lovenovelstory Chapter 234 refers to "firepower coverage" and "balanced weight distribution"!
Chapter 234 refers to "firepower coverage" and "balanced weight distribution"!
Zhang Fan turned around, looked at the soldiers and shipwrights who also had puzzled expressions, and said loudly:
"Who said these things are for siege warfare?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned!
Not for attacking cities?
Why go to the trouble of expending so much manpower and resources to move these huge things onto the ship?
Zhang Fan didn't keep them in suspense. Pointing to the enormous catapults, he explained:
"This object can be used to throw huge rocks on land!"
"But at sea, we can also throw incendiary bombs and detonators!"
"With our strong ships and powerful cannons, why should we engage the Japanese pirates in close combat?"
"From just a hundred paces away, we can burn all their ships and men at sea, sending them to their doom!"
"That's called... overwhelming firepower!"
"Firepower coverage?" Fusu and Wang Li pondered this unfamiliar term, a flash of understanding appearing in their eyes.
Using catapults to fight naval battles?
This idea is simply unheard of!
But upon closer reflection, it seems to have great potential!
Zhang Fan then pointed to the ballistae and laughed:
"As for the issue of focus, you need not worry about that."
He waved his hand!
Mo Feng immediately directed several Mo family disciples to carry over several heavy iron boxes.
"Open!"
The box was opened, and inside were not weapons, but extremely heavy iron ingots!
"This is the ballast!"
Zhang Fan explained,
"I have already ordered the disciples of the Mohist school to calculate it!"
"Simply placing these iron ingots at the bottom of the ship's hold will perfectly counteract the shift in the center of gravity caused by the heavy machinery on the upper deck!"
"To make the ship's voyage as steady as Mount Tai!"
"This method is called counterweight balancing!"
"Firepower coverage", "weight balance"...
One novel word after another came out of Zhang Fan's mouth!
It was a refreshing experience for everyone present.
Fusu's face was free of worry, replaced by deep admiration and excitement.
Wang Li's eyes lit up as he tried his best to remember the knowledge Zhang Fan had taught him!
however.
Just as everyone was marveling at it, Zong Yu's sinister voice rang out again.
"Heh heh, Immortal Master, your words are certainly eloquent!"
He stepped out of the crowd again and said slowly.
"But launching incendiary bombs with catapults is easier said than done!"
"Although I am not knowledgeable in the study of things, I do know that the catapult's projectile launch relies entirely on counterweight!"
"How can one hit the target accurately when the ship is rocking in rough seas?"
"I'm afraid that before we even hit the enemy, our own ships will be on fire first."
He stroked his beard, adopting a pained expression:
"Immortal Master, I truly admire your skill in theoretical strategizing!"
"But when it comes to war, practical considerations must be taken into account!"
"How could I bear to send five thousand soldiers to their deaths with you, such a delusional idea!"
These words sound grand and dignified, but in reality, every word is a veiled attack on the heart.
The soldiers, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, became anxious again and began whispering among themselves.
"Lord Zong has a point... Catapults aren't always accurate on land, how can they possibly work on a ship that's constantly swaying?"
"What if we miss the enemy and end up burning our own ship instead? That would be truly..."
Zhang Fan looked at Zong Yu's hypocritical face and sneered inwardly.
That old man definitely got thwarted in his attempt to submit a memorial to the emperor!
I'm here today specifically to cause trouble!
Too lazy to waste any more words with Zong Yu, he turned around and shouted loudly at Mo Feng on the ship:
"Mo Feng! Show this new weapon to all the lords and soldiers!"
"Alright!"
Mo Feng responded and waved his hand, and several Mo family disciples immediately got to work.
On the deck of the ship, a specially modified catapult was slowly turning.
It is not a traditional human-powered traction system, but rather uses a flywheel power storage mechanism.
Several huge cast iron flywheels spun rapidly under the transmission of gear sets, emitting a deep hum.
"Please look carefully, everyone!"
Mo Feng shouted and suddenly pulled down the release lever.
"Buzz—!"
The buzzing sound of the flywheel spinning at high speed instantly rose!
A ceramic pot was flung out by the enormous centrifugal force, tracing a high parabola through the air, passing over everyone's heads, and falling onto an open area hundreds of paces away from the shore.
The earthenware pot hit the ground and shattered instantly!
A fireball shot into the air, engulfing an area of several feet in radius!
The shockwave carried pottery shards and kerosene flying in all directions!
The power of the explosion far exceeded the expectations of everyone present!
The entire port fell into a deathly silence in an instant.
Everyone—
Whether it was the soldiers, the shipwrights, or Fusu and Wang Li, they all stood there dumbfounded, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
They stared blankly at the empty space engulfed in flames.
What... what kind of weapon is this?
Catapult?
Could a catapult launch something like that?
Isn't this the flywheel catapult that Zhang Fan made before?
The flames, the explosion, the shockwave... it was as if Ye Fan had descended to earth!
Wang Li's eyes widened in shock, his face filled with astonishment and fervor.
He clenched his fists instinctively, his nails almost digging into his flesh.
Is this what the Immortal Master meant by "firepower coverage"?
Fusu was so excited that he trembled all over.
He pointed to the still-burning flames, and after a long pause, managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"Teacher...this...this is..."
Zhang Fan smiled faintly and nodded.
At that moment, everyone immediately knelt down in submission.
"My goodness!"
An old soldier was the first to come to his senses.
His eyes widened, and his voice cracked:
"What the hell is this thing?"
"Were they launched by a catapult?"
"I've served in the military for twenty years, and I've never seen anything like this!"
An archer stared intently at the scorched earth, his voice trembling.
"I was worried before... worried that the immortal master wouldn't know how to navigate, worried that I'd die at sea without even a proper body..."
"Now I understand!"
"Following the immortal master, what's there to die for? It's those Japanese pirates who should be feared!"
"Yes! The ones who should be afraid are the Japanese pirates!"
"The Immortal Master is mighty!"
"With this divine artifact in hand, what can those barbarians from Japan use to fight us?"
The soldiers started talking, their voices growing louder and louder.
The whispers turned into shouting.
All the doubts and panic from before have now been thrown to the winds.
An old shipwright squatted on the ground, his hands clasped behind his head, repeatedly muttering:
"I've lived to be sixty, and I've spent my whole life repairing boats!"
"I thought there was nothing at sea I didn't know..."
"Little Knife pulled a poop today! What an eye-opener!"
"How did the immortal master come up with such a method?"
A young shipwright next to him chimed in:
"Master, please don't think about it anymore!"
"Who is that Immortal Master? He's a figure descended from heaven!"
"We can't go wrong if we just follow the immortal master!"
"Well said!"
A burly captain turned around and roared at the soldiers behind him:
"Brothers! Who was just now muttering about being afraid to die at sea?"
"Step forward and let me see!"
Hundreds of soldiers looked at each other, and no one uttered a sound!