The sudden outbreak of fighting at the border has undoubtedly accelerated the process of many things.

For example, after the outbreak of war at the border pass, just over 20 days later, the Xiongnu mission quietly appeared in Chang'an City;

But due to internal hidden dangers, Rao was angry about this, and the Chang'an court under the leadership of the Son of Heaven could only humiliately agree to most of the Huns' demands when the Huns came to blackmail again.

The huge supplies, including grain, rice, salt, tea, and cloth, were taken away by the smiling Xiongnu mission in the name of 'the Son of Heaven's gift list, hoping to get back together'.

But fortunately, the Huns put forward the proposal of 'making peace again', but it was rejected by the Son of Heaven.

In the process of Han-Hungarian diplomacy, the Han family finally saved the last trace of face······

After the Xiongnu mission left, the process of another thing was forcibly accelerated by the Son of Heaven.

- Cut the domain!

Almost as soon as the Huns left, Tianzi Qi began to run between the two palaces of Weiyang and Changle, and persuaded his mother Empress Dowager Dou with affection and reason;

After a few days like this, both inside and outside the government and the opposition, rumors began to arise that 'King Liang is attached to Chang'an and does not go, which is against the system of Emperor Taizu Gao', and the Empress Dowager Dou finally nodded.

In the summer and March of the second year of the Son of Heaven (155 BC), Liu Wu, the king of Liang, who had stayed in Chang'an for more than half a year, finally embarked on a long journey back to Suiyang.

Along with Liu Wu, the king of Liang, set off with batch after batch of military supplies that were named 'the Empress Dowager's Reward for Goods'.

The Huns were sent away, and the King of Liang also embarked on a long journey back to Kanto, and then, naturally, it was the long-standing, but several times delayed "Cutting the Domain", which was officially put on the agenda of the court.

But like Liu Wu, the king of Liang, when he came, he personally drove and sent him twenty miles east of Chang'an, but the figure of the Son of Heaven did not return to the Xuanshu Palace;

Instead, he quietly appeared in the Guangming Hall where Mrs. Jia, Liu Pengzu, and Liu Sheng were located······

·

At the turn of spring and summer, in the Guangming Palace, there is also a joyful and relaxed atmosphere.

It's just the apse where Liu Pengzu and Liu Sheng's two sons live, but the small courtyard is a few zhang long and wide, but it has been occupied by all kinds of tools found by Liu Sheng, as well as a stove and a forging table.

Liu Pengzu, the seventh prince, naturally held a bowl of freshly made tofu brains and sat on the recliner outside the bedroom door, delicious and delicious;

Liu Sheng, on the other hand, shuttled between the various tools in the hospital.

After a while, use tweezers to pick up the steel bar and take out the steel bar in the furnace;

After a while, the bright red hot steel bar was placed on the forging table, and the steel bar was smashed with a stone hammer.

When he was tired of knocking, or was heated by the heat of the stove, Liu Sheng would wipe his sweat again and walk to the recliner next to Liu Pengzu;

Sit down on the chaise longue, pick up some of the tightropes that have been hammered and formed, and get to yourself again.

"Eh, Xiao Jiu;"

"The chain mail you are talking about is really made of steel wire into a net, and then draped on the body, you can resist the enemy's attack on the battlefield?"

Watching Liu Sheng bend the steel wire into one fingernail-sized steel ring after another, and then string these steel rings together, Liu Pengzu on the side couldn't help but be a little curious.

You can't blame Liu Pengzu for not being knowledgeable;

In fact, in the past thousands of years, there has never been a 'net' form like chain mail, or even only the legendary armor.

It is said that in the Han Dynasty today, the leather armor that is often prepared in the nobles and military groups is made of clips and stitches, which can be regarded as very precious;

Even if it is some elite troops, what Shaofu can equip them with is only a whole sheet, or a few pieces of nitrate leather, directly stitched together.

In addition to the armor and leather armor, there are also the land of Jingchu in the south, as well as the occasional rattan armor in the Bashu region.

As for armor made of metal like Liu Sheng did, it is not that there are no armor in the past.

- It is said that during the Qin period, the first emperor Yingzheng ordered Qin Shaofu to make a kind of armor with two bronze heart goggles on the left and right on the chest;

Supplemented by a ghost head mask, this army was once called by the people of the world: Ghost Face Qin Cavalry.

It is said that the ghost-faced Qin rode on the grassland, and was called by the nomads: the bronze armor ghost ride.

And the word bronze armor in this 'Bronze Armor Ghost Rider' refers to just the two copper heart guards that protect the chest on those Qin Riders······

"In the past, the reason why no one used copper and iron for armor was because copper and iron were too brittle;"

"Although they are hard enough, if they are chopped or smashed, they are likely to have direct cracks, or even direct breaks."

"Besides, the copper and iron are too heavy, and no one can carry the armor made of it."

Liu Pengzu was thinking about it, and Liu Sheng on the side also took over the conversation, and when Liu Pengzu turned his head sideways, he raised the net made of steel wire in his hand and raised it to Liu Pengzu.

"Brother, take a look;"

"The best thing about steel, compared to iron, is that it is tough;"

"Being chopped and smashed will only leave traces, not direct breaks."

"And by making this kind of net, the equipment can also move freely, and there will be no restrictions on movement at all."

"Although the mesh chain mail is not very resistant to blunt blows, it is enough to protect some vital parts to resist cold arrows, sharp weapon cuts, and stabs."

"-That's the weight~"

"After all, it's steel, it's still relatively heavy, and the cost is a bit high······"

said to Liu Pengzu, but Liu Sheng's attention was always on the 'steel wire mesh' about the size of a palm.

After being busy for most of the winter, Liu Sheng only made such a small piece of steel wire, which is still a long way from a complete set of chain mail.

But fortunately, the fifty catties of fried steel that Liu Sheng took from Shaofu have basically been forged into steel wires, and the most time-consuming and laborious process has been basically completed.

In the next few months, Liu Sheng only needed to make all the prepared steel wires into nails-sized steel rings, and then string them together like the 'steel wire mesh' in his hand······

"Hiss~"

"Shouldn't I call the fifth brother to come over and measure the size······"

"After all, it's close-fitting armor, and if it's small, you can't wear it, and if it's big, it's not very comfortable to wear·········"

muttering to himself, he looked at the steel wire in his hand for a while, but found that the expected response of his brother Liu Pengzu had not sounded in his ears for a long time;

Subconsciously glanced at it, but Liu Sheng found that he was supposed to be sitting on the reclining chair of his brother Liu Pengzu, but it was the Son of Heaven who was sitting at the moment······

"The fifty pounds of steel I gave you······"

"You're going to make a wire mesh like this?"

"--If you don't have that kid, go fishing on the battlefield?!!"

With an angry roar, he saw the Son of Heaven suddenly stretch out his hand and snatch the steel wire mesh in Liu Sheng's hand;

And now, Liu Pengzu, the seventh elder who was sitting next to Liu Sheng, stood aside with a worried face, and was frightened by Liu Qi's low roar, and quietly lowered his head······

"Hmm······"

"The steel wire is formed into a ring, and then connected into a network ······"

saw Tianziqi lower his head, looked carefully at the barbed wire in his hand, and most of the anger on his face had already dissipated;

turned around and beckoned to the eunuch behind him, and when the eunuch hurriedly handed over the sword of the Son of Heaven, Liu Qicai drew the sword out of the sheath, spread the steel wire mesh in the palm of his hand, and slashed it lightly with the sword.

"Hey;"

"It's really a sharp weapon."

As he spoke, Tianziqi swiped hard again to make sure that the steel wire mesh in his hand was not broken, so he turned his anger into joy and casually threw the steel wire mesh back to Liu Sheng.

Then, Tianziqi tried to lie down on the recliner, while experiencing the comfort that he had never felt before, he did not forget to mutter: "With this good thing, I don't know how to send two ······ to me and the Queen Mother."

Seeing Tianziqi's rogue appearance, Liu Sheng only lowered his head, carefully put away the steel wire mesh, and said casually: "The imperial grandmother has already had it; ”

"It's the Jiaofang Palace, and the sons also sent one."

The usual words made Tianzi Qi stunned, and then he was angry, looking at Liu Sheng's gaze, and he was also full of resentment.

Liu Sheng didn't care too much about the resentful gaze of the Son of Heaven, so he just got up casually and took the steel wire back into the house.

When Liu Sheng walked out of the bedroom again and sat down on his chaise longue, Tianzi Qicai shook the chaise longue he gave birth to indignantly;

While shaking, he didn't forget to say something with a gun and a stick.

"Katsukomi, it's really a big face~"

"I want to see my mother, and I want my son to match her;"

"If the prime minister wants to enter the palace, he must be led by Gongzi Sheng himself."

"-Even my Shaofu can be approved by Gongzi with a sentence of 'Your Majesty', and then I watched Gongzi take away a full fifty catties of fried steel?"

was full of sarcastic words, but Liu Sheng raised his head calmly and bowed to the Son of Heaven with a glance.

"Let's not talk about how long it has been since these things;"

"Just on the matter: inviting the imperial grandmother to Shanglin Yuan, it was the father and the emperor who ordered the children to go;"

"The steel of Shaofu was also allowed by my father to take it."

"As for the prime minister······"

"—If the father thinks it's inappropriate, then after a while, the son will go to Shangguanli;"

"Tell the teacher: In the future, my father doesn't want to see the prime minister enter the palace again?"

It was another calm word, but it made Tianzi Qi secretly have another nest of fire, but he couldn't find an angle to fight back;

In desperation, Tianzi Qi finally just snorted and began to mumble about the recliner under the chaise longue again.

"The Queen Mother has it, and the Queen Mother has it;"

"I don't have ······"

"——In this palace, I am alone, and I can't get into the eyes of the son of Sheng?"

Hearing this, Liu Sheng was finally exhausted by the inexplicable Tianziqi, and only adjusted his sitting posture a little depressed.

"Father, what are you here for?"

"Is it to send away Uncle Liang Wang, so there will be no one for my father to entertain?"

"It's still the court, there is really nothing to worry about my father, so I have the leisure to go to this Guangming Palace to find happiness with my sons???"

asked three questions in a row, which caused Tianziqi to be completely stunned in place, and he couldn't wait to slap Liu Sheng to death immediately!

But I couldn't find a good reason······

"Humph!"

With a muffled snort full of annoyance, he saw the Son of Heaven get up with his sleeves and turn his body back violently;

After a long while, he said in a stiff tone: "Yuan Gu, I have been driven back to Kanto!" ”

"I'm afraid I have to bother the son, go and talk to the queen mother;"

"Lest the Queen Mother think that I, as a son, can really let my own mother be deceived by outsiders."

pretending to be calm and saying a word, Tianzi Qi made a gesture to leave, but was muttered by Liu Sheng, intentionally or unintentionally, and was 'fixed' in place again.

"If you ask for someone, you will say that you want someone······"

"Going around such a big bend ······"

said another sentence that made the Son of Heaven angry and hurt himself, and saw Liu Shengman stand up easily, and pretended to clap his hands casually, walked to the edge of the stove by himself, and took out a steel bar;

Putting the steel bar on the forging table, while forging, he replied casually: "The imperial grandmother already knows; ”

"--This matter, my father has dragged on for many months, and the emperor's grandmother has been sending people to keep an eye on it."

"It wasn't until yesterday that the people sent watched Yuan Gu leave Hangu Pass and return to Chang'an to make a report, and the imperial grandmother was relieved."

"If my father delays it for another two days, maybe in the future, even if there is a son-in-law 'matchmaking', my father will not be able to see the emperor's grandmother······"

The indifferent voice of words provoked Tianziqi to turn around suddenly, and was about to open his mouth to scold, but he saw that Liu Sheng at this time was already frowning in front of the forging platform, his eyes had narrowed slightly, and he used the stone hammer in his hand to knock on the steel bar in front of him.

That focused appearance couldn't help but make Tianziqi feel in a trance, and even saw something extremely familiar from Liu Sheng's body·······

"Back then, my father checked the case file ·······"

Secretly speaking, the anger in Tianziqi's heart was also fleeting, and he only sat back on the recliner silently, silently watching Liu Sheng's back of forging steel bars.

After looking at it like this for a while, the steel bar that exuded a bright yellow color was slightly deformed under Liu Sheng's forging, and then completely dimmed, and then Liu Sheng threw it into the furnace again, and Tianzi Qi's sloppy gaze refocused on Liu Sheng's body.

Twelve years old, in the next life, maybe still the age of school.

But in this generation, a twelve-year-old boy is already half a husband;

At this time, Liu Sheng's body has not yet grown, and his face is still full of immaturity, but the fortitude between his eyebrows and the integrity in his temperament also make Tianzi Qi can't help but think of the years he experienced when he was a child in the palace of the Jinyang Dynasty.

There, Liu Qi spent the hardest and darkest time of his life.

At that time, the palace of the Jinyang Dynasty could be described as lacking food and clothing, and it was dilapidated to ventilate on all sides;

Every year in autumn and winter, the northern Xiongnu also go to Yanmen County in the north to rob the local people.

At that time, Liu Qi was not the acting crown prince.

- Not even a son-in-law!

As the prince of the concubine, Liu Qi could only huddle in the cold side hall with his sister Liu Concubine and younger brother Liu Wu, who were also concubines;

In order to allow the sisters and brothers to wear thicker winter clothes, the mother Dou was busy raising silkworms, drawing silk, and fiddling with needles and threads during the finishing days.

Even his father, Liu Heng, who was the acting king, was always busy with domestic affairs, and when he had occasional leisure, he was busy fiddling with crops in the open space in the palace.

It was not until he was eight years old that Liu Qi, the son of the king's concubine, followed his father Liu Heng to Chang'an;

Then, due to some unspeakable changes, her mother Dou was able to become the queen of the main palace, and Liu Qi was also made the crown prince.

In the past 30 years of life, Liu Qi has only lived a short eight years in the hard life in the palace;

If you start counting from the age of three when you start remembering, it has only been a short five years.

But Liu Qi still can't forget the dark years spent in the palace of the Daiwang.

It was also the experience of those years in the palace that made Liu Qi, a dragon son and phoenix grandson born with a golden key, personally experience the difficulties of life and the preciousness of labor·······

"Hey ·······"

"This kid, compared to me, can be said to be not like at all."

"It's ······· with my father"

After thinking about it, he secretly sighed again, but found that Liu Sheng didn't know when he returned to the reclining chair next to him.

I saw Liu Sheng pick up a bowl of water, take a sip of it, and don't forget to ask casually: "Father still has something?" ”

After speaking, Liu Sheng couldn't help but turn his head sideways, looked at the recliner under Liu Qi, and added: "If my father wants it, then wait a few days; ”

"When it's done, Erchen will personally send it to his father."

said indifferently, but it shattered the memories in Tianziqi's heart and his warmth for Liu Sheng;

Frowning and getting up, he walked towards the door of the hall angrily, Tianziqi turned his head as if he remembered something, and pointed to the recliner beside Liu Sheng.

"Move away, move away!"

A slightly resentful remark only caused the eunuchs on the side to hurry forward, and just as they were about to grab the chaise longue, there was a low roar from the Son of Heaven behind them.

"—two! All moved away!! ”

The Son of Heaven had an order, and the eunuchs did not dare to disobey, so they could only cast their pleading eyes on Liu Sheng, who was still sitting on the recliner.

Seeing this, Liu Sheng had no choice but to get up indifferently and let Tianzi Qi act like a bandit, supporting his subordinates to 'follow the thief' and snatch away the recliner of himself and his brother Liu Pengzu.

When the eunuch beckoned another Lang official, and carried the two reclining chairs away one by one, the Son of Heaven nodded contentedly.

turned around as usual, and did not forget to explain to Liu Sheng: "What's that, chain mail; ”

"—make a set for me."

"When I turn around, I will ask Shaofu to send another fifty catties of steel."

Dropping such a sentence, I saw that the Son of Heaven turned his back leisurely, put his hands behind his back, and left the Guangming Palace with a heart (basin) full of (full) intentions (bowls) and feet (full).

Behind Liu Qi, looking at the back of the bandit returning with a full load, Liu Sheng was surprised to cross his hands on his chest and clamp them under his armpits.

"Tut-tut······"

"The body of the dignified Son of Heaven lives in his own imperial city and palace;"

"—but you still need chain mail to protect yourself?"

"What a shame this must have done·········

(End of chapter)