Secret: Behind the Grass Boat Borrowing Arrows

Secret: Behind the Grass Boat Borrowing Arrows

Borrowing an arrow from a straw boat is a classic story in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is mainly used to illustrate Zhuge Liang's wisdom and courage. Since its publication, this book has been widely praised by readers, so that people don't want to believe that it is fiction. There has always been a question: why didn't Cao Cao launch a rocket and burn Zhuge Liang and Lu Su into two black charcoal heads? Actually, there are many reasons for this.

First, because of the foggy weather, the air visibility is very low. Cao Cao couldn't see clearly that the ship was full of flammable items such as scarecrows, so naturally he didn't think of using rockets to deal with it.

Second, it is because of the fog that both sides can't figure out the details of the other side. Cao Cao judged the approximate position of the other side by the sound of their drums. If Cao Cao uses it rashly before the rocket is launched, the artillery fire will first expose its position and give the other party a clear goal.

Third, rockets are generally used to attack cities and burn each other's defense facilities. Now the opponent is a movable ship. If it was lit and the ship rushed into the camp in Cao Jun, wouldn't it be a big fire?

Fourth, there is fog and the air is humid. This kind of weather greatly affects the use of rockets. Generally playing in the air, the fire is extinguished by small water droplets in the air, which can't achieve the effect of using rockets on sunny days.

Fifth, because the rocket's arrow is attached with combustible materials to increase its weight, it will reduce its range. At that time, Cao Cao could only vaguely see each other's ships, indicating that the other side was still a certain distance from the shore, which might be outside the range of the rocket.

Sixth, rockets are expensive and the cost is too high. During the Three Kingdoms period, sulfur and kerosene were rare products, which were not as cheap as bamboo feathers for making arrows, and could not be used easily, let alone when the enemy and I were unknown.

Seventh, because the cost is too high, it is impossible for the army to stay. Generally, only when attacking important cities will the army prepare a corresponding number of rockets in advance and use good steel on the blade. At this time, even if Cao Cao wanted to use the rocket, he could not take it out in a hurry.

Eighth, the use of rockets is very inconvenient. If ordinary arrows are used, soldiers can take a big bag and put it in the arrow basket, which is very convenient. Rockets are dangerous goods, so they must be used with care. When it is used, it must be ignited first, which will affect the speed of archers. Therefore, the use of rockets must be relatively stable and not suitable for emergencies.

Ninth, considering environmental protection and resource reuse, rockets are not suitable for casual use. Unlike ordinary cold weapons, you can also capture a lot of trophies when cleaning the battlefield. Rockets are disposable products, which will burn out when launched, which is not in the long-term interests of the war. Therefore, although the rocket is good, it should be used in moderation.

Tenth, Cao Cao doesn't like the extreme way of fire attack. What's the point of taking a city with great efforts and then razing it to the ground? Only Zhuge Liang likes playing with fire, burning Wang Bo, burning new fields, burning red cliff, burning rattan armor and burning the valley above. Even he himself said that doing these immoral things would shorten his life. Therefore, Cao Cao won't use rockets easily unless he has to.

So, Luo Guanzhong's mind is really meticulous, even making up a story is so watertight and impeccable.