"Your Majesty, the new sword has been made. Please inspect it." In the backyard of the Shaofu Prison, Ou Yeqian, who was a little disappointed when he saw the Feitian Shenzhou making a big show, came out to ask for instructions.

Seven days ago, Ou Yeqian drew ten copies of each of the Gurkha scimitar, seven-eyed dog-legged scimitar, and Damascus sword patterns carved on the ground by Yang Tong. Then ten top craftsmen each made three of their own best according to their own understanding. An ideal sword, but they know whether the sword is good or not can only be decided by those who have experienced many battles. So on the day when the sword was completed, Jiang Xingben, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, came forward and invited Li Jing, Wang Wei, Yang Gongren, Yang Shanhui, Pei Renji, and Yuchi to make it. Gong, Luo Shixin, Xue Wanjun, Xie Yingdeng, Dou Jiande, Xiao Mian and other experienced men came to try the sword. These people knew that Yang Tong planned to use the new sword to replace the horizontal swords and daggers in the army, so they tried their best to experience the sword.

They tried it one by one, and each expressed their own opinions. Which one was good, what were the advantages, which one was not good, and what were the shortcomings? They all pointed out one by one and said their own opinions. Suggestions and opinions.

Later, veteran Li Jing put forward a point of view that everyone agreed with: He believed that the users of the new sword were ordinary soldiers. The ordinary soldiers fought differently and used them differently from generals like them. They could not represent the entire army's attitude toward weapons. At his suggestion, he invited a group of veterans of the Xuanjia Army to test the demand for armed force. As expected by Li Jingzhi, the soldiers gave many different opinions and views.

Ou Yeqian and other master craftsmen combined their opinions and modified the overall design and each part one by one to obtain the most satisfactory data and create the most outstanding enemy-killing weapon, and also derived another short blade.

Ou Yeqian and other famous sword craftsmen have put great effort into these four new types of knives. Now that the knives are finished, they all hope that their hard work will be recognized by Yang Tong.

"I can't wait, bring it over quickly!" Yang Tong said happily.

The next direction of the strategy is Yizhou, where the Puppet Tang Dynasty is located. Therefore, Yang Tong not only needs an elite infantry proficient in mountain warfare, but also a matching sword, and the long sword, seven eyes, large dog-legged scimitar, and Damascus sword , the short-bladed Gurkha scimitar is obviously more suitable for mountain jungle warfare than the horizontal sword and the barrier dagger.

"I humble my duty and obey my orders." When Ou Yeqian saw Yang Tong's attention, the disappointment in his heart disappeared, and he quickly had four long and short knives presented to him.

When these four unique swords appeared, the civil and military ministers who did not participate in the sword test looked at each other in confusion. They thought that Yang Tong's Chaolu Baodao and Shengwu Thirty-Six Powers were weird enough, but who would have thought that these four kinds of knives would be even weirder.

Yang Tong was also stunned, but it was not because of the seven-eyed scimitar, the Damascus sword, and the Gurkha scimitar. Although these three swords had changed, the pattern he carved was always obvious, while the other short blade was not. To his shock, this guy looked exactly like China's famous Type 99 paratrooper knife.

For the sake of the plot, Yang Tong held this quintessence of Chinese culture in his hand and waved it a few times, "The dagger is portable and light. It is a short blade for protection and the last weapon of a warrior. It pays more attention to killing with one hit to prevent others from attacking." After being severely wounded, there is still enough energy left to kill them all. Only stabbing can make the enemy lose combat effectiveness in a short time. Other gestures are difficult to cause significant damage to the enemy at once. In addition to stabbing and cutting functions, this knife also has the functions of chopping. The characteristics of chopping, sawing, and prying..." He carefully felt the serrations on the back of the knife with his fingers, and continued: "Weapons also have their lifespan. When it chops a certain number of times, it will chip, curl, or break. When our soldiers camp, they often use weapons to chop down trees. The existence of these serrations can replace the blade to a large extent, thereby protecting the weapon."

"The Holy One is wise." Ou Yeqian has devoted his whole life to swords and cherishes weapons as much as his son. When he heard Yang Tong say this, he immediately felt like he had met a close friend, "This sword is a low-level sword based on the Han sword, horizontal sword, military stab, and morning dew sword." , and the short blades designed based on the characteristics of the other three new knives. In addition to the functions mentioned above, it can also saw the fences and door bolts of enemy barracks during night attacks without making too much noise. Another point is that The color of the blade…”

Yang Tong heard the words and took a closer look, and found that the blade was covered with various patterns, like moving clouds and running water, which were extremely beautiful. The magical lines were simply the natural beauty of artificial carving, but the deep-colored texture also prevented the blade from reflecting at night, making it look more attractive. Even more secretly. He asked movedly: "Is this Persian pattern steel?"

"good!"

"As far as I know, the unique smelting technology and forging method of Persian pattern steel has always been a technical secret of the Persians. Occasionally, steel ingots are introduced to our dynasty, and they are quite expensive. I am afraid that the cost of this knife is more than a hundred gold."

"The Holy One doesn't know something. When the late emperor was still alive, he established friendly relations with the Sasanian dynasty of Persia. His king Khosrau II also visited the Sui Dynasty and paid tribute to treasures. At that time, Pei Ju, who was ordered to explore the Western Regions, was responsible for the reception. I don’t know what method he used to obtain these technologies from the entourage of Khosrow II." Ou Yeqian introduced in detail.

Yang Tong said happily: "Does this mean we can also make patterned steel?"

"That's why we can now smelt pattern steel, and the method is not complicated." Ou Yeqian said.

Yang Tong was extremely curious: "How do you know so detailedly?"

Ou Yeqian replied: "This chronicle, as well as the technology, were accidentally found by me in the Dazang Library Hall in front of Daxing Palace."

"Original or copy?" Yang Tong asked again. When Yang Guang was emperor, he had a collection of more than 370,000 volumes and 77,000 categories of books. After collecting them, he also had someone carefully copy a copy, which was originally kept in the Guanwen Hall in Luoyang. , and then he took them all to Yecheng, and now he has returned to Luoyang Guanwen Hall. As for the Daxing Palace Collection Hall, it is a duplicate copy. With his emphasis on smelting, and the many classifications of many people, , this patterned steel shouldn’t be able to escape?

Ou Yeqian said: "It's Pei Ju's handwritten manuscript. The handwriting is very sloppy. It should have been recorded in a hurry."

Yang Tong nodded, "Perhaps Pei Ju took the initiative to dedicate the book to Li Yuan, but it was just not taken seriously."

"It should be like this." Ou Yeqian reminded: "By the way, Your Majesty, this book is still in the Great Library Hall, classified under the category of pictures, next to "Records of Products and Local Customs of Zhujuns", "Pictures of Districts and Yus", and "Pictures of Zhuzhou" "Collection of Sutras" is placed together with "Picture Notes of the Western Regions" compiled by Pei Ju, and its name is "Notes of the World.""

Ou Yeqian attached great importance to the pattern outline and knew it in detail.

"This name, no wonder it is not taken seriously by others..." Yang Tong felt that there might be other treasures in this "Notes of the World", so he immediately paid attention to it and told Yin Mingyue: "Mingyue, find this book and take it to Ganlu Palace."

"Here." Yin Mingyue bowed and left.

Yang Tong kept Pei Ju's contribution in mind, took a closer look at the 99 Paratrooper Knife in his hand, and said with admiration, "I have collected this knife."

"Thank you for your attention, Your Majesty. However, this sword has not been named yet. Please give me a name by Your Majesty." Ou Yeqian was overjoyed. Yang Tong's arsenal is not one that ordinary swords can be included in. There are many legendary swords that have long since disappeared, except for Yang Tong who wears them from time to time. The Zhan Lu Sword, the Seven Star Long Yuan Sword, the Chun Jun Sword that 'temporarily' belongs to the Queen, Yang Qinfang's Chengying Sword, and it is said that there is also Chi You's Sword, Daxia Longque... Although he has never seen the latter two, his weight is estimated Yes...it is the highest honor in his life to be able to collect his own sword with these divine blades.

"Dragon Roar!"

"Thank you, the Holy One, for giving me your name."

Yang Tong looked at the other three knives that were also made of pattern steel and asked, "Are there any that are not made of pattern steel?"

"Yes!" Ou Yeqian asked someone to send four more knives made of Zhongyuan Steel and introduced: "The steel and forging methods used in these four are not much different from the horizontal knives."

Yang Tong put down the dragon's teeth, picked up the Damascus sword suitable for cavalry, and said to Luo Shixin: "Take a horizontal sword and strike each other."

"Here." Luo Shixin took a horizontal sword from the Yi Dao guard and prepared it. The two of them slashed at each other, only to hear a crisp sound and the horizontal sword broke into two pieces on the spot.

Seeing this effect, everyone was dumbfounded. Even those who had tried the knife were dumbfounded by the effect because they had never cut each other before.

The Hengdao is not a product of the times that came out of thin air. It was inherited from the Huanshou Dao of the Han Dynasty. After hundreds of years of improvement, it became what it is today. If it had not been powerful, it would not have become what it is today in the Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui Dynasty. The army's standard equipment is ready.

However, now it is actually cut in half by a new sword of the same kind of steel and the same forging process. It is really unbelievable.

"This is actually easy to understand!" Seeing everyone's expressions, Yang Tong pointed to the knife and explained to everyone: "The blade of this knife has a curvature. The protruding blade in the front section has the effect of gathering force, and the concave section in the back section has a miraculous effect of assisting. , when I cut out with one knife, all the power is concentrated in the middle and front part, plus the assistance from the middle and rear part, so it is extremely powerful; while the horizontal knife blade is straight, when Xiao Luo cuts it out, the power is dispersed throughout the blade body, resulting in The strength and speed of my knife are not as fast as mine. It is like a kitchen knife cutting bones. When the entire blade is cutting, it will not only keep cutting, but it may also break. If it is used to cut with the blade close to the handle, so many of them will be cut. A knife cuts two halves, and the blade does not hurt."

Those who had cooked before moved their wrists and understood immediately, while others seemed to understand.

Yang Tong continued: "As the saying goes, no one is perfect. Instead of pursuing impossible perfection, it is better to focus on one field. For example, people who are not suitable for martial arts can focus on literature and art. People who are not suitable for civil and military studies can also follow If you focus your interests on a certain line of work, as long as you work hard, you will achieve certain achievements. This is true for people, and it is also true for weapons. This sword gives up most of its thrusting and armor-piercing capabilities, and focuses on the most common chopping method used by cavalry. As long as it is on horseback, Used on the back, it can achieve miraculous effects like just now. And even in infantry combat, it can increase the strength of the soldier holding this new sword when slashing. If it is slightly twisted or slipped, the front half will be injured immediately. Reach the opponent's wrist, causing the enemy to be injured and abandon the sword."

"As for our Sui cavalry, bows and crossbows are the first choice for long-distance combat, and long weapons are the first choice for close combat, followed by swords. This fierce new sword makes our Sui cavalry as fierce as a tiger on the plains, so it is named Tiger Roaring."

After Yang Tong finished speaking, he handed the new sword to the generals present to experience it. After listening to Yang Tong's detailed introduction, everyone swung it according to its cutting characteristics, and their eyes were full of admiration.

Yang Tong held the big seven-eyed scimitar in his hand: "This knife is a kind of recurved knife. The belly of the knife is wider and the blade is bent forward. Its recurved blade makes up for its inability to assassinate and replaces it. The most important thing is its powerful lethality. It can not only chop in charge battles, but also pick, stab, chop, and point in close combat. Moreover, cutting can be fatal, and stabbing can break armor! It is much better than a horizontal sword... This is a sword for infantry, sword and shield soldiers, and heavy crossbowmen. Their melee combat capabilities can also be enhanced by equipping them with this sword. Its function is closer to a knife plus an axe, so it is also a weapon for mountain and jungle warfare. , can cut down trees in dense forests and open up a road, allowing our army to walk on flat ground and walk as fast as flying, so we call it..." For a while, Yang Tong couldn't think of a suitable name.

Seeing this, Yang Gongren said: "Our soldiers are like tigers. This sword is like a tiger with wings in the jungle, so why not call it a tiger's wing?"

Yang Tong had no objection. This was a weapon exclusively forged by the Sui Dynasty. Naturally, it cannot be called a Damascus sword or a dog-legged scimitar. Moreover, although it looks similar on the surface, it is actually fundamentally different.

Ou Yeqian asked: "Your Majesty, where are these little tiger wings?"

"After this short blade was shrunk, it has actually lost its value. Seal it together with the data. Maybe it can be used for reference one day."

Yang Tong knew very well that this nation has always paid attention to inheritance. People are like this, and the same is true in the research and development of weapons and equipment. Otherwise, there would be no Hengdao and Modao inherited from the Huanshou Dao and Zhandao swords of the Han Dynasty. They just pay too much attention to inheritance. National style also means that the mind is constrained and the sense of innovation is lost. It will only be based on existing things, and it is difficult to create an epoch-making enemy-killing weapon.

These knives with eccentric styles, endless power, and human mechanics are a reform, an innovation, a step forward in the progress of swords, and they play a positive role in the pioneering and innovative work of craftsmen.

"Well." In fact, Ou Yeqian also felt that it was not as good as Long Yin. If he didn't get Yang Tong's permission, he wouldn't even build it.

…

Now that the weapons for mountain warfare and jungle warfare are available, and because he will fight against the puppet Tang Dynasty, Yang Tong asked the Shaofu Superintendent to mass-produce tiger wing and dragon chant molds in advance and mass-produce them as soon as possible.

Naturally, the next step is to train the troops for mountain and jungle warfare. The Fifth Army Corps brought by Xie Yingdeng only reduced the number of 20,000 troops. It was not broken up and disrupted and could be put into training immediately. These soldiers themselves are the elite of the elite. , everyone has enough foundation, there is no need to start from scratch.

Just when Yang Tong was intensifying his military training, a letter of request from Zhou Shaozu, the chief admiral of the Changshan Islands Navy, moved Yang Tong.

Zhou Shaozu requested a voyage and wanted to see the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

This shocked and excited Yang Tong.

For thousands of years, people in West Asia have yearned for the powerful and wealthy countries in the East. Their merchants, with a lofty desire to make money, traveled from thousands of mountains and rivers and Gobi deserts to the mysterious and wealthy ancient Eastern countries, bringing the gorgeous Oriental silks and exquisite porcelain to the country. It was brought back to the West and became a luxury product regarded as a status luxury by the West Asian nobles.

But with the development of the times, they realized the risks of the long Silk Road, and slowly opened up maritime routes. However, shipbuilding technology has always been ahead of the East in the world, but it lags behind the West in ocean navigation technology.

Perhaps, I should take the lead.

But the Pacific Ocean is vast and vast, with a diameter of more than 20,000 miles. From here to there, the sea is swelled by winds, typhoons, and tsunamis... almost any accident can easily capsize this fleet and kill people. Not even a single wave can rise.

The reason why later generations of Europeans were able to complete global voyages and explore the New World was not only because of their advanced technology, but also because they had in their hands the navigation experience that generations of people had sacrificed their lives for.

But Yang Tong was really unwilling to give up like that.

This is not only because there are countless high-yielding food crops in the American continent on the other side of the ocean; but also if I don’t support this spirit of exploration, I’m afraid no one will support me in the future and no one will go.

As far as he knew, the expedition team of the famous navigator Magellan, consisting of more than 270 sailors and 5 ships, crossed the southern tip of South America and entered the Pacific Ocean after losing more than half of the crew and ships. It took more than 3 months.

After an arduous voyage, they crossed Guam and arrived at the Philippine Islands.

Judging from their number and the number of ships, this seems to be an act of enthusiasts. If the Sui Dynasty officially supported Zhou Shaozu's voyage, then his conditions must be much better, and in terms of a warship with a keel and pulley combination,

They may not be able to withstand the wind and waves at sea. As for food, it would be better to bring more ships. And starting from Wonu Island, the sea area the fleet passes through is much smaller than that of Magellan.
Chapter completed!