Hot flashes

Not long after, the secret report from the Imperial Workshop of Beiliang City was delivered to Xiao Jue at top speed. Accompanying the report were three bodies tightly wrapped in thick cloth and escorted by the most trusted personal guards.

The secret room was brightly lit by candlelight. Xiao Jue dismissed everyone except Chen Zhen.

The package was carefully unpacked, revealing three crossbows that gleamed with the cold luster of metal and heavy wood.

They are larger and more complex than ordinary crossbows, bearing obvious signs of hand-polishing and repeated adjustments. Many parts still show the shine of recent filing, a stark contrast to the crude lines on the drawings, yet they strangely realize their core concept.

In his secret report, the chief craftsman Li Chun detailed the difficulties of the trial production process, the repeated selection of materials, and the tedious debugging of the mechanism. He also frankly pointed out the many shortcomings of the "rapid-fire crossbow":

It is too large and heavy, its accuracy begins to decline after firing more than five times in a row, its complex mechanism is prone to failure in harsh battlefield environments, and its cost is even higher.

However—this "however" in the secret report was heavily circled in vermilion ink—within the optimal range of thirty to fifty paces, a well-trained crossbowman could unleash five to seven bolts in a very short time, creating a deadly barrage of arrows.

Used in specific situations, such as the defense of city walls, the assault of elite squads to break through enemy lines, and the first strike in an ambush, its instantaneous burst of destructive power is enough to change the local battle situation.

Xiao Jue personally test-fired the shot.

With the heavy crossbow body against his shoulder, he pulled the specially designed reciprocating trigger. Accompanied by a series of rapid, short clicks and the humming of the crossbow string, five short arrows, almost forming a blurry phantom, pierced the iron-clad wooden target thirty paces away, penetrating about an inch deep, their arrowheads closely spaced.

Although the recoil was greater than that of a single-shot crossbow and the accuracy decreased with the rate of fire, the burst of firepower still made Xiao Jue, who was used to countless battles, flash a sharp light in his eyes.

Soon, this small number of "rapid-fire crossbows," which were under strict control, were distributed to the most elite personal guard and Zhao Canjiang's "wandering team," which was known for its flexible assaults, and were used in several small-scale mopping-up operations against the remnants of the Qiang and Hu tribes and in border skirmishes.

The results were remarkable.

In one ambush, ten elite Beiliang soldiers equipped with rapid-fire crossbows took advantage of the terrain and opened fire simultaneously the moment the enemy entered their 30-pace range. In just two or three breaths, they unleashed dozens of crossbow bolts, turning a small Qiang-Hu scout squad of more than 30 men into sieves. The enemy did not even have time to organize an effective charge or counterattack.

In another operation to eliminate the Qi King's hidden sentries on the border, the "Wandering Team" quickly suppressed the archers on the watchtower with the dense firepower of the rapid-fire crossbows, creating a decisive advantage for the climbing assault and removing this thorn in the side at minimal cost.

The fame of the rapid-fire crossbow, accompanied by the suppressed excitement and shock of the limited number of knowledgeable generals, quietly spread within the innermost circle of the Northern Liang army.

Although it is far from perfect and has many limitations, the concept of "instant firepower advantage" that it represents has been deeply imprinted in the minds of these veterans.

And the starting point of all this—Zhou Heng—also saw his status rise accordingly, undergoing a substantial change.

With a formal transfer order issued, Zhou Heng was officially promoted to "Military Advisor of the Military Advisory Office". Although he was still a civilian official, his rank was raised, and he had the fixed qualification and responsibility to participate in and record all core military secrets.

His seat was arranged slightly behind Xiao Jue's main desk, just a step away from the real generals and senior advisors.

The changes are specific and subtle.

Previously, Zhou Heng would only dare to speak after being asked, but now, when Xiao Jue listens to opinions from all sides, his gaze will naturally sweep over him, and sometimes he will even call him by name directly:

"Commander Zhou, you're in charge of gathering intelligence from all sides. What additions do you have to say about the situation here?"

Or, "The strategy you mentioned last time—'using profit to drive them, and dividing and winning them over—could it be applied to the generals of King Qi right now?"

The issues are more direct, involve higher levels, and often point directly to the key strategic choices.

Zhou Heng had to be extremely vigilant, desperately extracting and transforming his limited experience in management, strategy, and even his superficial historical knowledge from modern times, and combining it with the vast amount of information he encountered day and night, to give a response that was as practical and forward-looking as possible.

He may not always be right, and his thinking often seems "unconventional," but Xiao Jue listens very attentively.

After several attempts, Zhou Heng's suggestions were adopted more and more frequently.

His suggestions on optimizing logistical supply routes, establishing a more flexible system for evaluating military merits to incentivize lower-ranking officers, and even using economic means to influence the morale of the people in enemy-occupied areas, were actually gradually implemented and began to show initial results after being refined and supplemented by Xiao Jue, Mr. Du, and others.

Zhou Heng never expected that his seemingly unorthodox ideas could actually take root and have an impact in this chaotic world. This greatly encouraged him.

The light at the end of the tunnel for returning home seemed to be flickering before his eyes—as long as he continued to be "useful" in this way, helping Xiao Jue to clear obstacles and ascend the throne faster and better, he could be free!

He devoted himself even more to his work, reading through all the books and archives he could access, observing every detail of the military camps and occupied areas, trying to find the "leverage" that would accelerate Xiao Jue's hegemony from a more macro perspective.

He was completely unaware that Xiao Jue's gaze lingered on him for longer and longer periods, and that the content of that gaze had long since transcended the simple "examination work".

Xiao Jue looked at him as if he were looking at a rare weapon that he had personally discovered and was carefully polishing.

This weapon is not only sharp, but also has the strange characteristic of self-evolution, always able to produce unexpected brilliance.

Initially, it might have just been an interest, a desire to control the "outlier," but as Zhou Heng repeatedly demonstrated its value, the desire to completely master and dominate this "unique weapon" grew silently like vines, binding and tightening.