dognovel Chapter 115 A City of Weapons! Ready to Fight at Any Time
Chapter 115 A City of Weapons! Ready to Fight at Any Time
"But what?" Gu Liuli keenly noticed Zhao Hong's unusual behavior and pressed for an answer.
Zhao Hong hesitated for a moment before saying, "However, the manufacturing process of these steel weapons is much more complex than we imagined, and it requires extremely high skill from the craftsmen. We are currently encountering some technical difficulties, which is causing the weapon-making speed to be somewhat slow."
Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli exchanged a glance, both understanding that time was of the essence at this crucial juncture. If they couldn't produce enough weapons quickly, the Nanzhao Kingdom would face a tremendous crisis should Japan and the United States launch an attack.
“Come on, take us to see it,” Xiao Jingchuan said.
Zhao Hong led them to the weapons manufacturing workshop. Inside, craftsmen were intently forging weapons, the sound of hammers striking iron blocks filling the air. Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli were at work...
Upon inspecting the workshop, they discovered that many of the prototype weapons had some flaws.
"Will these flaws affect the quality of the weapon?" Xiao Jingchuan asked, pointing to an unfinished longsword.
An old craftsman and Bai Jing walked over.
Bai Jing sighed and said, "Your Highness, although this steel is hard, it is also very brittle. If you are not careful during the forging process, cracks will appear. These cracks may seem insignificant, but on the battlefield they may cause weapons to break and affect the lives of soldiers."
Gu Liuli pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "I remember reading in that book that when forging steel weapons, it's necessary to control the heat and the force of the hammering. Could we have made a mistake in that area?"
The old craftsman's eyes lit up: "The Crown Princess is absolutely right. We've been using traditional forging methods and haven't fully grasped the properties of this steel. It seems we need to study the methods in that book more carefully."
So, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli, together with the craftsmen, began to carefully study the book on manufacturing steel weapons. They experimented repeatedly, constantly adjusting the heat and the force of the hammering. After several days and nights of hard work, they finally found the best forging method and successfully solved the problem of weapon cracks.
With the technical challenges resolved, the manufacturing speed of weapons accelerated significantly. Batch after batch of sharp steel weapons were produced and neatly arranged in the workshop. Looking at these gleaming weapons, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli smiled with satisfaction.
However, unbeknownst to them, their every move at the iron mine was being watched by spies from Japan and the United States. Upon learning that the Nanzhao Kingdom was manufacturing steel weapons, both the Japanese and American envoys were greatly alarmed.
"What should we do? If the Nanzhao Kingdom successfully manufactures a large number of steel weapons, we will be no match for them!" the Japanese envoy said anxiously.
The American envoy frowned as well: "It seems we need to speed things up. We can't let them manufacture weapons so easily any longer."
Therefore, Japan and the United States began to secretly plot to sabotage the iron mines and weapons manufacturing workshops of the Nanzhao Kingdom. They first sent assassins to try to kill the key figures in charge of weapons manufacturing, but all of them were successfully repelled by the guards of the Nanzhao Kingdom.
When one plan failed, another was devised. The envoy from the United States came up with a wicked scheme: he bribed a minor foreman in the iron mine to poison the mine's water supply. With the water contaminated, the workers would be unable to work properly, and weapons production would naturally grind to a halt.
That night, the bribed henchman sneaked into the water source, preparing to poison it, when he suddenly heard a loud shout from behind: "Stop! What are you doing!"
The squad leader trembled with fear, nearly dropping the poison bottle in his hand. He turned around and saw a group of soldiers standing there, weapons in hand, glaring angrily. Leading them were Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli.
It turned out that Gu Liuli had always suspected there was a mole within the iron mine, so she had increased security. Today, she happened to notice this minor leader behaving suspiciously, so she led her soldiers to secretly follow him and, sure enough, uncovered his plot.
"Take him down!" Xiao Jingchuan said coldly.
The soldiers swarmed forward and subdued the leader. Under interrogation, the leader confessed that the masterminds were Japan and the United States. Upon learning this, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli's expressions turned extremely grim.
"Japan and the United States are really going too far!" Xiao Jingchuan said angrily. "It seems we can no longer sit idly by and wait to be killed; we must take the initiative!"
Gu Liuli nodded: "That's right. On the one hand, we need to speed up the production of weapons, and on the other hand, we need to find a way to give Japan and the United States a warning, to let them know that our Nanzhao Kingdom is not to be trifled with!"
Inside the iron ore workshop, the furnaces roared, their flames reflecting the sweat-drenched faces of every craftsman. After countless days and nights of arduous struggle, the batch of steel weapons, carrying the hopes and future of the Nanzhao Kingdom, finally came to fruition.
Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli arrived at the workshop early, their eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness. With the completion of the final step, the first brand-new steel longsword was carefully carried out. The longsword had a slender blade that gleamed coldly in the firelight, its sharp edge seemingly capable of easily slicing through the air.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, this is the first finished longsword we have forged!" Zhao Hong, who was in charge of weapon manufacturing, said with a proud look on his face.
Xiao Jingchuan took the longsword, swung it a few times, and felt its weight and sharpness. "A fine sword!" he couldn't help but exclaim. "With such a weapon, the army of my Nanzhao Kingdom will surely be even more formidable!"
Gu Liuli also carefully examined the long sword, a look of satisfaction in her eyes: "This is all thanks to the craftsmen; their hard work has not been in vain."
The craftsmen in the workshop gathered around, their faces beaming with joy and pride as they gazed at the long sword that represented the culmination of their countless days and nights of hard work. At that moment, all their fatigue and hardship transformed into boundless satisfaction.
Immediately afterwards, long knives, spears, and swords were brought out one after another and neatly arranged in the open space of the workshop. Under the sunlight, these weapons exuded a cold yet majestic aura, as if announcing to the world the rise of the military power of the Nanzhao Kingdom.
The news quickly reached the imperial court, and ministers rushed to the iron mine, eager to witness this awe-inspiring scene. When they saw the rows of gleaming weapons, they were all filled with astonishment.
"Your Majesty, with these steel weapons, what do we, the Nanzhao Kingdom, have to fear from the provocations of Japan and the United States!" a minister exclaimed excitedly.
His Majesty the Emperor nodded with satisfaction: "The successful manufacture of this weapon is thanks to the efforts of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, as well as all the craftsmen. This is a blessing for our Nanzhao Kingdom!"
To test the power of the weapons, Xiao Jingchuan ordered a live-fire exercise. Soldiers, armed with brand-new steel weapons, engaged in a simulated battle against soldiers using ordinary weapons. Then...
The soldiers, wielding steel weapons, attacked swiftly and defended fiercely, breaking ordinary weapons under their assault.
The sharpness and toughness of the steel weapons were on full display, deeply shocking everyone present.
"The power of these steel weapons is truly extraordinary!" a military officer exclaimed excitedly. "With them, we will definitely gain a greater advantage on the battlefield!"
However, just as the Nanzhao Kingdom was basking in the joy of the weapon's advent, spies from Japan and the United States quickly relayed the news back. The Japanese and American envoys were immediately alarmed upon learning of it.
"I never expected the Nanzhao Kingdom to manufacture steel weapons so quickly!" the Japanese envoy said anxiously. "What should we do? Our previous plans are probably going to fall through!"
The envoy from the United States also looked very grim: "It seems we underestimated the strength of the Nanzhao Kingdom. However, we cannot back down now."
After some discussion, they decided to accelerate their efforts to contact other foreign states, attempting to quickly form an alliance against the Nanzhao Kingdom. At the same time, they strengthened their own country's defenses to prevent a sudden attack from the Nanzhao Kingdom.
Meanwhile, in the Nanzhao Kingdom, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli remained vigilant. They knew that the advent of weapons was only the beginning; the real challenges lay ahead.
“Although we have manufactured steel weapons, Japan and the United States will certainly not let this go easily,” Xiao Jingchuan said with a frown. “We must formulate a countermeasure as soon as possible.”
Gu Liuli nodded: "That's right. On the one hand, we need to continue to strengthen the manufacturing and equipment of weapons and improve the combat effectiveness of the army; on the other hand, we also need to send people to understand the movements of Japan and the United States, as well as their contact with foreign countries."
Thus, the Nanzhao Kingdom began to take intensive action. On the one hand, it increased investment in iron mines, increased the number of craftsmen, and made every effort to manufacture more steel weapons; on the other hand, it sent out batches of spies to infiltrate Japan, Meili, and other foreign countries to gather intelligence.
With the gradual deployment of new weapons, the morale of the Nanzhao army was greatly boosted. The soldiers expressed that with these advanced weapons, they would be fearless and would be able to protect the safety of their country.
However, the alliance plan between Japan and the United States was also progressing gradually. Some foreign states that had conflicts with the Nanzhao Kingdom began to waver under the influence of Japan and the United States.