please make me king

Chapter 41 Liu Shancun Research

Zhang Shun was a little disappointed to hear that it was not "crucible steel" but "crucible iron", but after thinking about it, he didn't understand these things at first, so it was a surprise to get relevant craftsmen, iron-making technology and sulfur-making technology anyway. up.

In order to prevent being fooled by these craftsmen, Zhang Shun simply asked Zhao Lizi to send another ship to pick up fifty soldiers and set up a guard in the direction of Yangcheng.Then let the old man take himself and others to investigate in person.

Zhang Shun cared most about steel, so he went to investigate the crucible ironmaking technology first.The method of smelting iron here does not use blast furnaces, but square furnaces.Zhang Shun followed the old man into a courtyard where iron was being smelted. There was a square furnace in the courtyard. The front and top of the furnace were open, and the sides were made of bricks and clay. Low thatched huts.

Zhang Shun stretched out his head and drilled inside, only to feel that the inside was unbearably stuffy.He looked around, but saw two strong men, an old man and a young man, pulling the bellows to blow the wind.Zhang Shun couldn't see any way, so he got out again and asked the old man how to build this furnace and how to make iron.

Although the old man felt that the "thief" was a bit strange, but under the threat, he didn't have the heart to keep it secret, so he directly told Zhang Shun the general skills and steps.It turns out that there is a tuyere at the back of the furnace connected to the bellows, and the bottom of the furnace is paved with broken crucible pieces to form an air duct, on which are placed successively large coals and small coals, some kindling materials are piled on the coal, and then put into the crucible.Gaps are required between the crucibles for ventilation, and coals are placed in and on them.

As for the crucible, it is made into a cylindrical shape, the bottom is sealed, and a certain amount of ore and black soil are put in, and then it can be smelted by blasting.After the smelting is completed, after the furnace cools down, the crucible is pulled out and the bottom is smashed to obtain massive iron nuggets.If the slag and iron cannot be separated, the entire crucible needs to be smashed to pick up the iron particles.The crucibles used to build the walls of houses are the remains of the broken bottom after the iron smelting is completed.

After the old man finished speaking, he picked a piece of smelted iron for Zhang Shun to look at.Zhang Shun took it with a heavy hand, it looked swarthy, and it was a semicircular iron block with a diameter of more than three inches.

Zhang Shun shook his head and weighed about seven or eight catties, so he couldn't help asking: "How much can you get out of this kind of furnace?"

"It's less than a dozen yuan, and it's more than a hundred yuan. It depends on the demand, and it won't work if it's more." The old man replied honestly.

"Is this pig iron and wrought iron? How do you use this piece of iron?"

"Pig iron can be fried into mature iron or melted into cast iron."

Zhang Shun shook his head secretly when he heard this. The output was too low, so he asked, "How does this compare with blast furnace ironmaking? Why is the output so low?"

"We seldom use blast furnaces here. They are easy to fry, and the quality of the iron is too poor to be usable. It is better to make iron in crucibles." The old man replied because he knew a lot.

"Let's go, let's go look at smelting sulfur again." Zhang Shun was helpless, he didn't know much about iron smelting, he only remembered that the online novels in his previous life were about blast furnace iron smelting, quicklime desulfurization and so on, and he didn't know what it was What's the matter.Anyway, I don't have any other choice, so let's use this crucible to smelt iron, and compare the pros and cons in the future when conditions arise.

Going to the place where sulfur is refined, there are many large pots with small mouths in the yard.Seeing Zhang Shun and others coming with weapons, the owner of the courtyard was startled and frightened, and dared not speak out.Zhang Shun ignored him and asked the old man how to make it.

Pointing to the piles of jars, the old man said to Zhang Shun: "My lord, we in Liushan Village use these 'heaven and earth jars' to smelt sulfur. These jars are all small and big-bellied. When smelting, sulfur ore is stuffed into the jars. Put this pot upside down on top of another pot, and align the small openings. Seal it with wheat bran mud, put crushed charcoal around it, light it up and grill it, and it will be done in a day and a night. After it cools down, the sulfur will be in the pot below. .”

Zhang Shun asked someone to pick up a piece of the finished product, and took a look, but it was a light yellow crystal, basically no impurities could be seen with the naked eye, and it also exuded a special smell.He is not professional, but he feels that the purity of the sulfur is good.

In fact, this is Zhang Shun's dog shit luck. In this era, Yangcheng is the most refined sulfur in the world, and Liushan Village is the most important in Yangcheng. This is the best sulfur that can be refined in the world, and the iron quality is excellent. Zhang Shun picked up the crucible iron smelting technology.

Although Zhang Shun didn't know that he was lucky, it didn't prevent him from realizing the value of this small mountain village.Then he discussed with the old man: "The old man should be tired of living here for a few years, why don't you let everyone walk with us and find a good place, it's better than suffering here."

When the old man heard this, his heart was almost broken.The mountain village is poor, and there is nothing coveted by others. He thought that the "thief" would just extort some iron objects, but he didn't expect that this person wanted to kidnap their entire village.

Where the old man was willing to go, he just knelt down and begged: "Your Majesty, calm down, we are all poor craftsmen, working day and night, but if we pay the government for iron and sulfur, and sell the rest to merchants, it is only enough for three meals a day. There is no oil or water. I beg your Majesty to spare your life!"

Seeing that his head was smashed, Zhang Shun couldn't stand it. He really couldn't bear Xinlai and forcibly moved the whole village. In addition, it was said that Yangcheng County was only about fifteen miles away, and time did not allow him to move slowly.

So, Zhang took a step back by the way and said: "Since the old man is so sincere, I will also take a step back. You help me choose twenty blacksmiths, twenty sulfur smiths, and ten old masters. Follow me, and I will go with you." How about letting your village go?"

The old man was still waiting for a bargain, so Zhang Shun drew out his iron mace, smashed the crucible in front of him with one mace, and threatened, "If not, the whole village will be spared."

The old man was scared out of his wits, so he could only show Zhang Shun some craftsmen in the village.After tossing and tossing for a long time, they managed to gather fifty people.Those fifty people and their family members did not dare to offend Zhang Shun, so they could only curse and insult the old man who led the team.

The old man was aggrieved and tried to explain, where did he explain clearly?Zhang Shun took the opportunity to say: "It seems that the old man's relationship with others in the village is not good, why not go with me? If he stays here and is later reported to the government by the villagers, wouldn't it be the crime of beheading the whole family!"

The old man was full of stomachs, and Maipi had nothing to say, so he had to beg for a moment. When he returned home, he found his son, daughter-in-law and grandson, rolled up the soft bedding together, and followed Zhang Shun.Based on the principle of "thieves don't go empty-handed", Zhang Shun took the opportunity to take out some silver taels blackmailed from Runcheng, bought a lot of iron and iron, and planned to let these blacksmiths make weapons for him later.

Therefore, these families who sold ironware not only ignored Zhang Shun's behavior of hunting young men, but praised Zhang Shun's "benevolence and righteousness". This is really an unreasonable world.

(End of this chapter)