The most common projectile weapon used during the Han Dynasty was the small handheld, trigger-activated crossbow, first invented in China during the 6th or 5th century BCE.Although the nomadic Xiongnu were able to twist their waists while horse-riding to shoot arrows at targets behind them, the official Chao Cuo declared that the Chinese crossbow to be superior to the Xiongnu bow. In addition, an improvement on the crossbow was the repeating crossbow. The improved crossbow could string the bow, place the bolt, and shoot with a one-handed movement. A magazine was attached to the bottom of the crossbow to account for the much higher rate of fire. However, due to a weaker penetration power, the bolt was sometimes laced with poison to ensure injuries. Later in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the strategist Zhuge Liang invented yet another crossbow that was able to shoot two or three bolts at once. Finally, an extreme version of Zhuge Liang's crossbow could be used. Needing to be hitched onto a chariot in battle, the crossbow was capable of firing up to hundreds of bolts at a time.