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Every dynasty, without exception, does its utmost to besmirch the dynasty that preceded it, regardless of whether certain matters were, at the time, genuinely beneficial to the land of Huaxia. It is much like how the later Qing dynasty carried out a certain degree of deletion and distortion regarding some historical facts of the Ming. The compilation of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries was a political undertaking that the Qianlong Emperor viewed with smug satisfaction, yet it also bore another name—"The Fourfold Destruction of Books."
The Han dynasty was no exception, adopting an attitude of essentially wholesale repudiation toward the affairs of the preceding Qin. However, for Fei Qian at this present moment, this very fact presented a considerable advantage.
In the southwest direction of Shang Commandery lay the eight-hundred-li expanse of the Qinchuan plains, the ancient land of Qin. On that soil were born great and delicious delicacies—lamb paomo, liangpi cold noodles, and Chinese hamburgers... Ahem... In truth, whenever he thought of the Qin dynasty, a scene would always flash unbidden through Fei Qian's mind: a group of men in black gathered around, shouting, "Great King, shall we shoot? Shall we shoot? Shall we shoot?" And then they shot.
In the Qin dynasty, the most representative—or one might say, the most insanely fanatical—element was none other than its crossbowmen. The Qin army placed "powerful crossbows at the fore, and long lances behind." Before engaging in close-quarters combat, the Qin troops did not directly rush in with blades swinging; instead, they loosed several volleys of bolts first, shooting until the enemy formation was shattered, and only then did they draw their swords and hack away.
According to some materials Fei Qian had perused, as early as the Qin dynasty, there already existed a scientific method of three-rank rotational firing. This would leave those transmigrators who mysteriously and triumphantly unveiled the "three-volley tactic" utterly crestfallen. The arrowheads of the Qin dynasty were almost exclusively of a triangular, three-edged shape, with each of the three curved surfaces resembling miniature bullet heads, which greatly reduced air resistance. There was also evidence indicating that Qin arrowheads contained lead and were deliberately allowed to rust. When such crossbows became the standard equipment of the Qin army, with their high damage and long range, they tremendously enhanced the individual soldier's combat capability.
The Qin dynasty may well be the only state known to Fei Qian that compensated for backward means of production with advanced production technology, and thereby defeated the other six states. In the late Warring States period, the various states had begun mastering the smelting of iron. Perhaps due to a scarcity of raw iron ore, only Qin remained backward, still relying primarily on bronze weaponry, lagging behind by an entire developmental cycle. Moreover, the Qin state had been regarded by the feudal lords of the Central Plains since ancient times as a barbaric frontier, lacking in cultural and technological heritage, and was often scorned by the scholars of the six states. Thus, confronted with the twin difficulties of backward metal-smelting technology and scarce resources, they had no choice but to strive for few but excellent pieces, to take things to the extreme, to push limited materials to a heaven-defying level, thereby earning the right to run on the same track.
The craftsmanship of the Qin dynasty was meticulous to the point that each weapon was inscribed with the artisan's name, using traceability to guarantee quality. Standardized weaponry not only conserved materials but also, for items with components—such as the trigger mechanisms of crossbows—allowed parts to be interchanged, facilitating use and maintenance by soldiers. This ensured that during prolonged and intense combat, there would be no decline in fighting capability due to equipment failure.
Beyond this, Fei Qian had originally also wished to discuss with Huang Cheng the matter of military ranks for soldiers, that is to say, the Qin dynasty's twenty-rank system of military merit and nobility. With distinct rewards tier by tier, it was an exceptionally effective means of motivation, whether used in the midst of battle or as a basis for granting rewards thereafter.
Yet in the Han dynasty, the purely merit-based military nobility became transformed into "bestowed commoner ranks" and "bestowed official ranks." Emperor Wu even opened a veritable betting board for the wanton sale of these titles, leading to their rampant inflation and subsequent contempt. Moreover, the system underwent multiple revisions, even changing some of its nomenclature. Ultimately, by the present day, it had basically become utterly despised; no one took this vigesimal-based ranking system seriously anymore.
Industrialized, standardized, assembly-line production and the military merit nobility system—these two projects were the two sets of templates in which Fei Qian now held an absolute lead. Setting aside the military nobility series for the moment, standardized assembly-line work alone could alleviate a great many burdens, making it possible for long-range-strike crossbow troops to potentially return to the battlefield once more.
Yes, according to what Fei Qian now understood, the Han dynasty's crossbow troops were already vastly inferior to those of the Qin, and the Eastern Han's were not even on par with the Western Han's. The Great Yellow Crossbow, the preeminent crossbow of the Han, though some could still be seen, was now essentially no longer standard equipment for the army. In Fei Qian's memory, it seemed only the contingent under Yuan Shao that performed so overwhelmingly at the Battle of Jieqiao had a brief period of brilliant achievement. Of course, this was partly due to terrain factors and Gongsun Zan's moment of intellectual shutdown, but regardless, this was the sole unit in the entire Three Kingdoms period famed for its crossbow prowess, and after Ju Yi, it too dissolved.
It was true that the Han dynasty, because of the Xiongnu threat, had shifted its emphasis toward developing cavalry, reducing the development of the crossbow in accordance with national conditions. However, viewed from another angle, although crossbowmen were simple to operate and did not require the extensive training of archers, their components often suffered wear and tear during warfare. If suitable replacement parts could not be found, battlefield repairs were inconvenient. Often, the failure of a single component rendered the entire crossbow useless. The cost of such wastage, when compared to the wear and tear on bows, was vastly greater. After all, for bows, it was mostly the string that broke; restringing it resolved the matter.
By the time the chaotic wars of the Three Kingdoms began, even the supply of grain could not be ensured, let alone something as relatively expensive as this weaponry. Coupled with the flames of war raging everywhere and the common people displaced, the scholar-official gentry class had no awareness of the need to protect artisans, leading to the loss and retrogression of the crossbow technology of the entire Huaxia people. The Great Yellow Crossbow that Li Guang had used to snipe Xiongnu commanders had a range of four hundred paces. Yet several hundred years later in the Song dynasty, an era that employed crossbows en masse, an individual soldier's crossbow could only reach three hundred and forty paces.
Therefore, Fei Qian prepared to follow the Qin path, at least in the two areas of the military merit system and weaponry and equipment. This matter, however, truly could only be done in secret; it was not something that could be openly discussed. Only during the Qin dynasty did every soldier rejoice at the prospect of battle, as wildly exhilarated as if they had taken some drug, because what they saw before them was not an enemy, but a head of gleaming gold. Their morale and will to fight far surpassed those of ordinary men: "How can you say you have no robe? I will share my robe with you. The King is raising his hosts; I will sharpen my spear and lance, and share the same foe with you!" A force with such lethal capability and resilience under attack was precisely the model of an army that Fei Qian envisioned in his heart.
At the same time, military and political affairs would be separated. Soldiers would be purely soldiers; statesmen would become purely statesmen. The supreme principle would be victory in battle, with everything centered on the interests of the state. Without trivial matters acting as fetters, and without arrows loosed from the dark of the court, this army of tigers and wolves, with iron discipline, each member performing his sworn duty, and supplies and logistics commanded as smoothly as an arm's motion—where generals needed only to focus on warfare, and statesmen managed local governance and ensured solid logistical support—what worry would there be of failing to vanquish foes and win victory? Such a system, unified in purpose from top to bottom, would be the most terrifying state machinery. Yet, to restore such a system... No, no, to inherit some of the Qin dynasty's finer aspects—this had to be approached with the utmost care and caution. Handled poorly, it could very well provoke a concerted attack from all sides.
Fei Qian remained seated within the hall, deep in contemplation. His personal guards and serving maids did not dare to step forward and disturb him lightly. He sat thus, pondering, until he realized that the world before his eyes had grown dark; only then did he notice that night had imperceptibly fallen.
Fei Qian braced himself against the desk and rubbed his legs, which had grown somewhat numb. The two young serving maids who had been keeping watch outside the hall hurried forward with mincing steps, assisting Fei Qian in reclining slightly. One first lit a candle, then knelt behind him, gently kneading his shoulders. The other lifted his legs onto her lap and began to tap and massage them, her voice soft as she inquired whether he wished to take his evening meal. Beneath the soothing warmth of their delicate hands, Fei Qian felt as though the weariness of the entire day had dissipated considerably.