The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

Wang Zhonghua pulled him down to sit.

Shen Kuo didn't even bother to sit down. He opened his notebook and began to speak as he flipped through the pages, his words flowing like a torrent:

"Young master, this time I went to the mountainous area fifty miles west of Wuyang. The terrain there is steep and sparsely populated. Following your method, I searched for exposed rocks, tapped and knocked, and actually found something!"

He turned to a page and pointed to a simple drawing: "Look, this is a stone I found by a mountain stream. It's reddish-brown and heavy. When I tried it with a magnet, it was attracted to me! I dare to guess that this might be the 'iron ore' you mentioned!"

Wang Zhonghua took the notebook and examined it closely. He saw an irregularly shaped stone drawn on it, with dense notes in small characters next to it: location, color, weight, magnetic reaction, and even observation records such as "the sound when struck is dull, as if it contains iron."

"Good lad!" Wang Zhonghua slapped his thigh. "This is most likely hematite! Did you bring back a sample?"

Shen Kuo shook his head: "It's too heavy, I can't carry it. But I left a mark and drew a map, next time I'll bring someone and we'll definitely find it."

As he spoke, he turned to another page:

"And this! In another valley, I found a white, translucent stone, like salt but not quite. Remembering what you said about 'quartz sand,' I tried to carve it with a knife, but couldn't; I tried to burn it, but it wouldn't melt. I guess this might be what you're looking for!"

Wang Zhonghua's eyes shone even brighter.

Quartz! That's the main raw material for making glass!

"Cunzhong, you've done a great job!" He patted Shen Kuo's shoulder hard, making the boy stumble and almost fall off his glasses.

Shen Kuo adjusted his glasses and scratched his head sheepishly, "I just... I just tried it according to your method, young master. Don't you always say, 'Try it if you don't believe me'?"

Listening from the side, Liu Xinyi couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Wang, what do you need these ores for? And what is the use of that 'transparent glass'?"

Wang Zhonghua smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Miss Xinyi, when you're cleaning the wounds of the injured, if there were something that could magnify the 'germs' a hundred or a thousand times, allowing you to see what they look like with your own eyes, would you be willing?"

Liu Xinyi was taken aback, then her eyes blazed with fervor: "If that were truly possible... what a leap forward that would be in the study of medical principles!"

Liu Jueming stroked his beard and sighed, "Young Wang, you always manage to say things that send chills down my spine. That 'enlarged object,' could it be something you're planning to create?"

Wang Zhonghua nodded: "Exactly. That thing is called a 'microscope,' and it requires lenses made of transparent glass. If we can make it, we can not only see 'germs,' but also many things that are invisible to the naked eye. At that time, medicine, metallurgy, agriculture... will all undergo earth-shattering changes."

He paused, then looked at Shen Kuo:

"Cunzhong, you've done a great job on this mining expedition. Draw the map clearly later, and I'll have Tiedan lead some men to explore it more thoroughly. If we can really find iron ore and quartz ore, our Sanyi Village will be even more confident."

Shen Kuo nodded vigorously, opened his notebook to take notes, but found that his charcoal pencil had broken at some point. He searched his entire body and only found a short piece of the pencil, which he held in his hand, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Liu Xinyi smiled and handed over a fine-tipped brush: "Use this."

Shen Kuo took the notebook, thanked him, and began to write diligently in it. As he wrote, he muttered to himself, "Iron ore... quartz... microscope... write it all down, write it all down..."

Lu Sanjun, listening from the side, was completely confused, only vaguely sensing that Wang Zhonghua was plotting something big again. He rubbed his temples, his face contorted in a pained expression, and asked:

"Brother Wang, I don't understand what you're saying. But I do understand one thing—your Sanyi Village is likely to become increasingly lively from now on. It's just that I have a headache..."

Wang Zhonghua smiled at him and said, "Master Lü, I have a folk remedy for your headache. You might want to give it a try."

"Oh? Tell me quickly!"

"Every morning, take a half-hour walk along the Laomentan Pond. While walking, don't think about business or worries; just enjoy the scenery and keep walking. Stick to this for a month, and then you'll see the results."

Lu Sanjun was taken aback: "It's that simple?"

"It's simple, but not easy," Wang Zhonghua said earnestly. "If you can persevere, I'll teach you a set of 'health exercises' to ensure your body becomes stronger and stronger."

Liu Jueming nodded in agreement: "Young Master Wang's method is exactly in line with the principle of 'movement nourishes the body, stillness nourishes the spirit.' Master Lü, why don't you give it a try?"

Lu Sanjun thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Alright! I'll give it a try! This headache has been tormenting me for years anyway, I might as well try anything!"

Everyone laughed.

Amidst the laughter, Liu Xinyi suddenly remembered something and looked at Shen Kuo:

"Cunzhong, you just said that the white stone 'looks like salt but isn't salt,' have you ever tasted it?"

Shen Kuo was taken aback: "No...no. The young master said that we are not allowed to taste unknown stones."

Liu Xinyi nodded: "Young master is right. That stone is not salt. If one accidentally eats it, it could be fatal."

Shen Kuo shrank back in fright and muttered softly, "Thank goodness I didn't taste it... thank goodness I didn't taste it..."

Wang Zhonghua felt a surge of warmth as he watched this scene.

These people—Tiehua, Tiedan, the Liu family grandfather and grandson, Shen Kuo, Lü Sanjun, Sun Kui, Duan Gong…—were originally strangers, each with their own past and their own hardships. Now, however, they have come together to work towards the same goal.

He wanted to give the people in this chaotic world a safe haven where they could survive.

And these people are the most solid foundation of this pure land.

Outside the window, the wind and snow had stopped.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling on the ruins of Hulu Bay, on the medicinal fragrance of Sanshenglu, and on Shen Kuo's notebook, which was covered in mud but densely filled with writing.

The sky truly brightened.

Just then, Lu Fusheng, the steward of the Lu family, hurriedly arrived, holding a gold-painted invitation.

"Young Master Wang! Master!" He rushed in, panting. "The Chenzhou Prefecture has sent an invitation. A banquet will be held at the prefectural government office in three days to celebrate General Di and all the brave warriors' victory!"

Wang Zhonghua took the invitation, opened it, and his gaze fell on the signature—

Chen Shimei.

A cold smile crept across his face: "Hmph, it seems this battle isn't over yet."

"Young Master Wang, Lord Chen, the Prefect, has sent an invitation to invite you and Master Lü to the Chenzhou Prefectural Government Office on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month for a celebratory banquet." Lü Fusheng presented the invitation and added, his tone somewhat subtle, "The messenger specifically stated that Lord Chen has heard of the superb medical skills of the granddaughter of Physician Liu and the extraordinary courage of Miss Qin Tiehua. If it is convenient for you, Young Master Wang, you may bring the two ladies to the banquet as a sign of respect for these remarkable women."

Wang Zhonghua took the invitation, his fingertips touching the cool, gold-leafed cover, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

A victory celebration banquet? Should Liu Xinyi and Qin Tiehua accompany him?

What exactly is Chen Shimei up to? Is it to win him over, to test him, or... another meticulously planned trap?

He gently closed the invitation and looked up out the window.

Lu Sanjun, clutching the gilded invitation, paced back and forth in his study, his plump face contorted with worry, like a rolling ball. "A trap! This is clearly a trap! That scoundrel Chen Shimei, he's definitely up to no good!" He suddenly stopped, looking at Wang Zhonghua, "Nephew, perhaps... we should feign illness and not go?"

Wang Zhonghua sat in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his expression calm: "Not going? Wouldn't that tell Chen Shimei we're afraid? He could use that as an excuse to make trouble. Besides," a meaningful smile played on his lips, "they even specifically named us as 'Outstanding Women.' If we back down, wouldn't it make Tiehua and Miss Xinyi look down on?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Tiehua raised her eyebrows and slammed the scabbard of her "Snow Chant" sword to the ground: "Go! Why not go? It'll be a good opportunity to show those turtles... officials that we country girls are not to be trifled with!" She was spirited and fearless.

Liu Xinyi sat quietly to the side, wiping her silver needles. Hearing this, she looked up and said in a clear, melodious voice, "'Chenzhou golden needles are yellow, Shangshui roses are fragrant.' I have already seen the Shangshui roses, and I am eager to see the Chenzhou golden needles! The Chenzhou government office is not a den of dragons and tigers, but a place where medicinal herbs are abundant. I am thinking of going there to take a look, and perhaps I can find some good medicines to treat malaria and promote blood circulation."

Her reasons were sound, yet her eyes remained equally resolute.

Wang Zhonghua couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.