The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 39 - Refining Techniques

“Your Highness, have some tea.”

In the private administrative office of the Armory Office, Zhao Xu and Wang Ying were engaged in an animated conversation. Zhao Xu inquired about various Dasong Dynasty folk techniques, and Wang Ying answered each question fluently. The two were so engrossed in their discussion that they nearly forgot about everyone else.

Liu Fu felt a pang of envy; Prince Yan had never been this enthusiastic with him. Feeling a bit melancholic, he offered tea to remind them of his presence.

“Liu Fu, you’ve done well this time. When we return, I shall reward you,” Zhao Xu said, raising his teacup and giving Liu Fu an appreciative nod. To him, professional matters were best handled by professionals.

In ancient times, literacy rates were low, and those who could read and also engage in technical work were exceedingly rare. Wang Ying might not be a scientist, but he didn’t shy away from technology and valued it highly. That made him suitable to oversee the Armory Office.

Liu Fu’s feeling of being sidelined vanished instantly. He chuckled, “Your Highness’s urgency is my urgency. It’s an honor that Wang Ying pleases Your Highness.”

Wang Ying glanced at Liu Fu, gratitude evident in his eyes. Without Liu Fu, he might still be wandering the streets, never meeting a kindred spirit like Prince Yan in his middle age.

Zhao Xu nodded, took a sip of tea, and then toured the Armory Office. Wang Ying and Liu Fu provided introductions along the way.

The Armory Office in Yan Prefecture occupied an entire block. This block was a standard area within Dasong’s city structure. If the city were a chessboard, then this block would be one of the squares. Inside these squares were residences, businesses, government offices, and the Armory Office.

“Currently, the Armory Office houses five hundred craftsmen, including blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons. Whatever Your Highness needs, we can create it now…” Wang Ying detailed the resources of the Armory Office with pride.

Zhao Xu was delighted. His goal in securing the Armory Office was precisely for its craftsmen. With them, he could leverage the technical knowledge in his mind. Once he had a technical edge, he could counter the current unfavorable situation and maintain a strategic advantage.

“From today onwards, craftsmen in the Armory Office are not permitted to leave. Every technique I teach you will be of utmost importance,” Zhao Xu instructed Wang Ying after a thorough inspection of the Armory Office, as they returned to the private administrative office.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Wang Ying felt a weight in his heart. Zhao Xu’s serious demeanor conveyed the gravity of the situation.

Zhao Xu picked up a pen from the desk and addressed Wang Ying, “The current iron refining techniques in Dasong are quite primitive. I will teach you a method, and you must implement it immediately.”

From what he understood, Dasong’s iron and steel refining techniques were inadequate. Iron refining was essentially just burning, resulting in a lump of red-hot iron. These lumps were then repeatedly hammered, becoming either wrought iron or steel. While weapons made this way were functional, the process was inefficient.

Moreover, such laboriously forged weapons and armor were typically reserved for commanders. Ordinary soldiers still used inferior steel. This was something he learned from Chang Wei.

Therefore, if he wanted to arm his personal guard, improving steel refining techniques was imperative. Only when the quality and quantity of steel were enhanced could he proceed with further plans, including gradually fostering industrial growth in Yan Prefecture.

After all, while it was possible to compete with Beidi and Xiliang on equal footing, the cost of victory was too high. Since he possessed a technical advantage, why not use it to reduce the cost?

“Blast furnace?”

As Zhao Xu scribbled and sketched, Wang Ying craned his neck to watch. On the white paper, two tower-like structures had emerged, with various materials marked by different symbols within them. After fifteen minutes, Zhao Xu set down his pen and asked, “Any questions?”

“This is a method for smelting iron, but what is this coke? And what is lime?” Wang Ying looked puzzled. The Dasong Dynasty primarily used charcoal for iron smelting, so he was quite baffled.

“Do you know coal briquettes?” Zhao Xu asked, adopting the tone of a teacher. He understood that the iron-smelting concept he presented was too advanced for Wang Ying to grasp easily.

“Yes, I do,” Wang Ying replied.

Zhao Xu continued, “See this blast furnace on the paper? You need to pack the coal briquettes tightly inside and then smolder them. And the briquettes should be the smelly kind.”

“Smelly?” Wang Ying found the concept of smoldering easy to grasp, as charcoal was made this way, but the idea of using smelly coal briquettes puzzled him.

Zhao Xu chuckled, “This smelly coal is different from other types; only this can be used to make coke.”

The best coal for coking is bituminous coal, historically known as smelly coal. The neighboring Jin Province, known today as Shanxi¹, is abundant in coal. Thus, coal briquettes were not scarce in Yan Prefecture.

Wang Ying nodded, “And what about this lime?”

“Chisel deep into the mountains, burn fiercely without fear. Pulverize and shatter, leaving purity in the world,” Zhao Xu recited a poem. This poem described the process of extracting limestone from the mountains and refining it through burning.

His Yan Prefecture bordered the Yan Mountains, an area rich in limestone in modern times. So he described the appearance of limestone to Wang Ying, asking if he had seen it before.

“Gray stones? There seem to be plenty in the mountains. I’ll send someone to fetch some and try burning them,” Wang Ying said, noting that the Armory Office had ready-made blast furnaces.

With the material issue resolved, Zhao Xu discussed the construction details of the blast furnace with Wang Ying, instructing him to use ceramic materials for the furnace body, as ceramics are fire-resistant.

“And what is this structure with a pipe connected to the furnace?” Wang Ying pointed to the tower-like building next to the blast furnace.

“This is for heat storage and blowing air,” Zhao Xu explained.

In ancient times, the iron produced was solid due to insufficient temperature. To increase the temperature, one method is using coke, and the other is blowing air. With these two elements, the iron flowing from the blast furnace would be liquid, making it much easier to shape and saving a lot of hammering time.

After Zhao Xu’s explanation, Wang Ying had a general understanding.

“I’ll send someone to start working on it immediately,” Wang Ying said, casting a deep glance at Zhao Xu. Before meeting Zhao Xu, he had been somewhat arrogant, believing his skills were unparalleled in the Dasong Dynasty. But the casual concept Zhao Xu presented had him scratching his head.

“If you have any questions, feel free to come to the Prince’s Mansion,” Zhao Xu said, standing up. The winds of change were relentless, forcing him to produce tangible results to counter his adversaries.

Patting Wang Ying on the shoulder, Zhao Xu left the Armory Office. It wasn’t until Zhao Xu had exited that Wang Ying, still pondering the blueprints, snapped back to reality. As he stepped out of the private administrative office, he could only see Zhao Xu’s departing figure.

“A true master is a teacher, a true master is a teacher,” Wang Ying muttered, running unceremoniously towards the workshop within the Armory Office. Gathering the craftsmen, he began the preparations for materials and construction without delay.

He was eager to see if everything Prince Yan had described was indeed true. Liquid iron? It was unheard of.

Footnote:

1. Shanxi(山西):A province in northern China, historically often referred to as Jin (晋) or the Jin Province. It is renowned for its vast coal reserves, making it a crucial energy hub.