Chapter 21
Zhu Jie
The brightly lit magistrate's office was bustling with activity.
The colleagues and judges, who usually did not like to see the military attachés, dragged Sun Jie's deputy generals and generals back and forth to exchange cups and cups. Needless to say, the most enthusiastic ones were a few county magistrates and county magistrates - also Before they even started drinking, they were already arm in arm with the guerrilla bosses as if they were brothers.
There is a law in this dynasty: local officials are responsible for guarding the land, and those who abandon the city in the face of the enemy will be killed.
Two hundred years ago, Grandfather Taizu wielded a three-foot sword to dominate the mountains and rivers and dominate the world. Of course, he would not have thought that Guan Shengyun's army would be pointed at the front. How could a small county town be able to resist it? However, the law is the law, not to mention it was decreed by Taizu!
Fortunately, Song Mingyi was a capable official and did not just push him away. Instead, after learning about the enemy's strength, he immediately ordered the surrounding county magistrates to organize the county's population to withdraw to the capital. As a result, Magistrate Song took full responsibility for all his subordinates.
Of course, Song Mingyi was not completely unselfish: firstly, the people that the county magistrates could bring out in a hurry must be mostly young men, so they can greatly strengthen the defensive power of the city. Secondly, this government is a famous land of plenty - In other words, anyone who can serve as a parent official in this place must have more or less eloquent adults as backers in the court! In the face of a powerful enemy, no matter who has his own merits and demerits and sacrifices his life for the country, even though no one will say anything on the surface, the secret knot is still settled. If the city is destroyed and everyone dies together, that’s fate. Don’t blame anyone. If God bless you and avoid this disaster, it will definitely be a good thing for the Sixth Department of the Central Government to have the tacit care of a few more adults - can’t it be Fortunately, it is not impossible to get a top position... Magistrate Song is very familiar with this set of rules of the game.
Of course the magistrates are happy.
After receiving the official order from the prefect to evacuate and assist in the defense, and with the relationship between the DPRK and China, there was no doubt that his head was saved, but if the city was destroyed, everyone would still die together. Even if they escape, it is inevitable that all the men who have been "troubled" will take part in this book - all they have to eat is to pick the femur bones from the eggs, and they will look for trouble even if they have nothing to do - even if Wu Sha Mao is retained, he will be demoted and retained. This is also the best result. Now that's it, great victory! The masters have all drafted the memorial: I will lead a certain guerrilla group and a certain thousand generals to fight back to defeat the enemy and regain the lost ground. Oh, no, it is obviously a clever plan to lure the enemy deeper in cooperation with the prefect of Song Dynasty. How can there be any shame? Shameful! Not to mention that this group of illiterate warriors in front of him really saved his life this time - even if he had some troubles before, what does it matter in the face of this great achievement? As long as he can leave Luzhou Prefecture with the army when it sets off, return to the county seat, and sit down on the chair in the lobby - this credit will be truly earned: the performance test of the official department must be excellent, this is not necessary said. If officers and soldiers cross the border three times (the thieves escape once and the officers and soldiers chase them once) across the border, will the Holy Spirit exempt them from land tax for two or three years? Master Qian Gu is a seasoned official, so he doesn't need to give orders. During this period, it's okay to pocket at least three thousand taels - and the even better thing is yet to come: If you fight, people will die! People die and wealth is gone, but the land is still there! Who would take a closer look at the vast tracts of unowned wasteland, apart from gathering the refugees to restore people's livelihood, and setting aside one or two thousand acres for relatives, children and nephews?
Therefore, in the entire prefect's yamen, it was the county magistrates sitting in the corridor who laughed the loudest and made the most noise. After a while, they all expressed their regrets to the guerrilla bosses about meeting each other too late.
The county magistrate Ji Weixin was a light drinker. When he got drunk, he insisted on dragging Shan Gouji to marry Jin Lan on the spot. This scared Lao Shan! Lao Shan was a guerrilla in the Tiger Wing Battalion. Even though he could tell the truth in the camp, in the eyes of civil servants he still knew clearly how much he weighed, so he quickly declined. But this Mr. Ji is already drunk, how can he be willing to lose face? Seeing Lao Shan keep refusing, he blushed and couldn't stand it anymore: "Does General Shan look down on this county?"
Don't look at the fact that Shan Gouji first stabbed someone at the age of sixteen - yes, Lao Shan was born in the army. Over the years, there are always twenty or thirty guys who have died under his sword. A little thief was cut into a dignified guerrilla general - but deep down in his heart, the awe of civil servants was almost innately engraved in the seams of his bones. Hearing the angry question from the county magistrate, I couldn't help but shudder in fear, and subconsciously touched my butt, as if I had traveled back in time: the county magistrate who sentenced me to exile was also about the same age as the one in front of me. Bar? I can't remember the appearance clearly, but I can't forget the slap in the face - Zhuangban (the gang responsible for spanking in the hall. The one responsible for catching thieves in the field is called Kueban, and the one responsible for guarding the prison is called Zaoban. These are the third class of yamen) A man would never be merciful to a little thief, so he slapped it down, causing his butt to bloom, his sphincter muscle to be severed, and his whole body was covered in feces and urine for more than a month... The tongue-tied Lao Shan kept waving his hands. I almost cried: "I can't do it, sir. How dare you do this in a humble position? You can't do it, sir..."
How can Jizhi County listen? He couldn't help but asked, "How can I not do it? Although we have different paths in civil and military affairs, you and I are both ministers of the Holy Emperor. Is it possible that I, a seventh-grade county magistrate, cannot reach the rank of a third-grade general..."
Anyone who understands can see that Ji Xianzun has drunk his head at this time: Although the guerrilla general is nominally a military attaché of the third rank, this dynasty relies on civil service to control military affairs. Let alone a general of guerrillas, he can be regarded as a general of the second rank. Officials should greet the magistrate politely when meeting him.
Seeing that the two sides were about to get into a stalemate, the people around them quickly left their seats and came to try to persuade them, including deputy general Shen Chenggang and general judge Jin Jiaqing. Jin Jiaqing joked and smoothed things over: "Hahahahaha what did Ji County say? Why do you look down on people who have different paths and don't have special paths? We rely on the great blessings of the Holy One, and the civil and military forces work together!" He turned to Shan Yehuo and said, "A good general doesn't have to be too humble. . Sun Shuai and the prefect have already become sworn brothers, isn’t it? This will be a story for eternity in the future, hahaha..."
Shen Chenggang was more direct, kicking Shan Gouji's calf: "Where are all the damn nonsense? It's the blessing of such a turtle like you that I look up to you! Why don't you thank me?"
A group of people were waiting to get off the donkey, and the two finally paid their respects. Then, one spoke from the bottom of his heart, and the other burst into tears of gratitude and fear. They helped each other back to their seats and continued to drink...
In the main hall of the magistrate's hall, Song Mingyi and Sun Jie were sitting at the same table.
The ancients valued sworn friendship very seriously. Since the two were already brothers, there was no need to avoid suspicion. Song Mingyi's first wife died early. During the dinner, Mrs. Ru came out of the back hall and toasted Sun Jie with a glass of wine. Afraid that Sun Jie would be embarrassed, Magistrate Song specially found a beautiful concubine to accompany his adopted brother - of course, she couldn't sit at the table and sat diagonally behind to take care of him.
After drinking for three rounds, Song Mingyi clapped his hands, and his follower Lao Li came forward holding a long tray covered with red cloth. Sun Jie had some misunderstandings and changed his expression: "Brother! How can you and I make you..." Song Mingyi smiled softly and waved his hand to stop Sun Jie: "Brother, if you have anything to say, let's take a look first before speaking."
Sun Jie was startled, then stretched out his hand to uncover the red cloth, and couldn't help but be overjoyed: neatly placed side by side were two long knives!
The sharp blade showed a slight arc that could be called perfect, and the blood grooves on both sides were very long. The brass handle was densely wrapped with red silk thread, and there were words engraved on the guard blade. Even though he didn’t know the seal characters—well, well, Sun Jie didn’t know much about any other fonts either—he knew that they should be auspicious words such as “必赢” and “克风”.
Sun Jie, who couldn't bear his temper, picked up a handful and waved it casually, getting even more excited: The weight of two kilograms and seventy-eight taels is so convenient! The friction between the silk thread and the palm brings you full confidence!
Taking a closer look at the patterns on the blade, I became more and more surprised: the patterns on the blade were completely different from those on the blade!
At that time, coal was usually used to make swords. There are many impurities in coal, and mixing them into the blade will greatly affect its strength. Therefore, continuous forging is the most effective way to remove impurities. Of course, this requires investing a lot of manpower and material resources - and the knife pattern is the trace of "thousands of times of hard work" (that's how the word comes from). The different textures on the edge indicate another type of treatment: the earth-covering and burning method. The blade is covered with clay, and the blade is quenched, forged, and ground separately. By repeating this cycle, you will get a treasured sword: the blade part is extremely hard and indestructible; the blade has a certain degree of flexibility and can absorb and resolve the kinetic energy of powerful cuts, especially the reaction force when it is matched with heavy weapons such as maces and hammers. , not easy to break - this is a carefully crafted sword that can be called a work of art!
Overjoyed, Sun Jie looked at Song Mingyi and was speechless for a moment: "Brother!"
Song Mingyi laughed loudly: "Brothers, please don't tell anyone! When the thieves besieged the city, Brother Yu picked the three best craftsmen and took a look at the swords made by Brother Xian. The sword was given to the hero, so it was easy for those little craftsmen to make it. As for children, you and my brothers will be spared."
Sun Jie nodded heavily, picked up the wine glass, compared it to Song Ming, and drank it up.
Song Mingyi picked up the cup and took a sip and continued: "Brother Yu is a layman when it comes to military matters. He only read in the book that there is a precious blade that can 'cut iron like mud'. He has no idea about the specific material used. There is only fine iron in the treasury, so he can only Just try your best, hahaha."
Hearing this, Sun Jie couldn't help but smile: "Brother has been deceived!"
Song Mingyi asked in confusion: "How do you say this?"
Sun Jie said: "Brother, if you recall, the so-called precious blade that cuts iron like clay is all a story from the Han Dynasty, right? Have you ever seen it in books after the Han Dynasty?"
Song Mingyi thought about it for a while: "Yes! Tell me brother, what is going on!"
Sun Jie smiled and said: "In ancient times, weapons were smelted with copper as the material. However, copper was too soft. In the Spring and Autumn Period, when tin was mixed, the hardness was indeed higher, but it was also brittle and would break if cut hard! Therefore, it cannot be used as a long weapon. Most of them are short swords of one or two feet, which can only be used for stabbing. The swords and spears are also short blades and extended poles. Mo Xie, the sword of Wu and Yue, is called a magic weapon. There is no other, just a three-foot iron sword. During the Warring States Period, Han You In Iron Mountain, iron soldiers were first equipped in the army, and they were called "Jinhan". However, they were ultimately unable to defeat the tigers and wolves of the Qin Dynasty. The Emperor of Qin gathered all the soldiers from all over the world to cast twelve bronze men, but did not realize the use of iron. By the early Han Dynasty, weapons were made of copper. There are many people who encounter iron blades, and the weapons are broken! How can historians distinguish between copper and iron? So there is a saying that 'cutting iron is like clay'..."
Song Mingyi clapped his hands and laughed: "Okay, okay, Brother Xian said that very well! Brother Yu has really gained a lot of knowledge!"
Sun Jie blushed: "This passage was taught by my master at home, and I just memorized it together with those Tang poems."
Shi Erlei was eating and drinking at the table, but he stopped talking when he saw the two knives. At first, he just glanced at it from time to time, but then he completely forgot about other things and stared at it eagerly. When he saw the two adults, he started to While drinking and talking, he really couldn't control himself, so he approached Sun Jie and said, "Commander, can I take a look?" He was talking while his eyes were glued to the knife.
Sun Jie smiled and scolded: "You little bastard, you have no rules! Look at your potential."
Shi Erlei smiled, picked up a mouthful and looked at it carefully. He didn't move for a while, then suddenly knelt down on the ground, kowtowed heavily, said nothing, and looked at Sun Jie, then at Song Mingyi. .
Sun Jie knew his personal guard captain very well and had long guessed that this boy would play such a trick. He pretended to be angry and said, "What are you talking about! This is a special gift from the prefect..."
How could the shrewd Song Mingyi not know the relationship between the two guys in front of him and which song they were singing? He laughed loudly and left his seat to go to Shi Erlei: "Er Lei, come on, come on, come on, don't look at me. The knife has been given to my brother, your handsome man! I can't say who he will give it to or not. It doesn’t count.”
Sun Jie smiled bitterly: "Thank you, Lord Prefect"!
Shi Erlei was full of joy and shouted at Magistrate Song again. He stood up and was about to return to his seat when Song Mingyi pulled him back: "Er Lei, wait a minute. You have got the knife, but I have two things you want. promise!"
Shi Erlei was startled, and then listened to Song Mingyi continue: "You are my brother's personal guard. My brother is used to taking the lead. He always rushes to the front. I know that no matter how much I persuade him, he will not agree to it." All the happiness is in vain... I leave his safety to you!"
Er Lei puffed up his chest and replied carelessly: "Don't worry, sir. I have a humble position. If there is anything wrong with the commander, I will cut off my head to apologize!"
Song Mingyi smiled: "Of course I'm relieved about this. What's the second thing... Although these two swords are not precious swords, I have put a lot of thought and effort into them. You just took them away? I want to Can I see your martial arts skills...?"
Shi Erlei glanced at Sun Jie and saw the latter smiling and nodding, completely relieved. After looking around for a while, he moved the bench he was sitting on to a bright place, grabbed two fried soybeans from the table and placed them on the bench about a foot apart. He took a step back, flipped his wrist, and danced a few swords. After moving for a while, two white sword flashes flashed through, and the two soybeans on the left and right were cut off with one knife, leaving only two barely visible scratches on the bench.
As the saying goes, "laymen watch the excitement, but experts watch the door", the generals present cheered loudly - it is already very difficult to accurately chop the round beans, and with this just right strength, everyone here asked themselves, no one dares to guarantee it Say you can do it.
The colorful sound did not stop, only two thunderstorms were heard shouting: "Open"!
The thick stool broke at the sound!
There was another burst of colorful sounds...
