I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 145 Loyalty, Coke, and the Engineering Team

Chapter 145 Loyalty, Coke, and the Engineering Team
The excavation of the Snow Rabbit Man's ice cellar is progressing smoothly.

Rhodes instructed Lawrence to have thirty people make ice.

Ice cellars are not only used for preserving food in the summer, but also as a great tool for cooling down and relieving the heat.

There are no requirements for the ice blocks used to cool the temperature; simply melt snow water and then freeze it into ice blocks.

As for the ice for consumption, Rhodes instructed the slaves to boil water first and then pour it into wooden buckets.

The nighttime low temperature in the northern wasteland has now reached minus twenty degrees Celsius, and a one-meter-tall wooden barrel placed in a shady place will completely freeze into a block of ice in less than three days.

Rhodes had hundreds of wooden barrels prepared and frozen into ice blocks, specifically for consumption.

There is enough ice stored in the ice cellar to last until next autumn.

Once these matters are settled, Rhodes won't need to be personally involved.

He turned and went back to the manor.

As soon as they entered the hall, a guard came in to report that Chris was requesting an audience.

Rhodes was not surprised and immediately agreed, ordering his guards to bring the person over.

Chris followed the guard into the manor hall and suddenly knelt down on one knee.

The guards nearby were startled and instinctively pressed their hands on the swords at their waists.

Rhodes remained calm and waved to the guard, signaling him to leave.

"After all this, is there anything else you want?"

Rod looked at Chris in front of him and asked quietly.

"Thank you for bringing my wife and children here."

Chris lowered his head and said solemnly, "I beg you to give me another chance to serve you and repay your generosity."

"You are already serving me."

Rod raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile, "The foreman praised you to me. He said you are very strong and do a good job of heavy work such as breaking stones and cutting down trees."

"I can do more for you."

Chris looked up, his eyes flashing with determination.
"I am willing to offer you the loyalty of a knight, I am willing to fight for you, and let your will guide the direction of my sword."

Rod stared at Chris: "You're afraid I'll abuse your wife and children, aren't you?"

He spoke slowly, his palm gently rubbing the armrest of the chair.

"If that's the case, there's no need."

"Don't worry, I won't threaten you with them. You can continue doing your hard labor obediently."

"Your wife will also find a job here."

Rod didn't lie to Chris.

After marrying Chris, his wife Emina learned a lot and became quite talented.

The knight's wife was no less knowledgeable than the average person; she was superior to the average person in both statistics and management.

"No, that's not the case."

Chris replied, "My Lord, I have found hope in you."

Chris's voice became more fervent.
"I see hope in my own life, and also hope for the continued development of your Black Pine Ridge."

Chris thought about it for a long time and knew in his heart that his wife was right.

Earl Falcon is like a large, but old, drifting ship.

Each position on the ship has a designated person, each with their own specific duties.

Although Earl Falcon was developing his territory, he mostly stayed put, enjoying life and maintaining the status quo.

But Black Pine Ridge is different.

Although it looks like a small boat, it is full of life, and something new and interesting appears every now and then.

More importantly, Chris observed that the lives of slaves here were more stable than those of the common people in Eagle Ridge.

He saw a drive in many of the slaves.

Everyone in the entire territory was united as one, and everyone wanted to maintain this stable life.

Clearly, Black Pine Ridge will go even further.

Now is the best opportunity to board this ship.

“I know a traitor is not trustworthy, but it would be a loss for you to just ask me to chop down trees and smash rocks.”

Chris said sincerely, his voice tinged with humility.
“You may not believe me, but my wife and children are here, which will be a guarantee for you.”

"Perhaps you can entrust me with some trivial but skill-required tasks, giving me a chance to gain your trust."

Rod took another look at Chris.

This knight is different from the one at the beginning.

The trials and tribulations he has undergone have truly given him a greater sense of composure.

"I must say, what you said touched me somewhat."

After a long silence, Rhodes replied calmly, "I do have some things here that require someone with a bit of leadership ability to handle."

"Please give me your orders."

Chris's face lit up with joy, and he said respectfully.

“You’ve been a slave here for so long, you should know something about Black Pine Ridge.”

"The north is important to me, but the rumors about the foreign tribes there have always bothered me."

Rhodes slowly explained, "I need someone to set up an outpost there to relay messages and monitor the movements to the north."

Rhodes did not reveal all of his goals.

His ultimate goal was a fortress.

It can both guard the pass and serve as an outpost for entering Razor Plains.

This would not only allow for the unfettered expansion of arable land in Black Pine Ridge, but also enable the development of Razor Plain and the gathering of its inhabitants.

Rhodes wanted to proceed steadily, gradually expanding his territory outwards, eventually turning his outposts into tentacles that could reach even deeper into the land.

Such ambitious goals are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, so Rod can't tell Chris that much.

"The sentry post is short of a captain."

Rod looked directly at Chris, his tone turning serious: "Can I trust you?"

“I will go alone and prove it to you with my actions.”

Chris answered firmly, his gaze unwavering.

"very good."

Rod nodded in satisfaction.

He enjoys talking to intelligent people like Chris.

Chris's decision to go alone meant that his wife and children would remain in Frostleaf.

Without wasting words, Rod smiled slightly and said, "I'll give you a week off to say goodbye to your family."

"Thank you for your trust, Master."

Chris responded respectfully.

……

Chris stepped down, and Rod breathed a sigh of relief.

It is a comforting thing to be able to make good and secure use of talented slaves.

Rhodes planned to take advantage of this relaxing moment to go back to his studio and meditate for a while.

Rhodes didn't have a crystal ball to test mental strength, but after each meditation and rest, he felt refreshed, as if he could see the world more clearly.

And his control over the burning energy in his body became more and more skillful.

However, just as Rhodes got up, the guards came in.

"My lord, the blacksmith Bedor requests an audience."

"Beethos?"

Rhodes thought back for a moment.

Then he remembered that this blacksmith was the one who could forge the Sea-Patterned Magic Iron.

"Let him in."

"Yes, my lord."

The guard responded and immediately brought Bedor in.

Pfft!
As soon as the blacksmith Bedor entered, he knelt down in front of Rod.

Rhodes was stunned.

Why is kneeling so popular these days?
"What happened?" Rod asked.

"My lord, I'm sorry, I failed..."

Beethoven looked dejected and guilty, his forehead covered in sweat.
“I’ve tried many methods these days, but this sea-patterned magic iron is impossible to melt.”

"I thought about it all night last night, and it suddenly came to my mind in my dream that my master's sea-patterned magic iron cannot be smelted with ordinary charcoal. It needs black stone as fuel to melt it!"

Beethoven's trembling voice was filled with regret.
"I'm so sorry, my lord, it's all my fault for wasting your precious time!"

"Mistakes are not the problem; what matters is how we solve these problems."

Rod waved his hand, signaling him to get up.

There was not a trace of blame in his tone.

Then, Rhodes asked, "What is this black stone you're talking about? Do you know what it looks like?"

“I’ve never seen it, but my master has mentioned it.”

Blacksmith Bedor seemed to have been prepared, describing it as: "It looks like a black stone, somewhat like charred wood, but harder, and makes a clanging metallic sound when struck."

"Oh, right, Master also said that when the black stone burns, it produces blue and white flames, which is very beautiful!"

"Only such beautiful flames can melt the sea-patterned magic iron!"

Blue and white flames?
Why does this sound so familiar?
Rod frowned as he pondered, carefully recalling the description given by the blacksmith Bedor.

Isn't this just coke?
Coke is the product of coal mining and coking, and is also known as smokeless charcoal.

Because coal has a high sulfur content, it cannot be used to directly smelt iron, otherwise the iron will become very brittle.

However, after coal undergoes high-temperature dry distillation to become coke, it becomes a high-carbon fuel, which burns at an even higher temperature.

But how do sea creatures get their hands on coke?

Did the wizards and gods already possess the knowledge of coal mining in their time?
Rhodes was a little surprised.

However, upon closer reflection, it's not impossible.

Those members of the Dawn Society always boasted that wizards were the forerunners of knowledge.

"I see."

Rhodes said calmly, "You don't need to blame yourself too much. I will find a way to solve the Black Stone problem you mentioned."

Rhodes reassured the blacksmith.

Rod wouldn't be too harsh on those who worked diligently.

"But remember, if you encounter any more problems, raise them promptly and don't let them linger for so long."

Rhodes' voice turned stern, "If you do this again, you will be punished."

"Thank you for your kindness!"

Bedor breathed a sigh of relief and happily replied, "Please rest assured, I will definitely report back promptly next time!"

"Go back and handle other matters with Hamo first."

Rod waved his hand. "By the way, remind Hammer to submit the standardized samples to me as soon as possible."

"Yes, my lord!"

Beethoven respectfully responded and immediately withdrew.

Rhodes did not linger and sent someone to summon Lawrence to the manor hall.

As soon as Lawrence bowed in greeting, Rhodes asked,
"How's it going at the coal mine?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the workers' houses have been built, and the coal mining you mentioned has begun."

Lawrence replied cautiously, "As you instructed, the coal is being dried in the sun, but the exact quantity hasn't been recorded yet."

"If you need it, I'll arrange for someone to go right now."

"Yes, we need to do more than just take statistics; we also need to arrange for people to bring those coal mines back."

"Rod gave the order."

Rhodes wasn't in a hurry at first, but now that coke is needed for the experiment, he'd better make arrangements as soon as possible.

"While you're at it, go and call over the person in charge of the Snow Rabbit people... Sherry."

"Okay sir."

Lawrence responded and immediately went to make the arrangements. Soon after, Sherry appeared in the hall. This snow rabbit was seeing Rhodes for the second time and was somewhat nervous.

Because they were living such a comfortable life, all they had to do each day was work, and their food and lodging were all taken care of by dedicated people.

In recent days, they have also witnessed that the slaves' meals have exceeded the usual meals of the Snow Rabbit people.

The better life is now, the more afraid we are of losing it.

So Sherry is more nervous now than last time.

"How have you been these past few days?"

Rod noticed Sherry's nervousness and tried to speak in a calm tone.

"Very good, very, very good."

Xue Rui nodded repeatedly, rubbing her hands together anxiously as she reported.

"We have completed the first level of your cellar, but your ice cellar needs to be dug deeper. Please give us a little more time."

"We guarantee to build you a safe and spacious ice cellar."

"Ok, I know."

Rhodes nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"You did a decent job."

"So far, apart from the urine smell inside, I'm quite satisfied."

As Rod finished speaking, Sherry's cheeks flushed red, and her long ears clung together shyly.

For the Snow Rabbit people, the smell of urine is nothing new.

However, Sherry heard that urinating or defecating in public is not allowed in Frostleaf Town.

Moreover, she was facing people from the Empire, whose customs were different, so Sherry felt particularly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, my lord, we have no choice."

Sheri lowered her head, her voice filled with apology.

"Hmm, it's alright. I'll have someone take care of these things afterward."

Rhodes then changed the subject and got to the main point.

"I called you here to tell you that your probationary period is ending early."

“I will provide you with food. You should send back all the herbs from your tribe as soon as possible, and you should also send more tribesmen to work for me.”

"no problem!"

Upon hearing the news, Sherry's face lit up with joy, and she repeatedly bowed in salutation.

"We will definitely work hard!"

Rhodes nodded slightly, then suddenly asked, "Can you understand the blueprints?"

"My lord... what are blueprints?"

Sherry blinked, puzzled.

"come over."

Rod beckoned, spread a piece of scrap paper on the table, and introduced it to Sherry:
"This is a coking oven, used to produce coke."

"Of course, you don't need to know what coke is, or even what it's used for."

"All you need to do is understand the diagram on this paper and then build the coking furnace for me according to it."

The blueprints for the coking furnace drawn by Rod were intended to be built on a hillside, half above ground and half underground.

By taking advantage of the height difference of the mountain, smoke can be vented from the top of the hillside, and coal can be added through the furnace door below.

“I know you may be a little unfamiliar with things like bricklaying, but it’s similar to digging a hole underground, except one is underground and the other is above ground.”

“I will send someone to teach you how to build the wall, but this is only the first time. From now on, you will be responsible for handling these things.”

"Oh oh oh..."

Sherry nodded thoughtfully, then said hesitantly:
“My lord, I don’t quite understand this blueprint… but I have a member of my clan who is very skilled in this area!”

Sheryl hurriedly said loudly, "His name is Labet. He will learn what you teach very quickly. He is also the strongest snow rabbit in our tribe!"

"Okay, then go and call him here."

Rhodes nodded in agreement.

"please wait!"

Xue Rui didn't dare to delay and quickly ran out with small, quick steps.

A short while later, Sherry brought another snow rabbit.

This snow rabbit was a head and a half taller than Xue Rui, reaching a height of nearly 1.8 meters.

Although not very tall for humans, the average height of a snow rabbit is around 1.6 meters.

At 1.8 meters tall, he is already considered a giant among them.

The moment Labette saw Rod, her eyes widened, and she almost blurted out...

"Why is it a child?"

Sherry's heart tightened, and she quickly tugged at Labet's tail!
"Ow!"

Labette screamed in agony!
However, he reacted quickly, his knees buckled and he knelt down!
"Bang bang bang!"

Three loud slaps, and the rabbit's head turned bright red!

"Stop, stop, stop. We don't need such exaggerated formalities anymore."

Rod frowned slightly and waved his hand to stop Labette's actions.

I don't know who taught me that.

"Oh!"

Labette responded loudly.
"Having eaten so much of your grain, it's only right that I kowtow to you!"

"Just focus on your work."

Rod looked at Labette:
"You're the strongest snow hare? I heard Lawrence report that you work very hard."

"Yes, yes, my lord!"

Labette readily agreed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "The main reason is that the food here is so good, it gives me the energy to work!"

"You don't need to get so worked up. You need to use your brain as well as your strength when you work."

Rod waved to Labette, "Come here, can you understand this blueprint?"

"Good good!"

Labette rushed to the table, the draft paper fluttering in the wind from his movement.

Sherry felt a chill run down her spine.

If she could read the blueprints, she definitely wouldn't have let Labette come.

On the way here, Sherry gave Labette a brief introduction.

So Labette didn't ask anything, and just stared at the three-view drawing of the coke oven on the scrap paper.

He pondered for a long time, muttering to himself.

Rhodes seemed to see him pondering something, so he didn't disturb him and waited quietly.

After a moment, Labette shook his head.

“I don’t quite understand.”

"Ok?"

Rhodes frowned, feeling like he'd been tricked.
"I don't understand why you've been staring at this for so long?"

"My lord, I don't understand it, but I can build it!"

"I don't know what it's for, but I know it's a domed building with a little chimney on the side!" Labette explained loudly, his eyes brimming with confidence.

Rabette pointed at the blueprints and began to speak eloquently.

"You put the things in here, and then seal it, right?"

Labette was pointing to the coal inlet.

"Ah, very good."

Rhodes nodded, his eyes showing approval.

"Perfect, I don't need you to understand what it is, as long as you can build it for me."

Rod added, "But be careful that it needs to be sealed, especially the door after the filling."

The key to coking is sealing, preventing oxygen from entering, and then gradually evaporating the water, bitumen, tar, and combustible gases inside the coal, leaving only the carbon skeleton—coke.

"I will guide you on the specific details when we build the first one."

“No problem, my lord! We can definitely do it.”

Rabette patted his chest and assured her, his tone firm.

"Alright, Xue Rui will continue to be in charge of the ice cellar, and you will be in charge of the coking furnace."

Rhodes instructed, "Have Lawrence take you outside to choose a suitable location, and finish building this first."

"If you don't have enough manpower, call over all the able-bodied people from your tribe. I will provide them with food."

The coking furnace was just for the Snow Rabbits to practice on; Rhodes still has a lot of things to build.

"Yes, my lord!"

Sherry and Labette responded in unison, their faces beaming with joy, their long ears twitching excitedly.

Now the clansmen have a place to eat!

Labet couldn't let his people miss out on such generous treatment.

Just do it.

After leaving the manor, Labette did not linger and quickly returned to his territory to recruit his people and form a team.

All the previous workers needed to be left to Sherry to build the ice cellar, so Labette needed to assemble her own construction team.

Labette needs to finish that furnace as soon as possible so he can show off his skills to the lord.

He roughly calculated that he would need at least twenty people to complete the task within two days.

Unlike real rabbits, snow rabbits do not reproduce easily; like humans, they typically give birth to one child at a time.

Adding to the fact that they had been bullied by other alien races before, the entire Di'er tribe, young and old, numbered only 115 people.

Now, there are only about fifty people who can go out to work, including all the women. After deducting the ones Xue Rui took away, there are only forty people left.

Who knows if the lord will allow the other Snow Rabbits to form more construction teams?
Therefore, Labette must quickly assemble his own team!
Labette rushed back in a flurry, a move that puzzled the tribe.

"Labet, don't you hate those humans?"

"Didn't you say it was a trap?"

"What have you been so busy with these past few days without any news?"

……

"You guys don't know anything!"

Bored by the questioning, Rabette shouted, "I was being cautious!"

"Now we understand everything, that's truly a place to enjoy life!"

Labette shouted excitedly, "That human lord is a generous lord, of course we must seize this opportunity and work hard!"

Labette's long ears twitched with excitement as he recounted his life and experiences over the past few days.

His saliva flew everywhere, spraying the faces of the tribesmen at the front.

Labette quickly got tired of talking and asked,
"Stop talking nonsense with me, who's coming with me?"

The tribesmen looked at each other, not understanding why Rawit was in such a hurry.