On the outskirts of Mengshan County, there was a sudden loud noise, and the feet trembled slightly, as if there was an earthquake.
The County’s Magistrate Shen Yi hurriedly summoned Zaoli and followed the place where the voice was made.
After a while, Zaoli returned and said nothing happened.
The Mengshan County recorded the unusual events on that day. Later researchers all speculated that this was because the originator of bombs experimented with the gunpowder.
The few people who witnessed the miracle of fire and powder returned home in a daze and remained silent for a long time.
After Liu He served tea, he took Liu Zishi to the kitchen and asked, “What happened? Why is everyone in a trance?”
“Grandpa, did you hear the loud noise just now?”
The vibration was so big just now, grandpa should have felt it.
“I heard it, and I thought it was an earthquake.” Liu He patted his chest in a frightened manner, “Could it be that everyone was frightened by this?”
Liu Zishi nodded fiercely, “The young master is really powerful. The loud noise was caused by his utensils. Just a few powders can cause the earth to shake.”
“Seriously?” Liu He was shocked.
How can people not be afraid of such lethality?
Liu Zishi nodded fiercely.
When it came to dinner, several people had different thoughts and were not enjoying the meal very much.
Rong Lian was still in a state of excitement. After returning to the house, he could not concentrate on reading, and he was more and more impressed by Rong Xi’s ability.
In the courtyard, Qin Ke and Rong Xi stood opposite each other.
“Are you really going to go back to Shengjing overnight?” Rong Xi sighed, “It’s so tiring and injurious to your body.”
Seeing his sincere eyes, Qin Ke felt a little softer in his heart. He stretched out his hand to stroke his bun and said with a smile: “This matter should be done as soon as possible. Today’s shock will definitely attract people’s attention. I’m worried.”
Rong Xi still wanted to persuade him to stay, but he heard him say: “I have asked someone to protect you secretly. You must not leave the house these days.”
Seeing the young man’s surprise, the man smiled apologetically, “If you feel uncomfortable, I can ask Feng Shan to come and protect you personally.”
As a carpenter, Feng Shan was invited to repair the ancestral home, which was normal.
“I’m not cautious enough.” Rong Xi blamed himself a bit.
He wanted to test the effectiveness of gunpowder, but he didn’t think about anything else. He was just used to the stable life in his previous life and had forgotten that the Wei Dynasty was not a place he knew well.
Even Qin Ke is so nervous and cautious, and there must be unknown dangers lurking in it.
“It’s not your fault,” Qin Ke’s eyes were gentle and his tone was low, “It’s just that I was too nervous.”
Rong Xi looked confused.
“You don’t know your own abilities, so you will inevitably be careless.” Qin Ke held the reins, “I have sworn to you to protect you, so I can’t break my promise.”
He turned on his horse, his long eyelashes slightly drooped, he stared at Rong Xi for a moment, and finally said: “It’s cool, let’s go back to the house.”
Then he left in the dust.
The next day, Feng Shan and his son visited Rong’s mansion.
Except Rong Xi, everyone was surprised.
“I invited them to repair the house,” Rong Xi explained with a smile, and then told Liu Zishi, “In order to avoid the pain of traveling back and forth, master Feng and young master Feng will stay here for the next few days, you go and clean the bedroom.”
Liu Zishi was extremely happy and took young Feng to the backyard.
The two young men practiced martial arts together every day. They had a deep friendship as brothers, and they left together.
Rong Xi led Feng Shan to a dilapidated courtyard and said, “Master Feng, that’s it. You’ve got to work.”
The two of them knew it very well and had no nonsense words. Feng Shan pretended to be a professional person and started to repair the house.
In a few days, Rong’s house was quiet and nothing happened.
Rong Xi no longer left the house, and he had nothing to do.
Yesterday Qin Ke said that he wanted to station troops in Mengshan to protect him in developing new weapons. He thought for a long time that it would be better to build a military factory in Mengshan.
Mengshan was rich in mineral resources and had a suitable geographical location. With the support of the imperial court, it would definitely be possible to recruit craftsmen from all over the world.
He laid the paper on the desk and wrote down the plan.
However, there is too much stored in the brain, until the evening, when the back and arms are sore, it is just the tip of the iceberg.
Writing like this consumes too much paper. Paper was expensive in the Wei Dynasty, and so were pen and ink.
Thinking about the pencils of later generations, Rong Xi pondered for a moment and took up the pen to write a letter. After finishing the letter, he went to Feng Shan and asked him to deliver the letter to Hu’s house for him.
He needs graphite, clay, gum and other materials. If Hu Yulin can help him find them, he may try to make pencils, which will be much more convenient.
The next day, Feng Shan went to see him off in person, leaving his son Feng Li at home.
Anyway, there are people guarding the house in the dark, so he can go back quickly.
He left the house for about half an hour. Rong Xi was reading in his room when someone suddenly arrived outside the house.
“Report to young master, someone from the town’s medical clinic has sent someone to tell you that Master Gao has an emergency and is being treated at the medical clinic.” Liu Zishi reported outside the house.
Rong Xi was shocked. He stood up and opened the door and asked, “What’s going on now?”
He often visited Master Gao’s house, and everyone in the town knew that he had a close relationship with Master Gao, so it was normal reporting to him.
After all, Master Gao had no relatives by his side.
Liu Zishi shook his head and replied: “I don’t know. Young master, do you want to go and take a look?”
Rong Xi naturally wanted to visit, but Qin Ke asked him not to leave the house, so he hesitated. Moreover, Master Gao had always been in good health, so how could he have an emergency?
“Can you recognize the people outside the door?” he asked Liu Zishi.
Liu Zishi nodded, “The one I recognize is the nephew of the owner of the rouge shop in the town.”
Being cautious, Rong Xi lowered his eyes and thought, and said, “You and Feng Li will go to the medical center in the town and ride there. If Master Gao is really ill, report back as soon as possible.”
Liu Zishi was about to respond when he heard the noise coming from the front yard.
Before the two of them could react, they saw a young man rushing into the courtyard. When he saw Rong Xi, he looked very excited and was about to come forward.
“Zishi! Stop him!”
Rong Xi immediately shouted.
Liu Zishi didn’t know why, but he obeyed the order and immediately stepped forward to stop the man.
The man seemed to want to release his strength skillfully, but found that Liu Zishi remained unmoved.
At this time, Liu He came over quickly, sweating profusely, “Young master, this servant was careless and let him rush in!”
The man’s expression suddenly changed, he clenched his hand into a fist and struck at Liu Zishi. After all, Liu Zishi was a novice martial artist. He was defeated for a moment and was knocked to the ground by him.
“Young master!” Liu Zishi suddenly locked the man’s legs, “Go into the house quickly!”
Fortunately, Feng Li heard the noise and came in time. He had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, and his combat prowess was much higher than that of Liu Zishi, but he is still inferior against tue man.
The two young boys used all kinds of methods, such as hugging, pulling, and imprisoning, to drag the man to death. Even though they were beaten until their nose was bruised and their faces were swollen, and blood was flowing out, they did not give up.
“Brother!”
Rong Lian heard the movement and came to check it out.
Seeing the scene in the courtyard, he was slightly panicked and couldn’t help shouting.
Rong Xi frowned, quickly returned to the house, took a light bow and crossbow, and pointed it at the man.
This was made with the help of Jiang Weiping and Feng Shan in his spare time. Because it was not perfect yet, he did not show it to show his shame.
This crossbow had much higher range and power than normal bows and arrows.
He stood under the eaves of the corridor, with a solemn expression and sharp eyes. The tip of the arrow glowed with cold light, pointing directly at the man’s throat.
The man visibly flinched, but seeing that he was still young and mellow, the fear in his heart gradually dissipated.
“Master Rong, if a trapped beast is struggling, it’s better to just capture it. If you want to wait for someone to rescue you, it’s probably hopeless.”
He laughed wildly and said: “If you pity the life of the child in my hands, put down your weapon immediately!”
Rong Xi sneered, without saying a word, he decisively started the bow and crossbow!
The arrow pierced the air and hit the man’s chest at a speed as fast as lightning. The man wanted to avoid it, but was trapped by the two teenagers.
The sound of the arrow entering the flesh was heard simultaneously with the man’s scream.
Liu Zishi and Feng Li looked at each other with fierce expressions on their faces and pressed the man to the ground, preventing him from escaping.
The arrow penetrated the man’s right chest and blood flowed all over the ground.
Rong Xi closed his eyes, he couldn’t kill anyone after all.
“Grandpa Liu, get the rope and tie him to the woodshed.” He ordered, and then asked the two young boys, “How are you doing?”
Liu Zishi and Feng Li were both in good health. Although their condition was quite miserable, they were not seriously injured. They were lucky.
“Young master, we are fine, but you were frightened.” Liu Zishi tugged at the corner of his mouth, his face twisted in pain.
Rong Xi came closer, touched their buns, and said with a gentle smile: “Let the doctor come over later and apply some medicine.”
“Brother, I’m going to ask for a doctor.” Rong Lian said immediately.
Rong Xi stopped him, “The enemy is dark and we are bright. They are insidious. Previously, they tried to capture me in the name of Master Gao. You are my biological brother. If they threaten you, the situation will be unfavorable for us.”
After he finished speaking, his brows furrowed and his eyes darkened.
Qin Ke sent people to protect the house secretly, but no one has shown up yet. It must be because it was broken into by thieves, and his life and death are unknown now.
Liu He took the rope, tied the unconscious man tightly, and dragged him into the woodshed.
“Brother, how should we deal with this person?” Rong Lian looked stern, as if he was angry.
My brother lived his life peacefully, but he suffered this unreasonable disaster for no reason.
Rong Xi lowered his eyes and said coldly: “Whether you live or die, leave it to fate.”
At this time, he realized that his situation had changed since the Emperor’s decree came to Mengshan.
There were poisonous snakes in the dark.
Qin Ke predicted this accident and had already prepared it, he arranged for people to protect him secretly. However, the method of smelting iron and making glass will not attract too much attention from others, and there was no need to worry about one’s life.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Until a few days ago, when the gunpowder scandal occurred, Qin Ke was eager to return to Shengjing to request an order.
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Rong Xi asked expressionlessly: “How did you find out?”
“I was careless. Please forgive me, young master.” Feng Shan looked ashamed, “The thief used medicine to stun the guard before he could enter the house.”
Fortunately, the other party did not dare to be arrogant and only sent one person here. If there were more people, young master Rong would definitely be in trouble by the time he came back.
Rong Xi looked at Liu Zishi, “Do you know why the nephew of the owner of Rouge Shop act like this?”
Young man Liu bowed his head in shame, “Master, please punish me. He came for a wedding visit a few days ago. I have never seen him before.”
That day on the street, he knocked a man to the ground. After apologizing, the man asked him how to get to the rouge shop. Out of kindness, he showed him the way.
We chatted for a while on the way and got to know each other’s identities.
Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a trap!
Rong Xi shook his head and said: “I was also careless and it has nothing to do with you. Master Feng, are the guards’ lives in danger?”
“Young master Rong doesn’t need to worry, they are just unconscious.” Feng Shan said thankfully, “Fortunately, the Prince had previously warned the County’s Magistrate to enforce martial law, otherwise there would be more thieves.”
Rong Xi had just pretended to be calm, but now that the crisis was over, he could feel cold sweat soaking his clothes on his back.
The hand holding the crossbow trembled slightly, and he turned around and said, “Please ask master Feng to call a doctor.”
“I’ll go right away.”
After a false alarm, Rong Xi returned to the bedroom and sat on the high chair, feeling a little scared.
He didn’t know what the thief’s purpose was, but it was destined to be evil. If he was really kidnapped, the consequences would be disastrous.
Fortunately, Qin Ke protected him. He didn’t know if his request for the order went smoothly.
Shengjing, Prince’s Mansion.
Qin Ke suddenly sneezed three times in a row, which shocked Chen Chuangu’s jaw.
“Put your hand out, let me see.”
Qin Ke shook his head, “Nothing, no need.”
The corners of his lips were slightly pursed, and he was just a little uneasy for a moment.
“Do you really want to garrison Mengshan?” Chen Chuangu asked, holding his chin.
Qin Ke nodded and looked at him again, “You don’t want to go with us?”
“Of course I do! How can I not want to if I have to enjoy the delicious food every day?” He smiled happily.
Qin Ke’s expression was slightly cold, and his long eyelashes were cold, “Master Rong is a great talent in this world, how can he cooks for you every day?”
“It’s me who takes advantage of the king’s honor. Can you kindly reward me with a bowl of rice?” Chen Chuangu winked and rolled his eyes inwardly.
Qin was becoming increasingly speechless.
A few days later, the Emperor finally issued a decree to set up a military weapons department, ordering Qin Ke and Cheng Hao to concurrently serve as supervisor.
They only listened to the Emperor’s orders and were not subject to any government control.
Although this move was opposed by many courtiers, the young Emperor was extremely tough this time, and those who dissuaded him were thrown into jail.
He believed in the power of fire bullets mentioned by Qin Ke, and also believed in Rong Xi’s ability to make weapons.
The government order had been issued, and the weapons supervision had been established.
Qin Ke was about to order his troops and set off, but suddenly he received an urgent message from Mengshan.
After reading the letter, he suddenly changed his expression, rushed to the courtyard, and quickly ordered his servants to prepare their horses.
Chen Chuangu stopped him and asked, “What happened?”
“Something happened in Mengshan, I must go first.” Qin Ke looked extremely cold and furious, “Go and tell Cheng Hao and ask him to lead the army to Mengshan quickly without delay.”
After saying this, he left.
Chen Chuangu’s brows were furrowed. There was nothing else to do to make Qin Ke so anxious except Rong Xi’s matters.
Could it be that something happened to him?
His heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly looked for Cheng Hao.
Qin Ke traveled day and night, and Chi Yan was so exhausted that his hair was all messy. If it weren’t for the iron on his feet, he would have been bleeding.
The sun was setting over the western mountains, dusk was approaching, and the remote town was peaceful and quiet.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came quickly and stopped in front of Rong’s house.
Chi Yan almost collapsed to the ground. If it hadn’t been a divine horse and had already been supplied of flesh and blood midway, how could it have persisted until now?
Qin Ke’s face was stern. He didn’t have time to knock on the door, so he used the strength of his horse to jump into the courtyard.
There was silence in the courtyard, and a guard appeared. When he saw his face, he was stunned and nervous. After being glanced at by Qin Ke’s cold eyes, he knelt on the ground instantly.
“Is he injured?” His voice was slightly hoarse.
“Report to the Prince, young master Rong was not injured.” The guard said guiltily, “It was my subordinate’s incompetence in doing things that almost caused young master Rong to be killed.”
Qin Ke calmed down and said calmly: “Go and receive the punishment yourself.”
After finishing speaking, he went straight to Rong Xi’s bedroom.
Because he didn’t bath often in winter, there was a lot of dirt on his body. Rong Xi couldn’t bear it, so he took a bath in the side room.
When Qin Ke entered the mansion, no one knew except for the guards standing in the dark.
When he arrived at the door of Rong Xi’s bedroom, he saw the lights in the room were brightly lit. He reached out to knock, but found that the door was unlocked, so he opened it with a gentle push.
He was stunned by himself for a few breaths. Although he felt that this move was inappropriate, he was really worried about Rong Xi, so he stepped inside.
Looking around, there was no one in the house.
The bed was neat and clean, and the high chair stood alone beside the bed.
He listened attentively, noticed some movement in the side room, and then walked toward there.
The room was only covered by a curtain. Without thinking too much, he lifted the curtain and entered. He saw a screen standing in front of him, and there was the sound of water behind the screen.
Under the candlelight, a figure grew on the screen, accompanied by the sound of rushing water, visible to the eyes.
His head suddenly sobered up, and he hurriedly retreated from the curtain to the high chair next to the couch, where he sat in a daze on the chair.
What he just did was not the behavior of a gentleman.
The ashamed feeling spread inside him, he wanted to leave the bedroom, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the curtain move. Leaving now would be too deliberate.
“Brother Si?”
Rong Xi was surprised at first, and then he was delighted.
Anyone who saw someone suddenly appearing in the room after taking a bath would be startled.
When he saw the man’s face clearly, he instantly felt at ease.
Qin Ke wore a solid-color lining and a fur-collared cape. He clasped his hands tightly to wrap himself tightly.
But even so, he felt cold.
Qin Ke had regained his composure and beckoned: “Sit over here and I will wipe your hair.”
It is his responsibility to guard carelessly. It was also his fault that he rushed into the room just now.
The combination of the two made Qin Ke feel guilty. Facing Rong Xi, his expression became gentler and he couldn’t help but want to make up for it.
Rong Xi was stunned for a moment, and his eyes met Qin Ke’s.
Rong Xi’s wet hair shawls his shoulders, which makes his face as white as jade. Under the lamp, the long eyelashes cast dark shadows, falling on the sleeping silkworm. The expression was gentle and timeless, which makes people feel peaceful.
“Brother Si?” Rong Xi asked.
Qin Ke also felt that his suggestion was inappropriate. However, once the words had been spoken, it was difficult to take them back.
He bit the bullet and tried to clear up Rong Xi’s doubts, “The guard accidentally fell into the trap of the thief and put you in danger. It was really derelict in his duty. I felt guilty and uneasy, so I wanted to do something for you to express my apology. ”
Rong Xi suddenly showed his face. After taking a bath, his eyes were as bright as stars, his lips were red and his teeth were white, making the room glow.
“Brother Si’s words are serious.” He sat on the couch and wiped his hair with a towel, “If I hadn’t been careless before, I wouldn’t have made the wolf greedy.”
Qin Ke took the towel from his hand persistently, his eyes firmed.
“It’s not your fault, it’s my failure to protect you.”
Rong Xi had no choice but to turn his back to Qin Ke and said with a smile: “You and I don’t have to blame ourselves anymore. The culprit is the thief.”
“Um.”
The man gently and carefully wiped the water stains from his hair.
The young man’s black hair was like a waterfall, spreading on his shoulders and back, making him appear more immature and naive.
“Have you been frightened?” Qin Ke asked softly, “The letter only stated that a thief was causing trouble in Rong’s house and was injured by your arrow. It did not elaborate on the situation that day.”
Rong Xi honestly said with emotion: “To be honest, I was indeed broken into a cold sweat.”
He laughed at himself, “Am I cowardly and useless?”
Since that day, he had been restless and had nightmares every night.
However, as a master and brother, he could not even mention it to the rest of the family, so he kept it suppressed in his heart. Now in front of Qin Ke, he relieved his burden and told him frankly.
There was silence for a while, and Rong Xi felt increasingly uneasy. He was about to look back, but suddenly he heard the man whisper softly: “If you blame yourself, I should feel even worse.”
“At the age of sixteen, you fought bravely against thieves. If this is cowardice, what is bravery?”
When Rong Xi heard this, his eyes and nose felt sore.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person and had never seen bloodshed. After injuring the thief, the blood was kept in his heart for several days in his sleep.
He lowered his head and said nothing for a while.
Qin Ke put his scarf on the case and suddenly said with a smile: “Siwen killed the enemy for the first time to protect himself. He couldn’t sleep for a month afterwards. Compared to him, you are considered brave.”
Knowing that he was comforting him, Rong Xi felt a little warm in his heart. He turned around to face Qin Ke, his eyes were slightly wet and his voice was stable, “If he is the God of War in the Wei Dynasty, he will have nothing to fear.”
Qin Ke was slightly startled.
Half of his profile was hidden in the darkness, and a hint of bitterness suddenly overflowed from his lips, which was fleeting.
“I am not a god, I am also a mortal.” His amber eyes flashed like meteors, “Fear never fades.”
But he was the “God of War”, so how could he show his fearfulness?
Rong Xi suddenly understood the meaning.
For example, because he was the head of the family, he could not express his panic in front of the Liu family’s members; because he was the elder brother, he could express it to Rong Lian.
As for Qin Ke, the God of War of the Wei Dynasty, his fear was even more indescribable.
Rong Xi felt the same and his eyes suddenly turned red, “Brother Si, Xi was thoughtless.”
Even if he were afraid in his heart, he still worked hard without caring about his own safety. This was how brave he was.
Qin Ke’s heart moved slightly and his expression became softer, “No, you are not.”
He never mentioned it to anyone, but in front of Rong Xi, he analyzed the fear in his heart. One was to comfort him, and the other was that he had hidden it for a long time before he couldn’t help himself.
“It’s late at night, you should rest.” Qin Ke said when he saw his tired face.
Rong Xi suddenly pulled his sleeves, as if it was difficult to speak.
“You have something to say?”
Under the dim candlelight, the young man’s cheeks turned red, his eyes touched the side, and he whispered: “If I tell the truth, brother Si, don’t make fun of me.”
Qin Ke’s eyes were gentle, “Don’t worry, I don’t laugh at you.”
“I’ve been having nightmares these past few days.” Rong Xi smiled pitifully and cutely at him, “When I see brother Si tonight, I feel at ease and have no fear anymore.”
There was sudden silence in the house.
The man stood next to the couch, his eyes light. The young man sat cross-legged on the couch, raised his head and pulled his sleeves.
“You go to sleep, I’ll be here with you.”
“If you don’t mind, why not take a rest together?”
The two people’s voices collided, like chimes and bamboos intertwining, and harp and harp singing in harmony.
Rong Xi couldn’t help showing his face and showing his teeth, his eyes curled up, “I’m just joking, brother Si, please don’t mind me.”
“You sleep, I’m here.”
After Qin Ke finished speaking, he sat directly on the high chair.
Seeing him here, Rong Xi felt really at peace. He was extremely tired after being disturbed by nightmares for several days, but after a moment, he fell into a deep sleep.
A dreamless night.
When he woke up the next day, Rong Xi thought about what happened last night. He suddenly turned around and saw that there was no one on the high chair. He didn’t know if it was a dream or reality.
He stood up and pushed the door open. There was silence in the courtyard.
Just as he was about to step out of the courtyard, he saw a familiar figure coming into view.
Thinking of last night’s rude request, Rong Xi’s cheeks heated up. Brother Si was here after a long journey, but because of the fear in his heart, he asked him to accompany him to take up his rest time.
He was so rude!
When Qin Ke arrived, he saw Rong Xi with a dumb look on his face. He stretched out his hand to stroke his hair and said, “The thief in the woodshed is still alive. I have moved him. You don’t have to worry anymore.”
Rong Xi looked at him in surprise.
He actually knew what he was thinking! His fear was not only about hurting others, but also because of his uneasy conscience.
Live or die, left it to fate.
This was easier said than done.
He was deeply influenced by the education of later generations. Even a death row prisoner had the right to seek medical treatment.
Now he left the thief to fend for himself in the woodshed. He only drank rice soup every day to stay alive without asking a doctor to treat his injuries.
If it happened that he got infected due to injury, it would be a life.
The firewood shed was only a hundred steps away from his bedroom, so how could he sleep peacefully?
“You arrived last night and haven’t rested yet. Now that you have nothing to do, why not go to the bedroom and rest for half a day?” He suggested sincerely.
The man’s eyes were slightly red and his face was haggard. The candlelight last night was dim and he couldn’t see that clearly.
It was now bright and clear, and Rong Xi felt guilty and a little distressed.
The war god of the Wei Dynasty was also a mortal.
He alone carried the burden of peace and contentment of millions of people to move forward.
It was both admirable and sad.
“Good.”
Qin Ke saw the concern in his eyes and raised the corners of his lips. After agreeing, he walked towards the bedroom.
At the end of the day, Qin Ke woke up.
To express his gratitude, Rong Xi cooked the food himself and put the sumptuous dishes on the table at the right time, all of which were Qin Ke’s favourite.
When all the masters and servants of Rong’s mansion saw Qin Ke arriving, their hearts were set.
Not only Rong Xi, but also they had not slept peacefully for the past few days.
After dinner, Rong Xi invited Qin Ke to the study. The two sat opposite each other with upright postures.
Qin Ke suddenly smiled and said, “The high chair in your room is really comfortable. Why don’t you give me one?”
Rong Xi would never refuse what he asked for.
“This is made by master Feng. If you like it, I will ask him to make a few more.”
Rong Xi took the bow and crossbow and put it on the case, and said: “This crossbow was made by him and brother Jiang together. Its range and power are extraordinary compare to ordinary bows and arrows. Brother Si, do you want to give it a try?”
“Good.”
The two of them got up and went outside the house. There was a thick locust tree behind them. Qin Ke stayed away. Under Rong Xi’s guidance, he triggered the switch. They heard the sound of the arrow cracking into the air and whizzing away. The tip of the arrow suddenly disappeared deep into the trunk of the tree and trembled slightly.
With Qin Ke’s arm strength and skill, he could reach this level. However, ordinary soldiers did not have divine arms, so it was easier to kill enemies with this crossbow than with bows and arrows.
“Very good.” He curled his lips in praise.
“If the army can have this crossbow, its combat power will be stronger.”
Rong Xi knew that this was still in its infancy, and although he had the intention, he was extremely short of manpower.
Now he didn’t even have the most basic laboratory, let alone a research partner?
“Brother Si, in the great Wei Dynasty, there are many skilled craftsmen like brother Jiang and master Feng. However, what they can do is only based on talent or experience, without systematic learning, and each craftsman hides his own talents and makes them heirlooms. I don’t want everyone to hide and restrain their knowledge.”
Seeing Qin Ke’s confusion, he changed his explanation.
“I wonder how brother Si usually trains soldiers?” he asked humbly.
Qin Ke glanced at him, remained silent for a few moments, and whispered: “This is military information and should not be leaked at will.”
Seeing Rong Xi’s stunned look of apologies, he followed his thoughts and said, “Your Majesty has set up a weapons department, and you are making weapons for the imperial court. I can also inform you of these military information.”
Rong Xi laughed out loud, his eyes were as curved as the waxing moon, and his teeth were as white as shells. He quickly waved his hands and said: “Brother Si, there is no need to tell me. I just want to ask, the training of soldiers in the military camp must be like a school. Everyone listens to the leader’s orders, right?”
Qin Ke nodded.
“If students are like this and soldiers are like this, why can’t craftsmen be like this?”
The light in Rong Xi’s eyes flashed, “The Wei Dynasty governed the country with culture, stabilized the country with force, and was based on agriculture, but industry and commerce were regarded as the ninth rate.”
The young man’s eyes were like morning stars, and he said sincerely: “But what pens, inks, paper and inkstones used by literati are not made by craftsmen? Which of the contradictory armors used by soldiers are not made by craftsmen? Not to mention farm tools.”
“Brother Si, how can the civil servants and military generals stabilize the country without the exquisite skills of the craftsmen?”
He was not exaggerating the abilities of craftsmen, he just hoped that the imperial court could relax government regulations so that the benefits of the craftsmen engaged in business would be commensurate with their abilities.
“I understand what you said.” Qin Ke’s face was solemn, but his eyes were soft, “I know you have ambitions, but everything should be done step by step, don’t be impatient.”
Rong Xi immediately calmed down. After experiencing the thief, he was indeed quite impatient.
“I am impatient, brother Si, please forgive me.” Rong Xi smiled shyly.
The young man was generous and polite, but his face was a little childish. He looked cute and amiable. Qin Ke felt a little soft-hearted and says, “When we have good results and you get the rewards, what you have in mind may be feasible.”
Rong Xi then showed his face, nodded, and suddenly asked: “Brother Si, where did that thief come from? What is his purpose?”
“He is under King Shun,” Qin Ke’s face suddenly turned cold, “He want to capture you to help him.”
Rong Xi’s eyebrows moved slightly.
He remember that later in the book, Liang Siwen made great contributions to suppressing the rebellion and was awarded the title of Marquis of Weining. The rebellion he put down was King Shun.
King Shun was the half-brother of the Holy Emperor. He was now entrenched in Jizhou and was eyeing Shengjing.
Jizhou waa not far from Qingzhou. It was normal for him to set up spies and dead men in Qingzhou. After Rong Xi’s fame spread far and wide, he sent people to capture him, hoping to force Rong Xi to make weapons to help him rebel.
Fortunately, Qin Ke took precautions and asked Shen Yi to secretly clean up the abnormal people. He also kept the house in mind and enforced martial law for several miles. Although there was a fish that slipped through the net, it was still effective.
“If it weren’t for brother Si’s alertness, I might have become a caged beast now.” Rong Xi was sincerely grateful.
“It doesn’t have to be like this between you and me.”
After Qin Ke finished speaking, he looked at the crossbow in his hands again and said, “This thing is very good. This time, the Holy Master has also sent many craftsmen here for your dispatch. If you have any clever ideas, you can order them.”
Only Feng Shan and Jiang Weiping are not enough.
“Good.”
After the two returned home together, Hu Yulin happened to visit.
A few days ago, Rong Xi asked Feng Shan to deliver a letter to him. The letter said that graphite and other raw materials were needed, so he went to buy some and delivered them personally.
“My brother!” Hu Yulin got out of the carriage and showed off his face.
But after seeing Qin Ke, he suddenly became cautious. After making the ceremony, he smiled lightly at Rong Xi and said, “You asked me to buy the raw materials earlier, and I have already found them. I wonder what new tools you want to make?”
Rong Xi smiled brightly and sincerely, “Thank you so much, brother Hu! When the new tool is created, I will show you first.”
“Very good.” Hu Yulin wanted to put his arm around his shoulders, but Qin Ke was at his side. He was a little scared, so he had to pat him a few times.
His long and narrow eyes were slightly curved, the tails of his eyes were flying, and the corners of his lips were smiling, making him look quite handsome and elegant.
However, with the Wei War God nearby, his light dimmed a lot.
“Brother Hu, why don’t you stay for dinner?” Rong Xi suggested since he was sincerely grateful for his hard work.
Hu Yulin naturally agreed.
The servant piled the raw materials into bags in the utility room, among which graphite and clay were the most abundant.
Qin Ke left the house due to business, Hu Yulin relaxed a lot, and sat in the study with Rong Xi. He suddenly said with a serious face: “I heard that the Holy Lord set up a weapons department, so I guessed that it was related to you. Now that I see the King of Qin here, it seems that the guess is correct.”
“Brother is smart, Xi admire you.” Rong Xi poured tea for him and said calmly, “I know you are worried about me. However, as a man, when he lives in the world, he must not do nothing. I have no intention of an official career, but I also want to do my best. I prefer doing something practical.”
Hu Yulin sighed, “That’s fine. It’s a crime to possess a jade. Just if someone wants to covet it, you may be injured.”
Rong Xi smiled and said nothing.
After dinner, Hu Yulin returned and Qin Ke came back.
“Do you want to have dinner?” As soon as Rong Xi finished speaking, he heard Qin Ke’s stomach rumbling, and he suddenly bent his eyes and laughed.
Seeing Qin Ke’s serious expression, he had no choice but to hold back and said, “What do you want to eat?”
“Anything is fine.”
It sounded like he was not picky at all.
Rong Xi knew his taste, so he stopped asking and went to the kitchen.
After a while, the plate was placed on the table, and the aroma overflowed.
It was a bowl of bone soup noodles. The soup was thick and white, and it was garnished with wolfberry and chopped green onion, which was full of color and taste.
In the bowl next to it, the plain roasted goose was delicious in bright red in color. The sight of it would whet your appetite. Although called vegetarian roast goose, they were all vegetarian.
Wrapped ripe yam in bean curd skin and fried it in oil, supplemented with autumn oil, wine, ginger and other ingredients. It was extremely delicious.
The skin was made from tofu. Although Rong Xi never taught it to others, the Wei people seemed to be quite talented in finding and making it.
After tofu, bean curd skin came into being and became a favorite delicacy of the people.
Qin Ke was not polite. He ate three bowls of noodles and two plates of plain roast goose, but he was still unsatisfied.
After dinner, Rong Xi invited him to the study room, intending to tell him all his plans.
But Qin Ke suddenly stopped, half of his face was hidden in the dark, his long eyelashes were drooped, he did not meet Rong Xi’s eyes, and his tone was calm.
“If you need raw materials, thousands of soldiers will be available for you to dispatch in the future.”
Rong Xi: “…”
Should he act excited?
“Thank you, brother Si.” The young man said with a smile, his feature was even more handsome under the weak candlelight.
Qin Ke glanced at him silently, then turned and entered the study.
“You want to make a new tool?”
The two sat down opposite each other, and Qin Ke asked straight to the point.
“Just trying it out.” Rong Xi took the paper from the desk drawer and handed it to the man. “This is my preliminary plan. Brother Si, please read it.”
Qin Ke was interested, so he took it and read it carefully. His long eyelashes trembled more and more as he went back.
Although there were many things that he did not understand, Rong Xi’s explanation was clear. If this was really feasible, it would definitely bring big benefit to the people.
“Before, I was narrow-minded and thought you were only good at craftsmanship. I didn’t expect that you are also very accomplished in farming.” Qin Ke expressed his shame frankly.
The more he got along with Rong Xi, the more he realized that the young man had a broad mind.
Rong Xi’s plan was not only talking about making utensils, but also involving agriculture. However, it took too long for agriculture to bear fruit, so it only mentioned a few things.
But even just a few words were enough for Qin Ke to know its meaning.
“Brother Si, don’t flatter me.” Rong Xi looked ashamed.
He was just imitating the skills of his ancestors and did not deserve such high praise.
The two talked for a long time and stopped at Haishi.
After the morning meal the next day, Rong Xi took out a little graphite powder and clay, mixed them evenly in proportion, put them in a bucket, filled them with water and stirred them.
Finally, poured the slurry into the mold to make it lose water. Tooked it out again and waited for it to dry.
“What new weapon are you making? What is its purpose?” Qin Ke asked from the side.
Rong Xi replied seriously: “Xi is greedy for convenience and feels that writing with brush and ink is really hindered. I noticed that this graphite has a fine texture, is oily to the touch, and is easy to stain on things, so I tried to see if I could make a writing instrument.”
He also borrowed the thoughts of the sages, but because he could not explain it clearly, he felt really ashamed.
Part of the profits earned in the future should be used to support the research project, and the remaining money would be used to do more good deeds and spread the charity.
He would never seek huge profits or enjoyed pleasure through this.
Qin Ke didn’t know what he was thinking, but he felt strange when he heard about it.
Our ancestors used stone, bone and other utensils to carve characters, and now we used brushes to express our emotions. During this period, we had gone through many changes and gradually evolved.
If Rong Xi can really make a new kind of brush, it would surely be passed down to the future generations.
Of course, the premise was that the new device can be used by people.
“Brother Si, can you help me deliver letters to the Jiang Family and the Feng Family respectively?”
After Rong Xi cleaned his hands, he took out two letters.
Qin Ke did not hesitate and called the guards in the dark to deliver the message.
After a few days, waited until the graphite slurry was air-dried, crushed it again, added water again and mixed thoroughly until it became dough-like.
At that time, Rong Xi asked Feng Shan and Jiang Weiping to make tools, and they were all transported to Rong’s house.
Rong Xi borrowed a mold to shape the graphite slurry, which was no different from the pencil lead of later generations. Later, he asked the kiln workers to mature it and make it hard.
The refill was ready, just waiting to be wrapped in wood.
According to what he said in his letter, Feng Shan dug semicircular grooves in the wooden strips, and when the two were matched, the pen core could be surrounded inside.
Rong Xi used glue to glue the gaps together, making a simple pencil.
Everyone looked at it curiously, Liu Zishi naively asked: “Young master, is this thing really capable of writing?”
Rong Xi took the paper cut from the case, cut the end of the pen, and when the refill was exposed, he started writing.
You could actually write!
Rong Lian hurriedly got closer and took a closer look, and saw that the handwriting on the paper was very small, but the strokes of the pen were clearly visible, and my brother’s handwriting was good, and his character was no worse than that of calligraphy.
Several people tried to use it, but they were not familiar with the way they normally held the pen and could not write properly.
Qin Ke had just observed carefully, and now he was writing with a pen. His handwriting was still good, but due to his excessive force, the pen core suddenly broke, leaving long marks on the paper.
The room was silent.
After a moment, Xi Yan suddenly praised: “The prince has great arm strength!”
Rong Xi smiled, took the pen from his hand, and said, “It’s already pretty good.”
Qin Ke looked at the words on the paper, feeling secretly annoyed but not showing it on his face. He stood up and said, “This is a good pen. It saves a lot of tedious things and is easy to carry. It’s very good.”
Writing with a brush required grinding the ink, washing the brush, etc. If he were not careful, the ink might drip on the paper, causing the surface of the scroll to become unclean. It was also really inconvenient to carry brush, ink, paper and inkstone.
The other people nodded one after another to show their agreement.
Rong Xi smiled, the uses of pencils were much more than that.
A few days later, Cheng Hao and his party arrived at Mengshan, and were greeted at the city gate by the County’s Magistrate, Shen Yi, whose joy could not be concealed.
Mengshan had this honor. As a County Chief, he was naturally extremely happy.
The soldiers and craftsmen all camped on the outskirts of the city. Cheng Hao led several people into the city and saw that Qin Ke, who went ahead, was not at the office, so he asked Shen Yi: “Magistrate Shen, I wonder where the Prince is?”
Shen Yi was stunned, he wanted to ask too!
Chen Chuangu, who was accompanying him, couldn’t help but get close to Cheng Hao and whispered: “The prince must have gone to look for young master Rong.”
Cheng Hao was shocked when he heard this. It made sense!
He thought the prince of the county must be the same as himself, admiring Rong Xi’s talents and attaching great importance to the skills of craftsmen.
“It is the great blessing of the Wei Dynasty that the prince has this intention!”
Chen Chuangu sighed in his heart.
Although Rong Xi are indeed good, as a doctor, he cannot empathize with them.
Those utensils could only be enjoyed by wealthy families now, how could ordinary people afford them?
Only weapons could benefit the war and brought stability to the Wei Dynasty’s frontiers.
After resting and cleaning himself, Cheng Hao was about to visit Rong’s house, but saw Qin Ke and Rong Xi arriving at the same time.
After the ceremony, everyone began to discuss the establishment of the department in the county government office.
The weapons inspection site was selected in Mengshan. After receiving the order, Shen Yi and other officials selected a place to set up the inspection site.
Rong Xi had discussed this matter with Qin Ke and made his decision in his heart.
Shen Yi listed several good places, and the place they decided on was also among them.
Qin Ke looked gentle, nodded and decided: “Right here.”
Shen Yi: “…”
He hadn’t even said a few good things, so why did the prince make such a decision? A bit perfunctory, right?
However, he only dared to slander him in his mind, while he flattered him openly: “Your Majesty is so wise!”
Everyone: “…” The county king didn’t say any reason, how can this guy could flatter so much?
Rong Xi and Qin Ke looked at each other, raised their lips, showed their teeth, and bent their eyes.
🤭
Thanks for the chapter! For a guy who wanted peace, our MC made a lot of trouble for himself, sigh.
I mean, it’s right position
Thank you for your translation 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙