Zheng Quchi took out a piece of steel he had brought from Fuxian from his satchel, placed it on the table, and then stepped aside: "Please have me appraise this first."
The blacksmiths glanced at the hard lump, then at Zhu Shang, only to see him raise his chin impatiently, urging them to hurry up.
Curious, they first weighed the object and passed it around, but dared not draw any conclusions. When they asked Lord Zheng if they could take it for testing, Zheng Quchi did not object, so they took the iron block and left.
In the smelting workshop, they observed its color, hardness, and plasticity. After a series of tests, their expressions became more and more exaggerated. In the end, they all became so fond of it that they were extremely excited.
They ran back excitedly.
"Lord Zheng, how... how was this made?"
"Lord Zheng, who cast this? What technique was used? What kiln was it made in?"
"It is simply the most perfect smelting block we have ever seen. Its strength, hardness and even flexibility far exceed the smelting level in our country. I have never seen anything like it before."
They seemed to have discovered a treasure, recounting and asking questions with admiration and excitement, which was enough to prove that they were knowledgeable.
Seeing how excited they were about the shiny black iron block, Zhu Shang quickly joined them, snatched it from their hands, and examined it closely. His knowledge of iron smelting was naturally not as great as that of a professional blacksmith, but he was not completely ignorant either.
This thing does look different from the iron blocks they smelt, but what exactly is the difference?
"How is it?" he asked anxiously.
The blacksmith, unable to contain his booming voice, said, “It far surpasses what we forge. Lord Zhu, if our Ye Kingdom could produce this iron—no, this is called steel—our Ye Kingdom’s smelting technology would absolutely lead all other countries. It could advance our Ye Kingdom’s backward state by fifteen years, no, more than twenty years.”
Zhu Shang was stunned. Although he had some premonitions, he still couldn't help but feel excited when he actually heard these things.
He... he's really on a lucky streak in his official career. He's only been in office for a few days, and Heaven has already given him such a huge surprise. No, it's not Heaven, it's Lord Zheng who has bestowed upon him such immense wealth!
"Since you think it's a good idea, then I'd like to talk to you about a method of smelting pig iron and wrought iron in a certain proportion to adjust the carbon content in the iron. Do you think it's feasible?"
Upon hearing this, the blacksmith followed her train of thought and suddenly felt a clear path forward: "This...this might work, but the problem is that it needs some time to try and adjust."
But Zheng Quchi said, "No need. I have a ready-made reference answer here. You just need to follow my instructions to pour the steel, and you will see results."
They stared at her, their eyes trembling.
"Where did Lord Zheng get this technique?" Zhu Shang quickly asked.
Facing their intense gazes, Zheng Quchi understood the turmoil in their hearts. She said, "This method is from my hometown. Rest assured, this piece of steel is the result. You can go all out."
——
When Zheng Quchi arrived alone, he was escorted out by a grand procession as he left the Ordnance Bureau. They even seemed reluctant to let him go, which gave the guards outside the Ordnance Bureau goosebumps.
Zheng Quchi has handed over all the information to them without reservation. Now all that's left is to wait for their results. She believes it won't be long, and she also believes that the current Military Equipment Bureau will fight with all its might, burning with fervor for the rise of the Ye Kingdom.
Refusing their enthusiastic farewell, Zheng Quchi fled from their burning and adoring gaze as if escaping.
On the way back, she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Blue Moon, you didn't catch up, did you?"
Lan Yue's light laughter rang out: "No, why would someone as capable as our lord be frightened by them?"
"It's not that I'm scared, but I can't stand a bunch of grown men sticking around me like glue, even speaking in a hushed tone. I'm not made of glass, raising my voice won't break me, okay?"
"It's because they have such high esteem for the Lord that the Master taught them steelmaking without reservation or expectation of reward. I think they all regard the Lord as their savior."
"The knowledge I possess does not mean that I can perfectly replicate it. Professional tasks should be handled by professionals. Furthermore, it's not that I don't seek any reward, but the current imperial court is so poor that it can't even raise enough money for flood control. Where am I supposed to seek any reward? It's better to fatten it up first."
The four men suppressed a laugh and said, "Our lord is indeed farsighted."
Zheng Quchi rolled his eyes, too lazy to reply.
In fact, even with the steel obtained through this method, there is still room for improvement. Later, when casting weapons, the technique of frying steel was used to fold and forge the bloomery iron at high temperature multiple times, and then further carburized. Presumably, the weapons of Ye Kingdom would be far ahead of the seven kingdoms. However, such exquisite weapons are labor-intensive and time-consuming and cannot be mass-produced. She plans to only specially customize a batch for Yuwen Sheng and his group.
Zheng Quchi walked on the stone-paved path. The branches of apricot and plum trees inside the courtyard wall peeked out, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere. This path had been neglected for a long time, and the stones had become somewhat warped from being repeatedly trampled by passersby. When water accumulated underneath, one would accidentally step on them and get splashed with muddy water.
She had barely finished thinking about one thing when she started thinking about another.
Regarding the water conservancy project in Cangling County, it's not just Cangling County that's suffering; it's also related to Fu County. They are truly brothers in misfortune, one constantly plagued by floods and the other afflicted by drought. If this trip can successfully implement the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, diverting water from the water-rich area to Fu County, it will simultaneously solve the problems faced by both counties.
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