It's difficult to appreciate the wonder of the warship in Prince Yi's mansion without experiencing it firsthand. Although it only has three decks, its construction is unlike any other warship. With three decks, its top is as high as a five-story naval warship. And at the very top, there's an ingeniously designed platform that can accommodate several people for leisurely conversation.
Upon reaching the top of this warship, Fang Jie discovered that he could overlook Chang'an City. The imperial palace, about four or five miles away, was also clearly visible. Standing here, he felt a sense of being on top of the world. Prince Yi, Yang Yin, leaned on the railing, pointed to Chang'an City, and smiled, "When I have nothing to do, I like to stand here and gaze into the distance. Especially in winter, after a heavy snowfall, standing here to admire the snow scene is truly exhilarating."
"When I occasionally pass by, I sometimes mistake this for a tall building in the Prince's residence. I never imagined it would be a large ship."
Yang Yin smiled and said, "The ship is the building. This ship was built in the Prince's residence. It wasn't originally intended for it to sail freely; besides, the river is too narrow and shallow for it to navigate. That year, the Empress Dowager missed me and spoke highly of me before His Majesty. His Majesty, with boundless grace, allowed me to remain in Chang'an City instead of going to my fiefdom. This allows me to fulfill my filial duties to the Empress Dowager and my loyalty to His Majesty. His Majesty even specially decreed that the Ministry of Revenue allocate funds..." "I was thinking of building a new palace, but instead of spending a fortune repairing the old one, I decided to build a new one... It's just that I'm naturally lazy and playful, and suddenly the idea of building a ship to live in came to mind."
He glanced at Fang Jie and said, "So I went to the palace and asked His Majesty for permission, then recruited craftsmen, and it took a full six months to build this ship. It looks like a ship, but it's actually built on a foundation and can't move at all. It's too big for this shallow waterway... Fang Jie, do you know there's a kind of giant fish in the East Sea, several tens of feet long? When its back breaks the surface, it looks like a floating island from afar. Doesn't my ship look like that giant fish? Unfortunately... the giant fish can roam the East Sea, but my ship is just a shell."
Fang Jie said: "I have heard that fishermen on the coast of the East China Sea in our Great Sui Dynasty often encounter such large fish, called Kun. It is said that the largest can be tens of zhang long, truly like a floating island. There is also a myth about a fish called Kun that was so large that even the sea felt it could hardly contain its body, so it vowed to ascend to heaven. After enduring countless tribulations, it finally transformed into a great bird, soaring through the skies, called Peng."
"So you've heard this story too."
Prince Yi smiled and said, "Whenever I think of this story, I am filled with emotion. How huge must that fish be, that even the vast ocean felt too small for it, to the point that it vowed to ascend to heaven? Later, I realized that even the vast sea has its limits, while heaven is truly boundless." occasion. Kun can transform into a roc and fly across the sky, which is fascinating. "
Fang explained: "It's just a fairy tale and cannot be taken seriously. Students will never believe that a fish can turn into a bird."
He pointed to the pond under the building boat and said: "This pond is not big. If this pond is compared to the sea, the koi carp in the pond is Kun. The deeper the river, the bigger the fish, and the fish in the sea are naturally bigger. It's just a natural law. The fishermen come out. When Hai saw Kun for the first time, he was scared to death. How could they dare to fish if this thing was in the sea all year round? They just hoped that Kun would leave the sea, and then they slowly made up this wonderful story, but Kun was still in the sea. "
"Haha"
Prince Yi Yang Yin laughed loudly, seeming to find Fang Jie's words very interesting.
"You're right, a fish is a fish, how can it grow wings and fly into the sky? No matter how big it is, it can only stay in the sea."
When he said this, his tone seemed a little sad. Or he felt that his tone was different, so he immediately changed the topic.
Yang Yin turned around, pointed to the items on the table, and said, "Let's not talk about these boring things. Come, come, take a look at the gifts these Eastern Chu merchants gave me. These Eastern Chu people love to travel the world, selling our Sui Dynasty's finest goods to foreigners across the sea at high prices, and then selling those foreign goods back to us at high prices, making a fortune."
He picked up an item and handed it to Fang Jie, saying, "Take a look, isn't this boring?"
Fang Jie took it and looked at it, then casually pressed a button. The lid opened, and a tiny figure, about the size of a fist, with a grotesque, bared mouth, suddenly popped out. Fang Jie had seen many such trinkets in his previous life, so he wasn't surprised.
Prince Yi, Yang Yin, noticed Fang Jie's lack of reaction and asked curiously, "When I first opened this box, I was quite startled. How come you seem completely unfazed? How did you know to press that spot so something would pop out?"
Fang Jie's heart tightened, but he smiled and said, "When I was in Fangu, I was also responsible for collecting the poll tax at the market. Merchants from Eastern Chu often came to Fangu, bringing these ingenious little trinkets to sell to the Mongols at high prices. I saw one once before; it was sold to a small tribe called Aijin." "He exchanged it for five hundred silver coins."
Yang Yin smiled knowingly, "I've heard that Mongol silver coins vary in size, but the smallest are still about half an ounce. To exchange five hundred for that is enough to show how greedy that Eastern Chu merchant was. It's said that on the other side of the East Sea, in the foreign lands, these little things only sell for one silver coin, which is less than an ounce of silver. Crossing the ocean to here, they've increased in price by at least five hundred times. No wonder Eastern Chu is wealthy."
Fang Jie sighed inwardly, thinking that he still inadvertently revealed some clues. If people knew about his past life, he might be seen as a demon. "Take a look at this."
Prince Yi handed Fang Jie a short repeating crossbow, saying, "This thing isn't as good as our Sui Dynasty's standard repeating crossbow, but it's lighter and more convenient. It can fire five bolts in succession, but its range is too short. It's good for personal defense, but useless on the battlefield. Our Sui Dynasty's Wuhou Repeating Crossbow can fire thirteen bolts, and its power is much greater than this. It's a pity that the Dongchu merchant who came to our Sui Dynasty for the first time actually said it was the best weapon in the world."
Fang Jie took it and looked at it, but his gaze was drawn to another item. He smiled and commented on the repeating crossbow, then walked to the table, picked up the other item, and couldn't help but be startled.
It was a musket.
"I still don't understand what this is. Do you recognize it? The merchant from Dongchu put down a box, but left without fully explaining it to me. I asked around, but no one knows what it's for."
"I don't recognize it."
Fang Jie quickly shook his head, then picked up the leather pouch next to the short gun and opened it. Sure enough, it contained about a hundred steel balls. He looked at them and then put them down, not showing much curiosity: "Looks like something a child would use in a slingshot, right? Showy but impractical, not even as good as a slingshot."
Yang Yin smiled: "If you like it, then I'll give it to you."
Fang Jie didn't nod immediately, but pretended to hesitate for a moment and said: "How about something else?"
His gaze deliberately drifted to a jewel-encrusted short knife on the table.
"Haha."
Yang Yin laughed, "I knew your favorite thing was knives. These things are just an afterthought; I haven't had the real treasure brought out yet. Someone! Bring up the gift I specially prepared for Fang Jie!"
The servant quickly responded and soon returned carrying a long, narrow wooden box.
Yang Yin opened the box and took out a straight sword as clear as a pool of water: "This sword is named Morning Dew. It was a gift from a dying wanderer I saved years ago. It was forged from mysterious iron his father had obtained by chance. Extremely sharp, its most miraculous feature is that it kills without leaving a trace of blood; moisture emanates from its blade, glistening like morning dew. It was because others coveted this treasure that his family was destroyed. If I hadn't happened to be there, he would likely have died from his injuries. After I saved him, he gave me this Morning Dew sword. A fine sword deserves a hero, and I've been searching for someone worthy of it… Seven or eight years have passed, and finally, I've found you."
"Take it."
He handed the sword to Fang Jie: "When you graduate from the martial arts academy and join the army, use this sword to fight for your country!"
…
…
Bazhou is 120 li from Chang'an, a large city with tens of thousands of inhabitants. This place was originally built to the standards of a garrison city in Chang'an, covering an area of several miles in circumference, with extremely sturdy walls. Bazhou was garrisoned by 3,000 troops, belonging to the Left Wing Guard. There were seven or eight such garrison cities surrounding Chang'an, each with troops rotating in and out of service.
Although Bazhou's name includes "zhou" (州), it was merely a county. In terms of population, it wasn't even considered a county, but because it was located outside Chang'an, its magistrate held the rank of a seventh-grade official. In contrast, in much larger counties, the magistrate was only a lower-ranking official. The Sui Dynasty's official system was extremely strict; even this half-rank difference was a significant hurdle, and many people struggled their entire lives without ever climbing it.
The people of the capital region were known for their fierce and warlike nature, and martial arts practitioners were numerous. The largest sect in Bazhou was called the Golden Ring Greatsword Sect, and its leader was a local, known as Jin Sanhuan (金三环). Because his broadsword was adorned with three pure gold rings, and his surname was Jin (meaning "Golden"), he became known as Jin Sanhuan (Golden Three Rings), while his real name was rarely known.
The Sui Dynasty court did not prohibit martial arts, but the government offices maintained extremely strict control over sects. Jin Sanhuan, the leader of the Golden Ring Broadsword Sect, was related to the magistrate of Bazhou County, so he was quite influential in the city. His disciples were all fierce and brave; although they dared not commit any outrageous acts, the common people were reluctant to associate with them. It was said that the Golden Ring Broadsword Sect secretly took on murder contracts, charging five hundred taels of silver per head, with no room for negotiation.
However, this might not be true. After all, Bazhou was only 120 li (approximately 60 kilometers) from Chang'an, right under the emperor's nose. Who would dare to act recklessly? Behind Jin Sanhuan was only a seventh-rank county magistrate, a rank that was commonplace in Chang'an.
In broad daylight, Jin Sanhuan, having given his disciples a few pointers, grew bored. The cold outside disgusted him, so he decided to go back inside and drink by the fireplace. Recently, he'd taken a liking to a fifteen-year-old girl from the county; her delicate features stirred his desire. But with a shrewish wife at home, he dared not act rashly. Besides… his brother-in-law was the magistrate of Bazhou County; without his brother-in-law's protection, his sect might not even be able to survive.
Actually, calling it a sect was a stretch; in terms of scale, the Jin Huan Greatsword Sect was nothing special.
Jin Sanhuan was troubled by the matter of taking a concubine. He dared not offend his wife, yet he couldn't bear to part with the tender young girl. These past few days had been a agonizing struggle. He sent a disciple to buy some cooked meat, then carried a bowl of peanuts and a jug of old wine back to his room from the kitchen. Upon entering, he paused, then flew into a rage!
"Where did this little thief come from! How dare he break into Master Jin's room to steal!"
He cursed, smashing the bowl in his hand.
The person inside the room stepped aside, glanced at him indifferently, and shook his head: "Another good-for-nothing. Why are all the targets the organization is finding so trash lately?"
Jin Sanhuan was enraged and punched the man in the room in the face. The man sighed slightly, not even bothering to dodge. Just as Jin Sanhuan's fist was about to strike, his eyes suddenly widened. A man dressed in purple, seemingly out of nowhere, appeared behind him, pulled out a silver thread, and tightened it around Jin Sanhuan's neck. With a powerful pull, a large human head rolled off.
The person inside frowned slightly, looking angrily at the bloodstains splattered on their clothes. "How were you taught? So clumsy!" they said.
The purple-clad man who had killed someone immediately lowered his head, his attitude humble. "Please forgive me, Deputy Captain. I promise I won't do it again."
The man called Deputy Captain grunted and waved his hand. "Let's go. Next stop. Hopefully, we'll meet someone truly capable."
As he was leaving, he glanced at the three-ringed broadsword wielded by Jin Sanhuan, paused, went back, picked it up, and then tore off the three gold rings from it, stuffing them into his robes.
This person… was Zhang Kuang!