"General, all thirty-seven craftsmen in the city have been captured!"
Just as the wicked husband and Zizhen were chatting, Chun Ning and Er Niu returned to report. They were both very curious to see an unfamiliar face next to the wicked husband.
"This is Zizhen!"
"These are Erniu and Chuning, my brothers who joined the army from the same hometown."
The wicked man gave a brief introduction, then looked at the terrified craftsmen behind the two of them and nodded in satisfaction.
This time, more than 200 artisans were arrested, including some veteran artisans who had been immersed in this craft for decades.
It's important to understand that the profession of craftsman is quite different from others. While young and strong individuals may be considered laborers at best, the most skilled craftsmen are the veteran artisans, whose lifelong experience is invaluable.
"You need not be afraid. I am a kind and gentle man, and I will definitely treat you well. There are some novel things on my Zhu Mountain that you have never seen before."
"I guarantee you won't want to leave once you go."
People didn't believe him at all; no matter how you looked at him, with his face covered in blood, he didn't seem like a kind person.
The Qin people were ruthless!
Seeing that no one responded, the wicked man's face immediately turned cold. "Gentlemen, I, the wicked man, have always liked to make friends. If you don't give me face, then you are my enemy."
Look at that, isn't it true that the Qin people were brutal?
When bribery fails, they resort to coercion.
Seeing this, how could these people dare to refuse? They quickly put on smiling faces and said, "We will certainly give the general face. It is a blessing to be able to be friends with the general."
"very good!"
The wicked man finally revealed a satisfied smile, cursing inwardly that these people were truly refusing to listen to reason and were now asking for trouble. "Since you are willing to go, then go back and bring your valuables and relatives, lest you be implicated and punished by that tyrannical King Han."
"I guarantee that if I go to Qin, I'll have a house and money."
After saying that, he gave Erniu and Chun Ning a look, and the two immediately ordered the soldiers to accompany the craftsmen back to pack up.
The artisans felt a pang of sympathy, but dared not offer too much comment.
If I follow my wicked husband's words, my future is uncertain. But if I offend him now, I certainly won't survive the day.
Watching the craftsmen's departing figures, Zizhen pondered for a moment, then whispered, "There is another craftsman hidden in the city, whose origins are unknown, but whose skills are extremely great. It seems... he is from the same school as me."
The wicked husband's eyes lit up. "Oh, how do you prove it?"
"There are six stone mills in this city, for the use of the people. Once, a great flood occurred, and four of the stone mills were washed away. He, with only four strong men, put all the stone mills back in their original places."
"The winch lifting method, although not difficult, would never be thought of by an outsider. This method undoubtedly originated from the Mohist school."
The wicked man nodded upon hearing this. In the future, when physics is more widespread, anyone with a little intelligence could learn such clever tricks without a teacher. But this was in an era of backward education and before the general public had been enlightened. It was not something that could be easily thought of.
The Mohist school, deeply immersed in craftsmanship, possessed countless similar methods that were convenient and labor-saving. Even if a layman with exceptional intelligence could understand them, his methods and approaches would certainly be vastly different from those of the Mohists.
Perhaps fearing her husband wouldn't believe her, Zizhen added, "Out of curiosity, I've paid attention to this man, often pretending to stroll past his house. Once, I saw quite a few tools in his yard..."
"Come on, lead the way, let's go take a look."
The wicked man had no intention of letting such a talent slip by, and immediately urged Zizhen to take him there to see.
Zizhen hurriedly led the way, but couldn't help but wonder, back then the Mohist school split into three, and wasn't the Qin Mohist Xiangli clan in the Qin state? Could it be that there are no descendants of them serving as officials in the Qin state now?
Why bother looking for Mozi outside?
He was filled with doubts and decided to find a suitable opportunity to ask his wicked husband.
The two walked side by side, chatting as they went, and soon arrived at a wooden house in an extremely secluded place in the city.
Looking at the dilapidated wooden door, the wicked man laughed and said, "It seems that wise men prefer to live in seclusion like this!"
Zizhen smiled and stepped forward to gently knock on the door.
"Knock knock knock..."
He thought the person inside wouldn't open the door easily, but to his surprise, before Zizhen could knock a second time, the old wooden door creaked open.
"Come in!"
The old man with gray hair and beard was not surprised at all by the arrival of Zizhen and the wicked husband. He simply pushed the wooden door open and invited the two of them in.
"Old man, aren't you afraid of me?" The wicked husband deliberately revealed a hint of murderous intent.
"Such a young age, yet so bloodthirsty, quite the style of the former Lord Wu'an!" The old man stroked his beard and smiled without any fear.
These words left the wicked husband and Zizhen dumbfounded. How could this old man, who was over fifty years old, have actually met Bai Qi?
This immediately made the wicked man become serious. He cupped his hands and said, "Old sir, you are no ordinary man. You have actually met Lord Wu'an?"
The old man waved his hand, then sighed as if reminiscing, "When I was young, I met my master several times..."
This statement contained a great deal of information, and Zizhen bowed deeply in the Mohist salute, saying, "A student of the Mohist school pays respects to my teacher. May I ask which school you belong to?"
The old man glanced at the respectful Zizhen, stroked his beard and smiled, "The Mohist school split into three, and dozens of disciples scattered in various places, some living in seclusion, some doing business, and some serving as officials in various countries."
"Since you are in Korea, you must have studied under the Iida Wang clan, right?"
Upon hearing this, Zizhen's pupils shrank sharply, and his heart was filled with shock, like a raging storm. This senior was even more terrifying than he had imagined, as he could see through his inheritance at a glance.
"The Judawang family was skilled in metallurgy and tool making. They had once grasped five or six tenths of the teachings of Mozi. The fact that Korea has the advantage of craftsmanship today is also closely related to them."
"Although you came to the city without making a fuss, it's not hard to see your lineage from the techniques and craftsmanship of the farm tools you made." The old man's face was calm, and his superior demeanor was overwhelming.
Oh my god, this trip has really struck gold!
A fiery glint flashed in the wicked man's eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Old sir, why bother hiding in a small border town in South Korea, burying your talent and legacy?"
The old man shook his head and said with a wry smile, "If it weren't for some unspeakable difficulty, who would be willing to do this?"
The villain was not surprised at all. No matter where he went, such a big shot would be treated as an honored guest. There must be a huge reason why he dared not show his face.
But if you meet him, you won't need to worry about any of that!
"I haven't yet had the pleasure of learning your name, sir!"
The old man's eyes changed, and he said meaningfully, "I am Xiangli He!"
"Xianglihe?"
The wicked husband was unfazed, but Zizhen let out a gasp.
"Xiangli He was a descendant of the Xiangli family of Qin Mo. He was known as the descendant closest to Mozi and was the designated leader of Qin Mo in that generation."
"Then... something seemed to happen... uh... a shocking change, and he disappeared without a trace after that, and the candidate for the Grand Master became his junior brother Qin Baihu."
Zizhen stammered over the crucial points, which aroused the wicked husband's curiosity, making him want to slap the scoundrel twice.
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