Start Being a Vassal King Today - Chapter 39

[Chapter 39 Improved Smelting]

“His Royal Highness, drink tea.”

Zhao Xu and Wang Ying talked enthusiastically in the office of the military department.

He asked Wang Ying about many folk skills, and Wang Yingju answered them fluently.

The two talked more and more speculatively, and almost forgot about others.

Liu Fu was so sour, King Yan had never been so excited about him.

Feeling a little sad in his heart, he served tea to show his existence.

“Liu Fu, you did a good job this time. I will reward you when you go back.” Picking up the teacup, Zhao Xu gave Liu Fu an appreciative look.

For him, professional things are best done by professional people.

In ancient times, the literacy rate was very low, and people who were literate and skilled in technology were almost rare.

Although Wang Ying is not a scientist-like figure, at least he does not reject technology and attaches great importance to technology.

And it is enough to serve as the chief of the Military Division.

Liu Fu’s feeling of falling out of favor immediately flew out of the clouds.

He laughed and said: “Your Highness’s urgency is the urgency of being dismissed from office. Wang should make His Royal Highness like it. I am extremely honored to be an official.”

Wang Ying looked at Liu Fu with gratitude in his eyes.

If it weren’t for him, I would still be a wanderer in the market now, how could I meet King Yan who has the same interests as me in my forties.

Zhao Xu nodded, drank his tea, and went to the War Division for a walk.

Wang Ying and Liu Fu introduced the situation.

Yanjun Bingzheng Division occupies a place of one square.

This square is a standard area in Dasong City.

If the city is like a chessboard, then this square is the square on the chessboard.

The same is true for residential buildings, commercial offices, government offices, and military divisions in the grid.

“At present, there are a total of five hundred craftsmen in the Bingzhang Division. Blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons are all available. Whatever Your Highness needs, we can build it now…” Wang Ying revealed the Bingzhang Division’s family background like a treasure.

Zhao Xu was overjoyed.

The purpose of his taking down the Bing Zhansi was the craftsmen among them.

With them, the technical advantages in my mind can be brought into play.

Once he has a technical advantage, he will make up for the current unfavorable situation and sit firmly on the Diaoyutai.

“From today onwards, the craftsmen of the Bingzhang Division are not allowed to go out. From now on, every skill that this king teaches you will be extremely important.” After probably patrolling the Bingzhang Division, everyone returned to the Bingzhan Division’s office.

Ordering Liu Fu and others to wait outside, Zhao Xu ordered Wang Ying.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Wang Ying’s heart sank.

From Zhao Xu’s serious expression, he could feel the seriousness of King Yan.

At this moment, Zhao Xu picked up the pen on the desk, and said to Wang Ying: “Da Song’s current ironmaking skills are very backward. This king teaches a method, and you can implement it immediately.”

From what he understood.

Da Song’s current iron and steel making skills are not good.

Ironmaking is basically hard burning, and what is burned is a group of red iron lumps.

Then these iron bumps are beaten repeatedly, or mature iron, or become steel.

Of course, weapons built in this way are also possible.

But the problem is inefficiency.

And this kind of weapons and armor made of steel is generally exclusive to generals.

Ordinary soldiers still use inferior steel.

This is what he learned from Chang Wei.

Therefore, if he wants to arm his own army, it is imperative to improve the level of steel smelting.

Only when the quality and quantity of steel are up, he can do more things in the next step.

Including the gradual realization of industrial germination in Yan County, and then gradual development.

After all, it is not impossible to win at the same level as Beidi Xiliang.

But the price of winning was too high.

Since he has a technological advantage, why can’t he use technology to make the cost less?

“Blast furnace?”

While Zhao Xu was writing and drawing, Wang Ying kept looking up.

At this time, there are two tower-mounted buildings on the white paper.

In the building, Zhao Xu used different patterns to mark different materials.

Within a quarter of an hour, Zhao Xu put down his pen and asked, “Is there anything I don’t understand?”

“This is the method of making iron, but what is this coke? What is lime?” Wang Ying looked puzzled.

At present, Dasong mainly uses charcoal to smelt iron, so he was very puzzled.

“You know coal cakes.” Zhao Xu asked, like a teacher.

He knew that the iron-making concept he came up with was too advanced, so Wang Ying naturally didn’t understand it.

“This official knows about it.”

Zhao Xu continued, “Did you see the kiln on the paper? Put coal cakes into it and pound it, then smolder, and the coal cakes have to pick out smelly ones.”

“Smelly? “It’s not difficult for Wang Ying to understand smoldering, because charcoal is made of smoldering, he understands, but he doesn’t understand if briquettes are smelly.

Zhao Xu smiled, “This stinky carbon is different from other carbons, so it can only be burned into coke.”

The most suitable coke is bituminous coal, which was also called stinky carbon in ancient times.

Jinzhou, which is adjacent to Yanzhou, is the contemporary Shanxi. It can be said that coal is everywhere.

So there is no shortage of briquettes in Yan County.

Wang Ying nodded, “What about this lime?”

“Thousands of hammers and ten thousand blows out of the deep mountains, the fire will burn like nothing. Don’t be afraid of being smashed into pieces, and stay innocent in the world.” Zhao Xu read a poem.

This is a poem of the contemporary Ming Dynasty, and it is about the process of mining lime from the mountains and burning it.

His Yan County is adjacent to Yanshan Mountain in the north, and limestone is abundant in this contemporary area.

So he described the appearance of Limestone to Wang Ying to see if he had seen it.

“Grey stones? There seem to be quite a few in the mountains. Later, the officials will send people to the mountains to find some and try to burn them.” Wang Ying said, there are ready-made kilns in the Military Division.

The material problem is solved.

Zhao Xu talked to Wang Ying about the construction of the blast furnace and asked him to use materials for firing ceramics for the furnace body.

Because ceramic materials are refractory materials.

“What is this furnace connected by a pipe next to it?” Wang Ying pointed to the tower building next to the blast furnace.

“This is used to store heat and blow wind.” Zhao Xu explained.

The iron burned by the ancients is solid.

The reason is that the temperature is not enough.

To increase the temperature, one uses coke, and the other uses air blast.

With these two things in place, the iron flowing out of the blast furnace is in liquid state, which is very convenient for shaping and will save a lot of beating time.

After some explanation, Wang Ying roughly understood.

“I’ll send someone to do it right now.” Wang Ying took a deep look at Zhao Xu.

Before meeting Zhao Xu, he was still somewhat conceited.

I think that my own is unique in Dasong, and no one can compare.

But the thing that Zhao Xu took out at random made him scratch his head.

“If you don’t understand, just come to the palace and ask.” Zhao Xu got up.

The tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn’t stop, so he has to get some hard goods to deal with his enemies.

After patting Wang Ying on the shoulder, Zhao Xu left the military department.

It wasn’t until Zhao Xu went out that Wang Ying, who was still figuring out the blueprints, came back to his senses.

When he left the office, he could only see Zhao Xu’s back.

“Those who are masters are teachers, and those who are masters are teachers.” Wang Ying muttered a few words, and ran to the workshop in the Bingzhang Division regardless of appearance.

Having mobilized craftsmen, he began to prepare materials for construction without stopping.

He wanted to see if everything King Yan said was true.

Liquid iron that flows? That’s almost unheard of.

(end of this chapter)