Chapter 7

With Wei Yan's permission, Wei Ba continued his self-torturing morning exercises and spent the rest of his time in the ironworks, mingling with the blacksmiths. Although he was not a metallurgy major, he was familiar with the basic theories. With the help of the blacksmiths who had spent their entire lives working with iron, he quickly understood the current state of iron smelting technology in this era and knew where he needed to focus his efforts.

Achieving success overnight was unlikely, but as long as he identified the key points, what he needed next were some specific and meticulous experiments, followed by the standardization of the process and the expansion of production facilities. For Wei Ba, who had experienced modern industrial production, these were not major issues. What he used to hate the most—overtime—was now seen as a form of training, making it less unbearable.

As the long sword was hammered by the old blacksmith, making a clanging sound, Wei Ba's eyes grew brighter, like the fire in the furnace, and his back straightened, like the ring sword taking shape.

He was so engrossed in the technical improvements that he didn't notice the changes in himself, but when Wei Feng came to the ironworks again, he immediately noticed the difference.

"Ba, you look great," Wei Feng patted Wei Ba's shoulder. "Father was worried you wouldn't be able to handle it, but now it seems you are indeed different. Ah, after all these years, you finally act like a man."

Wei Ba smiled slightly and looked at Wei Feng. "How did the iron spade test go?"

Wei Feng laughed heartily and hugged Wei Ba's shoulder. "It was very effective. Do you know, using this iron spade to plow the land is three times more efficient than using a wooden one. Father has already ordered iron from Nanzheng to forge two thousand more."

"Two thousand?" Wei Ba frowned. "If it's so useful, why not forge more, one for each household?"

Wei Feng was taken aback and couldn't help but laugh. "Foolish boy, what do you know? Iron is a precious material. How can it all be used to make farming tools? Of course, it should be used to make weapons first. Ah, by the way, how is your progress? Father is waiting for your precious sword."

"Almost done," Wei Ba said. "It will take three days at most, two at the least. The sample will definitely be ready."

"That's good." Wei Feng's eyes sparkled as he stared at the sword for a moment, then pulled Wei Ba aside and whispered, "Ba, after you finish the sword for Father, can you make one for me too?"

Wei Ba was taken aback but smiled. "Of course, everyone will have one. How could I leave you out?"

"Everyone?" Wei Feng looked at Wei Ba in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

Wei Ba smiled bitterly. He understood Wei Feng's meaning. Wei Feng—and Old Man Wei Yan—considered this a unique divine weapon, but what Wei Ba intended to do was mass production, not just one or two, but thousands, even tens of thousands. If possible, he wanted every soldier in Shu to have one.

"I'm not joking, really," Wei Ba paused for a moment and then said seriously, "Regarding the iron spade, if possible, forge more. Weapons are important, but food is even more important. The emperor doesn't want hungry soldiers. Producing one more shi of grain in Hanzhong means saving three to five shi from Chengdu, and it saves a lot of time. Even if it costs more, it's worth it."

Wei Feng looked at Wei Ba in surprise and laughed after a while. "Good boy, you've grown. You actually know how to help Father. Yes, Father will be very happy when he hears this." He paused and then added, "Your idea makes sense, but we need to forge both weapons and farming tools, which will require a lot of iron. It won't be easy to do both at once. Of course, weapons come first."

"Not necessarily," Wei Ba shook his head and interrupted Wei Feng. "Farming tools are urgent. Spring plowing is coming soon. If we forge the iron spades now and distribute them to the farmers, they can plant more land and harvest more in the fall. Weapons, on the other hand, are not so urgent. The Chancellor hasn't arrived yet, and we can delay for two or three months. Besides, the new weapons are not yet finalized. It's better to wait until I'm confident before forging them."

Wei Feng frowned, looking at Wei Ba who was speaking confidently, and remained silent until Wei Ba finished. He then thought for a while. "You make a good point. I didn't consider the urgency. Let's go, I'll take you to Father to discuss this."

Hearing about Old Man Wei Yan, Wei Ba felt a bit nervous, but he realized that to change the fate of the Wei family, he couldn't avoid this. Time was pressing, and he couldn't delay any longer.

"Alright, I'll go talk to Father." Wei Ba made up his mind and followed Wei Feng out of the ironworks.

The ironworks and the county office were not far apart, just a few steps away. As they approached the county office, Wei Ba felt something was off. There seemed to be a sound of beating in the courtyard. He glanced at Wei Feng, who also turned to look at him. The brothers quickened their steps.

As soon as they entered, they were startled. In the hall, Old Man Wei Yan sat behind the desk, his face ashen. The magistrate of Mianyang knelt on the steps, trembling, while two clerks were being punished, one of them already beaten to a pulp and barely alive.

However, what surprised Wei Ba the most was not the punished men but the two people sitting in the hall. One was a middle-aged man, and the other was the white-clad girl he had met on Yangping Mountain. She glanced at Wei Ba as he entered, her eyes as cold as ever.

Wei Ba was a bit surprised but not as nervous as last time. He followed Wei Feng to the hall and bowed to Wei Yan. Wei Yan raised his eyebrows and pointed to the middle-aged man. "This is General Ma Dai, the Northern Pacification Commander, sent by the Chancellor to inspect the preparations of the Mianyang camp. You should go and greet him."

So, this was Ma Dai. Wei Ba thought as he approached and bowed. Ma Dai smiled warmly and returned the bow, his gaze sweeping over Wei Feng's face and finally settling on Wei Ba's.

Wei Ba felt a chill and glanced at the white-clad girl, noticing the slight curl of her lips. He knew she still harbored resentment and that her visit was not friendly.

Sure enough, Ma Dai stroked his beard and smiled. "General, I have long heard that you not only excel in military strategy but also in raising your children. Your eldest son, Wei Feng, is mature and steady, and your third son, Wei Wu, has the potential of a great general. The most outstanding, however, is your second son, Wei Ba, who has abandoned martial arts for literature and is full of knowledge. It is truly commendable."

Wei Yan was puzzled. Ma Dai's praise for his military strategy was well-deserved, and he felt a bit smug. The praise for Wei Feng's maturity and Wei Wu's potential, though somewhat exaggerated, was not too far off. But how could Ma Dai say that Wei Ba was full of knowledge? He could read a few words, but he was far from being full of knowledge. Was Ma Dai mocking the Wei family's lack of learning?

"General Ma, you flatter me," Wei Yan replied coolly, his eyes narrowing.

"General, you are too modest," Ma Dai bowed. "Perhaps you are busy with military affairs and don't know your son's insights. Coincidentally, a few days ago, my daughter went to Pingyang Pass to pay respects to her father. She happened to hear your son's comments on some of our great generals, which were quite surprising."

Hearing this, Wei Yan understood. This must be Wei Ba's nonsense, which had offended the Ma family. He glared at Wei Ba and said sternly, "Child, what insights could you have? It was just some nonsense. If I have offended General Ma, please forgive him. It's not worth it to argue with a child."

Wei Ba's eyebrows raised. Although his father was bad-tempered, he was very protective of his children. His words seemed to be saying that his son was ignorant and that Ma Dai shouldn't take it to heart, but in reality, he was accusing Ma Dai of bullying a child, which was unbecoming. Indeed, he was tough and domineering.

Ma Dai's eyes tightened, and he seemed hesitant. The girl behind him, however, couldn't contain herself. She stood up and bowed to Wei Yan. "General, when I heard your son's insights, I was amazed. After thinking about it, I still couldn't understand. Today, I have come to seek your guidance and your son's. I hope you will help me."

Wei Yan's eyes scanned the room, and his displeasure was evident. He grunted, "No problem, speak your mind. What don't you understand? I will help you."

"Thank you, General," the girl bowed again. "General, you are well-versed in military affairs. Who are the great generals you admire the most in the world? Among the great generals of our dynasty, who do you consider the best?"

Wei Yan stroked his short beard and pondered for a moment. "Speaking of great generals, there were the Three Brights of Liangzhou and Huangfu Song, all worthy of the title. The Five Excellent Generals of Cao Wei are not worth mentioning. As for our dynasty, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and your father are all great generals. It's hard to say who is the best. Different people have different opinions. However, in my personal view, Guan Yu is slightly superior." He laughed and waved his hand. "Of course, this is just my opinion, not to be taken too seriously."

The girl smiled coldly. "General, this is indeed just your opinion, even your personal view. Your son, however, seems to have a different opinion. The Guan Yu you admire is, in his eyes, not worth mentioning. As for your father, he is just a stray dog, not even worthy of being called a great general."

As soon as she said this, Wei Ba sighed inwardly. The old monk was right; women are tigers, and it's best to avoid them. This Ma family woman was even more dangerous. After so many days, she finally came to seek justice. This girl was not only ruthless but also cunning. She knew that Old Man Wei Yan admired no one but Guan Yu, so she used Guan Yu to make her point and added the insult of a "stray dog." No matter how protective his father was, he couldn't ignore this.

Sure enough, as Wei Ba expected, Wei Yan's face changed when he heard this. He slammed his hand on the desk and shouted, "Rascal, what is this? Did you really say such things?" ———— New book, please support!

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