73: Chapter 73 Ah, what did you say! Xiang Liang's ecstatic joy

Old Mo was getting on in years, after all.

He yawned and went to bed.

Perhaps because he was a transmigrator, Zhao Fusu possessed powerful mental energy and was full of vigor every day.

Despite having pulled an all-nighter, he was still in high spirits.

However, out of habit, he still prepared to get some sleep.

At that moment, Li Si and Feng Quji arrived at the Forging Workshop together.

"Fuhrer!"

"Prime Minister Li Si!"

"Premier Feng Quji."

After the three exchanged greetings, Zhao Fusu looked at Li Si and Feng Quji with some confusion and asked, "My two premiers, I wonder what business brings you to the Forging Workshop?"

Previously, Great Qin had always suppressed industry and commerce. Li Si and Feng Quji were the second and third most powerful figures in the Great Qin Empire.

Their every move was watched by everyone.

If they came to the Forging Workshop, it meant they placed importance on industry and commerce.

Therefore, they would usually accompany the Minister of Agriculture and be escorted by Field Attendants to inspect the growth of millet; they almost never came to the Forging Workshop.

The fact that Li Si and Feng Quji were frequently running to the Forging Workshop was sending out an unusual political signal to the outside world.

Anti-Qin figures like Xiang Liang and Fan Zeng began to focus their attention on the Forging Workshop.

The hundred or so Yanzhao Righteous Warriors under Zhang Liang's command had the advantage of numbers and were lying in ambush; they should have caught the Shadow Guards off guard and easily wiped out a force only half their size.

In the end, the results were unsatisfactory.

Instead, the hundred Yanzhao Righteous Warriors were routed upon first contact by the smaller group of Shadow Guards; they fled frantically, and only a dozen or so survived.

Xiang Liang had discussed this with Fan Zeng.

Xiang Liang said, "I have fought against Zhang Liang's Yanzhao Righteous Warriors before. Each one is strong and robust, possessing astonishing swordsmanship and great strength. They were even provided with bronze swords by the Mohist Giant, Six-Fingered Black Knight. They shouldn't have been beaten so miserably by the Qin!"

"I have spoken with the survivors who were lucky enough to escape that night..."

Fan Zeng said, "The Qin people they fought were not using swords suited for thrusting, but silver sabers that were more effective for hacking and slashing."

"The bronze swords in their hands were snapped by the silver sabers held by the opponent!"

At this point, Fan Zeng's tone became noticeably grave.

"One strike snapped the bronze sword of a Yanzhao Righteous Warrior, and a second strike snapped another's bronze sword."

"How do you expect the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors to fight while holding nothing but hilts!"

"silver sabers!"

Xiang Liang's face was filled with shock.

Sabers are suitable for slashing from horseback. Some are forged with a curve, which also makes it easier to pull the blade out of an opponent's body after a hit.

The primary weapons used by the Qin and the infantry of the Six States were bronze swords and long spears. Sabers were primarily weapons used by the Hu people, such as the Xiongnu people and other nomadic tribes on horseback.

The Qin had changed their weapons, which made Xiang Liang very eager to understand this new equipment.

Xiang Liang was the Head of the School of Military Strategy.

What he did every day was much like a modern military expert: researching every battle of antiquity and analyzing the reasons for victory or defeat.

The defeat of Zhang Liang's hundred Yanzhao Righteous Warriors by the Shadow Guards had also become a subject of Xiang Liang's research.

From his study, the Shadow Guards had fallen into Zhang Liang's ambush at the time.

Under normal circumstances, those fifty or sixty Shadow Guards should have been slaughtered by the hundred Yanzhao Righteous Warriors.

Instead, it was the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors who suffered heavy losses.

If Zhang Liang hadn't made a decisive call to have them scatter and break through the encirclement, even Zhang Liang might have been left behind at the ruined temple.

The factor that changed the course of the battle was the silver sabers in the hands of these Shadow Guards.

These silver sabers were far too hard and far too sharp; they were simply not something the bronze swords of the Yanzhao Righteous Warriors could withstand!

Xiang Liang was desperate to know the truth behind these silver sabers.

If they couldn't figure out the details of these silver sabers, their rebel army would suffer catastrophic losses if they faced the Qin Army in the future.

It was like others starting to use drones for combat.

While you were still foolishly using fire teams of three and trying to shoot down drones with rifles; with such stubbornness, it would be strange if you didn't suffer heavy casualties.

Fan Zeng added, "I have observed that a large number of Qin Army troops have begun to re-equip with silver sabers."

"What did you say!"

Xiang Liang's eyes widened.

He had originally thought the number of silver sabers was very small.

It was normal for such powerful silver sabers to be few in number; what was abnormal was for them to be numerous.

Xiang Liang could not help but feel skeptical.

"The summer harvest is approaching, and bronze sickles have appeared on the market!"

Fan Zeng suddenly said with a heavy tone.

"Ah!"

"What did you say!"

Xiang Liang was surprised once again.

Immediately afterward, he was overcome with ecstasy.

Just as modern firearms are regulated.

In the Qin Dynasty, the bronze alloys that Zhao Fusu looked down upon were also controlled substances.

The First Emperor had confiscated all bronze alloys into his own hands and created twelve massive bronze giants.

For rebels like Xiang Liang, bronze alloys flowing back into the market was akin to firearms flowing into the market; how could he not be wild with joy?

As for sickles, they didn't even need to be reforged to be used for killing.

Before they were used to cut grass, sickles were used on the battlefield to harvest the heads of enemies.

They could buy a large number of bronze sickles and take them to the battlefield!

Many peasant rebel armies fought on the battlefield using hoes and sickles—these farm tools—to kill the enemy.

"Brother Xiang, don't be happy too soon."

Fan Zeng gave a bitter smile and said, "I have investigated and found that these bronze sickles used for harvesting millet and wheat all originated from the Qin State's Forging Workshop."

"Think about it, why would the Qin people take the initiative to let a large amount of bronze flow out?"

"It's because they've re-equipped with silver sabers and no longer care for bronze ware!"

Fan Zeng was truly worthy of being a strategist; he could infer accurate intelligence through minor details.

"That's true!"

With Fan Zeng's explanation, Xiang Liang finally reacted.

"Even if we purchase a large number of bronze sickles, the Qin Army can still easily snap them with their current silver sabers!"

Xiang Liang's face looked very grim.

Why didn't the Qin State ban ironware from circulating on the market? It was because ironware would be easily snapped by bronze alloys.

The logic was the same now; the Qin Army possessed a large number of silver sabers.

The silver sabers in their hands could easily snap bronze swords.

Xiang Liang no longer doubted that the Qin Army was re-equipping with silver sabers on a large scale.

Fan Zeng was right; the Qin Army was allowing bronze to flow out, which meant they certainly had a large number of silver sabers, hence they had nothing to fear.

"Sigh!"

Xiang Liang let out a sigh and said, "If the Qin Army's weapons are far more powerful than our rebel army's, it is certainly not a good thing!"

Xiang Liang became worried.

"Brother Xiang, there is no need to worry."

Fan Zeng said with a smile, "Money makes the world go round."

"I believe that as long as we pave the way with money and the price is high enough, it is not impossible to bribe someone from the Forging Workshop to obtain a silver saber."

"Our priority now is to earn a large amount of money."