Chapter 35 Weishengxue: What should we pay attention to when smelting iron with coal?

Zhangtai Palace, court discussion.

Marquis of Wucheng Wang Jian and veteran general Meng Wu, who were recuperating at home due to health reasons, both made a rare appearance at this court meeting.

This can't help but make people speculate, is His Majesty going to start a war again?

Now the whole world belongs to Qin. If we want to fight, we can only go south or north.

To the south are the Baiyue, and to the north are the Xiongnu.

Baiyue? Or Xiongnu?

But as the court discussion began, all doubts were temporarily suppressed.

Four or five days have passed since I returned to Xianyang. With all the Qin emperors and ministers working overtime, the most important government affairs have finally been dealt with, and the rest can be slowed down a little.

And some important and unimportant matters are almost on the agenda.

For example, horses.

Since the caravan returned, the Imperial Household Officer has been crying in front of the stable for four days, and his eyes are still swollen.

Everyone is aware of his behavior, but because they have no way to improve it, they can only pretend not to see it.

Alas, every time His Majesty goes on tour, the Grand Coachman always does this, and everyone has become accustomed to it.

Sure enough, as soon as the court meeting started today, the Grand Coachman came out holding the jade sceptre.

Having been in the imperial court for a long time, his acting skills are natural. As a person who has been immersed in officialdom for many years, the Imperial Household is also very skilled in this. When he thinks of the injured horses in the stable, tears come to his eyes.

"His Majesty!"

After a cry of grief, there was a long and arduous lament. The core point was only one: there were about 600 horses lost in this tour, most of them had injured hooves, and it would be difficult for them to walk in the future. The good horses would become bad horses.

After a lot of rambling, the purpose is finally revealed——

Is there any way the immortals can turn ordinary horses into immortal horses? Or maybe we can borrow the immortals' celestial horses to make friends with our little mares and stallions.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone else looked over.

I can’t tell, but the Imperial Household can only guess.

The idea of ​​using the fairy horse for breeding has even been considered.

But well done!

The ancestors of the Qin State were horse breeders, and they had deep experience in the fact that good horses give birth to good horses and bad horses give birth to bad horses.

But unfortunately...

"Immortals don't have Pegasus mounts."

People fly around, not ride horses.

So Taifu's beautiful idea had to die in the womb.

"Don't worry, Grand Coachman. Although the immortals don't have celestial horses, they have selected suitable tools for mortal horses. This is why the Marquis of Wucheng and I are here today."

Meng Wu stepped out and saluted, "Your Majesty, the equipment is complete. However, as for how to install it, the craftsmen in my palace are not feeling well enough. Please invite the Immortal Master to provide guidance."

This matter was agreed upon yesterday, and now it is just a formality. Naturally, Ying Zheng would not object.

The palace maid took the order and left.

------

In the courtyard of Changsheng Palace, Weishengxue was leading people to make preparations before the training class started.

"This is a blackboard. Hang it on the wall during class. Writing on it with a pen makes it easier to understand than just speaking."

Princess Yangzi nodded in agreement, but

"It's not black, so why is it called a blackboard?"

Wei Shengxue said uncertainly, "Maybe it was black when it first appeared, and then the color was changed but the name stayed the same?"

Growing up, she had never seen a black blackboard. In the interstellar era, many courses were conducted on the interstellar network, and classrooms were equipped with the most basic technological blackboards, mostly in eye-friendly green or off-white. There was no black at all.

But this is not important. Princess Yangzi just asked casually in this situation and put it aside in the blink of an eye.

What it does is more important than what it is called.

The old Qin people are pragmatists and as long as something is useful, it’s fine.

The blackboard was about three feet wide and ten feet long, and it just took up one wall in the room that served as a classroom.

Chalk is difficult to make, and the few finished products are so dusty that before you can write a few words, dust is all over your head and face. So, in the end, Weishengxue gave up on the idea of ​​matching chalk and just used charcoal and white paper. Besides not being able to reuse paper and wasting paper, it wasn't a big deal.

When the palace maid who brought the news entered the Hall of Longevity, she was trying out a charcoal pencil on the blackboard, and sketched a few blades of grass in the way that children in the interstellar era often did. It was similar to the three blades of grass stuck together in the Chinese character "山". No one except her could tell what it was.

Wei Shengxue looked at the unevenly thick strokes, then at the worn-out charcoal pencil in her hand, and made a "tsk" sound in disgust.

"Master Inksmith, if you can make a pencil someday, it would be a real blessing."

Mo Ge thought of the pencil she mentioned. It was a small one, but it contained many difficulties. Now that she mentioned it again, he could only reluctantly bow and say, "I'll do my best."

As soon as he finished speaking, the wind chimes hanging from the eaves started to chime automatically without wind. The sound of the chimes was so crisp and pleasant that Weishengxue stopped talking immediately.

"Someone's coming."

At the same time, a voice came from the communication channel: "Master, His Majesty invites you."

"You guys clean up the rest, I'll be back soon." After giving the order, Wei Shengxue cast a cleaning spell and left.

-----

Outside the Zhangtai Palace, the Imperial Household had circled Chi Yan of the Mengwu family several times.

The saddle on the horse's back was nothing new; the Qin Dynasty had it long ago. However, the rings hanging down on either side were worth discussing.

The structure is simple and the function is clear at a glance. The Imperial Horse Master knew that the horse had a fierce temperament, so he did not get close to it. He stopped a few steps away and just used his eyes to trace the shiny stirrup over and over again.

"Oh, this thing is great! Not only is it easy to mount, but it also provides space for the feet, freeing up my hands to bend the bow and shoot arrows. And this..."

After praising the stirrup from all angles, from its structure to its function and then to its future development, he concluded with this sentence:

"As expected of an immortal, it works!"

Li Si coughed lightly, half reminding, half adding, "It's a pity that the horse-controlling techniques of our ancestors have been lost. Otherwise, we could have learned from the immortals and compared and learned from each other, learning from each other's strengths and making up for our weaknesses."

As soon as he said that, the others also picked up the Great Qin Kingdom settings that had not been used for a while and were almost forgotten.

As if to make up for the past, the civil and military officials spoke one after another about the fictitious lives of their ancestors. Each one spoke with such detail that it seemed as if such a time really existed in the past.

And as the conversation progresses, it tends to become more and more exaggerated.

This one said, "My ancestors' horses had wings. They could fly over cliffs and walk on mountainous terrain as if it were flat ground."

The other one said, "My ancestors' horses are amphibious. Not only can they run on the ground and fly in the sky, they can also dive into the water and transform into a white dragon, galloping across the sea!"

As Wei Shengxue approached, he heard these last words.

This setting is so familiar.

"You also have a white dragon horse here?"

What? !

It turns out that horses in the fairy world look like this!

Ying Zheng and the other officials silently took note of this in their hearts.

Everyone in Daqin: Today we have a better understanding of the fairy world.

This wave, the main focus is on running in both directions~

Seeing their surprised expressions, Wei Shengxue was puzzled: "Didn't you just say that our ancestors' horses were like this too? Are you bragging?!"

"Of course not!"

I must never admit such words that seem to reveal the truth!

"But since the great changes in the world, even the living environment has changed a lot. Those Pegasus may have become extinct."

"Yes, we can only get a glimpse of it through our ancestors' notes."

When Wei Shengxue heard this, he realized that this kind of horse existed in the world of immortal cultivation, so the kind of horse recorded in the information excavated from the mother planet must also exist!

Her emotions fluctuated greatly, allowing the system to capture her thoughts and also stretched its head: [What horse?]

"White Dragon Horse! It's recorded in a travelogue unearthed by the joint archaeological team on the home planet. The book is called Journey to the West, and it records the wonderful adventures of five masters and apprentices traveling across continents. It's quite interesting."

The system created a hand scratching its bald head,

Journey to the West?

This name sounds familiar. I think a good friend recommended it to me before, but at that time the database memory was insufficient, so the book was deleted to clear space.

…

Wei Shengxue stopped the craftsman who was about to go over with his tools and said, "Wait a moment, I need to calm the horse first."

Although nailing horseshoes may seem simple, it is actually life-threatening. If you are not careful and get kicked in the chest by the horse, it may even cause death. Therefore, the cooperation of the horse is very important.

Wei Shengxue walked over and gently stroked Chi Yan's horse's head. Threads of spiritual energy flowed into its body along the fingers that were combing its mane, causing Chi Yan to wag his tail and kick his hooves a few times with pleasure.

"Be good and listen. I'll touch you again after you put on your shoes."

Chi Yan understood this sentence, nodded his horse's head very humanly, and neighed.

The craftsman who had temporarily learned to nail horseshoes walked over with his tools and stood in front of the fierce horse that was taller than him, his heart pounding.

"Chi Yan, lift your feet."

Hearing the familiar voice, it reluctantly raised one hoof.

The craftsman took advantage of the opportunity to start working.

First, scrape off the dirty layer on the surface of the horseshoe, then smooth it with a file, then stick the horseshoe on the horseshoe and hammer the nails into the reserved holes.

"This, this horse hoof has been cut off, but it doesn't hurt."

"The horse didn't struggle, so it probably wasn't in pain."

Meng Wu had already squatted not far from the horse, repeatedly shouting: "Gentle, gentle, the horse's hooves are delicate, don't hurt it!"

"Horses' hooves are equivalent to human fingernails, so it's okay to cut part of them." Wei Shengxue's explanation followed at the right time.

The craftsman's movements were extremely clumsy, and he could only barely put on the "shoes".

But even so, it can be seen that the shoes did not cause any discomfort to the horse.

After all four hooves were nailed with horseshoes, Chi Yan jumped directly onto the open space in front of Zhangtai Palace and started running.

The first time it put on the "shoes", it felt a little uncomfortable, but after running only two laps, it felt the magic of the shoes. The iron blocks collided with the floor tiles and made a clicking sound.

Meng Wu carefully observed Chi Yan's performance, and after a while he was relieved to confirm that it was indeed not feeling uncomfortable. Not only was it not feeling uncomfortable, it was feeling very comfortable. After running two laps, it deliberately ran in front of him and stuck out its hooves, as if showing off its new shoes.

He ran to Weishengxue and rubbed against her, then turned back and grabbed his clothes, signaling him to get on the horse and go home quickly.

Chi Yan: Let’s go home and show off my new equipment to those little goblins!

Meng Wu, who understood its meaning, twitched his lips, broke free, touched the horse's head, and asked it to behave itself.

In just a short while, the others were already chatting excitedly.

Wang Jian, relying on his age and status, was the first to squeeze in front of Ying Zheng. His hair and beard were white, but he was full of energy and spoke in a resounding voice: "Your Majesty, this old minister's beloved horse has accompanied me in my campaigns, and it has contributed greatly to the attacks on Chu and Zhao. Such meritorious officials... meritorious horses, should be arranged first. Don't let them feel disheartened! As for those common horses that have no merit to the country, they can wait a little longer."

His words praised one's merits and criticized one for praising another. While gaining Ying Zheng's recognition, he also successfully attracted a large wave of hatred. His back was almost burning with anger, but Wang Jian was not moved at all.

It's just a little anger, nothing more than that.

It is important to get benefits for your beloved horse first.

As for showing courtesy to Wei Shengxue—

I dare not.

If His Majesty suspects that I am trying to win over the immortals, then I will be in trouble.

Just because of your Majesty's persistence in pursuing immortality, if someone gets there first, the Nine Clans Candy Crush game is waiting for you.

Didn’t you see that no one even dares to respond to the title of “Daoyou”? Originally, all alchemists had this title, but now it is almost exclusive to Your Majesty and the immortals.

"Your Majesty, I still have a thousand horses that need shoes!"

Because of the immortal's words to coax the horse, everyone quickly changed the way they called horseshoes to horse shoes.

Everyone thought to themselves: The immortal said a word, and the horse obeyed. If they said something related to it, maybe they could also get some of the immortal's spirit.

"Taifu, please shut up! You have so many horses, and when you run out of them, there will be no iron left to shoe our horses."

"That's right, we should benefit as many talents as possible." Many people agreed.

"It's a pity that our method of mass iron smelting has been lost, otherwise we wouldn't have to worry about iron anymore." Wang Jian changed the subject and said meaningfully.

Even Shusun Tong, as agile as he was, immediately followed up, "Even from the fragments of our ancestors' notes, we can see how prosperous it was back then. The molten iron flowed out like honey, without much effort, and it was directly turned into pieces of ironware."

Wei Shengxue pricked up his ears: Iron mold?

Seeing the immortal lost in thought, Li Si continued, "When I was studying with my teacher, there were many ancient books. I once saw a record in one of them that at that time, refining iron tools was easy. Iron tools could be produced continuously just by relying on machinery."

Weisheng Xue understood: This is an assembly line machine tool.

As soon as Ying Zheng opened his mouth, he took his already wild imagination to the next level: "You don't need anyone to be around to make iron tools. You can use the machines to make iron tools even if you're a few miles away."

Note on Weishengxueji: Remote control.

"Ah, it's indeed a prosperous civilization. System, this is the world of immortal cultivation I imagined! The perfect combination of technology and magic!"

"How come it's gone?" Wei Shengxue's voice was filled with annoyance, sounding even sadder than the other person.

The system has only six things to say about this: [……]

Forget it, forget it. Even fools have their own luck. Can ordinary people get so much merit?

No! So this is the host's fate!

The system has once again convinced itself.

[Host, I can provide blast furnace ironmaking technology]

Weishengxue: Five-star praise.

"Remote control of machine tools and the like is too difficult for you. Try blast furnace ironmaking technology first."

The Qin emperor and his ministers looked at each other, then looked away.

They said to themselves: Immortals are truly kind and pure.

Little did he know that Weishengxue was also secretly thinking: He is such a good person, allowing me to accumulate merits again and again.

The technology of blast furnace ironmaking is complicated, so she sent it over after a few days, along with a part of the animation tutorial.

Yes, she made a simple version of the projector.

As the saying goes, if science doesn't work, metaphysics will make up for it.

Photo Stone + Memory Jade Slip.

Wei Shengxue used herself as a converter, the system instilling information into her, and she then stored her memories into the jade slip. Jade slips and image stones were both commonly used in the world of immortal cultivation, so connecting them was simple.

"Am I very smart?" She smiled and showed off to the system.

It is her absolute partner, someone she can trust at any time. Although it hides some things, it will never hurt her.

The system naturally complies with her needs, and it never ruins her good mood over such trivial matters.

…

After a while, Princess Yangzi came in to report on the enrollment situation.

"After one final round of screening, we will be able to determine the first batch of students."

She handed over the list and said, "These are the people who have been selected from this batch."

Wei Shengxue flipped through the pages but didn't see any familiar names. "Where's Song Jing?"

This girl is very smart and has an almost terrifyingly sharp intuition in medicine. She is a talent that she intends to cultivate.

Song Jing?

Princess Yangzi was stunned for a moment before she realized that she was talking about the third lady of the Song family.

At that time, people rarely addressed a woman by her name. Those who were close to her would call her by her ranking, while those who were unfamiliar with her would call her "XXX the third girl" or "XX the youngest sister."

"She has been removed because she violated the regulations."

That's a very appropriate reason.

If it were anyone else, then it would be gone. Wei Shengxue didn't care who taught her, as long as someone learned. But this person wasn't necessarily the best. With such talent, if you missed it, you wouldn't find the next one!

"Add one more person to the thirty, and include her."

Princess Yangzi's eyelashes trembled, her eyes sparkled, and she seemed to be thinking about something.

"Master, do you think highly of her? Yang Zi has observed her but hasn't noticed anything special about her. Could you please explain?"

Wei Shengxue didn't think there was anything to hide, so she said directly, "A medical genius is hard to come by."

"How does it compare to Doctor Xia?"

"Each has its own merits, and they are not on the same path."

Doctor Xia is more focused on curing diseases and saving lives, while Song Jing is more interested in medical research and development.

-----

Click, click...

Under Guan Lingcheng's expectant gaze, the iron plate cracked again.

"Why? How could this happen?"

He pulled his hair almost madly, and soon he had scratched himself into a mess, but he was completely unaware of it and was concentrating on looking at the iron plate.

"We're clearly manufacturing it according to the immortal's instructions, so how come we can't even cast a single piece of iron?!"

The blacksmith standing next to him was thanking the immortal madly in his heart.

Thanks to the "small-scale experimental method" mentioned in the fairy painting, otherwise, according to the Shaofu's intention, they might have started casting the blast furnace directly. By then, if the blast furnace mixed with molten iron collapsed, it would not be a small scene like the current one.

If he were to tell it, the magic stone that the immortal took out was truly magical. It could produce a painting that moved and contained a person.

The person teaching there must be an immortal. Every time he went to observe and learn, he would secretly bring in some offerings and quietly offer them to the immortal inside.

Only an immortal would teach them this secret skill that can be used as a family heirloom for free.

When he returns home from his vacation, he will ask his wife to set up a longevity tablet for the immortals, and also for the immortals in the paintings, and worship them every day, praying that they will bless him with good luck and keep his family safe.

"Reheat half of the black stones, blacksmith, and come over and try again."

When the official's order came, the blacksmith hurried over.

If it weren't for the fairy paintings saying that these stinking black stones could be kicked away as they passed by, how could they have known that they could burn to such a high temperature?

The temperature is so high that even the iron blocks are turned into molten iron.

It's just that the iron plate made of molten iron is too brittle and will crack if you just knock it.