King Ruluo Xi, Yan Sangzi and Servant Ant stood at the ferry, waiting for the arrival of the ship. On the calm sea, a sailboat sailed by.
The servant ant came forward and shouted:
"Boatman, boatman." The sailboat turned the helm, docked at the ferry, and put down the planks. King Ruluo Xi, Yan Sangzi and Servant Ant boarded the ship together.
The boatman came forward and asked:
"Where are you going, sir?" King Ruluo Xi asked:
"Ruluo Xizhou." He ordered the servant ants to pay the boatman and then entered the cabin. The sailboat pulled anchor and sailed on the calm sea.
The moon was dark and the wind was high. King Ruluo Xi was standing on the deck, looking at the boundless sea. Just as Zhang Jiuling said in his poem,
"There is a bright moon on the sea, and we are together at this moment in the world. Lovers complain about the distant night, but they miss each other at night. The candles are extinguished and the light is full, and the clothes are wet with dew. I can't bear the gift, but I still have a good night's sleep." At this time, it is like an arrow to return home. , I want to return to Ruluo Xizhou as soon as possible.
Yan Sangzi walked out and said:
"My King, you haven't fallen asleep yet." King Ruluo Xi turned around and teased, saying:
"Sir, didn't you fall asleep?" Yan Sangzi nodded and said:
"Yes! It seems that tonight is another sleepless night." Looking up at the full moon in the sky and the boundless sea.
King Luo Xi said:
"I will return to Ruluo Xizhou at dawn. I miss my dear ants at home. I wonder if they have fallen asleep at this time." Then King Ruluo Xi looked at Yan Sangzi, who had gray hair and beard, and said:
"You are old." Yan Sangzi said:
"Yes, the common people have reached the age where they know their destiny. They take everything lightly, are at home all over the world, and are used to being free and undisciplined. Sometimes, it's really hard for ants to refuse to accept old age." King Ruluo Xi sighed:
"Yes! Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, you and I are both old. I think back then, Gu was still a young man with unfulfilled ambitions, but in the blink of an eye, he has entered his sixties." Then the two ants entered the cabin, and there was a gap between the monarch and his ministers. Conversed all night long.
The moon was setting and the sun was rising. At this time, the sailing ship had arrived at Ruluo Xizhoukou and anchored to stop the sailing ship.
King Ruluo Xi, Yan Sangzi, and Servant Ant walked out of the cabin and stepped down one after another. At this time, the prince, along with all the civil and military officials, had already been waiting outside the royal city for the whole day.
However, after King Ruluo Xi returned to his territory, he did not go to see Wen Wu, but took Yan Sangzi directly to the place where the weapons were made.
The soldier stepped forward and reported to the prince, saying:
"His Royal Highness, the king has rushed to Zhujian Mountain and the military training depot." The prince rushed to Zhujian Mountain with his civil and military officials.
King Ruluo Xi and Yan Sangzi walked into the training warehouse. The swordsmith and his craftsmen came forward and knelt down, saying:
"Your Majesty." King Ruluo spread his arms and said:
"All craftsmen are safe." The swordsmith and his craftsmen stood up. The swordsmith looked at Yan Sangzi who was standing next to King Ruluo and said:
"Senior brother." Yan Sangzi said calmly:
"Junior brother." The prince and his civil and military ministers arrived. The prince stood in front of King Ruluo, knelt down and said:
"Father." King Ruluo Xi helped the prince up and said:
"Your Majesty, please rise." The civil and military minister behind him knelt down and said:
"Your Majesty." King Ruluo Xi came out, faced these civil and military ministers, stretched out his arms, and said:
"My lords are safe." Ruluoxi and his civil and military officials accompanied Yan Sangzi and stood beside the sword furnace. They looked at the iron and bronze wares and asked:
"Your Majesty, don't you use bronze to make weapons?" King Ruluo Xi hesitated for a while and said:
"Yes, is there any problem?" Yan Sangzi looked at the iron and bronze wares on display and said:
"It's okay if it's made for kings, princes, nobles or ministers, but it's not suitable for use on the battlefield. Weapons made of bronze are not tough enough and are not strong enough to break easily. In the Central Plains countries, iron tools have long been used to make weapons, which are not easy to break. It is suitable for use in battles between two armies on the battlefield." King Ruluo Xi was very satisfied after hearing this and said:
"Sir, what you said is very true." Yan Sangzi said again:
"Please, Your Majesty, lend me the Cockroach Kingdom's saber." The King ordered his ministers to present the saber. Yan Sangzi took the saber with both hands, looked at it carefully, flicked the blade with his finger, and heard a crisp sound, and said:
"Good swords." Then he picked the iron sword and the bronze sword that had been made in advance, and tried the swords one by one. The scimitar slashed down, and the iron sword and the bronze sword were decisive. Yan Sangzi praised again:
"Good sword." Then he faced King Ruluo Xi and said:
"This knife is made of high-quality steel. If it is used in close combat, it does not require the strength of the soldiers themselves and relies on the impact of the horses to cut off the heads of the enemy generals, making up for the physical weakness of the Cockroach Cavalry. The Cockroach Cavalry will bend The knife is placed on the side of the horse. The curved part of the blade extends long, while the part near the handle is straight, and is much longer than the general scimitar. This can ensure that you are accidentally injured when the cavalry rushes into our army. During the military formation, it is easy to cut off our army's insect chariots and armor, which also saves the cavalry's own energy." After hearing this, King Ruluo Xi said:
"Sir's analysis is as incisive as micro. I wonder what you need to do?" Yan Sangzi said:
"What the common people want is black gold. There are many overseas merchants in Ruluo Xizhou. They come across the ocean to Ruluo Xizhou to buy decorations or do business. I heard that overseas is rich in black gold ore and iron stone. Your Majesty only needs to spend a lot of money to buy it." King Luoxi faced the tax collectors and senior officials and said:
"This matter is left to you to work together." The tax official and the senior official kowtowed and said:
"I'll handle it right now." Then he stepped back. King Ruluo Xi ordered a large amount of black gold from foreign merchants and transported it all to the weapons training depot to build a large number of weapons.
In the training warehouse, the fire was burning brightly, and the craftsmen were all busy. Some increased the carbon fire, melted the black gold into the ironware, and heated it red. Then they moved it to the big iron pier, and Yan Sangzi and the cast sword The master holds the main hammer, the lower hand holds the sledgehammer for forging, the right hand holds the small hammer, and the left hand holds the iron tongs.
During the forging process, you need to constantly turn the iron material by visual inspection, so that the square iron or black gold can be beaten into a round iron bar or the thick iron bar can be beaten into a slender iron bar, and the hard iron block or black gold can be turned into a square or black gold bar. Round, long, flat, and pointed like a sword.
After subsequent processing and inlaying, the finished sword was put aside and continued to be forged. There was thick smoke billowing above the sword furnace, the sound of clanging was constant, and sparks were seen shooting out when the hammer was struck.
The craftsmen took off their shirts, and their naked upper bodies were baked into the color of copper oil by the charcoal fire. Sweat dripped down like raindrops, hitting the red-hot iron.
There was a "chichi" sound and green smoke was rising. At this time, Yan Sangzi took out the King's Sword, and after it cooled down, he inlaid jewels on the hilt.
Yan Sangzi looked at the long sword and gently flicked the blade with his fingers, hearing a crisp sound. Started to test the sword, this sword cuts iron like clay, showing the domineering power of the king.
Junior brother was also amazed and said:
"Brother, please name this sword." Yan Sangzi looked at the sword and said:
"This sword has eight sides, let's call it the Eight Sides Quan Yuan Sword." Junior Brother praised:
"Good name, good sword." Yan Sangzi entered the hall holding the sword and presented the sword. King Ruluo Xi took the sword and began to test it.
King Ruluo Xi ordered the eunuch to get a scimitar and chop it repeatedly. The scimitar broke and the tip flew out and was nailed to the pillar.
King Ruluo Xi looked at the sword and said:
"What a good sword." At the moment when the long sword was unsheathed, the cold light was exposed and he asked:
"What's the name of this sword?" Yan Sangzi asked:
"Eight-sided Quan Yuan Sword." After hearing this, King Ruluo Xi was very satisfied and felt extremely happy inside, saying:
"What a good name." Yan Sangzi laughed wildly in the hall. The King of the West was puzzled when he saw it and asked:
"Why are you laughing, sir?" Yan Sangzi said with a smile:
"I have three swords here. I wonder which sword your Majesty will choose?" King Ruluo Xi asked:
"I wonder which three swords you have, sir?" Yan Sangzi replied:
"The sword of the emperor, the sword of the princes, and the sword of the common people." King Ruluo Xi said:
"So what about the Emperor's Sword?" Yan Sangzi faced King Ruluo Xi and said:
"The emperor's sword has Yanxi Shicheng as the front, Qi Dai as the eel, Jin and Wei as the ridge, Zhou and Song as the tang, and Han and Wei as the clamp. It is surrounded by the four barbarians, wrapped in the four seasons, surrounded by the Bohai Sea, and led by Changshan. Based on the five elements, the punishment is based on virtue, the yin and yang are opened, the spring and autumn are held, and the summer and winter are used. This sword is straight and unparalleled. . Once this sword is used, the princes and ministers will be subdued, and the world will be subdued." King Ruluo Xi asked again:
"What about the swords of the princes?" Yan Sangzi stood among the civil and military officials, glanced at the ministers, then faced King Ruluo Xi, and said:
"The sword of the princes has warriors as its front, honesty as its harpoon, virtuousness as its backbone, loyalty and sage as its bar, and heroes as its clamp. This sword is as straight as it can be, as it can be lifted as high as it can be, as it can be lifted as it can be lifted as it can be lifted as it can be moved as it is. On the side, the Dharma is placed in the round sky to align with the three lights, and the Dharma is lowered to the earth to align with the four seasons, to neutralize the public opinion and bring peace to the four villages. Once this sword is used, it is like the shock of thunder. Within the four seals, everyone is submissive and obeys the king's orders. That’s it.” King Ruluo Xi was very excited when he heard this, and asked again:
"So what about the sword of common people?" Yan Sangzi stood among the ministers, stepped forward quickly, stood in front of the ministers, bowed and saluted, then looked up to King Nuluo Xi, and said:
"The sword of a common insect is like a shaggy head with a protruding bun and a crown, a tassel on the beard, and short clothes at the back. It is angry and difficult to speak. It strikes each other in front, cutting off the neck and collar at the top, and severing the liver and lungs with the lower part. This sword of the common insect is no different. In the cockfight, all lives are lost, and there is nothing to use for state affairs. When I was in the Central Plains, I heard that in the past, King Wen of Zhao loved swords and hung out with swordsmen all day long. The sword style flourished, agriculture declined, the government was desolate, and the national power gradually weakened. Prince Zhao Kui was worried and rewarded Zhao Kui with a thousand gold coins to recommend him as a lobbyist, saying:
"It must be Zhuang Zhou." Zhuang Zhou agreed, but he despised the daughter and was confused. Zhuang Zhou smiled and said:
"If it fails, I will be implicated if I betray the prince. What's the use of a thousand gold? If it succeeds, I will be married to the king. Prince, the heart of all people, what can't be accomplished in the Kingdom of Zhao?" Going to the palace of Zhao, the former king selected six warriors and said:
"Dare you come to compete?" Zhuang Zhou said:
"I have a sword that can kill a person in ten steps and leave no trace for a thousand miles. When it's over, I take off my clothes and hide my merits and fame." King Zhao was curious, and Zhuang Zhou said:
"I present this sword to you." King Zhao felt guilty and closed his doors in March. All the swordsmen surrendered to death, and the country became more prosperous.
I think the king likes swords very much, he is good at martial arts and loves conquest. What is the difference between him and King Zhao Wen of the past? "These words made King Ruluo Xi fall into deep thought and remained silent.
The officials criticized and said:
"These crazy ants dare to despise the king. This wind cannot last forever. Please punish it." King Ruluo Xi raised his eyes and said:
"What you said is true. What crime did you commit? Mr. Gushu is not guilty. From now on, you can speak frankly in the court. The person who speaks is not guilty." Then he stood up and said:
"I don't choose any of the three swords. I will use all three swords to drive away the foreign barbarians and make the world surrender. Then the world will be peaceful and there will be no war."
