After lunch, a group of people stood around the square in Zhuangzi.
Two large boxes were placed in the middle of the square. The craftsmen opened the boxes and assembled the basket on the spot.
The Winged Knights sent a few clever people over to watch. They wanted to learn.
After the basket was assembled, the next step was to install an alcohol burner in the basket. An iron can was filled with alcohol.
The craftsmen tried to light it and adjust the flame at the same time.
The Winged Knights came up and repeated the operation. All ten of them learned it. The craftsmen opened the other box.
The box contained a folded hot air balloon. They took it out and unfolded it, connecting it to the basket.
Sand bags were added to the basket and hung outside. There were a few inside as well.
A rope was tied below and someone held the mouth of the hot air balloon. The flame from the burner began to inflate the hot air balloon.
The hot air balloon gradually expanded. Before it was completely upright, the basket began to rise and people pulled it.
When it was completely upright, Li Yi brought the single-person flying device and the knife up.
He stepped on the flying device and put it on. The remote control was at his waist. He held the knife in one hand and placed the other on the alcohol burner.
If there was a problem, he would cut the rope and fly out.
Countless pairs of eyes looked at Li Yi. They were even more nervous than Li Yi.
Li Yi was not in a hurry to take off. He controlled the burner and adjusted the flame.
After about a quarter of an hour, he nodded. The people around him let go at the same time. The hot air balloon soared up. Finally, the rope below pulled the hot air balloon.
It stopped for a while at a height of ten feet. Li Yi nodded again. The people below began to release the rope. The hot air balloon rose higher and higher with the addition of the rope.
It was very hot in the afternoon. There was no wind.
Li Yi looked down from inside the hot air balloon and waved his hand.
The people on the ground looked up. Someone beside them was reporting.
"Twenty feet, twenty feet, twenty feet … thirty feet … fifty feet … one hundred feet … one hundred and eighty feet … two hundred feet. The rope is at the end."
The rope was stretched out in an arc. There was wind in the sky. The hot air balloon could be seen moving slightly in the wind.
The rope moved with the hot air balloon. It was like flying a kite, but there were people on it.
Li Longji raised his binoculars and saw Li Yi standing in the hanging basket, smiling and waving to the ground.
Suddenly, Li Yi made a hand gesture, and another villager who was watching through a telescope shouted, "Retract the rope, Dongzhu wants to come down. We will not release him today."
The force coming from below shook the pulley, and the rope was entangled.
Li Yi adjusted the flame on top, and the height gradually decreased.
Half an hour later, the hot air balloon stopped ten feet above the ground. Someone pushed a ladder over.
Li Yi lowered the aircraft with a rope and waited on it.
One of the Winged Knights went up, and the hot air balloon rose again, stopping at a height of 500 feet.
This time, Li Yi came down. Another Winged Knight went up and repeated the previous steps to learn how to operate the torch.
Li Longji stopped watching and pulled Li Yi back into the house. Li Chengqi followed them in.
"Brother Yi, the hot air balloon is indeed a military weapon. As long as the wind is controlled well, it can send soldiers directly into the enemy's city or camp at night."
Li Longji knew that after seeing the flying demonstration, he felt that his palace was no longer safe.
If the wind blew into the palace and a large group of hot air balloons landed with soldiers, who would be able to react?
"Transmitting confidence is also useful. For example, if a city is besieged, reinforcements can contact the people in the city through the hot air balloon.
As long as there are enough people, they can send arrows and food. The morale of the soldiers defending the city will be high. "
Li Chengqi thought of logistics.
Li Yi smiled and nodded. Yes, the hot air balloon was specially used to bully people.
Li Longji thought for a while, "Bring kerosene. Even if it's daytime, fly to the enemy's tent, set it on fire and throw it down."
He knew how the other party would feel. A height of more than 200 feet, no, even if it was 500 feet, ordinary crossbows would not be able to touch it.
If the ballista was set up and aimed at the sky, it would need to calculate the angle, the accuracy of the arrow, and the speed. How could it be shot?
If there was kerosene on the tent, it would be better to put out the fire. Whoever it landed on would be unlucky.
At that time, the general would not be in the mood to plan for battle. He could only change into ordinary clothes and hide among the soldiers.
The tents would be set on fire one by one. Baggage, provisions, and warhorses would also be set on fire.
"This item must not be used by civilians, unless you, Zhuangzi, use it yourself." After Li Longji discovered the danger, he restricted it like a firecracker.
Li Chengqi suddenly smiled, "In the enemy's limelight, tie it with a rope and fly the kite. The cavalry is ready.
When the hot air balloon team attacks, the enemy's formation will be messed up and the cavalry will charge.
It's best to use it against the Tubo and Turkic people because they have many horses. If the cavalry does not gather together, they will not be able to fight as a group.
If they are put together, the horses will be afraid of fire. After they are thrown down, the horses will run everywhere. How can they fight a battle? "
Li Yi still smiled and nodded. Air forces were very good at suppressing ground forces.
In a large-scale battle, military formations were what was needed.
The "right" of using the right and wrong tactics to win was when two armies faced each other and their formations were stable.
Whoever drove the formation to charge first would be at a disadvantage. The others could mobilize their own formations according to the situation.
The general had to stay by the flag and rely on it to stabilize the morale of the army. The hot air balloons threw incendiary bombs at the flag …
The three of them discussed how to use it. The Winged Knights who went up and tried it again and again liked the hot air balloon tool.
Whether the cavalry was chasing the enemy or avoiding the enemy, whoever could see further was better.
The hot air balloon could be disassembled and reassembled.
The Winged Knights could be put on the horses and mobilized. When needed, they could be assembled and besieged.
The guards on Zhuangzi discussed with each other and discussed whether they should put one of them up there to keep an eye on the situation during the day.
At this time, people in Zhang Family Village, Imperial Plantation, and Ba River all noticed the big ball that rose and fell for a while.
Those with good eyesight could even see the hanging basket under the ball and the people in the hanging basket.
Wasn't this the same as people flying in the sky? What was that ball?
"It must be something made by Li Dongzhu. Isn't it afraid of falling down when it flies in the sky?" A person passing by the other side of the river saw it.
The person next to him said, "It's useless to fly in the sky unless it can be used to travel."
Another person said, "It's used in war. If I hit you in the sky, I can hit you on the ground. You can't hit me."
"Indeed. If I throw a stone in the sky, you have to dodge it. If it hits your head, you'll be dead."
"Oh, then the Tang dynasty is powerful. But I don't know if it's easy to make. How much does it cost to make one? It's too expensive. The army can't use it. "
"No matter how expensive it is, we have to make it. Many fewer people will die. We can save the money to make this ball."
The people soon found that the biggest use of a flying ball was in war. They were not stupid at all.
Some people entered the city and told others what they saw.
Soon the news spread like wildfire. At night, the whole Chang'an knew about it.
Li Dongzhu in Ba River made a new ball that could fly people in the sky.
If it was used in war, the people on the ground could only watch helplessly. It was very powerful.
In the future, fewer people would die in the Tang dynasty. Whoever was not convinced could send the ball over.
The foreign guests living in Honglu Temple were scared. There was something that could fly people in the sky and attack the ground?
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