Chapter 33

Equipment is absolutely of paramount importance to an army. The primary component of an army is the soldiers; with soldiers, you need equipment, and then add training, strict discipline, tenacious fighting spirit, and excellent leadership. Only then can you form an outstanding army.

Equipment alone accounts for at least one-third of its importance.

Choosing the right equipment is also crucial. Different types of soldiers require different equipment to maximize the performance of their weapons.

Liu Jun and Li Chunjiang are establishing a cavalry unit, a local militia cavalry, primarily for patrols, as well as capturing bandits and suppressing rebels. They will face bandits, robbers, and fugitives, so Liu Jun believes that the equipment they purchase should be tailored to these needs.

"I don't think iron armor is necessary for now. First, it's very expensive. A set of iron armor costs fifteen taels to manufacture, and even though we have channels to buy it, it costs fifty taels per set, which is more than three times the manufacturing cost, making it exorbitantly expensive."

Liu Jun shook his finger, showing little interest in iron armor.

"Moreover, iron armor is heavy. We are forming a light cavalry unit for patrols and reconnaissance, which requires mobility and speed. Wearing iron armor would be of little use against ordinary bandits and would only increase the burden and slow us down, making it a poor choice. If we need to consider defense, we can purchase water buffalo hide armor, which is light and provides good protection against bandits."

"Would cotton armor be better?" Li Chunjiang asked.

The Chinese advisor explained to Li Chunjiang, "Cotton armor is not heavy. A standard cotton armor uses seven pounds of cotton, which is repeatedly beaten and pressed into thin layers, then sewn together with thick thread. This type of armor is light and offers good protection against firearms. It can even be made thicker, up to sixteen layers, making it almost impervious to blades and bullets. However, it has a drawback: it is suitable for cold northern regions but not for the southern regions. I think the water buffalo hide armor Liu Jun chose is good. The court ordered the southern garrisons to replace their iron armor with water buffalo hide armor years ago."

He also brought four sets of armor for them to examine: one set of water buffalo hide armor, one set of iron lamellar armor, one set of cotton armor, and one set of padded armor.

After his explanation, Liu Jun realized that the studded armor he had seen in historical dramas was not cotton armor, nor was it an invention of the Qing army. This type of armor is called padded armor, which is said to have been introduced from Europe.

This is a true heavy armor, even heavier than the iron lamellar armor. The surface is cloth, and the inside is iron plates, fixed with copper or iron studs. Such a set of iron armor is quite heavy. Liu Jun estimated it to weigh no less than thirty pounds. According to the advisor, the standard weight of padded armor is between twenty-four and thirty-five pounds, but it often becomes even heavier, with a full set weighing forty to fifty pounds.

This padded armor is actually the predecessor of cotton armor, which is much lighter, weighing only about ten pounds. Even thickened cotton armor does not exceed twenty pounds.

True cotton armor is made by sewing compressed thin cotton layers together, with no iron plates inside and no copper studs outside, as there is no need to fix the plates. Touching the cotton armor, Liu Jun felt it was somewhat like a shoe insole, very hard and thick, no wonder it could withstand blades, bullets, and firearms.

"Would adding copper studs to the cotton armor make it more robust and provide better defense?" Liu Jun asked.

The advisor shook his head with a smile, "It would definitely be more robust, but it's not necessary. If you really want to add studs, you might as well choose the twenty-four-pound padded armor, which is about the same weight as the cotton armor with studs, but definitely more solid."

"Adding some silk inside would certainly improve the protective ability, right?"

"Of course, with silk inside and copper studs outside, it would be much better than ordinary cotton armor."

Liu Jun thought for a moment and said to Li Chunjiang, "How about we order this cotton armor? The water buffalo hide armor is not very convenient, and its performance is probably not as good as this improved cotton armor."

"If you think it's good, then let's do it. Let's order a hundred sets first. By the way, Mr. Zhou, how much does one set of cotton armor cost?"

The advisor, Mr. Zhang, chuckled and stroked his well-groomed beard, "Cotton armor is not cheap, and since it's custom-made, it's even more expensive. A set of ordinary cotton armor costs at least fifteen taels, and I estimate you'll need to pay fifty taels per set."

"Fifty taels per set, a hundred sets would be five thousand taels." Liu Jun couldn't help but whistle.

"Buy it." Li Chunjiang waved his hand. "If it's needed, we'll buy it. Don't worry about the money."

Liu Jun nodded. In the age of cold weapons, armor is still very important.

"I'll register it for you, a hundred sets of custom-made cotton armor. I'll try to negotiate a better price for you, and maybe they'll throw in a hundred eight-petal helmets."

"Mr. Zhao, this cotton armor must have two copper breastplates on the front and back," Liu Jun instructed carefully.

"Got it. Anything else?"

"A hundred bows, with ten thousand arrows. A hundred muskets, each with five hundred lead bullets, gunpowder, and matches." Liu Jun thought it was necessary to equip both bows and muskets.

"A small bow costs five taels, a large arrow costs five fen, a musket costs twenty taels, and each set of lead bullets and gunpowder costs one qian. You want a hundred of each, right?"

"How much?" Liu Jun felt he had heard wrong. These prices were too high. A bow for five taels, an arrow for five fen, and a musket for twenty taels!

"We have a long-standing relationship with these suppliers, and this is the price we've always paid. I'm giving you the same price as Mr. Mei, otherwise, it would be even higher," Mr. Zhao said with a matter-of-fact expression.

"But that's too expensive, isn't it?"

Mr. Zhao smiled, "The cost is definitely not that high. I can almost tell you the manufacturing cost of these weapons. For example, a small bow, though difficult to make, costs about two taels per bow, and an arrow costs about three qian. A musket is more complicated to manufacture, costing about five taels per musket. If you want a high-quality one, it would cost about eight taels."

"Eight taels cost, selling for twenty taels, that's more than double," Liu Jun sighed.

"This isn't like buying tofu or cabbage, which you can find anywhere. This is military equipment, and especially advanced firearms like muskets. Even if the authorities turn a blind eye, it's still not a legitimate business, so the price is naturally higher."

That's true. Military equipment isn't like buying vegetables; the profit must be high for anyone to take the risk. But this made Liu Jun have to consider the budget.

The hundred sets of cotton armor already cost five thousand taels. If they bought a hundred bows and a hundred muskets, it would cost another five thousand taels. They had only received about five thousand taels from the wealthy supporters yesterday. If they spent it all, they would only have enough for the cotton armor. Even though Li Chunjiang said money wasn't a problem, Liu Jun still thought they shouldn't spend it all at once and should proceed step by step.

"Public Ji, I have an idea. Our cavalry unit has seventy-two people. We can divide them into small teams of twelve, with three small teams forming a medium team. This way, we can form two medium teams, totaling six small teams. Each small team will be equipped with different weapons: twelve people per team, one team leader, one assistant, four musketeers, four archers, and two hook gunners."

"The team leader will have a flag spear, a waist sword, and a bow. The assistant will have a double-tipped iron bar. The four musketeers will each have a musket and a waist sword. The four archers will each have a long sword and a bow. The two hook gunners will each have a hook spear and a bow."

This way, the proportion of firearms is reduced, and the archers can compensate for the long-range firepower.

Each team of twelve people will need nine waist swords, seven bows, four muskets, two hook spears, one flag spear, and one double-tipped iron bar, covering both close and long-range combat, and including both cold and firearms.

When Li Chunjiang heard Liu Jun's plan, his eyes lit up, "Brother Jiye, are you following Qi Jiguang's training methods?"

Liu Jun nodded. He originally wanted to form a musket cavalry, with each person equipped with a musket and a bow, and even a crossbow if possible, along with a cavalry sword and a shield. It would be very impressive. However, seeing the high cost of the equipment, Liu Jun had to reduce the budget.

The equipment plan he proposed was based on the Qi Jiguang's army, with some modifications to fit the current situation, but overall, it followed Qi Jiguang's configuration.

"Since it's based on Qi Jiguang's methods, it's a good idea. I agree with your proposal. Let's order the equipment for two medium teams and six small teams as you suggested." Li Chunjiang made the final decision. He knew Liu Jun was trying to save money for him and was very grateful.

"Mr. Zhao, how long will it take to get the equipment after we place the order?" Liu Jun asked.

"Once you pay the full amount, you can get the equipment in seven days."

"Seven days? That's so fast?" Liu Jun was surprised. "Including the custom-made cotton armor?"

Mr. Zhao smiled, "Actually, what you're asking for isn't really custom-made. Many people have the same requirements, and we have multiple suppliers. They will quickly source the equipment from other suppliers to ensure the fastest delivery."

"Seven days is the latest delivery time."

Damn! Liu Jun couldn't help but exclaim in his mind. It turns out the arms trade was so well-organized, with the arms dealers already coordinating with each other, and possibly even forming an association. But this made things simpler; as long as the money was in place, the equipment would be delivered.

Li Chunjiang seemed to know what Liu Jun was worried about and patted his chest, "Uncle Zhao, I'll send ten thousand taels over shortly. Please place the order and pay for it. If there's any extra, keep it for now, as we might need your help to purchase more equipment later."

Mr. Zhao waved his hand, "No problem, leave it to me."

Seeing Mr. Zhao's willingness, Liu Jun quickly took out a five-tael silver ingot and offered it, "A small token of appreciation for your help, Mr. Zhao."

Mr. Zhao accepted the silver without hesitation, smiling, "If you need anything, just come to me."

"Definitely, definitely," Liu Jun nodded.