Three Kingdoms: Daily settlement helps Liu Bei revive the Shu Han dynasty.

Chapter 117 Special Reward: Crucible Steel Pouring Method

Lu Yong had Wang Lang and Yu Fan placed in separate camps, with soldiers taking turns guarding them outside.

At the same time, he ordered Xu Sheng to select five hundred elite soldiers to escort the two to Wanling early the next morning.

By the time I finished all this, it was already late at night.

Shortly after, the system notification sounded on time.

[It's midnight; let's begin today's settlement.]

[Host's achievements today: Occupy Zhuji, Capture Gaoqiantun, Capture Yu Fan, Kill Zhou Xin, Occupy Yuji, Capture Wang Lang. A total of 5 achievements.]

Overall rating: S++.

[Rewards: 1 Gold Affix, 1 Special Item, 8 Free Attribute Points]

Lu Yong opened his eyes and silently checked.

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained the entry: Commander of the Three Armies (Gold).]

Effect: The host's army gains a 30% increase in battlefield coordination, maintains high morale, and gains an additional 15% attack power when engaging the enemy.

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained a special item: complete blueprints for the crucible steel pouring method.]

Description: Using wrought iron as the core and pig iron as the molten iron, both are placed in a sealed crucible, sealed with mud, and blasted at high temperatures for several nights. The carbon in the pig iron evenly infiltrates the wrought iron, while impurities oxidize into slag, which is then forged into steel. The resulting steel possesses both hardness and toughness, capable of forging blades capable of cutting through thirty layers of armor and armor plates that are strong yet not brittle. The process is significantly simplified compared to refining steel, yet the quality is superior, forming the foundation for mass-producing divine weapons.

Lu Yong's heart tightened slightly, and he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "Awesome!"

[Commanding the Three Armies (Gold)] Further enhance your ability to command troops.

Steelmaking is a technology that is currently in short supply.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the mainstream forging techniques were nothing more than frying steel and refining steel.

The process of frying steel involves partially melting pig iron and stirring it to remove carbon. Although the output is large, the carbon content is entirely determined by feel.

The steel is of inconsistent quality and contains many inclusions, requiring repeated forging before it can be used.

Even the most ordinary ring-pommel sword requires dozens of hammer blows to forge.

If three out of ten are of superior quality, that already belongs to the craftsmanship of an old artisan.

For high-quality steel, it is necessary to repeatedly fold and forge the steel, requiring thirty, fifty, or even a hundred forgings.

While finished products made of refined steel are sharp and tough, the process is extremely time-consuming.

A blacksmith needs two to three months to refine a fifty-year-old sword.

It consumes several times more materials than an ordinary sword, and its value is comparable to the entire land of a middle-class family. It has always been the exclusive domain of generals and could never be made available to the entire army.

As for the weapons in the hands of ordinary soldiers, most of them are not even wrought iron; they are simply wrought iron forged into shape and then a thin layer of carbon is added to the blade.

If you can't even manage a hundred or so strikes in battle, the blade will become dull or even chipped.

Against slightly thicker armor, it's like scratching an itch.

The difference is even more pronounced above the thyroid gland.

Nowadays, the soldiers in the armies of various prefectures and counties are mostly equipped with leather armor or cloth armor. Those who can protect their chest and abdomen are already considered elite.

Only the core of the county army and the private troops of generals were allowed to wear lamellar armor.

There are both technical difficulties and material issues involved, which is why this drawing of the crucible steel-pouring method can be described as a timely help.

It skips the tedious process of repeated forging of steel, instead using molten pig iron to infuse wrought iron material, which is then sealed in a crucible for high-temperature refining. This process removes impurities thoroughly, resulting in uniform and stable carbon content. The steelmaking efficiency is several times that of molten steel, and the quality is comparable to that of 100-times-refined steel.

In other words, with this technology and the production capacity of Lu Yong's workshops, he could replace all the planned "heavy combined arms battalions" with armor of similar quality to that of senior generals of this era in less than half a year, but at a cost of less than half of the original plan.

At that time, not to mention ordinary soldiers, even Yuan Shao's halberdiers will be completely outmatched by him in terms of equipment.

"This is truly a national treasure!" Lu Yong clicked his tongue twice and carefully put away the blueprints.

All attribute points were allocated to Constitution.

The next day, as dawn broke, Lu Yong got up and left his tent.

Smoke curled from the camp chimneys as soldiers prepared their meals.

"Strategist," Xu Sheng approached and clasped his hands in greeting, "Wang Lang and Yu Fan have been settled. I have selected five hundred elite troops who are ready to depart at any time."

Lu Yong nodded: "We'll set off after breakfast. Take good care of us on the way and don't be negligent."

"Yes, sir." Xu Sheng accepted the order and turned to arrange the escort.

After breakfast, the escort team for Wang Lang and Yu Fan set off.

Lu Yong led his army on a march, heading towards Shanyin City along the official road.

Two days later, the outline of Shanyin City came into view.

Although the city gates were tightly closed, there were not many guards to be seen on the city walls.

Most of the garrison in Shanyin City had been taken away by Wang Lang, leaving only two thousand old and weak people in the city.

Lu Yong did not rush to attack the city, but instead ordered his troops to form ranks outside the city.

Immediately, Zhang Fei spurred his horse forward and roared towards the city wall, "Wang Lang and Yu Fan have been captured! Why don't you surrender now?"

Zhang Sanye's loud voice, combined with the densely packed army outside the city, created a powerful sense of oppression.

A commotion arose on the city wall.

Before long, the city gate opened, and several officials came out carrying an official seal and knelt by the roadside.

Lu Yong accepted the seal of office and ordered Xu Sheng to lead the army to take over the defense.

The army entered the city, but did not commit any offenses.

The people of Shanyin originally kept their doors and windows tightly shut, peeping from behind their windows.

Seeing that the soldiers didn't break down doors or loot, but simply marched through the streets in formation, they gradually felt relieved.

After the notice to reassure the people was posted, shops in the city gradually reopened, and people gradually returned to normal life.

Lu Yong took his seat in the main hall of the prefect's mansion, with Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Lei Hu sitting on either side.

Xu Sheng was busy deploying defenses outside and couldn't arrive in time.

Lu Yong knew that these three were all military officers, so he didn't ask any questions and simply said, "Kuaiji is bordered to the north by the Qiantang River, and faces Wu County across the river."

Guling and Yuji are the northern gateways.

With Shanyin as its capital, the central region was crisscrossed by waterways and covered with vast tracts of fertile land, making it the most prosperous area in Kuaiji.

The southern part stretches from Shan County and Shangyu southward, with continuous mountain ranges all the way to Dongye (which is the later Fuzhou, Fujian). The terrain is rugged, and Han people and Yue people live together in the mountains.

During Wang Jingxing's tenure as governor, he was only truly able to control the dozen or so counties in the central and northern parts of the country.

In the southern counties, powerful local lords held sway, and the Yue tribes of the mountains ruled independently; Wang Lang could only maintain a degree of control over them.

Zhao Yun: "The strategist is right."

Zhang Fei nodded and said, "I'll listen to you."

Lei Hu nodded in agreement: "Me too."

"————" Lu Yong's lips twitched.

Just then, a personal guard entered through the hall and said, "Strategist! There's an urgent message from Taishi Ci in Shangyu!"

Lei Hu quickly stepped forward, took the letter, and handed it to Lu Yong.

Lu Yong unfolded and read it carefully.

A moment later, he smiled and said to Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and Lei Hu, "Tai Shi Ziyi and the others have successfully captured Shangyu City."

However, Yuyao, Juzhang, and other counties have mustered nearly ten thousand troops and are launching a counterattack on Shangyu, attempting to reinforce Shanyin.

Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun stood up simultaneously, one glaring, the other clasping his hands in a fist salute, and exclaimed, "I'm going!"

"This humble general is willing to go!"

"Third General, you should rest for a bit." Lu Yong gestured to Zhang Fei, then said to Zhao Yun, "Zilong, lead your cavalry and set off immediately. Once you arrive, find the right opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's rear."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhao Yun clasped his hands in acceptance, smiled, and strode out of the hall.

"Favoritism—" Zhang Fei muttered as he sat down.

Lu Yong was both amused and exasperated. He poured a bowl of "water" and handed it over, saying, "Third General, you have already made many great contributions. It's time to share some with Zilong and the others."

Zhang Fei was not someone who lacked a sense of the bigger picture.

He took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp before replying, "We've agreed that next time there's a big battle, I'll be the one to lead the charge."

Lu Yong smiled and nodded: "It's a deal."

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