There are hundreds of weapons of all kinds that have appeared in the "General Essentials of the Martial Arts", but to find the one that the Liao army feared the most, the only one was the bed crossbow that killed Xiao Dalin in one blow in the Battle of Lanzhou. Even if the Divine Arm Bow and Thunderbolt Cannon, which have only appeared in the past few years, do not have the prestige of the bed crossbow in the Liao State - they can kill a famous general who made the Liao State drop out of the dynasty for five days, for more than a hundred years, there is only this one example, Yang Ye Yang Invincible was also captured by Xiao Darin.

"Huh?" Han Gang didn't react to what Zhang Qi wanted to say.

Zhang Qi whispered: "There are more than 30 craftsmen who have been taken captive in the bow and crossbow courtyard in Daizhou, and if you count the blacksmiths in the courtyard, there are even more than half a hundred. ”

There are bow and crossbow courtyards in the border states, and ordinary bows and crossbows and arrows can be made, and they are also responsible for repairing weapons and equipment such as the Divine Arm Bow and the Bed Crossbow, which are only made by the capital but are difficult to transport back for maintenance.

The more important the border state, the higher the scale and standard of the bow and crossbow courtyard. The number of craftsmen in the Daizhou Bow and Crossbow Academy can be sent to the top ten in the border states of the country, and the level of skill is not bad, and dozens of bed crossbows in the state city have always been responsible for maintenance and maintenance.

With the number and quality of craftsmen in Daizhou, it is a matter of an eye to imitate the divine arm bow and armor-piercing crossbow, and cooperate with the craftsmen that the Liao State itself has. It's not too difficult to build a bed crossbow.

Han Gang thought for a while, and suddenly understood: "Does the husband want the Liao army to imitate?!" ”

This kind of sharp weapon that can break through plate armor with one blow may be more exciting in the eyes of the Liao people than any more sophisticated weapon in the ordnance prison of the Great Song Dynasty.

"Didn't the privy councillor say that dogs bite rabbits." Zhang Qi's eyes lit up, "Fang Jin, Song Liao's attack and defense are changing, and Yelu Yixin will pay more attention to the means of holding the city." When you see a crossbow shot at the bed, you will definitely be moved. ”

Raising a dog and biting a rabbit, Han Gang can't remember this sentence clearly, as if he had said something similar, but he didn't seem to have said it. However, his attitude towards the various new weapons in the army is consistent and certain. He has always been not afraid of imitation, and even expects the enemy to imitate it.

Because it will be a confrontation of national power.

In this world, there is no country that can compete with the Great Song Dynasty. It can even be said that all countries except the Great Song Dynasty combined, do not necessarily have the strength to overwhelm the Great Song Dynasty in industrial manufacturing.

The gap is so big!

For the new heavy crossbow with a unit price of more than 100 pieces, Han Gang's mouth is 1,000 pieces, because the country's military spending can support this consumption, and there is no problem if it is not 10,000. But if Liao wants to learn to build, it will be used as pants.

But can Yelu Yixin endure it?

Han Gang and Zhang Qi glanced at each other and shook their heads together.

It's impossible to hold back. A hand-shot bed crossbow can be made, and a real bed crossbow can be made. At the same time, there will also be a big leap in the technique of crossbows, which complement each other.

If the Liao people can be dragged onto the road of an arms race, it will be an incomparable victory.

Today is a hand-shot bed crossbow, and in a few years, there may be a pulley bow waiting for the imitation of the Liao State.

The principle of pulley, Han Gang has already said in the book. Wooden or iron pulley sets are even more widespread throughout the country, and can be seen in workshops, mines, ports, etc., and in many places even carpentry is used, and it can be used when repairing beams in houses.

It's just that the requirements for the pulley bow in craftsmanship are not low, and the eccentric wheel has not been invented. Han Gang didn't know if he could make a pulley bow at his current level. And just the production, the kind carefully crafted by a few skilled craftsmen, if it is produced industrially, like the scale of the god's arm bow, plate armor and horse chopper today, I am afraid it will be many years later.

But as long as a few samples come out, Liao may try to imitate them as usual, in that case, the waste of money, time and manpower will be an unbearable blow for Liao.

"But there's no point in guessing here, that's all for later. Anyway, it was Jiang Taigong fishing, and those who wished took the bait. Not forced. ”

"What the privy says is, just wait and see." Zhang Qi sat down with Han Gang and listened to the voice outside the window: "Zhang Xiaojie is gone, and now only the people of the Great Song Dynasty are left in the village, and the feeling in the city is different."

"It's lively." Han Gang smiled and nodded.

There was the same noise outside the window as in other places, and although the people in the village had not yet returned, it was time to eat, and thousands of soldiers still made it feel like a bazaar.

This kind of noise is what he likes, and he is out of the fight, and he is waiting for him, isn't it just for the noise now?

It's just that Zhang Ji looks unacceptable: "It's not just lively, people's hearts are also loose for a while." ”

"When the days of peace come, how can you not be loose?"

"It seems to be peaceful, but in fact it is not peaceful at all." Zhang Qi personally poured tea and handed water to Han Gang, "The privy council just talked to Zhang Xiaojie, isn't that what it means?" The hidden danger has long been buried, and if it is ignored, there will not be much time left for peace. ”

Han Gang picked up the teacup and took a sip, "Do you remember?" ”

"How could you not remember?" Zhang Qi said, "After coming back, Zhang Qi thought about it carefully, and always felt that the privy words were meaningful. ”

Han Gang hadn't explained too much to Zhang Ji before, and he had too much to explain about Zhang Xiaojie's words.

Diplomacy is basically cloudy, and it is difficult to have a clear sentence. According to the diplomatic language of later generations, it can only be said that the two sides had frank exchanges and enhanced understanding between the two sides, and that the talks were beneficial, but as for the results, it is still difficult to say.

I don't know how much Yelu Yixin can understand. It doesn't care what choice he makes. Han Gang was like throwing a stone into the river, waiting to see how the stone would react after falling into the water. Whatever the outcome, it makes no difference to Han Gang.

The key to everything is yourself.

But then again, in addition to clarifying what he thought in his heart, what he said to Zhang Xiaojie was a threat.

This is true with Zhang Xiaojie's words, and the same is true with Zhang Kai's words. sent Zhang Kai away casually, without a detailed explanation. It's no wonder that Zhang Qi is still asking now.

"I wonder what the hostage wants to ask?"

Zhang Qi thought for a while and said, "From the privy point of view, it is better to have more or fewer hukous. ”

"Of course, the more accounts, the better. The small country and the widows are Taoists, not the transmission of my holy religion. ”

There is no doubt that the basis of the ruling world is the population.

Just like the empire on which the sun shines forever on the land in later generations, it has fallen from the peak of the colonies to the world in just over a hundred years, and has fallen to the point of independence on the mainland island. The reasons for its decline are too complex to describe, but fundamentally speaking, it is due to the fact that the population of the core nation is too small.

Talent is everything.

"But what if you can't feed it?" Zhang Qi asked.

"If you can't feed it, it's a monarch and a minister who is immoral. Han Gang is guilty, can't the Son of Heaven and his ministers who can't reassure the people be innocent? ”

Zhang Qi frowned: "Isn't the privy's words a bit contradictory. ”

If you want to feed more and more people, you have to expand to take away people's land, but can you be virtuous in taking people's land? Zhang Qi didn't say this, but he believed that Han Gang must have understood what he meant.

"My subordinates pay attention to 'people and things'. All the tired, disabled, lonely, and widowed in the world are all those who are connected by my brothers and have no complaints. ’。 It is the responsibility of the Son of Heaven and the ministers to let the people live and work in peace and enjoy peace. Just as paying taxes is the responsibility of the people. Each has its own place and performs its own duties. ”

After a pause and a sip of water, he continued: "The so-called 'benevolence' is from the second from the person, and the benevolent is also loved, so from the second. It is also said that the benevolent love others. But benevolence is superior, the upper is the same, the middle is well-off, and the lowest is to let people live, eat and dress warmly. This has nothing to do with the number of hukou, and it will not be because there are too many hukou, there is no food to eat, and you can get a sentence of extenuating circumstances, but the hungry belly will not care how many reasons you have. ”

Han Gang's words are not fresh, but when used here, they sound meaningful.

But that's not the point, the point is how to justifiably conquer foreign lands?

Do you use the shore of the earth? As long as the subject of the requisition is soft and the above table is called a minister, there will be no reputation. In Han Gang's words, seizing the land for the people is too naked, and it is difficult to say that it is in line with Confucianism.

The side of the couch is the reason for the Son of Heaven, not the excuse of the Confucian master. His views did not conform to what Confucianism had always held.

As long as he wanted to spread qi, he had to get a convincing reason for it. You can't use the excuse that you don't want to starve the people to death, so you have to grab land from the foreign vassals who paid tribute to the Great Song Dynasty.

Zhang Qi thought for a while and shook his head at Han Gang, "Privy, it's not okay to say that." ”

In the capital, Han Gang's enemies are not only in the court.

"Don't worry." Han Gang smiled, he had his own calculations.

Zhang Qi sighed lightly, since Han Gang didn't want to say more, then there was no need for him to force it, and he was not a king, he wanted to die in the palace.

Get up and take your leave.

"That's right, hostage." Han Gang clapped his hands, he almost forgot one thing, "You have to keep in mind the things outside the river, if the Liao people don't mention it, you have to insist on it, that is the internal struggle between the Divination Man and the Black Mountain Party, and it has nothing to do with the Zhe family, and it has nothing to do with the official army of the Emperor and Song Dynasty." ”

Zhang Qi was stunned for a moment: "...... Privy, isn't this too indulgent. ”

Han Gang was unimpressed by Zhang Qi's troubles, "I don't dare to say the same thing to Chongwu, but Zhe Kexing is a person who knows how to measure things." ”

Zhang Qi wanted to speak and stopped, and he knew that he didn't think much of Han Gang's words. It's just that he doesn't want to fight with Han Gang head-on, "Then how to deal with the Liao." When the momentum is together, it can't be hidden. ”

"Even if it is obviously done by the broken family, the Liao people can still come up with evidence, and they have to bite the Montenegrin party under the rule of the Great Song Dynasty, and they can deal with it as they want. It was not the Khitan's turn to speak. ”

"What about when the Folded family attacked the Diviners?"

"Getting lost, or using an outdated map, is just an excuse anyway."

Han Gang said it without shame, there is a difference between inside and outside. And revenge is originally the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period, and it is the right way of Confucianism. As for not knowing what to say, and making excuses to prevaricate, it is a manifestation of benevolence that he does not want to tear up the Song-Liao peace talks, so that the two countries will fall into war again, and the people will suffer because of this.

Yelu Yixin doesn't have the strength to take care of the alien race on the border of Shengzhou now, Han Gang gave him a step, will he be stubborn and refuse to come down?

Even if he refuses to come down, what can he do? Can't complain to the court in Kaifeng? Or send troops to fight again? When this incident came out, Han Gang, who indulged in revenge from the folding family, may have some small troubles, but after all, it is just a small trouble.