Seeing Yun Shu hesitate without taking action, the blacksmith seemed to guess her thoughts. With careful earnestness, he stepped forward and offered,
"Truth be told, once the sword was forged, I tested it several times myself."
"Very well."
He was a swordsmith by trade, after all, and had already conducted trials. He surely understood such matters better than she did.
Without hesitation, Yun Shu handed the sword to him.
"You do it."
"As you command."
The craftsman accepted the sword with both hands. He waited patiently until Yun Shu and her attendants had stepped back to a safe distance. Then, gripping the blade in one hand and a cleaver in the other, he struck with all his might.
Clang!
The slender sword and the thick, heavy blade clashed midair.
A blinding flash reflected off the metal. Instinctively, Yun Shu turned her head away from the glare.
In the next instant, she heard a crisp sound of metal falling to the ground.
It was the broken half of the cleaver.
The blade had snapped cleanly under the force of the strike. Yet the long sword remained untouched, not even a scratch on its surface.
Amazed, Yun Shu fixed her gaze on the sword. Still unconvinced, she stepped forward and tested it herself.
This time, she could clearly feel it. She had not even used her full strength, and yet when she brought the sword down on the broken blade, it sliced through as easily as if she were cutting tofu.
"A true treasure indeed."
She gently ran her fingers along the blade, and though she knew the answer already, she could not help but ask,
"Could this sword be mass-produced?"
"Your Highness, I must answer plainly. That would not be possible."
The blacksmith broke into a cold sweat the moment he heard her question and quickly explained,
"This blade was forged from black iron and took a full six months to complete. That is assuming the black iron can even be found, for it is rare and costly. Even if one were to gather a mountain of it, crafting one sword in half a year—without guarantee of success—makes mass production impossible."
"A rare sword should indeed be difficult to come by."
Yun Shu nodded in understanding.
"In truth, this is for the best. If it could be mass-produced, it would no longer be worthy of being a gift for Yiyi."
She returned the sword to its ornate case and slung it over her back.
"I shall take this with me. I will have someone send you a separate reward in silver."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The blacksmith beamed, bowing repeatedly in gratitude.
Yun Shu, however, was already turning away, the sword case secured behind her as she departed in brisk stride.
Now that the sword was complete, she wondered when Yiyi would finally return.
If only it could be before New Year's Eve.
…
Whether by fate or coincidence, the very next day, as Yun Shu once again reported to the imperial study like a tireless beast of burden, a commotion stirred outside.
Moments later, Li Dehai entered with a bright smile, his quick little steps tapping eagerly against the floor.
"Your Majesty! A message has arrived from Yangzhou. The young lady of the Marquis Wu'an's household arrived yesterday with the first batch of silver ore brought back from Wa Kingdom. Over a hundred ships, each filled to the brim with silver!
As it happened, the Liu family trade convoy was also in Yangzhou at the time. They drove the newly acquired steam freight car and brought both Miss Cen and a portion of the silver directly back to the capital.
She awaits outside as we speak."
"Bring her in at once!"
The war with the Seven Kingdoms had lasted three months, devouring a great portion of the treasury. Even now, with the kingdoms having surrendered, the cost of managing their territories was immense.
Though the national coffers had grown more abundant in recent years, such continual expenditures were fast exhausting the reserves.
The Minister Yan was already preparing to send yet another memorial to the palace, lamenting the state of the treasury. At such a moment, Cen Yiyi's timely return with silver was nothing short of a downpour in a drought.
Emperor Xuanwu, overwhelmed with delight, nearly forgot that Cen Yiyi was not yet the legendary "General Who Guard the Nation" foretold by the Simulation Life Selection System.
She was still…
The girl who entered was no more than eleven years of age, her ponytail tied high with a strip of red cloth, her steps brisk and confident.
Emperor Xuanwu fell into silence.
Thankfully, over the past year, Cen Yiyi had matured greatly. The soft, clingy child who once hid behind Yun Shu now stood composed before the throne. Her words were clear and respectful, her bearing neither humble nor arrogant.
"This humble girl Cen Yiyi greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years to Your reign!"
"You may rise."
Emperor Xuanwu returned to his senses, his voice calm.
"Why have you come alone? Where is the heir to Marquis Wu'an?"
"Your Majesty, the mines in Wa Kingdom are vast. My father feared that bandits might cause trouble, so he insisted on remaining to guard the island personally.
The silver and gold extracted were far too much to transport all at once. Thus, he sent me ahead with the first shipment."
From within her robes, Cen Yiyi withdrew an account book and presented it with both hands.
"This is the ledger my father wrote personally. May Your Majesty review it."
"A ledger?"
Emperor Xuanwu opened the book and at first glance saw it was densely packed with characters.
Looking closer, he realized it recorded the precise amounts of silver and gold loaded onto each ship.
The first shipment had comprised one hundred and thirty-eight ships in total.
The combined amount of precious metals transported came to three hundred and fifty million taels of silver.
Perhaps it was because Yun Shu had long since spoiled his expectations.
Emperor Xuanwu stared at the number without much emotion.
"It is said that Wa Kingdom's mines are incredibly rich, yet this does not seem like much."
"That is because she brought back only a very small portion." Though she had not seen the ledger, Yun Shu could more or less deduce the truth. "The steam-powered warships have yet to be completed. The small vessels they took earlier could barely carry much silver at all."
Cen Yiyi blinked.
Who had spoken?
She could have sworn she just heard the voice of the Crown Princess.
"I am here!"
From behind a mountain of memorials at a small desk, Yun Shu had managed to clear a narrow path. Peeking through the opening, she waved cheerfully at Cen Yiyi.
"Did I not speak true?"
Cen Yiyi followed the motion and caught a glimpse of Yun Shu squeezed among the documents.
"!!"
Heavens above.
She had believed her life in Wa Kingdom—training daily, studying military strategy, and mining—was already arduous enough.
But now, seeing this scene, she realized who had truly borne the heavier burden.
"How could there possibly be so many memorials? Her Highness was practically buried alive!"
Staring at the mountain of paperwork, Cen Yiyi stood in stunned silence for quite some time. At last, she nodded with difficulty.
"Your Highness, indeed… this is but a very small portion.
Perhaps not even a tenth. Possibly… only one percent."
One percent.
And that alone had amounted to more than three hundred million taels.
If all the silver were mined…
Would that not mean the total could reach at least thirty billion?
Emperor Xuanwu quickly ran the numbers in his mind. At last, his furrowed brow relaxed, his expression softening.
"So it is. You and your father have rendered great service."