"Why is it so hot outside?" This was the first sentence Feng Yuheng said after coming out of retreat.
The temperature in the furnace was high, so they both wore thin clothes. But when they walked out of the furnace and into the Xutian Cave, they felt cold again, so they changed into winter clothes. The temperature in the Xutian Cave was low all year round, so they had to wear cotton-padded jackets even in the dog days of summer.
The two of them were so confused that they didn't realize how long they had been in seclusion. It was not until she said she was hot that Xuan Tianming paid attention to the clothes of the generals outside. Then he nudged the girl beside him with his elbow and whispered, "How long have we been locked up in there?"
Feng Yuheng thought for a moment, "Only a month at most, right?"
"Impossible." Xuan Tianming pointed at the soldiers and said, "Look, they are all wearing summer clothes."
She was shocked and looked carefully. Sure enough, they were all wearing thin clothes, and some people were even shirtless.
Wang Chuan Huang Quan was also in the crowd. When he saw the two of them coming out, he quickly stepped forward and saluted, saying, "Your servant greets His Highness and Miss."
Feng Yuheng stroked his forehead. The two girls were wearing gauze skirts, so he couldn't help but ask, "What month is it now?"
Wang Chuan replied: "It is already the middle of June. The young lady and His Highness have been in seclusion for a full 108 days."
The two were shocked again. One hundred and eight days, more than three months, the middle of June in the lunar calendar is equivalent to the end of July in the solar calendar. It was scorching hot! Feng Yuheng said nothing and quickly pulled off the cloak behind him.
At this moment, Xuan Tianming did not care that he was sweating profusely. He could not hide his excitement. He raised a hard object in his hand high up and said loudly: "My first piece of steel for Dashun is done!"
As soon as he said this, everything went quiet. It was as if time had suddenly stopped. No one spoke, and even held their breath. The mountains were lush and green in the summer, and birds and cicadas were chirping, but after his words, the birds stopped moving and the cicadas were silent. For a moment, the only sound was the rushing water of the distant river.
People stared at the object in Xuan Tianming's hand with their eyes wide open. The old blacksmiths stumbled forward a few steps, looking at the object called steel as if it were a treasure. Even Wang Chuan Huang Quan's eyes lit up, and the secret guards who had been hiding in various places also appeared one after another. No one wanted to miss this historic moment.
I don't know how long it was before someone asked in a trembling voice: "Is this... steel?"
Xuan Tianming nodded, "Yes, this is steel!"
Wow!
The crowd cheered and applauded, their joy was beyond words. The soldiers shouted loudly towards the mountains, while the blacksmiths knelt down in front of the piece of steel, tears streaming down their faces.
Perhaps the atmosphere here was too intense, and the people in the main camp also sensed it, and gathered in groups towards Xutian Cave to join the carnival.
Not to mention the soldiers and blacksmiths, even Feng Yuheng herself was infected by this atmosphere. During the 108 days of seclusion, no one could imagine the hardships she and Xuan Tianming had endured.
The furnace ground was like a big steamer, so stuffy that it was hard to breathe. Although there were ventilation holes, they could only ensure that people could survive in such an environment. It was absolutely impossible to live comfortably. Steelmaking was a belief in the hearts of the two. Feng Yuheng wanted to challenge himself and create new steel in this era without any high technology. For Xuan Tianming, Dashun had steel, which was equivalent to a higher status in the world and a big step forward compared to other countries.
In short, once the steel is tempered, there is no stopping the rhythm. At first, they would go to the cave to rest every two days, but the more they entered the critical stage, the more difficult it was, and the more accurate and continuous the operation was required. The two had no time to go to the cave again. They cooked three meals a day and leaned against the stone wall to take a nap when they were sleepy, but they could only take a nap for a few dozen minutes at most, and they had to wake up immediately to proceed with the next operation.
During the most difficult period, the two of them fell asleep while practicing, and ended up missing the time. All the materials were wasted, and they had to start all over again after waking up.
Another time, the stove burned dry. If the soldiers outside had not rushed in and rescued them, both of them would have been choked to death by the smoke.
Fortunately, she still had a portable space, so she never lacked iced water, and from time to time she would take out a few buckets of instant noodles to make do with a meal.
But it is not enough to just solve the problem of food and drink. People also have many necessary physiological needs, especially since her period has come and it comes on time every month, so she has to go into the space anytime and anywhere to deal with it.
Xuan Tianming had gotten used to a living person suddenly disappearing before his eyes these days. He felt it was new at first, but later he stopped caring. He just knew Feng Yuheng was safe. With such an invisible ability, if he encountered danger in the future, he could at least save his life.
In short, they had endured all the hardships and finally made a real piece of steel. Although it was only a small piece the size of a palm, through the refining process of this piece of steel, they also developed a series of new steelmaking methods. Feng Yuheng believed that with this success, the popularization of steel in the Dashun Army was just around the corner.
The soldiers' excitement continued unabated. Feng Yuheng saw that among the blacksmiths who were still kneeling on the ground, the leader was the old man who wanted to plead for his grandson. She walked forward, helped the old man up with her own hands, and then asked, "Old sir, do you think a piece of steel this size is enough to make a knife?"
When the old man heard Feng Yuheng discussing technical issues with him, he immediately became serious. He stared at the steel for a long while and nodded, "If it's not waste, it should be enough to make two swords."
Feng Yuheng said, "That's great. I will give this piece of steel to you, old sir. You can use it to make a sword, and then your highness and I will personally present it to the emperor. Is that okay?"
The old blacksmith's eyes lit up, "Really?"
"real."
The blacksmith nodded vigorously, took the piece of steel from Xuan Tianming with trembling hands, and was so excited that he didn't wait for a moment, and ran into the Xutian Cave with a wild laugh. The boy who was his apprentice said a little embarrassedly: "My grandfather is like this. I'm afraid he won't be able to sleep well until this steel knife is made." As he said that, he saluted the two and followed them in to help.
Xuan Tianming announced in a clear voice: "All generals, listen to my orders! Prepare wine, meat and bonfires, and have a feast for the three armies tonight. We will rest tomorrow, and we will officially start steelmaking from the day after tomorrow!"
The commander's success in making steel was like a shot of confidence for everyone. The blacksmiths who had been waiting in the army for too long and had become unsure were also encouraged again. Many people had already run into the Xutian Cave to watch the old blacksmith making knives, and the rest were divided into groups by the leader, waiting for the assignment the day after tomorrow.
Qian Li stepped forward and said to the two men, "I have already brought back another fifty blacksmiths. We have divided them into ten groups of five. They are all waiting in the camp, waiting for the general and the county lady to dispatch them."
Xuan Tianming waved his hand and said, "We will discuss everything the day after tomorrow. For now, we need to let your county lady have a good rest."
Feng Yuheng was really tired. She might not have felt it while she was refining steel inside, but now that the steel was ready, she relaxed and all the fatigue came back. She brought Wang Chuan Huang Quan back to the camp and went to see Yao first.
Yao's body has now recovered more than 80%. At first glance, she looks no different from a normal person, except that her pulse is still a little floating. However, it is not a big deal. She just needs to continue recuperating and she will be fully recovered.
Seeing her coming, Yao was very happy, holding her hand and asking her about steelmaking. When she heard that the new steel had been made, she breathed a sigh of relief and said with some relief: "I was really worried that you couldn't make steel. We have caused so much trouble to the military camp. If this steel can't be made, how can we explain it to others!"
Feng Yuheng patted the back of her hand and consoled her: "Mother, you are overthinking. I never lie. If I say I can practice, then I can practice."
Yao also sighed, "My Ah Heng is a promising child, mother, don't worry, but..." She paused, then said, "You can help in the military camp, but I don't have such a legitimate reason here, so, I think..."
"I will have someone prepare the house in Xiaozhou as soon as possible. Now the new steel is out of the furnace and the blacksmith has taken it to forge it. After it is made, Your Highness and I will personally deliver the steel knife to the emperor. After these things are settled, Ah Heng will personally send mother to Xiaozhou."
Yao heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Actually, you don't have to send me off. You're so busy, just send someone to send me off."
Feng Yuheng shook her head, "Zi Rui is not only my biological son, he is also my biological brother. There is no sister in the world who doesn't love her brother. Please don't persuade me, mother."
She didn't stay with Yao for long. After she finished what she wanted to say, she took Wangchuan and Huangquan out. Wangchuan saw that she looked unhappy and advised: "Madam is also troubled by the Soul-Separating Powder. Miss, don't take it too seriously. The young master is young, and it is reasonable for Madam to care more about him."
"I know." There was no extra expression on her face, but there was a hint of disappointment in her tone, "Once everything is done, send her to Xiaozhou as soon as possible."
The three of them returned to Feng Yuheng's tent. Huang Quan was busy preparing water for her bath, while Wang Chuan told her the news of the past three months: "Qingyu came a few times. When she heard that the young lady was in seclusion, she only stayed for one night and went back. Qian Zhou's people arrived in the capital about a month after the young lady was in seclusion. They brought a lot of dowry to the Feng family and sent all the 10 million taels of gold to the county lady's mansion. Qingyu said that she kept 8 million taels in the secret room of the mansion, and exchanged the other 2 million taels for small gold notes so that she could use them at any time."
Feng Yuheng nodded, "Qingyu always considers everything in this regard. I feel relieved to hand over the financial power of the family to her."
Wang Chuan continued, "Princess Rujia's injuries have almost healed. She can walk. Only the scars have not been removed. She will stay in the palace for the time being. Princess Kangyi has proposed to take her away several times, but the Queen Mother has not agreed."
She thought for a moment and asked Wang Chuan, "Do you know who Qian Zhou came with this time? Can they go back now?"
Wang Chuan shook his head. "It was an uncle who came with two civil officials and two military officers. He has not returned yet. The emperor kept him there, saying that he wanted to wait for the county lady to refine new steel and open the eyes of the people of Qianzhou. Oh, by the way, the uncle also brought his little grandson, a four-year-old boy. In terms of seniority, he is the cousin of Princess Rujia."
Feng Yuheng pondered for a while, and this kind of personnel configuration was normal. There was an elder delivering the dowry, accompanied by civil and military officials, and a child, and it looked very peaceful and friendly. But why did she always feel that this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface?
"Is there any movement in Feng Mansion?"
Wang Chuan's face darkened, "Yes!"
... The daughter of a genius doctor
...
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