Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The furnace of Xishan Academy of Sciences spews flames day and night.

But Zhao Tie soon discovered that even with the best gunpowder, it would all be in vain if the cannon barrel and gun barrel were still made of that batch of "tofu-dreg" cast iron riddled with impurities and full of pores.

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Tie burst into the imperial study again, his face showing not only exhaustion but also an almost fanatical anxiety. "We have enough gunpowder, but our steel is no good! It's too soft and can't withstand high pressure; it explodes as soon as it's fired! Our Great Xia's iron smelting methods are still the Han Dynasty's methods of frying and pouring steel, relying on the weather and the old masters' feel! If this continues, we won't be able to make good cannon barrels, let alone gun barrels that can withstand chamber pressure!"

Xiao Chen put down the memorial in his hand and turned his gaze to the window. Outside the window was not the misty rain of Jiangnan, but the dry and cold sky of the north.

"So, gunpowder alone only makes the explosive charge louder."

Xiao Chen slowly stood up. "What I need is a container that can withstand an explosion and convert the energy of the explosion into lethality."

"Issue the imperial decree, instructing the Minister of Works to begin preparations immediately. I intend to find a location in the Taihang Mountains to establish the Great Xia's first modern steel complex."

The site was chosen in Cizhou, on the southern slope of the Taihang Mountains.

Here, the iron ore reserves are astonishing, and most of them are rich deposits; the nearby Taihang Mountains are densely forested, providing ample charcoal; more importantly, there are abundant water resources here, which can drive huge blowers and forging hammers.

Furthermore, there is an ancient waterway that, with a little dredging, can lead directly to the Grand Canal, allowing steel to be transported continuously to the capital.

A month later, tens of thousands of laborers and thousands of Imperial Guards and Shenji Battalion soldiers marched into this desolate valley.

Xiao Chen was present at the scene.

He stood on high ground, looking down at the crowds of people bustling about in the valley like ants, and at the newly erected factory framework, several times taller than the armory.

"Zhao Tie".

"Your subject is here!"

"Tell me, how do the Westerners smelt steel?"

Xiao Chen asked. He remembered that at this time, Europe's metallurgical technology was not much more advanced than that of the Ming Dynasty, but a key technology was emerging.

Zhao Tie pointed to the huge foundation pit being excavated not far away: "Your Majesty, after repeated deliberations with Xu Guangqi and those foreign missionaries, we have decided to adopt two core technologies."

"Firstly, the stirring method. This is a method that has recently emerged in the West, and I have made improvements to it. Instead of burning coal directly as in the traditional method, a reverberatory furnace is used to direct the flame to the furnace bed to heat the pig iron. Then, an iron rod is used to continuously stir the molten iron, using oxygen from the air to remove carbon and impurities from the molten iron. The wrought iron produced in this way has a uniform texture and excellent toughness. When it is then carburized, it becomes high-quality steel!"

Secondly, crucible steel!

Zhao Tie's eyes shone with an alarming light. "I want to use the finest steel on the most critical applications! Using a graphite crucible, I will seal and heat carefully selected wrought iron and carbon to extremely high temperatures, allowing the carbon to evenly infuse into the iron. Although this method has a low yield, it can produce the purest and toughest steel, specifically for making musket barrels and cannon barrels!"

Xiao Chen nodded.

This was a key metallurgical breakthrough on the eve of the Industrial Revolution in history.

The stirring method solves the problem of mass-producing wrought iron, while the crucible method solves the problem of high-end steel.

"Where is Xu Guangqi?"

"Your Majesty, Xu Guangqi is currently overseeing the construction of a water-powered forging hammer!"

Zhao Tie pointed downstream in the valley, "I have designed the blueprints. Utilizing the drop in elevation, a waterwheel will power a massive iron hammer, each strike capable of striking over a thousand pounds! This is hundreds of times more efficient than manual blacksmithing, and the hammering will be much more thorough!"

Just then, a commotion broke out.

A group of ragged, coal-dusted craftsmen, surrounding an old man with white hair and beard, were walking toward them.

That was Wei Laochui, the most famous "blacksmith king" in Cizhou. His family had been smelting iron here for generations, but they used the oldest methods, and the iron they produced had so many impurities that it was like stone.

When Wei Laochui was brought before Xiao Chen, his cloudy eyes looked at the young "distinguished person" in front of him, and then at the huge buildings and equipment around him that he had never seen before. His legs trembled.

"Old...Old man Wei San greets Your Excellency..." He thought Xiao Chen was an official from the Ministry of Works.

"Elder Wei," Xiao Chen said without putting on airs, instead squatting down and picking up a piece of hematite that had just been dug from the mine, "Why do you think that after you've spent your whole life smelting iron, our Great Xia's weapons are always inferior to those of the Northern Di?"

Old Master Wei was stunned, and after a long while, he muttered, "This humble one...this humble one doesn't know. Perhaps it's a blessing from heaven, that the iron mines in the north are good?"

"It's not the heavens, it's people."

Xiao Chen stood up and pointed to the huge water-powered bellows that were being installed. "Look at that! You don't need to operate the bellows; it can blow air by itself, and the firepower is ten times greater than your bellows! Look at that water tank; that's used for cooling and quenching, and the temperature can be accurate to one degree! Look at that furnace; the fire inside can stir the molten iron into a consistency like porridge!"

Old Wei's eyes widened, and his mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.

"I want you to take your apprentices and learn from Zhao Tie. Learn how to read the color of the fire, how to mix ingredients, and how to use those rulers and measuring cups."

Xiao Chen looked at him, "If you learn it, you will be the 'Iron Grand Tutor' of Great Xia. If you don't learn it..."

Xiao Chen's voice turned cold: "The project here will require the labor force from your village. You choose."

Old Man Wei shuddered and knelt down with a thud: "I'll learn! I'll definitely learn! I'll have my grandsons come and kowtow right now!"

Six months later, at the Cizhou Steel Base, the No. 1 blast furnace was ignited.

That day, the entire valley was in an uproar.

With Zhao Tie's command, the huge furnace door was opened, and molten iron, like a golden-red waterfall, gushed out!

The hydraulic forging hammer began to operate, each rise and fall accompanied by a deafening roar, forging the red-hot steel billet until sparks flew everywhere!

The first batch of wrought iron produced by the stirring process has been tested and found to have a much lower impurity content than that of traditional wrought iron!

Immediately afterwards, the first batch of crucible steel was cast. Zhao Tie personally took charge and used this steel to forge a short knife.

He heated the knife until it was red-hot, then immersed it in a special oil to quench it before handing it to Han Lie.

"General Han, give it a try."

Han Lie took the knife and casually swung it.

A piece of hardwood, as thick as a bowl, snapped in two with a snap! Looking at the blade, there wasn't a single nick or nick; it gleamed with a chilling light!

"A fine knife!"

Han Lie exclaimed in amazement, "This hardness is more than twice as strong as my fine steel knife!"

Xu Guangqi stood to the side, excitedly recording the data: "Your Majesty, preliminary estimates indicate that this method of steelmaking is twenty times more efficient than the traditional method! Costs are reduced by half! Moreover, the quality is consistent; we no longer need to rely on the expert eye of the master craftsmen!"

Xiao Chen stood on the high platform, looking at the nascent form of the steel torrent before him.

For the first time, a huge chimney was erected on Chinese soil, spewing out thick smoke that symbolized the industrial age.

In the valley, the outline of the railway has begun to be laid, and mine cars loaded with ore slide along the track under the traction of hydraulic winches.

"Zhao Tie".

"Your subject is here!"

"Tell me, how many cannons can be made with this steel?"

Zhao Tie's eyes burned with fervor: "Your Majesty, based on the current production capacity, I can manufacture one hundred improved 'General's Cannons' a month, with barrel life five times that of the old ones! I can also manufacture barrels for five thousand new 'Thunderbolt Guns'! If we operate at full capacity, this number can double!"

Xiao Chen nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant north.

"very good."

He said softly, "The cavalry of the Northern Barbarians will soon see what a 'steel torrent' really means."

"Issue the order: the steel base is to be classified as a top secret. All craftsmen will be paid double, but without my permission, they are not to leave Cizhou by more than fifty li. Anyone who disobeys will be punished for treason."

"My lord, I obey your order!"

The roar of steel in the Taihang Mountains finally drowned out the sound of the wind in the forest.

The backbone of the empire is becoming increasingly solid, inch by inch, amidst the symphony of furnace fire and hammer blows.