Chapter 554- Ou Zhizi
Translator: ryangohsf
Editor: Nora
Based on normal circumstances, the costs of the public utilities would take up a considerable part of the financial budget. Only as the yamen built up would the various prefectures carry these expenditures themselves.
As such, the Nanjiang Governor-General House needed to lead the planning of an official pathway and relay system that covered the entire territory.
Paths that linked up the prefectures, paths within the prefectures, and relays; the Governor-General House needed to pay for half of these construction costs.
Firstly, they needed to entirely open up the mountain path between Lianzhou Prefecture and Wuzhou Prefecture to strengthen their control over the Wuzhou and Zhaoqing Prefectures.
Apart from that, the Construction Division also planned to open up a mountain path near Broken Blade House Gushan County to open up a path to Leizhou Prefecture.
The current Shanhai City could only reach Leizhou Prefecture via ship. Although it was fast, generally only merchants took this path. For other people, traveling across the land would be a better choice.
Ouyang Shuo gathered all the officials together for another important matter apart from settling the financial budget. They needed to discuss the administrative standards, waste disposal standards, and the water system in the territory.
The goal was to push out the municipal administrative system of Shanhai City to the other parts of the territory.
The construction of Shanhai City could be described as the merger of olden construction techniques and modern architecture. It kept some of the essence and beauty of olden Chinese buildings, but it also incorporated modern-day city planning and municipal construction, combining the two perfectly.
As for the water irrigation system, naturally, it was for the agriculture industry. In order to increase the crop production and raise the yield of the crops, one definitely needed to perfect the water irrigation system.
The water paths of Nanjiang had many intersections, so it did not lack water but did possess a risk of flooding. Hence, the logical plan would be to change the water system and build up dams.
Ouyang Shuo stayed in his reading room and did not go out for a full four to five days.
The officials entering his reading room did not cease.
Sometimes, when he discussed the important matters, he would even forget to eat his meals.
As for late night meetings, these were something exceedingly common occurrences.
In this process, plan after plan that concerned the core of the coming year was pushed out piece by piece.
12th month, 24th day, after Fan Li and Xi Shi, the Black Snake Guards found the famous swordsmith Ou Zhizi. Moreover, they successfully invited him back to Shanhai City to help Ouyang Shuo forge swords.
Ou Zhizi was a member of the Yue Country from the end of the Spring and Autumn Period to the start of the Warring States Period. He was the ancestor of olden sword forging in China, and he had crafted the Longquan Sword and the Zhanlu Sword.
When he was young, Ou Zhizi learned metallurgy from his uncle and started to craft items such as copper and iron swords, iron axes, and work tools.
He used his brain and had extraordinary intelligence. Moreover, he had a strong body, and he was a hard worker. Ou Zhizi noticed the difference between copper and iron, forging the first into the Longxuan Iron Sword. He created the start of the cold weapons era of China.
Ou Zhizi had crafted a series of famous copper swords.
He had once crafted five prized swords for the Yue King: Zhanlu, Juque, Shenxie, Yuchang, and Chunjun. For the Chu King, he had crafted three swords: Qixing Longxuan, Taia, and Gongbu.
For the Black Snake Guards to successfully invite Ou Zhizi, it was all due to the Chixiao Sword.
Ou Zhizi had made it clear that he came to Shanhai City with no intentions of moving in. After forging the sword, he would leave Shanhai City to search for another land of sword forging.
He had no intentions of selling his art and working for kings. After appearing in the wilderness, his only wish was to find a new land of sword forging to forge another precious sword.
When Ouyang Shuo received this news, he could only helplessly accept the matter.
He could not force such matters.
Ouyang Shuo had sought Ou Zhizi to seal the Red Dragon Spirit inside the Qilin Golden Seal into the Chixiao Sword and complete the upgrade of the Chixiao Sword.
When they received the news that Ou Zhizi was coming, the happiest person was not Ouyang Shuo but Wang Hao.
Wang Hao was the first grandmaster level smith in the territory and the secretary of the Armory Division.
The Tianmo Spear was crafted by Wang Hao.
Ou Zhizi was basically an ancestor level presence to a blacksmith like Wang Hao.
If one said that blacksmiths or rather swordsmiths could form a faction or school of thought, Ou Zhizi would undoubtedly be their representative figure.
Hence, Wang Hao specially prepared the most significant and most majestic sword smithing room for Ou Zhizi to use. This room was one that the No.7 Research Institute had modified.
Besides the room was a furnace that could forge steel.
As a sword forging master, Ou Zhizi was extremely sensitive to materias. If not, he would not have been able to discover the difference between copper and iron.
Hence, steel, which was far superior to iron, would definitely attract Ou Zhizi.
After gaining a basic understanding of steel from Wang Hao, Ou Zhizi was immediately attracted.
Ouyang Shuo, who had followed behind them, grinned at this sight. He knew that to such a swordsmith, steel had an absolute attraction.
This time, even if Ouyang Shuo asked him to leave, Ou Zhizi would not be willing to do so.
Facing the further questions from Ou Zhizi, Wang Hao was placed in a tough situation.
Although the man in front of him was an ancestor-level figure, the steel making technique was a high-level secret of the territory. Even if Wang Hao was ten times bolder, he would not dare to reveal a single bit of the secret.
"Master, this...." Wang Hao paused.
When Ou Zhizi saw this reaction, he understood. He was a swordsmith master and knew that such a secret could not be revealed. Wasn’t his sword smithing skills precisely the same?
Thinking about this point, he turned around, bowed to Ouyang Shuo, and said sincerely, “Lord, please accept me and allow me to learn the mysteries behind this material."
Ou Zhizi had a prediction that with this new material, he would find new sword smithing inspiration. In the future, making god weapons like Qixing Longxuan would not be impossible.
Perhaps, he could even touch the unassailable Saint weapon realm.
Since that was the case, he had no need to continue running around to search for the land of sword forging.
Wasn’t the Shanhai City in front of him the best place for swordsmithing?
As for his past words, to go against them was nothing to Ou Zhizi.
A swordsmithing master was a sword idiot.
Since he was obsessed, he naturally did not care too much about life matters.
Only then could he focus on one path.
Ouyang Shuo laughed, "For master to move into Shanhai City, it's simply a blessing for the territory." He obviously did not mention Ou Zhizi’s previous words.