhiji Xianyuan, and the change of military position should be for the preparation of the treasury envoy and the history of the Yao County Thorn. Promoted to Zhuang Zhai Envoy, it is equivalent to the third order of super-migration, and the treatment is quite generous.

If it was a war year and there were opportunities for meritorious service everywhere, Du Zhongxiao would probably agree. It is also a way to change to a military position, use military merits to promote officials first, and wait until the battle is over, and then exchange it back for civilian resources. When Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi went to Shaanxi, they also changed their military positions, and then changed back to civilian positions after a few years, and their official ranks were not determined to be dozens of levels. At that time, the official position of the two was not a few steps higher than the current Du Zhongxiao, the difference is that they brought a position to be systematic, and as soon as they changed their weapons, they were observers, and they were exchanged for posts, not officials. When they returned from the northwest, the two became privy deputies.

But in this era of peace, except for Pingnong Zhigao, there is no battle, and I don't know if I can catch up, what is the meaning of being a general? If you are careless, you will be cheated, and you will be tied up in the army from now on, and who will you find to reason with your life?