Chapter 390: Former Zhou Imperial Master
"Please!"
"Xiao Wu, serve the tea!"
"Oh!"
Wu Laogui shouted inside, and a middle-aged man with bare chest and bronze skin came out. His eyes stayed on Ning Fan for a moment, and then he walked into the inner room.
Lin Yong happened to walk in, and frowned even more when he looked at the figure.
After everyone sat down, Wu Laogui looked at Chen Kuan and asked, "Who are these people?"
Chen Kuan looked at Ning Fan with some embarrassment, as if His Highness did not want to reveal his identity, but now that his old friend asked, he had to say it.
"Hehe, I came from the palace."
"I came here this time to invite Mr. Wu to Lingzhou Iron Smelting Workshop to take charge!"
Hearing Ning Fan's words, Wu Laogui frowned and said in a deep voice: "No, I have already told Brother Chen about this matter. Wu is lazy and unwilling to work for the government."
"Why?"
"I am lazy and can't eat the government's food!"
Seeing Wu Laogui's refusal without hesitation, Ning Fan did not show any disappointment. He slowly stood up and walked around the weapons store. He found that most of the tools hanging on the wall were farm tools.
"Old man, haven't you forged a sword for a long time?"
"Well, not long."
Old Ghost Wu glanced at Chen Kuan and said lightly: "Didn't you just forge a sword for Chen?"
"I heard from Lord Chen that the Wu family is a sword-making family and has been in Huainan for more than ten years."
"Now, old man is just making farm tools here. Isn't it a disgrace to his talent and a break in the family heritage?"
"Although I don't make swords for a living now, I have accepted my apprentice and can forge swords secretly. The heritage will not be broken and the craftsmanship will not be disgraced."
"If you came here for this, please go back!"
Looking at Old Ghost Wu's resolute expression, Chen Kuan on the side couldn't help but say: "Old Wu, His Highness came here in person this time, but he gave you enough face. Don't be ungrateful!"
"Your Highness?"
Hearing Chen Kuan's address, Old Ghost Wu's turbid eyes suddenly looked at Ning Fan.
"But in front of His Royal Highness Prince Yong?"
"Yes!"
Ning Fan saw that Chen Kuan had exposed his identity, so he stopped hiding it and said with a smile: "Why, will Mr. Wu change his mind because of my identity?"
"Of course not!"
Old Ghost Wu showed a complicated look on his face, and said softly: "With your background, I can forge swords for you three times, but if you want me to go to the iron smelting workshop, I'm sorry I can't do it!"
"Mr. Wu, can this sword be regarded as your masterpiece?"
Ning Fan took out the sword that Old Ghost Wu had made himself. Old Ghost Wu nodded heavily, and a proud look appeared on his face: "Although it can't be called a masterpiece, looking at my life, the quality of this sword is enough to be ranked in the top three!"
"Hehe!"
Ning Fan smiled, He whispered, "If I say that it won't be long before weapons of this quality will become standard equipment in the army, and the quality of each standard long sword will not be weaker than this one, do you believe it?"
"How is it possible!"
Wu Laogui looked at Ning Fan with a look of amazement, and said, "Could it be that... Your Highness still has the magic iron to forge this sword?"
"What kind of magic iron is this? It's just ordinary iron forged a hundred times!"
"A hundred times!"
Wu Laogui's expression became even more astonished. He looked at Ning Fan with an unbelievable look on his face, and then suddenly looked at Chen Kuan on the side: "Does your ironworks have the manufacturing process of forging iron a hundred times?"
Chen Kuan showed an unfathomable smile on his face, looked at Ning Fan with a questioning look, and when he saw Ning Fan nod, he also showed a smile on his face.
"Not yet!"
"I said..."
Wu Laogui showed a look of "as expected" on his face, and there was a touch of loss in his eyes.
"But it will be ready in less than a month."
"That's impossible!"
Wu Laogui shook his head directly, but Chen Kuan was not excited. He smiled and said, "Old Wu, you know, my iron smelting workshop has been established for less than three months. Three months ago, the iron smelting workshop had not even mastered the process of thirty forgings."
"Now, the iron blocks in my iron smelting workshop can be forged eighty times."
"In other words, eighty forged iron is already ready for mass production."
"Although the weapons made are not as sharp as this one, they can also be used to cut hair."
Hearing Chen Kuan's words, Wu Laogui's face was full of amazement, and a hot light ignited in his eyes.
As the former chief swordsmith of the Great Zhou Military Equipment Bureau, he naturally knew what the breakthrough in iron smelting technology meant. From a small perspective, every innovation in iron smelting technology can increase the strength of weapons several times.
But in a big way, a change in iron smelting technology is enough to subvert the situation of a war, and even affect the balance between countries.
You know, in the Central Plains countries today, the iron smelting process is generally thirty forgings.
And what does eighty forging mean?
"Huh!"
"Dayu, is it really blessed by heaven?"
The old man sighed, and a vicissitudes of life also surged on his body.
"Everyone, please have tea."
Xiao Wu came forward with a tray of tea and handed a cup to Ning Fan and others one by one. As soon as he walked in front of Lin Yong, his expression suddenly condensed, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground.
"Grandpa Lin?"
"Xiao Wu, it's really you!"
After seeing the young man's face, Lin Yong's face changed, and he was full of disbelief.
"You...didn't you...die in the battle?"
"Grandpa Lin, I'm not dead. It's brother Chengde. One life for mine."
Wu Xiaowu burst into tears instantly, stepped forward excitedly, and hugged Lin Yong tightly: "Grandpa Lin, why are you here?"
Lin Yong also had a look of emotion on his face, patted Wu Xiaowu's back gently, and said sadly: "It's a long story, but this is the son of my princess, Ning Fan!"
"Wu Xiaowu, the last general of the Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou Dynasty, comes to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Wu Xiaowu knelt on one knee directly facing Ning Fan, with excitement on his face: "God bless me, Da Zhou, and I can actually meet the son of the eldest princess, and also let me meet Grandpa Lin again!"
"My great Zhou, there is hope for the restoration of the country!"
Hearing Wu Xiaowu's words, Old Ghost Wu's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly shouted: "Shut up!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
"Old Lin, tell me."
"yes!"
Lin Yong also had a wry smile on his face, and said softly: "Sir, the Wu family was once famous in our great Zhou Dynasty. The ace combat power of our great Zhou Dynasty and the standard armor of the bronze swordsman were made by the ancestors of the Wu family. Build it!”
"Xiao Wu is half of my apprentice. My Lin family and Wu family have a close relationship."
"If I guess correctly, you are the second child of the Wu family?"
"Exactly!"
Wu Laogui also recognized Lin Yong's identity, with a look of respect on his face: "I have met the Imperial Master."
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