Chapter 378: Chariot Battalion

"Thrust!"

"Thrust!"

"..."

The weather was fine and clear at the North Camp Drill Ground, where the Wangfu Army soldiers were practicing their Bayonet Technique.

At this moment, they held wooden sticks with cloth wrapped around the ends, thrusting them out repeatedly following the commands—sometimes downward, sometimes upward, sometimes to the right, and sometimes to the left.

Every time they thrust, the soldiers used all their strength, their bodies taut like fully drawn bows.

"Besides following commands for drills, the soldiers also have one-on-one sparring training," Chang Wei said to Zhao Xu, who stood before him.

"Keep training like this; it won't be long before the Bayonet Technique will likely come in handy," Zhao Xu said.

Chang Wei nodded solemnly; his judgment was the same as that of Yan Wang.

Xiliang had effectively become a vassal of the Northern Di, and the Northern Di were currently manufacturing Artillery.

Now that the Yanguan Border Market was closed, the Black Iron Tribe was attacking Yan Commandery once again.

These signs all meant that a war of unprecedented scale was likely about to arrive.

The only question was when the Northern Di would choose to join Xiliang in moving south to attack Great Song.

And when that time came, it would not just be Yanzhou; it was feared that Great Song itself would face a crisis of annihilation.

"Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate has already reminded the commanders to stay alert and remain vigilant at all times," Chang Wei said.

Zhao Xu cast his gaze toward the north.

Although he had been busy with various development matters in Yanzhou during this time, he had never forgotten about the two alien tribes in the north and northwest.

Regarding this inevitable great war, he felt both worry and a sense of anticipation.

In his view, war between him and Xiliang and the Northern Di was unavoidable.

Since that was the case, it was necessary to strike such fear into their hearts during this conflict that he could reverse Yanzhou's long-standing defensive posture and shift from defense to offense.

"The moon of the Qin era, the passes of the Han; the long march of ten thousand miles, the men have not returned. If only the flying generals of Longcheng were here, they would not let the barbarian horses cross the Yin Mountain." Thinking of this, Zhao Xu recited a line softly.

Since he had come to this world,

he would never tolerate the iron cavalry of alien tribes trampling upon his territory.

Nor would he allow the Western powers of this world to set up Artillery at his doorstep and blast open the gates of his country.

"Your Highness, what poem is this? It is truly magnificent," Mi Wen suddenly asked at this moment.

Yesterday, the Yan Wang had handed the school over to him, and today he had brought him to the North Camp to see Chang Wei.

He was to coordinate with Chang Wei to complete the recruitment and three-month training of the Navy soldiers.

"This is a poem from an ancient kingdom during the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the Tang Dynasty had already reached its end, and there was a powerful enemy in the north called the Khitan."

"Khitan? Why have I never heard of them? And what are the Qin and Han mentioned in the poem?" Chang Wei looked puzzled.

Zhao Xu had not expected that his casual expression of emotion would lead to so many questions.

He had to brush it off, saying, "This Prince only saw it in an ancient book."

Chang Wei and Mi Wen exchanged a glance and asked no more.

Walking with the two of them to a willow tree at the edge of the Drill Ground, Zhao Xu changed the subject, "Although you two lead the infantry and cavalry, and the other leads the Navy, it does not mean that from now on you should each close your doors and mind only your own business. You should still interact more often."

Both men nodded simultaneously.

Unfolding his paper fan to cool himself, Zhao Xu remembered one thing and said to Chang Wei, "Has the recruitment for the Chariot Battalion been completed?"

"Not yet," Chang Wei scratched his head, "Because I haven't seen the War Chariot yet, I put the recruitment for the Chariot Battalion last."

Zhao Xu did not blame Chang Wei, as he had not yet let the Armament Bureau build the War Chariot, "Although there is no rush, you must keep recruiting. In two days, this Prince will have the Armament Bureau build the War Chariots."

In the contemporary late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, Zhu Yuanzhang rose in rebellion, destroyed the Yuan Dynasty, and even chased them down.

What he relied on was a piece of equipment—the single-wheeled assault cart.

This type of cart was actually a supply transport cart with a wooden board installed on the front, and several Long Spears fixed to the wooden board.

This formed a small fortress that looked like a hedgehog.

In the early stages, Ming soldiers would push these single-wheeled assault carts into the Mongol cavalry, restricting the cavalry's mobility, while the Shield-bearers and Long Spear soldiers following behind would rush over and hack away.

It can be seen that for fighting the cavalry and archery of nomadic tribes, this kind of War Chariot, which could defend against arrows and restrict the mobility of cavalry on the battlefield, was very effective.

Previously, he only needed to guard Yanguan, so he had no plans to build War Chariots.

But now that Xiliang and the Northern Di had formed an alliance, it meant that the northwest of Great Song was also open to the Northern Di.

If the Northern Di chose to move south from the northwest, he feared he would have to set out from Qin Pass to fight the Northern Di and Xiliang armies.

At that time, this type of War Chariot would come in handy.

By relying on the War Chariots to form formations on the battlefield, along with Flintlocks and Artillery, his army could turn into a fortress with powerful firepower at any time.

However, the War Chariot he wanted to build was not this kind of single-wheeled assault cart.

After all, in his view, this single-wheeled assault cart was a makeshift War Chariot that Zhu Yuanzhang had cobbled together during a very difficult time.

In the late Ming Dynasty, when fighting the Jurchen soldiers, the War Chariots used were much more luxurious.

And under the technical conditions of Yanzhou, combined with some contemporary experience, he could currently build even better War Chariots.

This type of War Chariot would have four wheels.

In this way, the War Chariot would be more stable, and at the same time, the War Chariot would be box-shaped, with the lid fixed to one side, which could be lifted to form a wall, and there would be small windows on the lid.

The Flintlock Infantry could shoot through these windows.

And to strengthen the hardness of the War Chariot, the side of the box facing the enemy would be nailed with a layer of iron plating.

Thus, a War Chariot that could both transport supplies and serve as a fortress would appear.

These War Chariots would also have locks, and each War Chariot could be connected by iron chains.

During wartime, the War Chariots would march on the soldiers' flanks, and upon encountering the enemy, they would immediately form a circle, connected by iron chains, to protect the soldiers in the middle.

The soldiers would then use Flintlocks and Artillery to attack the enemy.

While thinking, Zhao Xu picked up a tree branch and drew the appearance of the War Chariot for Chang Wei to see.

Chang Wei stared intently, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"Your Highness, this subordinate feels that the chariot cover is unnecessary; it will obstruct the firing of the Flintlock Infantry," Mi Wen said.

"This War Chariot can also transport grain, fodder, and ammunition; having a cover can protect against rain, and furthermore, if the enemy's Infantry charges over, it makes it difficult for them to climb up," Chang Wei explained to him.

Mi Wen had never fought a war after all, and he did not understand many things.

Hearing Chang Wei say this, Mi Wen suddenly understood and nodded.

Zhao Xu then said to Chang Wei, "If you have no other suggestions, this War Chariot will be built this way; when fighting, it will be pulled by horses and will not delay the march."

"Hehe, no other suggestions; I only hope the Weaponry Bureau can build it sooner, so that even if we encounter the Northern Di on the Grassland, we will not be afraid," Chang Wei said excitedly.

To him, this War Chariot design was very reasonable; it was truly a sharp weapon specifically for dealing with Cavalry.

Zhao Xu smiled lightly.

In fact, this kind of War Chariot was already equivalent to the most primitive Tank; not only could it move, but if soldiers stood inside the War Chariot, they could also fire outward.

Like Chang Wei, he was also looking forward to this kind of War Chariot playing an important role on the battlefield.