Three Kingdoms

"The fourth year of Taixing, spring. Sikong gave him armor. You will get the bright light, and the school will give you two gifts, which will make everyone happy. 』

The spring is bright and it’s an early morning again.

But as a rule, it is a big deal to take it out for His Majesty to cut off in the main hall of the court. After all, the emperor Liu Xie is still the master of the world!

It's just that at the moment, it's all trivial matters, so there's no need to bother the emperor...

So the early morning session ended quickly.

Cao Hong smiled and sat on the horse, nodding towards the other court officials who were giving way, while moving forward slowly. The bright light armor on his body shone brightly in the sunlight.

Mingguang armor means that every piece of armor is polished like a mirror. The technology of bronze mirrors in the Han Dynasty has been very perfect, so it is not that difficult to polish the armor pieces as bright as mirrors.

It's just that Mingguang armor like this usually shows off force and has many ceremonial utensils. If you really want to go to the battlefield, it is rare to actually wear such armor. After all, the target is too obvious...

In the era of cold weapons, armor was almost the second life of soldiers. Therefore, in order to boost morale, show his own strength and show that he was capable of providing excellent equipment, Cao Cao also invested a lot in the development of ordnance, and this time The armors awarded to many generals in the fourth year of Taixing are proof of this.

Every armor scale on Cao Hong's body is as bright as a mirror. When he wears it and walks around, he looks like, well, Elvis Presley in the 1960s and 1970s. His body is also very shining. With his huge body and shining scales, not to mention How eye-catching.

Cao Hong was responsible for presiding over the research and development of the armor. With such achievements, he was naturally in the limelight. Even when he met some colleagues in the army on the road, they all expressed their admiration to Cao Hong and expressed their gratitude for being able to obtain such armor...

If it were before, Young Master Cao Hong would have stopped and listened to these people's praise. Although they knew they were flattering him, it would make Cao Hong feel comfortable if he was photographed, right?

But when he heard these words again today, Cao Hong smiled reluctantly, and then he didn't have much intention to listen. He interrupted after a few words, and then left and returned home.

Cao Hong was smiling, but when he entered his mansion and got off his horse, his face darkened. He pondered for a long time, and then he didn't ask the guards to help him take off his armor. He just moved a horse and sat in front of the hall, and then said, "The manager of the Chuangongfang Come beforehand…』

Cao Hong's hands were trembling slightly, because what he held in his palm was a piece of armor that Xun Yu quietly thrust into him.

Xun Yu rarely took the initiative to talk to Cao Hong, but today he found Cao Hong for some reason. After talking about Cao Hong's exquisite armor, Xun Yu showed some intriguing expressions. When the two were about to separate, Cao Hong was given such a piece of armor from his sleeve.

Cao Hong knew something was wrong, so he took advantage of the cover and quickly checked it. He suddenly felt that the world was turned upside down. If his mental quality hadn't been good, he might not have been able to survive the Great Court Meeting!

The piece of armor in his hand seemed to be still cold, maintaining the same temperature as when he had just taken it into his hand. It was as cold as bone, making Cao Hong feel chilled all over.

This piece of armor didn't weigh much, and seemed light in his hand. However, Cao Hong didn't dare to put this piece of armor on the scale, because once it was put on the scale, it might weigh more than a thousand catties...

"Report!" "The soldiers who went to inform the steward of the workshop came back soon, "Report to the general, the steward of the workshop left the city yesterday and has not returned yet! 』

"What? ! ” Cao Hong stood up suddenly, causing his subordinate Mazha to fall aside with a click, “Where have you gone? Why leave the city? 』

Sure enough, there is a problem!

"It is said that he took his family out of the city for an outing..." the soldiers reported.

"Outing!" ” The flesh on Cao Hong’s face was pulsing. He was silent for a while, waved his hand, and let the soldiers go down first.

Cao Hong stood in front of the hall, like a tiger in estrus with no one to vent to, his beard stubbed out, circling anxiously, and his whole body exuding an aura that would bring bad luck to anyone who encountered him.

After a while, Cao Hong stopped and said, "Call Fuler to come!" 』

Cao Fu arrived soon and greeted him with greetings, "I've met Father... Father, this is..." Cao Fu saw that Cao Hong had not removed his armor when he returned home. His heart skipped a beat, guessing that something must have happened. .

Cao Hong waved to Cao Fu and said, "Fu'er, come forward..." Then he explained this to Cao Fu's ear, "But do you understand?" 』

Although Cao Fu was not very clear about the ins and outs, looking at his father's face, he knew that this matter was not trivial, so he nodded in agreement, then said hello, led more than 20 Cao guards, left the house, and went straight to the outside of the city. go.

Cao Hong watched Cao Fu leave, then lifted the overturned horse up again, sat down, closed his eyes, and waited quietly, like a statue.

A sudden gust of wind blew the flagpole in Cao Hong's front yard, pulling the flag straight. Suddenly, the rope tied to one side of the flag suddenly broke, and the flag hit the flagpole with a snap and fell crookedly!

Cao Hong suddenly opened his eyes.

This is a warning!

Perhaps, it is also a sign before the next wave of storms comes!

Suddenly there was the sound of some soldiers in the front yard, and a Cao family guard trotted in with sweat on his face, and prostrated himself in front of Cao Hong, "General Qi, we have found it!" Young Master asked, should I bring it back... or..."

Cao Hong stood up, but after sitting for a long time, his lower limbs were inevitably sore and numb. He swayed for a while before he regained his balance, "Here comes someone!" Prepare your horse! 』

……(〃′ Pan`)q……

"General Cao...is out of the city..."

A minor official reported in front of Xun Yu softly.

Xun Yu nodded slightly and signaled the clerk to step back.

Man Chong glanced sideways, but when he saw that Xun Yu didn't express anything, he lowered his head and pretended that he heard nothing and saw nothing.

Cao Hong is in the limelight today, but many people are waiting for him...

In fact, the matter of developing armor was not that complicated at first, but because of some people and some things, it became complicated.

Because of the different standpoints, the direction of looking at things is different.

It's just like piracy. In the era when Nanshan was engaged in Antarctica, it couldn't be called piracy, it was called "localization". But now whoever dares to "localize" Nanshan, no matter if he is the old godfather or the old godfather, will be detained and frozen first. Get up and talk!

Is it necessary to imitate the hussar's armor? need. Is it correct to stand in Cao's position? is correct. But what if you stand in Fei Qian's position? I can't help but mutter about this despicable and shameless bastard. He stole the method of tea eggs before, and now he wants to steal the technology of armor?

So, if you pirate something from other countries, that’s called skill, but if you pirate something from your own country, that’s called scum.

Pirating the hussars' armor, in Xun Yu's opinion, should be a good thing, but if even piracy has to be fake...

That may not be a gratifying and exciting thing.

What Xun Yu stuffed into Cao Hong was a piece of armor, and on that piece of armor was the sign of General Fei Qian's workshop. In other words, Cao Hong's claim that he succeeded in imitating hussars armor and developed and produced various high-end armors was actually just that he purchased a batch of armors from the hussars general workshop, and then removed the marks and logos on the armors. Then he claimed that he had just researched it himself...

Time is tight and the tasks are heavy, so mistakes are made while busy. Occasionally, some nails are not polished clean, which is natural.

Xun Yu looked at the writing and commented slowly, as if nothing could affect him.

Man Chong was on the side, almost performing the same action.

In the chancery, there are only the slight sounds of writing slips and wooden tablets colliding, or the scraping of paper sleeves, and occasionally some whispered words, but overall it is very quiet, completely different from the noisy military lieutenant school...

……(╯-_-)╯~╩╩……

Cao Hong stepped forward and kicked the workshop steward, who was bundled into a ball, over his head.

"You bastard!" You actually deceived someone! 』

The workshop steward was trembling, his face was bruised and bleeding from hitting the ground, "General...little, little, I don't know...general..."

"Still pretending to be stupid? ! Take a look, what is this! 』

Cao Hong let go of his hand, and a shiny piece of armor stained with Cao Hong's sweat fell in front of the workshop steward. Then it bounced on the ground and was quickly covered with dust. Even so, there are still some special marks that can be clearly seen on the armor...

The workshop manager shivered and then collapsed.

"Don't tell me the truth!" ” Cao Hong asked in a low voice, “What’s going on with this armor?” 』

Seeing that the matter was exposed, the workshop manager also told him that he used the hussar general's armor to pass off as his own imitation armor, how he bought it, how he polished the armor, etc.

After hearing this, Cao Hong couldn't help but swayed before standing firm. In fact, in Cao Hong's heart, there is still this last bit of hope, just like he held on to the armor before and refused to let go. He hoped that this was just a misunderstanding, and that the workshop manager could really develop the armor...

But reality is reality after all, which defeated Cao Hong's hopes.

"What a bold dog!" ” Only then did Cao Fu, who was standing aside, understand what was going on. He couldn’t help but get angry. He went up and kicked the manager of the workshop.

"Fu'er... let him go..." Cao Hong calmed down and said in a deep voice.

"Father!" ” Cao Fu carried the workshop steward who had been beaten to a bloody head and looked like a pig’s head.

"I asked you to let him go!" ” Cao Hong repeated, his voice low.

"snort! ” Cao Fu threw the workshop manager back to the ground, raising a ring of dust.

Cao Hong stepped forward and squatted in front of the workshop manager, "Say, why are you doing this?" Was someone instructing me? 』

"You're smiling... You're not smiling..." Two of the workshop steward's teeth were knocked out, and his mouth was full of blood. He said in a leaky voice, "Home is a better place..."

Amid the confusion, the workshop steward, who looked like a pig head, was crying. In fact, this is indeed the case. In fact, the imitations are almost the same, but there is no special steel to support the structure. But this is not a very big problem. Either we need to bear the original weight first, or we can see if we can find some that can. Alternative methods.

Perhaps, after some time, the manager of the workshop really found alternative materials and methods, and the imitation was successful.

However, Cao Hong wanted to be fast and good, and he had to produce a product at the beginning of the fourth year of Taixing...

The manager of the workshop was chattering and talking in the wind, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

"Someone is asking you...why do you do this?" Was someone instructing me? ” Cao Hong rolled his eyelids and stared at the workshop steward expressionlessly.

"Ah...ah?" ” The workshop steward rolled his eyes twice.

"Why are you doing this?" Was someone instructing me? ” Cao Hong asked in a low voice again.

The manager of the workshop trembled, "Hiss!" Hiss, there is coldness, hiss..."

Cao Hong nodded slightly, "So, who ordered it?" 』

"ah? So cold... So cold..." The manager of the workshop looked at Cao Hong longingly.

"You don't know who he is? ” Cao Hong asked, “So do you always come to your house with your face covered?” Then threaten the lives of your family..."

The workshop manager nodded repeatedly, with snot, tears, and sweat and blood on his face shaking together: "Hiss!" If you ask for hiss, you will be nourished..."

Cao Hong nodded, "Very good, very good." You finally told the truth... Since you told the truth, I won't offend your family..."

The workshop steward struggled and seemed to want to say something, but in the end he said nothing and collapsed on the ground.

Cao Hong stood up and walked out.

Cao Fu signaled to the guards around him, and then followed Cao Hong.

"Father..." Cao Fu hesitated, "Are you looking for "that person" now?" 』

Cao Hong shook his head and said, "No, this fault is mine...I will explain everything to the lord...but..." As he said that, Cao Hong looked back, then turned to Cao Fu and said, " What do you think about this? 』

"The child thinks that it must be caused by the corruption and incompetence of the workshop manager..." Cao Fu replied, "The blame must be on him, so how can it relate to his father?" 』

Cao Hong chuckled, "You... think about it again..."

After taking another two steps, Cao Hong looked at Cao Fu's somewhat confused look and said, "If it's one or two, no one may know what this damn guy did, but there are so many, up and down, who have handled them." I wonder why no one said anything? Um? 』

"Think about it, maybe this person can deceive others inside the workshop, but what about outside the workshop? ” Cao Hong continued, “Did the workshop steward personally go to the place of hussars to purchase these armors? What about transporting along the way? You know, these things are not small items... Could it be that everyone was blinded along the way? 』

Cao Fu's eyes widened.

"Think about it again, since you have to polish the armor, it won't take three or two days. During such a period of time, something strange happened in the workshop, why didn't anyone report it? Since this armor plate can be leaked to the outside, it means that someone must have tampered with it..." Cao Hong sneered and said, "Hehe, hehe... If this matter is inappropriate, report it to someone as soon as possible, as what this person said, Why not spend some time with the craftsmen in the workshop? At most, it’s just to investigate this person, and he’s just being scolded by some master! What can outsiders gain? ! At this time, the armors were all scattered outside, and even some repairs could not be made. Only then did we know this! Don’t you think this is weird..."

Cao Fu was stunned for a moment, and then said after a while: "Could it be...could it be...Xun Lingjun..."

Cao Hong shook his head and said: "That's not necessarily true...perhaps, he was also kept in the dark...I only found out recently..."

"ah? ”Cao Fu didn’t understand.

Cao Hong frowned a little, but facing his son, he felt that he still needed to make it clearer: "First of all, Xun Lingjun did this, so what's the benefit?" Secondly, if it was really what he did, how could it be so shallow? As for the third one, with Xun Lingjun's ability, he can only stay still. If he moves, I'm afraid...hehe, the government and the public are already noisy at this time, and no one knows it! How could you and I be able to hunt down this person so easily? 』

"It should be noted that Xun Lingjun is Xun Lingjun, and the Xun family is the Xun family..." Cao Hong said in a deep voice, "In order to prepare military supplies, my lord ordered the levy of grain and grass from the two states of Hebei and Henan... Here, not only the Xun family, but also the various ethnic groups in Yingchuan Ah...it just so happens...Hehe, hehe, I heard that in Jizhou, the Qinghe County Magistrate, hehe..."

"Understood?" This time... what these guys are staring at is not actually armor... or rather, not entirely armor..." Cao Hong looked at Cao Fu and continued, "I told you not to interact with those guys who talk about being pretty every day. You still don't want to hear it... Let me ask you, if your father is like your so-called friends want, he regards money as a fool and ignores money matters, then... who will take care of it? Um? 』

Cao Fu was stunned and looked at his father.

Cao Hong also looked at Cao Fu calmly.

Cao Hong was greedy for money and even showed it very obviously. However, many people did not notice that when Cao Cao really needed money, Cao Hong happily paid for it.

"The strength of the hussar general has the advantage of his armor, but all his craftsmen have failed?" ” Cao Hong patted Cao Fu on the shoulder and said, “If this matter is publicized, these craftsmen will obey the law... If the lord needs soldiers and armor again, who will he turn to? If there really comes a day when the Cao family's money and food are controlled by others, and the craftsmen's workshops have to rely on others, haha, who do you think the Cao family's children are spilling blood on the battlefield for? Who benefits greatly? ! 』

When Cao Hong said the last sentence, his eyebrows stood up.

"Father..." Cao Fu looked at Cao Hong and lowered his head guiltily. He had often murmured before that because of Cao Hong's greed for money, he was sometimes ridiculed by the second generation of the Xiahou family of the Cao family, so he sometimes resented Cao Hong and felt that if Cao Hong was not greedy for money, he would not care about those things. , naturally there will be no such ridicule...

"Let's go!" Take this person with you and go back home first! "Cao Hong got on his horse and looked forward, "I'm afraid this matter has just begun..."