Chapter 96 Dual Blades "靥, meaning double".
Little Ma asked his father, "You still haven't told me how you and Mother managed to smuggle the fake copper coins out of the city."
Dad chuckled, stretched his toes out in front of Xiao Ma, and swung them around proudly. "Ugh, ugh!" Xiao Ma pinched his nose and ran away. "Dad, how many days has it been since you washed your feet? They stink worse than a latrine!"
"It doesn't smell bad, so you can take things out of Rongdu?" Father looked smug, as if he wasn't being escorted out of Rongdu by yamen runners, but rather riding in a magnificent carriage, carried by eight men, leaving the city amidst the cheers of thousands.
It turned out that Dad had stuck three copper coins to the soles of his feet, successfully avoiding a body search in the prison. The journey to Lingnan was long and arduous; they traveled for nearly half a year, six months... Mom said that Dad really didn't wash his feet the entire way, and even slept in worn-out shoes. By the time they reached Lingnan, the copper coins were stuck to the flesh of his feet, and it took a lot of effort to dig them out.
It was covered in blood and flesh; it was a truly gruesome sight. Dad smacked his lips, deliberately trying to scare Little Horse.
Little Ma suddenly started sobbing. His father, thinking his son had been frightened, quickly hugged him and comforted him, "Daddy was just teasing you. There's no flesh and blood involved."
"No, Dad!" Little Ma cried, gasping for breath. "A few days ago I was starving and I licked a few copper coins... No wonder they smelled so bad... It turns out Dad really did step in poop."
Xiao Ma recalled how his father hugged him and his mother, laughing so hard they almost fell over. Their laughter drowned out the rumbling of his rumbling stomach. Many years later, he set foot on Canglang Island and no longer had to live a life of hunger and deprivation. Now, in Rongdu, he had wine and meat every day. The fried cakes his father had been craving for over a decade were now available to him whenever he wanted. But... he no longer had the happiness of having his parents by his side like that.
He had brought twenty-six counterfeit copper coins from Rongdu, three of which his parents had brought, and others... The cold wind howled, cutting to the bone, and a chill ran down the back of the little horse. The streets of Rongdu were bustling, but then he suddenly remembered where the counterfeit copper coins came from. All around him fell silent, and the pedestrians suddenly turned into ghosts, swaying in the wind along the ten-mile-long street.
"Amitabha, Amitabha." Little Horse clasped his hands together and kept bowing. "Please don't blame me." Little Horse looked around and realized that he was seeing things. Only then did he come to his senses.
"I was the one who carried your remains out of the grave," Xiao Ma thought to himself. "Even burial is a favor, and for that favor, taking twenty-three copper coins from you... isn't exactly taking advantage of you."
Xiao Ma discovered the secret of the copper coins beside the skeletons on the large ship returning to Rongdu—those coins were cast in the same furnace as the ones his father had stolen; they were identical.
Ma Yanyu once taught his son why two seemingly identical copper coins could be different – one genuine and one fake. This was because the amount of brass used in the coins varied. Genuine coins contained 70% copper, while fake coins contained 10% less. The higher the purity of the copper, the more natural the luster would be. Conversely, fake coins were easily worn and dulled, and even had a fainter copper smell.
Ma Yanyu wasn't boasting. He told his son that he had been studying copper coins for over a decade and could even distinguish between real and fake coins by smell. "Ma Lin," he said, "you are a descendant of the Ma family. You must learn this skill too."
Xiao Ma said he didn't rely on his nose to smell it; he had tasted the fake copper coins his father had hidden under his toes, and he would never forget that taste.
Actually, it's not that difficult. Ma Yanyu asked his wife to bring him a bowl of water. "I'll teach you how to test the water by draining it."
Yes, that's the method of testing objects by draining water. Guan Ye used the same method when testing corundum in Xingguofang.
—For every square inch of material, one pound of gold, fourteen ounces of silver, twelve ounces of jade, seven and a half ounces of copper, nine and a half ounces of lead, six ounces of iron, and three ounces of stone…
"Everything possesses its own inherent nature, its very essence. Ma Lin, have you remembered that?"
Ma Lin, do you remember? Little Ma etched it in his heart, never to forget it until his death. It was also using this method that Little Ma verified the copper coins beside the skeleton in the mine were from the same batch as his own counterfeit coins. But Little Ma couldn't understand how counterfeit coins from the Rongdu Ma family mint could appear in the mine on Canglang Island? Who were those skeletons? Why were they on the isolated Canglang Island? And how could they have died so quietly in an unexplored mine…
His parents had only three copper coins, yet he went to great lengths to smuggle them out of the city, along with twenty-three skeletons… How did he manage to smuggle them out of Rongdu? And could this person be connected to the counterfeit copper coin case…?
Xiao Ma dared not ask or mention it... Now he was trapped in a dead end... He was afraid he would be unable to move forward on his own.
Wait! Little Ma tensed up, scratching his head as he recalled the scenes from the mine—skeletons, it seemed Guan Ye had wrapped them up, yes, it was Guan Ye… She had also picked up a copper coin, and said that a coin could buy a steamed bun…
He also said to Guan Ye:
"Put the money away. When you get to Rongdu, even a penny can kill a hero. There are plenty of places where you need money."
Yes! That's what I said. Guan Ye still has one. But... Xiao Ma's Adam's apple bobbed. They've all been in Rongdu for several months now... Guan Ye has been to the market several times... I hope she doesn't actually use the money to buy steamed buns.
Imperial Palace East Palace
Since returning from Xingguo Ward, Mu Chenbi has not left the palace. Even the Eagle Guards are wondering why their master, who usually loves to go out for a stroll, has changed his ways lately and hasn't left the palace for more than ten days. The Eagle Guards are getting restless.
Luo Yichen rolled his eyes: "You said before that when we went out, everyone was always on edge. You were the ones who said that, weren't you? Now that we can rest in the East Palace, you're already thinking about those days of being on edge?"
Some people joke that it's about balancing work and rest, and having a good balance between work and relaxation. Chief Luo, have you ever heard of that?
"Never heard of it!" Luo Yichen said irritably. He had been quite annoyed these past few days. The day before yesterday, he received his salary and had been looking forward to going to Gongcheng Money Shop again. However, before he could even step into the Mei family's door, Mei Xiaojing blocked the entrance and wouldn't let him in. Before he could even open his mouth, she angrily kicked him out.
He was there to deposit silver, not to rob anyone, and he hadn't been treated this way before. Luo Yichen had no idea where he had offended Miss Mei, and he was completely baffled. It couldn't possibly be... Luo Yichen was scratching his head, almost bald, because of his introduction of Young Master Mei to the Crown Prince. But this was a good thing; even Young Master Mei was extremely grateful to him, so why was Mei Xiaojing giving him the cold shoulder?
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, unfathomable and unpredictable. However… Luo Yichen recalled Mei Xiaoqing's fierce expression with her hands on her hips. Usually, she was charming and cute, but when she got angry, she had a unique kind of cuteness. Her little round nose twisted like a flower bud about to bloom… The more Luo Yichen thought about it, the more amused he became, and he actually laughed in front of all the Eagle Guards…
The Eagle Guards lamented that people shouldn't be too idle; if they're too idle, trouble is bound to happen, just like Chief Luo, whose mind isn't quite right anymore.
"I heard we're going to replace our swords?" someone said, brandishing a black iron sword. "It seems... Xingguo Workshop rushed to make a batch, they call it..."
"The Golden Sword." Luo Yichen stopped laughing. "Serving Your Highness, you can't even name a sword."
“Yes, the Golden Sword,” someone chimed in. “It’s the one that was broken by the female swordsman from the inner palace during the imperial sword-testing.”
"It was cut in half by the inner palace? And it was a female swordsman?" the crowd murmured. "Then we'll have to replace our Xuan Tie swords? That's not a good idea... Chief Luo, you should talk to the Crown Prince. We bear the heavy responsibility of protecting His Highness. If our swords are cut in half, what will become of us?"
Luo Yichen grew increasingly furious as he listened. He leaped to his feet, his sword clanging as if it were about to break free of its sheath. "What do you know! If it weren't a good item, would it even be our turn? Whatever the Crown Prince has his eye on is the best. Don't utter a single word about whether it's broken or not in front of the Crown Prince. Once we get the Flowing Gold Sword, our Eagle Guard will be the most formidable force. Hold on tight, understand?"
"Understood!"
"Chief Luo," a young Eagle Guard insisted, "I heard that you accompanied the Crown Prince to Xingguo Ward and even sparred with their swordsmen. The swordsmen of Xingguo Ward must have been defeated by you, right?"
Luo Yichen wiped his beard, his handsome face, hidden in the stubble, turned from white to red. He wanted to be fierce to the little eagle guard, but he was afraid that people would say he was angry out of embarrassment... So he could only glare at the little eagle guard, then picked up his sword and disappeared.
"Chief Luo hasn't answered yet, why did he leave?" The little eagle guard was puzzled.
Everyone burst into laughter, pointing at Luo Yichen's retreating figure and saying, "We don't know anything else, we weren't there either, but we do know that after Chief Luo came back, he used up a whole bottle of medicinal oil, the kind used to treat bruises and sprains."
Luo Yichen suddenly turned around and glared at the enemy, startling the Eagle Guards into silence, leaving them in complete isolation.
In the Crown Prince's study, Mu Chenbi was examining a sword. This sword was the first newly forged Eagle Guard Golden Sword, which had just been rushed from Xingguo Ward and was specially sent to the Crown Prince for his appraisal.
At first glance, Mu Chenbi smiled. Holding the sword hilt, he lovingly stroked the ancient scabbard, reluctant to draw the sword for a long time. Mu Chenbi knew that this first sword was forged by Guan Ye herself; she had kept her promise and truly forged a sword to give to him. Mu Chenbi felt relieved and pressed the sword heavily against his heart.
"Since Your Highness is so concerned about Miss Guan, why don't you go to Xingguo Ward to see her?" At some point, Luo Yichen had already entered the study, looking at Mu Chenbi, who was engrossed in wielding his sword, as if he were a fool.
Mu Chenbi maintained her sword-wielding stance, not even glancing at the newcomer. "Luo Yichen, you're becoming increasingly unruly. Have I summoned you for an audience?"
"I'm here to appraise swords as well." Luo Yichen stared at the golden sword in Mu Chenbi's hand. "This one must have been forged for you by Miss Guan."
Mu Chenbi took a deep breath and slowly drew the sword. The blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, with gold hidden in its blue color. The sound of his knuckles striking the blade echoed endlessly. Mu Chenbi stared at it in a daze. On the blade, it seemed to reflect Guan Ye's smiling face, her dimples appearing and disappearing, making him willingly succumb to her charms.
"It's clearly a rare and excellent sword." Luo Yichen clapped his hands.
Mu Chenbi reluctantly looked away, and said unhappily, "Since when did you become an expert in sword appreciation?"
Luo Yichen chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Having served Your Highness for so long, I naturally understand a bit. Besides, this sword was forged for you by Miss Guan herself; anything she makes is bound to be good." Luo Yichen leaned closer to peek, "However, I have a question. Miss Guan's name isn't written on this sword. How do you know it was definitely forged by her? Could it be... that she left a mark on it?"
“You’re not too stupid.” Mu Chenbi seemed quite satisfied with his statement. He lightly turned his wrist and held the sword horizontally in front of him, his fingertips brushing against every inch of the blade. He paused at the junction of the blade and hilt, pressing down deeply for a long time before lowering his fingertips. “Look.”
Luo Yichen leaned down to look and saw a double-crossed scimitar mark where Mu Chenbi had pressed. "What... does this mean?"
Mu Chenbi didn't laugh at Luo Yichen's stupidity. Unbeknownst to others, he was secretly pleased. "The mark of Xingguo Ward is a scimitar, and this sword reflects the double blades..." Seeing that Luo Yichen still didn't seem to understand, Mu Chenbi continued, "Guan Ye, what's her name?"
"—Her name is Guan Ye." Luo Yichen blurted out, "Your Highness, you know perfectly well what I'm asking."
"—'Dimple,' meaning double," Mu Chenbi slowly coaxed.
"Oh." Luo Yichen pretended to suddenly understand. "So, I understand why she printed the Double Swords Manual. Miss Guan is very thoughtful."
If she truly cared for him, that would be wonderful. Mu Chenbi lowered his phoenix-feather eyelashes. Of course, he knew that Guan Ye's heart was only focused on the sword she had given him. The exchange between Guan Ye and A Jiu's eyes was so intense that even a blind man could see the connection between them. Only a blockhead like Luo Yichen would make such a fuss over a double-sword mark.
"Why doesn't Your Highness go to Xingguo Ward again?" Luo Yichen blurted out. "Aren't you going to check on the swords given to the Eagle Guards?"
"You still want to try your luck with the remaining few who haven't fought you yet?" Mu Chenbi sheathed his sword, but still held it tightly in his hand. "What difference does it make whether I go or not? They might not even want to see me."
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