The First Sword Xuanyuan Sword
The Sword of the Holy Dao - Xuanyuan Sword
Xuanyuan Sword is taken from the word "Xuanyuan", and "Xuanyuan" means The word is related to the Yellow Emperor, the first emperor in the world. The ancestors of the Yellow Emperor were the Xiong clan, and the Xiong clan advocated earth virtue, because only the earth could survive. The soil was mostly yellow, so Huangdi's mother attached the treasure to him and named him Huangdi. And because he grew up in Jishui and lived in the hills of Xuanyuan, he took Ji as his surname and Xuanyuan as his title. Therefore, Huangdi is also called Xuanyuan's family. At the beginning of Chinese civilization, the Yellow Emperor began to build cars, so the word "Xuanyuan" came to mean cars.
There is another way of saying it. The ancestors of China have long regarded the dragon, phoenix, turtle, and lin as the four sacred objects, and they have been deeply infiltrated into the water and soil culture related to them in the agricultural era. The Yellow Emperor's name is Xuanyuan, and the word Xuanyuan means "Litian", which means the deified turtle. However, until now, the word "Xuanyuan" is mostly used to refer to cars, and few people refer to turtles.
As for the casting of the sword, there is a legend like this: The Yellow Emperor ordered a pair of swordsmiths who loved each other very much to cast a unique and famous sword. But no matter what method the two swordsmiths used, they could not make the ideal and unique sword. That day Huangdi came to the sword room to inspect. I don't know if he was inspired by the gods, but he cut off his own arm flesh and threw it into the sword furnace. The Xuanyuan Sword, the first divine sword in China, was forged immediately.
The Xuanyuan Sword's blade is engraved with the sun, moon and stars on one side, and mountains, rivers and vegetation on the other. The two hilts of the sword are written on one side, the art of farming and animal husbandry, and the other side, the strategy of unifying the four seas. Later, Huangdi passed this sword of the holy way, which symbolizes the spirit of the Chinese nation, to Xia Yu, so this sword is also known as the "Xuanyuan Xia Yu Sword".
The Second Sword Zhanlu Sword
The Sword of Benevolence——Zhanlu Sword
Speaking of Zhanlu Sword, we naturally have to talk about the ancestor of sword making—— Ouyezi. Around 509 BC, Ou Yezi, under the orders of Yue Wang Yunchang, brought his wife Zhu, his daughter Moye and his apprentice Gan Jiang. Starting from Ningbo, he went to the Oujiang River in Lishui, and went down the river to Songxi County in Fujian. He took a fancy to Zhanlu Mountain there, which was a good place to find iron and make swords.
It is said that he forged five swords in one day on this mountain. The first sword was the "Zhanlu Sword". This sword was Zhanlu but was completely black. This deep black ink color made When a person holds a sword in his hand, the first thing he feels is not its sharpness, but its generosity and kindness. The second handle is the "Pure Jun Sword". This sword comes out of its sheath, like a hibiscus coming out of water, and the water dissolves; the third handle is the "Victory Evil Sword". This sword is named after his beloved daughter Moye; the fourth handle is The sword "Fish Intestine Sword" was named after the master Ji Guang, who hid the sword in the belly of the fish in an attempt to kill the king and gain power. Because of this, the sword was regarded as illegal by later generations. The fifth "Giant Que Sword", "Ju" means to cut, "Que" means extremely sharp, this sword can cut iron as hard as clay.
Legend has it that the Zhanlu Sword is a magical sword that will shed blood to identify its owner. Only a benevolent king can use this sword. So people say that "Zhanlu Sword" is not just a weapon, but a profound and discerning eye of God, watching the kings of the world. "If the ruler has the right way and the sword is at his side, the country will prosper. If the ruler has no way, if the sword flies away, the country will be ruined." This is the best portrayal of this "sword of benevolence".
When Wu and Yue were fighting for hegemony, King Gou Jian of Yue was defeated. Zhanlu Sword was presented as a tribute to King Helu of Wu. The King of Wu regarded it as a national treasure and wore it all day long. Later, it fell to the State of Chu and was captured. What King Zhao Zhao of Chu obtained was later passed to the hands of Yue Fei, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty. Yue Fei disappeared after being killed in "Fengbo Pavilion".
The third sword, the Red Sky Sword
The sword of the emperor - the Red Sky Sword
As we all know, this sword was the sword of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Because before Liu Bang's uprising, in today's terms, he was nothing more than a gangster in society. So there are many legendary versions of this sword.
Among them, the theory that five master swordsmiths, headed by Gongsun Ye, combined hundreds of fine stones from all over the world and finally forged this eternal magical weapon after eight years is the most credible. Because only people and time can create miracles.
The Chixiao Sword is three feet long, and the sword body is made of black iron. A person can feel a strong imperial aura from seven steps away from the sword.
It is said that when the Chixiao Sword was released, there were dark clouds, strong winds, and thunderstorms. Even the palace of the King of Qin, which was filled with royal energy, was shaken.
As soon as Gongsun Ye saw the sword, his expression changed drastically, and he sighed: "As soon as this sword comes out, the world will be in chaos, and I, Gongsun Ye, will become a sinner for the ages!" Then, he smiled sadly and cut himself with the sword. . But after drinking the blood, the Red Sky Sword flashed red, broke through the sky, and disappeared without a trace.
Why did he fall into the hands of Liu Bang later and let him use this sword to "cut the snake uprising" in Mangdang Mountain? Not only did he eradicate the violent Qin, he also defeated Chu who was competing with him for world supremacy. Overlord Xiang Yu established the Han Dynasty and established the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years. The Red Sky Sword has therefore become the sword of a generation of emperors.
The fourth sword, Tai'a Sword
The mighty sword - Tai'a Sword
In 492 BC, the King of Yue sent an army to attack Wu. Chen Wenzhong secretly went to Chu State as a special envoy and asked King Chu Zhao to lead troops to start an uprising on the western border of Wu State in order to contain Wu State's military strength. The King of Chu had long heard that Ou Yezi, the master swordsmith of the Yue Kingdom, had forged a "Zhanlu" sword on Zhanlu Mountain, so he took the opportunity to ask the King of Yue to forge a sword for him in exchange for sending troops. The King of Yue had no choice but to He ordered Ou Yezi to forge another sword for the King of Chu.
After Ou Yezi was ordered, he felt at a loss as to what to do, because at that time they were casting a large number of weapons in Zhanlu Mountain for military use. There is no longer any superior sword-making material on Zhanlu Mountain that can forge a peerless sword. The only way is to find a new sword-making place, but where is the place where a unique and famous sword can be made? The family thought hard and couldn't find a solution.
It was the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival that year, and his family went to Zhanyun Peak to drink and admire the moon. Ou Yezi felt worried and fell asleep after a few glasses of wine. At this time, an old man with white hair and a boyish face stood among the clouds and shouted loudly: "Ou Yezi, if you want to forge swords to serve the country, you can go to the foothills of Qinxi Mountain. There is an inexhaustible supply of hardware talents there. The cold dragon water is exhausted, and there are gems in the bright stone pits for you to sharpen your sword." Ou Yezi bowed quickly and said, "Excuse me, where is the foot of Qinxi Mountain?" The white-haired old man said, "Get on the white crane." I’ll take you there”. The white crane brought Ou Yezi to a place surrounded by towering ancient trees, a clear lake and moon, and a quiet environment. Ou Yezi unconsciously shouted: "Good place! Good place." His wife pushed him awake, and Ou Yezi realized that it was just a dream.
The next morning, Ou Yezi and his wife, together with their daughter Moye, carried their luggage and set off in the direction pointed by the white-haired old man. They traveled day and night, climbed over 81 mountains, and crossed 64 streams before they found Qinxi Mountain. This is the foothills of Fengyang Mountain, the highest peak in Zhejiang, with green mountains and green waters, green pines and cypresses, and no traces nearby. Roosters crow and dogs bark. So Ou Yezi decided that this place was the best place for making swords. He built a cottage, built a stove, and took the British to make swords. After he forged the three swords of "Longyuan", "Tai'a" and "Gongbu" here, the King of Yue presented them to the King of Chu. The King of Chu was overjoyed after getting the sword and immediately agreed to help the Yue country.
It is said that the Jin State attacked Chu and besieged it for three years in order to obtain the Chu State's national treasure "Tai'a Sword". But the King of Chu was unyielding and refused to hand over the sword. When he decided to go to the city with the sword to kill the enemy, he told his men that if the city was defeated, he would kill himself with the sword. After he committed suicide, he wanted to pick up his sword, ride a horse to Taihu Lake, and sink the sword to the bottom of the lake, so that the Tai'a sword would stay in the Chu Kingdom forever.
At dawn the next day, King Chu climbed to the top of the city, held a sword in both hands, and sighed: Tai'a sword, Tai'a sword, I will use my own blood to sacrifice you today! So, he drew his sword out of its scabbard and pointed it directly at the enemy. An unbelievable miracle happened: a majestic sword energy was shot out, and sand and rocks flew out of the city, covering the sky and blocking out the sun. The Jin army was in chaos. After a while, with flags on the ground and bloodshed for thousands of miles, the entire Jin army Overturned.
There is such a record in "Yue Jueshu": The King of Chu summoned Feng Hu, a wise man in the country, and asked: "Why is the Tai'a sword so powerful?" Feng Huzi said to him: "The Tai'a sword is so powerful." It is a sword of majesty, and the majesty of the heart is the real majesty. The king is majestic and unyielding in adversity. It is the outstanding expression of the power of the heart. It is the majesty of the king's heart that inspires the sword spirit of Tai'a sword. "Awesome!" So the Tai'a sword became a mighty sword.
The fifth sword, the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword
The sword of integrity and purity - the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword
It is said that Ou Yezi brought his wife and daughter to the place where the immortal taught him When visiting Qinxi Mountain, I saw seven wells neatly arranged under two thousand-year-old trees. They were shaped like the Big Dipper. The cold springs in the wells were clear to the bottom. Ou Yezi decided that this place was the best place to cast swords.
Ou Yezi drew water to temper his sword. When he placed the first sword on the stone pier to hammer it, suddenly dark clouds appeared, strong winds, thunder and lightning, and seven golden dragons emerged from the mouth of the well and rushed into the sky. After Qi sprayed saliva on the sword blank, he flew away in the clouds and mist. Ou Yezi raised his sword and looked at it. He saw that the sword body was both strong and soft, and the blade was extremely sharp. He raised his sword and slashed at the boulder. There was only a "pop" sound, and the boulder was split into two pieces.
But although this sword is extremely sharp, its appearance is not bright and beautiful. Ou Yezi thought of the immortal in his dream who once pointed out that "the gems in the bright stone pit can be used to sharpen your sword." So he asked around where this "bright stone pit" was? Later, I went to Jiugu Mountain to visit an old medicine collector. The old man told him: "Forty miles away from the city, there is a luminous cave with tens of thousands of bright stones. If you can get the stone to sharpen your sword, the sword will be sharp." It's incomparable; but there are giant eagles guarding the cave, so no one dares to take it." So Ou Yezi took his wife and daughter, each holding a sword, and rushed to the Luminous Cave. After finding the luminous cave, I saw an extremely ferocious giant eagle. As soon as the giant eagle saw the stranger coming, it flapped its wings and swooped down fiercely. A pair of sharp claws caught Moye at the waist and flew into the sky. Ou Yezi and his wife fought with their swords to the death. Although Mo Xie was caught in the air, she struggled while stabbing the giant eagle's wings with her sword. As a result, the giant eagle was cut and fell to the ground. Ou Yezi stepped forward to make up for it with a sword, killing the giant eagle. They retrieved the bright stone, and sure enough, the sword they polished was not only extremely sharp, cutting iron like clay, but also as bright as silver.
There is such a story in "Wuyue Spring and Autumn": Wu Zixu was killed by a traitor and fled to the end of the world. He was chased by Chu soldiers and horses. He fled to the Yangtze River because of the famine. In front of them is the turbulent Yangtze River, and behind them are thousands of pursuing soldiers with swords and guns in hand. They are in a critical moment. A fisherman took Wu Zixu across to the other side in a small boat. Wu Zixu asked him to leave his name in order to repay him in the future. The fisherman didn't say his name and only called himself "Yu Zhang Ren". Wu Zixu had no choice but to bow and say goodbye, but he was not far away and always expressed gratitude for saving his life. This was not the behavior of a gentleman. So he came back, took off the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword passed down from the third generation from his waist, gave it to the "Yu Zhangren" as a thank you, and asked the "Yu Zhangren" not to reveal his whereabouts.
The "Yu Zhangren" took the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword, looked up to the sky and sighed, and said to Wu Zixu: "I only saved you because you are a loyal and good man of the country, and I have no intention of repaying you. Now, you still suspect that I am greedy for profit and have little faith." , I have no choice but to use this sword to show my nobility." After saying that, he cut himself with his sword. Because of this story, the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword has become a sword of integrity and purity.
Later, in order to avoid the name of Tang Emperor Li Yuan, this sword was changed to "Seven Star Longquan Sword".
The Sixth Sword Ganjiang Sword
The Sword of Love - Ganjiang Sword
Ganjiang, a native of Wu, the son-in-law of Ou Yezi (about 499 BC to BC 433 years). It is said that he was originally a very famous swordsmith. He was born with an eight-foot body and was extremely brave. Before he became a disciple of Ou Yezi, he already knew various sword-making techniques such as melting, forging, shoveling, filing, engraving, quenching, and grinding. Just because Ou Yezi's daughter Moye is a good woman with beautiful features, smart and virtuous, hardworking and brave. In order to marry Mo Xie, he became Ou Yezi's apprentice.
The blade of Ganjiang's sword is three feet long, the handle is six inches long, and the blade is about three inches wide. It is tied with red cherry sword wadding and weighs nine Qiang, which is three pounds and twelve taels. The sword body is decorated with tortoise patterns. When dancing, it roars like a tiger.
The Seventh Sword Mo Xie Sword
The Sword of Love - Mo Xie Sword
Mo Xie is the daughter of Ou Yezi, the wife of Gan Jiang, and the mother of Chi.
The blade of Moye's sword is four feet long, the handle is one foot long, and the blade is about two inches wide. It is tied with lake-green sword batting and weighs about ten qiang, or about four kilograms and twenty-seven cents. , that is, water pattern carvings, with silver light flowing out when dancing, like a silver snake spitting out a message.
The Ganjiang Moye Sword is a male and female sword. When you see one sword, you're bound to see the other. These two swords can never be separated.
This sword has many folk legends. The most widely circulated story is that Ganjiang saw that the sword-making period in March was about to expire, but because the iron ying in the furnace still could not be melted, the sword could not be made as scheduled. In order to save her husband, Moye threw himself into the sword furnace, thus forging the male and female swords of Moye, an unparalleled general in the world.
We don’t need to verify how true this legend is. However, during the heating process of cast iron, the carbon content will continue to decrease. If the carbon component cannot be properly added, the cast sword will become flexible and lack stiffness. Such a sword will be just a wrought iron sword at best, not It may become a sword that can cut through iron as much as clay.
Judging from the production conditions at that time, it was impossible for a go-getter to have one at that time that could jump into a large crucible of a living person. So another theory may be more credible, that is, Moye cut off his hair and finger claws and put them into the furnace. The hair and finger claws can be turned into carbon components, causing orderly changes in the lattice structure of the cast iron and dissolution. A flexible yet sharp steel sword can be forged.
It is said that after Ganjiang forged the swords of Ganjiang Moye, he only dedicated the Moye sword to the King of Chu, and buried the swords of Ganjiang in the mountains. He also told Moye that when his son reaches adulthood, he must avenge him with the Ganjiang Sword. Later, when the King of Chu learned that General Qian had hidden another sword, he was furious and killed him.
After Gan Jiang died, Mo Xie gave birth to a son named Chi. His son was born unusual. His eyebrows were more than a foot apart, so he was also called the eyebrow ruler. When he became an adult, he carried the Ganjiang Sword on his back and went to Chu State to seek revenge. The King of Chu had foreseen it in his dream and ordered people to hunt him down everywhere. Chi hid in all directions, but still couldn't make a move.
One day I met a swordsman in the mountains and promised that as long as he got Ganjiang Jian and Chi's head, he could do something for him. Chi immediately raised his sword and beheaded him.
The swordsman Yi Nuo met with the King of Chu. Although Chi's head was dead, his hatred was not reduced by half. The king of Chu was horrified when he saw it. The swordsman immediately proposed a plan to boil the red head in boiling water, and asked the King of Chu to move over and take a look. The king of Chu did not doubt that there was fraud. When the king of Chu looked at each other, the swordsman raised his sword and chopped off the king's head into the pot. He then committed suicide and blew his own head into the pot. The three heads were mixed together in boiling water and could not be identified. The palace residents were divided into three parts and buried together in one place, hence the term "Three Kings' Tombs".
However, some people have verified that Mo Xie's sword sank into the Jian River in Yanping, which is now the Min River in Nanping City, Fujian, during the Wu-Yue struggle for hegemony. The sword of Gan Jiang Moye has also become a sword of love because of the above-mentioned legend.
The Eighth Sword Fish Intestine Sword
The sword of righteousness and lawlessness - the Fish Intestine Sword
The Fish Intestine Sword is one of the five swords forged by Ou Yezi on Zhanlu Mountain. One of the famous swords. How long this sword is, cannot be verified now. But it must not be too long. If it grows, it will never be able to hide in the fish intestines. The most likely length should be "less than half a foot."
But this foot was not unified in the old days. In the time of Yu, ten inches made up one foot, in the time of Tang, twelve inches made one foot, and in the reign of King Wu, eight inches made one foot. Therefore, the length of this fish intestine sword can only be an approximate number.
When talking about Fish Intestine Sword, Zhuanzhu cannot be mentioned. Zhuanzhu was a native of Wu Guotang. When Wu Zixu fled from Chu to Wu, he knew that Zhuanzhu was a man who looked like a hungry tiger and sounded like a huge thunder. , a warrior who can carry a cauldron, is agile, and brave. One time, Wu Zixu saw Zhuanzhu fighting with many people. "His anger was as strong as that of ten thousand people, which was unreasonable." Just as the fight was getting lively, his wife came over and shouted behind him, "Why don't you come back with me quickly?" He immediately stopped and followed his wife home. In the eyes of ordinary people, Zhuan Zhu was just a henpecked guy, but in Wu Zixu's eyes, he was a brave and rational man, so he chose Zhuan Zhu and killed King Liao of Wu for Prince Guang. After Guang won the throne, he could help him fight against Chu to avenge him.
Why did Prince Guang kill King Liao of Wu? This starts with the story of King Shoumeng of Wu: King Shoumeng of Wu had four sons: Zhufan, Yuji, Yumei, and Jizha. Shou Meng knew that among the four sons, only Ji Zha was the most virtuous. So he wanted to make him the crown prince, but Jizha knew that if he did this, the tragedy of "cooking beans and burning the bean basket" might happen, so he refused, and the king of Wu had to make his eldest son Zhufan the crown prince instead. When Shou Meng was about to die, he made an appointment with his four sons, and the throne was passed down from brother to brother until Ji Zha became the king of Wu.
When Zhufan was the queen, he passed the throne to Jizha, but Jizha still refused. Zhufan died, and Yuji took over the throne. Yuji died, and Yumai took over. When Yu Mei dies, according to Shou Meng's last words, Ji Zha should be made king. But Jizha did not want to become emperor and fled overnight. The ministers of Wu had no choice but to make Yumo's son Liao king. Gongzi Guang was the eldest son of Zhufan and the eldest grandson of Shoumeng. Ji Zha did not want to be the king, so he should be the one to succeed, and it was not Liao's turn to be the emperor. So he secretly recruited talents to prepare for seizing the throne.
In this context, Zhuanzhu became the best killer. So the bloody scene that everyone knew happened just like that. King Liao of Wu died under Zhuan Zhu's fish intestine sword, and Zhuan Zhu was chopped into pulp by the swordsman covered by Gongzi Guang. Prince Guang became King Helu of Wu.
In 506 BC, King Helu of Wu sent Sun Wu as his general, Wu Zixu as his deputy, and Fu Gai as the vanguard. He sent 60,000 troops to capture the capital of Chu. Wu Zixu dug up the tomb of King Chu Ping and whipped three hundred corpses.
The Fish Intestine Sword has therefore become a sword of righteousness and lawlessness and a world-famous sword.
The Ninth Sword Pure Jun Sword
The noble and beautiful sword——Chun Jun Sword
The Pure Jun Sword is also known as the Pure Hook Sword. This sword was still forged by Ou Yezi on Zhanlu Mountain. In "Yue Jueshu." In "The Sword", it is described like this: "Look at its (patterns) like a hibiscus when it begins to appear; it fades like a row of stars; look at its light; it is muddy like water overflowing in a pond; look at it when it is broken; the rocks are like threads. Stone, if you look at its talent, looks as bright as ice, this is what is called a pure hook."
Although the pure Jun sword has an exquisite and gorgeous appearance, which is pleasing to the eye, its sharpness is not diminished by its beauty. That is to say, it perfectly integrates bright beauty and undiminished sharpness, and is hailed as a noble and unparalleled sword that will last forever.
Legend has it that someone promised King Gou Jian of Yue a thousand horses, three rich villages, and two big cities in exchange for this pure Jun sword. Gou Jian saw so many good things and was hesitating whether to exchange them for them. To be cautious, he invited the famous Xiangjian master Xue Zhu to listen to his opinion.
As soon as Xue Zhu saw the Pure Jun Sword, he immediately said sternly: "This sword is a perfect work made by heaven and man. To cast this sword, thousands of years of red pansy mountains have been broken. When tin comes out, the river dries up and copper comes out. When the sword is made, Thunder God strikes iron, Rain Lady pours water, Dragon holds the furnace, and Heavenly Emperor fills the furnace with charcoal. It took ten years to polish the sword before it was ready. After the sword was completed, the gods returned to heaven, the Red Pansy Mountain closed as before, and the waves of the Ruoye River rose again. How could such a unique sword be worth mentioning..."
Of course, this is also a beautiful legend compiled by the ancients out of admiration for Chunjun Sword. But as a kind of cultural inheritance, future generations still like this legend. Therefore, Mr. Jin Yong, the martial arts master, incorporated this beautiful pure Jun sword into his novel "Yue Nu Sword", making this noble and beautiful sword even more widely circulated.
It is said that during the "Longquan Sword Discussion" in 2004, Longquan craftsmen presented Mr. Jin Yong with a modern version of the pure Jun sword. Mr. Jin Yong also autographed the sword and engraved it on the blade. . The prototype of the sword is now collected in Zhejiang University.
The Tenth Sword: The Shadow Sword
The Shadow-Invisible Sword - the Shadow Sword
The Shadow Sword is the most unique and famous sword. According to legend, it was cast in the Shang Dynasty and was collected by Kong Zhou, a Weiguo man in the Spring and Autumn Period. It is a long sword with a shadow and an invisible form. There is such a record in "Liezi Tang Wen": "Kong Zhou said: 'I have three swords, but Zi chose them. ... The second one is Chengying, a friend with a refreshing taste. When the sun sets and dusk, look at it from the north, and it is light. If something exists in Yan Yan, it will not have its shape. If it touches something, there will be a sound, but if it passes by something, it will not be seen." In the "Wenyuan Yinghua Inscription on the Monument of Wei Chigong, the Governor of Bingzhou in the Tang Dynasty", there are also words such as: "The dragons separate and bear the shadow, and the wild geese forget to return home".
In order to deify this shadow-bearing sword, someone described it like this: "The raised hands drew an elegant arc and swung towards a tall and tall ancient pine next to it. There was a gentle sound in the ear. There was a 'crack' sound, and the tree body shook slightly, but no change was seen. However, not long after, the lush pine cover fell slowly in a gentle south wind. The flat and protruding growth rings showed the years. the passage of.
The sky gets darker, and the long sword becomes invisible again. The ancient twilight closes silently, and there is silence between heaven and earth."
No matter how the ancients and modern people describe this invisible long sword, they all want to Expressing the splendor and splendor of our five-thousand-year-long civilization, it is also like this shadow-carrying sword. It carries the profoundness of our ancient Chinese country in the "shadow and invisible". It is just like this exquisite and elegant divine sword. , drawing the most perfect arc of our Chinese nation in the sky of world history.