At night, Wang Fuyuan returned home exhausted. His wife Jia quickly supported him and asked, "Why are you so tired?"
"A big burden came down from above, and we were busy all day and night."
"Is it done?"
Wang Fuyuan smiled bitterly, "It's easier said than done. I was really exhausted, so I went home to take a rest."
"Then go to the study and rest quickly. I'll make you some tea!"
Jia turned around and called out, "Erlang, help your father go to the study to rest."
"Why!"
A young man agreed and quickly stepped forward to support his father, "Dad, please walk slowly!"
Wang Fuyuan patted his youngest son's head lovingly, "Go and open the door for daddy and light the lamp. Daddy can leave on his own."
The boy ran forward and opened the door for his father.
"Sir, someone came to visit you this evening and said he was from your hometown." Mr. Jia looked out of the kitchen and said with a smile.
"My fellow countryman?"
Wang Fuyuan was stunned for a moment. He is from Bianliang. There are too many Bianliang people in Luoyang, and the streets are full of fellow villagers.
"What is your name?"
"I didn't say anything. I just sent some local products from Bianliang. I said you were too busy and might not come back in the evening. He said he would come to visit another day."
Wang Fuyuan nodded and went to the study room full of doubts.
At the same moment when Wang Fuyuan returned home, the person watching outside Wang's house immediately ran to notify Zhang Lu.
Soon, Zhang Lu arrived with several of his subordinates. Zhang Lu's mother was from Bianliang, and she could be considered half a fellow villager.
Zhang Lu knocked on the door, and the door creaked open. Jia was stunned. He came just after her husband came back. What a coincidence!
"Sister-in-law, brother is back!"
Jia hesitated and said, "He just came back, but he didn't sleep all night and just rested. Otherwise, you can come back tomorrow!"
"We have a very urgent matter, which is related to your family and life. You'd better wake him up!"
Zhang Lu's men forced the door open and everyone went straight into the courtyard. Jia said angrily: "Why are you so rude!"
"Madam, what's wrong?" Wang Fuyuan heard the noise and came out and asked.
Zhang Lu glanced at him and asked with a smile: "Are you the General Manager Wang of the Ordnance Supervision?" "I am Wang Fuyuan, who are you?"
"My surname is Zhang. I am in the scrap metal business. I came here just for the two iron shells you just got."
Wang Fuyuan's expression changed, and he said coldly: "I don't have any iron shell, please invite me! You are not welcome in my home."
Zhang Lu smiled and her tone became colder, "Actually, you know my identity and why I'm here. Even if you don't think about yourself, don't you think about the fate of your two sons?"
Wang Fuyuan stayed for a moment, and his tone began to soften, "What exactly do you want to do?"
"This is not the place to talk, let's go to the inner room!"
"Let's talk in my study!"
Zhang Lu ordered her subordinates and followed Wang Fuyuan to the study.
I saw that the walls of the study were covered with swords, twenty or thirty in total. Zhang Lu picked up a sword on the table and pulled out a section. She felt a cold air blowing towards her face, and it was extremely sharp.
"What a sword!"
"That was the last sword my father forged, and it was passed down to his descendants. Someone once offered five thousand dollars to buy it, but I didn't agree."
Zhang Lu put down her sword and asked, "Has the iron shell been imitated?"
Wang Fuyuan looked at him for a moment and said, "Are you spies of the Western Army?"
"That's right. I'm Zhang Lu, the intelligence chief of the Western Army in Luoyang. I don't want to embarrass you, but the matter is very important, so please answer truthfully!"
"Although the material of the iron shell is crude, it has different thicknesses and the complex structure of the pipes inside. I really don't know how the mold was made? We studied it all day and night, but we couldn't think of any way."
Zhang Lu breathed a sigh of relief and then said: "It took hundreds of top craftsmen of the Western Army six years to develop the iron fire thunder. Even if you crack the iron shell process, you can't crack the gunpowder formula."
Wang Fuyuan sneered and said, "Since you know I can't imitate it, why are you so nervous?"
Zhang Lu shook his head, "I just said that you can't develop it for the time being, but it doesn't mean that you can't develop it forever. As far as we know, the Jin Kingdom is also studying iron fire thunder, and has been studying it for many years. It is very likely that the iron shell in your hand is sent to
, they have researched it, do you think it is not possible?"
Wang Fuyuan was silent for a moment and said: "It is indeed very possible. Its outer shell suddenly made us realize. We immediately understood a key point in making iron fire thunder, that is, the iron quality must be very poor. If the Jin Kingdom can think of this, it will be very easy."
It is possible that it will be developed.”
"So you should know now why I came to you. You are a Han. If our great cause of expelling the Jurchens is ultimately destroyed in your hands, have you ever thought about the rebuke you and your descendants will bear?"
Wang Fuyuan sighed and said: "How could I not know? I discovered the secret of the shell at that time. Zhe Ke asked me what I had discovered, but I did not dare to tell him. It was a matter of great importance and I was also afraid. What if the Jurchens
If I master the iron fire thunder, I will really become a national sinner."
Speaking of this, Wang Fuyuan said to Zhang Lu: "I won't hide it from you. I can actually make this kind of iron shell. I have been a knife maker for thirty years. My father taught me many casting secrets. I first saw it.
I know how to forge this shell, but I dare not say that I am helpless together with the craftsmen."
Zhang Lu's tone also softened, and he asked again: "How many craftsmen have seen this iron shell so far?"
This question is very important. Neither Zhe Keqiu nor other generals can understand what is special about this iron shell, but the craftsmen do. They can understand the key to the iron fire thunder at a glance.
Wang Fuyuan thought for a while and said: "A total of five people including me have seen it. I formed a group. These five people are my apprentices. I told them to keep their mouths shut. If they go out and talk nonsense, they will lose their heads."
"Is Meng Xiaodong one of them?"
Wang Fuyuan's expression changed. This Meng Xiaodong was indeed one of them. He was his most careless disciple. He was lazy and liked to drink with a group of friends all day long.
"Is he one of yours?"
Zhang Lu shook her head, "He was drinking with others and leaked the information about you getting Iron Fire Thunder. We bought your information from him with money."
"Bang!" He punched the table and Wang Fuyuan gritted his teeth and said, "Thanks to me for being so good to him, he actually betrayed me!"
"Besides Meng Xiaodong, who else would betray the information?"
"Probably not. In our line of work, the most important thing is to be strict with your mouth. Meng Xiaodong is not bad at first, but he has a problem. He likes to drink. I have told him before that he will fall into this habit sooner or later."
Zhang Lu nodded and asked, "What if Zheqiu comes to force you?"
"I can imitate an iron shell with the same appearance, but the iron quality will be very high. I will give you the real iron shell, and then I will make a fuss about the gunpowder, saying that the gunpowder formula takes time, and I will try my best to delay it.
, if it doesn’t work, just say that the gunpowder cannot be mixed.”
This is a good idea. Replace the real iron shell. As long as it can be concealed, the crisis can be resolved.
"If Mr. Wang can give me the real iron shell, I will report your merits to King Yong. As for Meng Xiaodong, don't worry, we will never give him a chance to report you!"
Zhang Lu said goodbye and left. Wang Fuyuan sat blankly in the study. He understood the other person's last sentence. I'm afraid Meng Xiaodong is in danger, but if he doesn't kill him, he and his family will lose their lives in his hands. Meng Xiaodong has already
If he betrays himself once, he will definitely betray himself to Zhe Keqiu a second time.
At this time, his wife Jia Shi came in and said, "Official, who are they?"
Wang Fuyuan sighed and said: "They are indeed here to save us. If they don't come, once the city is destroyed, not only will my life be in danger, but my two sons will also be unable to hold their heads up for the rest of their lives."
Coming out of Wang Fuyuan's house, Zhang Lu said to several of her men: "Kill that Meng Xiaodong. It's best to let him slip and fall into the river and drown."
After a pause, Zhang Lu added: "Give his family another two hundred taels of silver and tell them to shut up. Tell his wife that if she refuses to shut up, her son's life will be in danger!"