diskusbooks Chapter 58 The Two Beauties Join Forces
Chapter 58 The Two Beauties Join Forces
“This is bad. Firearms are not essential in the army. Now that there is no war and the court is in chaos, even if His Majesty knows that these firearms are powerful, he will only manufacture them on a small scale, enough to equip the Shenji Battalion,” Shen Li analyzed.
The old Duke Xiao Zhan looked on with admiration. His granddaughter really had a clear understanding of the political situation, which was quite different from those scholars who only knew how to talk nonsense.
But to Xiao Qi and Shen Yue, this was Shen Li's signal to start a war. She was completely rejecting Lin Wan'er's idea, and how could Lin Wan'er tolerate it?
“In recent years, the heavy cavalry of Daliang has posed a huge threat to our army. Bows and arrows and even cannons cannot stop their charge. If we want to fight cavalry with infantry, long-range muskets are the most effective weapon.” Lin Wan’er said with a solemn expression, “We can’t do without them.”
Xiao Zhan couldn't help but clap his hands: "Lin girl truly lives up to her reputation as the daughter of a military family. Not only is she proficient in horsemanship and archery, but she also has such insights into tactics. She truly puts all men to shame."
"That's right. In the past, firearms had a short range and were not as powerful as these, which had many limitations. If we could equip ourselves with these new firearms, I only need 10,000 of them to make the enemy cavalry suffer a crushing defeat."
Xiao Qi highly approved of this tactic, his expression filled with longing, as if he were already on the battlefield.
"Twenty thousand would be best," Lin Wan'er said to Shen Li, weakly holding up two fingers.
Shen Li smiled wryly and rubbed her forehead. How could she not know how good the product was? But muskets were different from other weapons. In addition to the cost of the musket itself, they also needed to be equipped with gunpowder and lead bullets, so the cost was not low.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan sighed and said, "Li'er is right. The country's strength is not what it used to be. When I was fighting, 200,000 troops could be equipped with 20,000 muskets, but now, 2,000 muskets is considered well-equipped."
"Everyone says that my Xiao family is invincible, but only a person in the know understands that while the generals leading the troops are important, in the long run, it is the national strength that matters. Right now, the various departments of the court are busy fighting for power among factions, so who cares what weapons the army uses?"
Xiao Qi nodded in agreement. He was well aware of the state of the army over the years. Compared to the abundant military supplies and equipment of the Great Liang, the Great Zhao was declining year by year and could only be described as barely holding on.
I've heard that the Great Liang has appointed a new general to lead the troops on the border. Who knows what the situation will be like when war breaks out again?
"In my opinion, we definitely need to report it. As for how much can be allocated, let's leave it to fate." Xiao Zhan looked at Shen Li: "What do you say, Li'er?"
Military generals interfering in politics would be considered disloyal, so this was all they could do.
Shen Li shook her head slightly: "Grandpa, please give me some time, I'll think of a solution."
"I didn't ask for much, so don't look so upset." Lin Wan'er's gaze remained fixed on Shen Li, and her words even carried a hint of coquetry.
Shen Li was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this: "Grandma, do you think this is the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Revenue?"
"I don't care, you'll definitely find a way." Lin Wan'er walked over and whispered in her ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Get me 20,000 muskets, and I'll definitely defend the country's borders."
In this life, she will be able to outmaneuver her opponents, and she will not allow them to be so carefree again. As long as the food and supplies are in place, it should be fine to defend without attacking.
"I'll give you 30,000, you better come back alive."
Lin Wan'er smiled: "I promise."
Their eyes met, both filled with unwavering determination.
Since they have been reborn, they cannot let this rebirth go to waste. They must do something for the land that gave them birth and raised them, not for anything else but for the lives of the people and soldiers of that region.
The group was shocked to see them whispering to each other; some stared wide-eyed, while others gaped in disbelief.
When did they become so close?
Is this really not a scene from a dream?
"By the way, does your Lin family have anyone trustworthy in the Ministry of Works?" Shen Li had a rough idea of what to do.
Weapon manufacturing is entirely under the Ministry of Works. Now that Chen Wenjin, who is in charge of the Ministry of Works, has been arrested, it is necessary to replace him with one of our own to make things easier.
Lin Wan'er pondered for a moment and shook her head: "You know, the most taboo thing for a military general is to get too close to court officials. I only know that my father hates Chen Wenjin the most."
"Okay, I understand." Shen Li knew what to do: "Don't make a fuss about the firearms for now. Wait for my news."
"Mm." Lin Wan'er nodded.
"Are you two agreeing to have a duel?" Shen Yue stepped forward quickly and said cautiously, "The weather is nice today, why don't we eat first?"
"What are you thinking, child? Your sister and I are friends." Lin Wan'er patted her head and asked, "Want to try my three-eyed musket again?"
"Three-eyed?" Shen Yue's attention was immediately drawn, her eyes widening. "What does that mean?"
The moment Shen Li saw the three-eyed musket, she finally understood what Lin Wan'er had been up to all this time. In her previous life, she had seen this thing before, but she hadn't paid any attention to it.
But now it seems that this musket, which can fire three shots in quick succession, is a real treasure. If it could be mass-produced, it could at least sustain the border for a while.
"Wan'er's talent is no less than yours. If she were a man, she would be able to fight alongside you on the battlefield. Then I, your grandfather, would have no worries about the future of the Great Zhao Dynasty." Xiao Zhan said to Xiao Qi with emotion.
“She’s even more suited for combat than my grandson; she’s much better at studying than him.” Xiao Qi scratched his head, somewhat ashamed.
"The two beauties of Kyoto." Xiao Zhan looked at Shen Li and Lin Wan'er, who were testing their guns in the distance. "They live up to their reputation, but it's a pity that they are both women, destined to be confined to this world."
Xiao Qi also sighed, "Yes, it's a pity."
Once Shen Yue started playing with firearms, she couldn't move. Shen Li, who wasn't good at it, fired a couple of shots but couldn't aim accurately, so she sat back down next to the old man.
"Grandpa, if I want to learn martial arts, how should I begin?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan nearly dropped his teacup, his tiger-like eyes widening as he stared at Shen Li: "What did you say?"
"Practicing martial arts is good for improving physical health," Shen Li said, finding another excuse for herself.
"That's good. I'll teach you later. Start by practicing the horse stance. A stable lower body is essential for a stable attack," Xiao Qi said from the side.
Shen Li nodded humbly and even took notes, practicing the horse stance.
"Li'er, don't listen to your brother. He's only half-baked and hasn't even mastered the skills himself, so he can't teach you," Xiao Zhan quickly denied.
Xiao Qi retorted, "Grandpa, what are you saying? There are few people in the army who can rival me. People outside praise me as a natural talent for martial arts, but you never praise me."
As he spoke, he seemed to feel somewhat aggrieved.
“What kind of talent do you call that? Li’er, come with your grandfather, and I’ll teach you.” Xiao Zhan said, getting up and walking towards the weapons pavilion at the back.
"Yes." Shen Li also got up, and before leaving, she gave her cousin a reassuring look.
Xiao Qi was still indignant. He didn't know why his grandfather only praised him for his hard work, but denied that he had any talent.
He can now kill enemies with weapons weighing over a hundred pounds. Isn't that talent? Not everyone can be like the Xiao family ancestor, born with extraordinary six senses and immense strength.