The moon is in the sky, and the sky is full of stars.

The arsenal of Weiyang Palace was brightly lit and crowded at the moment. In the wide courtyard, Liu Wei, Jiang Qi, Zhao Yun, Zhong Xuan, and other Chang'an officials formed a circle. In the middle of them were two large furnaces, the walls of which burned red with coal.

A blacksmith with a large waist and a broad waist held a pair of iron tongs in one hand, holding an iron tool that had been half-burned in the fire, and with the other hand picked up an iron hammer and repeatedly forged it on the iron tool. While fighting, he kept urging the apprentice who was blowing the wind next to the bellows: "Chi'er, blowing the wind." ”

Hearing the master's urging, Chi'er exerted all her strength, and the flames in the furnace became even more vigorous, and even Liu Wei and the others who were watching from the side felt the boiling heat.

The blacksmith next to the stove was not afraid of the heat wave at all, and the movement in his hand did not stop at all, and in a short time, a steel knife gradually took shape.

On the other side of the fire, a sharp sword was similarly shaped in the hands of another master blacksmith. This sword and sword were all forged by Liu Wei with the Wuzi steel offered by the class as raw materials, and the two best blacksmith masters in Chang'an were forged by the method of frying steel.

After the sword began to take shape, it went through many processes such as cooling and polishing, and it was tossed until the middle of the night, and the two divine weapons were really born.

Everyone gathered around, and Liu Wei took the sword from the blacksmith. He really doesn't know anything about metallurgy, and he doesn't know whether the sword in his hand is made of medium carbon steel or high carbon steel. However, Liu Wei also knows that the effect is the best way to test the success.

Liu Wei ordered Zhang Tao to take a saber, this time Zhang Tao had already learned to rape, and he had prepared a saber early. The treasure knife on his waist has not yet been displayed enough, but it can't be used by Liu Wei on a whim to test the knife.

Liu Wei picked up the knife and slashed at the saber in Zhang Tao's hand, and after a crisp sound, the saber in Zhang Tao's hand broke in response, and everyone present couldn't help but let out an exclamation.

Liu Wei nodded with satisfaction, although he didn't know what the legendary Damascus knife looked like. However, at this time, the steel knife made of Wuzi steel as raw material through the most advanced steel frying method in Dahan should have exceeded the level of the same era.

Liu Wei ordered Zhang Tao to take another saber and try the sword, which was also sharpened like clay.

Zhong Xuan exclaimed on the side: "If my Han army has such a divine weapon, why not worry about the world." ”

Liu Wei smiled helplessly, although Zhong Xuan's idea was also what he had always thought, it was not realistic for the current situation of the Han Empire. Not to mention the production cost and production process, that is, the raw material Uzi steel is now completely dependent on imports. It is impossible to equip the army completely, even at the level of generals, there are difficulties in staffing, and everything has to wait for the return of the Silk Road.

However, the two swords in front of him can still be given to those who are close to them.

Liu Wei summoned Jiang Qi and Zhao Yun out.

The two stood in front of him, and Liu Wei gave the sword to Jiang Qi and the sword to Zhao Yun.

The two of them were overjoyed, it was one thing to get the magic weapon, and in front of so many people, they only gave them the sword and sword, which contained the closeness and incomparable glory of the Son of Heaven to them.

Especially for Zhao Yun, he was extremely moved. Jiang Qi is a close confidant of Liu Bian, and it is well known that Liu Bian gave him the treasure knife. However, the sword was also given to Zhao Yun, which was Liu Wei's indication that Zhao Yun regarded him as a confidant like Jiang Qi.

Zhao Yun's eyes were red with emotion, and he and Jiang Qi thanked Liu Wei for his reward.

Liu Wei raised his hand and ordered the two of them not to be polite, and after Zhao Yun got up, he asked Liu Bian: "Can you ask Your Majesty to give you names for these two divine weapons?" ”

The ancients always liked to give a name to the sword and sword, and Zhao Yun's request was normal. Liu Wei didn't think about it and replied casually: "It's called the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Slayer." ”

Relying on the sky to slay the dragon, the name sounds very domineering, but Jiang Qi and Zhao Yun faintly feel that something is wrong. It's just that the two of them can't say anything wrong, and this clock whispers on the side: "Your Majesty is the son of heaven, and the dragon is the symbol of the son of heaven." The sword and sword are named Heaven and Dragon Slayer, and I am afraid that no one in the world will dare to wear this sword except His Majesty. I hope that Your Majesty will take another good name to appease the hearts of the ministers. ”

Liu Wei thought about it, Zhong Xuan did make sense, but he didn't have any ideas about other names. I looked down and thought about it for a long time, and when I looked up again, I saw the bright moon in the night sky, so I had an inspiration.

Liu argued: "That knife is named after tonight's full moon, and it is called the full moon scimitar." If you have a sword, it will be called the Blood Sword of the Loyal Minister. ”

The name was settled, and the surrounding ministers were naturally flattered. Jiang Qi and Zhao Yun also liked these two names. Especially the blue blood sword in Zhao Yun's hand, galloping across the field, loyal ministers and blue blood, it sounds very meaningful.

Liu Wei was also very happy to be touted by everyone, and originally wanted to hold a banquet to celebrate, but thinking that it was getting late, not only himself, but also the ministers were tired and tired after staying up late at night, so they had to order everyone to disperse first and celebrate another day.

By the end of June, all the work in Chang'an had been completed, and a caravan led by Ban Ji also set off from Chang'an, starting the journey of the Han Empire to restart the Silk Road.

Ding Yuan, the general of Bingzhou, also wanted to return to Bingzhou at this time. In fact, the Bingzhou army should have returned to the garrison a long time ago, but Liu Wei left Ding Yuan behind. First, it is to contact feelings, and secondly, Yuan Shao's recent actions in Jizhou are frequent, as if he has a tendency to take Jizhou all. And he constantly hooked up with Xianbei, Xiongnu and other departments, and Liu Wei left Ding Yuan to tell him to pay more attention to Yuan Shao and monitor carefully.

Returning to the state with Ding Yuan was Jiang Qi, a lieutenant general of the Pingcheng Army who went to Pingcheng to recruit troops. Liu Wei personally sent the two of them out of Yipingmen, and they were reluctant to part with them until near Weiqiao.

Liu Wei took Ding Yuan and Jiang Qi's hands, and said earnestly: "The affairs of the north depend on the two Qing families. ”

As the parting was imminent, the two of them also had moist eyes, and said in unison: "I am willing to defend the territory for Your Majesty and unswerving until death." ”

After leaving Liu Wei, Ding Yuan and Jiang Qi led their troops to the north. Ding Yuan is much older than Jiang Qi, and he has led the army for many years and has rich qualifications, so Jiang Qi naturally respects him sincerely.

Along the way, he carefully consulted Ding Yuan about military issues, and Ding Yuan also admired this kind young man who was favored by the Son of Heaven, but was not favored and arrogant. For his questions, he also gave his advice.

Jiang Qi's humility and steadiness reminded Ding Yuan of another young man under his command, and when the two walked side by side, Ding Yuan said to Jiang Qi: "Yun Lei, after arriving in Bingzhou, the old man will introduce you to a good young man." ”

It must not be an ordinary person who can make Ding Yuan feel good, Jiang Qi asked curiously: "I don't know who General Ding introduced?" ”

"This person is a lieutenant under my command, and he has been in charge of recruiting troops in Bingzhou for a while ago, and his surname is Zhang Liao and Wenyuan."

*************

At the beginning of July of the third year of Guangxi, Liu Wei left Chang'an and returned to Luoyang.

The road between Luoyang and Chang'an was nearly completed under the construction of nearly 10,000 Xiliang prisoners of war. Liu Wei returned to Luoyang by this road.

Lifting the curtain of the carriage and watching his carriage speed along the black, spacious asphalt road, Liu Wei's heart only adds a sense of modernity.

This road is the first highway of the Han Empire built by Liu Wei's edict, and it will continue to be built after the completion of the section from Luoyang to Chang'an in the future. From Chang'an to Liangzhou, to Qiangdi, after unification, the thirteen states of the country will build such roads, and even with the expansion of Liu Wei's hegemony, they will be built to the Western Regions and even beyond.

While Liu Wei was staring at the spacious asphalt road with a lot of thoughts, a cheerful woman's laughter came from the carriage behind him, interrupting Liu Wei's train of thought.

Liu Wei glanced at the carriage behind him depressedly, and in the carriage were Princess Wannian, Ren Hongchang, Tang Ji and Dong Zhuo's granddaughter Dong Bai.

After Tang Ji and others came to Chang'an, they didn't know when they got acquainted with Dong Bai. The four women get together all day long and talk non-stop. Although Tang Ji and Ren Hongchang are both married to wives, they are still girls in the flower season in terms of age, and the four girls of Princess Wannian and Dong Bai naturally like to get together for a long time.

This time, the four daughters who returned to Chang'an also insisted on the same carriage, and Tang Ji said that he would not sit in the same carriage with Liu Bi, which made Liu Bi, who still had the idea of making out with Tang Ji on the road, extremely depressed. Fortunately, after Dong Bai got close to Tang Ji and the others, his eyes were not as full of hatred as in the past.

It's just that what makes Liu Wei curious is that the four girls don't know what they're talking about when they're together all day long.

Liu Wei didn't know that these days Tang Ji and the others got together to discuss a book called "Women's Rules", which was written by Tang Ji, and Princess Wannian and Ren Hongchang also participated in its completion. Dong Bai is the first reader of this book, and has also become the most determined executor of the content of this book.

This "Women's Rules" was not printed, and Liu Wei did not see the original manuscript, so he did not know the contents of it. If he saw it, he would be surprised, because although it only wrote some norms of behavior for women in social activities, there was one word mentioned in it: women's rights.

For a long time, Liu Wei's pursuit of freedom and attitude towards women's equality influenced the concepts of Tang Ji, Ren Hongchang and others, thus giving birth to their inner pursuit of women's rights. It was like a butterfly effect that set off a storm of the feminist movement.

Liu Wei didn't expect as much as he expected at this time, and he couldn't guess what the four girls were talking about, so he retracted his body into the carriage, looked at the stack of pieces on the case, and was in a daze.

It was this stack of pieces that forced him to rush back to Luoyang from Chang'an, otherwise he would have wanted to stay in Chang'an for a while to see the restoration and construction of Chang'an.

In mid-June, a major earthquake occurred near Jingxian County in the east of Luoyang, more than 1,000 houses collapsed, and nearly 10,000 people were affected.

Originally, the natural disasters caused by this kind of crustal movement were not unusual, and they were not serious compared with other natural disasters that occurred in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It's just that in the Han Dynasty, there was a theory of heaven and man induction, believing that disasters from heaven were all due to improper governance by the rulers, and disasters from heaven gave warning. Generally speaking, this is the responsibility of the emperor, the supreme ruler of the Han Empire, but in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the responsibility was basically put on the three dukes. After all, there is only one emperor, who is high up in power and has great power, and it is impossible to step down frequently when encountering disasters. However, everyone can do it, and the dismissal of the three princes has become a practice to deal with the vigilance of heaven.

In today's Han Dynasty, Liu Yu resigned from the post of Taishi and stayed in the place among the three princes and three divisions. Originally, Sikong Ma Riyan was also reappointed as the pastor of Liangzhou. Only Taifu Yuan Kui, Taibao Yang Biao, Situ Huangwan, and Lu Zhi, who was changed from Taiwei to General, should also be counted among them.

Immediately after the earthquake in Jingxian County, some people wrote to Liu Wei demanding that the three dukes be removed according to the usual practice, and that Lu Zhi be removed from his post as a general by name.

After seeing the watch seal sent over, Liu Wei almost became angry. Let's not say that he has never been interested in this kind of celestial induction, even if he has to remove anyone, it is the emperor's words, and there has never been a minister who has written to name and name him.

Turn to the back of the chapter and take a look at the inscription: Zhou Yu in the service. It is Yuan Kui's henchman, and it seems that his purpose is self-evident, that is, to get rid of Lu Zhi, Liu Wei's biggest help in the DPRK.

It's just that the technique is too direct and inexplicable. Liu Wei didn't care about it at all, and casually threw the piece into the waste paper tube.

However, unexpectedly, within a few days, the court scholars and doctors flew like snowflakes, accusing Liu Wei of not abiding by the ancestral system and shielding Lu Zhi. Liu Wei was shocked, he didn't expect that the scholars and doctors who had been estranged from the Yuan group because of the Jingzhou incident gathered around Yuan Kui again, and they all went to the table to impeach Lu Zhi, and some even counted the "crimes" committed by Lu Zhi and demanded that Liu Kui be severely punished!

In particular, to Liu Wei's surprise, Yang Biao and Huang Wan, who had always been at odds with Yuan Kui before, also joined Yuan Kui's camp and played together to demand Lu Zhi to step down.

Since Dong Zhongshu established the theory of heaven and man induction, it has always been regarded by scholars as Confucian orthodox official science. And Liu Bian's temporary instatement on the dismissal of the three dukes was taken advantage of by Yuan Kui, who went in tandem everywhere, saying that Liu Biao violated the ancestral system, which made the scholars and doctors attack him en masse. And the alliance between Yang Biao and others and Yuan Kui is better explained. Yang Biao and Huang Wan are also one of the Three Princes, and if Lu Zhi is not dismissed, it may be their turn. In order to protect themselves, they united with Yuan Kui.

It was precisely because of the sudden erosion of the situation in the imperial court that Liu Wei was forced to return to Luoyang, originally thought that after the Jingzhou incident, Yuan Kui would be able to be honest, but now it seems that the imperialists are still immortal.

Now Liu Wei is most worried that Lu Zhi in the capital will not be able to withstand the pressure of public opinion and take the initiative to resign, so he will really fall into the trap of the enemy.

wrote a letter to Lu Zhi, ordering him not to act rashly, and to wait for his decision when he returned to Luoyang.

instructed Zhong Miao on some matters related to the construction of Chang'an, and then took care of everything and led the army back to Luoyang.

Just after pacifying the war in Xiliang, Liu Wei embarked on a new journey.

To be continued, stay tuned for the next chapter.