Chapter Nineteen: The Younger Sister of the Mei Family

  New people are difficult, more difficult than ascending to the blue sky. Friends' collections and recommendations are all pure new people's first-class steps upwards, please continue to support the pure wolf.

  He doubted the practicality of Tao Ying's Thunderclap Car, but still had to flatter him. Mou Zong shook his head in admiration of Tao Ying's masterpiece, while insincerely complimenting: "Young Master is indeed a genius, I didn't expect that the lost Thunderclap Car for hundreds of years would be reborn in your hands, this humble official admires you, admires you to the extreme."

  "Sir, this chariot is so ingenious that it will surely be effective on the battlefield." Zou Fang was thinking of another layer and asked tentatively: "Sir, I dare to ask, may I copy a draft of your Thunder Chariot blueprint and let the craftsmen in my household help you build one? It would also broaden their horizons. What do you think, sir?"

  "That won't do." Tao Ying hastily closed the draft, shaking his head and saying: "This vehicle is the crystallization of my heart's blood and also my trump card on the battlefield. It must be kept strictly confidential. If it leaks out and the enemy becomes aware of it, we will not be able to achieve the effect of catching them off guard."

  Miao Fang secretly gave Miao Zhu a look, and Miao Zhu knew that Miao Fang wanted him to help persuade Tao Ying. He was preparing to make a copy of the draft to present to Liu Bei - if this thunderbolt cart could really play a role in the siege war, it would also be a great help to Liu Bei. However, Miao Zhu did not ask for it, but instead asked on purpose: "Young master, so you're saying that you borrowed money from me to buy sandalwood, iron, and raw silk, just to build this thunderbolt cart? I don't understand, why does this siege thunderbolt cart need to use expensive and rare sandalwood, iron, and raw silk?"

  "Take a closer look, Vice Captain." Tao Ying didn't seem to notice anything was amiss and immediately unfolded the diagram of the Thunderbolt Cart again, pointing at several components as he explained: "Vice Captain, please take a look. The throwing arm of this Thunderbolt Cart is the most crucial part. It requires sturdy and durable wood with elasticity, so I thought of trying out the best wood available - sandalwood. Who knows, maybe it can launch even heavier stone projectiles even further."

  Meng Zong nodded, while carefully memorizing the dimensions of the Thunderbolt Chariot on Tao Ying's drawing. At the same time, he asked: "Young Master, what about the steel and raw silk? What are they for?"

  "The iron used to make the vulnerable parts, this kind of carriage has many parts that are often worn out, such as using wood which must be replaced frequently, not only is it troublesome, but also wastes time and wood. So Tao Ying thought of using good iron to make them, saving cost."

  "As for the raw silk, it's not for the chariots, but for the soldiers." Tao Ying continued: "You also know that the army I built with my own hands is named after the gentlemen. Gentlemen are benevolent, righteous and brave, elegant and refined. If my soldiers only wear armor, it would be too bloody, losing the name of a gentleman. So I want to make a silk robe for each of my soldiers to add elegance, that's why I need a thousand catties of raw silk."

  "Is it to add elegance?" Mei Fang almost laughed out loud, thinking that this bookworm had indeed been driven silly by reading books, and came up with the idea of having soldiers wear expensive and thin silk robes!

  "So that's how it is, the young master is indeed talented, thinking of things that others dare not think of, doing things that others dare not do." Zou Zhu also couldn't help but interject a sarcastic remark, while at the same time desperately memorizing the dimensions and components of the Thunderbolt car from the rough sketch.

  "Ah, General Miao, now that you know the secret of my Thunderclap chariot, I suppose you can help me acquire the necessary military supplies? Tao Ying closed his blueprint again and spoke sincerely: "General Miao, as a versatile talent in both literature and martial arts, you must have seen that this Thunderclap chariot is not only useful for attacking cities but also for defending them and guarding strongholds. Its power is boundless! Once it's built, it will greatly enhance the military strength of Xuzhou! I wonder if General Miao can lend a helping hand and assist me in this endeavor? If we succeed, I'll naturally reward you handsomely!"

  Mi Zhu remained calm and collected, but his mind was racing with calculations. The military supplies that Tao Ying had asked for were insignificant in Mi Zhu's eyes - their total value didn't even amount to one-tenth of what the Mi brothers had contributed to Liu Bei. Mi Zhu could have made a risky investment, but the problem was that he didn't quite believe in Tao Ying, this bookworm, and didn't think that the Thunderbolt Chariot he created would really be effective in attacking cities. What if Tao Ying was just all talk and no action? Mi Zhu's investment would be completely down the drain.

  "Otherwise, I'll give you 1,000 jin of wrought iron and 1,000 jin of raw silk first. I don't need the sandalwood for now, I can make do with other materials temporarily, is that okay?" Tao Ying made a concession - for the various weapons he was secretly developing, sandalwood was indeed an expendable military resource, but wrought iron and raw silk were too important. If he could get these two resources from Zou Yue, not only would he save a large sum of military expenses, but he also wouldn't have to wait for Cao Hong to purchase raw silk from Jiangnan and Sichuan, nor would he need to use inferior wrought iron to make horseshoes and horse nails, greatly accelerating his military buildup.

  Meng Zong was still thinking and refused to speak, while Meng Fang stared at the blueprint of the Thunderbolt car in Tao Ying's hand, her eyes almost spitting fire. Just as they were at a stalemate, a green shadow flashed outside the door, and a young girl wearing a green dress suddenly walked into the hall with a gentle swaying motion. Tao Ying glanced casually out of the corner of his eye, but his gaze was immediately fixed on her, and he couldn't help but swallow hard. It turned out that this girl who had entered the hall was an extremely rare beauty, 17 or 18 years old, with pale skin, beautiful eyebrows and eyes, a slender figure, and a clear and elegant yet seductive appearance. Tao Ying had been in this era for over a month, and it was the first time he had seen such a stunning beauty in this era.

  "Brother." The green-shirted girl slightly opened her vermilion lips and uttered a string of silvery, melodious sounds. "Little sister Mò Zhēn, greetings to the two brothers."

  "Brother? Zou Yun and Zou Fang's sister? Two scoundrels looking like humans, how can they have such a beautiful sister?" Tao thought to himself, then suddenly realized and secretly exclaimed: "Damn it! I'm completely confused, how could I forget that Zou Yun has a sister who married Da Er Zei and died at Changban Slope? Could this beauty be the famous Mrs. Zou? Da Er Zei, you're really lucky!"

  "Little sister, how did you come here?" Zou Zhu turned his head and scolded his younger sister: "The second young master of the lord is here, how can you be so careless and reveal your face, it's a great loss of etiquette?"

  "The little sister has heard that the second young master has arrived, and she has come to pay her respects." The green-shirted girl, Mei Zhen, smiled slightly, walked up to Tao in a big and forthright manner, and bowed respectfully, saying: "I am Mei Zhen, greeting the second young master. I have long heard that you risked your life for the people of Xuzhou, sacrificing yourself for justice. I admire and respect you deeply. Today, I am fortunate to meet you."

  "Miss......" Vice Director Tao almost habitually shouted out the title commonly used in foot bath shops and massage rooms, fortunately he reacted in time, remembering that this era didn't seem to have such a title, hastily changing his words: "Quickly get up, Miss, you're overpraising me, Tao Ying is not worthy."

  "No." Zuo Ci was extremely polite, stood up and said: "When the young master retreated from Cao's army, although Zuo Ci was in Donghai, he couldn't witness the young master's heroic actions with his own eyes, but he heard about the whole story. The young master's great righteousness in sacrificing himself to save the million people of Xuzhou is truly admired by Zuo Ci, and he has always looked forward to seeing the young master's noble face with his own eyes, to comfort his life..."

  At this point, Mei Zhen suddenly smiled and added: "It's also thanks to Mei Zhen who came to visit the young master, otherwise, Mei Zhen would have been deceived."

  "What did you mean by that?" Tao Ying asked, confused. The two sisters, Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, who were standing beside her also looked puzzled, so they didn't scold their younger sister either.

  "Master, don't get angry after hearing this." Zou Jing chuckled and said: "Someone told me that you, Master, are incredibly ugly, with a deer-like head and rat-like eyes. They also said that you have eyes but no pearls, a name but no reality, and are simply...simply a bookworm who is as useless as rotten wood. Hehe, fortunately, I didn't believe her."

  "Who is this evaluating Tao Yixiao? What a truly apt assessment!" thought Mochou and Mochang together.

  "Who said that about me? Do I have a feud with him?" Tao Ying was even more confused, thinking to himself that although the copper mirror of this era may not be clear, he still knew what he looked like. Even if he wasn't some kind of exceptionally handsome guy, he was absolutely a refined and elegant person, at least qualified as a pretty boy.

  "For her, the young master might be a sworn enemy." Zou Jing was quite open-minded and smiled with pursed lips: "Her father proposed to you, Young Master, but was rejected by you - do you know who she is?"

  "General Cao Jiao's daughter, Cao Ling?!" Tao Ying replied instinctively, and suddenly shuddered, subconsciously recalling that extremely ugly daughter of General Cao Jiao.

  Upon hearing Tao Ying's prompt response, Mei Zhu and Mei Fang exchanged a glance, only then did they realize that Cao Jiao had actually proposed to Tao Ying. Mei Zhen covered her mouth and giggled, saying: "Exactly! Young master, please forgive Mei Zhen for being impolite. A beauty like Ling'er who can topple cities and states, I am not even half as good as her. How could you bear to refuse? From what Mei Zhen knows, in this Xu Zhou city, there have been many scholars and talented young men who have proposed to Ling'er, definitely more than one or two!

  "Those so-called scholars and geniuses are probably all nearsighted, with cataracts and glaucoma. If that Cao Ling was half as beautiful as you, I would have agreed long ago." Tao Ying muttered to herself, smiling wryly: "Miss Cao is being too modest, it's actually the other way around - Miss Cao's looks aren't even a fraction of yours. Words like 'stunning the nation' and 'as beautiful as an immortal' are only suitable for you, Miss Cao."

  Meng Zhen's face turned red with shame and secret delight, while Meng Zhu and Meng Fang on the side both showed angry faces, scolding in unison: "Younger sister, you're an unmarried girl, how can you say such things to Young Master Tao? Go back to your room!"

  Meng Zhen's tongue was sweet and fragrant, revealing a naive and lovely side. She curtsied to Tao Ying and smiled: "Tao Gongzi, Meng Zhen is taking her leave. Before she leaves, there's one more thing she must tell you - although Ling'er said bad things about you, Meng Zhen can see that Ling'er still cares about you deeply. If you change your mind, Ling'er will definitely not refuse."

  As soon as she finished speaking, Mei Zhen immediately smiled and escaped from the main hall amidst the scolding voices of her brothers, leaving behind a burst of silvery laughter and a refreshing fragrance that also took away Tao Ying's greedy gaze. Watching Mei Zhen's captivating back view, Tao Ying couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What bad luck! Unfortunately, I don't have a good relationship with the Mei brothers... If only Mei Zuo would marry his sister to me, I might consider forgiving their treacherous crimes."

  Miao Zhen's brothers, who already disliked Tao Ying, felt even more disgusted and immediately cleared their throats loudly to remind him to behave himself. Then Miao Zhen, with a stern face, said to Tao Ying: "Sir, let us get back on track. As I said before, this humble official is financially strained and cannot provide the wood, iron, and silk you need. Please forgive me."

  After that, Zou Zhu didn't give Tao Ying a chance to explain himself and directly said: "In this case, since the young master has spoken, Zou Zhu can only do his best. I will offer two hundred kilograms of refined iron and one hundred kilograms of raw silk to the young master as a token of my sincerity, so there's no need for you to settle accounts."

  "Giving that big-eared thief so much, and giving me just this little bit, these two bastards are really born to be second-rate! Even if Tao Ying was good at hiding his emotions, he couldn't help but change color on his face at this moment. Tao Ying stood up from his seat, bowed to Zou Zhuang and said: "In that case, thank you for the hospitality, I'll take my leave."

  "Slow down, young master." Mei Zhu didn't detain him either and instructed Mei Fang, "Younger brother, please see off the two young masters for me. Also, tomorrow afternoon, send the iron armor and raw silk to the young master's camp, and ask them to accept it as a gift." Mei Fang responded, with a fake smile on his face but not in his heart, he escorted Tao Ying out of the Mei Manor gate. Meanwhile, Mei Zhu hastily drew the dimensions and appearance of the Thunderbolt Chariot on a diagram without mentioning it.

  He returned to the camp of the Junzi Army outside the East Gate of Xuzhou with a bad stomach, and as soon as he entered the camp gate, Tao Ji, who had replaced him in command, came forward to greet him. He asked straightforwardly: "Second Brother, how was it? Did Mo Zhu's brothers agree to lend us those military supplies?"

  "Not a cent, just give two hundred catties of iron and one hundred catties of raw silk, no need to return the money." Tao replied.

  "Traitor!" Taishi Ci was enraged and cursed, "Which lord do these two traitors serve? They gave Liu Bei an old man so many soldiers and grain, but only gave us a little. In their eyes, who is the real master of Xuzhou?"

  "Never mind, I didn't have much hope to begin with." Tao Ying shook his head and sneered, "Besides, my trip to purchase military supplies from them was just an excuse. The real purpose was to let them know what I'm up to, so they wouldn't bother me about my construction site again. Now that the goal has been achieved, and we've also obtained some scarce military supplies, it's a win-win situation."

  As he spoke, Tao Ying pulled out the draft of the Thunderbolt Chariot from his sleeve and casually threw it into the campfire beside him. Tao Ji tried to stop him but was too late, and exclaimed in surprise: "Second Brother, didn't you say that this drawing is real, that a genuine Thunderbolt Chariot can be built with it? Why did you burn it now? If we had kept it, couldn't we have used it to build several chariots for future battles?"

  "This painting is real, but unfortunately, it's outdated." Tao Ying smiled slyly: "I will build a catapult, of course, but I won't build this kind of thunderbolt cart that requires dozens of soldiers to operate and can only shoot 80 or 90 steps away. What I'll build is a recoil cannon that only needs a dozen people to operate and can shoot 400 steps away!"

  "Can the Huihui cannon shoot 400 steps?" Tao Ji's eyes lit up - just today, Tao Ji had secretly experienced the effects of Ma Ling and Gao Qiao horse saddles, so he naturally believed in the new weapon that Tao Yong said. Next, Tao Ji hurriedly asked: "Second brother, when do we start making Huihui cannons? I am eager to see this new weapon."

  "Start building tomorrow!" Tao Ying's reply made Tao Ji overjoyed, "Those two rascals are very cunning, if we don't quickly build a vehicle similar to the Thunderbolt car, those two rascals may not fall into our trap."

  When Tao Qi was cheering and jumping, Tao Ying couldn't help but take a look at the distant Xu Zhou city wall, and in his mind, he also flashed the figure of Mei Zhen. He finally understood why he was so angry, it seemed that he was jealous and anxious.