Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 67: The Older You Get, the More Willful You Get

Now that we have soldiers, we have to give them weapons. We can't always let them practice with bamboo poles.

Xinping Township has just started to produce steel, and the current production capacity is still very limited. The top priority is definitely to make tools. Hammers, rakes, shovels, hoes and other farm tools are prioritized, and then weapons can be used.

According to those experienced old blacksmiths, the iron from Xinping Township is extremely difficult to forge. Things that could be bent with three hammers in the past now need to be repeatedly heated and forged before they can be formed. However, the things after they are formed are indeed good, and can be said to be the best of the best. The hoe can be used to hoe the ground quickly and well, and it is not easy to bend and is very durable.

"I want three kinds of swords. The first kind is a long-handled broadsword. It is a double-edged sword, about 15 pounds long. It is called a Mo Dao, and is used by infantrymen to fight cavalry."

At this moment, Xia Lin was discussing the idea with an experienced old blacksmith. He had many apprentices, and basically their family was the best in terms of work and production in Xinping Township.

"Then there's a light long sword, about this long..." Xia Lin gestured a length and took out a sketch: "This can be used as a waist sword, no need for armor-piercing weight, the main feature is sharpness. The shape should be like this, narrow straight blade, long handle, with a guard. This is for compensation to constables and city defense, two hundred will be enough. We need to get more of the one above."

Xia Lin took out another sketch and said, "There is also this kind of knife, the total length is three feet seven inches, the blade is two feet eight inches long, and the handle is nine inches long. It can pierce and chop, it can attack when advancing and defend when retreating."

The old blacksmith stared at the three knives and pondered for a moment: "Did your Excellency modify this?"

"Don't worry about it, just do it." Xia Lin slapped a stack of passes in front of him and said, "I'll give you enough money, get to work!"

The old man stopped talking and slammed the hammer on the iron felt: "Boys, get to work!"

Soon Xia Lin came out of the smoke and fire. When he looked back, he could hear the clanging sound inside. These three swords are actually famous cold weapons in history. One is the Tangmo Sword, which is a heavy sword. After being improved by General Qi Jiguang, it became a great weapon for anti-cavalry and anti-Japanese pirates. Another one is the Xiuchun Sword, which is mainly used for convenience and speed. It is used for urban security, so it does not require armor penetration but only sharpness.

The last type is the off-hand sword, which was the straight Miao sword that belonged to the main combat unit until the emergence of firearms.

As for why we don't just use muskets, please... we don't have the technical ability. Yes, the process flow is indeed given on the Internet, but the metallurgical technology is not up to the task, the chemical industry can't keep up, and the hot casting process is not perfect. Instead of spending time and effort to make guns, it is better to arm with cold weapons first and then make some explosives, such as small-caliber cannons, explosive packs, and grenades. Anyway, what Li Yunlong could make back then, he can barely make now. If he wants to go further, he has to wait for the second phase plan to come out.

This is similar to military training. The principle is understood but a lot of experience is needed to accumulate. You won’t get the best results if you are impatient.

In addition to weapons, there are also standard armors. The 500 people under Xia Lin's command are not private soldiers, they are regular troops with military tokens. They are a return gift from Lao Guo for more than 200,000 taels of tax silver. Unlike those private soldiers of the villagers, these people are qualified to be equipped with armor, but Lao Guo is still stingy and only gave them a regular position. Not to mention armor and weapons, he didn't even send them any recruits.

Therefore, Xia Lin needs to grind out everything bit by bit, which is not an easy task, even if he has money.

Meanwhile, in the capital, Miss Tang asked her father's old friend to present a set of porcelain paintings of greetings from all nations and a set of Dream of the Red Chamber to the emperor on his birthday. The two sets of porcelain totaled 108 pieces, which were colorful and beautiful. The emperor didn't take it seriously at first. After all, there were so many people presenting him treasures, and there were countless strange and bizarre things. The coral and tortoise shells were annoying.

However, on the third day, by chance, His Majesty went to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the scenery. The old eunuch who was accompanying him came over with a porcelain box and planned to make tea for him. This made the emperor notice the exquisite and unusually bright porcelain box.

He took the porcelain box and looked at it carefully. He found that it was not only as jade-like in texture, but also depicted lifelike landscapes and figures, which was very interesting. So the emperor asked, "Tian En."

"I'm here." The old eunuch nodded and replied.

“Who presented this?”

"A businessman asked Shao Silang, the Imperial Censor, to present it to us, saying that it was the only one of its kind in the world."

The old eunuch received a favor from Miss Tang and deliberately waved this thing in front of His Majesty. Now that His Majesty asked him a question, he naturally had to introduce it in detail.

"One set?" His Majesty smiled and said, "Go, bring it here for me to see."

His Majesty was in a very good mood these days. A few days ago, when he was celebrating his birthday, he heard that his niece had received the enlightenment of Guanyin in her dream, and she saved her brother by keeping the truth, which became a good story in the area, which made those civil servants suffer a heavy blow. Then, his idle younger brother got angry from nowhere and threw a tantrum in front of the palace, which made those sour and smelly civil servants who were tossing around all day look ashamed. For several days, no one bothered him about the marriage, which made the old emperor bright and cheerful. In normal times, he would not have the heart to appreciate any porcelain, and he would be annoyed to death by being annoyed.

The old eunuch moved all 1,808 pieces of porcelain into the imperial garden. His Majesty sat in the pavilion and read the narrative poems on them one by one in order. The poems combined with the paintings on the porcelain made for a satisfying show.

Being an emperor is good in every way, but he is trapped in this palace, like a bird in a cage, unable to fly high. The few entertainments he has become boring as he gets older.

But the stories of these two porcelains are indeed attractive, and they are accompanied by pictures, especially the set of porcelain called Dream of Red Mansions, which is truly heart-wrenching. With just a few strokes, the rise and fall of a wealthy family is vividly depicted.

The emperor's favorite scene was the one where Granny Liu entered the Grand View Garden. It made people smile knowingly and made them feel relaxed and happy.

Originally, he just planned to have a couple of sips of tea and sit for a while before going back to review the memorials, but who would have thought that he would spend two hours reading it. The small print on it was really tiring for his eyes, and when he looked up again, his eyes were already dizzy. But even so, he still felt unsatisfied.

But the emperor was the emperor after all, and he certainly knew why the old eunuch beside him was so eager to recommend this thing, so he smiled and asked, "How much silver did you receive from him?"

The old eunuch knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, it is unjust..."

"Don't give me that shit. You've been by my side since you were twelve years old. It's been forty-five years now, right? How could I not know you?" His Majesty chuckled, "I'll take you in, and I won't punish you for it. I also know that you've raised your brother's son very well outside the palace. Now you have three generations living under one roof. Congratulations."

The old eunuch didn't even dare to raise his head, he just knelt with sweat dripping down his forehead. This saying "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger" is no joke, all he was betting on is whether the old guy is in a good mood. If he is in a good mood, then it's a small matter. If he is in a bad mood, then the heads of his nephews and nephews will be on the table tomorrow.

"Forget it. You are old now. It is only natural for you to think about yourself. I will not pursue you. How much did you take? Tell me."

"Five thousand taels..."

"Wow~ You are really cunning." His Majesty shook his head: "This thing is really exquisite, I am very satisfied. Since you have accepted the money, I will express my gratitude on your behalf. Go and inform the eunuch that this thing should be a tribute."

"Thank you, my Lord, for your grace!!!" The old eunuch was so excited that he almost cried out loudly. He knocked his head loudly: "Your Majesty~~"

"Okay, okay, alas. I don't have many close friends left around me." His Majesty also sighed softly: "I only have two brothers, one in the south and the other in the north. My son is patrolling everywhere, and I am upset to see those useless people left. Alas... Tian En, do you still remember what it was like when you and I went to the south of the Yangtze River thirty years ago?"

"Your Majesty..." Hearing these melancholy words, the old eunuch choked up and said, "Your Majesty has suffered over the years."

"Why should I suffer? If the emperor suffered, the world would have rebelled long ago. But I am old now and always miss the past days." The emperor took a sip of tea and thought for a moment: "Do you think it is okay for me to go to Hongdu Mansion to visit my brother for a few days?"

"Ah this..."

How could the eunuch dare to speak? If he said yes, His Majesty would leave. Then the civil officials would come out to accuse him, and he would be the one to take the blame. Even if His Majesty regarded him as a brother, he would be beaten to death for the crime of bewitching the emperor. If he said no, it would upset His Majesty's temper. Even if His Majesty was kind and would not say much, he would certainly complain.

It's not easy to be a eunuch.

"Go, announce to the Minister of Works that I will personally go to Jiangnan to inspect the water conservancy." The old man suddenly seemed to be in high spirits: "Let him deal with it. I must go to Jiangnan."

"Yes, I will summon him here for your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)