Traveling through time and space and becoming a deposed prince, he just wants to survive!

Chapter 386: The Year of War 2

At Zhao Hui's command, the Ministry of Works took immediate action and devoted itself to the manufacture of artillery in full swing, especially those small-caliber Tiger Barrel cannons, of which there were more than 2,000, which were then quickly distributed to the four armies.

Among them, 500 Tiger Zun cannons were sent straight to Yan territory like an iron stream, and the other 500 were marching towards Hancheng in a mighty force.

Zhao Hui had long seen through Zhao Qin's predicament of evacuating Chang'an, fighting alone in Hancheng, and urgently needing reinforcements.

He knew very well that although Hancheng still had weapons, it was short of ammunition. Even though a lot of medium artillery shells were produced, it was still difficult to meet the needs of a protracted war.

At the same time, the Murong family, who were about to move south, learned about the cruelty and details of the battle in Shangjun from their spies while planning their invasion.

Relying on the detailed intelligence collected from various sources and the firearms secretly purchased in Yi Yu, they developed a new type of firearm after painstaking research.

This firearm is larger than usual, and has some of the style of the shotgun created by Zhao Hong. Its unique feature is that it can be loaded with ammunition from the breech, which is convenient and efficient.

But the good times did not last long. When they heard the horrifying news that the shells exploded as soon as they hit the ground in the Battle of Shangjun, a layer of gloom shrouded their hearts and their tension was beyond words.

At the same time, the Xiongnu were preparing to invade the Central Plains from the south. It was at this time that they also learned of the various strange events in the Battle of Shangjun.

Through the secret channel of the Wang family, the Huns quietly mastered the manufacturing method of this new weapon.

The weapons made by the Wang family were also quietly delivered to Dun Chanyu, adding further impetus to his ambitious plan of invading the south.

The cause of all this was the shortage of raw materials for manufacturing weapons in Shangjun. Zhao Hong asked for support from his mother's clan and even shared the blueprints of new weapons he had captured.

In Zhao Hong's opinion, without the help from the Wang family, the battle for Qin would not have been so smooth, not to mention that he had to eliminate the Qiang soldiers and the power of the Sima family in his own territory.

When Zhao Qin handed over Chang'an, Sima Ling felt that he was being teased and was furious. He immediately rushed to Qingzhou and summoned his disciples. He decided to cooperate with the Qiang people, establish his own territory, and become a vassal.

At the same time, the Qiang king Dara Uerbu sent a secret envoy to find Dara Xinbu and ordered him to lead his army back to the tribe.

At this time, Daraxinbu's army had been disbanded, with only 30,000 troops left, and they were stationed hundreds of miles away from Shangjun.

"The king told me to go back. If I leave halfway like this, I will definitely be sniped."

Daraxinbu said with a worried look on his face and a frown on his face.

"Now that Zhao Hong has entered Chang'an, Yanzhou is empty, and your remaining troops are also in Yanzhou. No one can stop you on this journey."

The secret envoy advised earnestly.

"Shangjun is working hard to produce weapons. There are so many people in the city, it will not be easy for us to evacuate."

Daraxinbu was still hesitant. What he was really worried about was that he would be liquidated after returning, but he did not say it explicitly.

The emissary obviously saw Darasimbu's concerns from his expression.

"If you can obtain the blueprints for the new weapons, and preferably return with the weapons, the king will certainly not blame you."

"Really?" A hint of doubt flashed in Darasimbu's eyes.

"That is absolutely true. You and the king belong to the same tribe. How could the king blame you for this?"

Daraxinbusi thought about it for a long time, and finally made up his mind and said, "Give me three days, and I will definitely take the blueprints and other things and go to the agreed place."

The secret envoy was secretly delighted to see that his goal had been achieved.

However, after three days, Darasimbu did not steal the weapon blueprints.

In desperation, they had to hijack a vehicle bound for Yanzhou, which was fully loaded with ammunition and other weapons. Before leaving, they also captured two masters who prepared gunpowder.

In Daraxinbu's eyes, with these, imitation is hopeful.

It was several days later that Zhao Hong learned of Daraxinbu's departure. During this period, he was busy redeploying the new policy and was burdened with many affairs, so he did not pay much attention to it.

"This untameable Qiang kid. When I first saw him fighting so hard, I thought he was trustworthy. I never expected him to defect in the end."

Zhao Hong sat in the lobby of the palace, his eyes wide open and he spoke with gritted teeth.

During a battle in Kyoto, Qin Yongyi was buried under the rubble, but he survived. He was later rescued and hid in Yuezhou. Upon learning that Zhao Hong was making moves in Qin territory, the two began exchanging letters.

Qin Yongyi received a letter from Zhao Hong and came to Yanzhou with Yuezhou's general Ge Pengfei, bringing his personal guards with him.

At this time, Qin Yongyi was in the lobby. Hearing Zhao Hong's words, he was stunned at first, then stepped forward and persuaded:

"Your Highness, there is no need to worry about these villains. Some people are destined to be useless to you. It's better for them to leave. I hope this matter will not disturb your peace of mind."

After hearing what Qin Yongyi said, Zhao Hong's mood not only did not improve, but he became even more angry.

"That bastard, he just left and went on to rob a batch of weapons and ammunition bound for Yanzhou. Aren't his own troops equipped with enough weapons?"

Qin Yongyi finally understood the whole story and couldn't help but curse Dara Xinbu in his heart. After all, Zhao Hong was trying to dominate Qin territory, and weapons and ammunition were so precious that even a little bit of it could lead to defeat.

The original plan to deploy defenses at Tongguan was delayed for dozens of days due to Dala Xinbu's disturbance.

After the Sima family and the Qiang tribe formed an alliance, they did not dare to act rashly at first. It was not until Daraxinbu's troops returned and saw the weapons in Chang'an that they realized how powerful they were.

"These weapons are truly impressive. They are perfect for sieges and fortifications."

After seeing the weapons, Sima Yan praised them highly, his face full of admiration.

Dai Gongshan, however, was a man who liked to fight on horseback. He was quite dismissive of these weapons and felt that they were a bit exaggerated.

"When our war horses charge, all the arrows and crossbows can't stop our iron hooves."

Seeing these people's contempt, Daraxinbu, who was originally full of confidence, found that the weapons he brought back were not taken seriously.

In desperation, they had to transport the weapons back to the royal tent and wait for Dara Urbu's decision.

At the same time, Darasimbu's army was also stationed in Gyeongju, on high alert to prevent Zhao Hong from leading his army to attack Gyeongju.

Due to the lack of ammunition, Zhao Hong had no choice but to interrupt further actions. However, Tongguan, under the tenacious defense of the original defenders, remained as solid as a rock and stood firm.

Time flies, and more than twenty days have passed in a flash.

After receiving a steady supply of ammunition from the imperial court, the Heyang army led by Yan Ruxiang instinctively developed a strong desire to recapture Yanzhou, and their morale was high.

However, Zhao Qin unexpectedly issued an order, ordering the army to stay put and wait for the opportunity.

What is the reason behind this? What unknown opportunity is waiting for?

In fact, Zhao Qin had already made up his mind.

He knew very well that only by completely eradicating the Sima family, the great threat to him, could he have the perfect opportunity to regroup, make a comeback, and create new glory.