Chapter 94: Hehehe...
"Precisely for this reason, I want you to establish a cavalry unit. At least for now, the best way to deal with cavalry is still cavalry."
Historically, cavalry was not phased out until the advent of mechanised forces. Therefore, in Simon’s view, the army would need to focus on building a strong cavalry unit for a long time to come.
Lancelot nodded. No matter how excellent infantry formations were, they could only be used for passive defence. Cavalry, on the other hand, was an offensive force, essential for its flexibility, mobility, surprise attacks, and pursuit. He spoke. "If that’s the case, then a thousand warhorses are still too few."
"I understand. Next, I plan to smuggle horses from the grasslands to try to build a qualified cavalry unit." Simon said, frowning slightly.
Even in the age of firearms, the role of cavalry was irreplaceable.
"Smuggle?" Lancelot was taken aback. Then he said. "My Lord, are you not aware that the reavers have now strictly forbidden the grassland tribes from selling warhorses to the empire?"
"Of course I know. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called smuggling, but trade." Simon replied.
Lancelot scratched the back of his head, then his expression turned serious as he said to Simon. "My Lord, the reavers suddenly tightening the sale of warhorses is not good news. In the past, every time they did this, it meant they were preparing to attack the Eldorian Empire."
"That’s what worries me too. So, this time, even if it’s at a high price, I plan to buy a batch of warhorses." Simon said. "Moreover, the walls of Dunmere City need a major overhaul. Once the slaves donated by the merchants arrive, I plan to have them rebuild Dunmere City, turning it into an impregnable fortress that the reavers cannot breach."
Lancelot was excited. "My Lord, are you planning to use cement this time?"
Simon nodded. "Yes, the fragile walls of Dunmere City need to be reinforced."
After discussing this matter, Simon and Lancelot talked about the new armies in other states. These new armies were currently led by the core members of the Brambleford Army, with no involvement from the powerful local clans.
Moreover, each army had a political officer in place, responsible for the ideological work within the troops.
When the topic of the political officers came up, Lancelot looked pained. "My Lord, these political officers are always talking about how the army must remain loyal to you, how they must uphold your leadership, and they even came up with things like ’Honors and Shames,’ ’Disciplines,’ and ’Points of Attention.’ It’s really something."
"What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the army being loyal to me?" Simon glanced sideways at Lancelot, thinking to himself that if this guy had any disloyal thoughts, he would have to deal with him too.
Lancelot immediately broke into a cold sweat. He was just being blunt and didn’t like the overly meticulous ways of these scholars. But he realised he had misspoken and quickly bowed. "My Lord, please don’t take offense. I’m just a loudmouth, always saying the wrong things."
"That’s more like it. I don’t mind your usual antics, and I try to meet your demands for equipment, but when it comes to matters of principle, you need to be clear-headed." As soon as Simon spoke, his tone shifted to that of a political officer giving a lecture.
The political officers who had been recruited were not allowed to take up their posts lightly. They had to undergo training and pass an exam before they could be assigned. The content of the exam was the guiding ideology of the army. Simon’s goal was to maintain control over the military. In these turbulent times, it was easy for armies to be led astray by their commanders, so this method was necessary to strengthen control.
Otherwise, if one state rebelled and another mutinied, it would be enough to give him a headache.
"I wouldn’t dare; I wouldn’t dare. I wouldn’t have the courage even if I had ten guts." Lancelot said.
Simon nodded. "I know you must find the political officers annoying, but just ignore them. They won’t interfere with your military affairs."
"Yes, My Lord."
Lancelot wiped the sweat from his brow and personally escorted Simon out of the military camp.
As he watched Simon leave, Lancelot let out a sigh of relief. In his eyes, the current prince was becoming more and more enigmatic, but he had to admit that his methods were effective.
In the past, many soldiers didn’t even know who the prince was. But now, with the political officers in the army, they heard about the prince almost every day.
In Lancelot’s view, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It ensured the stability of the military forces across the six states, preventing a situation like the one in Dunmere City, where the local clans controlled the city’s defences.
Meanwhile, Simon left the military camp and headed to the Oxford Academy, where the newspaper office was now under the supervision of Harry. Every day, Harry collected information and published the next day’s edition of the newspaper.
The paper-making and printing workshops had already been moved to the industrial district, so Harry only needed to send people to coordinate directly.
Simon had already taught Harry how to handle the specifics, so he didn’t need to micromanage. He only needed to review the drafts each day.
After all, as his responsibilities grew, so did his daily administrative workload.
He had to oversee industry, commerce, and agriculture. Building industry, farming the land, it all required careful attention.
As he walked, Simon arrived at the Oxford Academy. He wasn’t here to see Harry but to conduct his regular teaching duties.
In his spare time, he often spent his days at the academy.
There were the political officer training sessions, the shipbuilding projects led by Harlan, the technical challenges faced by Fjord’s machinery department, and the chemistry lessons for James and his group.
This time, he was here to conduct a chemistry experiment. After the production of glass, he had the workshops create a set of chemical instruments, which were now all in the laboratory.
By now, James and the others had a solid foundation in basic chemistry. They had memorized the periodic table and were familiar with chemical formulas.
The theory was there, but practical application depended on these chemical instruments.
When Simon arrived at the laboratory, James and over two hundred others were waiting inside. Upon seeing Simon, they respectfully greeted him. "Your Highness."
The chemistry laboratory was laid out in a modern style, with five-person workstations below, each equipped with experimental instruments.
Simon stood at the front, where he also had his own set of instruments.
This time, Simon was going to teach them how to produce sulfuric acid. The ’three acids and two alkalis’ had always been a goal for Simon in establishing a basic chemical industry. The three acids were nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and hydrochloric acid, while the two alkalis were sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate.
Considering the conditions of this era, he believed that producing sulfuric acid would be the easiest to achieve.
In ancient times, there was something called ’green vitriol oil,’ which was essentially sulfuric acid. It was made from green vitriol, water, and high heat.
According to the data from the system, there were deposits of green vitriol, or iron (II) sulphate, in his territory. These green vitriol deposits were often found alongside iron ore.
While mining for iron, Roland had discovered these green vitriol deposits. Simon felt that these resources shouldn’t go to waste and decided to use them to produce sulfuric acid.
After all, sulfuric acid had a wide range of industrial applications, one of which was acid washing to remove rust, which could extend the lifespan of machinery. Additionally, sulfuric acid was a solvent used for purifying metals.
With sulfuric acid, he could purify some rare metals, laying the groundwork for alloy production.
