Chapter 218: Key Component
In the evening, the whole family happily ate a sumptuous New Year reunion dinner together.
Xiao Qiao smilingly placed a bowl of thickly stewed soup carefully in front of Gan Ning.
“Husband, drink this. I stewed it myself!”
Gan Ning took a sip with a small spoon, and there was a very strong medicinal taste.
“What is this?” Gan Ning asked puzzledly.
“This is the thousand-year Huang Jing we bought at the temple fair today. Yun Qing and I bought it together.”
“Thousand-year Huang Jing!”
Da Qiao was very surprised. “The temple fair actually has this treasure? How much did you buy it for?”
“Ten guan qian!”
“So cheap? You weren’t scammed, were you? Thousand-year Huang Jing isn’t this cheap anywhere.”
At this time, Xu Wei also brought over a bowl of soup and laughed, “We weren’t scammed. We had just taken it when the apothecary shopkeeper hurriedly ran over and begged us to resell it to him. He was willing to pay hundred strings of cash, but we refused! The shopkeeper said himself that this kind of thousand-year Huang Jing is rare once in a century and can only be obtained by those with great fortune.”
At this point, Xu Wei placed the soup bowl in front of Da Qiao. “Older Sister just gave birth and needs it most to nourish her body.”
Da Qiao gratefully held Xu Wei’s hand and laughed, “You are so thoughtful!”
Xiao Qiao pouted and said, “Older Sister, I stewed the soup. You should thank me too!”
“Alright, I haven’t forgotten you. Thank you!”
The whole family happily sat down to continue eating. After finishing the soup, Gan Ning smiled and asked, “Where is the Huang Jing kept?”
Xu Wei laughed, “It’s in the storeroom. The apothecary owner told us to keep it in a cool and dry place. Today we only sliced off a few taels to stew the soup. There’s still twenty-four jin left. Husband can go take a look.”
“Alright!”
Gan Ning gladly said, “After dinner, take me to see it. I also want to see what thousand-year Huang Jing looks like.”
The next day was the second day of the first lunar month. It was now the ninth year of Jian’an.
According to historical records, it would be four years before Cao Cao launched a large-scale southern invasion, but history had long been altered beyond recognition by Gan Ning, this future disruptor like a catfish.
Analyzing the current war situation, this year should be the last year of Cao Cao’s northern expedition. At the earliest this year, at the latest next year, Cao Cao would definitely launch a large-scale southern attack.
Gan Ning had a deep sense of crisis. They did not have much time left.
Gan Ning arrived at the dock in the morning. The dock was moored with hundreds of huge cargo ships. Parts of massive catapults wrapped in cloth were being carried off the ships by laborers and piled on the dock.
These were the spoils of war from the sneak attack on the Jiangling shipyard. The captured ship artisans had long come to Yuzhang Commandery, but the supplies had been stored in Yidao County of Wuling Commandery and only recently set sail to be transported here, arriving in Chaisang on the second day of the first lunar month.
Gan Ning brought a group of civil and military high officials to inspect this batch of giant catapults. At this time, Gan Ning saw Li Zhuan, the head of the Ordnance Department, squatting silently pondering a catapult part.
Gan Ning walked up and smiled, asking, “Is Supervisor Li deeply moved?”
Li Zhuan nodded and said, “We can also make simple giant catapults, just by piling up wood, but they are not durable and break after a few uses. However, the Cao Army’s giant catapult is no simple goods; it’s a finely crafted treasure that takes at least two or three years to make and can be used hundreds of times without damage. To be honest, we still can’t make it yet.”
“Why?” Gan Ning asked puzzledly.
Li Zhuan pointed to an iron shaft weighing a thousand jin and said, “The key is this iron shaft. It is also the most critical component of the entire catapult. This huge iron shaft is cast in one piece, and it’s made of fine iron. We don’t have this ability yet.”
At this point, Li Zhuan let out a long sigh, his eyes full of regret.
Gan Ning was silent for a moment and asked, “Why does it take two or three years to make it?”
Li Zhuan pointed to the longest throwing pole nearby and said, “Making this throwing pole takes two or three years. It’s made of bamboo, cut into thin strips, then glued together, wrapped in cloth, repeatedly soaked in oil and dried. Soak in oil for half a year, dry for half a year, repeat three times, so it takes three years. Only then is it extremely tough with incredibly powerful throwing capability. If changed to rope throwing, a hundred-jin object can be thrown at most three hundred paces, but with this throwing pole, it can hurl a hundred-jin object over five hundred paces.”
Gan Ning nodded. “The production method you described is the same as for the horse spear!”
“Right! It’s exactly the same as the horse spear, so a high-quality horse spear takes at least three years to make.”
“We don’t lack artisans who can make horse spears, so the throwing pole is not a problem for us. The key is still the iron shaft, right!”
“Exactly. We must master the one-piece casting technology for this kind of large components. Not only for making giant catapults, but many other military technologies will use it in the future.”
Gan Ning thought for a moment. “Jiangdong should have this technology!”
“Jiangdong has it. They can make large sea ships, and the iron anchors for those large sea ships are made with this casting technology.”
Gan Ning nodded and smiled, “I understand. I’ll handle this matter well!”
……….
In the afternoon, Gan Ning sat silently pondering in the official residence. Today was the second day of the first lunar month, and the official residence was very quiet.
At this time, Pang Tong hurriedly came in, cupped his fists in salute, “Greetings, Marquis of Chu!”
“Sorry to call the strategist over on New Year!”
“Marquis of Chu need not be polite. Just instruct me on whatever the matter is!”
Gan Ning nodded. “There’s one thing I’m quite anxious about. After seeing the giant catapult today, I found it’s a good defensive tool. When the enemy army launches a large-scale city attack, we can directly install it under the city wall to attack the enemy army. But now there’s a problem: we can’t make the key component, the iron shaft. Jiangdong can make sea ships, so they must be able to cast large iron anchors. Strategist Pang, we need this technology. Dig up the people at any cost, and time is very urgent.”
Pang Tong nodded silently. “Subordinate understands. I’ll consider it today and start deployment tomorrow. I’ll try to resolve this before summer.”
Pang Tong left, and Gan Ning returned to the manor. Today was the second day of the first lunar month. There was no one in the government office, no official business to handle, and not even a cup of hot tea.
Back at the manor, Gan Ning went straight to his study. Soon, Xiao Qiao came in with tea. These two days she was the star; just two nights of intimacy had made her exceptionally radiant and charming, her beautiful eyes full of affection.
“This is the ginseng tea I brewed for you. Try it!” Xiao Qiao said with hands behind her back, smiling.
“I thought you were going to brew another bowl of Huang Jing soup.”
“I wanted to! But Doctor Liu told me that Huang Jing is too nourishing and would make Husband have nosebleeds if eaten too often. At most once a month, so I brewed ginseng soup instead.”
Gan Ning took a sip of ginseng tea and smiled, “This ginseng soup is also too nourishing. Brew ordinary tea in the evening.”
“I understand, Husband. That… that…” Xiao Qiao seemed a bit embarrassed and couldn’t speak.
“What do you want to say? Just say it directly. What’s the issue?”
“That Wu San Niang from the tea house, can we invite her again to teach me tea brewing? I didn’t learn properly before and forgot it all. Older Sister wrote it down, but I feel I still need personal guidance.”
Gan Ning gladly said, “If you’re serious about learning this time, I’ll invite her again to teach you. Have Yun Qing join too.”
“Great! This time I promise to learn well.”
Gan Ning thought and smiled, “Master the tea ceremony well, then research milk tea yourself. Sometimes I really like the milk tea you make, especially that sweet-salty flavor last time. I actually miss it a bit.”
Xiao Qiao joyfully said, “I’ll make some for Husband right now. Wait for me; it’ll be quick!”
Watching Xiao Qiao’s cheerful retreating figure, Gan Ning felt her lively personality hadn’t changed, but she had indeed changed—she had become more sensible.
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【Going out to a wedding banquet today, taking a leave for one chapter from everyone. None at noon, normal update at five o’clock.】
