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

The successful application of waterwheels not only solved the irrigation problem, but also brought new inspiration and impetus to the industrial company.

Ou the blacksmith had his eye on those massive machines by the river that worked day and night. A thought had been swirling in his mind for a long time, and finally he couldn't resist coming to find Xiao Chen.

"Your Highness, the power of the waterwheel is inexhaustible; isn't it a bit of a waste to use it only for drawing water to irrigate the land?"

The blacksmith rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming. "I've been wondering if we could use it for something else? Like... blowing air?"

"Blowing the wind?" Xiao Chen was looking up when he heard this, as he was reading the secret report sent by Night Owl about the itinerary of the Northern Yan envoy and the war situation in Jiangnan.

"Yes, blow the air!"

The blacksmith gestured dramatically, "Our blast furnaces for iron smelting currently rely entirely on human or animal power to pull the large bellows to blow air. It's not only exhausting, but the airflow is also unstable, making it difficult to control the temperature. If we could use waterwheels to drive it, the airflow would be stronger and more even, and the furnace temperature would definitely rise! With a higher furnace temperature, maybe... we could smelt better iron, or even... steel!"

steel.

This word made Xiao Chen put down the secret report he was holding.

The Hanyuan Army's current equipment of refined iron weapons is already ahead of the surrounding areas, but if they could forge real steel, even if it's just a rudimentary product, there would be a qualitative leap in the hardness and toughness of the weapons, as well as the protective power of the armor.

"Are you confident?" Xiao Chen asked.

"I've roughly figured out the blueprints, but I need to test them."

The blacksmith explained frankly, "The waterwheel turns slowly, so we need to add a gear set to increase its speed. We also need to connect the waterwheel's shaft to the bellows's pull rod. This connection is difficult to make; it has to withstand years of shaking. The bellows also need to be enlarged, otherwise the airflow won't be enough."

"What do you need?"

"Manpower, timber, iron, and... money."

The blacksmith was a little embarrassed. "The main thing is to modify the gears and the joints. We need to use good iron and try repeatedly. We may waste a lot of material."

"Granted."

Xiao Chen replied without hesitation, "I'll provide as many people as you need, and whatever materials you require. The Construction Department will fully cooperate with you. I'll give you a month to build a usable hydraulic blower. If you succeed, you'll be richly rewarded. If you fail, you'll learn from the experience and try again."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

The blacksmith was so excited that his beard stood on end. He bowed deeply, turned around and ran outside, almost tripping on the threshold.

With Xiao Chen's support, almost half of the Industrial Construction Company's resources were directed toward this new project.

A piece of land was specially designated by the river, and sheds were set up there.

Blacksmith Ou, along with a group of his most capable carpenters and blacksmiths, spent all their time there, day and night.

The clanging, sawing, and arguing sounds mingled with the roar of the waterwheel, creating a new symphony along the riverbank.

Xiao Chen went to see it a few times.

Beside the enormous waterwheel, an even more complex wooden frame structure has been erected, with layers of gears of various sizes nested together. A thick iron-clad axle extends from the center of the gear set, connecting to a massive leather bellows that is still under construction.

The craftsmen surrounded this enormous object, repeatedly measuring, adjusting, and testing it.

"Your Highness, the most difficult part is this 'separation and reunion'."

Blacksmith Ou pointed to a special mechanism in the gear set, "When not in use, the waterwheel and bellows need to be able to disengage, otherwise the bellows will keep spinning without power and cause serious damage. When in use, they need to be put back together. This mechanism needs to be flexible and reliable; it took a lot of effort."

Xiao Chen glanced at the rudimentary clutch device, made of an iron hook, wooden pin, and lever, and nodded: "The idea is correct. Keep trying. Don't be afraid of scrap materials or failures. Remember, every piece of scrap iron you break off is forging a better piece of steel for Han Yuan."

These words greatly encouraged the craftsmen.

Meanwhile, the blast furnace was also busy.

Since we are relying on hydraulic blasting to raise the furnace temperature, the furnace itself also needs to be strengthened.

The original clay furnace probably couldn't withstand higher temperatures.

Under the guidance of the blacksmith, the craftsmen began to try to rebuild the furnace chamber by mixing refractory clay with broken porcelain shards and quartz sand, thickening the furnace walls, and designing new and more reasonable flues and charging ports.

Twenty days later, the first prototype was finally assembled.

The waterwheel turned slowly, its speed increased by a complex gear train, causing the huge bellows to open and close rhythmically.

whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

A deep, powerful whistling sound came from the bellows, causing the torches beside it to flicker.

"It's done! The wind is coming out!" the craftsmen cheered.

But this is only the first step. The real test is yet to come—the trial by fire.

The specially prepared No. 1 blast furnace has been modified and is filled with carefully selected iron ore and charcoal.

The huge hydraulic bellows is connected to the furnace bottom tuyeres via heat-resistant ceramic tubes.

All the artisans involved in the project, and even many soldiers and civilians who were not on duty, gathered at a distance, watching with bated breath.

The blacksmith personally inspected all the connections, took a deep breath, and nodded to the forge worker.

"ignition!"

Oil-soaked tinder was thrown into the furnace, and soon, orange-red flames rose up.

"Close the gate!"

The craftsman in charge of the clutch mechanism pressed down the lever with force. With a click, the gears meshed, and the water power began to drive the bellows through the drive shaft.

call--!

A gust of wind, several times stronger than before, suddenly rushed into the bottom of the furnace, and the flames instantly turned from red to yellow, then white, emitting a low whistling sound.

The scorching heat could be clearly felt even from a distance of several dozen feet.

"Add fuel! Keep the rhythm!" Blacksmith Ou shouted, his eyes fixed on the color of the flames at the furnace opening.

Baskets of iron ore and charcoal were alternately fed into the furnace.

The furnace temperature rose rapidly under the powerful blast, and the inside of the furnace was so bright that it was impossible to look directly at it.

Sweat streamed down the faces of every craftsman, but their eyes were fixed on the furnace, filled with anticipation and tension.

Ironmaking is a long and tedious process that requires continuous feeding, blowing air, and monitoring of the furnace.

This training lasted from noon until sunset.

Finally, through the observation hole, the blacksmith saw a small pool of bright white, slowly flowing molten iron at the bottom of the furnace—its color and state seemed different from before.

"Made in iron!"

The prepared clay mold was pushed below the iron tapping hole.

The mud plug blocking the taphole was pried open with an iron spatula, and a stream of blazing white iron, accompanied by sparks flying everywhere, rushed out and poured into the mold, making a hissing sound and producing thick white smoke.

Once the molten iron had solidified slightly, the craftsmen eagerly took out one of the still dark red and hot iron blocks and immersed it in water to quench it.

Sizzle—!

White steam rose. After the iron block cooled, the blacksmith Ou personally picked up a hammer and began to strike it.

Ding! The sound was crisp, with a lingering resonance unlike anything seen in pig iron before. Looking at the fracture surface, the texture was fine and dense, with a faint grayish-white luster.

"Your Highness! Look! This...this doesn't seem to be ordinary pig iron!" The blacksmith Ou's voice trembled as he handed the iron block to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen took it; it felt heavy in his hand. He carefully examined the broken edge, then used his dagger to make a sharp cut on it, leaving only a shallow white mark.

His eyes lit up with delight: "Although it's not true high-quality steel, it's much stronger than the refined iron we forged before! It has fewer impurities, is harder, and is tougher!"

Success! Although it's only the first step towards steel, it's crucial!

"Master Ou, and everyone else, thank you for your hard work!"

Xiao Chen announced loudly, "All the craftsmen involved in this matter will be rewarded with ten taels of silver and awarded a major merit! From today onwards, the Bureau of Works will establish an 'Iron Smelting Workshop,' with Master Ou as its head, dedicated to improving the methods of iron and steel smelting! The necessary manpower and resources will be provided with priority!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" The craftsmen wept with joy. All the hard work of the past twenty days and countless failures had been worth it at this moment.

The news spread quickly, and everyone in Hanyuan was overjoyed.

Better iron meant stronger armor, sharper swords, and more durable farm tools.

The blacksmiths and craftsmen in the ironworks were even more motivated, working day and night to make improvements.

The number of hydraulic blowers was increased from one to three, serving the three renovated blast furnaces.

They began experimenting with different ore ratios, different amounts of charcoal, different blasting intensities and times, and even tried adding small amounts of other mineral powders to the molten iron, recording the quality changes of each batch of iron produced.

Just as the furnaces of the Ironworks of the Bureau of Works were burning day and night and good news kept coming in, the carriage of Murong Han, the Left Wise King of Northern Yan, was about to arrive outside Hanyuan City.

Xiao Chen stood on the newly built, four-zhang-high city wall, gazing at the brightly colored, well-guarded troops in the distance, his eyes deep.

Did Murong Han come here because he saw the waterwheels and the possible blast furnaces? Or did he hear rumors of Yu Qian's defeat in Jiangnan? Or perhaps both?

Does he bring friendship or ambition?

Beneath the city walls, the waterwheels still roar, continuously channeling the vitality of the White Water River into the veins of the Cold Abyss.

Inside the city walls, the flames of the blast furnaces blazed brightly, forging an even stronger backbone for this emerging power.