Qin Mu was unaware that many people had already made their move against him. Early the next morning, he arrived at the Six Doors government office and retrieved all the old, worn-out weapons from the Heavenly Mystery Tower. He came so early because he didn't want anyone to see where these weapons came from.
Soon, many people arrived at the construction site, including the blacksmith from the Yuchi family, who brought his tools and a large quantity of coal and charcoal. Not long after, Xiangli Yanran arrived with the Mo family.
Everyone was stunned by the weapons that occupied half of the construction site. If they hadn't known in advance, they would have thought that a war was about to break out!
So many weapons need to be melted down and reforged, which is undoubtedly a huge undertaking. However, it's also funny that this kind of remelting and forging involves fewer steps than melting iron ore and iron blocks.
In general forging, the iron ore is first melted and turned into iron blocks, which are then transported to the place where they need to be forged. The iron blocks also contain many impurities, so they need to be refined, then hammered, and finally forged into weapons.
Finished weapons, even broken ones, have undoubtedly undergone refining and forging, so they only need to be melted down before they can be forged directly.
In addition to the people gathered by several companies, there were also hired workers, bringing the total number of people on the construction site to over three hundred, along with some oxcarts and horse-drawn carts.
Both Yuchi Baoqing and Cheng Huailiang were in charge of supervising the construction. After the restaurant was built, the two became much more familiar with each other, and Qin Mu's instruction on vegetable and fruit planting and purchasing had also been completed.
After comparing market prices, Qin Mu graded the vegetables and fruits and set prices that were 30% higher than the current market prices, so the people were naturally happy to sell to him.
The price is high and stable, and there's no need for transportation; someone comes directly to the village to pick it up. Only a fool wouldn't take advantage of such a good deal, so everyone eagerly signed cooperation agreements.
The biggest project for the Six Doors was not on the ground, but underground. The workers leveled the ground, put the garbage into baskets, and transported it out by mule carts! By the afternoon, a lot of building materials had been transported to the construction site.
"Whose little girl is this?" Cheng Huaimo asked.
Looking at Xiangli Yanran and Princess Changning, who were as close as sisters, Qin Mu withdrew his gaze and replied, "The young lady from the Xiangli family is my friend. She was asked to come and help."
"Looks pretty impressive!" Yuchi Baolin said, stroking his chin.
"It's very powerful! I can't beat it in close combat," Qin Mu nodded.
"Brother, you've got quite the influence to bring so many people here!" Cheng Huaimo exclaimed.
Because the forging technique requires some secrecy, the Mo family and the Yuchi family are separate, so it's easy to tell them apart at a glance, which is why Cheng Huaimo made this statement.
Skilled workers are hard to find, especially high-end ones. The two companies have mobilized more than sixty blacksmiths in total, plus their assistants, making more than two hundred people. They have already lit the charcoal fire and are throwing old weapons into the furnace. Several shirtless, burly men are pulling the bellows with all their might.
The construction site was bustling with activity, and the young people were in high spirits. This was their first time leading a department, and they all wanted to achieve good results. After all, living in the shadow of the older generation was quite stressful. They probably didn't even have the ambition to surpass their predecessors, but this was a great opportunity to prove themselves.
"What nonsense are you talking about! Miss Yanran will be an honorary constable of the Six Doors from now on."
"Hmm! The restaurant is about to open. Brother, is there anything else we need to prepare?" Cheng Huaimo squatted down and asked.
"Why are you nervous? Do you lack confidence in me?" Qin Mu asked.
"We've already spent almost 400,000 strings of cash! I wonder how long it will take to break even!" Cheng Huaimo muttered. He had always been in charge of the expenses and reported the accounts to Qin Mu, so he knew exactly how much money had been spent.
"In less than half a month, we sold 30,000 strings of cash worth of wine. Do you think the restaurant can't sell that much? At most, it will take half a year to recoup the costs!" Qin Mu said confidently.
"Hehe, if we break even in six months, doesn't that mean we can earn 400,000 strings of cash in a year!" Unlike Cheng Huaimo, Yuchi Baolin didn't have those worries. Hearing Qin Mu's words, he was actually very happy.
"You're overthinking it. Breaking even in six months is the most optimistic estimate, and that's gross profit. After deducting some hidden expenses, breaking even in the first year shouldn't be a problem," Qin Mu said, this was his estimate.
"That's already pretty good! You'll be able to make money in the second year!"
“Restaurants are just one industry. I actually have more faith in Baoqing and his team. Their vegetable and fruit purchasing costs are lower and their output is greater than that of restaurants, so their income will definitely be higher,” Qin Mu said, squatting down as well.
"It's okay, I'll help the second brother! Hehe!" Yuchi Baolin squatted down next to him and chuckled strangely.
"Pah! Shameless! You even cheat your own brother out of his business. I'm ashamed to be associated with you!" Cheng Huaimo said disdainfully.
"Hmph! As if you didn't get involved."
"I was helping the second brother, since he didn't have enough manpower!"
"Then we can take the opportunity to get a share of the profits!"
The two were arguing about who was more shameless, and Qin Mu couldn't help but glance wistfully at their long shadows on the ground. Having two such idiots who were ruining his brother's life, he wondered if bringing them into the Six Doors was a mistake.
Qin Mu waited at the construction site until noon before leaving, mainly because the necessary arrangements had already been made. Now all that was left was to wait for construction to proceed step by step.
"Father! You called for me!" Just after Qin Mu had settled Princess Changning and Xiangli Yanran into the courtyard to rest, he was summoned to Qin Qiong by a servant.
"Mu'er! Princess Changning is the Chief Secretary of the Six Doors, you know that, right?" Qin Qiong asked Qin Mu.
"Yes, Father!"
“That princess is a princess after all. Don’t treat her like a subordinate and order her around. Besides, the chief clerk has a higher position,” Qin Qiong said.
"Uh! I know, but if she wants to do something, I can't stop her, can I?" Qin Mu pondered Qin Qiong's meaning.
"What I mean is that you should be mindful of the impact and prevent gossip," Qin Qiong said with some difficulty. With the establishment of the Six Doors, he was the Chief Constable, Qin Mu was the Patrol Officer, and along with Yuchi Baolin and Cheng Huaimo, others would perceive it as a department completely controlled by the Qin family. Adding other people would normally be a good thing, especially with a princess from the imperial clan, which would leave no room for criticism, since in terms of status, a princess was no less than a duke.
However, the fact that the princess was always with her son made Qin Qiong worry again. Qin Qiong had always been reluctant to let personal feelings interfere with official business.
Qin Mu thought Qin Qiong was worried that Princess Changning's actions might make others think he was mistreating her, so he nodded and said, "I know what to do."
"Good to know. I called you here today for another matter." Qin Qiong nodded in satisfaction.
"What's up?"
"I'm leaving the capital tomorrow! So you'll have to handle the Six Doors matter yourself. If you have any questions or need any help, you can go to Cheng Zhijie and Yuchi Gong," Qin Qiong explained.
"Father, you're leaving the capital! Is there some war going on?" Qin Mu asked in surprise.
"It's not a war!" Qin Qiong shook his head, then said solemnly, "Recently, monsters have appeared in many places, some of them particularly powerful. His Majesty has ordered us to deal with them."
"Can't the local authorities solve this? Why would they need to bring in experts from the capital?" Qin Mu asked, frowning.
“The local authorities can certainly handle it, since most prefectures and counties have experts. However, the imperial court cannot delegate this task, as that would enhance the prestige of the powerful clans and sects. If we use ordinary soldiers to resolve this, the casualties will be too great! The key is that His Majesty wants to know what happened and why so many monsters suddenly appeared,” Qin Qiong explained.
"Has this never happened before?"
"No! Do you remember the place where we encountered the monster? There was no secret realm there at all," Qin Qiong said, shaking his head slightly.
"No secret realm? That monster clearly appeared out of thin air! It was brought in by the orcs, but why is the monster attacking the orcs as well?" Qin Mu muttered to himself.
“That’s right, everyone is puzzled, so we must find out the truth,” Qin Qiong said.
Qin Mu nodded in understanding. The monsters weren't important, and even increasing local prestige wasn't the most important thing. The key was why the monsters had appeared in the first place! Whether their numbers would increase, what the monsters were called, and what their attack methods were—all of these needed to be investigated.
After all, it's already happened once, and no one can guarantee it won't happen a second time. What if a large number of monsters suddenly appear in the same place? Judging from the gathered information, the weakest of these monsters is at least on par with a tiger.
Qin Mu understood the reasoning, so he nodded and said, "Father, be careful on the road."
"Hmm! Mu'er, do you know why our Qin family uses a mace and the Yuchi family uses a whip?" Qin Qiong asked again.
"What else could there be? Isn't it because of the family's traditional martial arts techniques?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"This is just one reason. In fact, it's not just our two families. Many military families have passed down the tradition of using axes, halberds, hammers, and clubs as their infantry weapons."
"Could it be to deal with ferocious beasts?" Qin Mu asked, a sudden thought flashing through his mind.
“That’s right. It’s hard to find a mount to help you deal with wild beasts, so you have to fight on foot. But wild beasts are much more defensive than orcs, so swords and blades are unlikely to inflict fatal damage on them. Heavy weapons are much more effective.” Qin Qiong nodded and explained.
"Oh! I see!"
"This is our Qin family's golden mace, look!" Qin Qiong took out a pale yellow mace from behind him and handed it to Qin Mu.
The mace is a type of cold weapon, a major category among the "Eighteen Weapons," often grouped with the whip. However, there are slight differences between the mace and the whip. Generally speaking, the mace has a blade, while the whip does not. Whips can come in various shapes, such as four-sided, six-sided, bamboo-joint, or pagoda-shaped, while the mace only has a four-sided blade, resembling an ancient bamboo slip, hence the name "mace." Qin Mu knew this before, and even complained in a movie that the Kanglong Mace was clearly a whip.
Qin Qiong's golden mace was quite heavy in his hand; Qin Mu estimated it to weigh no less than twenty pounds. Its four edges were very prominent, and the handle had textures to increase friction. The mace was a pale yellow color, and as soon as Qin Mu picked it up, he could smell a strong stench of blood, indicating that many lives had been lost at its hands.
"This is forged from purple-gold copper. The weight is the same from front to back. The only characteristic is that the more blood and evil energy it contains, the heavier it becomes!" Qin Qiong explained.
Touching the cold weapon, Qin Mu handed it back.
"You've already mastered the trump card. Remember the design of this golden mace, and find someone to forge it yourself when you have the materials," Qin Qiong said, putting away the golden mace.
Qin Qiong had already taught Qin Mu that although the trumpet could be used with other weapons, the most powerful one had to be a specially made golden trumpet.
"Father, where are you going this time after leaving the capital?"
"I'm going to Cangzhou, while your cousin is going back to Youzhou!"
"Are Brother Bu and the others going along?"
“No need. The Bu brothers will stay to protect you. I’ve already spoken to your uncle about that. You can also go to your aunt if anything happens! She’s quite skilled too,” Qin Qiong said after a moment’s hesitation.
"Okay!
"If anything happens at the restaurant, perhaps you should be patient with them," Qin Qiong advised.
"Father, do you know something?" Qin Mu asked.
"I don't know anything, but as your father in the court, I inevitably have some rivals. Since I'm not here this time, someone might resort to some underhanded tactics," Qin Qiong said, shaking his head.
"Aren't Uncle Cheng and the others still here? Dad, you don't need to worry."
“I’m not worried about that, but I am worried about your temperament. If someone provokes you and you can’t help but fight back, and you suffer a loss on the spot, it’s not worth it to seek revenge later,” Qin Qiong said.
"Don't worry, harmony is the most important thing in business. I will try my best to avoid conflicts with others," Qin Mu replied with a smile.
"Then I'm relieved. With your Aunt Zheng at home, you don't need to worry too much. After the restaurant opens, try to leave it to Uncle Fu. Focus your main attention on the Six Doors. I hope that when I come back, the Six Doors will be ready." Like other fathers, Qin Qiong always made sure everything was arranged before leaving home and gave repeated instructions.
"OK."
"The chief clerk of the Six Doors is Guo Jing, also known as Guo Xiaoke. He holds the official rank of Grand Pillar of State and General of the Left Valiant Guard. He is both brave and resourceful. You should learn from him and discuss any opinions with him," Qin Qiong instructed again.
Upon hearing the official title, Qin Mu knew this person was no ordinary individual. The title of Grand Pillar of State was unimportant, merely a nominal one. However, the title of Left Valiant Guard General was far more significant. Qin Qiong was the Left Martial Guard Grand General, but this was only a nominal position; he only had the authority to lead troops during battles. In peacetime, both training and command were handled by his subordinate, the Left Martial Guard General.
"I understand, Father, but how can the Left Valiant Guard General concurrently serve as the Chief Clerk of the Six Doors? Isn't that a waste of talent? And it's against the rules, isn't it?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
"This is because many generals are on the list of those leaving the capital this time, so he will temporarily take on the position of chief clerk," Qin Qiong explained.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu realized it made sense. After all, the chief clerk was essentially a civil official assisting the chief official; it was indeed too extravagant for a general to hold such a position. Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that Li Shimin had deliberately arranged for someone to balance the power.
Qin Qiong repeatedly gave Qin Mu his instructions, and it seemed that Qin Mu had remembered them all, before waving him away.
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