Chapter 253: Unbreakable

Below the snow-capped peaks, by the shores of Qinghai Lake.

Lion Liu, in a thin padded jacket and with a wildly oversized firelock propped on his shoulder, strode in a slow jog around the lake.

The sustained exertion and heavy sweating flushed his cheeks crimson, and his breathing gradually grew labored.

The lakeside camp had drawn a crowd of soldiers. On one hand, the auxiliary troops marveled at their Grand Marshal's abundant stamina — carrying a heavy musket on his shoulder, running several hundred paces out and back, and still looking as if nothing had happened.

On the other hand, the combat soldiers fixed their eyes on the enormous firelock itself.

That was the painstaking work of master craftsmen Shi Chengwo and He Xin — their jingal was finally finished.

To make this jingal, He Xin had specially improved the barrel-boring technique, converting the original vertical boring lathe into a horizontal one to overcome the technical difficulty.

In truth, it was hardly a technical difficulty. In any process that required machinery, the Lion Army's craftsmen had no problems at all.

The only issue was the freehand fine-finishing after boring the barrel smooth — that crucial, skill-dependent step. This seven-chi-long barrel, when using a heightened vertical boring lathe, required a working height of one zhang and five chi.

It was already troublesome enough for the craftsmen to climb that high, and working in winter made it nearly impossible to bore every part of the bore wall to an equal width.

In the end, they simply laid the lathe on its side and built up the workshop around it, which made manufacturing far easier. After that, producing this jingal came naturally.

Still, it turned out a little heavier than expected — thirty-eight and a half jin.

It is worth noting that the lock Shi Chengwo chose for this large musket was a flintlock.

Because Shi Chengwo believed that this musket could perfectly circumvent the flintlock mechanism's disadvantages.

It was heavy enough and long enough, and its intended firing environment was very stable. He could make the hammer strike as hard as possible without affecting shooting accuracy.

Moreover, with its range reaching three hundred paces, even if the ignition failed, there was ample time to cock and release the hammer again.

Besides, it used a heavy charge, made a huge noise, and was assigned as a squad-level firepower supplement and team heavy weapon. Even if the ignition failed, it would not be overlooked in a volley the way an ordinary bird gun would.

This could, to the greatest extent, prevent the barrel from being loaded with multiple charges of powder and ball, thus avoiding man-made barrel bursts.

As for Lion Liu's current feeling, there was only one: this gun was damn heavy.

He had never slacked in his training. Tempering his strength and diligently practicing martial arts had become as habitual as eating and drinking since his youth.

So by now, his body had grown accustomed to not-too-strenuous running on the high plateau.

But even so, this gun was still too heavy. Running with a disproportionately large musket on his shoulder felt completely different from running in armor of the same weight.

If he had to describe honestly what running with this gun on his shoulder felt like, it reminded him of that one-hundred-and-twenty-jin guandao on the military examination ground.

But on the exam ground, that long blade only needed to be put through a routine. Compared to running two li with this nearly forty-jin heavy musket on his shoulder, Liu Chengzong thought swinging the big blade was a bit more comfortable.

As he drew nearer to the shore, the soldiers burst into cheers, urging him on. Sanlang had long been ready and waiting there with a ramie-cloth towel and a leather water sack.

Advances in weaponry were constantly placing higher demands on their handicraft industry.

In the past, a light bird gun firing a three-qian ball took sixty man-days.

One master craftsman with an apprentice could produce one every month. With Shi Chengwo's men working at full capacity, they could turn out two to three hundred per month.

After arriving in Xining, they had to make heavy bird guns, each requiring about thirty to forty more man-days, which meant a month and a half.

And this large jingal — one took one hundred and thirty man-days, more than double a light bird gun.

After running back, Lion Liu was a bit tired, so he walked slowly around the camp, taking small sips of water as he went.

Cao Yao took the jingal in one hand, leaning on the weapon taller than himself, his eyes brimming with delight.

After many years apart, since the Wind-Chasing Lances of Liaodong, he had finally laid eyes on such a treasure again — and an upgraded version at that.

Old Crook Cao quickened his pace impatiently. "Grand Marshal, let's find someone and start a fight!"

"Satisfied with just one?"

Liu Chengzong walked a stretch longer until the pounding in his chest subsided slightly, then sat down on the ground and gestured for Shi Chengwo to sit beside him. "Master Shi and Master He, for completing the jingal, are each rewarded one hundred taels of silver. … Also, build a small two-wheeled cart for it, and let a mule pull it."

Having run with the gun on his own shoulder and experienced it firsthand, Lion Liu thought it best not to let the soldiers under his command suffer this ordeal.

Hauling something like this on a march across the high plateau was clearly a job for beasts of burden; there was no need to let the animals rest instead.

As he spoke, Liu Chengzong turned his head, suddenly remembering something, and asked Shi Chengwo, "Chengyun isn't here. How many supply carts are there now?"

"Over three thousand?"

This matter had always been Chengyun's responsibility, so Shi Chengwo was not clear on the exact number. "I heard Chengyun say before it seemed to be over three thousand, but the infantry battalion took away over a hundred earlier."

"Mm, I know about that. The infantry battalion took them to form light cart companies. I think it's one hundred sixty carts per company. We can add another one hundred forty, so each squad gets one, and modify them — hitch the jingal's small cart behind."

Through this expedition north of the lake, Liu Chengzong had deeply grasped Qinghai's vastness and sparse population.

Their experience with long-distance marches in northern Shaanxi did not apply here.

In Han territory, carrying twelve days of provisions sufficed for any situation. Here, if you wanted to fight a battle, twelve days might not even get you through the unclaimed no-man's-land.

On the bright side, grass grew everywhere, so there was no need to worry about the livestock.

In Lion Liu's vision, every squad leader under his command, whether infantry or cavalry, should manage twelve mules, twenty-four horses, and one cart with a six-hundred-jin capacity, to store their tents, arms and armor, provisions, and one jingal.

The troops had been in the region north of the lake for barely over a month, and Liu Chengzong already felt they might need to put tree-planting and afforestation on the agenda.

In the area a hundred li north of the lake and the Riyue Mountain region east of it, there were vast expanses of forest, mostly spruce, cypress, poplar, and birch.

But no matter how many trees there were, they could not withstand over a thousand cavalry trainees who doubled as part-time lumberjacks.

When these fellows went out, in three to five days they could wipe out a year's worth of timber used by the surrounding Western Tibetan tribes.

Who told their Grand Marshal to want ships built, guns made, and houses constructed all at once?

Years ago, when Huoluochi was still alive, if he needed timber he would send Gurutai Huang Taiji out with thirty or forty riders. Carrying blades, they would make the rounds of every tribe, and in half a year they could bring back tens of thousands of logs ten arm-spans around.

So now, the mood of the Western Tibetan tribal chieftains north of the lake was very complicated.

They felt an urge to advise these well-armed, tough-looking fellows not to keep stripping one single place bare. Each of those big northern Shaanxi men swinging an axe could fell trees with terrifying efficiency — keep it up and they'd denude the whole mountain.

Yet they also worried that the moment they opened their mouths to advise, these men would foist the logging duties onto them instead.

Especially now, for the Western Tibetan chieftains north of the lake, the Lion Army's advance on Ju'erwan was no longer a secret, but the stories about it varied wildly.

Some said they were Han rebels, others said they were Han government troops. Either way, neither was anything good.

Rebels were naturally vicious and desperate; the government was no better. Whenever the Emperor had trouble, he imposed levies on them; when he had none, he ignored them and let the Mongols bully them at will.

Thus, everyone's attitude toward these people closely resembled that of an ostrich.

But there were exceptions.

On the second day of the third month, Dai Daozi returned from the south, where the brothers Huoluochi were at war with each other.

Dai Daozi not only brought back Baiyan Taiji's request to pasture in Haibei, but also brought Liu Chengzong, who was drying lumber, an unexpected guest.

Baiyan's request was no problem for Liu Chengzong. Haibei was vast, and having a Mongol scouting party stationed in the buffer zone was a good thing.

Besides, it would also make their trade much more convenient.

Liu Chengzong planned to buy twenty large stone millstones from Xining and have Baiyan pick some herders to drive yaks as road rollers, making a dozen or so trips from Ju'erwan to Haibei to grind a road into the ground.

And as for this merchant caravan, how to put it — it was a tribute caravan of Xifan people come from afar.

Their leader was a monk in his forties named Gama Lhade, the younger brother of the King of Nangqen and the abbot of Genbang Monastery.

Monk Gama had brought two hundred horses and one hundred forty yaks to offer tribute to the Emperor and, incidentally, deliver gifts to Li Tianyu, the Commander of Xining Garrison.

"But this monk doesn't actually know Li Tianyu. He just came to deliver gifts to the Commander of Xining Garrison."

Inside Liu Chengzong's command tent, Dai Daozi held up a map drawn on oxhide and pointed it out to Liu Chengzong: "This is Nangqen, the southern gateway from Qinghai into Tibet."

Liu Chengzong glanced at this crudely drawn oxhide map and was taken aback.

He spotted a somewhat familiar name — the Yushu Tusi, a minor chieftain under the King of Nangqen with a few hundred households.

It seemed Nangqen was a large tribe.

"How many men does he have? So far away — one thousand two hundred li? And crossing a battlefield — how did he get here?"

Dai Daozi nodded: "Their party is thirty-seven people. Neither the native kingdoms nor the Mongols make trouble for monks, so the journey was fairly smooth, though they traveled one thousand six hundred li."

One thousand six hundred li — even farther than Liu the Lion had estimated.

"This map is a fine thing. Have someone copy it down first."

Liu Chengzong assigned this task to the army cartographer, and only then asked Dai Daozi: "He came looking for the Commander of Xining Garrison — how did you end up bringing him here?"

Liu the Lion guessed that this Gama had come to offer tribute because he had a favor to ask of the imperial court.

Otherwise, in a place as remote as Yushu, anyone's rule was in name only.

There was absolutely no need to send tribute horses.

"I told him about the situation here, how the overall landscape has changed." A smile spread across Dai Daozi's face. "He decided to come find the Grand Marshal."

Dai Daozi continued: "I asked. East of his brother's territory, there is a native kingdom whose leader is called the King of Beri, named Donyo Dorje. His power is immense, and he attacks everywhere."

"The King of Nangqen fought the King of Beri, was defeated and killed. The Genbang Monastery where Gama resides was also attacked, so he came to Xining to seek help from the imperial court."

Liu Chengzong frowned. "He thinks the court can help?"

Could there really be someone so naive in this world?

Dai Daozi shook his head. "Your subordinate spoke with Gama at length on the road. Their tradition there has always been to seek titles from the Emperor of the Central Plains dynasty, while simultaneously seeking titles from the Dharma King of Ü-Tsang, and lately, also from the Mongol chieftain occupying the north."

Liu Chengzong did not know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of buff-stacking was this?

Chen Shifo, who had come along with the musket to watch the excitement, stood in attendance nearby and spoke up at this point: "Grand Marshal, I know that place, and that King of Beri."

As he spoke, Chen Shifo pointed at the map: "Grand Marshal, please look at their position. That is the route the Mongols must take to enter Tibet. The Emperor's title of Tusi is a gilded signboard for governing within, and the title granted by the Dharma King can pacify the common people and bring greater stability."

"And recognition from the Mongols can spare them from being ravaged by wandering captives entering Tibet."

Chen Shifo was very knowledgeable about these matters. He thought for a moment, then asked Liu Chengzong: "Might I ask, does the Grand Marshal have any intention of winning over all the native kingdoms to the south?"

Win over all the native kingdoms to the south?

Liu Chengzong furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"This map does not show the King of Beri's territory. That tribe grew wealthy because of its location. To its southeast lies a place the Grand Marshal surely knows — the necessary route from Sichuan into Tibet, the Dajian Road, convenient for trading with the Han people."

"In that region, the King of Beri can mobilize roughly twenty thousand tribal people, but if he campaigns against Nangqen, he would have at most four thousand troops."

"Now that the King of Nangqen has been killed, if the Grand Marshal has no intention of moving south, you could naturally just write Gama a letter of appointment as Tusi. But a letter of appointment alone will not let him reclaim his territory."

"If you send troops to assist, as long as you drive the King of Beri out of Nangqen and enfeoff Gama as the King of Nangqen, the gateway from Qinghai into Tibet will surely become the Grand Marshal's most loyal Xifan subordinate."

Driving four thousand tribal soldiers out of Nangqen — this matter posed some difficulty for Liu Chengzong... not because of the tribal soldiers, but because the terrain there was high.

His army had just gotten used to the terrain from Haibei to Xining. If the supply lines along the way could keep up and there were guides familiar with the route, a rapid maneuver to the Nangqen area would take only a month.

But once there, he might not be able to commit directly to combat.

The difficulty could be overcome, but whether it was necessary to overcome it — Liu the Lion felt he needed more intelligence.

Chen Shifo waited a moment, then heard him say: "Go on."

Only then did Shifo continue: "I believe sending troops to assist has two advantages. The first is the wealth of the King of Nangqen. A hundred years ago, the King of Nangqen's ancestor invited monks of the Black Sect to reside at Genbang Monastery to propagate the Dharma, donating livestock with ten thousand horns. All of Qinghai knows this."

"Ten thousand horns?"

Liu Chengzong wondered what kind of expression that was. Donated ten thousand unicorns to Ü-Tsang?

"That means five thousand sheep or cattle."

After Chen Shifo finished, Dai Daozi also added: "Grand Marshal, they likely have quite a lot of livestock. This time, the horses Gama brought are for tribute. The yaks carried gifts. He planned to keep forty head to ride back after delivering everything and sell the rest in Xining."

Five thousand head of livestock — not bad.

Supplement meat, eggs, and milk to strengthen the Lion Battalion.

But given that even the King of Nangqen had been beaten to death, even if Gama made a promise, it would probably have to be paid in installments.

Moreover, they would have to cross the buffer zone between Lazun and Guru. If the rear route were cut off, they would become an isolated army. The terrain here also would not allow him to do as he had in northern Shaanxi, breaking camp with the whole army and going wherever they ended up.

To prepare for this war, he would first have to garrison troops to separate them, at least seizing the line up to the Chaka Salt Pool.

The battlefront would be stretched too long.

"And the second?"

Chen Shifo said: "The Grand Marshal is an outsider. Between Qinghai and Tibet, countless native kingdoms do not mind submitting to a powerful king. Whether the Great Ming or previous dynasties, as long as the Grand Marshal helps Gama and lets the other native kingdoms see the benefits of submission, everyone will vie to submit."

Having said this, Chen Shifo added: "At the very least, the Grand Marshal should meet Gama."

After he finished speaking, Liu Chengzong suddenly asked Dai Daozi: "When is Baiyan coming?"

Dai Daozi was caught off guard by the question.

Liu Shizi's face broke into a smile. He wasn't necessarily going to Gama, but if he did, he thought sending a thousand troops and having Bayan pull out another two thousand cavalry to form a joint army marching south would be a better choice.

Bayan's followers had been to Ü-Tsang; his men could handle the altitude there. If the Lion Army's combat strength dropped on the plateau, this would serve as an extra layer of insurance.

Of course, this would have to wait until Bayan's followers moved their camp over.

As long as the entire families of Taiji Bayan's tribe were all under Liu Chengzong's protection, the alliance between the two sides would be absolutely unbreakable.