As the end of the year approaches, the lively atmosphere in Kaifeng is no different from this time in previous years. On the streets and alleys, red lanterns are hung high, and the sounds of shouting and selling are endless. Although the news that the Five Route Army is about to hunt Kaifeng has spread a lot, the people of Kaifeng City don't seem to care about it. There is constant singing and dancing, and it is a scene of peace and prosperity. Wanyan Zongyi stood at the door of Zui Furong Restaurant, looking at the bustling crowd with extremely complicated emotions. He originally thought that Kaifeng City would be panicked due to the upcoming war, but the scene before him was completely beyond his expectation. "Your Highness, the atmosphere in Kaifeng City is really strange." A subordinate came forward and whispered. Wanyan Zongyi nodded slightly and said solemnly: "That's true. People here don't seem to be worried about the upcoming war." With that said, he turned around and walked into the "Drunk Furong" restaurant. The restaurant was bustling with people, and the steaming hot pot exuded an alluring aroma. Wanyan Zongyi found a place to sit down, ordered a hot pot, and began to listen to the discussions around him. "The harvest is good this year, thanks to the seeds from Her Highness the Princess." The voice of a middle-aged man reached Wanyan Zongyi's ears.
"Yes, yes, Her Royal Highness is really our lucky star." Another person agreed. What surprised Wanyan Zongyi was that these people did not mention the army's invasion of Kaifeng in their words. They talked more about this year's harvest and what new seeds Her Royal Highness had cultivated. Wanyan Zongyi frowned slightly, doubts rising in his heart. He stood up, walked to one of the tables, and asked softly: "Aren't you afraid of the war next spring?" The middle-aged man at the table laughed loudly, patted Wan Yan Zongyi on the shoulder and said, "Kaifeng City is impregnable with Her Royal Highness the Princess. No matter what the five-pronged army is, even if the golden dog goes south with all the strength of the country, it will still be defeated." Your Highness, please beat me back." The word "golden dog" in the man's mouth made Wanyan Zongyi's men suddenly change their expressions. They glared angrily at the man and were about to take action. However, Wanyan Zongyi waved his hand to stop them. He took a deep look at the man and then winked at a few of his men, who had no choice but to return to their positions angrily. After telling the waiter in the store that he had paid for the man's meal today, Wanyan Zongyi sat down with a smile and asked, "Brother, Her Royal Highness is just a woman, how can she withstand the power of the Kingdom of Jin and Daxia?" Eight hundred thousand coalition troops?” At about this time, Wanyan Zongyi and several of his men were all dressed as Han Chinese. The middle-aged man was not too wary of them, so he said, "Her Royal Highness the Princess fought several battles, built a capital temple in Chanzhou, and ordered the golden dog to I was so frightened that even the 8 million coalition troops, not to mention the 800,000 coalition troops, could even think of breaking through Kaifeng." Wanyan Zongyi smiled awkwardly and left his seat. He knew that in Kaifeng City, "Her Royal Highness" has become an irreplaceable symbol, an existence that can give people endless confidence and strength. If you continue to ask questions, won't you continue to make yourself unhappy?
After finishing the simple hot pot meal, Wanyan Zongyi returned to his temporary residence in Kaifeng City, but his heart was in turmoil. He took a deep breath and shouted softly to the door: "Su Feng, come in." After a while, a short, shrewd-looking middle-aged man walked in. It was Wanyan Zongyi's confidant, Su Feng. "Your Highness, are you looking for me?" Su Feng asked respectfully. Wanyan Zongyi nodded and said with furrowed brows: "In the autumn, we went through all the troubles to get the artillery design drawings from Zhao Yingluo. However, after returning to Yanjing, our craftsmen always copied them frequently. Explode the chamber. Now, the war between the Kingdom of Jin and her is about to resume. We only have fifty artillery pieces in our hands. How can we compete with her?" Su Feng was silent for a moment and said: "Your Highness, I know the reason. At the time, I In Zhao Yingluo's foundry, I once secretly observed their production process. The problem of barrel explosion mainly comes from two aspects." "Oh? Come and listen." Wanyan Zongyi said eagerly. "The first reason is the casting process of the gun barrel." Su Feng said slowly, "The steel used in Zhao Yingluo's foundry has been quenched through a special process to increase its strength, so it is not easy to explode. And the steel we copied At that time, I didn’t master this craft.” "What about the second reason?" Wanyan Zongyi asked. "The second reason is gunpowder." Su Feng continued, "The ratio of gunpowder is also key. Different ratios of raw materials will affect the explosive power and stability of gunpowder. We must get their gunpowder formula."
After Wanyan Zongyi heard this, a stern look flashed in his eyes: "Su Feng, I order you to get the iron pipe casting process and the gunpowder formula as soon as possible. At any cost!" Su Feng bowed and accepted the order... At this time, Zhao Yingluo was in the mansion, planning the upcoming war in the spring. Storms and clouds were swirling in her heart, and the situations of various armies emerged in her mind one by one. Although she didn't know how Zhao Zhen would deal with the threat of Guo Yan and Zhu Zhenhai's 250,000 troops on the west road, her heart was filled with firm belief. She recalled Zhao Zhen's experience in Wuma Village. Those years of wind and rain and swords had long since tempered her younger brother into a wise and brave general. She firmly believed that Zhao Zhen would never let her down. When mentioning Han Shizhong's troops on the east road, a confident smile appeared on Zhao Yingluo's lips. Her royal brother's stupid behavior has completely chilled the loyal general's heart, and this just provides Zhao Yingluo with a golden opportunity. She believed that at the critical moment, Han Shizhong's troops would burst out with amazing combat effectiveness and become a sharp blade in her hand. At this point, the second of the five armies has gone. Zhao Yingluo's eyes passed through the courtyards, as if she saw the far north. That is where the coalition forces of Xixia and Dajin are located, and it is also the upcoming battlefield. Now Yue Fei is in Xingzhou. As long as he is given enough support and trust, he can withstand the fierce attack of the northern coalition forces. In Zhao Yingluo's heart, artillery and muskets play a very important role. She had witnessed with her own eyes the turbulent waves these two weapons caused on the battlefield, and knew that they would become the trump card that could turn the tide and determine victory or defeat. So, she did not hesitate to summon Feng Jing, who was in charge of the foundry, to learn about the latest production capacity of the foundry. "How is the situation in the foundry now?" Zhao Yingluo's tone revealed a hint of urgency. Feng Jing bowed and replied: "To return to Your Highness the Princess, the foundry is now working at full capacity. It can produce one artillery piece in two days and about ten muskets per day." Zhao Yingluo frowned slightly. Such production capacity obviously could not meet her needs. The Spring War was getting closer and closer, and she had to build more artillery and muskets to support Yue Fei during this period.