Chenliu Commandery, Cao Residence. Cao Mu returned from the back gate, carrying a small wooden box.
Her mother, Lady Ding, had been turning a blind eye to Cao Mu’s frequent comings and goings between the Cao Residence and the Cai Residence.
However, as a young lady, she needed to be mindful of appearances. Thus, Cao Mu always sneaked back through the back gate in the evenings.
Every time she returned, she would take the bamboo slips recording the steel forging process into her chambers, spread them on the floor, and categorize and summarize them.
The Cao Residence was vast. Even the back gate had a pair of stone lions and a golden plaque.
Chenliu Commandery was close to Luoyang, yet unobtrusive. This mansion had originally been the place where the Grand Administrator Cao Song stored his wealth.
As the empire’s minister of finance, his wealth was immeasurable, and this mansion in Chenliu Commandery was built with extraordinary grandeur.
Cao Mu returned a bit earlier today. The thought made her pout slightly, as she harbored a bit of resentment towards Lu Yu.
As usual, she quickly carried her small book box back to her pavilion. At such times, the maids in the pavilion would help her take off the box, then retrieve the previously recorded bamboo slips, spreading them across the floor for her to summarize and study.
This was not an easy task. Cao Mu needed to repeatedly calculate every step of melting and forging steel based on her memories of the day.
Not to exaggerate, Cao Mu had only been learning forging for a few days, but she had diligently compiled a large volume of theoretical knowledge.
“Huh?”
Today was different. When Cao Mu returned, there were no maids to greet her in the courtyard, not even guards. Where were they?
Cao Mu frowned. Before she could think further, she saw her mother, Lady Ding, emerge from her chambers with a thunderous expression. Her mother sat stiffly on a stone stool in the courtyard.
Cao Mu was slightly surprised. Her mother’s expression was quite frightening. She quickly bowed. “Mu’er pays respects to Mother…”
“Why are you back so late…” Lady Ding said.
Ah… ah…
Cao Mu was slightly stunned. Wasn’t this asking the obvious? It was her mother who had asked her to study under Miss Cai Yan. Besides, hadn’t she been returning around this time every day recently?
But… Lady Ding’s aura was too powerful. Cao Mu dared not argue. “I was delayed by my studies today, hence my late return.”
“Studies? Looking at how dirty you are, is this what studying looks like?” Lady Ding’s expression tightened, and her tone suddenly grew colder. “You’ve been forging, haven’t you?”
“Mother… I…” Cao Mu wanted to explain. There wasn’t much to explain, really. She had mentioned to her mother before that she wanted to learn crafts like her father did when he was young, to learn forging… Why did her mother’s expression seem so wrong today!
“Sigh…” At this moment, Lady Ding let out a long sigh. She felt as if all her careful planning had come to naught because of Mu’er’s unreliability.
“Mu’er, you’re a young lady. Even if you were to learn crafts, couldn’t you learn weaving, basketry, embroidery, or cooking? Why must you insist on learning forging? Now look at you… covered in dirt, like a… like a country girl. With such an appearance… how can you…”
Lady Ding had intended to say, how can you attract Lu Yu, how can you be childhood sweethearts with Lu Yu…”
But… the words ultimately didn’t leave her lips.
“Why did Mother give birth to someone like you… like this… Sigh, forget it…”
Lady Ding felt like crying. She picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. “Forget it, Mu’er. From now on, you don’t need to go to the Cai Residence anymore, nor are you allowed to learn forging. Your father has already betrothed you to General Xiahou’s eldest son, Xiahou Mao. Today, he specifically sent a messenger to inform us… to have the Xiahou family prepare the betrothal gifts. From now on… you must settle down!”
Ah… ah…
Cao Mu was shocked. Betrothed? Her father betrothed her to Xiahou Mao?
This…
It wasn’t just her surprise. Even Lady Ding was bewildered by this news. It was true, Mu’er had reached marriageable age. Ancient women often married at twelve. For someone like Cao Mu, who was fifteen and not yet married, according to Han dynasty law, there would be a heavy fine!
Of course, the Cao family didn’t care about this money, but they had to care about public opinion…
Fifteen years old and still unmarried, did she have some physical problem?
Was she infertile? Had she been intimate with someone… Such rumors spread quickly in the marketplace. Words could indeed be fearsome!
Of course, Xiahou Yuan’s eldest son, Xiahou Mao, was not bad. But lately, Lu Yu, this suddenly appearing young man, had been too brilliant. With his accomplishments one after another, his schemes time and again, not to mention men of the same age like Xiahou Mao, even the talented civil and military officials of Yanzhou were far behind him.
It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. The same applies to choosing a son-in-law. Having seen such an outstanding Lu Yu, Xiahou Mao now seemed quite ordinary!
“Alas…” Lady Ding sighed helplessly again.
But Mu’er was not living up to expectations. If her relationship with Lu Yu were closer, Lady Ding could have suggested it to her husband, Cao Cao, and explained it to Xiahou Yuan, at least to fight for a chance.
…But now, Mu’er had been at odds with Lu Yu just a few days ago, and recently she had been obsessed with this art of forging. Where… where was there any feminine charm? She clearly looked like a tomboy! How could Lu Yu possibly fancy her?
Helplessness… Thinking of this, Lady Ding’s brows were filled with helplessness.
The matter had come to this, and there was nothing that could be done. Lu Yu… such an excellent son-in-law was lost in vain. It could only be blamed on her daughter’s lack of effort and her failure to seize the opportunity. Now that she was to marry Xiahou Mao, she certainly couldn’t go to the Cai Residence anymore.
A daughter about to be engaged and married, running to another man’s mansion every day? What kind of propriety was this? If this were to spread, who knew if rumors would arise about Mu’er being indecent or impure.
“I won’t mention what happened before. From today onwards, stay honestly at home and don’t go anywhere.” Lady Ding covered her eyes, a look of regret on her face. “This is for your own good. Since you are already promised, you should focus on supporting your husband and raising your children. Your studies are no longer important. If you still want to read, read the ‘Analects for Women’ and understand the ‘Three Obediences’ and ‘Four Virtues’! Obey your father at home, obey your husband after marriage. Once you enter the Xiahou family, many things… your father and I will not be convenient to manage. Your disposition is also very stubborn, I worry!”
The ‘Analects for Women’ was written by Ban Zhao, the sister of the litterateur Ban Gu. It mainly described the three obediences and four virtues for women, which was what every mother would earnestly advise her daughter before marriage.
Of course, although the Cao and Xiahou families were as close as family, Lady Ding actually looked down upon these martial men. She preferred her daughter to marry a talented young man of refined character. But… alas… thinking of this, she couldn’t help but lament Lu Yu and shake her head.
“From now on, Mother won’t think much about it, and you don’t think much either. Do you understand? Starting tomorrow, you are not allowed to go to the Cai Residence anymore…”
Under Lady Ding’s powerful aura, Cao Mu lowered her head, remaining silent. However, her heart was engaged in a fierce struggle.
Seeing her daughter’s silence, Lady Ding raised her voice. “You… you say something!”
Only then did Cao Mu raise her head. “Mother, please forgive your daughter for being unable to obey.”
Hoo… As these words left her lips, Lady Ding was greatly alarmed. In her memory, this was the first time Mu’er had defied or talked back to her!
Cao Mu continued, “Mother, I go to the Cai Residence for no other reason than the craft of forging. Young Master Lu’s reprimand enlightened me.
Heaven has its seasons, earth has its energies, materials have their beauty, and crafts have their skill. Only with the seamless cooperation of heaven, earth, and man can weapons that capture the world’s attention be forged. For this reason… I have specifically dedicated myself to these crafts, to explore the secrets of the craft of forging…
Now, my cultivation in forging is at a critical stage. What I am doing is a momentous matter. If successful, it will be related to the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers under my father’s command, related to the combat effectiveness of my father’s troops… related to whether my father’s army can be invincible and victorious in every battle. My father’s regrets in the Hundred Crafts subject at the Imperial Academy in the past, I… I want to make up for them!”
This…
Lady Ding almost jumped up. She said indignantly, “Lu… Young Master Lu Yu is right, but… but forging is a man’s business! How could you… how could you be so foolish, doing this just because of his words?”
“You are about to get married. How can you always be running to other men’s mansions? What will people think if this gets out? What will the Xiahou family think? What will others think? Do you mean you want to force Uncle Xiahou to reject this marriage, and then… you’ll never be able to marry anyone else?”
Hearing this, Cao Mu raised her head. She took off her hairpin, her black hair cascading down, her gaze exceptionally firm. “If I can’t marry, then I can’t marry! Who cares! Daughter… daughter does things according to her conscience. Now… my heart and my mind are filled with forging. What Mother says is useless! As for… the marriage with the Xiahou family, after I finish my work these few days, I will personally go and explain to Uncle Xiahou! Daughter takes her leave!”
Watching Cao Mu, carrying her small wooden box and walking into her chambers without looking back, tightly closing the doors and windows…
Lady Ding’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. Her chest heaved continuously, as if it had suddenly increased by a cup size, but soon, she gasped repeatedly, and the cup size deflated like a leaky ball.
“Mu’er… Mu’er… you… you…”
Lady Ding clenched her fists, her slender palms showing bulging veins. For a moment, she felt that all her years of raising her daughter had been in vain.
Mu’er’s personality was still like her mother, like Lady Liu… Da Feng Novel Network.
But then, Lady Ding’s hands loosened again, and she cried. She instantly regretted her own clever arrangements.
“What has happened to Mu’er… A single remark from Lu Yu has made her so foolish?”
Lady Ding, who usually stood as proud as an iron tower, was now stooping and shedding tears. She muttered incessantly, “How could this be? It’s just… it’s just half a month of contact with Lu Yu, and that… that obedient child has changed, changed…”
Tottering over the threshold, it was already night. The beginning of spring was not as warm as imagined. Lady Ding, with tears in her eyes, disappeared from the courtyard with helplessness, bewilderment, and disappointment. Mu’er… was no longer the obedient child!
Could it be—one encounter with Lu Yu ruined a lifetime!
…
In her chamber, Cao Mu’s eyes were also red. She didn’t know… what was wrong?
What was there to cry about?
Or rather, were these tears shed because she couldn’t forge, or because… she was about to get married and could no longer have any other illusions.
After a long while, Cao Mu slowly stood up, opened the wooden box, and skillfully took out the bamboo slips.
Hoo…
She exhaled softly and spread out the bamboo slips on the bookshelf. She subconsciously said, “Melting and forging steel, one hundred and fifty-four successes, three hundred and seventy failures in eleven days! When the fine steel solidifies…”
In the silent room, only her voice echoed leisurely.
She seemed accustomed to studying diligently in the dead of night, suppressing the unpleasant stirrings in her heart. She slowly ground the ink, and picked up her brush. “Today, four furnaces were used, with two successful attempts. Perhaps it was due to the suitable outdoor temperature, or perhaps…”
Under the flickering candlelight, Cao Mu’s eyes shone. She was a persistent person, a resolute person, a person who could not tolerate any flaws. She harbored a vision in her heart, and she would not rest until it was realized!
She wanted to increase the success rate of fine steel forging to over ninety percent. She wanted to use her actions to tell Lu Yu… that she was not that unbearable, and that she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to!
And in this process, she was destined to be alone…
…
…
Early in the morning, Lu Yu smelled a fragrant aroma. The scent of sesame. Without thinking… the back courtyard must be pressing sesame oil again!
Speaking of which, this smell was quite pleasant when smelled occasionally, but… if smelled every day, it would become a bit tiresome.
Lu Yu pondered… Since the oil pressing had already been successfully experimented with, a dedicated oil mill could be set up in the southern part of the city.
With this thought, Lu Yu headed towards the back courtyard…
Passing by the “Forging Experimental Base,” he saw Cao Mu and Dian Wei conversing about something inside.
“This girl, she’s here so early! She’s that dedicated?”
In the past few days, Lu Yu’s inherent impression of Cao Mu had undergone a complete transformation. This girl didn’t seem as detestable as history portrayed her, colluding with her brother-in-law to frame her husband…
At the very least, she was persistent in her endeavors. From learning the craft of forging, one could see some clues. A girl, staying by the furnace from morning till night!
Thinking about it, Lu Yu felt that her body must be drenched!
With a slight nod, Lu Yu didn’t stop…
Dian Wei had been temporarily assigned to forging. It was unlikely any major problems would arise, although the success rate of steel forging was still a difficult issue.
The consumption of fine steel was also a terrifying number, but… a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let’s take it one step at a time.
Lu Yu viewed this with an open mind.
Of course, if forging was a money-consuming venture… then the courtyard next door, brewing oil, was a profitable business…
Xun Yu and Cao Chun were trustworthy. They sent their respective investments of five million cash early in the morning. This was equivalent to tens of thousands of yuan in his previous life, which was affordable for Xun Yu and Cao Chun.
As for… who should be the head of the oil mill?
Just as he thought of this, Lu Yu saw Zhuge Jun arrive. He was already directing the workers in an orderly manner to press oil.
This little Kongming, very diligent!
Although he didn’t seem very intelligent, with a huge gap compared to his idol, Zhuge Liang, Lu Yu found that he was very diligent and studious. As the saying goes, diligence can compensate for lack of natural talent.
Perhaps he just lacked an opportune moment to awaken. Lu Yu pondered…
If following the normal timeline, Zhuge Liang would apprentice under Master Shui Jing, Sima Hui… Perhaps it would be easier to awaken there.
Of course, there was also a possibility. Novels often portrayed Zhuge Liang as almost divine, but in actual history, Zhuge Liang wasn’t that divine… Liu Bei’s strategist was Fa Zheng, while Zhuge Liang was better at governing prefectures and counties, and recruiting troops—a proper logistics minister!
This function was quite similar to Xun Yu… If one thought along these lines, it could explain why Zhuge Liang wasn’t outstanding in learning strategy!
“Master Lu…” Noticing Lu Yu at the courtyard gate, Zhuge Jun ran over.
“Cough cough…” Lu Yu coughed lightly, then patted Zhuge Jun’s shoulder with approval. “Kongming, work hard. Whether this oil mill can flourish or not depends on you. For now, let’s not rush. Let’s take it step by step. What you need to do is figure out how to brew more oil with the same amount of ingredients… When our oil mill officially opens, I will remember your contributions! And promote you heavily!”
Lu Yu remembered that in his previous life, his leaders always liked to trick him like this…
They would trick him like this when assigning overtime, when assigning heavy tasks, and even when reducing marriage leave and fully granting paternity leave.
Thinking of himself at that time, he would get extremely excited upon hearing such words, shouting eagerly, thinking that a promotion and salary increase were imminent, and wanting his leader to hand over all the work to him…
Thinking about it now, he was very foolish and naive back then!
And now, it seemed… this advanced method of fooling people was being used on Zhuge Liang.
Whether he would be promoted heavily in the future, and whether his contributions would be remembered, were not important. The important thing was to draw a big pie for him first. As the saying goes, a pie can fill the stomach. Once one has a pie, or rather… once one has an ideal, then they are fundamentally different from a salted fish, and might even leap to become a leek!
Hmm… Kongming, Kongming, roll up your sleeves and work hard.
As expected, Zhuge Jun replied excitedly, “Master Lu entrusts such an important task to me, I… I will do my best, please rest assured, Master Lu.”
Lu Yu patted his shoulder with great satisfaction. A nine or ten-year-old kid saying these words, ancient boys were indeed precocious, which was comforting!
Leeks should be cultivated from such a young age… This way, when they grow up, it will be convenient to harvest them with one cut!
Just then…
“Brother Yu… Brother Yu…” Cai Zhaoji’s voice could be heard from behind. Lu Yu quickly turned around and saw her striding into the pavilion, her tone quite urgent.
“I’ve found you! Commander Cheng has been waiting for Brother Yu in the front hall…” Cai Zhaoji reminded him.
Cheng? Commander Cheng?
Lu Yu didn’t react for a moment. Recently, the title he heard most was Commander Xun Yu. Where did Commander Cheng come from?
Wait… Lu Yu suddenly realized that in his Dragon Mighty Camp, there was indeed a Military Commander Cheng Yu, but he was often away… often dealing with the undead, so his presence was not high!
Of course, although Cheng Yu and Xun Yu were both Simas, the rank of a Military Sima and a Separate Section Sima was quite different!
Wait?
Why did Cheng Yu come? Wasn’t he digging graves with great success a while ago…
Wasn’t he stabilizing the counties and prefectures in the hinterland of Yanzhou a while ago, establishing defenses from Fan County to Dong’a County, repelling Lu Bu, and just recently received commendation?
Logically, now that the situation was stable, he should return to his old profession as a tomb raider. Why did he come here?
Thinking this… Lu Yu quickly turned and walked quickly towards the front hall.
If the notorious terror of the Central Plains comes knocking, there must be an important matter. This must be seen!
…
…