What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 223 Carrying the Emperor's Mission Through to the End

Su Mo set the tone, and the White Snake Spirit could only leave respectfully.

In any case, she didn't actually have a very deep relationship with the mountain people.

In other words, they dared not leave Lonely Peak Mountain, lest they be discovered by those righteous immortals and sorcerers who took it upon themselves to slay demons and monsters, and thus need the help of the mountain people to exchange for some meat.

Su Mo spent most of the day researching cement and papermaking technologies, and it was almost time for his shift to end.

He was just about to call Liu Siyun to return to the city together.

Suddenly, Ding Bashi came to see him.

Su Mo looked at Ding Bashi suspiciously: "What do you want to see me about, you rascal?"

Ding Bashi smiled obsequiously and said, "My lord, I have just discovered a new steel formula and wish to offer it to you."

Su Mo was immediately stunned.

These days, craftsmen who discover secret recipes don't easily share them with others.

Su Mo raised an eyebrow: "Tell me about it."

Ding Bashi immediately took out a piece of dark brown ore with dark red veins from his pouch: "Please take a look, sir!"

"This is an ore that I discovered by chance, and I named it Black Steel."

Su Mo's eyes narrowed instantly.

This isn't tungsten steel at all; it's clearly manganese ore!

He naturally didn't realize that Ding Bashi was talking about black steel, not tungsten steel.

Ding Bashi then added, "Ever since you gave me some pointers and helped me set up preheating air pipes to increase the furnace temperature, many ores that were previously insoluble can now be melted."

"The adults once told me that adding other metals to molten iron can improve the quality of the iron. I will remember your teachings."

Su Mo's face darkened instantly.

This guy is great in every way, except he's too fond of flattery. I glared at him and said, "Get to the point!"

Ding Bashi hurriedly replied with a fawning smile, "Yes, sir!"

"The small one melts black steel into molten iron, and the resulting iron is many times harder than ordinary steel!"

"I even used this new steel to forge a battle sword, as a tribute to you, sir!"

Su Mo was genuinely surprised.

Ding Bashi actually managed to smelt manganese steel.

Manganese steel is much harder than ordinary carbon steel.

"Where is the sword?"

Ding Bashi laughed and said, "My rascal son is outside holding it. I'll let him in right away!"

Soon, Ding Xiaochui entered, carrying a long, gleaming sword in both hands.

Su Mo took it and examined it. The sword was about 1.2 meters long, with a blood groove on the back, a slightly concave blade, and a straight tip, looking similar to the swords of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

With a casual swing, the balance and feel are quite good; Ding Bashi really has a knack for crafting weapons.

Su Mo has several blade-type weapons.

The straight sword of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the precious sword given by Lady Wang, and the steel sword presented by Ding Bashi.

However, the swords of the Imperial Guards were too conspicuous, so Su Mo carried a steel sword forged by Ding Bashi.

They drew their two swords and clashed, the sound of metal clashing deafeningly loud. Ding Bashi's eyelids twitched, and a look of heartache appeared on his face.

Su Mo raised his twin swords and looked closely. He was shocked to see that the steel swords had a two- or three-centimeter-long nick.

The manganese steel battle knife only left a single mark!
Su Mo gasped.

This steel sword is of even higher quality than the swords of the Imperial Guards. It looks similar to the precious sword that Wang mentioned, but it is no match for the manganese steel sword!
Su Mo said in a deep voice, "Bring me a suit of armor!"

The Great Wu Dynasty forbids private ownership of armor, but the Craftsmen's Camp has quite a few.

It was often used to test the Divine Arm Bow in the past.

Ding Xiaochui brought over a standard suit of armor and a test dummy.

Iron armor is made of leather ropes connecting iron plates. Due to the iron shortage in Da Wu, iron armor is a high-end product, and only generals or elite warriors of Da Wu are qualified to wear it.

Su Mo poured all his strength into his right arm and slashed fiercely.

The manganese steel blade easily sliced ​​through the iron armor, and the armor, along with the wooden figure, slid down diagonally, cleaved in two by the blade.

The cut is smooth and straight.

Su Mo's eyelids twitched slightly.

The manganese steel sword is so sharp that it truly deserves to be called a divine weapon.

I wonder which is more powerful, the crescent-shaped short blade made of cold iron, or Nangong Sheyue's.

However, even if the crescent short blade is more powerful, it doesn't diminish the terrifying nature of the manganese steel battle knife!
This can be mass-produced!
If you select strong and capable men, equip them with manganese steel armor and wield manganese steel swords, and send them sweeping through in a row, they will absolutely kill gods and destroy Buddhas!

Even with his own perfected Azure Wood Technique, he might not be able to withstand it!

The Mo Dao Army can be formed!

Su Mo's expression instantly turned serious: "How is the manganese steel production?"

Ding Bashi hurriedly said, "If the iron ore supply is sufficient, and the blacksmith workshop produces black iron steel at full capacity, it can produce about 300 catties a day."

"However, we need to refine mild steel for bicycles, four-wheeled carriages, and rickshaws. We can probably only produce about a hundred kilograms of manganese steel!"

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Let's not smelt the iron; let's just buy the best iron directly!"

"Furthermore, I grant you permission to increase the manpower in the blacksmith's workshop. In any case, I guarantee that the output of manganese steel will exceed 500 catties!"

Ding Bashi was taken aback: "Manganese steel?"

Su Mo frowned: "It's the black iron steel you mentioned."

He now thinks he probably understands that Ding Bashi was referring to ferroalloy, not ferrotungsten.

With current technology, it is virtually impossible to produce tungsten steel.

Manganese has a melting point of over 1,200 degrees Celsius, while tungsten has a melting point close to 3,400 degrees Celsius!
Ding Bashi nodded excitedly: "Don't worry, sir. As long as there is enough money, I will definitely guarantee to refine 500 catties of black iron steel every day!"

Su Mo thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you know what coke is?"

Ding Bashi stared at Su Mo in astonishment: "Coke? What's coke?"

Su Mo said calmly, "It's made by dry distillation of coal, so the combustion temperature is even higher. Hmm... dry distillation is heating in the absence of air. Go back and try it out."

It's not that we can't build smaller blast furnaces with higher output; we can simply use graphite to make refractory bricks. It's just that there's no need for that for the time being.

Ding Bashi nodded, bewildered.

In his eyes, what Su Mo said was the golden rule; if he couldn't do it, it was definitely because his own skills were lacking, not because the adult's secret recipe was wrong.

As Ding Bashi was pondering how to dry distill coal, Su Mo added, "You should also research how to forge armor using black iron steel."

"In addition, the black iron steel knife should be made in this way."

He casually drew a picture of a Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) and handed it to Ding Bashi.

Ding Bashi took a look and immediately nodded, saying, "This small knife is good for fighting!"

After saying that, he did not take his leave.

Su Mo glared at him irritably, then took out two blank official documents from under the desk.

When Su Mo contracted the artisan battalion last time, he asked Leng Liuxi for a lot of blank official documents and stamped them with the official seal of the Southern Garrison Command to win over the artisans.

Su Mo directly filled in the names of Ding Bashi and Ding Xiaochui.

Appointed as a junior officer and strongman in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
A blank official document immediately became a legitimate proof of official status.

"You're actually pretty useful!"

"This is your official document; from now on, you will no longer be of lowly status."

"I hereby appoint you as a junior officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Ding Xiaochui as a strongman of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, concurrently serving as the supervisor of the blacksmith's workshop!"

Ding Bashi swallowed hard in ecstasy!
Su Mo then coldly added, "Your identity tokens will be delivered to you later. From now on, you must serve me well!"

"Also, your points have been reset to zero. Whether you can get more points depends on the progress of Wutie Steel forging!"

Ding Bashi knelt down in a flash.

Seeing Ding Xiaochui still standing there dumbfounded, Ding Bashi hurriedly pulled his son down as well, knelt in front of Su Mo, and swore to the heavens: "Lord Su, rest assured, my life belongs to you from now on!"

"Yeah! My son of a bitch is one too!"

Su Mo...

"Ahem! From now on, you must refer to yourself as 'your subordinate' or 'your humble servant'!"

"Also, forge me a fine sword suitable for a woman to use."

Ding Bashi chuckled: "Is this for Lord Nangong?"

"The little figure is already finished!"

Su Mo...

"Two then!"

Ding Bashi immediately said, "Lord Leng's humble servant has also spoken!"

Su Mo glared at him fiercely: "Three!"

Ding Bashi swallowed hard.

Just how many female confidantes does Lord Su have?

Fortunately, I actually played three rounds, just in case!

Seeing Ding Xiaochui run back to retrieve three exquisitely designed, gleaming swords, Su Mo didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I don't know whether to reward that bastard Ding Bashi or give him a good beating.

However, talented people are hard to find.

People who know how to flatter and are also technically skilled are even rarer.

Let's spare him this time!
He sent someone to summon Liu Siyun back to the city, but Liu Siyun insisted on staying at Gufeng Mountain to supervise the villagers' labor. Su Mo could only return home alone, carrying his battle sword and three precious swords. Upon arriving home, he found only Xue Yishu and Meng Danying there.

Ding Yu and Wang Xiuzhi went out to catch up.

Lin Moyin was still on duty, so Su Mo simply explained the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to Xue Yishu and Meng Danying.

Xue Yishu and Meng Danying's eyes lit up.

He listened while writing furiously.

Su Mo glanced at her and thought Meng Danying was terrifying; she could actually write with both hands simultaneously.

Furthermore, whether it was to show off or something else, they actually used two completely different fonts, which was simply unbelievable.

Sometimes, you really can't help but believe that geniuses truly exist!
She and Xue Yishu wrote separate paragraphs, which together form a complete article.

The efficiency of writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms has more than doubled!
At this pace, as long as Su Mo can keep up with the story's pace, he can probably finish writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a month!

……

Su Mo then gave a long speech, and Meng Danying and Xue Yishu huddled together to discuss the plot and polish their writing.

Lin Moyin returned from her shift, looking somewhat tired.

Su Mo hurriedly ordered his servants to fetch food from Baiyujing and also called Jiang Lan back to dine together.

After the meal, Jiang Lan went to clear the dishes, while Xue Yishu and Meng Danying continued writing.

Lin Moyin suddenly remembered something: "My lord, it's so cold there..."

Su Mo quickly said, "Madam, look!"

As he spoke, the man presented a precious sword: "This is a sword that I specially commissioned to be made for my wife."

"Try it and see if it works."

Lin Moyin glared at him irritably, but still took the sword and flicked her wrist, creating several dazzling sword flowers in the air.

She was immediately taken aback, and lightly flicked the sword with her jade-like fingers.

The sword emitted a clear, continuous ringing sound.

"What a fine sword!" Lin Moyin exclaimed in praise, then looked at Su Mo with surprise and doubt, "Where did you get this precious sword, my lord?"

Lin Moyin, the "first wife," knew best about the Su family's wealth and knew that there was no such sword in the treasury.

Su Mo chuckled: "You don't need to worry about Madam."

"Does Madam think this sword is excellent?"

Lin Moyin thought for a moment: "In terms of sharpness and toughness alone, it should be comparable to a fourth-grade magic weapon!"

Su Mo was genuinely astonished: "A fourth-grade magic weapon? This sword is that powerful?"

Lin Moyin explained, "That's not quite right."

"A fourth-grade magic weapon possesses other supernatural abilities; this sword is merely sharp and tough!"

She paused slightly: "Of course, if this sword falls into the hands of a martial master who is skilled with swords, its destructive power will not be much less than that of a fourth-grade magic weapon of a sorcerer."

This answer satisfied Su Mo quite a bit!

He couldn't help but ask again, "What does Madam think the value of this sword is?"

Lin Moyin glared at him immediately: "Our family is not short of money. How can such a precious sword be sold? It should be kept as a family heirloom!"

The implication is that the sword is a family heirloom.

Lin Moyin paused for a moment, then said, "If you want to sell it, it cannot be sold for less than five hundred taels of silver."

"If it encounters a sword enthusiast or a master of swordsmanship and martial arts, it could probably be sold for a thousand taels!"

Su Mo...

A sword worth five hundred taels of silver, can Ding Bashi's bastard mass-produce it?
Is it a bit stingy of me to only give him a minor officer position?
Hmm, we need to keep a close eye on this guy and make sure no one else snatches him away, unless they snatch his corpse!

After obtaining the sword, Lin Moyin became noticeably more enthusiastic towards Su Mo.

He didn't ask about Leng Xixi and the cloak anymore.

The evening was filled with tender affection and intimacy.

Aside from her virginity, which she refused to grant Su Mo because she feared his cultivation was insufficient and he wouldn't be able to withstand the Yin energy of the Heavenly Serpent, she granted all of Su Mo's other requests, whether excessive or not!

Afterwards, Su Mo did not forget the important matter and summoned Xue Yishu to the study to continue the Empress's "heart medicine" plan.

Lin Moyin knew what was important and didn't get jealous or force Su Mo to stay.

After Meng Danying left, Xue Yishu's writing efficiency dropped significantly on her own, and she only managed to write a little over four thousand words in more than an hour.

Seeing that Xue Yishu was getting sleepy, Su Mo was about to tell her to rest well and continue tomorrow.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice came to my ear.

Is Lord Su here?

Su Mo was speechless.

This time it wasn't the Empress coming to their door again.

It's An Wu who's here!
But it's no different from the Empress coming in person.

Is the Empress addicted to having him sleep with her?
Su Mo sighed, "Shu'er, you should go back and rest. I need to go out for a while!"

Then, he took a sword, thought for a moment, went back to his room, and quietly took out the Empress's cloak from the cabinet. Seeing that Lin Moyin didn't make any noise, he carefully left the bedroom without making a sound.

Exit through the side door.

Sure enough, An Wu was seen waiting outside in his four-wheeled carriage.

An Wu's gaze fell on the cloak and longsword in Su Mo's hands, his eyelids twitched involuntarily, and then he smiled and said, "Lord Leng has important matters to discuss with Lord Su. Please get in the carriage, Lord Su."

Su Mo nodded and got into the carriage.

An Wuyi pulled on the reins, and several large horses galloped off toward the Vermilion Bird Gate.

The carriage was filled with a familiar fragrance.

Su Mo sighed.

I wonder when the Empress's heartache will be cured. If it continues like this every day, I won't be able to get a good night's sleep.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the empty streets.

Bored, Su Mo suddenly remembered her second uncle's situation: "Uncle An, how is that old eunuch from last time?"

An Wu quickly replied with a smile, "Reporting to Lord Su, that old eunuch has been transferred to the Directorate of Ceremonial as a principal officer."

Su Mo was slightly puzzled, and clearly felt that An Wu's attitude towards her had become much warmer.

Without giving it much thought, he nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Uncle An!"

An Wu smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a small favor."

He paused slightly, then casually asked, "Does Lord Su know that old eunuch?"

Su Mo hesitated for a moment.

The Empress must have investigated her second uncle's situation thoroughly, so there seemed to be no need to hide it. She then said, "If nothing unexpected happens, that eunuch should be my second uncle."

An Wu hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

With a flick of the whip, the carriage suddenly sped up.

Just as Su Mo had expected, they headed straight for the imperial city, passed through the Xuanwu Gate, and soon arrived outside the Linhu Palace.

Strangely, even though it was past midnight, Xuanwu Gate was still open!
Hundreds of fully armed eunuchs and guards from the Imperial Horse Administration were stationed there!

It was clearly a back door opened by the Empress for herself.

But this back door is really big!
Xuanwu Gate was the city gate of the imperial palace's rear garden!

"Please get off the vehicle, sir!"

An Wu said in a serious voice, "Lord Leng is waiting for you inside the hall."

Su Mo, carrying his cloak and sword, entered the Linhu Palace.

Sure enough, in the dim candlelight, the Empress, dressed in a light green pleated gauze dress, rested her chin on her hand, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her beautiful eyes staring blankly in the direction of Xuanwu Gate.

Upon seeing Su Mo appear, the Empress's previously absent-minded eyes lit up, and she stood up and greeted Su Mo with a joyful smile, "Su Lang, you've come?"

Su Mo felt like he and the Empress were having an affair that couldn't be made public.

He gave a wry smile: "What brings Lord Leng here in the middle of the night, summoning me by Uncle An?"

Leng Liuxi blinked her pretty eyes: "Can't I talk to Su Lang if there's nothing wrong?"

Su Mo's forehead creased with annoyance.

He could only wave the cloak and sword in his hand: "Lord Leng, here is the cloak you left behind last night."

"This precious sword was specially crafted by a craftsman and presented to you, my lord, to express my gratitude for your kindness."

The Empress didn't even glance at the cloak; her gaze fell directly on the rather ordinary deerskin sword sheath, and a look of surprise appeared on her pretty face.

This was the first time Su Mo had ever given her a gift on his own initiative!
Has he finally figured it out and knows how to use gifts to woo a girl?
The Empress received countless benefits from Su Mo, but they were all things she had to ask for in various ways. This was the first time Su Mo had given them to her willingly!
Despite being just an unremarkable longsword, with its hilt bound with hemp rope and not even a single gemstone inlaid, it was still a very ordinary longsword.

The Empress happily accepted the longsword.

Unsheath the sword.

Even in the dim candlelight, the blade gleamed like a pool of autumn water.

"What a fine sword!" The Empress's beautiful eyes showed a hint of surprise as she looked up at Su Mo. "Where did Su Lang obtain such a fine sword?"

"Who could forge such a precious sword? How could I possibly know?"

Su Mo's forehead was covered in black lines!

It's understandable that his future wife would know he doesn't have such a precious sword.

But how could the Empress know that she didn't have such a precious sword?

Can't I still keep some secrets?

Judging from this situation, it'll be hard to hide any secret stash of money from now on! What's the point of being a man then?
It seems that the cellar in the back courtyard is unreliable!
I need to find a way to secretly acquire a house without telling anyone, and then build a secure secret room specifically for hiding my private stash of money!
Let's see who can find their best stuff!

(End of this chapter)