The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 49 - Chang Wei is Injured

“Your Highness is truly gifted. Such iron smelting techniques are unprecedented in this world,” said Wang Ying, his back drenched with sweat amidst the steaming heat, as he bowed to Zhao Xu.

His skepticism had vanished, replaced by admiration.

Zhao Xu appeared calm. To the ancients, this might seem like sorcery, but for him, it was merely basic knowledge.

However, this “basic knowledge” was crucial for his fief.

It was the key to resolving the crisis in his lands.

Now that the technical issues with large-scale iron smelting had been addressed.

The problems with large-scale steel production were naturally solved as well.

Next, he could use this superior steel to transform his troops into an army as strong as steel itself.

At this thought, he felt a surge of satisfaction.

Suddenly, Wang Ying knelt down.

Zhao Xu paused, puzzled. “Mr. Wang, what does this mean?”

Wiping the grime from his face, Wang Ying spoke earnestly, “Your Highness, Wang Ying, a humble man, is profoundly impressed by your scholarship during our conversation. I hope Your Highness will not abandon me and will instruct me further.”

“Instruct you?” Zhao Xu smiled.

Wang Ying nodded, “Though I am aware of the vast gap between us, my lifelong ambition lies here, and I am willing to pay any price to glimpse a fraction of your knowledge.”

He came from a modest background and, seeing no prospects in his official career, had traveled the world to collect various skills to leave a lasting legacy.

But upon joining the Armory Office and witnessing Prince Yan’s remarkable techniques, he realized how little he knew.

Thus, he humbly knelt, asking for guidance.

Zhao Xu helped Wang Ying to his feet.

Surely, it was his earlier discussion about carbon and the role of limestone in smelting that had astounded Wang Ying.

Yet, for the sake of knowledge, Wang Ying was willing to set aside his dignity. This was exactly the kind of person Zhao Xu was looking for.

Only such individuals could learn the modern knowledge he had brought with him and apply it effectively.

“Mr. Wang, please rise. I shall share all I know,” Zhao Xu said with a smile.

Wang Ying was overjoyed. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Pointing to the pool of liquid iron, he no longer showed off but explained thoroughly, “The difference between iron and steel lies in the amount of carbon; for example, in ten thousand jin of iron, the carbon content varies from two to two hundred jin. That’s what defines steel…”

Zhao Xu explained in terms Wang Ying could understand.

Wang Ying nodded frequently.

After Zhao Xu finished, Wang Ying had a basic understanding of why iron and steel are different and how to achieve the transformation between them.

“I never thought that iron smelting could contain such profound principles,” Wang Ying marveled, as if Zhao Xu had opened a new window to the world for him.

He also grasped the principles behind Prince Yan’s iron smelting technique.

Even the use of graphite crucibles for steel making was clear to him-it was merely a matter of carbon infusion to transform pig iron into steel.

“Are you still willing to learn more complex and difficult concepts in the future?” Zhao Xu joked.

“Your Highness, I have no other desires left in life but to hear your teachings under your command,” Wang Ying replied earnestly.

Zhao Xu nodded slightly, “Now that our iron smelting technique is established, you should start by constructing twenty blast furnaces to smelt iron day and night. In the coming days, we will find graphite and make crucibles for steel making.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Wang Ying bowed deeply.

Glancing at the pool of liquid iron, Zhao Xu felt immensely pleased.

This marked the successful first step in the industrial march of Yan Prefecture.

Leaving the Armory Office, Zhao Xu was about to return to the Prince’s Mansion when he noticed a cloud of dust rising from the northern side of the main road in Yan Prefecture. A group of cavalry was galloping towards the mansion.

Zhao Xu gave Xu Lie a look. Xu Lie immediately spurred his horse forward, blocking the path of the cavalry.

As the cavalry drew closer, they halted upon seeing Xu Lie and noticed Prince Yan was present as well. One of the riders dismounted swiftly and rushed to Zhao Xu, kneeling before him with tears streaming down his face. “Your Highness, General Chang is gravely injured, hanging by a thread. Please, save him.”

Zhao Xu and Xu Lie were taken aback by the news.

“Where is General Chang?” Zhao Xu asked.

“Right there,” the soldier pointed to the rear of the group.

Zhao Xu moved past the soldier and saw a litter being carried by two horses at the back. Pulling aside the curtain, he found Chang Wei lying inside, covered in blood with three short arrows embedded deep in his flesh.

“Take General Chang to the Prince’s Mansion for treatment immediately,” Zhao Xu ordered.

There was no time to ask what had happened. The soldiers obeyed and quickly headed towards the mansion with Chang Wei.

Xu Lie was trembling with anger, gritting his teeth. “The Beidi…”

“Let’s discuss this back at the mansion,” Zhao Xu said, giving him a glance before riding off, with Xu Lie following closely.

Back at the mansion, Zhao Xu instructed Feng’er to prepare a courtyard for Chang Wei, assigning two maids to care for him. He then summoned a doctor to inquire about the situation from the soldiers.

“Didn’t I instruct you to act according to the situation? How did General Chang end up so severely injured?” Zhao Xu questioned.

One soldier, his voice filled with sorrow, explained, “We were merely shadowing the Beidi cavalry, waiting for an opportunity to strike.”

“But the Beidi were ruthless. Upon discovering us, they entered a village and began executing the villagers in the fields, forcing us to engage.”

“General Chang couldn’t bear to see the villagers slaughtered and ordered us to attack. Unfortunately, we fell into an ambush, caught between two forces. The Beidi archers were deadly accurate. Though we fought fiercely and defeated most of the enemy, we suffered heavy losses, and the general was gravely wounded.”

The soldier recounted everything truthfully.

“Sigh,” Liu Fu, who had come from the gatehouse, sighed upon hearing the account.

Before Chang Wei left, he had been specifically warned. Yet, the losses were still so severe.

Zhao Xu’s expression darkened. He couldn’t blame Chang Wei. He would have acted the same way, even at the risk of death.

“Did only you return?” Zhao Xu asked.

Five hundred cavalry had set out, and only a few dozen had returned. The losses were staggering.

“We were the first to return. Over a hundred more are on their way back,” the soldier replied.

“Half,” Zhao Xu murmured.

It wasn’t too bad, considering the cavalry’s varied skill levels. Surviving against the elite Beidi reconnaissance force with half their numbers was no small feat. He couldn’t fault them.

At this moment, the doctor arrived, and Zhao Xu instructed him to treat Chang Wei.

The doctor examined Chang Wei, lifting his eyelids and unbuttoning his clothes. Beneath the blood-soaked garments, three arrowheads were deeply embedded in his body-one in the shoulder, one in the arm, and one in the back.

Due to the hot weather, the wounds were red and beginning to fester.

Zhao Xu’s frown deepened. It was clear that Chang Wei had lost a lot of blood and was unconscious due to the infection in his wounds. He touched Chang Wei’s forehead, feeling the burning heat.

This was bad.

The doctor spoke up, “The general’s blood loss has left him weak, and the wounds have worsened his condition. While the weakness can be remedied, the arrow wounds may prove fatal.”

He had treated many wounded soldiers before, and those with deep, inflamed wounds often left their fate to chance.

Xu Lie and the soldiers’ eyes were red with emotion. As seasoned soldiers, they understood the doctor’s words were not to be taken lightly.

Zhao Xu was equally troubled. Losing Chang Wei would be like losing an arm.

In ancient warfare, more soldiers died from infected wounds than from direct combat.

Unless there were antibiotics.

“Antibiotics?” An idea flashed through Zhao Xu’s mind.

Chang Wei’s condition was critical, and he couldn’t leave his fate to chance. He had to try something, even though he couldn’t produce penicillin. But there was something else that might yield a similar result.