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Huang Chengyan took the water clock back and pulled out the measuring rod. He examined it but couldn't figure out why the evenly spaced markings on the rod would be a problem. Shouldn't the markings be equally spaced?
Seeing that Huang Chengyan was also puzzled, Fei Qian explained, "Huang Gong, this issue isn't too significant, but if you want greater accuracy. Generally, evenly spaced markings on a measuring rod are fine, but this rod is used with water. In a cylinder like this, the rate of water flow when it's full is different from when it's half-full. So the markings."
Huang Chengyan immediately understood. He called for servants to bring two small wooden buckets. One was filled to the brim with water, while the other was only half-filled. He then used a small iron awl to poke a hole in the bottom of each bucket and carefully observed the water flow. As Fei Qian had said, the flow rates were indeed different, and as time passed, the water levels in the two buckets dropped at different rates.
"So that's how it is!" Pang Tong, who had also been watching, suddenly understood. "Water has weight! The bucket with more water is naturally heavier, so the water flows faster than the one with less water. That's why the markings on the rod shouldn't be evenly spaced."
Huang Chengyan also grasped the concept and praised Pang Tong, "Shiyuan, you've improved! It seems you've been studying more than just the classics and history lately. You've also been delving into mechanics, haven't you?"
Pang Tong didn't bother being modest and instead looked a little proud. "Of course!"
Huang Chengyan turned to Fei Qian and said, "Ziyuan, your observation is meticulous. It's rare to see someone so knowledgeable about mechanics. Impressive!" At the same time, he thought to himself, 'Pang Tong used to have no interest in mechanics, but now he seems to understand some of it. Could it be due to Fei Qian's influence?'
And that delicate balance scale—could it also have been made by Fei Qian?
This Fei Qian, Fei Ziyuan, is indeed someone Pang Degong values. He's truly talented and knowledgeable.
Thinking this, Huang Chengyan smiled and said, "It's getting late. Why don't you two stay here for the night? I've already sent someone to summon the craftsmen. Tomorrow, Ziyuan, you can have the materials for the arrows delivered here, and we can start production."
Pang Tong didn't mind. Staying over was no big deal, given how close the Pang and Huang families were.
Fei Qian, however, was overjoyed. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he bowed to Huang Chengyan in gratitude.
When it came to arrow-making, Fei Qian was also curious. After all, bows and arrows were the primary ranged weapons of the Han Dynasty. Since he happened to be in the presence of Huang Chengyan, a master craftsman, he took the opportunity to ask a few questions.
When it came to craftsmanship, Huang Chengyan was in his element. Being straightforward, he didn't hold back and had servants bring over a few arrows.
It turned out that arrows shot from bows were called "arrows" (箭), while those shot from crossbows were called "bolts" (矢).
These arrows were exquisitely made. Although Fei Qian wasn't an expert, they felt perfect in his hands. The arrowheads were sharp, the shafts smooth, and the fletching straight. The overall proportions were harmonious and aesthetically pleasing.
Fei Qian held the arrows and bolts, comparing them as he listened to Huang Chengyan's explanation.
This time, Cai Mao had requested 2,000 archers to be trained, so they would be making arrows.
The arrows of the Han Dynasty were similar to what Fei Qian remembered from later eras. They consisted of three parts: the arrowhead, the shaft, and the fletching.
According to Huang Chengyan, since these were standard military arrows, they didn't need to be finely crafted—just functional. Custom-made arrows for individuals were far more complex, requiring not only high-quality materials but also precise measurements of the archer's arm length, bow strength, and arrow balance. The arrows Huang Chengyan had brought out were actually samples left by someone earlier.
Pang Tong said, "Ah, so Han Sheng came earlier to have arrows made?"
Huang Chengyan nodded. "Exactly. Han Sheng's bow is quite powerful. Ordinary arrows can be used, but custom-made ones are far better, which is why he came to me."
Han Sheng? Huang Han Sheng? Fei Qian was startled. That was a legendary figure.
However, Huang Chengyan and Pang Tong didn't elaborate further on Huang Han Sheng, leaving Fei Qian no opportunity to ask. After all, he didn't actually know the man, and asking out of the blue would seem strange. If he lied and was caught, it would be even worse. So he decided to wait for another chance to learn more.
Huang Chengyan pulled an arrowhead from a shaft and handed it to Fei Qian, saying, "The arrowhead has two parts: the blade and the tang."
The blade was, of course, the sharp triangular part used to pierce the target, but the tang was something Fei Qian was seeing for the first time.
According to Huang Chengyan, the tang was used to insert the arrowhead into the shaft. It had to be thin and hard, and its length had to exceed that of the arrowhead. If it was too short and caught during inspection, the craftsman would be charged with "improper construction".
The arrowhead wasn't the most demanding or troublesome part. After all, arrowheads were made by pouring molten iron into molds and then batch-processing and sharpening them. While the standards were high, the process wasn't overly complicated.
The most labor-intensive part of arrow-making was the shaft.
The wood for the shafts had to be harvested in spring.
This didn't mean there was a type of tree called "spring wood," but rather that trees cut in spring were preferred, as those cut in autumn were prone to cracking. Additionally, the trees had to be from the shaded side of the mountain.
But since the materials were being provided by Yi Ji, Fei Qian didn't need to worry about the quality of the wood.
The most critical requirement for the shaft was that it had to be straight!
However, wood wasn't always straight. If the grain wasn't aligned properly, the shaft would easily break, making it a low-quality product. A good shaft had to follow the grain throughout its length.
For curved wood, craftsmen had to use fire to heat it and then straighten it manually, which was time-consuming.
Another major time-consuming step was polishing the shaft, known as "drawing the shaft." This involved using specialized tools to turn the originally square shaft into a round one. The process had to be done twice: once for rough polishing and once for fine polishing, with a day in between to allow the wood to settle and prevent warping.
Additionally, during the shaft's processing, each shaft had to weigh roughly the same. If one arrow was heavy and the next was light, the archers would surely curse.
After hearing Huang Chengyan's explanation, Fei Qian understood why Huang Chengyan had said they were lucky with the timing. Without a large number of skilled craftsmen, producing arrows that met the standards would be no easy task.
Although military-standard arrows didn't require much finesse, the sheer amount of manual labor involved was staggering. It consumed a lot of time.
And arrows were consumables. Even though some could be recovered, they were easily damaged. No wonder they were often counted in the tens of thousands. Fei Qian recalled the story of Zhuge Liang borrowing arrows with straw boats—how many had he stolen in one go?
And those were just the ones that hit the boats. Even more had fallen into the water.
Was there any way to simplify the process.?
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A/N: Arrow-making was incredibly time-consuming, which was why archers were only maintained under favorable conditions. Most of the time, common soldiers were given a wooden stick, and having a spearhead was considered a luxury. Arrow barrages were devastating, but the prerequisites for such attacks were numerous. It wasn't as simple as ordering 10,000 archers to fire at a certain area.