"Forget it, I'd rather keep this knowledge to myself," Jin Feng shook his head, declining Qing Huai's proposal.
Was the court's money so easy to take? If he asked for too little, he'd be at a disadvantage, and it would be better to just exchange for the jade pendant. But if he dared to ask for too much, he might end up losing his life. As for taking a position in the Imperial Workshop, Jin Feng didn't even bother to consider it. He had spent his entire previous life working for others, and now that he finally had the chance to be his own boss, he'd be a fool to go back to working for someone else.
"Sir, whatever you want, just name it," Qing Huai persisted, unwilling to give up. "Even if I can't afford it myself, I can petition the court, and I promise they will satisfy your demands."
"Well..." Jin Feng thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "If I were to hand over this method, could I be granted a noble title? Even the lowest rank would suffice."
Having grown up under the red flag and receiving a modern education, Jin Feng had never knelt to anyone except during New Year's Eve and ancestral worship ceremonies. He had an innate aversion to the feudal practice of kneeling. In feudal society, the hierarchy was too rigid, and as a commoner, he had no rights. Even the smallest official could demand he kneel, and he had to refer to himself as a "lowly commoner." Jin Feng, who considered himself somewhat of a scholar, and Qing Huai, who wasn't too strict about these rules, usually exchanged polite greetings, with Jin Feng bowing slightly and referring to himself as a "humble scholar." Qing Huai didn't mind, but if he were more particular, Jin Feng's behavior would already be considered disrespectful and insubordinate according to Da Kang's etiquette.
This feeling made Jin Feng extremely uncomfortable, which was why he made such a request. If he could become a noble, even the lowest rank of baron, he would no longer have to kneel to anyone except the emperor and empress. Even if he encountered a high-ranking official, as long as they weren't nobility, he wouldn't have to perform the grand bow. Of course, most high-ranking officials in the court were already nobility, often dukes or other top-tier nobles, so he would still have to bow to them. But a simple bow with clasped hands would suffice, without the need to kneel. As for the emperor, Jin Feng doubted he would ever have the chance to meet him.
Although the iron-smelting method was valuable, if it could be exchanged for a noble title, Jin Feng was willing to hand it over. Unfortunately, Qing Huai shook his head and said, "Da Kang has enjoyed peace for over three hundred years, and the number of accumulated nobles has grown too large. Thirty years ago, the late emperor established an ironclad rule: no one can be granted a noble title without military merit. I cannot fulfill this condition. Please ask for something else."
"No noble titles without military merit?" Jin Feng repeated Qing Huai's words, then asked, "So, does that mean if I achieve military merit, I can be granted a noble title?"
"That's correct in principle, but sir, you are not a soldier. How can you achieve military merit?" Qing Huai asked curiously.
"I may not be a soldier, but you are," Jin Feng replied. "I've heard from Zhang Liang that the Tangut cavalry has been a constant source of trouble for you. If I help you defeat the Tangut cavalry, would that count as military merit?"
At these words, Qing Huai shot to his feet.
In the era of cold weapons, cavalry was the king of the battlefield, an invincible force. Da Kang, located in the central plains, lacked good horses, making it difficult to form cavalry units. Most of their land battles were fought with infantry. Their weapons and tactics were also primitive. The only defenses against cavalry were rudimentary cheval de frise, shields, and spear formations. Once heavily armored cavalry broke through the spear formations, they became unstoppable killing machines.
Unfortunately, the Tanguts to the west and the Khitans to the north were nomadic peoples, with horses everywhere. Forming a cavalry unit was as easy as drinking water for them. As a result, Da Kang's soldiers had suffered greatly at the hands of the Tangut and Khitan cavalry over the years. They had only managed to hold them off by throwing countless lives into the fray.
Qing Huai had been fighting the Tanguts since his teens and had suffered many losses to their cavalry. Hearing Jin Feng claim he could counter cavalry, how could he not be excited?
"Sir, do you have a way to counter cavalry?" Qing Huai asked, his eyes red with anticipation.
"I have some ideas," Jin Feng nodded.
"Please, enlighten me."
"Cavalry has high defense and strong impact. The best way to deal with them is to kill them before they can close the distance."
"Of course, I know that. But who can stop heavily armored warhorses?"
"Crossbows," Jin Feng said. "Your Lordship, the crossbows you've seen are the simplest. I can make more powerful ones, capable of killing enemy horses from two hundred paces away, or even farther."
Hearing this, Qing Huai couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Sir, you may not know this, but the army already has such heavy crossbows. Unfortunately, there are too few of them, and each shot requires three strong men to reload. By the time they're ready, the enemy cavalry is already upon us."
"Your Lordship, have you forgotten the winch on my crossbow?" Jin Feng asked.
Qing Huai immediately thought of the winch and magazine on Jin Feng's crossbow and slapped his forehead in embarrassment. If they simply scaled up the winch and magazine, couldn't they be used on heavy crossbows as well?
"Sir, your idea is indeed excellent, but the process of making heavy crossbows is too complex. In all of Da Kang, there are only a handful of craftsmen capable of making them..."
"What if I could mass-produce them?"
"Sir, you mustn't speak carelessly. Are you confident in this?"
Qing Huai unconsciously began using more respectful language.
"If Your Lordship gives me your full support, I'd say there's a seventy to eighty percent chance."
Jin Feng's design for the heavy crossbow required the use of steel in many parts. Until the steel-smelting issue was resolved, Jin Feng didn't dare to speak too confidently.
"A seventy to eighty percent chance is already quite high. What do you need from me, sir?"
Qing Huai asked.
"I need some materials. Your Lordship, please help me gather them first."
Jin Feng picked up a piece of charcoal and wrote down the items he needed on a wooden board. Many of these things were unavailable in the county, and he hoped Qing Huai could procure them.
Without hesitation, Qing Huai took the board and handed it to his steward. The steward immediately left with two guards on fast horses.
"Besides crossbows, there's another thing that, if used properly, could also counter cavalry."
Jin Feng took out a bundle of iron wire from a corner and handed a half-meter-long piece to Qing Huai. This was something he had accidentally obtained while smelting iron the previous night.
"This thing can deal with cavalry?"
Qing Huai took the iron wire, his face full of doubt. He had never seen anything like it before. It was soft and could be twisted into a ball with ease. How could it possibly counter cavalry?
"Although iron wire is soft, it's incredibly tough. If we had a long enough piece and added barbs to it, once a horse got tangled in it, even if its legs weren't completely bound, the barbs would cause excruciating pain. At that point, we wouldn't even need to lift a finger—the horse would throw its rider to the ground."
Jin Feng's mind flashed to the barbed wire fences of his previous life. He had a classmate who lived in a military compound and once got caught in barbed wire while climbing over the wall at night. The more he struggled, the tighter it wrapped around him, and by the time he was rescued, his body was covered in wounds.
"Really?" Qing Huai was still skeptical.
"Shall we test it?" Jin Feng asked with a smile.