Jin Feng had originally made the iron wire to secure beams when building houses. It wasn't until last night, while organizing the wire and getting his palm pricked, that the idea of using it against cavalry flashed through his mind. However, he wasn't entirely sure if it would work.
Iron wire could only be made from wrought iron with extremely low carbon content, which required advanced techniques. As a result, it appeared very late in history. Jin Feng had also never come across any historical precedent of using iron wire to counter cavalry.
Qing Huai, who harbored deep resentment toward cavalry, was skeptical about the idea of soft iron wire being effective against them. Nevertheless, he decided to give it a try after hearing Jin Feng's proposal.
The iron wire was already prepared; all that was needed was to twist barbs into it. Jin Feng called Man Cang back and summoned two of Qing Huai's guards. Together, they worked for over an hour to create a six- to seven-meter-long section of barbed wire.
They found a flat area in the back mountain and casually tossed the barbed wire onto the middle of a path. Yawning, Jin Feng nodded to Qing Huai, "Let's begin."
Having stayed up all night, he was utterly exhausted.
"Is this all?" Qing Huai, already doubtful about the barbed wire, felt even more uncertain upon seeing Jin Feng's lackluster attitude.
"Let's just try it first," Jin Feng said, stepping back and sitting on a rock.
"He Wei, you go and test it."
"Yes, sir!"
A guard reluctantly led his horse out of the group, clearly displeased. However, since Qing Huai had given the order, the guard had no choice but to mount his horse. Not daring to vent his frustration on Qing Huai, he instead directed his irritation at Jin Feng. "Sir, what should I do?"
"Just ride your horse over the barbed wire," Jin Feng replied, unfazed by the guard's attitude, and pointed at the wire with a smile.
"Hyah!"
The guard nudged the horse's sides with his legs, and the horse began to trot. At first, when the horse's front hooves stepped onto the barbed wire, nothing seemed amiss. But as the horse lifted its hooves again, the wire caught on the horseshoes and tangled around its legs. The barbs dug deep into the flesh.
The horse, in pain, frantically kicked to shake off the wire, but the more it struggled, the tighter the wire became. With a thud, the horse fell to the ground.
Fortunately, the guard had been prepared. As the horse fell, he rolled to the side, avoiding being crushed beneath it. When he looked back, he saw the horse's legs flailing wildly, trying to free itself from the wire. But the more it struggled, the tighter the wire became, and the deeper the barbs dug in. The horse rolled on the ground in agony, now completely entangled in the wire.
Blood streamed down the horse's legs and belly, quickly staining a large patch of the path red. Several guards rushed forward to help, and after considerable effort, they managed to remove the barbed wire.
By then, the horse's front legs, belly, and back were covered in wounds. While it wasn't fatal, the horse was temporarily unfit for riding.
Qing Huai rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Sir, it actually works!"
"Your Lordship, this is too idealistic. In a real battle, who would ride their horse into barbed wire? I'd just go around it," the guard retorted, still upset about his horse.
"Then I'd lay down more wire, making it impossible for you to go around," Jin Feng replied.
"Then I'd have my horse jump over it!" the guard shot back, still unconvinced.
"Then I'd make the wire twenty paces wide, so you couldn't jump over it," Jin Feng countered.
"Sir, you probably haven't seen a cavalry charge. The field is filled with horses and men. Even twenty paces of wire wouldn't stop many horses," the guard argued. "You can't possibly cover the entire battlefield with barbed wire, can you?"
"The strength of cavalry lies in their charge, but that's also their weakness. Once the horses start running, they can't stop on command," Jin Feng explained. "I don't need to trip every horse on the battlefield—just the front row. The ones behind will crash into them, and even if they aren't tripped, they'll slow down. Stopped cavalry isn't so fearsome anymore, is it?"
"I…" The guard wanted to argue further but found himself at a loss for words.
"Enough, He Wei. There's some wound medicine in my room. Go and use it," Qing Huai interjected, stopping the guard. He then bowed slightly to Jin Feng. "Sir, by creating this tactic, you've saved countless lives of Da Kang's soldiers. Please accept my gratitude."
"Your Lordship is too kind," Jin Feng waved his hand dismissively. "So, do you believe now that I can counter cavalry?"
"I do!" Qing Huai nodded without hesitation.
The lethality of the heavy crossbow had already been proven, and Jin Feng had solved the issues of reloading and loading. The only remaining challenge was the materials and craftsmanship required for production. Through their interactions over the past few days, Qing Huai had come to understand Jin Feng as a cautious man who never spoke carelessly. If Jin Feng said he had a seventy to eighty percent chance of solving the material problem for the heavy crossbow, then he surely could.
"Sir, rest assured. I'll write a memorial to the emperor later, requesting that he grant you a noble title," Qing Huai declared. "If the emperor refuses, I'll offer my own title to you!"
"No, no! Words spoken before the emperor are no joke. This tactic is still just a theory and hasn't been tested in battle. If something goes wrong, both of us could lose our heads!" Jin Feng quickly stopped Qing Huai.
Qing Huai had recently suffered a defeat, and the emperor was already displeased with him. Submitting a memorial now to request a noble title would likely be futile.
"Then what do you propose, sir?" Qing Huai asked.
"I think we should first produce a batch of crossbows and barbed wire, send them to the battlefield, and prove that they can indeed counter cavalry. Only then should we report it," Jin Feng suggested. "This way, Your Lordship will have achieved merit, and your words will carry more weight."
"But my military authority has been revoked. I can't go to the battlefield for now," Qing Huai said, his mood sinking.
"Then find a way to get it back," Jin Feng urged. "I've heard from Liang Ge that your defeat wasn't due to poor strategy. If you make some efforts, there's still hope of regaining your command, right?"
"It's not impossible, but…" Qing Huai hesitated.
He wasn't the legitimate son of Duke Qing but the child of a concubine, and he had never been favored in the family. It was only in recent years, after distinguishing himself in the military and bringing honor to Duke Qing, that his status within the family had improved. Yet, he still disliked the opulent and cold-hearted Duke's residence. After losing his military authority, he preferred to stay in Jinchuan County, or even in Xihewan, rather than return to Bianjing.
"Your Lordship, if you have a way, please act quickly. When we left, He Mingqin took over the Iron Forest Army. That man is skilled at visiting brothels and gambling dens, but he knows nothing about warfare!" Zhong Wu knelt on one knee, pleading. "The sooner you return to the front lines, the fewer of our brothers will die."
Zhong Wu's words struck a chord with Qing Huai. When he left, a frivolous officer had taken command of the Iron Forest Army. It was said that on the very next day, this officer recklessly led the army to the front lines.
"Very well. I'll write to my father later and ask him to intervene. Sir, please start producing the iron wire and crossbows as soon as possible."