A moment later, another scout flew in with news.
"An enemy cavalry force of ten thousand men is fifty li south of the city, their intentions unclear!"
"Since the rebels dare to approach Yuzhang, they must have reinforcements!" Yue Yun frowned.
"Where is General Nan now?" Liang Xiao asked.
After Nan Jiyun arrived in Yuzhang for the rendezvous, Liang Xiao had reorganized personnel. Nan Jiyun, skilled in mounted combat, was appointed commander of the cavalry corps, with Yue Yun, Shi Liuyun, and Heraclius as deputies. Grand Marshal Gongsun Ye of Jiangnan was responsible for defense, while Liang Xiao oversaw offense and reconnaissance. Everyone referred to Gongsun Ye as Marshal and Liang Xiao as Grand Marshal.
"He should return in about an hour!" the scout replied.
Liang Xiao immediately ordered strict defenses for the military camps outside the city and awaited intelligence from Nan Jiyun. An hour later, Nan Jiyun rushed back to Yuzhang, his expression grave.
"The enemy has suddenly dispatched an elite heavy cavalry unit. Judging by their attire, their combat effectiveness may even surpass that of the Zhongzhou cavalry!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present showed clear disbelief.
"That must be the Tianri Elite Cavalry. It was with this heavy cavalry, coupled with stolen ballista technology, that the Tianri tribe destroyed all our Roman legions in the open field. They are skilled in mounted archery and possess both offense and defense, making them invincible. Our army must not underestimate them!" Heraclius sighed.
"How many such cavalry does the Tianri tribe possess?" Nan Jiyun asked curiously.
Heraclius looked around, hesitating to speak. Liang Xiao understood and smiled, "Speak freely, there's no need to worry about boosting their morale while diminishing our own. The Great Qian army values seeking truth from facts."
Heraclius then replied, "The number of Tianri Elite Cavalry deployed here is unknown. Before the fall of our Roman Empire, we faced at least fifty thousand Tianri Elite Cavalry and two hundred thousand Tianri cavalry. Their might was beyond imagination! The Tianri tribe excels in open-field cavalry warfare!"
Silence fell upon everyone. Two hundred thousand Tianri cavalry, fifty thousand Tianri Elite Cavalry? This was a scale the Great Qian nation could not currently afford to support, especially since the Great Qian had only recently recovered several horse-breeding grounds and many young horses were still in their growth phase. The Great Qian's cavalry, after continuous expansion, numbered only around twelve thousand in total.
"The enemy's total strength is likely between two hundred fifty thousand and three hundred fifty thousand. We are still at a numerical disadvantage, but aside from cavalry, the individual strength of our other troops far surpasses that of the enemy," Nan Jiyun reported.
Liang Xiao nodded slightly. "The Great Qian Elite Cavalry are en route to Yuzhang. We must ensure complete security before advancing to Jiaozhou. Until then, we must engage the enemy cavalry, protect our supply lines, and scout the enemy's supply routes for any contingencies."
Everyone rejoiced. The Great Qian nation also possessed its own elite heavy cavalry! Immediately, Liang Xiao appointed several more cavalry captains, each commanding a thousand men, with Yue Feng and others prominently listed among them. Liang Xiao also sent messengers to the four military camps outside Yuzhang city, ordering strict vigilance against enemy cavalry raids.
Simultaneously, in Jinling, Yanzhou, and the capital, the steel mills guarded by the Shadow Guard units received their first batches of specially manufactured machine tools. Among these were specialized initial versions of grinding machines, significantly increasing the efficiency of blade sharpening.
Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Works workshops in the capital, craftsmen soaked plant ash in cold water, then filtered it through white cloth, and finally boiled it to precipitate a white substance.
"Is this the 'key material' Lord Anguo mentioned?"
The craftsmen did not yet understand what potassium carbonate was, but they repeatedly experimented according to the suggestions provided by Liang Xiao. The Ministry of Works craftsmen added this obtained potassium carbonate to the glass-making furnace, finally lowering the temperature required for firing glass and successfully producing pieces of transparent glass. This was, in fact, the most ancient glass-making technique.
When the news spread, even Xiao Qing was alerted. He personally visited the Ministry of Works to examine the glass and was overjoyed.
"In the past, our nation could only procure small amounts of glass from foreign merchant ships, and the quality was poor. Now, our nation has finally developed a better firing process!"
Minister of Works Huang Xing exclaimed excitedly, "Without Lord Anguo's guidance, we might not have achieved this even with ten more years of effort! Who would have thought that with 'refined' plant ash, such quality glass could be produced..."
Xiao Qing picked up a cooled piece of transparent glass, his heart pounding. "According to Lord Liang, what is the next step? Polishing lenses to create a treasure that can assist the human eye in seeing dozens or even hundreds of feet away? A telescope, is it?"
The Great Qian nation had already begun firing glass according to Liang Xiao's instructions, but the glass produced previously, due to poor sourcing of plant ash and an imperfect firing process, was of low quality and far from Liang Xiao's requirements.
"It's a telescope!" Zhang Yang's excitement was palpable. Most people did not possess the exceptional eyesight of outliers like Liang Xiao, Zuo Wushang, and Zuo Wuji. The concept of a telescope made these Ministry of Works officials, already deeply intrigued by Liang Xiao's various ideas, eager to experience the sensation of 'thousand-mile eyes.'
Xiao Qing excitedly declared, "This is a treasure that will aid military reconnaissance. My dear ministers, research it quickly and send it to the front lines, especially Yuzhang. I shall reward you handsomely!"
Due to the research on telescopes, the glass-firing technology was temporarily classified as a state secret. In Xiao Qing's view, any invention or creation that did not improve the people's livelihood or was crucial to prevent theft by enemy nations was not to be rushed for promotion, lest the enemy nations also develop and grow stronger. At present, all production in the Great Qian nation was focused on resolving the border threats; other matters could wait. It was not too late to promote them after recovering Jiaozhou and unifying the Great Liang.
West of Yanzhou and south of Yunzhou, personnel from the Ministry of Works responsible for mining discovered another large coal mine...
"His Majesty has ordered that coal miners be properly protected, and they should not work in the mines for extended periods. Furthermore, their wages should be increased, and any deductions or underpricing are strictly prohibited!"
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Works personnel, the Governor of Yanzhou immediately organized workers for extraction, while also providing detailed reminders to the workers about the dangers of coal mines. Even so, the people of Yanzhou and Yunzhou, who had endured hardships and finally enjoyed a few years of peace, still volunteered enthusiastically, considering the generous wages and their desire to serve the nation. However, people were unaware that the strict measures to protect coal miners were adopted by Xiao Qing based on Liang Xiao's suggestions. People of this era did not understand microscopic science, and without a reminder, the dangers of coal mines would take time to manifest, by which point the workers' bodies would have already suffered severe irreversible damage. Although people at this time did not yet realize the profound intentions of Xiao Qing and Liang Xiao, this measure unexpectedly earned the praise of later generations after scientific development. Fortunately, the imperial court was now wealthy enough to hire six teams of workers to rotate in shifts over two days. An ordinary coal miner only needed to work for four hours every other day before returning home to rest. During work, they could eat meat broth and receive a monthly salary no lower than that for building city walls.
Xiao Qing's gold, combined with the national treasury's silver, was heavily invested in military and social production, especially in mining, textiles, and the manufacturing of steam engines. After deliberation between Xiao Qing and his ministers, this, the largest coal mine discovered to date, was named "Liang Xiao Coal Mine" in commemoration of the charcoal production process brought by Liang Xiao...