SFS Chapter 449 Xingmin Martial Arts School!
Chapter 449 Xingmin Martial Arts School!
Mu Xin Nuan felt sorry for Madam Lu's one-sided jealousy.
Clearly, Madam Liu was unaware of this affair. She didn't even know that Lord Lu had harbored feelings for her; otherwise, a virtuous mother like her would never have married her daughter into the family—wouldn't that have been too embarrassing?
"Your Highness, His Highness requests your presence at Qinghui Pavilion."
Mu Xin Nuan frowned slightly. The Council of State was almost finished. However, Duanmu Chu Ze, for some reason, refused to work there and continued to handle official business here. He simply sent Lu Shao Feng and others to the Council of State to do their work.
"Do you know what business Your Highness has?"
"Your Highness, I do not know. I only know that Lord Liu and Lord Xu are in Qinghui Pavilion at the moment."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, "I'll go shortly."
After changing into casual clothes, Mu Xin Nuan went out of the house and, unsurprisingly, saw Song Jing coming from the west room. Seeing that she was dressed up in a bright and eye-catching way, it seemed that she still hadn't given up.
Mu Xin Nuan merely raised an eyebrow slightly, ignoring her completely, and walked out, lifting her skirt as she did so. She only glanced back at Aunt Fang, subtly signaling her to be careful of Song Jing.
Upon arriving at Qinghui Pavilion, Mu Xin Nuan sat for a while before she understood that they were discussing matters related to stone carving.
"Your Highness, after interviewing several stonemasons, I have learned that there are four main traditional handcrafting techniques: pinching, carving, chiseling, and sculpting. They are not too difficult, but they take a long time to master."
Duanmu Chuze reassured Mu Xinnuan before turning to Xu Hai, "Tell me in detail."
"Yes, Your Highness. The first step is shaping. That is, creating a rough draft. Some carvings are sketched before shaping, while others are shaped into clay first, all to avoid damaging the raw material. This is especially true for huge stone carvings, where if even one part is wrong, the entire stone carving is ruined."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, "It's like when you literati paint. If there's a single flaw, the whole painting loses its luster and charm."
“The princess is absolutely right. This also applies to stone carvings, especially the finest ones.”
"Lord Xu, please continue. It was my fault for interrupting you."
Xu Hai smiled and continued, "The second step, hollowing, involves removing the useless stone inside according to the lines and shapes. It's somewhat similar to the openwork we often see in wood, and this also requires extremely high skill. Next is 'picking,' which is removing the excess stone from the outside according to the shape. This step is relatively simple. As for the final step, carving, this is the most demanding. It involves carefully carving and shaping the piece to form its final shape."
Liu Yi raised his eyebrows. "This last craft is something that even a master craftsman who hasn't been away for over a decade probably can't do, especially the more intricate patterns. If it's just carving simple designs, that's fine. But if it's something used by royalty or other noble families, then it has to be done with utmost precision."
"Lord Liu is quite right. Lord Xu has just said so much, just to tell me that there are very few truly skilled sculptors in our area, isn't that right?"
"My lord, that's right."
"That's not difficult! With so many refugees, who doesn't want to make a living? Let's start by recruiting apprentices in their teens. They can learn slowly. Besides, we'll start with stone carvings, and we don't necessarily have to make top-quality pieces right away. We can start with some lower-end ones, uh, that is, those with lower requirements, so that ordinary families can afford them."
Xu Hai's eyes lit up immediately. "Yes! How come I didn't think of that just now? However, in this case, the future of our stone carvings is still a big problem."
Mu Xin Nuan smiled faintly, "Lord Xu, there's no need to worry. This stone carving is an inanimate object, unlike food. It won't spoil even if left for a long time. His Highness has already begun to handle this matter. In Jiangnan, His Highness has already found a supplier. The problem now is that we need to have our own transportation force. Hmm, wouldn't you call it a镖队 (bodyguard team)?"
Seeing Mu Xin Nuan's somewhat puzzled expression, Duanmu Chu Ze chuckled, "It's similar to a镖队 (bodyguard team). In short, whether it's stone carvings or planting a large number of herbs in Huayang County, the first thing to ensure is that these things can be transported out safely. Therefore, we should find a way to first establish an organization similar to a guard among the people. Let them transport these things safely for profit."
Liu Yi nodded, his eyes now filled with more respect as he looked at the prince and princess. They were truly dedicated to the people, considering even the smallest details so thoroughly!
"Does Your Highness mean you hope to mobilize the common people to form a security escort agency? A security escort agency is someone who takes money and uses martial arts skills and connections to protect property or ensure personal safety. It's also called a 'escort service.' Travel is arduous and unsafe, so bodyguards came into being, and security escort agencies were established accordingly. All of this is understandable. But the problem is, this requires a large number of people skilled in martial arts, and most of them need to be young and strong laborers. Your Highness, the idea is good, but how will it be implemented?"
Xu Hai, standing to the side, also frowned slightly; this was indeed a bit troublesome.
Mu Xin Nuan frowned, but Duanmu Chu Ze remained calm, showing no signs of worry.
"That's not difficult. I've already arranged the locations and prepared the manpower, and martial arts schools have already begun opening in various places. This morning, I received news that a total of six martial arts schools have been established. The names and logos of these six schools are all the same. They are all named Xingmin Martial Arts School."
"Xingmin Martial Arts School?" Mu Xin Nuan murmured, "What a good name! I understand now, the Prince is not just setting up a security escort agency, but also wants to encourage martial arts among the people of Yan? He wants to create a martial spirit in Yan?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yi's brows furrowed suddenly. Clearly, what he was thinking was not the same as what Mu Xin Nuan was thinking!
It's generally a suspicious thing for a prince in a fiefdom to incite his people to be warlike!
"I not only want the people to value martial arts, but also to value literature! Xu Hai, how are the men I asked you to find coming along?"
"Your Highness, I am currently having a list compiled, and it should be delivered to your desk by tomorrow at the earliest."
"Good! The reason why Yan is poor is partly due to its climate and partly due to the ignorance and incompetence of its people. Only by equipping the people with a skill can they become self-reliant in the future and avoid becoming a burden on Yan!"