Chương 163: Champion Crossbow

After finishing the composite bow, Liu Ce flipped over another sheet of paper and drew the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, which he renamed the Champion Repeating Crossbow.

The rectangular quiver can hold ten short arrows and is labeled: "Quarter capacity: ten arrows, automatic cocking."

The trigger is designed with a linkage structure, so that "one arrow is fired with each trigger pull, and ten arrows can be fired in succession without jamming".

The crossbow body is made of hard jujube wood and equipped with a non-slip grip, making it "easy to hold with one hand and suitable for both infantry and cavalry."

As Liu Ce drew, he muttered to himself, "With these two things, our long-range suppression will be maxed out! The composite bow shoots far and is effortless, while the Zhuge repeating crossbow fires rapidly. If we combine them, the Wuhuan cavalry will be riddled with bullets if they dare to charge again!"

They worked on the drawings until late at night, and both drawings were filled with key dimensions and materials.

The length, curvature, and lamination thickness of the composite bow; the diameter, axle hole size, and installation position of the pulleys; the treatment method for the tendons; the ratio of the swim bladder glue...

The internal structure of the magazine of the Champion Repeating Crossbow, the thickness and elasticity of the spring (animal sinew), the sensitivity adjustment of the trigger, the standard dimensions of the arrows...

Liu Ce wrote down every single detail clearly.

He even drew an assembly diagram, marking the assembly sequence and precautions.

"Done!"

Liu Ce put down his pen, rubbed his aching wrist, and said, "Get the workshop up and running tomorrow!"

The next morning, at the workshop.

The craftsmen had just started work and were busy crafting the armor plates for the Bright Light Armor—following the standardized templates provided by Liu Ce, the armor plates were of uniform size and the holes were drilled in uniform positions, making the assembly quick and sturdy.

Seeing Liu Ce arrive again, the craftsmen all gathered around him with smiles: "My lord, what new tricks do you have this time?"

Liu Ce spread the blueprints on the large table and pointed to the composite bow, saying, "This is called a composite bow, and it's much more powerful than your current horn bows! It has three layers of material bonded together, with pulleys added, and its range can reach three hundred paces. It's also easier to draw, and an ordinary soldier can master it in half a month!"

The craftsmen crowded around to take a look, their eyes wide with surprise.

Old Li, the blacksmith and the workshop's technical "director," frowned and said, "My lord, how do we glue these three layers of materials together to make them strong? Ox horn is hard, mulberry wood is soft, and tendons are elastic. If we don't glue them together properly, they'll separate."

"Use fish maw glue!"

Liu Ce immediately explained, "Grind the ox horn into thin slices, bake and bend the mulberry wood into shape, pound and dry the tendons, then attach them in the order of 'ox horn on the outside, mulberry wood in the middle, tendons on the inside,' and glue them together with fish glue. Let them air dry for ten days; it'll be even stronger than a whole piece of wood!"

He then pointed to the pulley: "This pulley is made of wrought iron, and the axle is lubricated with rosin, making it rotate very smoothly. Pay attention to the angle during installation; after the bowstring passes over the pulley, the tension can be reduced by a third!"

Old Wang, the carpenter and workshop's "deputy director," touched the champion repeating crossbow on the blueprints and asked doubtfully, "My lord, how do you make it automatically cock? Won't the arrows get stuck in the magazine?"

Liu Ce picked up a twig and drew a diagram of the linkage on the ground: "Look, there's a spring in the quiver—made of thick animal sinew, soaked in tung oil to increase its elasticity. After one arrow is shot, the spring automatically pushes the next arrow into the firing position."

"The trigger is designed with a linkage mechanism. Pulling it pulls the string back, and releasing it springs the string forward, firing the arrow. One pull and one release completes one firing cycle, allowing for ten arrows to be fired in succession without jamming!"

He added, "The arrows must be of uniform size, made according to this template. The length, thickness, and arrowhead shape must all be consistent. The tracks inside the quiver must also be polished smooth to ensure the arrows slide smoothly."

As the craftsmen listened to these specific details, their concerns gradually dissipated—the piston bellows and standardized production process from last time proved that the Marquis was not giving orders blindly, but was truly knowledgeable in the field.

"My lord, we believe you!"

Old Li gave the order, "I'll go and gather the materials for this composite bow right away. We have dozens of ox horns in the warehouse, and we also have tendons in stock. We can just cut the mulberry wood on the spot!"

Old Wang also said, "I'll make the wooden frame for the Champion Repeating Crossbow, and the blacksmiths will forge the trigger and pulleys overnight!"

Liu Ce was overjoyed and immediately assigned tasks: "Make five prototype composite bows to test their performance. Make ten champion repeating crossbows and one thousand arrows. Follow standardized procedures; even a slight deviation in size is unacceptable!"

He further instructed: "The composite bow's laminations must be firmly pressed down. Use heavy objects to hold it in place during the bonding process, and do not move it during the air-drying period. The trigger of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow must be sensitive, neither too tight nor too loose—too tight and it will be impossible to pull, too loose and it will easily fire accidentally."

"Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions. I've been spending all my time in the workshop these past few days!"

The craftsmen immediately got to work.

The workshop was instantly bustling with activity: some were processing cow horns, grinding them into thin slices with grinding wheels; some were baking mulberry wood, slowly bending it over a fire; some were pounding tendons to remove grease and increase toughness; some were forging pulleys, clanging and banging on an anvil; some were making arrows, shaping the shafts according to templates...

Liu Ce wandered around the workshop, occasionally offering a few pointers:

"Old Li, just grind the horn slices to three-tenths of an inch thick. If they're too thin, they won't be strong enough; if they're too thick, they'll be too heavy!"

"Master Wang, the tracks inside the arrow box need to be sanded three times to remove any burrs!"

"Zhang the blacksmith, the pulley shaft hole needs to be enlarged by half, and then you need to apply rosin before installing it!"

A few days later, the prototype of the first composite bow appeared.

The three layers of material were bonded together perfectly, with almost no gaps visible at the joints of the fish maw glue. After the pulleys were installed, the bowstring was made of rhinoceros tendon soaked in tung oil—a "high-grade material" that Liu Ce had specially taken out from the system space, known for its good elasticity and wear resistance.

Old Li tried pulling the bowstring and exclaimed in surprise, "Good heavens! This bow looks a size bigger than a regular horn bow, but it's so easy to draw! I usually need 80% of my strength to draw a 1-stone bow, but this bow only requires 50%!"

Liu Ce laughed and said, "After it dries in the shade, the draw weight will reach one and a half shi (a unit of weight), and the range will be over three hundred paces. Moreover, because it saves effort, soldiers can keep firing continuously without getting tired quickly."

Meanwhile, the prototype of the Champion Repeating Crossbow was also completed.

Old Wang loaded ten standard arrows into the arrow box and pulled the trigger.

"Whoosh—" A short arrow shot out and hit the grass target thirty paces away.

Then came the second, the third...

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh," ten arrows were fired in quick succession, averaging one per second, and sure enough, there was no jamming!

"It's done! This repeating crossbow is amazing!" The craftsmen all gathered around, marveling at it.

"My lord, this rate of fire is more than five times faster than a regular crossbow!"

"If we used it to defend the city, wouldn't the enemy become sitting ducks?"

Liu Ce picked up the repeating crossbow, weighed it in his hand, and tested the trigger. Satisfied, he said, "The weight is just right, and the trigger is responsive. Old Wang, your carpentry skills are impeccable!"

Old Wang chuckled and said, "It's all thanks to Lord Marquis's excellent design."

Over the next few days, the craftsmen made several more samples, repeatedly testing and adjusting them. The lamination process for the composite bow became increasingly sophisticated, and the automatic cocking mechanism of the Champion Repeating Crossbow became more and more reliable.