Chapter 34: Chen Zixiu and Mountain Lord Meet Emperor
The memorial began with these words:
“On the Feasibility of Popularizing the Yuchang Sword in the Army.”
“On the Implementation Plan for Replacing Old Weapons with New Ones.”
Two titles stood side by side.
Everyone who saw them felt their spirits jolt.
The feasibility of popularizing Yuchang in the army?
Although the wording was a little strange, they understood it at a glance.
What kind of absurd idea was this? The Yuchang Sword had been forged by Ou Yezi, the divine smith of Yue. The reason it was called a peerless divine sword was precisely because it was unparalleled in the world. Even Ou Yezi himself might not be able to forge another identical Yuchang Sword.
And now someone was telling them to discuss the feasibility of popularizing it in the army?
Was this not like being unable to afford even rice, yet discussing how to eat meat?
Seeing them stunned, Chen Bai could roughly guess what they were thinking, so he spoke.
“Previously, His Majesty bestowed the Yuchang Sword upon me. I was delighted, so naturally I could not help taking this famous sword to my teacher’s place to show off. My teacher studied it for several days and actually reverse-engineered the forging method of Yuchang. He then adjusted it and named the steps the Hundred-Forging Method.”
There was no helping it. If he said that he himself had come up with some method of forging weapons, he would have to face far too many questions.
So he had no choice but to push everything onto his teacher, “Mountain Lord.”
The consequence of doing this was that “Mountain Lord” was pushed directly before everyone.
Before this, Mountain Lord had only been a commoner without official rank. Even if he had done some astonishing things, to these high officials of the court, at most he was someone worth marveling over and calling an extraordinary figure among the people.
But now, the situation would probably completely change. He did not know what kind of impact this step would bring.
The Hundred-Forging Method was something Chen Bai had found after searching information all night. Compared with the technology of the current era, it was probably advanced by about three hundred years. Simply put, it combined water-tempering methods with repeated hammering to remove impurities from the material.
It did not seem like much, but it was already enough to bring a qualitative leap to weapons.
“Every step of the Hundred-Forging Method has already been written completely and clearly in the memorial. Everyone may take a look,” Chen Bai continued.
The group of people listened in bewilderment.
“He… he truly reverse-engineered Yuchang’s forging method? And even adjusted it into steps that can be popularized?”
This Mountain Lord was actually formidable to such an extent?
If that was true, the court would probably have no choice but to take him seriously. Last time, Mountain Lord had offered medicine and saved the people of Shangjing. At most, that only proved that his medical skills were excellent. He was a talent, but not enough to make the court truly pay attention. That was completely different from the current situation.
Chen Bai gritted his teeth. If he did not bring out something tangible, these people would probably not believe him completely.
Fortunately, he had prepared for this in advance. “My teacher has already used the forging method written in the memorial to create a weapon. Someone is currently waiting outside the hall with the weapon and may only enter after His Majesty summons them.”
The emperor nodded. Compared with those who were currently gathered around the memorial, he had already read it once.
Before long, someone walked in from outside the hall, holding a box. Chen Bai directly opened the box. Inside was a palm-sized silver dagger.
“Why is it so small? It does look exquisite, but how could such a weapon go onto a battlefield?”
The corner of Chen Bai’s mouth twitched. Was this not just a fruit knife he had bought? Did they think his phone could really buy anything? Anything longer would be a controlled item.
Chen Bai ignored their murmurs of surprise and took the knife in his hand. He drew a strand of his hair across the blade.
Several strands of black hair floated lightly to the ground.
“Hiss…”
“This…”
In ancient times, people described divine weapons with the phrase “sharp enough to sever hair blown against the blade.”
Although just now he had not blown the hair onto it, he had merely lightly laid the strand of hair across the blade, and that was enough to show its sharpness.
Chen Bai thought to himself that if a modern knife manufacturer sold knives that could not even cut hair, they would probably be complained about until not even their underwear was left.
Sharpness in the modern era and in ancient times were not equivalent concepts. For example, right now, something Chen Bai felt was only natural made everyone else’s eyes tremble fiercely.
No one knew what they were thinking, but even these old foxes who were usually as steady as mountains probably could not remain completely calm at this moment.
If… if what this memorial said was true, and Great Qian’s army could be equipped with weapons as sharp as this, then Great Qian’s strength would probably advance by leaps and bounds.
How could they not be shocked and excited?
All eyes turned in unison toward the dagger in Chen Bai’s hand.
“Ahem…” The one who spoke was the Emperor. “Let everyone take a look at this dagger.”
Although he said that, he was the first to receive the dagger himself.
“The handle of this dagger is also too exquisitely made. There is no worry of cutting one’s own hand, and it is easy to hold. But if used on the battlefield, there is no need to make it like this. It would only waste forging time for nothing.”
After saying this, he even took his own hair and cut it against the blade.
The others gathered around too.
“The blade is too short and too thin. It has more delicacy than strength, and it also has no blood groove…”
The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth kept twitching as he listened. A group of people were discussing right in front of him how to use a fruit knife to kill enemies on the battlefield!
Fortunately, the atmosphere was quite serious now, otherwise he might have laughed himself unconscious on the ground.
Although these people raised some issues, there was no question that none of them doubted its sharpness in the slightest.
One after another, they were cutting their hair with it as if playing. Watching the hair fall, only they themselves probably knew how shocked they felt.
Chen Bai explained, “My teacher forged it in great haste, so he only managed to make this small knife. It was originally given to me for peeling fruit.”
Peeling… fruit?
This time, the veins on the foreheads of the old officials bulged.
Such a fine knife used for peeling fruit? This was simply outrageous.
If not for the fact that Chen Bai had brought the knife, they probably would have jumped up and scolded him already.
A reckless waste of heavenly treasures!
They could not scold Chen Bai, so their eyes widened like bulls as they glared at Chen Shouye. “The Court of Judicial Review is truly extravagant!”
Chen Shouye: “…”
What did this have to do with him? Had he not only just learned about this too? Their Court of Judicial Review had no such extravagant habits.
Of course, he felt a little guilty saying that. Recently, Chen Xiaobu had gained many strange little items. They looked exquisitely made and probably were not cheap, yet they were casually placed around the house. When asked, he said his brother had given them to him. No matter how one looked at it, things were developing in the direction of extravagance.
However, since Chen Bai had managed to bring out something tangible, Chen Shouye could be considered to have breathed a sigh of relief. In this short while, he did not know how much cold sweat he had shed, afraid that one careless moment would result in Chen Bai being charged with disrupting the court.
Thankfully, thankfully. Now even when others glared at him, he felt it was painless and harmless. Compared with his son’s ability to cause trouble, these looks counted for nothing.
Chen Bai continued, “With this Hundred-Forging Method, ordinary weapons forged using it should be as sharp as this dagger, without difference.”
In truth, the fruit knife he had bought and weapons forged using the Hundred-Forging Method were still very different, but there was nothing he could do. Where was he supposed to find a weapon forged using ancient methods to demonstrate?
He would trick them for now. If they later really asked why there were differences in the forged weapons, Chen Bai could only say it had to do with each smith’s technical skill. There would always be a way to cover it up.
The Emperor suppressed the tremor in his heart and asked, “What do you all think?”
The others looked at one another.
“This matter is of great importance and cannot be underestimated. Please invite Mountain Lord here so we can discuss it together.”
Chen Bai: “…”
Discuss it together? Were they joking with him?
He coughed lightly to hide his awkwardness, then said, “I’m afraid that will not be possible. After my teacher gave me this dagger, he went up the mountain to gather herbs. Out in the wilderness, who knows where to find him?”
It seemed that Mountain Lord’s identity would have to appear again after these few days of attention had passed.
Chen Bai quickly continued, “Actually, there is no need for my teacher to appear. The forging method on the memorial is written clearly and plainly. You only need to have people try according to this method. In a few days, you will be able to see the result.”
“That is the only way. This matter cannot be delayed.”
“Your teacher truly is an extraordinary person.”
“…”
Seeing the topic being dragged toward Mountain Lord, Chen Bai felt completely worn out and quickly interrupted, “If Great Qian’s army can be equipped with weapons as sharp as the Yuchang Sword, then the old weapons will probably have to be eliminated. We must find a place for them. We cannot simply throw them away for nothing. Such waste—even if Great Qian could bear it, the loss would probably be enormous.”
Chen Bai lowered his eyes and finally got to the main point.
He had circled around so much precisely for this.
On Zuo Qiu’s side, he had tricked the other party out of half of the Secret Records of Duke Lu with clever skills. Now it was time to repay that debt.
Chen Bai said, “Please look at the second half of the memorial.”
The second half of the memorial roughly discussed a new concept: Great Qian would hold onto the highest-end weapons itself and sell the old weapons. The money from selling them could then be invested into the production of new weapons.
After all, Great Qian still had so many refugees. There was not even enough money to buy grain for disaster relief, so where would they get enough money to forge new weapons?
Chen Bai said, “In this way, we resolve the issue of the old weapons being eliminated and also equip Great Qian’s army with new weapons. How does that sound?”
Inside the hall, only Chen Bai’s voice could be heard.
Everyone: “…”
Listening to it, it did seem to make sense.
“But if we sell weapons to the Lu people, wouldn’t that offend Ba?” someone said. “That would be somewhat not worth the loss. It would be better for us to slowly replace them bit by bit.”
Chen Bai quickly answered, “That is incorrect. When did I say we would only sell weapons to Lu?”
“Even if the people of Ba come to buy them, we will sell to them too.”
“Our attitude must be correct. We must make it clear to everyone that Great Qian is simply selling weapons. We are not targeting any person or any country. As long as they have money, they may come buy.”
What Chen Bai did not say was that even if Great Qian truly wanted to sell old weapons, they would have to sell them in batches. It was impossible to sell them all at once. After Lu bought one batch of weapons, they would have to wait until new weapons were forged and replaced before selling the next batch. Otherwise, if they sold off large numbers of old weapons all at once and new weapons had not yet been supplied, would that not give others a chance to take advantage of their weakness?
Chen Bai remained calm, leaving only a group of people opening their mouths: “…”
To be honest, weapons were expensive. If those old weapons were simply eliminated and wasted, no one would be willing.
Now the Lu people happened to be here to buy weapons. The timing was just right.
Once the news spread, perhaps other countries would also come to buy weapons. Would that not be exactly as Chen Zixiu said? Silently and without fuss, their old weapons would be exchanged for new ones, and with the help of other countries, their own strength would instead increase greatly.
Chen Bai thought to himself that no one could refuse such a tempting business. Even in the modern era, which relatively large country did not want to dump low-grade weapons on countries one level below them?
Besides, once Great Qian replaced its weapons with new ones and its strength increased, even if some people felt dissatisfied, it would already be too late. They could only watch helplessly.
At this moment, a high official looked toward Chen Bai. “I have heard that Grand Scholar Zhaoxue has recently been quite close to Zuo Qiu of Lu. Aside from these points, the one who benefits most from the contents of this memorial should be Lu, yes?”
Chen Bai raised his head. “Zixiu acts wholeheartedly for Great Qian. Lu merely happened to arrive at the right time. Even if the country that came were not Lu, this memorial would be exactly the same. Not a single word would change.”
He was not stupid. As a person of Great Qian, how would he dare say he was doing this for Lu? Did he not want to live? Even such a suspicion alone would probably displease the Emperor.
The person who asked the question was rather interesting. Chen Bai glanced at him. Zhao Wangyi, the Chamberlain for Palace Attendants, one of the Nine Ministers. He was already so old, yet why did he dig pits for others like this?
Zhao Wangyi cupped his hands to the king. “This minister merely spoke of what he saw.”
Neither servile nor overbearing.
The Emperor frowned slightly.
After a long while, he said, “This matter still requires discussion. Although the memorial is written clearly, in the end, we must first have people make the weapons and confirm the result before continuing with the later matters.”
No matter what, this Hundred-Forging Method was beneficial to Great Qian and could not be treated lightly.
Chen Bai was not anxious about these few days, because with such great profit before them, and since Great Qian happened to be a little stronger militarily than the surrounding states, they could not possibly give it up.
Chen Bai only said to an old man with a bluish beard, “Duke Lu, perhaps you might use these few days to calculate how much money the old weapons would be worth if they were all sold.”
The old man with the bluish beard was Lu Qingqi, one of the Three Dukes, who controlled Great Qian’s finances.
The Emperor also said, “Prepare a rough price list.”
Chen Bai smiled inwardly. These people looked reserved now, but once they saw how much money Great Qian’s old weapons could sell for, let’s see how long they could endure.
Great Qian was poor. The national treasury had been emptied by the refugees. A huge sum of money was placed right there before them, and it was within reach. When the time came, without Chen Bai adding fuel to the fire, they themselves would think of every possible way to get that money into their hands.
The Emperor looked at Chen Bai. “If this matter succeeds, it will be a great merit to Great Qian. When will your teacher return? He must personally come to the Golden Hall so that merit may be discussed and rewards bestowed.”
He was preparing to summon Mountain Lord.
That made sense too. This matter looked like only one memorial, but to Great Qian, was it not a heaven-shaking matter? It was completely different from what Mountain Lord had done in the past.
Chen Bai really wanted to say, “My teacher is like an idle cloud and wild crane. Just count the credit under my name.”
But in the end, he did not dare, because there was no precedent for that, and it was far too absurd.
His heart was bitter as he answered, “When my teacher returns, I will report to Your Majesty immediately.”
Now things were bad. Mountain Lord would probably be exposed before everyone. In the past, even when he went to Qi Zheng’s residence, he would tremble with fear, afraid of being recognized. Every time he went out, he had to practice a hoarse voice for a long time.
Court had not yet been dismissed. Their small discussion was only temporary. The hundred officials were still waiting. After court was dismissed, the Emperor would definitely gather the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers to continue discussing.
For now, they had to return to court.
Although Chen Bai was a grand scholar of Hongwen Pavilion, he was not qualified to stand in court. But today, the Emperor did not directly make him leave. Instead, he had him stand beside the dragon throne, just like a little attendant.
Even so, who knew how many people were stunned by the sight.
That position was not somewhere just anyone could stand. How favored did one have to be?
Chen Bai also froze and was somewhat “overwhelmed by favor.” This counted as a reward for him, right? The forging method had been contributed by Mountain Lord, but the memorial had been submitted by him personally, had it not?
Below, even Qi Zheng looked at Chen Bai in surprise. This Chen Zixiu had been someone everyone shouted at in the streets not long ago, yet now he was actually standing beside the Emperor.
In truth, Qi Zheng was not the only one shocked. Among the officials in court, anyone who had heard a little about Chen Zixiu’s incident nearly had their jaws drop.
What virtue or ability did Chen Zixiu possess to stand beside the dragon throne today? Although it was only this once, it was still supreme glory.
Only, they did not know that in the future, they would often see this.
If the others were only shocked, then Crown Prince Jiao’s whole person looked terrifyingly gloomy.
Why had things turned out like this?
Chen Zixiu had only submitted a memorial. Every day in the Golden Hall, how many memorials were presented? Moreover, this was such an absurd memorial about making Great Qian transfer weapons and armor to Lu. It was already strange enough that he had not been dragged out and beaten with a staff, but now it was as though Father had rewarded him instead.
Crown Prince Jiao could not help glancing at Zhao Wangyi, the Chamberlain for Palace Attendants, one of the Nine Ministers. What exactly had Father summoned the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers behind the hall to discuss?
Zhao Wangyi felt nothing from Crown Prince Jiao’s gaze and simply stood there perfectly straight.
At this moment, the Emperor on the dragon throne spoke. “The matter of Lu transferring weapons and armor is of great importance. It will be delayed for a few days. After further discussion, a decision will be made.”
Stunned.
After further discussion?
Then what had they been discussing these past few days?
Clearly, the result had already been decided, and they had even had someone draft the state letter. Yet now… it had suddenly changed just like that?
But neither the Three Dukes nor the Nine Ministers spoke, as if this were perfectly proper, as if in the past few days they had known nothing about why the Lu people had come and had never discussed any countermeasures.
On the Lu envoy side, they opened their mouths and looked at Zuo Qiu in disbelief.
Zuo Qiu had said that the Grand Scholar Zhaoxue, who had always opposed them, would help them. They had not really believed it. Even if they did believe it, how much help could someone who could not even attend court provide?
But now…
The drafted state letter had been directly suppressed. This Grand Scholar Zhaoxue was truly strange.
However, it was also thanks to Zuo Qiu’s flawless calculations that they had found this single turning point amid impossibility.
How could Zuo Qiu not be shocked as well? It had actually… truly reversed the decision of Great Qian’s court.
However, Zuo Qiu did not look at Chen Bai even once. He cupped his hands and said, “We will wait quietly for Your Majesty’s reply.”
The corners of Chen Bai’s mouth lifted. He really had been afraid that Zuo Qiu would show something.
He was Grand Scholar Zhaoxue, a minister of Great Qian. He could only, and would only, act wholeheartedly for Great Qian.
There were no other important matters in court today. The inner attendant asked a few times whether there were any other important matters, then court was dismissed.
As soon as court was dismissed, Chen Bai rushed home, because he had stayed awake all night last night searching information and writing the memorial. Just look at the big dark circles under his eyes, like a panda.
This time, he slept peacefully. Before sleeping, he even stroked the zither Zuo Qiu had given him.
In his dream, pure white moon flowers covered the mountains and plains, as if he had personally walked through Lu.
When Chen Bai woke up, Chen Xiaobu was standing at the doorway with a food box, dozing off. Seeing Chen Bai wake, he hurriedly walked in.
“Brother, this is the food Father had someone prepare for you. He said to bring it to you once you woke up.”
“Brother, do you think Father’s head got caught in a door? Didn’t he used to look at you like he wanted to whip you with a stick? Now he’s actually taking the initiative to have people prepare food for you.”
Chen Bai smiled. He was now someone who had stood beside the dragon throne.
Tsk, tsk. This could also be considered bringing glory to the family. How many great officials had been officials all their lives and never received such an honor?
Chen Xiaobu was playing with the Yuchang Sword beside him, even rubbing it against his face from time to time. Chen Bai found it amusing. “In a few days, Brother will give you a small dagger as sharp as Yuchang.”
The young masters of meritorious families all had the habit of carrying small daggers with them. Once they grew up, wearing long swords was nothing unusual either.
Chen Xiaobu was stunned. “Really?”
Chen Bai smiled. In the future, Yuchang would no longer be worth much.
Of course, in Chen Bai’s eyes, the sword in his hand was extraordinarily meaningful. It represented the peak of craftsmanship from thousands of years ago. Even if the new forging method succeeded and weapons as sharp as Yuchang were created, he would still continue wearing this sword.
Chen Bai could originally have given that fruit knife to Chen Xiaobu, but the fruit knife had been taken away by the king and the Three Dukes for study. It probably would not return to his hands anytime soon.
Besides, the fruit knife was indeed a little too thin. Once the new weapons were made, it should not be a problem for him to ask for a small dagger.
Over the next few days, Chen Shouye was rarely home at the Court of Judicial Review. He was probably supervising the forging of the new weapons.
Chen Bai could not get any news about the new weapons, but it should have been proceeding quietly.
For now, Mountain Lord definitely could not appear, because the moment he appeared, the king would certainly summon this “technical consultant.” If the king suddenly became interested and happened to summon Chen Zixiu at the same time, Chen Bai would not know how to swallow his broken teeth.
When the king summoned someone, even the Three Dukes would not dare refuse, let alone a tiny Chen Zixiu like him. When the time came, who knew what he was supposed to do?
“Thinking about it now, it really was a foolish move to expose Mountain Lord. In other words, from now on, there may very likely be situations where both Mountain Lord and Chen Zixiu must be present at the same time.”
He sighed and groaned, but regret was useless. It had already happened.
Mountain Lord could not appear, but Chen Zixiu could. To avoid arousing suspicion at such a critical time, he definitely could not go looking for Zuo Qiu.
Zuo Qiu seemed to understand this principle too. He was unusually quiet and had not come to find Chen Bai either.
With nothing to do, Chen Bai could only look for Tang Shen to play ranked games.
Now that he no longer had the position of tongzhi lang under Qi Zheng, Qi Zheng could no longer summon him over all the time. At most, he would send some voice messages. But Chen Bai, a demon currently gathering herbs in the mountains, had no time to bother with him.
So he had more free time now, and he played games with Tang Shen more often. Every day, they chatted and joked around. In the end, something actually came up on Tang Shen’s side.
“Some of the original drawings from those apprentices you sent over are pretty good. A few look quite unusual. They might be usable. How about you sell them to me?”
Chen Bai froze. Tang Shen did have some taste.
The things these apprentices drew were all things from this era. Just as ancient people would find modern things strange and interesting, would modern people not feel the same when looking at ancient things?
If these things were used in a game, they would also be a highlight. They might even attract the attention of historians and archaeologists, which could count as making a great contribution to history and archaeology.
Besides, if others did not know the history behind them, they could advertise it, could they not? A game that could bring players into real ancient life—would that not be appealing?
Chen Bai replied, “I’ll help you ask.”
Although they were all drawings by students, he still had to ask.
In the end, the group of students became terribly shy.
“We just drew them casually, and someone actually wants to buy them? Why does it feel a little embarrassing?”
Chen Bai said, “It doesn’t exactly count as buying. The drawings are still yours. It’s just that others will also have the right to use them.”
Chen Bai did not really know how to explain it clearly.
The group of students giggled and laughed. “Senior Brother can decide.”
Strange. The drawings had clearly been sold, so why were the drawings still theirs?
Chen Bai: “…”
Fine. He would decide himself.
Tang Shen chose several of them. Chen Bai looked them over. They were all decorations and items unique to this era, with an especially strong period atmosphere.
Then Tang Shen sent over a link. “Those students of yours are impoverished children from remote areas, right? I bought some things to give them. Treat it as payment for the drawings.”
Tang Shen had always thought Chen Bai had gone to some remote mountain village to volunteer as a master. It was rather funny.
Chen Bai opened the link.
It was actually guqin.
“Didn’t you say someone was teaching you all the guqin? Children in the mountains probably can’t afford to buy them. Consider these a gift from me.”
Chen Bai: “…”
“The things my apprentices drew still have a lot of room for improvement. They aren’t worth much money. These guqin aren’t cheap.”
But as soon as he sent the message, Tang Shen replied, “Can’t I be noble for once? Anyway, I’ve already bought them. Can I still return them now?”
He really did whatever came to mind. That was Tang Shen’s personality. Otherwise, he would not have suddenly opened a game company without even having any concrete ideas.
The willfulness of a rich second-generation heir. Chen Bai sighed. “Fine. List them online again and mark the price as one yuan. Just send me the link.”
Tang Shen: “…”
Chen Bai looked at the link Tang Shen sent over and thought: Zuo Qiu, who had been teaching him and his students the guqin, was about to complete his mission and would definitely hurry back to Lu as soon as possible.
In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient. Who knew whether they would ever meet again?
When the time came to see him off, no matter what, he had to leave Zuo Qiu with a memory he would never forget for the rest of his life. Let’s see if he could move him to tears.
For the next while, Chen Bai became busy, spending every day with his “junior brothers.”
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, the king was using that fruit knife to peel fruit. “It is rather convenient to use.”
“Could it be that from the beginning, it really was meant to be made into a fruit knife?”
This Mountain Lord was truly impossible to figure out.
Now, people naturally reported all information related to Mountain Lord to him.
But aside from being the first retainer of Qi Zheng’s residence, wearing red clothes, and wearing a mask, there was nothing else. His birth, age, and everything else were unknown.
Several times, people had been sent to Qi Zheng’s residence and the Court of Judicial Review to ask when Mountain Lord would return, but there had been no definite news.
However, he was not worried that this Mountain Lord had any ulterior motives, because if the price of those motives was advanced weapon-forging technology, he actually wished there were more such people.
“Other than being a little careless and loose, he is indeed an extraordinary person. I still have to meet him.”
Chen Bai was busy with his own matters and did not pay much attention to what was happening outside.
Until Chen Shouye brought back a dagger. It gave off a dim glow and was very different from the weapons Great Qian currently had.
This was something Chen Bai had asked Chen Shouye to have forged for him using the convenience of his official position after the new weapon method was successfully verified.
When Chen Shouye handed the dagger to Chen Bai, the expression on his face was complicated. He truly did not know how to evaluate this son of his.
He did cause trouble, and every time, he caused trouble to the point of nearly dying. But when Chen Shouye had been his age, he certainly had not achieved anything like this. He did not know whether he should feel gratified or something else.
This time, it truly counted as a great merit for Great Qian. Even the king had specially summoned him and said that once Mountain Lord returned, they would both be heavily rewarded.
The dagger was something Chen Bai had promised to give Chen Xiaobu.
Chen Xiaobu held the dagger and used it to cut hair, smiling as he did so. There were already many strands of hair on the ground, and he was still grinning so widely his mouth could not close.
If he kept cutting like this, that bob haircut of his would soon look as if it had been gnawed by a dog.
Chen Bai took the dagger and sliced off a corner of the table in one stroke. Wasn’t he just testing whether it was sharp? Was there a need to test it again and again?
Chen Xiaobu’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Then he quickly took back the dagger, sheathed it, and tucked it into his sleeve like a treasure.
“Brother, what is the name of this peerless dagger?”
Chen Bai thought to himself: In the future, there will be plenty of daggers like this. What name does it need?
But looking at Chen Xiaobu’s sparkling eyes, fine, he would satisfy him. He casually said, “Yuchang Number Two.”
Chen Xiaobu: “…That name is good. Isn’t it just as sharp as Yuchang?”
Chen Bai: “…”
Not long afterward, news came from court that weapons would be sold to Lu.
This news shocked the whole of Shangjing speechless. In their eyes, this was simply impossible.
Even more terrifying was that another piece of news spread.
Any country among the states that wanted weapons could come to Great Qian to buy them. The attitude seemed to be that they cared only about money, not people. It was filled with the smell of copper coins, and the news spread extremely fast, as if someone were controlling it from behind.
When Chen Bai received the news, he smiled inwardly. Sure enough, those high officials could not bear to give up such a profitable business.
Chen Bai had someone ask around. After the Lu envoys obtained the weapons, they prepared to escort them back to Lu that very day.
It seemed the matter had reached a point where not even a moment could be delayed.
These weapons being escorted should have no problems within Great Qian’s borders, but once they left Great Qian…
But presumably, Zuo Qiu had already sent people back in advance to notify others to receive them. That had nothing to do with Chen Bai.
At the gate of Shangjing, the setting sun slanted down.
Zuo Qiu’s people escorted cart after cart of weapons out of the city.
“Some of these weapons look fairly new. I thought they would give us extremely old ones to make up the numbers,” a Lu envoy said, somewhat ecstatic.
“The people of Great Qian are actually this honest. It is truly a little surprising.”
But Zuo Qiu kept looking back from time to time at the city wall under the setting sun.
Then he shook his head. At a time like this, even a fool would know to avoid suspicion. How could he possibly come out to see him off?
Zuo Qiu glanced at the escorted weapons, then began to leave with unwavering determination.
When they passed a hillside, the horses pulling the carriages were suddenly startled.
The Lu envoys all became nervous. Logically speaking, they had only just left Shangjing and had not gone far. Such a situation should not have happened.
Zuo Qiu also frowned and looked toward the hillside.
At that glance, his pupils abruptly contracted.
“Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, green grass stretches to the blue horizon…”
“The evening wind brushes the willows, the flute’s song fades; beyond the setting sun, mountain after mountain…” (Note: From Farewell.)
Zither music blended with singing.
On the hillside, beneath the slanting sun, rows upon rows of guqin were arranged.
Chen Bai sat cross-legged at the very front. Behind him… were the students whom Zuo Qiu had once casually guided while teaching Chen Bai to play the guqin.
The sunset shone on them, making them look as if they had been plated with a layer of golden-red light.
The zither music carried an indescribable melancholy. Although the singing came from a group of young, childish students, under the atmosphere created by the zither music, the feeling of parting became even more unforgettable.
There were many people playing the zither. In ancient times, because life was difficult, not many people could play the zither in the first place. Such a scene should have been extremely rare, and it looked very grand. Even in Lu, which was skilled in music, such a sight was uncommon.
Whether it was shocking or not, no one knew. But amid the repeated zither music and singing, Zuo Qiu stumbled backward several steps, his face pale.
The Lu envoys opened their mouths, yet could not say a single word.
Their eyes could not help turning toward the figure on the hillside, the one with a smile on his face and the sunset draped over him.
Chen Bai thought: Let’s see if this does not move him to death. Over these past few days, he had taken these students and practiced this song day and night, all for this moment.
One had to admit that the song Farewell, whether its lyrics or melody, had an astonishing mood. Just singing it or hearing it could make one feel the melancholy and reluctance of parting.
What was more, Zuo Qiu was now the person directly involved. It was very possible that after this departure, they would never meet again.
With all these things added together, Zuo Qiu would definitely never forget it for the rest of his life.
Zuo Qiu opened his mouth. Suddenly, he felt as though something had blocked his throat, and his chest was so tight he could hardly breathe.
Amid the melancholy zither music, amid the song filled with parting, tears slid down.
The Lu envoys around him: “…”
They knew why Zuo Qiu was like this. Even their own hearts felt blocked, and they lowered their heads.
Grand Scholar Zhaoxue was sending off a friend, using this method to express his unwillingness to part with that friend.
If… if this friendship were true, then this scene today would probably be passed down through the ages.
But they had ultimately stained this feeling.
One Lu envoy spoke with difficulty. “Let us go. In the end, we have no face to answer him.”
Zuo Qiu: “…”
All his life, he had been called peerless in schemes. He had also never thought of sin or repentance, but at this moment, even breathing became somewhat difficult.
The zither music stopped.
“Zuo Qiu, are you crying? The dignified Zuo Shanqin, one of the Four Great Young Masters of Lu, is actually crying?”
Zuo Qiu’s courtesy name was Shanqin.
Laughter rang out.
“Zuo Qiu, did we play well? When you first taught us, we played like pigs being slaughtered.”
Amid the laughter, the carriages loaded with weapons began moving again.
In the end, Zuo Qiu still could not say a single word.
Chen Bai used laughter to cover the sorrow of parting and was preparing to have people carry the guqin back to the city.
At this moment, a Lu envoy rode over on horseback. “Our young master asked me to pass a message to Grand Scholar Zhaoxue. Consider it a lesson from our young master before parting.”
Chen Bai froze.
The man continued, “The guqin you hold in your hands and treasure so dearly is nothing more than something our young master bought by the roadside. It is entirely ordinary.”
Chen Bai’s body shook. What?
Was this zither not left to Zuo Qiu by the master who had been killed when Ba massacred a city?
“There are no holy white moon flowers in Lu either.”
Chen Bai nearly failed to stand steadily.
“Chen Bai, Chen Zixiu, in these chaotic times among the states, with beacon fires burning everywhere, no one in this world can be trusted except one’s closest kin. These are our young master’s exact words.”
After speaking, he galloped away.
Over at Zuo Qiu’s side, a Lu envoy said, “We are still within Great Qian’s borders. Young Master, by doing this, are you not afraid he will find people to stop us?”
Zuo Qiu shook his head. “This lesson I gave him made him suffer such a huge loss. I hope next time he will remember it better.”
The envoy looked at Zuo Qiu’s lonely expression.
Had Grand Scholar Zhaoxue not also taught their young master a lesson?
When Chen Bai returned to the Court of Judicial Review, his whole person was dazed. So from the very beginning, Zuo Qiu had been using him.
Those stories he had told had all been nothing more than lies to deceive him.
His heart was bitter. “I was actually… tricked by an ancient person.”
Zuo Shanqin of Lu, cunning as a fox, must be guarded against carefully. Chen Bai could not help remembering the words Qi Zheng had told him the first time the two of them had gone to meet Zuo Qiu. How had he not taken them to heart at the time?
Bitterness was bitterness, but now that the matter was over, he, Grand Scholar Zhaoxue, had to go back to Hongwen Pavilion.
Inside Hongwen Pavilion were truly brilliant literary talents.
Chen Bai did not know what had gotten into him, but he carried that zither to Hongwen Pavilion.
“This zither is named Burning Heart. It belonged to Shi Yan, the Zither Sage of Lu. It is said that after Shi Yan died when the people of Ba massacred a city, this zither was passed on to his most proud student, Zuo Shanqin.”
“Whether its material or grain, it is made from blood-dripping parasol wood, which has already vanished. And there are also the burn marks and the bloodstains that cannot be washed away from that massacre. There is absolutely no mistake,” several grand scholars who had studied zithers said.
Chen Bai opened his mouth. “…”
“Then does Lu have white moon flowers?”
“Of course. Lu’s white moon flowers bloom across the land, mountains, and rivers…”
Chen Bai: “…”
If not for his sudden impulse to come to Hongwen Pavilion and ask, would he not have been fooled by that Zuo Shanqin again?
This lesson really had a lesson within a lesson.
Chen Bai sighed. Even after leaving, that man had still left him a test.
Next, Chen Bai waited for the king’s reward.
Now that the new weapons had also been successfully tested, Mountain Lord no longer had to worry about being dragged off by the king as a “technical consultant.” He could finally appear. Chen Bai still had to use this identity to teach his students, after all. He had accepted their tuition, and the money was still sitting in his drawer.
Chen Bai resumed classes in the identity of Mountain Lord.
A few days later, Qi Zheng sent him a voice message. “The grapes on the mountain are ripe. I hear sparrows have been pecking at them from time to time. If they aren’t picked soon, it would be a pity.”
Chen Bai was startled. He had a ten-percent share in those grapes. How could he let birds peck at them?
This Qi Zheng—he usually sent voice messages so diligently, so why had he not reminded him earlier?
Chen Bai was just about to carry a basket and go out when palace attendants arrived at the Court of Judicial Review, bringing two imperial edicts.
The contents were more or less the same. Both summoned someone into the palace to receive rewards for their merits.
Only, one edict summoned Chen Zixiu.
The second edict summoned Mountain Lord.
“The king said that master and disciple entering the palace together to receive rewards may become a fine tale in the streets and alleys. You must come together.”
Chen Bai: “…”
If he took out his phone and posted an emergency help thread, would anyone be able to give him an answer?
What was he supposed to do now?
