Chapter 219: Searching For Clues
The fifth day of the first lunar month, the last day of the New Year holiday.
In the morning, Strategist Pang arrived at a mansion in the east of the city. This was the home of Chief Clerk Song Kuan of the Shipbuilding Department.
Song Kuan was from Yuzhang Commandery. He had served as chief clerk for thirty years at the official shipyard in Kuaiji Commandery. When the fallen leaves return to their roots, he returned to Yuzhang Commandery and was soon recommended to Lu Su. With his decades of seniority and rich experience, Song Kuan earned Lu Su’s high regard and was appointed by Lu Su as Chief Clerk of the Shipbuilding Department.
Song Kuan did not expect Strategist Pang to visit. He hurriedly invited Pang Tong into the guest hall. The two sat down as guest and host. Pang Tong said apologetically, “It’s the fifth day of the first lunar month, and many families still have sacrifices to perform. I hope I haven’t disturbed Chief Clerk Song.”
“No problem! No problem! Our family already performed the sacrifice on New Year’s Eve. Today is just the last day of rest, very idle.”
At this time, Song Kuan’s wife came in to serve tea. Pang Tong took a sip of hot tea, pondered for a moment, and said, “I looked at Chief Clerk Song’s resume. It seems you worked at the largest official shipyard in Kuaiji Commandery for over a dozen years.”
“Not over a dozen years, but twenty years, from age twenty-five to forty-five.”
“Did that official shipyard build sea ships?”
“Of course it built sea ships. It mainly built sea ships. Over half of the sea ships built in Kuaiji Commandery were from the shipyard where I worked.”
“Were all the parts made at the shipyard? Like sails, iron anchors, and such.”
“Some were, some were not. The shipyard couldn’t make everything itself. Some parts had to be purchased from outside, depending on what parts specifically.”
Pang Tong fell silent for a moment. Song Kuan said, “Strategist Pang, please trust me. I am equally loyal to the Marquis of Chu. Tell me directly what you need, and I will certainly keep it strictly confidential.”
Pang Tong nodded. “Then I’ll be direct. We need to cast some large high-quality iron parts, but we don’t have the technology. So we want to find artisans skilled in this craft. I’ve seen the iron anchors on sea ships with my own eyes. Those things are enormous. The artisans who cast iron anchors are exactly the people we need. Chief Clerk Song understands, right!”
Song Kuan then understood. It was for artisans who made iron anchors. He pondered for a moment with his head lowered and said, “The shipyard has a forging workshop dedicated to crafting various ship iron fittings. Iron anchors should be made by them. The lead master craftsman is called Wang Chun. But that year when I left, he was already fifty years old. I don’t know if he’s still at the shipyard. Additionally, casting in Kuaiji has always been famous, especially sword casting, which is unrivaled in the world. There are many excellent artisans there. Even if Wang Chun can’t be found, other excellent artisans can be.”
“Where is this Wang Chun from?”
“Seems like from Yinxian County. The blacksmiths in the casting workshop were basically all from Yinxian County. If the strategist is looking for Wang Chun, you can find a man called Fu Qu. He succeeded me as chief clerk and is my old subordinate. We have a deep friendship. He will help you.”
Song Kuan immediately wrote a note for Fu Qu and handed it to Pang Tong.
Pang Tong took the note gladly and said, “Thank you, Chief Clerk Song, for your help. But please keep this matter confidential!”
“Rest assured, Strategist. I will certainly keep it strictly confidential!”
……
The next morning, Pang Tong reported his findings to Gan Ning.
“This subordinate, through Chief Clerk Song Kuan of the Shipbuilding Department, learned about the chief artisan of the shipbuilding casting workshop. He crafts the iron anchors. His name is Wang Chun, a very famous iron caster in Kuaiji Commandery. This subordinate will immediately send people to find him.”
Gan Ning nodded. “Have the officials at the Jiangdong Liaison Office go find this man. Tell them, once found, spare no effort to bring him back to Chaisang.”
“This subordinate understands. Will arrange carrier pigeon message immediately!”
Gan Ning then hurried to the Ballista Courtyard. Although today was the sixth day of the first lunar month, the first day back to duty, the artisans had already used the holiday to assemble one giant trebuchet. Facing the world’s most powerful giant trebuchet, every artisan was filled with great enthusiasm, sacrificing their rest day to come in voluntarily for overtime.
As soon as Gan Ning entered the gate, he saw the massive and majestic figure. Its body loomed like a giant beast, standing high above the roof of the Ballista Courtyard government office.
Walking to the back courtyard, Gan Ning finally got a clear look at this colossal object. Li Zhuan, leading Vice Supervisor Zhao Kang, came up to greet him. Li Zhuan was only concurrently the supervisor; the true person in charge was Vice Supervisor Zhao Kang.
“Everyone has worked hard. You installed the trebuchet during the holiday, letting me see its true face.”
Li Zhuan hurriedly said, “Reporting to the Marquis of Chu, we actually also wanted to see what the world’s most powerful trebuchet looks like, so we could learn from it.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“Indeed some gains. We actually fall short on the giant axle. But I found their trebuchet also has shortcomings.”
“What shortcomings?” Gan Ning asked with interest.
“It’s actually a very old counterweight trebuchet, quite clumsy. It needs nearly a hundred men to pull the ropes. Not only does it waste massive manpower, it requires training too. Otherwise, if someone doesn’t release in time, they’ll be dragged up by the ropes—extremely dangerous. We can change it to a windlass type, remove the front counterweight box, and directly use its own elasticity. Probably only needs twenty men, saving five times the manpower compared to them, with the same effect.”
“I see. Can it all be converted to windlass?”
“Of course, but it will take time!”
“Fine. Take your time, no rush.”
At this time, over a hundred artisans had pulled down the throwing pole. They placed three thirty-jin incendiary bombs in the sling pouch, totaling ninety jin. Zhao Kang asked Gan Ning for instructions: “Marquis of Chu, ready to launch?”
Gan Ning nodded. “Launch!”
Gan Ning watched the giant trebuchet intently. He too wanted to see the actual combat power of this giant trebuchet with his own eyes.
Soldiers lit the incendiary bombs with torches. Zhao Kang shouted, “Launch!”
The artisans released together. The throwing pole hurled forward heavily. Three burning fireballs streaked across the sky toward the wooden house five hundred paces away used for testing.
The test field was two li long and one li wide, with enough base for various tests.
“Bang! Bang!” Two incendiary bombs hit the target, the other landed in the sand. All burst into big fires.
“Very good! Impressive!”
Gan Ning praised repeatedly. If he installed such giant trebuchets in several key large cities north of the river, he wouldn’t fear the Cao Army’s city attacks at all.
North of Dantu County, a mansion covering ten mu—this was Gan Ning’s official liaison office in Jiangdong. Originally called the Yuzhang Army Official Liaison Office, it had just been renamed the Western Chu Army Official Liaison Office.
Of course, besides the Official Liaison Office in Dantu County, there was also an intelligence station. The two were completely different. The Official Liaison Office did not collect intelligence; it only passed detailed information to the Jiangdong Regime and conveyed Jiangdong’s requests to Chaisang. Similarly, Jiangdong had set up an Eastern Wu Army Official Liaison Office in Chaisang, equivalent to embassies of two countries in later times.
The supervisor of the liaison office was called Gu Heng, assistant to Qiao An. Gu Heng was preparing to depart for Kuaiji Commandery. He had received Pang Tong’s order yesterday to go find the chief master craftsman Wang Chun of the Kuaiji official shipyard casting workshop. Once found, spare no cost to bring him back to Chaisang. Of course, Pang Tong had given the reason: Chaisang also needed to build giant ships and required large iron anchors.
The morning after receiving the carrier pigeon letter, Gu Heng set off.
