After a period of treatment, Goudan's injuries finally stabilized, and Chu Fan decided to take further action.

When Chu Fan walked out of the laboratory, Chang Sun Dechong knelt on the ground, waiting for Chu Fan's punishment. After Chu Fan came to Chang Sun Mansion, Chang Sun Dechong had been waiting outside the laboratory, waiting for Chu Fan's call.

Zhang Sun Dechong was fully aware of the emperor's trust in him, yet under his stewardship, the three citadels were plagued by rampant corruption. Corrupt officials ran rampant, and aristocratic families acted with impunity. Even more shocking, an assassination attempt on the emperor's life occurred within the three citadels.

Chang Sun Dechong knew that no matter how he explained, he could not escape the blame and could not shirk his responsibility. He might as well wait for the emperor's punishment.

Eunuch Li immediately brought a chair for Chu Fan to sit on. Chu Fan sat there, looking at Chang Sun Dechong, who was kneeling on the ground, with a complicated look in his eyes. His heart was filled with a variety of complex emotions, both anger and helplessness. He took a deep breath, then sighed slowly:

"Get up, Changsun Dechong. I understand you didn't intentionally condone these things. But as the administrator of the Acropolis, you do have an unshirkable responsibility."

Chang Sun Dechong slowly stood up and stood aside respectfully, waiting for Chu Fan's next instruction. Chu Fan did not intend to continue to punish Chang Sun Dechong, because he knew that under the current situation, Wei State needed talents like Chang Sun Dechong who were good at organization and management.

Both coal mining and steelmaking furnace construction required a large number of manpower. Changsun Dechong demonstrated exceptional organizational skills. Furthermore, he had already been in charge of the affairs of the three citadels. It was Changsun Dechong who led the city guards in disaster relief efforts that saved the people of the three citadels, and most of the people there were deeply grateful to him.

Even if something bad happened, it wasn't Zhang Sun Dechong who did it. It was because some people changed their minds after gaining power. They couldn't blame Zhang Sun Dechong either.

Chu Fan knew that Changsun Dechong had outstanding management skills and his organizational ability was irreplaceable. In the current situation, Wei State was facing many challenges and needed to concentrate all its resources and talents to cope with various difficulties.

Changsun Dechong's talents were exactly what Chu Fan needed. Therefore, even though Changsun Dechong had been negligent in some aspects, Chu Fan decided to give him a chance and let him continue to contribute to the development of Wei.

Chu Fan knew that the key to achieving optimal results for a team or project was to place the right people in the right positions. Therefore, he decided to give his eldest son, Dechong, a chance to redeem himself by appointing him as the leader of coal mining and steelmaking furnace construction.

Of course, because of the negligence of Chang Sun Dechong in the three Acropolis, Chu Fan did not dare to let him be the person in charge. Instead, he decided to let the Ministry of Works manage the two projects, and Chang Sun Dechong would be responsible for organizing and coordinating the workers to carry out their work.

Chu Fan said to Chang Sun Dechong seriously, "Chang Sun Dechong, you should know something about those black stones outside Zhonghua City, right?"

Chang Sun Dechong nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. We haven't mined those stones on a large scale because they have little use. In fact, the black stones outside Zhonghua City are mainly byproducts of our mining of other rocks."

Chu Fan continued to ask, with a hint of urgency in his tone: "So, how well do you know about the distribution of coal resources around Kaifeng City? Where are the areas around Kaifeng City that contain coal resources?"

Chang Sun Dechong pondered for a moment, then replied, "There is a mountain not far from Zhonghua City that contains a large amount of this black stone."

Chu Fan continued to ask: "So, do you know the name of that stone and its use?"

Chang Sun Dechong shook his head slightly confused, indicating that he did not understand this.

Chu Fan patiently explained, "That kind of stone is called coal. It's not useless; it's actually an extremely important energy source. Right now, our Wei State, especially Kaifeng City, is facing a severe firewood shortage due to the arrival of disaster victims from Hedong and the Yushitai's refined salt production.

If this problem is not addressed, the people of Kaifeng and the three surrounding citadels will face immense hardship this winter. However, coal is a different matter. It can be used for heating and cooking, addressing the people's immediate needs. As for the issue of coal being toxic, I have a solution for that, too.

In addition, coal can be used to smelt iron, manufacture weapons, and various tools. As long as we can make rational use of coal resources, it will greatly enhance the productivity and military strength of our Wei State. "

Chu Fan paused and looked firmly at Changsun Dechong. "I need you to organize the personnel to temporarily pile up the mined coal while I prepare my detailed plans and instructions. At the same time, you will also need to work closely with the Ministry of Industry to build an efficient and advanced ironworks."

This ironworks is not only capable of producing refined iron on a large scale, but also of very high quality. Regarding the specific drawings and detailed plans for the construction of the ironworks, I will personally hand them over to the relevant persons in charge of the Ministry of Industry to ensure that they can be implemented accurately.

In this way, we can make full use of these precious coal resources, promote the development of weapons throughout the Wei Kingdom, and enhance the combat effectiveness of our army."

After hearing this, a glimmer of excitement flashed in Chang Sun Dechong's eyes. Since His Majesty was willing to entrust such an important matter to him, it seemed that he still trusted him very much.

He bowed deeply and answered firmly, "Your Majesty, I will serve the State of Wei with all my heart and soul, until my death. I will not fail you in this mission."

Chu Fan said to him with a serious expression, "In that case, you should wait patiently here for the arrival of the Minister of Industry. After he arrives, you can discuss in detail the specific matters regarding coal mining and the relevant plans for the steel plant construction."

While Chu Fan was saying this, Eunuch Li had already quickly arranged for several eunuchs to go and summon the Minister of Works.

Not long after, Minister of Works Tang Hongwen hurried to the scene. Upon seeing Chu Fan, he knelt respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I, Tang Hongwen, pay my respects to you. Long live your Majesty."

Chu Fan sat on the chair and responded calmly: "Get up, Minister Tang, we have important matters to discuss."

Afterwards, Tang Hongwen stood in front of Chu Fan with the same respectful attitude as Changsun Dechong.