Chapter 16: Crossbow

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  Yang Zilu explained: "I often hunt in the autumn at home and also leave some skills behind! Besides, teaching is just a few students, I and Mr. Zhao together, divided these students equally, isn't it that everyone is barely making a living? Rather than this, why not go up the mountain to hunt!"

  Zong Mo heard this and sighed: "The young master is benevolent and righteous! Since that's the case, I'll go into the city to make arrangements for the young master!"

  "It's getting late!" Yang Zilu said politely, standing up and preparing to see them off.

  "It's a private matter, please stay out of it, young master!" Zong Bi said with a courteous bow to Yang Zi Lu.

  Although Zong Bi had said to stay, Yang Zi Lu still sent Zong Bi to the hospital. Although he is now wearing a noble title, this thing is not reliable. Isn't there a saying: 'County officials are not as good as current managers.'

  Back in the house, Zheng Datian patted Yang Zilu's shoulder and said in a low voice: "Young master, the village chief is not driving you away or forcing you to pay taxes. It's just that these days... Ah!"

  "Understood! Uncle Zheng, don't worry, I understand these things!" Yang Zilu said with a smile. Whether he understood or not, if he wanted to survive on this land, he had to follow the rules of this land. Unless he could change the rules of this land.

  In the morning, Yang Zilu did not stay at home to sleep in, but was instead oppressed by the village head's words about his current survival situation. Not long after the village head left, Yang Zilu went up the mountain with Zheng Datian, cutting down a Nanmu tree and collecting a large bag of soapberry and medicinal herbs. Originally, Yang Zilu had planned to make primitive laundry detergent to earn money, but as a result of Zheng Dandan carelessly spreading the news, everyone in Heshan Creek knew about using crushed soapberries to wash clothes. Yang Zilu also mixed mint with soapberries for bathing, but this too was exposed within two days. This made Yang Zilu sigh that ancient people were truly 'unscrupulous' and had no moral sense of 'protecting patents'.

  While making soap, Yang Zilu didn't forget to make a crossbow and also had to take care of the injuries of the wild black bear and Xiao Hu. Originally, because there was extra hemp cloth, Yang Zilu asked Zheng Dan to help Xiao Hu make a set of clothes. However, this was met with a cold hum from Zheng Dan.

  Yang Zilu was helpless, Xiao Hu didn't have any underwear or anything like that, only a beast skin jacket and a beast skin skirt. Yang Zilu had already seen that fleeting spring light once or twice before. For a virgin, going up would be more beastly than beasts themselves, not going up would be less than beasts. This torture forced Yang Zilu to sew it himself, even if he had to press his head against the fabric.

  But it has to be said that this era is really depressing. The sewing was done with a bone needle, and Yang Zilu's fingers would definitely have a significant wound if they were pricked even once. In the end, it was Yiguang who discovered that Yang Zilu had several wounds on his fingertips and helped him sew. Otherwise, Yang Zilu's ten fingers would have been crippled, and he might not have been able to sew a single garment.

  At this time, the hunter Huai who regarded Yang Zilu as a superior also came to help Yang Zilu make bowstrings. Zheng Datian had actually forgotten to buy bowstrings. After learning about it, Huai immediately contributed three bowstrings for free.

  Three days later, Yang Zilu stepped on the homemade crossbow pedal with his left foot, and with both hands exerting force, slowly pulled the bowstring onto the trigger.

  "Phew!" Yang Zilu let out a long sigh and shook his somewhat sore hand. Frowning, he muttered to himself: "This bowstring is really troublesome, after using it two or three times, I'll probably be out of strength!"

  Yu Ling was shocked to see Yang Zi Lu and said, "Master, you're really amazing! These three bowstrings were twisted together, but you managed to pull them apart!"

  "Stop the nonsense, bring me the crossbow!" Yang Zilu pouted, although he didn't think of Yu Heng as a disciple, but Yu Heng had an unyielding attitude. In just a few days, regardless of whether Yang Zilu agreed or not, Yu Heng started calling him "Master" in a familiar tone. Yang Zilu asked him to change his words, and in front of Yang Zilu, he promised to do so, but soon after, he called out "Master" again. In the end, Yang Zilu had no choice but to acquiesce.

  The crossbow was brought over quickly, although Yang Zilu had never made a repeating crossbow before. Fortunately, he didn't just run into the mountains to clear his mind, but also went to amusement parks and museums. Yang Zilu was lucky that before coming here, he had visited a museum in Zhongshan City, which introduced ancient Chinese weapons. There were excellent crossbows such as the Dà Huáng Nǔ, repeating crossbow, and Chinese repeating crossbow, along with design drawings and some semi-finished products for reference.

  It was also because of a visit just before boarding the plane that Yang Zilu did not forget many details. Of course, there are also reasons why the crossbow is not complicated. The crossbow bolt is also specially made and is different from an arrow. It is much shorter than an arrow. Because bronze is too expensive, even the imperial arrows are only made with animal teeth and bones as arrowheads, and bronze arrowheads are only three or four. Yang Zilu simply used all wood.

  Put the crossbow arrow into the arrow slot, Yang Zilu thought for a moment, took a wooden stick that had not been burned completely from the kitchen, and ran to the other end of the courtyard to draw three concentric circles on the earthen wall. Yang Zilu retreated thirty steps (one step equals one meter sixty-four), all the way back to the road outside Zheng's house.

  Yang Zilu had Yu Leng intercept passersby, ancient crossbows had sighting devices to aim at mountains, Yang Zilu also made one. However, the accuracy is questionable, this needs to be constantly adjusted. Yang Zilu made one according to his own feeling.

  "Whoosh!" In an instant, the afterimage of the crossbow bolt vanished. Looking up, it had already hit the wall. The exposed arrow tail quivered slightly, like a small blade of grass in a gentle breeze.

  He saw it clearly, and couldn't help but excitedly shout out, quickly running to the wall, his eyes wide with wonder, exclaiming in a trembling voice: "Master! The indentation is two inches three points deep! It's almost three inches!"

  He couldn't help but exclaim that the effective range of the hunting bows in the village was generally within thirty steps. However, this effective range only applied to small animals like rabbits. If it were a mud wall, it would probably only penetrate an inch. To achieve Yang Zilu's results, it was simply impossible, and it would also require using bronze arrowheads.

  "Master, what is this thing you've made! It's too awesome! I estimate it has a range of over 40 steps!" Yu Lin exclaimed excitedly.

  Yang Zilu exclaimed: "Ah? You don't know?! This is called a crossbow, because its power is too great, so it's almost the same as the character for 'anger'!"

  Note: Although the crossbow is said to have been made by Huangdi, the earliest record actually appears in the Kaogongji. The Kaogongji was compiled at the end of the Spring and Autumn period and the beginning of the Warring States period. It is estimated that the crossbow appeared in the middle or late Spring and Autumn period. Since the state of Yue was blocked by the state of Wu, and the crossbow was an important weapon on the battlefield, it is not surprising that it did not spread to the state of Yue.