Mid-February, Yanzhou.
In Wuyan City, Cheng Yu strolled toward the eastern part of the city and entered a heavily guarded compound.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The moment he stepped into one of the workshops, the rhythmic sounds of metal striking metal rang in his ears.
Inside, dozens of burly men worked tirelessly.
Each of them was bare-chested, revealing thick, knotted muscles as they carried out their assigned tasks amidst the bustling activity.
Upon closer inspection, one of those men was none other than Zhang Jing.
He too was shirtless, drenched in sweat from the heat.
Without pausing his work, he used a tool to place a newly forged saber into a nearby water trough for quenching.
“My lord.” Cheng Yu walked to Zhang Jing’s side and called out softly.
Seeing Cheng Yu arrive, Zhang Jing instructed a middle-aged craftsman beside him to handle the installation of the hilt and the sharpening of the blade.
“Mister Zhongde would not come without important business.”
After leaving the workshop and stepping outside, Zhang Jing accepted a coarse cloth towel from Pan Zhang, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said:
“Speak. What has happened now?”
“My lord.” With a solemn expression, Cheng Yu replied, “Yan Jiao, Wang Can, and others have sent reports back. They state that after local officials took office, incidents of bullying commoners and abusing authority have begun occurring.”
“From time to time, lives have even been lost.”
“They lack the authority to command soldiers to make arrests.”
“As for the village chiefs and local elders, many turn a blind eye. Some have even…” Cheng Yu left the rest unsaid.
He believed his lord understood exactly what he meant.
“Have you verified these reports?” Zhang Jing frowned slightly, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
“Yes.” Cheng Yu nodded.
“After receiving the letters, I dispatched Zike and Geng Ling to investigate personally. The reports they brought back matched the letters in every respect.”
“How did Zike perform?” By now, Zhang Jing had a fairly good idea of the situation.
“Zike possesses both literary and military talent.” Cheng Yu pondered for a moment before replying, “With some refinement, he will certainly become a capable man.”
Zike was the courtesy name of Lu Qian.
He was a talented member of a prominent clan in Rencheng, Yanzhou.
He had once received an appointment from Governor Cao Cao and led his family’s retainers in defending Luhu City.
Unfortunately for him, Cao Cao’s defeat had come too quickly and too suddenly.
Before Lu Qian had even met Cao Cao in person, the powerful Qihuo Army had arrived.
Forced to surrender, he was later persuaded by Cheng Yu and had spent this period serving at his side.
“My lord!” At that moment, a craftsman approached with a delighted expression, respectfully presenting a formidable-looking saber with both hands.
“The blade has been fully sharpened.”
“In my opinion, its toughness and sharpness surpass even the ring-pommel sabers currently used in the army.”
“Shangzhu, let me test it.” Taking the saber, Zhang Jing ran his hand lightly along the blade, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
The forging method used for this weapon differed from the era’s common folded steel and laminated steel techniques.
In truth, blast-furnace steelmaking, folded steel, and laminated steel were already highly developed in this age.
Not only did blast furnaces exist, but even bellows technology had become sophisticated.
Instead of relying on manpower, water-powered systems were often used.
The forging technique Zhang Jing possessed, however, was a thousand years ahead of its time:
Steel inlay forging.
Compared to folded steel and laminated steel, steel inlaying had one major advantage:
It offered the best cost-effectiveness and was particularly suited for the mass production of military weapons.
As for the craftsman’s claim that the blade was superior to military sabers—
That was only in comparison to ordinary sabers.
While standard military sabers were also forged from refined steel, they were not truly high-grade folded-steel weapons and naturally could not compare to an inlaid-steel blade.
“My lord, let me do it!” A short while later, ten bamboo tubes filled with tiny iron pellets had been set up before Zhang Jing.
Beside him, Dian Wei looked eager to try.
“Very well.” Zhang Jing did not refuse and handed the saber over.
“Thank you, my lord!” Dian Wei bowed respectfully before accepting the weapon.
Nearby, Cheng Yu discreetly observed him.
Since Zhang Jing’s return, this man—built like a wild beast—had enjoyed considerable trust from his lord.
Today, Cheng Yu wanted to see whether Dian Wei was truly capable or merely impressive in appearance.
Whoosh!
Dian Wei casually spun the saber in a flourish before stepping before the bamboo tubes.
Then he swung downward in a fierce diagonal slash.
Shhhk!
The sound of the blade cutting through the air echoed.
Crash!
All ten bamboo tubes were severed instantly.
The cuts were smooth and clean.
Countless iron pellets scattered across the ground.
Gulp…
The surrounding soldiers swallowed involuntarily, their faces filled with shock.
“My lord, this is a fine blade.”
Ignoring the stunned looks directed at him as though he were some kind of monster, Dian Wei respectfully presented the saber back to Zhang Jing.
“A fine blade?”
Many soldiers secretly grumbled inwardly.
Was it really the blade that was exceptional?
“Indeed, it is.”
Zhang Jing took in everyone’s expressions and smiled inwardly.
After accepting the saber, he carefully examined its edge.
There was not the slightest nick or mark upon the blade.
Satisfied, he nodded.
“Congratulations, my lord!”
Cheng Yu finally recovered from his astonishment and bowed in congratulations.
At the same time, any remaining doubts he held about Dian Wei’s strength vanished completely.
“We congratulate our lord!”
The assembled soldiers also cupped their fists and shouted in unison.
“Excellent!”
A serious expression appeared on Zhang Jing’s face as he said in a deep voice:
“I believe all of you have seen for yourselves that this blade differs from the traditional Han ring-pommel saber.”
“For that reason, I have given it a name.”
The saber measured a total of 1.13 meters in length.
Its blade was 78 centimeters long, 4 centimeters wide, and 5 millimeters thick.
The hilt measured 35 centimeters.
It weighed 8.2 Han jin.
Its overall design was derived from the Han saber, though its appearance more closely resembled the later Tang horizontal saber.
“This blade shall be called Wenzui—Judgment.”
Zhang Jing swept his gaze across the crowd and said coldly:
“From this day forward, all soldiers of the Qihuo Army shall be equipped with the Wenzui Saber.”
Upon hearing the weapon’s name, the assembled officers and soldiers felt an inexplicable tightening in their hearts.
It was as though anyone guilty of wrongdoing would one day fall beneath this blade.
“My lord is wise!”
Cheng Yu seemed to realize the deeper meaning behind the name.
With a solemn expression, he bowed respectfully and shouted his praise.
“My lord is wise!”
Although the other officers did not fully understand, they followed suit and saluted in unison.
“Zhongde, this Wenzui Saber shall be entrusted to you.”
Zhang Jing handed the weapon to Cheng Yu and said sternly:
“Within the territories governed by the Qihuo Army, there can be no tolerance for the strong preying upon the weak.”
“There can be no tolerance for the powerful oppressing men and women.”
“And there can certainly be no tolerance for evildoers running rampant under the protection of corrupt officials.”
“However, the four commanderies have only recently come under our rule.”
“Our laws are still incomplete. It is inevitable that some have exploited these loopholes.”
“After you leave here, dispatch men to every county and arrest those who have committed evil deeds, bringing them to the prisons of Wuyan.”
“As for those who have harmed the innocent and those who resist arrest…”
He paused before continuing:
“You may use Wenzui to execute them on the spot.”
“Then display their crimes and their severed heads before the people of the four commanderies and throughout every military settlement.”
“Pan Zhang will lead a detachment of the Central Army to assist you in carrying out this task.”
As soon as Zhang Jing finished speaking, the entire area fell silent.
One could have heard a pin drop.
The soldiers’ eyes shone with excitement as they looked toward Cheng Yu.
Most of them came from commoner backgrounds.
The people Zhang Jing had just described were exactly the sort they hated most.
Now that their lord intended to deal with such offenders harshly, they wholeheartedly approved.
Many silently resolved to remind their own families to behave themselves and not become arrogant simply because someone in the household served in the army.
“Your subordinate, Cheng Yu, accepts the command!”
Taking a deep breath, Cheng Yu stepped forward and received the Wenzui Saber with both hands.
— The end of the Chapter–
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