As if ancient people, initially unable to distinguish between a "jian" and a "pi";
By the time of the Three Kingdoms, people still couldn't understand the difference between a "mao" and a "shuo";
Even a thousand years later, there were still those who mistook a "shuo" for a "qiang."
The reason for this was that the two were too similar in appearance.
But in fact...
The "shuo" and the "qiang" were two entirely different weapons.
If one were to explain in detail, it would likely take up a whole chapter...
Simply put, the "shuo" was generally longer, thicker, and heavier, more suited for brute force...
It also allowed cavalry to charge and fell enemies from horseback at a greater distance.
The long spear, on the other hand, was lighter, with a longer head and incredibly sharp. This was because the longer and sharper the spearhead, the greater the power when thrusting.
It could be said...
Ever since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, cavalry had become the decisive force for various ethnic minorities vying for control of the Central Plains.
And the "masuo" was precisely the key to their repeated victories...
It was also precisely because of the cavalry forces, wielding "masuo" and fighting bravely, that the influential families of the Sui and Tang dynasties could pacify the chaos and establish the nation!
The famous Li Er, his trusted general Yuchi Gong was very skilled in using the "shuo." Li Er once said—with Yuchi Gong alone following me, wielding his "shuo," I would not fear even a million soldiers.
And Qin Qiong, who once single-handedly destroyed an enemy encampment with a "masuo," earning widespread praise!
But the critical problem lay here...
The Tang dynasty fought mounted battles, where cavalry dominated the battlefield and played a crucial role.
It seemed as though the Three Kingdoms were the same.
After all, that's how it was depicted in television dramas and reenactments—a major battle in the Three Kingdoms would erupt, with cavalry charging everywhere, dust clouds rising, and sand and stones flying...
But in reality, horses were a scarce resource during the Three Kingdoms period. Apart from the warlords from Xiliang like Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu, and Ma Teng, the mainstream confrontations on the Central Plains were still the clashes of infantry.
And for infantry combat, the heavy "shuo" was too cumbersome, far inferior to the "qiang" in terms of flexibility and adaptability.
This was also why, from the Song dynasty onwards, the "qiang" surpassed the "shuo" in importance, even becoming the king of all weapons.
Light and convenient, it was more suited for the flexible formations in infantry battles.
During the Tang dynasty, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, and Qin Qiong excelled at the "shuo";
While in the Song dynasty, Yang Ye and Yue Fei both excelled at the "qiang"...
Moreover, the "qiang" had a certain restraining effect on cavalry and could produce results quickly on the battlefield before the "modao" was developed.
Most importantly, the "qiang" was incredibly cheap to produce.
It should be known that the cost of one "shuo" was enough to produce at least three "qiang"!
Coincidentally... the Three Kingdoms period did not yet have a "true" long spear unit...
This point, however, made Lu Yu even more eager to try.
While thinking, Lu Yu directly drew sketches of long spears on a new piece of silk cloth... drawing three in total.
The first was a common red-tasseled spear;
The second was an advanced hook-sickle spear;
The third was the most intricate to forge, the double-hook spear...
Cao Mu looked at the sketches Lu Yu drew, her forehead covered in question marks, "What is the white tassel in your first drawing for?"
"The tassel absorbs blood!" Lu Yu blurted out instinctively... Seeing Cao Mu's bewildered expression, he realized that the wording was too advanced, and little Cao Mu definitely wouldn't understand.
"It's like this..." Lu Yu explained carefully, "This is called a red-tasseled spear. Adding a red tassel to the spear prevents blood from flowing down the shaft from the spearhead, which is not conducive to the wielder's strength."
"But it's a white tassel?" Cao Mu continued to ask...
Lu Yu tapped his forehead. Indeed, the concept of a red tassel didn't exist in this era. He explained carefully.
"When did you become so foolish? If this long spear pierces an enemy's chest, wouldn't this white tassel then become red? The more enemies killed, the redder the tassel would become. And this blood-like color could also deter enemies before a battle, creating an illusion for the opponent when fighting to the death."
Red-tasseled spear... Although people had always called it that, the origin of the red-tasseled spear in history was actually a white tassel. After absorbing a lot of blood, it would turn crimson, and later... it was passed down as the "red-tasseled spear."
Oh...
Cao Mu nodded. "So that's how it is... Wait... in this blueprint, the spearhead of this red-tasseled spear is made of profound iron, and the spear shaft is made of..."
Cao Mu was slightly surprised...
Earlier, when forging the fine steel battle halberd, the entire halberd was made of fine steel.
This way... the battle halberd possessed characteristics of both offense and defense.
But... the spear shaft drawn in Lu Yu's blueprint was actually...
"The spear shaft is made of composite wood..." Lu Yu began. "The outer layer is wrapped with bamboo strips, and the core of the spear shaft uses 牛筋木 (niújīn mù)!"
"牛筋木 (niújīn mù)... you should know this, right?"
"I know!" Cao Mu nodded. "It's also called false deadwood, very light, but very tough."
"Yes, that's it!" Lu Yu continued, "The outer layer uses bamboo strips, and the inner part uses 牛筋木 (niújīn mù). This ensures the spear's toughness, lightness, and flexibility, while also increasing its power."
Looking at it with modern craftsmanship, the best material for a spear shaft is actually white ash wood, the so-called "white ash spear"...
However... this type of wood was rare in the Han dynasty, so using 牛筋木 (niújīn mù) yielded a similar effect.
After explaining the red-tasseled spear,
Lu Yu also carefully recounted the manufacturing process for the hook-sickle spear and the double-hook spear. From the spearhead to the tassel, to the spear shaft and the handle, every detail was meticulously explained.
However...
This type of weapon was completely different from what this era considered a "qiang."
Of course, the "qiang" that Cao Mu subconsciously thought of was not a "qiang," but a "mao" or "shuo."
"This? Can it really kill enemies on the battlefield?"
Cao Mu couldn't believe it.
After all... the spear shaft was made of 牛筋木 (niújīn mù), and the spearhead was made of "bin tie" (a type of iron). Calculated this way... it saved a lot of "bin tie"!
This was far more material-saving than the "modao" Lu Yu had proposed earlier.
How could she know that the "modao" was the "modao," and the long spear was the long spear? Their power and functions were entirely different.
Lu Yu patted his chest, his tone remarkably firm.
"Don't worry, as long as the spearhead is forged from fine steel, it will be incomparably sharp and can easily pierce ordinary armor and heavy shields! The strength and toughness of the spear shaft are enough to snap ordinary swords and sabers!"
Looking at Lu Yu's confident demeanor, Cao Mu was still somewhat doubtful...
"By the way..." Lu Yu suddenly remembered something. "Remember to have a blood groove set at the tip of the spear..."
The greatest function of the blood groove was to induce bleeding. If the enemy didn't stop the bleeding promptly, they could even bleed to death.
Furthermore, once the spear tip was embedded in an enemy's body, due to the presence of the blood groove, it would rarely get stuck, making it difficult to pull out. The blood groove allowed the spearman to quickly withdraw and thrust again.
"Oh..."
Cao Mu nodded, having taken it all in...
She raised her eyes to look at Lu Yu, after all, it was a new thing, filled with curiosity.
"Anything else?"
"Nothing for now. Let's produce a sample in the next few days, find someone to test it, and then decide on further improvements," Lu Yu instructed.
"Alright," Cao Mu nodded...
With the attempts at "modao" and the forging of long spears, Cao Mu mused that the forging workshop would be very busy during this time.
"I'm leaving. You do your best, I support you spiritually," Lu Yu winked at Cao Mu...
Always like this...
Cao Mu pouted her small lips.
She felt that ever since she learned the art of forging, she had completely sold herself to Lu Yu. Day after day, her forging was for Lu Yu's fantastical ideas.
With this thought, Cao Mu bit her lower lip slightly. She shook her head and looked at the eaves with resignation.
She hoped... that the long spear designed by Lu Yu... and this "modao"... would not disappoint her father!
After all... the "bin tie" transported from the State of Chen was very precious!
...
...
Xu Du City, Residence of the General Who Conquers the East.
This was Xiahou Dun's residence. Since escorting the Emperor, Xiahou Dun had been enfelled as the General Who Conquers the East and the Governor of Henan.
He had moved his entire family to Xu Du City. The residence of the General Who Conquers the East was not far from the offices of the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of Agriculture...
The courtyard was also exceptionally large, which indicated Cao Cao's considerable regard for his clansman, Xiahou Dun.
At this moment...
—"Hmph! Ha!"
—"Hoo... hoo..."
First, the sounds of martial arts practice, followed by... a long sigh, as if someone was panting from practicing for too long.
At this moment...
In the training ground within the residence, Xiahou Dun's son, Xiahou Mao, was sweating profusely.
Ever since... more than a year ago, when Xiahou Mao was jilted by Cao Mu, he had rarely gone out, dedicating himself entirely to practicing spear techniques.
...To be precise, this was not spear technique, but rather... "shuo" technique!
And he referenced and studied a spear manual left by Lu Yu back then—the Yang Family Spear technique.
At that time, for some unknown reason...
After the jilting incident, besides the "Yang Family Spear technique," Lu Yu had also left him a copy of "Jin Ping Mei"... It was precisely because of these two books that Xiahou Mao became almost a world-class shut-in.
Practicing spear by day in his residence, and practicing spear in his bed at night...
This was like a passage written by Zhou Shuren: I have two guns by my side, one is called a gun, and the other is also called a gun.
"Hoo..."
Xiahou Mao wiped the sweat from his forehead. His brow was still furrowed.
He had long since emerged from the shadow of being jilted...
Or rather, he was never someone who coveted beauty.
In his subconscious, if he could solve it himself, he didn't need anyone's help.
Having done so...
Over the past year, he could feel the progress in his spear technique, and he could also feel that the "Yang Family Spear technique" was extremely exquisite and profound... However...
Whenever he practiced the spear, he always had a feeling...
It was as if something was restraining his performance, preventing him from unleashing the full power of this "Yang Family Spear."
Perhaps it was because... the spear he had been practicing with since childhood was too heavy, and it completely clashed with the flexibility and adaptability of the Yang Family Spear's "six harmonies plum blossom thirty-six spears."
"To do a good job, one must first sharpen his tools." The unsuitable weapon made Xiahou Mao always feel like he was hitting cotton with a fist, unable to exert his strength, which was very uncomfortable.
"Cough cough..."
At this moment, a low, soft cough was heard. It was Xiahou Dun returning from the military camp.
"Mao'er? Practicing spear?"
Xiahou Dun's tone towards his son was quite gentle. He was afraid that a single wrong word might remind his son of that unfortunate jilting incident.
In Xiahou Dun's opinion, Mu'er, who now managed the forging workshop, was increasingly beyond his son's reach.
However, diligence could compensate for lack of talent. At least Mao'er was quite diligent, which made this old father quite gratified.
After all, who did not place high hopes on their eldest son?
"Father, I was just practicing spear... and also contemplating some of the spear techniques." Xiahou Mao clasped his hands and bowed to Xiahou Dun... He was indeed contemplating, contemplating... how to make his spear technique more flexible and versatile.
Or rather, how to reduce the weight of the "spear" and maximize its advantages.
Speaking of which...
Xiahou Dun had also asked his son if he wanted to study at the Imperial Academy.
After all...
Xiahou Heng and Xiahou Ba, the sons of Xiahou Miaocai, had already entered the Imperial Academy. The three of them had a good relationship.
Coupled with Xiahou Dun's sworn brotherhood with Lu Yu, entering the Imperial Academy was just a matter of a word!
However...
Xiahou Mao seemed to be solely enthusiastic about spear technique and had no interest in anything else, which made Xiahou Dun quite helpless.
"You can't just shut yourself away and work blindly every day!" Xiahou Dun picked up a long "shuo." "Come, Father will spar with you! And see if my son has improved over the past two years."
This...
Xiahou Mao hesitated.
Not to mention, practicing by himself or with martial arts masters, he couldn't directly see his own progress!
And... he still lacked the ability to react in real-time.
He had long yearned for his father's guidance, but... his father was too busy, military affairs, settling his old comrades... every matter consumed a lot of his energy.
"Father, then your son will receive your teachings."
"Bring it on..."
Bang bang...
The long "shuo" collided with the long "shuo." The previously quiet and peaceful courtyard suddenly erupted with sharp, pleasant sounds.
The thirty-six secret Yang Family Spear techniques were a fusion of three fierce spear techniques...
Including—the Overlord Spear created by Yao Qi, the Heng Hou Spear created by Zhang Fei, and the Crocodile Dragon Spear wielded by Yuchi Gong of the Tang dynasty...
Therefore, every move was grand and powerful, exceptionally fierce.
Coupled with Xiahou Mao's all-out assault from the start,
In just three rounds of combat,
He had already surprised Xiahou Dun repeatedly...
Having not tested his son's spear technique for over a year, he never expected that his son's "spear skills" would be so formidable now!
Xiahou Dun was initially casual, only using forty percent of his martial prowess, but gradually, he increased it to fifty percent, sixty percent, even seventy percent.
Boom...
Xiahou Mao's spear tip, imbued with power, missed its target and mercilessly struck the stone steps. The force was instantly channeled, and the stone steps shattered with a bang, turning into pieces of stone scattered throughout the courtyard.
This spear truly astonished Xiahou Dun.
"Good spear technique..."
Before Xiahou Dun could continue to be amazed.
Next, Xiahou Mao's spear technique changed from its previous style. The scorching sunlight shone on his long spear, the spearhead flashing like silver stars, dazzling and brilliant. Even though it wasn't a traditional long spear, it was still wielded with unpredictable variations...
Like the wind, like waves, like surging tides, surging!
The sunlight was no longer as gentle as before. A soft breeze blew...
In stark contrast to this brilliance, Xiahou Mao's continuous assaults became even fiercer and more unpredictable.
"Not bad!"
Xiahou Dun muttered to himself. At this moment... he was surprised, astonished, and even shocked.
When it came to "spears," Xiahou Dun was the foremost spear general in Cao's camp...
The layman watches for excitement, the insider for skill. With just a dozen or so brief exchanges, Xiahou Dun could already discern his son Xiahou Mao's current martial arts level.
If his son's martial arts were still at an amateur level a year ago, then now... they had reached the third-rate level, and were even sufficient to contend with his subordinate Han Hao.
Indeed, a tiger father has no dog son!
However... compared to Xiahou Dun's spear skills, it was still lacking.
Of course, this difference mainly lay in real-time reaction and the variations of the "long spear."
It could be said that due to the considerable weight of the "long spear," Xiahou Dun could clearly see the changes after each move his son made, giving him ample time to react...
As long as Xiahou Dun wanted to, he could defeat his son with a single move.
"Good, faster, faster!"
"Not bad... not bad..."
The father and son sparred for over fifty moves. Xiahou Mao found it difficult to win, and his spear technique gradually became scattered. At this point... Xiahou Dun finally made his move, flicking Xiahou Mao's weapon away with a single thrust. This match had come to an end.
"Hoo, I lost?" Xiahou Mao exhaled heavily, "No... if... if..."
He wanted to say that if his weapon were lighter, then... the variations of the thirty-six Yang Family Spear techniques could be displayed faster, and his father would definitely not be able to keep up...
But... constrained by the weapon, his defeat was clearly due to the weapon!
As Xiahou Mao was still lamenting...
Xiahou Dun clapped Xiahou Mao on both shoulders. "Well done. Your spear technique has improved greatly this year. If your real-time reaction were more flexible, even Father might not be your match."
"No..." Xiahou Mao subconsciously shook his head...
Huh? No?
Xiahou Dun was a little confused... What did he mean by "no"? Was it humility or arrogance?
After a brief moment of thought, Xiahou Dun chuckled.
"Haha..."
His son had the capital to be arrogant. Even with some holding back, being able to go head-to-head with Xiahou Dun for over fifty moves without being at a disadvantage meant that dealing with Xiahou Heng and Xiahou Ba would be a piece of cake. His son had the capital to be arrogant!
"Hahaha..."
With this thought, Xiahou Dun's laughter grew louder. He patted Xiahou Mao's shoulder again. "Practice well, and when you're more proficient, Father will take you to the battlefield!" Da Feng Novel Network
With these words, Xiahou Dun walked away with a smile. He still had some military matters to attend to.
Xiahou Mao stood there in a daze, pondering...
What was wrong? Was it the weapon? Or the spear technique?
He felt that... clearly, clearly his spear technique was more ferocious and varied than his father's?
Why did he lose?
At this moment, Xiahou Mao's forehead was covered in question marks.
No... he had to figure this out!
Tomorrow... tomorrow he must go to the Imperial Academy and ask Lu Yu, who wrote this "Yang Family Spear technique" manual, for clarification. He believed... all his answers could only be provided by Young Master Lu.
With this thought, Xiahou Mao's eyes narrowed tightly. At this moment... he was exceptionally serious.
"Also, the last volume of the Yang Family Spear technique manual is missing a section... What is this section...?"
Hoo...
Exhaling a long breath, driven by his curiosity about the Yang Family Spear technique, Xiahou Mao became incredibly eager to seek advice from Lu Yu.
For a moment, he felt grateful to Lu Yu in his heart...
With such a spear technique manual, who needed women!
If he could choose, and if every time there was such a brilliant spear technique manual, he... he would rather be jilted ten thousand times!
...
...