Xu Qinghuan walked to the desk, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a few lines on the rice paper. She then gently blew on the wet ink and handed it to Tie Lanshan, who was standing beside her.
Tie Lanshan took it with both hands and lowered his eyes to examine what was written on the paper. His brows furrowed unconsciously; the items on this list were neither precious medicinal herbs nor common folk remedies, but rather seemed like cheap things that could be seen everywhere.
He raised his head and looked at Xu Qinghuan, his tone revealing a hint of hesitation. "Imperial Envoy, can the items on this list truly cure that strange disease in the wounded soldiers' camp?"
"Commander, just send someone to find them and boil them according to the method on the list. Force down three bowls a day for the sick soldiers. Within five days, the symptom of bleeding gums will naturally subside."
Xu Qinghuan didn't explain much, only stopping at the appropriate point and leaving some leeway.
Tie Lanshan folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve. Having commanded troops for many years, he naturally understood that some things were best left unquestioned. Since the Imperial Envoy dared to boast, he would just follow the instructions. If it couldn't be cured, the Imperial Envoy would naturally take the blame.
He turned around, looked at Xu Qinghuan, and suggested, "Since you understand medical principles, you must also dabble in military affairs. It's still early today, so why not accompany me to the armory and see the foundation of Zhenbei City?"
Xu Qinghuan smoothed her cuffs and agreed, "Since the Commander invites me, I shall naturally comply."
The two of them walked out of the side hall one after the other, while Xu Zhan followed unhurriedly behind.
The late May sun was fierce, baking the bluestone slabs in the Commander's compound until they seemed to emit white smoke. Even the cicadas in the trees chirped weakly.
Passing through two moon gates, they arrived at the outer courtyard where the armory was located.
Before they even got close, a fierce argument could be heard coming from the front of the storehouse.
"How do you expect me to forge this kind of scrap iron? Even if I burn through the furnace, I still can't temper hundred-refined steel out of it!"
Accompanied by a crisp sound of metal clashing, a newly forged standard horizontal sword was thrown onto the blue bricks, letting out a dull thud.
Xu Qinghuan looked towards the sound and saw the blacksmith Jenny Huang wearing a coarse short tunic, revealing sturdy forearms. Her forehead was covered with a mixture of sweat and coal ash as she pointed at a clerk from the Registry Office and cursed loudly.
The clerk shrank his neck from the scolding, holding an account book in his hands, and stammered his defense, "Manager Huang, these iron ingots are allocated monthly by the Deputy General's office. It's written clearly in the accounts. I only handle receiving and dispatching; how can I control the quality?"
Xu Qinghuan stepped forward and bent down to pick up the horizontal sword from the ground.
The blade felt extremely light in her hand. She brushed her fingertips over the edge, feeling its rough texture. Looking at the back of the blade, the iron was loose, and there were even a few obvious rolled edges. With such a weapon, let alone killing enemies on the battlefield, it would be too blunt even for chopping wood.
"Manager Huang, did you forge this sword?" Xu Qinghuan held the horizontal sword flat in front of her and asked.
In such a setting, it was naturally better to address her by her official title.
Jenny Huang turned her head at the sound. Seeing it was Miss Xu, the anger on her face subsided a bit. She cupped her fists in a military salute and replied, "To answer the Imperial Envoy, this sword was forged by my... by this humble one's apprentice. There's no problem with the craftsmanship; the problem lies in the iron."
She walked to an iron basket nearby, grabbed a dark iron ingot, and smashed it hard near Xu Qinghuan's feet.
"Please look, Your Excellency. How is this an iron ingot? It's clearly ruined slag! It's full of impurities and shatters upon forging. A sword forged from this kind of stuff wouldn't even leave a mark when chopping into a Helian's leather armor. Isn't this sending the soldiers to their deaths!"
Jenny Huang grew angrier as she spoke, her chest heaving violently.
Xu Qinghuan glanced at the slag on the ground and tossed the horizontal sword back to the clerk.
The clerk caught it in a flurry, nearly getting his hand scratched by the blade.
"Iron allocated by the Deputy General's office?" Xu Qinghuan turned to look at Tie Lanshan, her tone flat, betraying neither joy nor anger.
Tie Lanshan's face darkened slightly. He naturally knew about the tricks He Minghu and Ma Jin'an played with military supplies. However, Zhenbei City had a perennial shortage of rations and pay, and as the Commander, he also had to rely on the Deputy General's office to raise funds, so he could only turn a blind eye in daily life.
"To answer Your Excellency, the procurement of military equipment has always been handled by the Deputy General's office," Tie Lanshan replied, kicking the ball back.
Xu Qinghuan didn't press further. She walked up to Jenny Huang and lowered her voice, "Manager Huang, hold onto this batch of inferior iron for now. I know where the good iron went, but the time isn't right yet. I need you to endure for a few more days."
Jenny Huang paused for a moment. Looking at Xu Qinghuan's calm face, she forced her fiery anger back down and replied in a muffled voice, "This humble one will listen to Your Excellency."
Xu Qinghuan turned around and cupped her hands to Tie Lanshan, "Commander, I have seen the armory. The foundation of Zhenbei City is indeed a bit thin. I still have official business to attend to, so I will take my leave first."
Tie Lanshan didn't try to keep her, cupping his hands to see the guest off.
Leaving the Commander's compound, Xu Qinghuan and Xu Zhan walked side by side in the narrow alleys of the West City Ward.
Xu Qinghuan slowed her pace, beginning to review the events of the previous night in her mind.
"Second Brother, what did you think of that Huyan Chi last night?" Xu Qinghuan spoke up, breaking the silence.
Xu Zhan replied, "That man is definitely a martial artist. His stance is extremely steady, and he has calluses on his hands from wielding a sword year-round. He is by no means an ordinary merchant."
"Not only that," Xu Qinghuan stopped and turned to look at Xu Zhan. "We only moved into this residence yesterday evening. Even some people in the city don't know the exact location. Yet he, a foreign Helian, was able to avoid the three patrols of armored soldiers in the city after curfew and accurately knock on our courtyard door."
Xu Zhan's brows knitted together, his fingers tightening around the handle of his mace. "Are you saying someone led the way for him, little sister?"
"Not led the way. It means that in this Zhenbei City, the Helian Royal Court has eyes, and these eyes stand extremely high and see extremely far."
Xu Qinghuan continued walking forward.
"Being able to avoid the night patrols shows he knows the city's defense layout like the back of his hand; being able to quickly figure out our whereabouts shows he has a dense network of informants in the city."
Xu Zhan caught up and asked in a deep voice, "Is it He Minghu?"
"He Minghu is a greedy martial artist. He dares to resell military supplies and collude with foreign enemies, but he doesn't have the brains to lay out such a large net." Xu Qinghuan shook her head. "Ma Jin'an has some shrewdness, but he's a civil official; his reach doesn't extend into the city defense battalion."
The two walked to the back alley of the residence. Xu Qinghuan stopped in front of the mottled black wooden door, not rushing to push it open.
Heatwaves rolled between the two of them.
"Second Brother, if we want to open a trade route in the Northern Frontier, we have to hold this Zhenbei City in our hands." Xu Qinghuan raised her head and looked at the withered vines on the wall. "But right now, there is an invisible ghost hiding in this city. If this ghost is not eliminated, our caravan won't be able to make it out of the Yin Mountains, and our lives will constantly be in someone else's hands."
Xu Zhan took a step forward, heavily striking his heavy mace on the ground and smashing a shallow pit. "Tell me how to kill, little sister, and I will kill."
Xu Qinghuan pushed open the courtyard door and stepped over the threshold, her response scattering in the wind.
"To resist foreign aggression, we must first pacify the interior."
