There is no steel in this era!
Fenglinshan used a blast furnace to smelt iron. The impurities contained in this kind of iron were less than any other iron on the market, so the red cannon cast with it solved the problem of barrel explosion.
But it has not yet reached the requirements of steel.
Fu Xiaoguan didn't care about this matter at first. After all, the iron from Fenglinshan was already the best, and he didn't plan to spend time and energy to make it into steel.
But just now, when he heard the crisp sound of Zhou the blacksmith forging and saw the rough hoe in his hand, he realized the importance of steel.
The so-called pig iron pouring technology is to pour a mixture of carbon and molten iron in proportion onto the cutting edge, and then hammer it repeatedly. The finished cutting edge will be sharper and tougher.
So if we can produce hundred-fold tempered steel, it will definitely be epoch-making!
In the past, the Han Dynasty's military reversal against the Xiongnu was due to Ma Liang bridging the gap in speed, but there was another extremely important aspect: the Han Dynasty's weapons were far more advanced than those of the Xiongnu.
The weapons of the Han Dynasty were made of steel using the steel-frying technology!
The two most important links in steelmaking are temperature. Even if there is a blast furnace, because it is not advanced, the furnace temperature cannot reach above 1600 degrees, so the best way is to stir-fry steel.
Steelmaking involves controlling the carbon content, which requires the use of carburizing steel.
And Zhou the blacksmith is the only craftsman Fu Xiaoguan has ever seen who knows how to carburize steel. He is simply an incredible talent!
So Fu Xiaoguan gave Zhou the blacksmith this difficult problem, thinking that if he could solve this problem, he would have to get this person into his hands no matter what.
Blacksmith Zhou was also very conflicted at the moment. He had devoted himself to studying this craft passed down from his ancestors for more than 20 years, and he could be said to have mastered the pig iron pouring technology to perfection.
But to cast the entire sword out of steel... He had been trying since his early years, but had not yet succeeded.
No matter what is done, the impurity content in the iron will exceed the standard, resulting in the final product not reaching the hardness of steel.
This young man is obviously knowledgeable, so I can't fool him, but I have to earn this money myself...
"To be honest, sir, I do need silver to save my life, but I haven't mastered the method of turning a piece of steel yet. Can you give me some time?"
Fu Xiaoguan thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have any paper?"
"...Is yellow paper possible?"
"Okay, bring me two pieces of yellow paper and I'll explain it to you."
"Can you read?"
"Yes."
"That's even better."
Blacksmith Zhou was shocked again. Could it be that this young man has already mastered the method of steelmaking?
He couldn't believe it!
Because there is only iron but no steel in this world, and even his own pig iron pouring technology is unique in the world. If it were not for his ancestors' teaching not to leave Pingling, he would have taken his family to the big city to make a living.
He brought yellow paper, and Fu Xiaoguan took a piece of charcoal and started writing and drawing on the yellow paper.
This is the simplest method of steel frying.
Fu Xiaoguan drew a wok and explained to Zhou the blacksmith, "This thing is a steel frying furnace. It's simple in structure, with a can-shaped furnace chamber and refractory clay coating the inner wall. To operate it, first ignite the charge, then add the pig iron when the fire is strong, block the furnace door, and blow air from the furnace mouth..."
He wrote as he spoke, churning out three pages, unknowingly explaining for an hour. He didn't notice the shocked expression on Zhou the blacksmith's face, nor did he know that Zhang Pei'er, who was eavesdropping on him from the roof, had already covered her mouth.
"How does he know so much?"
"Isn't he the most talented writer in the world?"
"He can actually talk to a blacksmith about making steel!"
Zhang Pei'er was extremely shocked. Only then did she understand why no one had been able to make the things that Fu Xiaoguan had been tinkering with in Xishan.
And the method of steelmaking he mentioned may change the entire smelting industry!
Zhou the blacksmith was shocked by Fu Xiaoguan's professionalism. The doubts he had in his mind were easily resolved with Fu Xiaoguan's detailed explanation, but he knew deeply that this was not easy. At least the young man in front of him must have gone through countless experiments before he could master this top-level technology!
But... Zhou the blacksmith began to doubt himself. Why would this young man pass on such top-notch technology to me?
Even though his ancestral pig iron pouring technology has ancestral teachings, it cannot be passed on to outsiders, not even to his own daughter!
It can only be passed on to sons. If there are no sons, this craft will be lost.
The reason why Fu Xiaoguan passed the steel-making technology to Zhou the blacksmith was because he only had a superficial understanding of it.
He didn't know how to carburize or what the proportion should be, but only blacksmith Zhou knew this technique.
He was not worried about what tricks Zhou the blacksmith would play on him. With his current status and position, strangling Zhou the blacksmith to death was no different from strangling an ant.
"Do you understand now?" Fu Xiaoguan asked, putting down the charcoal pencil.
"I understand. Your explanation has enlightened me! But..."
Blacksmith Zhou paused and asked the question in his mind, "Master, you have granted me this method. I wonder what the conditions are?"
"It's simple. I have an iron mine in Linjiang, and the iron I forge is very good. I passed by here and heard the sound of you forging steel, so I came in to take a look. Come to my ironworks bureau. I'll pay you thirty taels of silver per month, and you'll be responsible for forging steel for me!"
Blacksmith Zhou was once again shocked. Thirty taels of silver for wages! This naturally made him tempted, but...
He sighed and said, "Sir, can you please state another condition?"
Fu Xiaoguan frowned, "What difficulties do you have?"
"It's not my own difficulty, but my ancestors taught me that if I inherit this smelting technique, I must not leave Pingling."
"What's the logic behind this?"
Blacksmith Zhou was silent for several dozen breaths before he whispered, "My ancestor was originally a blacksmith for the imperial court. During the previous dynasty, he was ordered to come here to search for gold in the Pingling Mountains... and then he stayed in Pingling. Now, my generation is the eighth generation, and the ancestral precepts have been passed down from my ancestors to the present day."
Fu Xiaoguan's heart moved, "Have you found it?"
Blacksmith Zhou shook his head. "It's not recorded in our ancestral books, but in the early years of the Yu Dynasty, people were sent to the Pingling Mountains to search for it. They say they didn't find any gold, but they did discover an iron mine. It's just that the deposit wasn't large, so they didn't mine it."
"Do you know how to look at mountains?"
“It’s also inherited from our ancestors.”
"Have you ever been to Pingling Mountain?"
"I went in once with Sun Er three years ago and took a look."
"Do you think it's worth mining?"
"That vein is very complex and buried very deep. I've only found a few iron caps. If we want to explore it in detail, we'll have to dig up the mud. If we can find more iron caps, we can confirm its value."
Fu Xiaoguan pondered for a moment. "This steelmaking method is only known to you. Do not share it with anyone else! You can experiment first. Take these banknotes. I'll come back to you later!"
"Sir, what's your surname?"
"Fu Xiaoguan!"
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