Moma Liangshan

Chapter 212 New Armor, Invincible War Boots

Lin Chong was not alone; he had brought all 120 cavalrymen from Jiaozhou on Wang Hao's orders. Among them were eight Mongols, including Morigen, and eleven Liaodong Han Chinese, including Xiong Pi. Wang Hao, Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, and others entered the main tent and asked, "General Lin, is that the latest iron armor you're wearing in Jiaozhou?" Lin Chong, unable to hide his excitement, replied, "Indeed!" He then added, "Not only that, but the six hundred sets of armor you brought this time are exactly the same as the ones I'm wearing!" Wang Hao was somewhat surprised and said, "When I left Jiaozhou, the forging of armor plates was just beginning. How could you have produced over six hundred sets of armor in just over a month?" Lin Chong replied, "Young Master, you've been busy and may not remember some details clearly. From the time 'forging armor plates' replaced 'casting armor plates,' to the six..." "The hundred sets of armor were completed in a total of forty-seven days." Wang Hao roughly recalled, and it seemed to be true. He said, "Even so, the ironworks' production speed is quite fast!" Lin Chong's face unconsciously showed admiration. He said, "According to Chairman Zhu, there are already a thousand craftsmen in the ironworks. And according to the rules set before the young master left, from the chairman and directors down to the craftsmen and apprentices, everyone's salary adopts a 'base salary' plus 'bonus' scheme, thus ensuring the basic principle of more work, more pay, and less work, less pay. Therefore, whenever there is a new production plan, everyone strives to work day and night!"

Wang Hao was delighted upon hearing this and asked, "Instructor Lin, what do you think of the superiority of 'forged armor plates' over 'cast armor plates'?" Lin Chong, being a military officer, naturally cherished his weapons and armor; otherwise, he wouldn't have been led into the White Tiger Hall by Gao Qiu over a precious sword. He casually replied, "'Forged armor plates' are light, thin, and tough. They only require 65% of the weight of 'cast armor plates' to achieve the same level of protection. If you add the leather overcoats that you, young master, have provided for the soldiers, their overall protective power is at least 30% superior to the official infantry armor. However, I am somewhat puzzled that you, young master, have ordered all soldiers to wear double-layered silk shirts." "!" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "General Lin, do you think that silk and brocade are the exclusive domain of the wealthy, more luxurious than practical, and that it's a waste to have you soldiers wear them?" Lin Chong nodded slightly and said, "In peacetime, soldiers train in the camp with ample provisions and plenty of time. They can air their armor and wash their clothes every day, naturally maintaining a dignified appearance and imposing presence. But when fighting on the front lines, they endure wind and rain, sleeping in the open, always ready for battle. If the fighting is slow, they can sleep without armor, but if the fighting is intense, sleeping in armor for ten days or more is commonplace. Isn't this fine silk shirt just a waste of precious gems?"

Wang Hao laughed and looked at Yang Zhi, asking, "General Yang, do you also think so?" Yang Zhi smiled sheepishly and nodded silently. Wang Hao explained, "Have you noticed any differences between this silk shirt and the fabric used in the marketplace?" Lin Chong couldn't help but touch his cuffs, and after a long while said, "In terms of differences, our fabric seems to be much denser, unlike the light and soft silk of the marketplace." Wang Hao nodded and said, "This silk shirt is the soldiers' last line of defense. If a sharp weapon penetrates deep into the flesh, this fabric can greatly reduce the casualty rate!" Lin Chong and Yang Zhi were both surprised and delighted, asking, "Young master, could you tell us the reason behind this?"

Wang Hao replied, "Because rust is poisonous!" The so-called "rust is poisonous" actually referred to the possibility that rusty iron could carry tetanus, but due to the limitations of the era, Wang Hao could only say "rust is poisonous." Lin Chong was somewhat doubtful, saying, "Young master, you should know that silk is a luxury item. If its effectiveness is limited, I feel it will be a waste!" Wang Hao shook his head, saying, "An army is not about quantity but quality, but a fine army is priceless. What is mere silk?" Yang Zhi and Lin Chong were deeply moved, saying, "There are many ways to protect ourselves; we don't necessarily need silk. For our hundreds of soldiers now, two silk shirts per person might be insignificant, but if you command thousands of troops in the future, it will be a huge expense!" Wang Hao hadn't expected Lin Chong and Yang Zhi to be so shrewd, saying, "We can conduct an experiment, firstly to verify whether rust is poisonous, and secondly to verify whether silk shirts can protect against the toxicity of iron filings. What do you two generals think?"

Everyone is curious, and upon hearing Wang Hao's words, Lin Chong and Yang Zhi replied in unison, "Please enlighten us, sir!" Wang Hao said, "We'll catch thirty rabbits and divide them into two groups. First, use fifteen rusty iron needles to pierce the hindquarters of the first group of rabbits. Then, use fifteen shiny iron needles, heating them with a flame before using them. After that, we'll raise these rabbits for a while and see the results." Lin Chong and Yang Zhi looked at each other in agreement. Wang Hao continued, "Dense silk, when an arrow pierces the body, is not easily torn; instead, it enters the body along with the arrowhead. In this way, the silk will insulate against the poison carried by the arrowhead!" Lin Chong couldn't help but praise, "Sir, you are brilliant!" Yang Zhi added, "If silk truly has such a wonderful use, I wonder how many lives it will save!"

Wang Hao had never considered cutting costs on the army, but the earlier advice from Lin Chong and Yang Zhi to control the cost of military equipment was something he couldn't ignore. He asked, "How much does a standard set of new armor cost?" Lin Chong replied, "When the equipment was delivered, Chairman Zhu and I did a rough calculation. A complete set of new armor plus a pair of newly made boots is enough to buy three sets of infantry armor for the Imperial Guards of Tokyo." Song Dynasty infantry armor consisted of over 1,800 plates, weighing about 60 jin (approximately 30 kg), representing the pinnacle of Eastern armor in the era of cold weapons. However, the 60 jin weight severely limited the soldiers' mobility, leading Wang Hao to conceive the idea of ​​replacing "cast armor plates" with "forged armor plates." Ultimately, Wang Hao's idea succeeded, but at a cost three times the price. Perhaps Wang Hao wasn't the first to use "forged armor plates," and the thousand men were simply forced to back down due to the exorbitant cost. Upon hearing about the new combat boots, Wang Hao couldn't help but look at Lin Chong's shoulders, where a pair of sturdy and durable leather boots came into view. At that moment, Lin Chong suddenly remembered something and said, "When I set out, I thought that you and your accompanying soldiers hadn't changed into their uniforms yet, so I brought three pairs of boots in each of the nine shoe sizes. Please, you and General Yang, try them on!" Yang Zhi said, "This humble general is not in a hurry; please try them on first, sir!" Wang Hao didn't refuse and said, "Very well!"

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