He Fengmian watched his elder brother leave with Xiao Bao, but didn't intend to go up and ask his brother what he meant.
His experience from childhood taught him that when there was no real danger, his cunning older brother was the most dangerous.
Just then, Shulan approached him: "General, may I speak to you in private?"
Fearing that He Fengmian would disagree, she quickly said, "Besides the shop matter, I also want to talk to the General about the blueprints."
Upon hearing the words "blueprints," He Fengmian said, "Go to the study."
Xiao Cui wanted to follow, but Uncle Rong stepped forward with a smile: "Miss Xiao Cui, please wait."
He asked affectionately, "I wonder if the young mistress usually has any concerns about her taste preferences?"
Upon hearing that it was about the young lady, Xiao Cui immediately perked up and began to speak.
Upon arriving at the study, the servant not only served tea but also brought two plates of pastries: one plate of osmanthus cake and the other plate of beautifully peeled and cracked honey-glazed walnuts.
He Fengmian stared at the two plates of pastries, his brows furrowing slightly, somewhat annoyed that Uncle Rong was meddling in his affairs.
He picked up his teacup and asked, "Are you not satisfied with the shop?"
Shulan didn't notice anything unusual about him, and simply shook her head: "No."
A pair of curious eyes surveyed the study, noticing the calligraphy and paintings by literati and antique porcelain hanging on the walls.
But what attracted her most was a huge bookshelf standing against the wall, filled with books that looked like they had been flipped through, not the kind of books that were displayed just to show off.
In front of the bookshelf was a large mahogany desk, where the bearded man was sitting without appearing restrained; it was clearly custom-made for his height.
The table was neatly arranged with pens, ink, paper, inkstone, folding slips, and books, but it was clear that few people used it, obviously because he rarely went home, hence the simplicity.
Even so, the place was cleaned very thoroughly.
He glanced around, then, seeing the bearded man looking at him, earnestly explained, "I really like that shop, and I'm very grateful to the General for helping me find such a perfect place. I just feel that it would be more suitable for me to buy it or rent it out."
At the same time, I was drawn to the two plates of pastries that looked quite delicious.
However, since I was in someone else's study, I didn't get to taste it.
He Fengmian paused in his teacup, gently put it down, looked at her, and said expressionlessly, "No need. Consider the shop as payment for the Divine Arm Crossbow and the Salted Crossbow."
He has always been clear about his gratitude and grievances.
Even if he didn't trust her, he wouldn't feel at ease taking those two weapon blueprints.
Shulan hadn't expected the bearded man to mean that, and thought that he wasn't a bad person after all, at least he was upright and fair in rewarding and punishing.
Since she was going to stay here anyway, there was no need to worry about such a thing.
He stood up, thanked them, and generously accepted the gift, saying, "Two weapon blueprints alone are not enough to offset the loss of that shop. I will send another set of blueprints to the General."
Seeing the Xuan paper on the table, I walked over to the desk.
Not only did he boldly borrow this enormous mahogany desk, but he also ordered, "General, could you please grind some ink for me?"
General He: "..."
But for the sake of the blueprints, he obediently began grinding the ink.
Shulan picked up her brush and began to paint; today she was painting a battle-axe.
During this time, she observed everyone's weapons. Most of them used spears, but some used swords, machetes, hammers, and axes.
For example, Zhou Meng wields two enormous double axes.
She drew inspiration from this axe, recalling the Yue she had seen before, which evolved from an ancient large axe into a small weapon with a blade and hook, which could be held in both hands. It was a small weapon that even ordinary people with little strength could use, such as the Ziwu Yuanyang Yue.
The reason she came up with this idea was through her observations over this period of time. She discovered that although the big axe Zhou Meng used was impressive, it required great strength and brute force.
This type of sword, known as the Meridian Mandarin Duck Sword, is also called the Sun and Moon Universe Sword, and it always appears in pairs.
Its appearance is also very strange, resembling both a fish and a moon. There is a handhold at the intersection, and both sides of the intersecting blades are sharpened.
So when she was drawing, she discovered a problem: "This brush is not easy to use; it seems that charcoal is easier to use."
"A charcoal pencil?" He Fengmian had already ground the ink and was also somewhat puzzled as he looked at her strange-looking object.
Shulan nodded: "It is a pen made by mixing graphite powder and clay in a certain proportion. It is hard and particularly good for drawing weapons."
etc.
Suddenly inspired, she excitedly asked, "I wonder if there's any unburnt, harder charcoal in the kitchen?"
If she doesn't have a pencil, she can use charcoal powder.
"Wait a minute." He Fengmian strode out of the study, and when he reappeared a moment later, he was carrying a small, exquisite basin filled with some charcoal.
Shulan looked at the several calligraphy brushes hanging there and picked out one with a particularly stiff tip.
I started drawing with this charcoal ash on my hands, and I must say, it was better than using a brush.
She immediately began to happily draw the Meridian Mandarin Duck Axe while dipping her brush in charcoal ash. It was indeed easier to identify than the previous one, but it was still not particularly beautiful.
Fearing the bearded man would find it distasteful, she said as she drew, "Don't be fooled by the strange appearance and short size of this weapon; it's very powerful and more suitable for close combat."
Back then, her uncle cherished this Meridian Mandarin Duck Axe very much, and even found a set of techniques for practicing it, which he studied for a long time.
Although He Fengmian's expression was obscured by his beard, his tone revealed a rare interest as he asked, "How so?"
As Shulan drew, she explained, "Look at this Meridian Mandarin Duck Axe. It has sharp blades all around. Here, it can be called the back bear. Here are the antler deer, the eye phoenix, the tail fish, and the body snake. As long as you hold the body snake, even if the opponent is holding a one-meter-long cleaver, it will not be easy for them to actually cut you."
At the same time, its compact size and powerful design make it highly effective in close combat, allowing it to slash and poke wherever it wants. It's versatile, capable of both offense and defense, and few weapons can match its power.
He Fengmian listened intently, and in her mind, it was as if two weapons had already taken shape because of her descriptions.
Shulan knew her drawing wasn't good and was afraid she wouldn't be able to achieve the desired effect.
He began writing down the antlers and snake-bodied form he had mentioned earlier, placing them in the corresponding positions, and then wrote down the incantations he knew, explaining, "This weapon moves in all directions, seeking change in motion, and acting at will... Well, I don't actually understand this; I'm just reciting from the book. But the book says that the Mandarin Duck Axes are ever-changing, easy to attack but difficult to defend against. The main techniques include 'Azure Dragon Returns Head,' 'Lion Opens Mouth,' and 'Seal Hangs Between the Head.'"
After she finished speaking, she also finished writing.
With her mission accomplished, she turned to the bearded man beside her and said happily, "If you practice this well, it will definitely benefit everyone."
He felt that at this moment, if he didn't show off and make the general value him more, he would be letting down the current opportunity.
She boasted with a hint of pride, "In the future, I will be able to draw more and better weapons, so that everyone in the army can find a suitable and absolutely lethal weapon. I will definitely not disappoint the general and the soldiers."
She was practically standing there with her hands on her hips, and suddenly felt incredibly radiant, her smile growing even more triumphant.
He Fengmian, looking at the little woman in front of him with a smile as bright as spring sunshine, was inexplicably distracted.
He nodded, albeit reluctantly, and said softly, "Okay!"
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