Chương 148: Test

Yuwen Chengdu led a troop of ordinary cavalry at breakneck speed. The horses' hooves pounded the ground with a resounding thud, creating an impressive display of force.

He dismounted, his gaze immediately drawn to the bright armor and stirrups. He strode over and reached out to touch the breastplate. The cool, wrought iron felt smooth and delicate to the touch, and produced a crisp sound when tapped.

"My lord, this armor looks extraordinary!"

"Try it and you'll see!"

Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Have the cavalry put on these, then saddle and stirrups, let's take a lap and see!"

Two cavalrymen immediately stepped forward and, with the help of the craftsmen, put on the bright armor.

The whole process was quick—the armor was well-designed and easy to put on. The movable plates allowed for free movement of the arms and legs, and the breastplate protected the chest perfectly.

"It's... a little too heavy!" said one of the cavalrymen.

"But flexible!"

Another cavalryman waved his arm.

"Before, when I wore iron armor, I couldn't even raise my arms very high. Now I can raise them above my head!"

The craftsmen quickly nailed horseshoes onto the two horses, and fitted them with high-bridged saddles and stirrups.

They worked quickly and finished in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"Mount up!" Yuwen Chengdu ordered.

The two cavalrymen mounted their horses.

The two men visibly froze for a moment as their feet touched the stirrups.

Before, riding a horse relied entirely on gripping the horse's belly with their legs, leaving their whole body tense, which would eventually cause chafing on the inside of their thighs. Now, with a foothold, their bodies are stable, and even their backs are straight. That feeling of "feet firmly planted on the horse" is both unfamiliar and exciting to them.

"Charge!" Liu Ce waved his hand in signal.

Two cavalrymen spurred their horses and galloped across the drill ground.

Before stirrups, cavalrymen could only charge by crouching close to their horses to minimize resistance. Now, with stirrups, they can stand up! Their center of gravity is more stable, and they have greater control!

One of the cavalrymen tried swinging his sword.

He spurred his horse toward the wooden target beside him, straightened his body on the horse, gripped the knife with both hands, and used the horse's speed to slash down—

"Snap!"

The wooden target was split in two! Clean and efficient!

The cavalryman remained perfectly still, sitting steadily on his horse.

"Great! That's wonderful!"

Yuwen Chengdu exclaimed excitedly, "With these stirrups and saddles, cavalrymen will no longer be afraid of falling off their horses during a charge! Their combat effectiveness will at least triple!"

He turned to Liu Ce, his eyes shining: "My lord, these stirrups... they're truly divine! In all my years of training troops, I've never seen such an ingenious design!"

Liu Ce nodded with a smile.

At this moment, Cheng Yaojin had already walked to the center of the training ground with his Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword).

There were several thick wooden stakes standing there—used for practicing swordsmanship in the past, each as thick as a water bucket.

Cheng Yaojin gripped the handle with both hands, took a deep breath, and roared, "Break it for me!"

The long-handled sword slashed down with a whoosh.

"Boom!"

The wooden stake was cut in half! The break was as clean as if it were cut into tofu!

The blade of the Mo Dao still gleamed coldly, without a single scratch.

Holy crap!

Cheng Yaojin stared at the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), his eyes wide, "This sword is too powerful! It weighs thirty-five jin (approximately 26. 5 kg), chopping wood is like chopping vegetables!"

He excitedly shouted, "When we fight the Xianbei and Wuhuan people in the future, I'll charge into battle with this Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword), and I'll cut down their horses' legs with every strike. I guarantee I'll rout their cavalry!"

Liu Ce smiled and said, "I'm glad Zhijie likes it."

He then turned to the edge of the field: "Let's go, let's take a look at the curved plow!"

In the field, several old farmers were whispering to each other around the curved plow.

They had farmed their whole lives, using straight-shaft plows—heavy and cumbersome, requiring two oxen and three men to pull. This curved-shaft plow looked small and inexpensive, and they were somewhat skeptical that it would be any good.

Liu Ce had a farmer harness an ox to him and personally demonstrated how to use the plow.

"Look closely, this plow frame can be adjusted for different depths."

He adjusted the latches on the plow frame, saying, "You don't need to press down hard when pulling; just follow the ox!"

The farmer led the ox forward.

As soon as the ox moved, the curved plow was steadily planted in the ground.

The furrows dug by the plow were deep and even, and the turned-up clods of soil were soft and fine.

Liu Ce only needed to gently hold the plow frame; it was effortless.

"Here, you give it a try." He handed the plow to another farmer.

The farmer took it with some skepticism and, imitating Liu Ce, held the plow frame.

The cow continued walking forward.

The plowshare continued to penetrate deeper, and the ditch continued to extend.

The farmer's doubt gradually turned to surprise, and finally to delight: "It's so... so much easier! Before, plowing the fields required so much effort; I had to use all my strength to press down on the plow, and by the end of the day, my back was aching. Now... now it's like taking a walk!"

The farmers who were watching were in an uproar.

"Is it really that easy?"

"One person and one ox are enough to pull it?"

"I'll give it a try! I'll give it a try!"

Everyone took turns trying it, and everyone who tried it praised it highly.

An old farmer beamed with joy: "My lord, this plow is amazing! It used to take most of the day to plow one acre, but now this plow can plow two acres in noon! And it doesn't even require so many people!"

Liu Ce patted the plow frame: "This curved-shaft plow is not only labor-saving, but it can also be used in both dry and paddy fields. We'll use it for the military farms from now on, and I guarantee the yield per mu will be 50% higher than before!"

The craftsmen, seeing the resounding success of their creations, all wore proud smiles. All the hard work they'd put in day and night these past few days had been worth it!

Liu Ce turned to Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others, saying, "Immediately begin mass production using the standardized assembly line!"

He issued a specific order: "Give each of the soldiers trained by Captains Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others one set of Mingguang armor!"

"A broadsword, one for each cavalryman and infantryman!"

"Forge three thousand Mo Dao swords! Form a specialized Mo Dao squad, with Cheng Yaojin in charge of training them!"

"Horseshoes, stirrups, and high-bridled saddles—equip the cavalry with everything!"

"Make ten thousand curved-shaft plows! Distribute them to displaced people for land reclamation!"

Fang Xuanling quickly took notes, then asked, "My lord, with so much equipment, materials, manpower, time..."

"If there aren't enough materials, increase iron ore mining, and also increase graphite (coal) mining!"

Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "If we don't have enough manpower, we'll recruit from the refugees. We can train any young and strong people."

Du Ruhui added, "My lord, we also need to establish a dedicated storage and distribution system. Once the equipment is manufactured, it should be registered and allocated according to need to avoid waste."

"We'll do as you say!"

Liu Ce nodded and said, "In addition, establish a quality inspection system. Every batch of equipment must be inspected before leaving the factory, and those that fail to meet the standards will have the craftsmen held accountable—of course, those that pass will be generously rewarded!"

He looked at the craftsmen: "Gentlemen, you will all have a hard time now. But the prosperity of Youzhou and the peace of its people depend on your efforts! If you complete this batch of equipment, I will give you double wages, plus fine salt and good wine!"

The craftsmen responded in unison, "We are willing to serve you, Lord Marquis!"

The sound was deafening, and the momentum was overwhelming.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and hope in each other's eyes.

With this equipment, the army of Youzhou will be transformed. With the curved plow, the efficiency of land reclamation will be greatly improved. Food, weapons, armor... everything is developing in a positive direction.

Seeing this scene, Liu Ce felt a surge of pride.

With these revolutionary equipment, Youzhou's military strength will experience a qualitative leap.

The Bright Light Armor greatly increases the soldiers' protection and significantly reduces the casualty rate.

The Mo Dao (陌刀) troops were specifically designed to counter cavalry, providing them with a powerful weapon against the cavalry charges of the Wuhuan and Xianbei.

The horizontal sword is light and sharp, making it invincible in close combat.

The cavalry three-piece set doubles the cavalry's combat power and enhances their mobility.

The curved plow improved the efficiency of farming, increased grain production, and stabilized the rear.

Everything was developing in the direction he had envisioned.

Liu Ce looked up and gazed northward.

Wuhuan, Xianbei... just wait and see.

The steel torrent of Youzhou will soon show you what a devastating blow truly is.