Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 66: Turning swords into plowshares, to whom do the hearts of the people on the frontier belong?

"Uncle Hou."

"Is everything here?"

On the west side of the military camp, looking at the mountain of armor and weapons before him, Jia Yan couldn't help but ask.

"Ah."

Hou Hsiao-kang pointed around and introduced, "Most of the weapons here are made of wrought iron, including scimitars, maces, and spears."

"All in all, there are no fewer than 500,000 pieces, plus more than 100,000 sets of leather and iron armor."

“They have all kinds of styles. I’m curious where these Mongol Tartars got so many weapons and armor, since they’re not good at smelting.”

'.'

Upon hearing this, Jia Yan couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

The Chahar tribe may not have enough craftsmen to smelt iron, but Jia She has transferred countless benefits over the years, sending batches of iron to the Chahar tribe. It's hard to guarantee that Jia She won't send craftsmen there as well.

Whether in the northern desert or the Hetao region, there is no shortage of iron ore; the only thing lacking is technology. Once this link is filled, it will naturally be like adding wings to a tiger.

"General."

"We've discovered something."

Just then, Dong Yong, Li Qing, Peng Li, and other guards pulled out a special suit of armor and carried it to Jia Yan.

The armor appears to be made from a single piece, with a silver-plated surface, covering the entire upper body. It is not made of steel, but rather of wrought iron.

'Breastplate!'

Jia Yan immediately recognized that these armors, which lacked Eastern characteristics, came from the West.

As early as the late 15th century, with the advent of sheet metal technology, sheet metal iron breastplates appeared in Europe, just like the one in front of us, with the front and back connected by brass hinges and fastened with a belt at the bottom.

Nowadays, the most popular cavalry in the entire European world is the cuirassier, and organized cuirassier regiments dominate the West.

Most breastplates weigh less than 20 jin (10 catties), making them lightweight and offering decent protection. They were more suitable for firearms-wielding cavalry, and it's surprising that they were introduced to the Chahar tribe.

"Nephew."

"Take all of these foreign goods if you like them."

"Well, it's your masterpiece after all."

Hou Xiaokang saw him staring at the breastplate for a long time without reacting and said with a mischievous look.

"Uncle Hou."

Jia Yan was somewhat amused and exasperated; he was simply pondering the gap between the Chinese dynasty and Europe.

Europeans used water-powered forging technology to manufacture breastplates in one piece, while similar technology had already been used by the common people in the East as early as the Han Dynasty.

Currently, the cloth armor mainly used in the East is used to defend against traditional cold weapons (knives, guns, arrows) and early firearms, and is suitable for close combat or conventional warfare. In the West, breastplates are commonly used by heavy cavalry or in situations where special protection of the chest is required, such as high-intensity combat such as charging into battle.

The difference between the two represents the difference in emphasis between the East and the West: one is mainly defensive, and the other is mainly offensive.

Western colonizers accumulated rich capital through plunder, expanded vast overseas markets and the cheapest sources of raw materials. For example, the Enclosure Movement in Britain provided a large amount of cheap labor, and capitalism began to emerge.

The thriving workshop industry provided sufficient accumulation for the improvement of production technology. After Watt improved the steam engine, the application of machines would bring about the disruptive first industrial revolution, and the seeds of the industrial revolution had already appeared in the West.

In contrast, the small-scale peasant economy still dominated the country. Although there were similar workshops in the Jiangnan region, they were firmly controlled by the gentry, which suppressed the development and innovation of folk technology.

If this continues, the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty will be even worse than that of the Qing Dynasty in the normal timeline. It will be powerless against the powerful ships and cannons of the Western colonizers, which is not a good thing.

"Hahaha!" Hou Xiaokang didn't continue teasing him, and explained, "These are all the clothes worn by the Mongol cavalry guarding Borjigin that day."

“These royal guard cavalry were all dealt with by your men, so tell me, is it related to you or not?”

"So that's it."

Jia Yan suddenly realized that these were all his spoils of war, which he hadn't paid much attention to.

"Nephew."

"It's not good for these things to just sit here."

"You'd better come up with a solution to these problems quickly."

Hou Xiaokang quickly asked for help.

It's not the theft itself that's worrisome, but the covetousness of thieves. If these weapons and armor fall into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it's no laughing matter.

"That's simple."

Squeezing his chin, Jia Yan said directly, "The iron used to forge the weapons and armor is of the finest quality."

"If it were made into a farm tool, it would be a family heirloom."

'? ? ? '

Hou Xiaokang was stunned. Turn it into a farm tool?

"Wuyuan Prefecture is extensively reclaiming farmland, grazing cattle and sheep, and firing bricks to build the city."

"Four or five hundred thousand people have no shortage of cattle, sheep and horses, but they lack tools. Making farm tools doesn't require much technology."

“We have 12 soldiers here. Let the blacksmiths in Datong guide us and have them all melted down and reforged.”

"Leather armor and bows and arrows were distributed to the Mongolians so that they could hunt wild animals on weekdays and not live in poverty."

With a wave of his hand, Jia Yan made his decision.

These Mongolians and those displaced people, under the influence of [Zhaolie Reborn (Jin)], had long since submitted to him. He had no need to worry about their loyalty. Giving them things would not only make their daily lives more convenient, but also enhance their ability to protect themselves.

"To turn swords into plowshares."

"Once this matter is spread, scholars all over the world will surely look at my nephew with new respect."

Hou Hsiao-kang smiled and praised.

"Ah."

Jia Yan didn't care about this. The imperial edict had already arrived, and the return to the capital would be in the next few days. He should make some preparations.

That night, a grand bonfire party was held in Datong. More than 100,000 soldiers sang and danced, drank heartily, and had a great time. The people of Datong also offered a lot of fruits and meats. For a time, the whole city was filled with joy.

Tiger General Jia Yan was undoubtedly the focus of everyone's attention. He was loved by the people and supported by the soldiers. Countless people came to toast him, and every eligible young lady in Datong secretly fell in love with him. His reputation once again spread throughout the nine border regions.

The glory that the Jia family had lost for decades was restored in his hands, awakening the border troops' memories and understanding of the Jia family.

The people of Xuanfu, Ningxia, Shanxi, and Datong regarded him as a god. The people on the frontier did not care who the emperor was, because they had never seen the emperor, but they had seen the Jia family.

In the 79th year since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, Jia Daihua, the second-generation head of the Ningguo Mansion, and 128 members of the Jia family died in Datong. Today, it is Jia Yan, the eldest son of the Ningguo Mansion, who risked his life for them and fought bloody battles to eliminate the threat from the Mongols. How could they not be grateful to the point of tears!

This is precisely what Jia Yan desires most. Are military rank and titles important? No, at least not on the frontier. The hearts of the people are as vast as the sea. Now, as long as he raises his arm and calls, even without official rank or title, millions of border residents and hundreds of thousands of border soldiers will follow him. This is the will of the people.

(End of this chapter)