The mood of autumn is getting deeper and deeper day by day.
Xinyang Pass The grassland outside changed from green to yellow, and finally only gray-brown grass stubble was left. When the north wind roared through the pass carrying sand and dust, it already brought a biting chill, scratching people's skin like a knife. In the pass, the shouts of the soldiers practicing in the pass were louder and deeper than before, with a suffocating intensity.
In Craftsmen's Camp, the fire never goes out day and night.
Qin Tiexin was naked from the waist up, and sweat was flowing down his strong back, which was shining brightly under the fire. He held a long pliers in his left hand, holding a piece of curved blade that had just been forged--that was " The core component of "Horse-Slaying Sickle". The curved blade has been improved according to the suggestions of Zhou Cang: the blade body is crescent-shaped, thin at the front and thick at the back. Three weight-reducing grooves are carved near the tenon mouth to ensure strength and reduce weight.
"Quenching." Zhou Cang said hoarsely from the wheelchair.
Qin Tiexin nodded and dipped the red-hot curved blade into the sink that had been prepared nearby.
"Tsk--!"
White steam was steaming, carrying an iron smell. Qin Tiexin stared at the sink, counting silently in his mind. One breath, two breaths, three breaths... At the seventh breath, he quickly pulled out the curved blade, wiped off the water stains on the surface with a coarse cloth, and carefully inspected the color and texture of the blade.
"It's done." There was a rare hint of satisfaction in Zhou Cang's voice, "The timing of quenching is correct. If it is half a breath later, the cutting edge will be too brittle; if it is half a breath early, the hardness will not be enough."
Qin Tiexin breathed a sigh of relief. This was the sixth curved blade he tempered today. The previous ones either had cracks or uneven hardness, and were all useless. Now the technique is finally stable.
At the other end of the camp, Zhou Nan was squatting on the ground, whittling the top of a two-foot-long hardwood pole into a dovetail. He moved very steadily, pushing the plane through, and the wood chips fell evenly. In a short time, the tenon was formed and fit perfectly. Next to it, there were seven or eight completed wooden poles piled up, as well as a dozen polished iron hoops.
"Brother Qin, these poles are made of old locust wood. They are harder than the last ones, but a little heavier." Zhou Nan raised his head and said.
Qin Tiexin walked over, picked up one and weighed it. "Don't be afraid of the heavy weight, just be strong. On the battlefield, a broken weapon is more deadly than a heavy weapon."
For more than half a month, Craftsmen's Camp has devoted almost all his energy to the development of "Horse-Slaying Sickle". The original rough idea of Qin Tiexin has been continuously improved with the joint efforts of craftsmen: the arc, thickness, and cutting angle of the curved blade; the length, thickness, and material of the wooden pole; the method of tenon connection; the process of tightening the iron hoop... Everything was repeatedly tested and improved.
Five days ago, the first batch of ten finished products was delivered to the school grounds.
General Li Xun came to see it in person. A dozen hardwood stakes simulating horse legs were erected on the testing ground, and the outside was covered with a layer of soaked thick cowhide - a simple leather armor that simulated Di People's war horse.
Ten elite soldiers selected from each battalion tried Horse-Slaying Sickle under the guidance of Qin Tiexin. The first few people couldn't get the point, either they failed or only peeled off a layer of skin.
Qin Tiexin took one and demonstrated it himself.
He asked the test horse (an old horse borrowed from the cavalry camp, with its hooves wrapped in thick cloth) to rush through a shallow ditch first. When it jumped up and landed, the horse's legs would have a brief moment of force.
It was that moment.
Qin Tiexin Treading Step, twist your waist, Horse-Slaying Sickle swing diagonally from bottom to top! The movement is not fast, even a little clumsy, but the timing is extremely accurate and the strength is used thoroughly!
"Crack!"
The hardwood pile covered with cowhide broke with a sudden sound! The wood section was rugged, and it was broken by Great Strength!
The generals and soldiers who were watching were in an uproar.
But the problem was also exposed. After the Horse-Slaying Sickle hooked the third wooden stake, a slight crack appeared at the connection between the wooden pole and the curved blade; by the fifth stake, cracks also appeared at the root of the curved blade; when Qin Tiexin tried to hook the seventh stake -
"Pah!"
The wooden pole broke from the tenon, and the curved blade flew out.
There was silence.
Qin Tiexin looked at the broken rod in his hand, was silent for a moment, then looked up at Li Xun: "General, this weapon can be used, but... it is not durable."
But Li Xun strode over, picked up the cutting rod and the curved blade, carefully inspected the fracture, and then looked at the broken wooden stakes on the ground. After a long time, he said in a deep voice, "One Horse-Slaying Sickle can cripple three or five war horses, that's enough."
He looked around at everyone. "On the battlefield, one Di People war horse is worth three of our infantry. Using a sickle to exchange for three or five war horses, this account is worth it no matter how you calculate it!"
He looked at Qin Tiexin: "Can it be improved? So that one can chop at least ten horse legs?"
Qin Tiexin discussed with Zhou Cang and several old craftsmen all night. The conclusion is: it can be done, but it requires better iron materials, longer forging time, and more complex quenching process - and this means that the output will be greatly reduced.
"Then let's compromise." Li Xun decided, "Hurry up and make a batch first to ensure that each handle can chop at least seven or eight horse legs. At the same time, continue to improve the craftsmanship and improve durability. Tiexin, starting from today, You are responsible for Craftsmen's Camp's forging affairs. Clerk Wang will take charge of the overall situation, and you will be responsible for weapon forging. I want you to make at least five hundred Horse-Slaying Sickle and ten thousand Armor Piercing cones before the first snowfall."
"Yes!" Qin Tiexin cupped his fists.
With this order, Craftsmen's Camp was completely gone day and night. The old craftsmen were divided into two shifts, but Qin Tiexin barely slept a wink - only he could do the forging and quenching of core components, others had to Either he didn't have enough strength, or he couldn't control the heat properly. He only slept for two hours a day, and the rest of the time he was either forging in front of the furnace, testing in the school yard, or deliberating details with Zhou Cang and Zhou Nan.
The person has lost weight visibly to the naked eye, but his eyes are getting brighter and brighter, and the calluses on his hands are getting thicker and thicker.
Ten days later, the second batch of Horse-Slaying Sickle was tested. On average, each handle could cut through nine to eleven hard wood piles covered with cowhide before being damaged. Li Zhenwei saw the test results and ordered on the spot, "Follow this standard and work hard!"
At the same time, Qin Tiexin was officially appointed as the deputy manager of Craftsmen's Camp, second only to Clerk Wang, and was responsible for weapon forging. When the news spread, there was inevitably some discussion in the camp, but seeing that Qin Tiexin was the first to come and the last to leave every day, always doing the heaviest and most tiring work, and never being picky despite eating a lot, those discussions gradually disappeared.
The cold wind in late autumn was getting stronger and stronger. That evening, Qin Tiexin had just finished tempering the last batch of curved blades, and Shi Meng came.
"The general summoned all the generals for a meeting and asked you to go too." Shi Meng said hoarsely and glanced at him, "Change into clean clothes."
Qin Tiexin was stunned. "Me?"
"You are now Craftsmen's Camp's deputy manager, Team A's chief." Shi Meng turned around, "You are qualified to observe."
The atmosphere in the Chinese army's large tent was so solemn that it could squeeze out water.
A huge Northern Frontier topographic map is spread on the long wooden table, which is covered with red and black flags. Li Xun stands at the head of the table, flanked by the commanders and deputy generals of each battalion. Li Zhenwei is also among the commanders, as well as elite commanders like Shi Meng, and Qin Tiexin stands at the end.
"Just received the news." Li Xun said in a low voice, pointing at a location on the map, "Di People Wang Ting's wolf flag has been moved to the south of Mount Wula. Their forward camp is less than 150 miles away from us."
There was a murmur in the tent.
"At this time in previous years, Di People would have withdrawn after grabbing the autumn grain." The cavalry battalion commander frowned, "But this year they are still pressing forward."
"It's not about grabbing food." Li Xun shook his head, "It's about breaking through barriers."
He picked up three small black flags and planted them in the east, west and north directions of Xinyang Pass: "The scouting horse reported that at least three thousand-man troops were found in the east, two in the west, and the main force in the north. It is estimated that there are no less than 5,000 people. This is only what can be seen."
He paused, then picked up a few red flags and placed them at the key points in front of the pass. "What's more troublesome are these two things."
"Iron Pagoda." He pointed to a black flag with an armor symbol painted on it. "Information came in. Di People got heavy armored cavalry from unknown sources. Both men and horses are covered in iron armor, with only their eyes exposed. They are invulnerable to ordinary swords and arrows. When charging into battle, they are like a moving iron wall."
"Night Scouts." He pointed to a black flag with a machete on it, "Di People's elite light cavalry come and go like the wind. They specialize in picking out sentries and messengers, and they appear and disappear. In the past half month, we have lost seven teams of scouts, and they were all wiped out by these people."
There was dead silence in the tent.
Qin Tiexin stared at the black flags on the map, his palms sweating slightly. He thought of those Night Scoutss with weird skills; he thought of those Di People cavalry who were not afraid of death in the encounter on the plains.
"General, isn't our Horse-Slaying Sickle meant to deal with Iron Pagoda?" A young general couldn't help but said.
"Yes, but not enough." Li Xun looked at Qin Tiexin, "Tiexin, tell me, how to use Horse-Slaying Sickle most effectively?"
Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Qin Tiexin. His throat was a little dry, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Horse-Slaying Sickle... cannot be used alone." His voice was low but steady. "Di People Iron Pagoda rushes up, like a wall. It can't be blocked. You have to use trenches and stop the horse to slow down its speed. When the horse slows down, or when it jumps over an obstacle and lands on the ground, its legs are strong, and then Horse-Slaying Sickle can reach it."
He pointed to the area in front of Guan on the map. "Here, the terrain is flat, suitable for cavalry charges. But we can dig shallow trenches in advance and arrange to resist the horses. Iron Pagoda rushes over and will inevitably slow down. At this time, the spear phalanx is in front to resist, and Horse-Slaying Sickle hands hide behind the spear formation and hook the horses' legs."
He paused and said, "But... Horse-Slaying Sickle's hand must be elite, strong enough, courageous, and not afraid of death. Because once the horse's leg is hooked, the person will be under the horse's hoof, and if he is not careful, he will be trampled to pieces."
Everyone in the tent was thoughtful.
Li Xun nodded. "Go on."
"As for Night Scouts..." Qin Tiexin looked at Li Zhenwei, "They are flexible, come and go quickly, and large troops cannot catch up. We have to use elite teams to fight fast with fast, and with good against good."
Li Zhenwei answered, "Formation-Breaking Second Camp can give it a try. We have few people, are flexible, and are familiar with the terrain. If Night Scouts dares to come, we dare to bite."
Li Xun stared at the map for a long time, and then said slowly, "This is the strategy. Use the spear phalanx to equip Horse-Slaying Sickle, delay Iron Pagoda; use elite squads to fight against Night Scouts, and protect our eyes and ears. Each battalion prepares for battle. Before the first snowfall, Di People will definitely come to knock on the door."
He raised his head and scanned every face in the tent. "This battle is not about guarding the gate, but guarding the country's gate. Once the gate is broken, there will be no danger for the next three hundred miles, and Di People's horse hooves can step into the hinterland of the Central Plains."
"Everyone," his voice suddenly rose, "The elders from my hometown are behind us. We have no way to retreat!"
"Fight to the death!" all the generals roared in unison.
The meeting ended and it was already late at night. Qin Tiexin and Shi Meng walked out of the tent side by side. The cold wind blew against their faces, which made people feel refreshed.
Beside the school grounds, Team A and the other nine people were sitting around a small bonfire. There was a small iron pot on the fire, and some dried meat and vegetable leaves were stewed in it. It was steaming. Zhou Laowu stirred it with a spoon, and the aroma spread far away.
Seeing the two people approaching, Tu Dazhu moved out of his seat. "Instructor, Brother Qin, sit down. Zhou Laowu just made it, it's hot."
Qin Tiexin and Shi Meng sat down. The firelight reflected young or no longer young faces. No one spoke, only the crackling sound of firewood and the gurgling sound of boiling pot.
Zhao Ling silently handed over two wooden bowls. Qin Tiexin took it, scooped out a full bowl, and ate with his head down. He ate quickly, but very focused, as if it was the most important thing in the world.
Shi Meng didn't move the bowl, just looked at the jumping flames. The three claw marks on his face looked particularly deep in the firelight.
After a long time, he suddenly spoke, his hoarse voice particularly clear in the silent night:
"Are you afraid?"
Everyone was stunned.
Tu Dazhu scratched his head and smiled honestly, "Follow Instructor Shi, don't be afraid."
Chen San added firewood to the fire, "What are you afraid of? People will die and birds will fly to the sky."
Zhao Ling wiped the bowstring. "My arrows haven't been fed yet."
Lin Feng quietly ate the vegetable leaves in the bowl, without speaking, but with clear eyes.
Li Shun sniffed. "The wind smells like snow, it's going to rain soon."
Zhang Shan and Zhao Ziliang looked at each other and said in unison, "Kill one to earn a profit, kill two to earn one."
Zhou Laowu stirred the pot. "The battle is over, I will give everyone real meat in the stew pot."
Qin Tiexin finished the last bite, put down the bowl, and wiped his mouth. "My knife hasn't been sharpened enough yet."
Shi Meng looked at each other one by one, from Tu Dazhu's honest face, to Zhao Ling's determined eyes, to Lin Feng's calm eyebrows, and finally to Qin Tiexin's face that was blackened by the fire and soaked with sweat.
He twitched the corners of his mouth in a rare move - it might be considered a smile, but because of the scars on his face, it looked particularly ferocious.
"Okay." He said hoarsely, with a rusty texture in his voice, "Then let's make Di People afraid."
The north wind blew through the school grounds, raising dust and sand all over the ground.
The bonfire swayed, reflecting ten silent shadows.
Outside the pass, the night is as dark as ink. In the distance, the outline of Mount Wula is looming in the darkness, like a crawling giant beast.
The rain is coming.