Chapter 2: The Octagonal Purple Gold Mace

The warhorses of the cavalry from Yulin Manor all come from Jifeng Manor, which is closest to Huangsha City and primarily engaged in the trade of horses and livestock. Moreover, he is the poorest among the four manor lords, holding the lowest status. It is unknown what kind of character he displays outside, but when at home, he is very respectful towards the other three manor lords.

Kneeling on the ground alongside his uncle and elder brother Zhao Xu, he was not as honest as his seemingly refined brother, occasionally stealing glances at the people around him.

The four estate owners sitting on either side of the chair of the third lady can only return once a year on this day. Apart from inspecting the weapons and studies of the household's sons together with the lady of the house, they also report to her on the gains and losses of their business from the previous year

Although Shu Yuer reprimanded him a few times, she began to read aloud from "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, encouraging Zhao Fubo to memorize it along with her

In preparation for today's grand ceremony, Shu Yuer dressed herself neatly and solemnly. Only the newly appointed maid in the main hall was allowed to wear the palace attire made of silk and satin, making her look as beautiful as the most exquisite flower.

Closer still is the Windy Manor of Zhao Wujie, the uncle of Zhao Fubo, which primarily serves to care for the livestock of the Zhao family, providing meat, dairy products, and warhorses among other animals

The dragon, with its bared fangs and claws, danced majestically in the air, and its two enormous and imposing eyes often instilled a sense of fear in Zhao Fubo. This was especially true during the time of reciting lessons, as he felt equally intimidated by the dragon and the Third Lady sitting in front of him

Ding ... ...

As for Zhao Fubo, he quietly raised his head. Taking advantage of the moment when San Niang was not paying attention, he secretly made a face at Shu Yu, which inevitably amused Zhao Xu, who had noticed it.

Please, ancestral spirits, come forth; let the family members kneel and pay their respects

The hall is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, while a grand painting depicting the dragon traversing the nine provinces adorns the wall

Zhao Fubo is unlike the eldest son Zhao Xu from the East Room; his father Zhao Wujie manages the family’s horse herd and trades, and the young servants who are familiar with the family all vie for his favor. The only one who treats him with the same warmth as in their childhood is the young lady Yu'er before him

However, if two long, slanting eyebrows were added, along with wide-open apricot-shaped eyes and a taut face, it would have long since caused those around to hold their breath

Among the four estates, Ruiyu Estate is the largest, and it also contributes the most money to Huangsha City each year. Aside from Ruiyu Estate, the other three estates are all located along the road leading to Basalu (present-day Basra) City

In front of the blank tablet, there is a golden tray, on which rests a purple-gold mace supported by a dragon claw of the same material. This is the ceremonial offering that Zhao Fubo and his brother Zhao Xu will present to the head of the family and the leaders of the family guards, using the formal ritual of three bows and nine kowtows.

The number of people standing on both sides was not many; apart from the four major estate owners who had rushed in from outside, there was only the leader of the esteemed family retainers. At this moment, the household servants and matrons were arranging offerings on the altar behind Third Lady, while some young maids were presenting incense, tea, and fruits to the seated leaders.

Even the landlord sitting there has the face of an Arab merchant

The closest to the city of Borsal is Ziyun Village, primarily focused on the transportation of goods, where most of the inhabitants are Arabs. It serves as a large market primarily for the trade of goods between the East and the West. From here, goods from the Central Plains are transported via the Tigris or Euphrates rivers, either to Borsal or directly to Baghdad, the capital where Caliph Al-Mu'tasim of the Abbasid Empire resides.

In the shrewd little eyes, there is a slightly hooked nose, and the mustache beneath the book resembles two wings of an eagle raised in flight. Unfortunately, the tips of the mustache have curled, resembling an eagle with curly feathers.

In pain, Zhao Fubo certainly did not dare to raise his head; when it came time to pay respects to the "Eight-Edged Purple Gold Mace" at home, even someone as unruly as he was did not dare to act recklessly

In the silent and still hall, three heavy sounds, imbued with a metallic resonance, dispelled all distractions from the minds of the attendees, each of them gathered their full attention to participate in the Zhao family's annual grand ceremony

In just a few days, it will be the time for the Zhao brothers' quarterly examination

To speak honestly, San Niang is neither ugly nor old. Although she leans on a dragon-headed cane, the hairpin and rings atop her towering hairdo, along with the silk garments that still cling to her slender figure, easily allow one to imagine her appearance in her youth

Just as she retreated to her position, she suddenly extended her fingers, resembling green onions, and stacked her index and ring fingers, giving a heavy flick to Zhao Fubo's nape.

Everyone calls him Hassan. Apart from Ruiyu Manor, he is the second richest person.

After finishing this task, Shu Yuer bent down and took a few steps back before turning around. She then intended to retreat behind San Niang, similarly pressing her forehead to the ground. Although women in the Zhao family of the black-clad Da Shi can manage the household, when it comes to paying respects to their ancestors, they still can only bow their foreheads to the ground.

This little rascal is already 15 years old, and one would expect him to be somewhat knowledgeable about matters between men and women, yet it is surprising that he remains so naive

Could it be San Niang ... ...

Although his academic performance was not particularly impressive, his diligence was unquestionable, and he possessed a highly sensitive intuition. This intuition informed him that the small gestures he had just exchanged with Shu Yuer had already provoked extreme dissatisfaction in someone.

Shu Yu'er

Er Lang, this iron armor not only provides you with comprehensive protection, but also promotes physical strength and health

A more recent name for Zhuangzi is somewhat peculiar, referred to as Yulin Zhuang. It primarily consists of instructors from Huangsha City, who sell and train Mamluk cavalry that incorporates characteristics of the Central Plains.

The porcelain and silk produced in his village represent another major source of income for the Zhao family, aside from raising and trading horses. Merchants from the Central Plains often placed their goods with him, which he then transported for sale to the black-clad Arabs

As for the maids responsible for lighting the lamps or serving tea, each of them knelt in their respective places, pressing their foreheads to the ground and daring not to look around.

However, this small action between the two of them did not escape a pair of eyes. Although these slightly brown eyes cannot be described as unattractive, the cold glint hidden within them caused a momentary sense of panic to flash through Zhao Fubo's heart.

One day, what will happen? His heart has not yet had the chance to focus on matters of love between men and women, so who knows what he should do then? What I think about now is merely to give Shu Yuer a couple of hard slaps on her backside

Zhao Xu, merely acting as an older brother, bent down and lowered his head, only daring to glance at her feet. If he were not looking at her feet, Zhao Xu would find himself increasingly enamored with Shu Yuer. However, in their household, where dark-clad individuals were prevalent, women generally did not bind their feet due to the demands of managing the household and performing labor.

Good for you, Wei Zhen, Wei Bear. One day when I gain power, not only will I make you wear an iron vest, but I will also make you wear iron underpants. Strengthening the body, such heavy armor is purely intended to harm me...!

For some unknown reason, at this moment, Zhao Fubo no longer stared blankly at the sandy ground. Listening to Shu Yuer's clear voice, those military strategies that he could never memorize gradually became ingrained in his mind

Among the several landlords, this is the one who gets along best with Zhao Fubo. Even the peculiar leather armor that Zhao Fubo wears, which he often resents, is derived from him.

The master of Shubanshu Manor, built on Datong Island (now known as the Hormuz Strait in the Persian Gulf), is Shuyu's father. He has a square face that exudes an imposing presence even without anger, and according to the customs of the Song Dynasty, he has three long strands of beard beneath his chin. This often piqued Zhao Wuji's curiosity, as he wondered how such a formidable-looking father could have raised a daughter as beautiful as Shuyu.

Having said this, several landlords hurried over to move her chair aside. She leaned on her dragon-headed cane and knelt down to the right side of the hall, placing herself on equal footing with the Zhao brothers, and then pressed her forehead to the ground. The landlords, however, knelt behind the Zhao brothers, facing the wall in front of them. Behind them were the family generals and leaders.

You bold and audacious rascal, one day ... ...

In just one sentence, Shu Yuer's face turned red again as she stamped her foot and said, "Who is 'we' with you? I am only teaching you to recite, and you are teaching me some skills; we owe each other nothing!"

In his view, since many women in the Central Plains practiced foot binding, it would be fitting for the women of the Zhao family, given their wealth, to also have bound feet to enhance their appearance

The Huangsha City, where the Zhao family resides, is located in the "Kott Province" of the Black-clad Arabs (ancient Kuwait). This name means "granary" in Arabic. Huangsha City is built at the Cape of Subiya, featuring a harbor and a marketplace, serving as a place for nearby herdsmen to exchange goods.

A clear and crisp sound rang out, causing the attendants and maids who had been standing by to immediately withdraw respectfully. Among them, the Third Young Lady gently tapped her dragon-headed cane three times.

The only one who did not kneel, Shu Yuer, approached the painting depicting the dragon traversing the nine provinces. She pressed down hard on one of the dragon's claws, causing the section of the wall adorned with the dragon's claw to sink in, followed by the sound of mechanisms activating with a "grinding" noise.

Her appearance at hetushu.com drew the two brothers kneeling at the front, who could only fix their eyes on her with unwavering attention

The servant is here

In addition to building ships, they also forge weapons made of wrought iron (Damascus steel). At the same time, there are many farmers who cultivate rice or wheat. Among the residents here, apart from those of the second generation, the majority are descendants of the Zhao family, who possess distinct Han characteristics.

Immediately following, the entire painting flips inward, revealing a large mural of the Central Plains on the wall. Some plaques are affixed to the wall, yet it is puzzling that these plaques bear no inscriptions whatsoever

In response to this, Zhao Fubo, who had to carry the heavy armor weighing dozens of pounds every day, felt unappreciated. However, lacking any power and having no parents to rely on, he could not voice his complaints and could only silently curse in his heart

This is the foundation of the Zhao family's enterprise

Although the master of the Zhuang, Wei Zhen, has a dignified appearance, compared to Master Shu of Ruiyu Zhuang, he is a person with a leopard head and ringed eyes, clearly the type of brave and fearless warrior.

What is going on

At this moment, Shuyu'er’s delicate little face was tightly drawn, and her expression seemed to show that she had not noticed Zhao Fubo's silly face in the slightest. At the call of San Niang, she approached her seat and bowed deeply. Then, she helped San Niang up, and at that moment, San Niang's resonant voice echoed throughout the hall

Even though such outrageous actions in the Zhao family's ancestral hall could lead to being beaten to death, at this moment, while everyone was kneeling properly with their eyes fixed on the ground in front of their knees, she still vented her anger on Zhao Fubo's head

That's enough, that's enough, you read it. I will memorize it well, and once I have memorized it...

The vest-style leather armor consists of three layers, with both the outer and innermost layers made of cowhide, while the middle layer is entirely a thick iron plate. This is what Wei Zhen said when he gave it to him