Chapter 30 In June, the Yangtze River region is hot and humid…
In June, the Yangtze River region is hot and humid with frequent rain.
The route from Shouchun to Yunmengze is crisscrossed by waterways, making boat travel the most suitable option. However, it rained most of the time during our journey on the official boat.
The plum rains poured down relentlessly, the tiny raindrops clinging to people's clothes, seemingly trying to seep into their bodies. The waves of the Yangtze River pounded against the official boats, carrying with them a damp, fishy smell. Only then did Meng Yi, a native of Xianyang, truly understand the four words his father had written in his letter years ago: "Jiangnan is lowly and hot."
As the official ship entered the Yangtze River, the weather became even hotter, and some of the group gradually began to feel unwell. Most of these people were soldiers from the north. They suffered from fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
The accompanying doctor prescribed medicine based on experience, but their condition did not improve.
When Meng Yi also started to have a fever, everyone on the official ship began to panic.
As Meng Yi's personal guard, Wang Qi managed to remain calm after Meng Yi fell and arranged for everyone to perform their duties.
"For diarrhea and loose stools, it's indeed necessary to decoct Coptis chinensis and Plantago asiatica for oral administration," the accompanying physician was at his wits' end, frantically flipping through his family's medical records. Meng Yi couldn't be allowed to die, at least not under his care. Meng Yi was the descendant of a high-ranking official, his brother was a high-ranking official, and he himself was a high-ranking official, not to mention that the First Emperor favored him greatly. The physician was at his wit's end: "Why isn't it working?"
Wang Qi frowned, his heart filled with anxiety: "Do you think there's any other way?! The High Minister is entrusted with the Emperor's orders; he cannot fall at this time."
"Found it! Moxibustion! Moxibustion on the Guanyuan acupoint, three inches below the navel, can relieve the discomfort in the upper abdomen."
"Go quickly! Just tell me what you need."
Liu Ji watched silently, reflecting on Meng Yi's conduct and character throughout the journey; he was a good superior. He patted Wang Qi on the shoulder: "Brother, if you trust me, go ask that great shaman in the cabin. Northerners coming to the south often suffer from acclimatization problems; finding a shaman is the right treatment. A shaman, a shaman, knows shamanism, so naturally he also knows a little medicine."
Wang Qi once followed the army to fight against the State of Chu. At that time, many soldiers could not adapt to the local climate and suffered from dysentery.
Seeing that he was interested, Liu Ji continued to persuade him, "That great shaman is a descendant of Guan Shefu, so he must have some skills. Given Meng Shangqing's current situation, why not give it a try?"
Thinking of the soldiers who died from dysentery, Wang Qi gritted his teeth and finally obeyed Liu Ji's advice to go down into the cabin to find the great shaman who had been brought from Shouchun.
The great shaman did not die.
According to the law, the high priest who deceived the emperor's messenger and falsely accused the monarch should have been sentenced to dismemberment.
However, Meng Yi considered the overlap between her words and the First Emperor's orders, and also took into account that she had not caused any substantial harm, so he let her go, waiting to decide on her punishment after the investigation was completed.
When Wang Qi arrived, Guan Yue was sitting cross-legged on the couch, performing her daily practice. Although she was not free, Meng Yi did not make things difficult for her in terms of food, clothing, and shelter.
“Great Shaman,” Wang Qi hesitated for a moment, thinking of Meng Yi and his sick comrades’ appearances, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said sincerely, “I beg the Great Shaman to lend a helping hand, and I will certainly ask the Minister to recommend the Great Shaman for credit.”
In the dim light, Guan Yue opened her bright eyes. She seemed to be smiling, or perhaps she was weighing something.
Wang Qi earnestly pleaded again, saying that if the high shaman did not respond, he could only increase the ship's speed to maximum, quickly reach the shore, disembark, and seek treatment from a local shaman. He could also seek help from any Qin officials who remained in the area; he seemed to recall such a person.
Fortunately, Guan Yue finally got up and walked up to Wang Qi: "Let's go."
"Miasma invades the intestines, causing fever, diarrhea, and irregular eating habits," Guan Yue concluded after examining Meng Yi's complexion and physical condition.
Her voice was still low and hoarse, and Wang Qi had to listen very attentively to avoid missing anything.
The doctor examined the sweat dripping from his forehead: "What treatment do you suggest?"
Guan Yue glanced at Meng Yi, who was lying weakly on the bed, and thought of Meng Yi's cold and sharp demeanor in the ancestral hall earlier. She felt a secret sense of satisfaction.
"Take a three-year-old water chestnut, steam it to extract its juice, drink it, and then apply the hot juice to its abdomen." Guan Yue hugged her arms, knowing that the group might not be familiar with the Chu region: "Water chestnuts grow right by the riverbank; just look carefully. Minister Meng's dysentery is not serious; just take the medicine for a few days and pay attention to his diet."
“Your previous use of Coptis chinensis and Plantago asiatica did provide relief, and moxibustion is also a method I often use to treat patients with dysentery,” Guan Yue said. During their treatments, they would also perform some dances to drive away evil spirits. Meng Yi neither believed her nor bothered to dance.
In fact, Guan Yue felt that the reason why Meng Yi and his group contracted dysentery was probably because they were being punished by the gods for disrespecting them.
Everything in the universe has its counterpart; for every poison, there is an antidote. Even the dreaded dysentery can be treated with herbal remedies when symptoms are mild. Unfortunately, this information is only known to a select few.
Meng Yi struggled to open his eyes. He hadn't meant to spare the Great Shaman's life that day, but it had unexpectedly saved his own.
An eye for an eye.
Perhaps there really is such a thing as destiny.
-
After Meng Yi recovered, he ordered a full-speed journey to Yunmengze. In less than five days, the ship reached its destination.
Yunmengze is not a single lake, but a vast water system formed by the intersection of countless lakes, marshes, wetlands, and rivers. During the high-water season, the surface of the marshland is as vast as an inland sea, with water chestnuts floating among the lakes and marshes, and reeds swaying in the wind like green waves.
The midday temperature was unbearably hot and humid, and the rising water vapor formed a thin mist that enveloped the water's surface. Herds of rhinoceroses and wild oxen tumbled in the mud to escape the heat, while white deer were startled when elk stepped across the shallows; boats sailed across the water, fish and turtles leaped from the water, and soft-shelled turtles and alligators lurked among the grasses on the shallows.
The Mozi Gongshu records: "In Jing, there is Yunmeng, where rhinoceroses, wild oxen, deer, and elk abound, and the fish, turtles, soft-shelled turtles, and alligators of the Yangtze and Han Rivers are the richest in the world." This is no different.
The so-called Yunmeng Marsh covers an area that is surprisingly vast.
Scattered villages dotted the highlands along the marsh. After disembarking, Meng Yi and his group dispersed to gather information in the area.
Liu Ji and Wang Qi went ahead to gather information, while he walked slowly alone on the country road.
Two children in front of him were arguing about something and started fighting. Meng Yi quickly walked over to stop them.
"Mine! My mother gave it to me!" The boy shoved the girl and grabbed her collar.
The girl was equally adamant, gripping his hair tightly while quickly chewing and swallowing the sweet candy in her mouth: "This candy was given to me by Father! You already ate the one Mother gave you! You're trying to steal mine! You're bad, I'm going to tell Father and Mother!"
sugar?
Meng Yi hesitated. Making maltose required a large amount of grain, and in the Qin Dynasty, with its low productivity, ordinary people could not afford to exchange their staple food for sugar. If the common people wanted to taste sweetness, they could only find natural sugars in wild fruits and honey.
Meng Yi examined the two children's clothing. They were dressed in short linen garments, which did not suggest they came from a wealthy family. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the lines on their linen garments were smooth and identical to those of Xiangjun cloth.
Since he had doubts, Meng Yi tried to get the two children to talk.
He doesn't look fierce; in fact, he's quite handsome.
She lowered her head and spoke gently, which made her quite approachable. The two children were initially wary, but within a few words, she had revealed all the news about her family.
It turned out that the candy the two were talking about was a reward their parents received from their workplace. The parents couldn't bear to eat it themselves, so they brought it back to the two of them.
“My mother is amazing. Only the fastest weaver can get sugar cubes. There are only three people in our clan who have sugar cubes.”
"Do you know where they work?" Meng Yi asked.
The boy spoke quickly: "In the Keluo people of Qingcao Mountain! Their great shaman is incredibly powerful. My father said she made the slanted loom, and she taught us how to make the steamed buns and dumplings that she brings back for us every day."
“My mother said that if she wins another outstanding award, she can send us to study at Green Grass Mountain. The Great Witch is so kind,” the girl said, cupping her face in her hands.
Meng Yi raised his eyebrows, meaning that Xiangjun Cloth was very likely produced from the place where the two children's parents worked.
Then, the two children repeated the same thing several times, all praising the great shaman of Green Grass Mountain.
Seeing that he couldn't get any new information, Meng Yi took out a small piece of gold from his sleeve, handed it to the girl, and instructed her, "This is for you. Remember, don't give this to anyone else, only to your parents."
Wang Qi, Liu Ji, and the other people they sent out also returned. The news they brought was more or less, but almost all of it was related to one person.
Green Grass Mountain, the great shaman of the Keluo people.
In their words, this young great shaman was almost omnipotent. He could cure schistosomiasis, a disease that all the shamans in the Xiang River basin were helpless against. When he was weak, he dared to challenge the great shaman of the previous powerful clan and successfully took over the great shaman's power. He also used the slanted loom to win over the Zhao clan and local officials.
Now, even ordinary people can obtain considerable benefits from her.
Meng Yi became wary, sensing that this person was no ordinary individual.
If the information is accurate, how did her slanted loom manage to weave such a large quantity of Xiangjun cloth so quickly and well? It has even entered the market in Shouchun.
Just by looking at the Xiangjun cloth that Liu Ji bought in Shouchun that day, Meng Yi knew that if this cloth were sold in Xianyang, it would be just as effective.
His fingertip hovered over a spot on the map. After pondering for a long time, he suddenly asked Wang Qi, "The magistrate of Qianling County is named Feng Yin. Why does that name sound so familiar?"
Wang Qi replied, "Your Excellency, Feng Yin also participated in the war against Chu. After Chu was destroyed, he used his military merits to obtain an official position and stayed in Chu to serve as an official."
-
Beside the Qingcaoshan River stands a blast furnace more than two meters high.
The outer wall of the furnace was constructed of layers of rammed earth mixed with rice husks and shell powder. The interior was meticulously constructed with refractory clay mixed with broken pottery blocks. At the bottom of the blast furnace, several bronze pipes were inserted, winding their way to the water-cooled rafts erected on the bank.
The massive horizontal wheel was half-submerged in the river water, spinning violently under the impact of the flowing water. This drove the connecting rod back and forth, stimulating the blast furnace to blow air into the furnace, making the fire even more intense.
The water raft was designed by Lin Fengzhi and constructed under the supervision of Chi Su.
Lin Fengzhi stood beside the water pump with satisfaction, glancing at Chi Su several times with great admiration. She felt that this young man, Chi Su, had a bright future; he didn't just blindly follow her blueprints but had his own ideas. He had made modifications to both the water pump and the blast furnace, modifications that would improve efficiency.
Today, a batch of steel was to be produced, so Lin Fengzhi naturally informed the county magistrate. The magistrate arrived with his men, and Lin Fengzhi took a closer look; several of them were unfamiliar faces, and his expression was one of shock.
Lin Fengzhi was used to it; it would be strange if anyone who came for the first time wasn't amazed by the technology of the Korlos.
Her attention was quickly drawn to the blast furnace, and she stopped paying attention to it.
A wisp of smoke quietly escaped from the seam of the furnace body.
Lin Fengzhi immediately shouted, "Draw water!"
The waterwheel, stimulated, suddenly accelerated. The surging power of the water was converted into wind by the connecting rod, pouring into the furnace like a tidal wave. Black smoke billowed from the furnace opening, then transformed into towering flames that engulfed the iron shot thrown inside.
The earth began to tremble slightly, and a thunderous roar came from inside the blast furnace.
Everyone present was on high alert, especially the unfamiliar faces. The magistrate reassured the leader in a low voice: "Your Excellency, rest assured. The Great Shaman never does anything without certainty."
Shangqing (a high-ranking official).
Indeed, Meng Yi rushed from Yunmengze to Qianling County overnight. As soon as he met the county magistrate and began to test the so-called Great Shaman, he happened to run into Lin Fengzhi inviting the magistrate to watch the blast furnace smelting iron.
Meng Yi was completely unprepared and was shocked from the moment he stepped into Qianling County and spoke with the county magistrate. Qianling County's tax revenue, even before the harvest, had already surpassed the total of the previous four years.
Upon entering the territory of the Koruo people, he was amazed to see the vast expanse of thriving crops; he was also astonished to see the weavers skillfully weaving warp and weft, producing a foot of cloth in no time.
Upon seeing the water-powered millstones surging along the riverbank, his thoughts completely changed.
He thought despairingly, "Ha, who is from the capital and who is a barbarian tribe?"
He thought he was no longer surprised by anything, but when he actually saw the scene of steel being forged using the power of nature, his heart was still filled with turbulent waves.
Everyone was incredibly excited. Although he had countless questions in his mind, Meng Yi could only remain silent in amazement.
Sheng Kuan and Chi Su stared intently at the color of the flames at the furnace opening and the rhythm of the water flow amidst the scorching heat, occasionally inserting specially made long sticks into the furnace to check the melting state.
The fire finally changed from dark red to a blinding, blazing white.
"The time is right!" Lin Fengzhi shouted. "Open the furnace bottom and pour in the molten pool!"
A blazing, dazzling golden-red dragon, carrying suffocating heat and the stench of sulfur, roared and surged forth, cascading directly into the enormous square brick pool that had been prepared before the furnace. The molten gold churned, sparks danced wildly, and the riverbank was transformed into a lava hell.
The onlookers were terrified and retreated.
Meng Yi also covered his face with his sleeve, feeling the hot wind scrape his bones like a knife, but his chest was churning with the power that could destroy the world and create all things.
Lin Fengzhi and the Mohist disciples charged forward.
Several strong Mohist disciples, wielding long staffs over ten feet long, boldly plunged into the molten pool under Lin Fengzhi's command.
The molten iron rapidly decarburized and thickened during the intense oxidation process, its color changing from a glaring incandescent white to a flowing, reddish-gold. A strange, metallic, acrid smell filled the air.
Lin Feng stared intently at the churning slag and molten iron separating from each other on the surface of the molten pool.
The molten iron in the pool had a peculiarly supple and viscous texture, with dark oxide slag floating on the surface. Lin Fengzhi picked up a long spade and carefully scooped up a small clump of reddish liquid, scrutinizing its fracture surface. The fracture was no longer the grayish-white brittleness of pig iron, but rather revealed dense, silvery-gray fibers.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for her verdict.
"It's done!"
The announcement was like a thunderclap.
Everyone erupted in thunderous cheers.
A storm raged within Meng Yi. Ignoring the heat, he strode forward and bent down for a closer look. The iron block was of uniform color and fine texture, far superior to any pig iron he had ever seen before.
Lin Fengzhi was afraid he would fall, so she quickly pushed him away.
Lin Fengzhi winked at An, who handed her a sword. She drew the longsword from its scabbard; its intricate forging patterns resembled the flow of a rushing river, and the blade gleamed with a cold light, as if shrouded in frost. She flicked her finger lightly, and the sword rang out with a long, resonant sound.
"Before inviting the magistrate, we tried forging a batch of steel, and the quality was quite good." Lin Fengzhi waved the sword in his hand: "Chi Su used to make bronze swords, so I asked him to make this sword. The effect is very good."
Meng Yi's eyes burned with fervor: "With this precious sword, may I test its sharpness?"
Lin Fengzhi smiled slowly, glancing at the bronze sword at his waist: "I couldn't ask for more."
A steel blade, after being meticulously quenched, possesses a sharpness and resilience far superior to that of a bronze sword. Bronze swords, created through casting, have a single, seamless blade, resulting in unparalleled sharpness. Their composition endows them with excellent ductility; when subjected to strong impacts, the blade may bend and deform rather than break.
Bronze's fatal weakness lies in its insufficient hardness. Furthermore, limited by bronze's strength and casting techniques, the length of bronze swords used in actual combat was mostly between 50 and 80 centimeters. An excessively long blade is prone to bending or even breaking when wielded. The famous sword of King Goujian of Yue, considered a pinnacle of bronze sword craftsmanship, is only 55.6 centimeters long.
The outcome of this clash between the steel sword and the bronze sword was predictable.
Meng Yi's bronze sword had already chipped and broken after only a few moves against Lin Fengzhi.
Lin Fengzhi touched her nose, hoping the other party wouldn't ask her for compensation.
Meng Yi looked at the cracks on the bronze sword, then at the intact steel sword, lost in thought.
Unaware of Meng Yi's identity, she turned to the magistrate and said, "Magistrate, this steel can be used to make iron plows and weapons. With this blast furnace in hand, what do you think?"
The magistrate's voice rose with excitement, as if he could see countless achievements beckoning to him: "With this blast furnace, we can forge sharp blades with ring pommels, create powerful crossbow mechanisms, and forge tireless plowshares! The weapons and armor of our Qin warriors, and the farming tools of our common people, will surely be unparalleled in the world!"
Hmm, Lin Fengzhi was slightly puzzled. Why was the county magistrate talking about something so high-level today?
Meng Yi stared intently at the blast furnace, then glanced at Lin Fengzhi, who remained completely oblivious.
He thought that although the fire had temporarily died down, its scorching light was deeply imprinted in the eyes of every witness.
He keenly recognized that the thunderous steel project on the banks of the Xiang River would bring irresistible and unimaginable changes to the Qin Dynasty.
This power, this power brought by the girl before us, will flow along the veins of the Great Qin Dynasty, into the massive body of the Great Qin Dynasty as it forges a new era, becoming the cold yet resilient skeleton that supports the vast land.
Along the way, he witnessed not only the changes in the land of the Keluo people, but also in Qianling County and Yunmengze.
He single-handedly provided enough food and clothing for the so-called barbarian tribes and increased the tax revenue of Qianling County many times over.
He observed how the people around him were looking at her.
It was admiration, trust, and above all, heartfelt love and respect.
What a terrifying power, what a magnificent power.
That day, Meng Yi didn't even return to the county town. Instead, he stayed in the territory of the Keluo people and wrote a long letter to the First Emperor.
It is comparable to Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring.
At the end of the letter, he said this.
[...This woman weaves the fabric of heaven to clothe the common people, refines star iron to secure the nation, and sows fine grain to fill the granaries...I, your humble servant, risk my life to offer this advice: Possessing such talent is akin to possessing the Nine Tripods; the foundation of the Great Qin Dynasty will surely endure for a thousand years!]
In short, the whole thing can be summed up in four words: Your Majesty, come immediately!!!
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Author's Note: I'm working overtime this weekend [laughing and crying emoji][laughing and crying emoji], [heartbroken emoji] the next chapter will directly depict the female lead meeting the First Emperor. Don't wait for me these next few days, update on Monday.
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