Chapter 59: Searching for Knives in the Black Market (1)
The black market for weapons existed because the Tang Dynasty implemented strict controls on civilian weapons and did not allow civilians to use crossbows and long weapons.
However, this kind of weapons control is probably only strict in Chang'an and the Central Plains, and in the northern border areas that are threatened by war, this kind of control is in name only.
However, after all, it is the official legislation of the imperial court, and officials still need to respect it on the surface, so generally no banned weapons can be found in weapons shops for public sale.
A black market selling prohibited weapons was born, and as long as it didn't cause trouble, the government would turn a blind eye to it.
The weapons black market not only sells prohibited weapons, but some high-quality weapons will also appear in the black market, but this requires luck. The martial arts of the Tang Dynasty was strong, and as soon as good weapons appeared, they would immediately attract warriors to fight for them. Because of this, a weapon
Good weapons are often found but not sought. Even if they appear, they will be obtained by the one with the highest price.
The weapons black market in Lingwu County is located in the northwest corner of the county, mixed with a market. Some merchants have set up hundreds of stalls with wooden boards and oilcloth, which looks very messy, but they sell all kinds of strange things, many of which are millet.
goods brought by the special people from the west.
Guo Song is really worried about Liang Wu's sister Liang Ling'er. That little lady is very interested in his wooden sword. Don't take it out secretly while he is away. If there is any damage, how can he explain it to his master?
Although the wooden sword was a bit bulky, he still carried it behind his back. Anyway, he was used to it and it didn't affect him at all.
Liang Wu saw that Guo Songjian was not leaving his side and understood his worries. Liang Wu was secretly annoyed. Ling'er was too naughty and must be strictly controlled. If she continued to be willful like this, sooner or later she would cause big trouble for the family.
Liang Wu took Guo Song to the market in the north of the city. Just as he was about to enter, he suddenly remembered something and stopped. He smiled mysteriously at Guo Song and said, "I know there is a good thing somewhere. Let's go and try our luck."
"
"What good thing is it?" Guo Song asked curiously.
"Have you ever heard of Star Sand?"
Guo Song's thoughts changed and he blurted out, "Could it be the Gaza of Yugas?"
Liang Wu gave a thumbs up, "You really know this. Most people have never heard of it."
Of course Guo Song knew about Gaza, the treasure of the Yygas people. The Yygas people had always lived in the Jianhe River Basin, which is today's Yenisei River area, and were famous for making high-quality weapons.
Their trick is to add "Gasha" into the iron to make the weapons very sharp. The identity of this Gaza is still unknown. Some people suspect it is meteorite, but others suspect it is some kind of precious natural metal, not necessarily iron.
.
There is a record in "The Book of the Later Tang Dynasty": "Every time it rains, the custom will get iron, named Jiasha, and the soldiers will be extremely sharp, often losing the Turks."
Liang Wu came to a low mud house. There was a shabby flag hanging at the door with the word "forge" written on it. There was a tinkling sound in the house.
It turned out that this place was a blacksmith shop. Liang Wu whispered to Guo Song: "Although the house is shabby, there are treasures hidden in this shop."
However, Guo Song expressed deep doubts. The common man was not guilty, but he was guilty of possessing the jade. Now that Jia Sha was exposed, how could he still be hiding in such a dilapidated house?
Apparently, Liang Wu was also one of the people who wanted to take away Gaza. When Liang Wu saw the disbelief in Guo Song's eyes, he smiled, opened the door directly and said, "Old Lutou, business is not bad!"
When Guo Song walked into the wooden door, a wave of heat suddenly hit his face, like falling into a furnace. He saw that the fire was burning brightly. An old man with white beard and hair used tongs to clamp an iron billet in the shape of a sword. The iron billet was dark red.
A big man with big arms and round waist was swinging a hammer and striking iron. He was extremely strong, like half an iron tower.
Liang Wu looked at the old man with a smile, while Guo Song stared at the big man who was blacksmithing. He was a very tall and strong man, at least 1.85 meters tall, with broad shoulders and chest covered with shiny black tendons.
But his appearance is extremely ugly, with hundreds of large and small scars distributed from his forehead to his neck, making his appearance particularly ferocious and making people afraid to face him.
But his eyes were very calm, as calm as still water, just like the water surface after the storm subsided. It was once difficult to find water in the sea, and only after going through the hardships of life can such calm eyes appear.
But what interested Guo Song was not his peculiar appearance, but the transcendent skills, or martial arts, he showed when he was blacksmithing.
This big man swung the hammer with extremely precise landing points, and the distance moved each time was as if it had been measured repeatedly with a ruler, and it was exactly the same.
Moreover, he lifted the hammer with ease, and did not exert all his strength every time he struck the hammer. Instead, he firmly controlled the force so that the force would fall on the blade surface just right. Guo Song was amazed by the exquisite force control. There were hidden dragons and crouching tigers in a small blacksmith house!
Both the old blacksmith and the big man were sweating like rain, and they were very focused on fighting. The old blacksmith ignored Liang Wu. After a moment, he put the nearly beaten long knife into the bucket and said, "Here!"
White smoke rises, and the sword is quenched in time.
The old blacksmith took the long knife out of the water and put it into the high-temperature furnace to continue heating. It took half an hour to cool down.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the old blacksmith picked up the earthen pot and drank some water. Then he sighed and said to Liang Wu: "Master Liang, what should I say to you before you give up? I really don't have star sand. It's all rumors from outside."
,can’t be taken seriously.”
Liang Wu smiled and said: "We all know whether you have Xingsha or not. Forgive me for saying something ugly. You are already in your old age and your grandson is still young. It is better to sell Xingsha. You will have money to raise your grandson and save a lot."
People are worried about you, I believe there are many people coming to see you these days, but there are not many people who are easy to talk to like me. Old Lutou, you'd better make a price!"
"You don't believe me no matter what I say, so I don't want to say more. Anyway, I only have one life, and I don't have any star sand. You can figure it out yourself!"
Guo Song had been silently watching the strong man next to him. He found that this big man's eyes were blue, and his face shape was not Han. I wonder where he was from the Western Regions?
Liang Wu bargained for a long time, but when the old blacksmith refused to accept the offer, he was bored, so he pulled Guo Song and walked out of the blacksmith shop.
Liang Wu smiled at Guo Song and said, "I will come here every day and stay with him. I don't believe he won't let go?"
"How are you sure he has star sand?" Guo Song asked with a faint smile.
"Three days ago, his grandson took it out to play and was seen. The news spread quickly. It was useless for him to deny it. I didn't curse him. He was a helpless old blacksmith, but he hid this treasure.
Sooner or later he will be killed by this piece of star sand, and many people are already targeting him."
"What kind of star sand?"
"It's about the size of a fist, dark, with dots of blue light on it, like gems. I offered a price of a hundred taels of silver, but he refused to admit it. Alas! If a small person hides a valuable treasure, sooner or later something will happen to him."
Guo Song thought of that mysterious burly man. Was it because of him that the old blacksmith had the confidence to keep the star sand?
"Is the big man who was blacksmithing with him his apprentice?" Guo Song asked casually.
"No! That man is a slave."
"slave?"
A trace of surprise flashed in Guo Song's eyes. This man with great martial arts skills was actually a slave?
"Is that the old blacksmith's slave?" he continued to ask.
Liang Wu shook his head, "It's not Lao Lutou's slave, it's the slave of a merchant in the market. Didn't you notice that he is not from the Central Plains? He is a Sogdian, and was brought by his master from the far west a year ago. It seems that he likes it very much.
When it comes to blacksmithing, I’ve been learning the craft from Old Lutou!”
"Isn't his master afraid that he will take the opportunity to escape?" Guo Song asked again.
"Haha! The Sogdians swear by faith. The oath is in the hands of the master. No one dares to escape unless the master returns the oath to him."
The two of them walked and talked and entered the market. The market was very lively and crowded, with various hawking sounds coming and going. There was an endless stream of merchants leading camels and guests from all over Shuofang.
Most of the products are full of exotic customs, including carpets from Khorasan, tinware from Bukhara, gem-inlaid daggers from Samarkand, saffron from Persia, silk products from Jiangnan, brocade from Bashu, and Hebei.
Guo Song was dazzled by the porcelain.
This is just a small border county. How prosperous would it be if it were in Chang'an?
Guo Song was suddenly full of expectations for Chang'an.