How did a street urchin from the film crew end up in a Northern Song Dynasty drama called "The

"That's somewhat true. It's like someone asking you for a favor. You might be able to do it easily, but you have to pretend it's difficult. Only after you've done it will the other person remember your kindness. This method only works for outsiders, not for family. Do you understand?" Jin Shuai continued.

After speaking, Jin Shuai and the others returned to the Jin residence. Li Wei went with the steward to collect their payment, while Jin Shuai strolled to the small courtyard where Liu Shi lived. Gazing at the group of beautiful palace maids, he walked to Dong Qiuhe's side and softly asked, "How was your carriage ride today?"

"My lord, this carriage is so comfortable and pleasant! I was just about to return to report this novel thing to the Emperor!" Dong Qiuhe replied sweetly.

"Don't say anything yet. I want to give the Emperor and Empress a little surprise. I'll have to trouble you to get the decorations for the two imperial carriages," Jin Shuai said with a smile.

"Mmm, good, the Sage will be very happy to see this. Lord Duke is so thoughtful. I'll get it for you when I get back. I told you you'd need it, hehe," Dong Qiuhe said playfully.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly. After washing up, Jin Shuai and Liu went to the dining room. Seeing the housekeeper and Li Wei waiting for him, he gestured for them to sit down and eat. After eating, Jin Shuai asked, "Li Wei, is everything settled at home?"

"Your Excellency, everything has been settled. It's not far from the manor. I spoke with my colleagues at the brokerage yesterday afternoon, and I'll go ask them how the search is going," Li Wei said.

"Okay, Aunt Liu, go wait for Dong Qiuhe. We're going to see the craftsman. Once she arrives, we'll buy the shop," Jin Shuai said.

Jin Shuai and his two companions arrived at the craftsman's courtyard. The foreman of the blacksmith came up to them and said, "Congratulations, Your Excellency."

"Hehe, good, how's the research on the steel bars and plates going? Any leads?" Jin Shuai asked.

"Your Excellency, according to the method you taught us, the steel bars are still insufficient, being too fragile; while the steel plate, although slightly less hard, is still much stronger than standard armor. At least within two hundred paces, only two out of ten crossbow bolts can penetrate, and the arrowheads can hardly penetrate any further." The foreman of the blacksmiths respectfully reported the experimental results to the person before him.

"It seems there have been some successes. However, you might try creating dense bumps and indentations on the surface of the armor; you might be surprised by the results. By the way, how is the sand being fired?" the man known as the Golden Marshal asked.

“My lord, please follow me for a look.” The foreman of the blacksmiths led Jin Shuai into the house. There, a blacksmith was taking several differently colored blocks from a wooden box. The foreman then explained, “My lord, I followed your instructions to melt sand. However, the melted sand was unusually viscous, and after cooling, it formed these shapes, each a different color.”

Jin Shuai gently picked up one of the pieces of semi-finished glass, which resembled obsidian with air bubbles inside and emitted a mysterious luster. He carefully held it in his palm, then brought it close to his eyes to examine it closely. He frowned slightly, lost in thought, and after a moment, slowly spoke: "This is semi-finished glass. There are too many impurities inside, and it hasn't melted completely! It's probably because it wasn't thoroughly crushed before. We also need to add some other materials. I wonder if you have any white, transparent stones in this pile of sand?"

Upon hearing Jin Shuai's question, the blacksmith foreman hurriedly stepped forward and replied, "Your Excellency, there are indeed some such white, transparent stones, but they are not numerous."