That little fly

Shui Qingqian didn't fully understand the various language traps during yesterday's banquet until Ning Renhou broke it apart and explained it the next day.

Looking at the ignorant little bird, Ning Renhou was at a loss. His son didn't understand yesterday, why was he able to avoid all the traps and counterattack perfectly?

"Because of the feeling."

"what?"

"It's just that they don't look like good people. That old man obviously has a treacherous face, and his smile is malicious." Like a big villain who can cheat people of candy at any time, "Also, that aunt is not good," Xiao Bird flicked his feathers and said coldly, "Anyone who forces me to have a girlfriend is not a good person."

Ning Renhou, ……………

"They were born in the Mansion of Heaven and Man." Ning Renhou gave his son extra lessons. "That white-bearded old man is a first-rank Da Si Nong, the grandson of Ming Xiang. Ming Xiang is the last Fei Tianer who was born. After him, no one in the Heavenly Mansion can accept the inheritance. The Da Si Nong The position counts as the last legacy of Mingxiang, and it is a false title of honor. That concubine, who was born in a high mansion, is also one of the heavenly mansions, and the son of a concubine, she no longer has the blood of Fei Tian'er..."

Tianrenfu, when they were in the countryside, Luzi had never even heard of them.After living in the imperial capital, the people in the Pumpkin Hutong class can only come into contact with the Xu Mansion after turning [-] or [-] relatives. more and more.

In the end, Shui Qingqian ended by receiving a two-finger-thick thread book as a gift for the Shangyuan Festival-the genealogy of the four major Tianrenfu families and the relationship map of various characters.

Shui Qingqian thinks that Xie Ming is a hot-blooded and righteous attribute, and his military strength is beyond the mark, while Yuan Mu is elegant and cold on the outside, moist and soft on the inside. The two have completely different personalities, but they are very compatible with him, and he likes them both.Shui Qingqian also labeled others as one civil and one military, but the first time he visited Yuan Mu's house as a guest, his world view collapsed.

The Yuan Mansion is a martial art, so Yuan Mu's yard has a well-equipped martial arts arena, and the eighteen kinds of weapons are arranged in two rows, which is very professional.Then the topic learned that Taixue also has martial arts classes, which are compulsory courses, so almost everyone in the students' homes in Taixue has such a place for practicing martial arts.The set in Yuan Mu's house is professional-grade. Other students, such as Xie Ming, who came from a farming and studying family, are also well-versed in both civil and military skills. Xie Ming also has a special room in his own yard, which is the Weapons Pavilion.

Swords, guns, halberds, halberds, axes, hooks, forks... A new world opened to Shui Qingqian, and when he returned home, he also wanted to have one.Have everything.But in Taixue, Master Wu only let you choose one or two, um, no more three.

"But I'm a quick learner, so I can learn a few more things." Shui Qingqian looked at the weapons rack in the martial arts field, her eyes staring, and she began to be unrealistic, "Where do I start first? Well, the sword must be learned first. Right." But as the hero Shui Batian, Shui Batian holds two knives in his hand and moves like a thunderbolt.

"Gun, the king of weapons, that so-and-so, whoever charges immediately is the one who uses the gun."

"But I already have the foundation of archery, should I take this opportunity to further my studies..."

"That feels like darts are also very handsome."

"Fang Tian draws a halberd, just thinking about it makes him excited."

"There is also a giant spirit god who uses a double axe, which is awesome..."

Xie Ming, "..."

Yuan Mu, "..."

Shui Qingqian had a daydream, and Yuan Dacai told him from personal experience that martial arts should be profound and complicated, and the more you know about eighteen kinds of weapons, the more fake you will be.Yuan Mu was born in Wu Xun, how could he not know this truth?

The water is clear and shallow, "Huh?"

Otherwise, why do you think Yuan Mu abandoned martial arts and followed Wen? His father chased and beat him three blocks with a stick.

Shui Qingqian: Huh?

Shui Qingqian didn't understand yet, but Yuan Mu and Xie Ming had already started fighting over there, either for real fighting or for performing martial arts. There was a row of weapon racks behind each of them. Shui Qingqian witnessed the whole process of the two of them from bare-handed to armed, with swords, spears, spears, shields, axes, nine-section whips and nunchakus... Yuan Muxin uses them in turn, there is nothing he can't do, Xie Ming only Used a knife, never changed.But from an expert's point of view, from the beginning to the end, Xie Ming had the upper hand.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Xie Ming: Huh?Ah hey, I'm better than him, what look in your eyes?

Shui Qingqian patted Xie Ming's chest, her consolation was beyond words, she turned her head and stared at Yuan Mu, "I want to learn everything. If you know it, then I can learn everything..." Shui Qingqian turned into Yuan Mu Mu's little tail.

Xie Ming: ...

Yuan Mu: Forget it, I'm an idiot.

"You have to learn, line up next to each other." Shui Qingqian looked at the row of weapon racks, and waved his hand domineeringly.

After trying the real swords and guns of Yuan Mu's family, Shui Qingqian felt that his so-called weapons were all for show, no, he had to make up for this shortcoming. After school starts, he can't count on the little dagger that brother Azhao gave him.Look at Xie Ming, look at Yuan Mu, there is a practice room at home, with knives, guns, swords, halberds, axes, hooks and forks, and eighteen kinds of weapons.Whether it's the real thing or just a fake, he doesn't have it! !

After the new year, Shui Qingqian will be nine years old (?), and it's time to show off her heroic demeanor with both civil and military skills.First of all, in terms of clothing, he must at least add a cool portable sword.

This is also a tradition handed down from ancient times in Dongzhou.

The Jin Empire once ruled the world by force, and there are countless officials in the court who started with martial arts.Martial arts is equal to glorifying one's ancestors, and this thought goes on and on.Although the world has been peaceful for nearly a hundred years, the so-called noble families, and the noble families of officials and officials have gradually risen, but the martial arts culture has always flowed in the blood of every Dongzhou citizen.Not to mention those bodyguards and knight-errants who travel the rivers and lakes, even ordinary literati, they all regard "both civil and military" as the foundation of their life.The sword, the gentleman in the army, is especially loved by people. If young talents don't wear a sword around their waists, even girls will dislike you as a chicken.

"What do they do?" Shui Qingqian asked Yuan Mu and Xie Ming, pointing to the string of children waiting in the yard.He wanted to take the two staff officers to Ba'anli to find a saber, but they brought so many people together, what's the matter?

"Are you going out with us just like this?" Yuan Mu was no less surprised than Shui Qingqian.Even though he had realized that Shui Qingqian had no companions by his side, Yuan Mu was still very uncomfortable seeing this little Fei Tianer jumping out of the house by himself.As for those people in the yard, they are their entourage, a personal book boy, two long-term attendants, and two guards. Because he and Xie Ming came together, only the coachman and four guards from Yuanfu were waiting together. Outside.Because it was just a tour of Dongshi, the two of them streamlined the entourage.

Shui Qingqian shrugged, "It's hard to imagine that you have never gone out alone before."

What is the meaning of that look of contempt you put on?

In the world of the rich and powerful in the imperial capital, it has nothing to do with flaunting ostentation in daily life. It is a habit, but Shui Qingqian's tone of voice, that kind of eyes, and the gesture of spreading his hands and shaking his head helplessly made the two wealthy young masters inexplicable. I feel ashamed.

It seems like something is wrong.

It's so weird.

If you want to pick a saber, you have a lot to choose from.From street stalls that usually cost a lot of money, to goods that imitate the military standard, to goods with openwork on the sword body, to collection goods inlaid with jewelry and gold... everything is available, the east, west, north, south markets of the imperial capital, and any commercial street. There are one or two shops that buy weapons.However, Ba'anli is a particularly famous place, also known as 'Weapon Lane'.

"Hey, that one is really beautiful." After visiting four shops, as soon as Shui Qingqian stepped into the gate of the hidden sword pavilion, he saw an epee with a red body hanging on the wall, and excitedly pulled Yuan Yu beside him. Mu, "It's very vigorous at first glance, isn't it? Murderous and bloody, all kinds of bullshit."

Yuan Mu raised one eyebrow. As the young master of Yuan Mansion, he has seen swords that have actually been on the battlefield and licked blood, so, fierce and murderous or something... Cough cough, the aesthetics of a real child.Yuan Mu glanced at Shui Qingqian.Today, this little flying boy is wearing a silver-red gold bat round-neck tunic, and the sheepskin boots under his feet are embroidered with a phoenix pattern of the same color as fire. As far as Yuan Mu can see, more than half of Shui Qingqian's clothes are red. , bright red, rose red, carmine red, rosy red, orange red... all kinds of red, with auspicious patterns, pasted on the wall is a doll for a year.

Yuan Mu avoided the important and ignored it, "Uh, she is very beautiful."

"Shopkeeper, bring it to us to have a look." Xie Ming pinned his finger on the counter.

Don't look at the three people who came in looking very bachelors, just from the appearance of the clothes, the store also knows that they are all children of rich families, so they dare not neglect, and quickly took the epee off the shelf, "Young master, you are too discerning!" Yes, this 'Xiaguang Shuyun Sword' was personally made by our master craftsman in the town shop. Look at the cirrus cloud engraving on it, there are masters all over the street, only our family can make it..."

Yes, this sword looks like it took a lot of effort to build, and it took a lot of thought. It can be engraved with patterns on the sword body, and the sword is indestructible. At first glance, it can only be done by a master with more than 20 years of experience. Not to mention the high-level craftsmanship, not to mention the traces of red in these engraved patterns, looking from a distance, the whole body is blood-colored, and it has the artistic conception of a murder weapon - brutal and beautiful, so dazzling!Because it is an epee, the three-inch-wide sword cannot be worn on the belt, but it can be carried on the back, and then the sword is held upside down, the weapon is held high, and the horse charges... Just thinking about it makes Shui Qingqian feel his blood boil.The only problem, "Uh, it's a bit heavy..." Shui Qingqian held the epee with both hands and dragged it off the counter.That's right, dragging.Even if this sword was intended to be flamboyant and show off to the rich young master, it was not prepared for such a little dandy like him.

Xie Ming: "Don't be delusional, eight-year-old Xiaodouding."

Shui Qingqian: "I am ten years old."

Yuan Mu: "Qingqian, let it go, this is not suitable for you."

Shui Qingqian groaned and held the sword tightly.

"No, the blade of this sword can be made hollow." The shop clerk was very clever, "The sword body in your hand is all made of first-class Nanxi iron. It is said that it is only made in shape and placed here, not the whole body They are all made of Nanxi iron, but it is a coincidence that they are engraved on these cirrus clouds, the blade is thick, so it is easy for the master to engrave it, isn't it?"

"Hollow..." Shui Qingqian made gestures, his heart became more and more excited, and he was reluctant to let go.If the weight can be reduced by half, he will lift it.just afraid...

The store clerk seemed to understand Shui Qingqian's concerns, and hurriedly patted his chest to assure him, "My lord, don't worry, even if the sword body is hollow, the engraved patterns on it and the crimson bean dyeing are still a little bit yours. This craftsmanship is ours. Only master Ou can make it. Our master is the old-fashioned way of the previous official workshop..."

"Huh! Children's stuff." Before the waiter could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a cold voice.

Shui Qingqian and the others looked back, but it was a short-shirt craftsman who was over fifty years old strolling out from the inside, followed by the shopkeeper.The master craftsman's fingers were thick and his veins were old. He looked like an old-fashioned blacksmith.

"Oh, hello, Master Ou..." The store clerk hurriedly came out to introduce, with a mixture of flattery and anxiety on his face. If you love it so much, on this street, only an old-fashioned style like yours can make it, and the goods are the same..." Therefore, this is a big deal, so don't let it break your house.

The 'Xiaguang Shuyun Sword' is an old craftsman who spent all his life making swords in the Ordnance Department without spending effort on the important places and spending a lot of effort on the places that shouldn't be thoughtful. It's understandable to look down on it.However, the ideal must always yield to the reality. Such a good-looking product starts at [-] guan. If the transaction is successful, the blacksmith will have an income of nearly [-] guan. It only takes a month and a half to come and go. It's not a small deal.Therefore, the shopkeeper immediately took over to entertain Shui Qingqian and the others, spitting out lotus flowers, trying to meet Shui Qingqian's unconstrained design requirements, but the old blacksmith finally just walked to the door silently, smoking a dry cigarette alone.

After the style and pattern were settled, the clerk measured Shui Qingqian's height and arm length, and recorded them on the order one by one. The epee on the body is made of pig iron that weighs seven catties and nine taels?"

"Well, it's definitely like an epee sword when you dance to ensure that you are full of style." Shui Qingqian was so excited that Yuan Mu was too embarrassed to pour cold water on him, and he turned around and asked Xie Ming, "Are you going to be his adviser like this? Qingqian, do you know how thin the iron is if it’s only seven catties and nine taels? You still need to hollow out the epee, engrave it, and soak it in color..."

"No problem at all," the shopkeeper hurriedly clarified, "Master Ou's highest standard is six catties and six taels with goose feather pattern. It's still far from this. Master Ou, master Ou, come in..."

The old blacksmith had already finished smoking his tobacco. When he heard the shopkeeper's greeting, he knocked off the ashes, turned back from the outside, took a look at the list, and assured him simply and coldly, "Okay. It can be done well."

"Master, I would like to ask, hey..." Yuan Mu wanted to ask a few more questions, but the master left without looking back.

The owner of the store followed him carefully, "Don't blame me, my son. Old Outou has such a bad temper. If you need anything, the store will not let you down."

Yuan Mu shook his head, "I just thought, if this master has such good craftsmanship, why doesn't he make a real weapon, but instead makes something like this?"

Shui Qingqian was not happy: "This is also a sword."

Xie Ming rolled his eyes, and carried Shui Qingqian to the back, "I think this master is very attractive, as if he really has two brushes. Hey, is Master Ou willing to make a normal sword? Let me see if he looks like it." , I'd be happy to come and order one."

"There is no good material, alas." The shopkeeper was also helpless, "To tell you the truth, I became a master swordsmith, and my name will last forever. Which blacksmith doesn't want to make a real sword? Lao Ou's craftsmanship is good, but at the Yamen, I heard that the craftsman Si's current fine iron, even an ordinary apprentice can forge a precious blade. The material is not good, the master does it himself, half a month's hard tempering is not as good as someone else's time for two meals... Sigh, It's all for a bite of food." The shopkeeper sighed infinitely.Official children like Xie Mingyuanmu understood.

A few years ago, the craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry improved the technology of iron smelting and forging. They didn't know how to do it. They only knew that because of this incident, the cost of military weapons and weapons dropped significantly.For the most common sword, it took a skilled master and three apprentices a day and a half to make it, and the cost was only two or three guan less.Now with the new technology, a few blacksmith apprentices can make more than a dozen swords in half a day, and the average sword only costs two hundred copper coins.From the perspective of the empire, saving military expenditures is equivalent to saving treasury expenditures, which is of course a great thing.But on the heads of these old blacksmiths, it will inevitably become a disaster.The Manufacturing Department does not need to hire so many master blacksmiths. Compared with inexperienced apprentices, they are better than young and strong apprentices. Older masters who rely on experience to make a living will naturally be eliminated.

Shui Qingqian raised her hand, "Can't you buy some refined iron from the Industry Department? The Industry Department sells them."

Yuan Mu shook his head, "It is impossible for the imperial court to allow too much refined iron to flow into the people. There is a ration for how much it flows out every year."

"Master Ou's iron shop is just a small business, and the mortgage of the yamen's license requires ten thousand taels of silver. Old Ou has no connections, so it's not easy." The shopkeeper said.

This is a trivial matter, so small that it has almost no effect on Shui Qingqian's trip. They paid the deposit and waited for the epee to be ready. He said with emotion, "It's just an improved recipe for smelting iron, no wonder my dad said that 'change' is always difficult..."

Yuan Mu heard this, and for the first time seriously thought about this question.In his previous circle of life, he had come into contact with Ziyue, grandeur and righteousness, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and Yangchun Baixue, but for the first time, Shui Qingqian pulled him out to the streets independently, and he personally touched the society. reality.Yes, even if it is just a pure technological innovation, it will involve the jobs and livelihoods of a large number of people.Is the forging process of these fine irons not good?of course not.But no matter how good it is, there are also a large number of poor craftsmen who are affected by it.Or to put it another way, the cannon fodder for this change is just a group of powerless craftsmen. If any change really touches the interests of the powerful class, no matter how good the change is, it may not be so smooth.

For a moment, Yuan Mu's mood was unspeakably complicated.

"It's a pity that the old craftsman's craftsmanship is too bad, but there's nothing we can do about it." Xie Ming then broke the news, "It can only be said that his craftsmanship is not the best. Even if the Manufacturing Department repatriates most of the old blacksmiths, they will still take the best If the old master stays, the generals will of course have to improve their swords even more, and if they can forge a few precious blades that will last forever, it will also be the face of our Jiayou Dynasty."

Yuan Mu interjected, "Master Ou just now is just one of the hundreds of skilled old-fashioned methods in the Manufacturing Department. It is very good, but not the best."

Shui Qingqian suddenly realized, "Oh, it turns out that the Engineering Department has better masters."

"Hey hey hey," Xie Ming yelled strangely, "did you expect Master San to build you that kind of thing?" Thinking that he thanked Xiaobawang for a serious saber, and he didn't even rank up in the manufacturing department. What's more, it's a toy with clear water?

"Don't call it 'that thing'!" The little bird jumped, "It's my Phoenix Feather Sword in Fire."

Even gave it a name, Yuan Mu turned his face away in pain.