Division

Li Chengwen was so flattered that he could not stop grinning. He downed several cups in a row, and the flush on his face deepened.

He slapped the table and added, "After I leave, the affairs of the Sword-Forging Courtyard will temporarily be handed over to Zhao Dezhu. All of you, keep doing what you should be doing. Don't slack off just because I'm gone. When I return, if I see that the work has been done well, everyone will be rewarded!"

The crowd erupted in cheers again.

Shen Chu sat at the banquet with a cup of wine in hand, but he did not join the others in shouting along.

Looking at Li Chengwen's crimson face, a thread of unease rose in his heart.

He knew more than the others did.

First, Zhao Dezhu was Second Young Master's man.

Second, there was what he had accidentally witnessed the previous night: the ambiguous relationship between Second Young Master and Madam Liu, as well as Madam Liu's pillow talk urging Master Li to take Li Chengwen away on a trip.

Now that he linked it all together, it did not look like a coincidence no matter how he viewed it.

He could not shake the feeling that this reassignment was far from as simple as it appeared.

That fat man had always treated him rather well.

If it were merely a dispute over the family estate, that would be one thing.

But if he were truly harmed by that adulterous pair because of it, it would be a real sin.

Yet Li Chengwen was riding high at the moment, his heart and mind filled with the joy of Master Li finally acknowledging him. If Shen Chu poured cold water on him now, Li Chengwen would not listen—and the others present would probably think Shen Chu did not know what was good for him.

A man of low standing had little say...

Shen Chu weighed it for a moment, then finally raised his cup and walked over to Li Chengwen. With a smile, he toasted him. "First Young Master, may your business go smoothly and your journey be safe."

When he said the words "be safe," he deliberately stressed them. He looked seriously at Li Chengwen. "Once you are no longer here at the Sword-Forging Courtyard, we can only take care of ourselves."

Li Chengwen was in high spirits and took Shen Chu's words as concern for him. Laughing heartily, he patted Shen Chu on the shoulder. "Don't worry, don't worry! With this young master around, what could possibly happen? You just work hard, kid. When I come back, I'll bring you something good!"

Shen Chu smiled and said nothing more, silently draining the wine in his cup.

Some things only needed to be hinted at. Say too much, and it would instead arouse suspicion. He could only hope he was overthinking it.

A few days later, Master Li took Li Chengwen and left.

Li Chengwen rode on horseback with his back ramrod straight, his face brimming with irrepressible excitement.

Li Jiwu had deliberately called a large group of people to the gate to see them off, making himself appear thoroughly filial.

Madam Liu's eyes were swimming with tears.

Master Li was somewhat sorrowful as well, but paired with Li Chengwen's bubbling enthusiasm, the scene somehow gained a touch of comedy that made Shen Chu want to laugh.

"Let's go, Father. It's getting late!"

As Li Chengwen urged him on, he waved at Shen Chu and the others. "When I return, I'll treat everyone to drinks again!"

With that, he cracked his whip and spurred his horse forward, setting off ahead of Master Li's carriage.

"This eldest son!"

Master Li had just been about to lose his temper, but Li Chengwen had already left, leaving him no choice but to give up helplessly. After a few more instructions, he climbed into the carriage and set off as well.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Shen Chu watched Li Chengwen's figure vanish around the street corner. After exchanging a glance with Sun Ping, he silently returned to the Sword-Forging Courtyard to continue working.

After Li Chengwen left, Zhao Dezhu formally took over all affairs of the Sword-Forging Courtyard.

For the first few days, many people in the courtyard remained thoroughly wary of him.

After all, Zhao Dezhu was Second Young Master's man.

Yet to everyone's surprise, Zhao Dezhu was exceedingly proper when he first took office.

Every day, he arrived and left work on time, assigned tasks fairly and reasonably, and never played favorites. He treated every master craftsman with courtesy.

Whenever someone reported broken tools or insufficient charcoal, he immediately set about resolving the issue without the slightest delay.

Even Shen Chu's vigilance eased somewhat after observing him for several days.

For a time, he even wondered if he had been thinking too much.

Perhaps Zhao Dezhu really was an honest man?

But gradually, things began to change.

At first, the changes were subtle.

Zhao Dezhu began frequently summoning certain master craftsmen for private talks, sometimes during the lunch break and sometimes after work.

No one knew what was discussed, but the treatment of those craftsmen who had been summoned visibly improved afterward. The iron materials assigned to them were of better quality, their schedules became more reasonable, and even their rest days increased by two.

Meanwhile, some of the others gradually discovered that their work was becoming heavier and heavier.

Either they were assigned the poorest-quality iron, causing the goods they forged to have an alarmingly high rejection rate and their wages to be docked;

Or they were assigned miscellaneous chores—hauling charcoal, sweeping, organizing the storeroom. In short, they were kept away from the forging hammers.

Little by little, an invisible division formed within the Sword-Forging Courtyard.

Those willing to draw close to Zhao Dezhu gathered into a small circle that grew stronger by the day.

They looked after one another in daily life, sat together during meals, and often went out drinking together after work. They had clearly become the "mainstream" of the courtyard.

Those unwilling to draw close, meanwhile, were pushed to the margins. They did the most work, received the least, and were occasionally berated in public by Zhao Dezhu on the grounds of "poor performance."

Especially the few old hands left behind by Steward Li. They were all First Young Master's trusted men, and they were thoroughly isolated.

Though Zhao Dezhu did not target them openly, the tasks assigned to them were always thankless, exhausting jobs, leaving them with grievances they could not voice.

Before anyone realized it, the entire Sword-Forging Courtyard had split into three factions:

One faction was led by Zhao Dezhu. It had the most people and the greatest momentum.

Another consisted of Steward Li's former subordinates. Though they were still holding on, they visibly grew more dispirited by the day.

The last faction had only two people: Sun Ping and Shen Chu.

Sun Ping was, after all, a low-grade weapon forger, and his status spoke for itself. Besides, everyone knew that Sun Ping was an honest man.

Zhao Dezhu had only just arrived. There was neither need nor reason for him to make a move against Sun Ping lightly.

As for Shen Chu, he was Sun Ping's direct subordinate, following at Sun Ping's side every day as an assistant. Naturally, Zhao Dezhu had no reason to offend a low-grade weapon forger over someone like Shen Chu.

Thus, Sun Ping and Shen Chu became outsiders in the courtyard.

They neither joined Zhao Dezhu's circle nor took the side of those old hands.

Shen Chu simply kept his head down, forging his blades and practicing his skills.

One day during the midday break,

Sun Ping held his meal and suddenly sighed, "Little Shen, we really have you to thank!"

Shen Chu took a bite of rice. "Master Sun, why do you say that?"

"If it weren't for the two of us working together and refining good blades, I'm afraid our meals wouldn't be much either!"

As he spoke, Sun Ping jerked his chin toward the front, signaling Shen Chu to look at everyone's bowls.

Meals at the Sword-Forging Courtyard were now delivered by someone, but the food allotted to different people varied by far more than a little.