My son, Fusu, please abdicate the first emperor!

Chapter 544: Mining in Xinzheng (1 update of 3000 words, please give me a monthly reward!)
Today, the autumn scenery is beautiful in Xianyang city.

There are countless rockeries, large and small, in the palace, and the moss has grown a thick layer, like a green carpet. The sun shines on the rockery, and the tops of the moss seem to be covered with a layer of light gold powder.

The rich fragrance of fruits and melons wafted from the garden, and the maids were busy making spices from the fruits.

Large and small lakes are connected, the water is clear, and the waves on the lake are glowing with golden light.

The maids and eunuchs everywhere in the palace are all in good order.

Hengyang Palace, in the Cardinal's Pavilion.

Several big-bodied craftsmen wearing aprons stood in front of Fusu, all of them bowed their heads in despair.

Their clothes were stained with mud and dust of different colors, colorful.

These aprons are also made of leather.

"Prince, it's not that you are careless. In fact, we have just mastered the proportion of this iron mix. As for carrying out large-scale smelting, it is even more difficult."

"The prince has a clear benevolence and cares about the people, so he proposed to improve the technology of copper smelting. It's just that the villain is really powerless."

Take your seat. There is a tray on the copper table, and there is a piece of iron shining white in the tray.

Fusu wore a blue robe with dragon and tiger patterns embroidered with gold thread. Fusu was carefully observing the iron with a magnifying glass and rubbing it repeatedly.

He compared it with the iron blocks from Qin seven or eight years ago.

It is obvious that the new one has higher purity and density. After being cut, the cross section is flat, smooth and smooth, without any impurities.

Fusu could even see his face clearly on the iron block.

"It can be seen that after seven years, your forging skills have become more and more sophisticated. This is beyond my expectations. But after seven years, what you gave me is still such a small piece of iron."

"If I don't come back, maybe I won't be able to get this small piece of iron out. Anyway, if you do it, you won't do so much, right?"

Although the masters were indeed lazy and rested for a few days when smelting. But they thought that even if they worked day and night, they would not be able to get the amount Fusu wanted.

Moreover, the prince has no idea how difficult it is to smelt iron unless he goes to the mine himself.

It took them more than three years to make such a piece of iron that was polished inside and out like crystal!
It's that difficult.

"Prince, it's really unfair! Although the prince is not here, the villains are working non-stop in the mine every day."

"Yes, yes. The waist is thicker, the head is round, and I don't blush when I speak." Fusu's long and clean fingers kept tapping the table.

A look of shame appeared on several people's faces, and they lowered their heads even lower.

"You guys still don't understand how important these irons are to the people of the world, and you don't understand how important these sharp weapons can be to our country, Qin."

"If these artifacts could be made, you could save thousands of lives."

"Although you are in Xianyang, you should also hear the news. Floods, plagues, droughts, and earthquakes often occur all over the world. Although the war has subsided, natural disasters have never stopped."

"If these things are used on farm tools, one person can do the work of two people, and then more food can be grown. In this way, so many people will not die."

"If it is used in weapons again, Qin will have no rivals in the future. If Qin has no rivals, then there will be no war in the world."

"Do you understand each one of them?"

The five of them lowered their heads and tilted their heads.

"Prince, we will never dare to do this again."

"Don't dare, don't dare, I say that every time. I have to call you in front of me and receive a scolding, and then you can behave yourself for a few days after you go back. Don't think that because you have some skills, I won't dare to kill you."

Several people have heard these words for seven or eight years, but they have never seen Fusu actually take action.

"Everyone, get lost. If we can't get any new copper next month, we'll all go home and dig the ground with our hands!"

Several people became nervous. The deadline given this time was obviously shorter than in the past.

"Prince, although you have secured a mining site for me on the outskirts of Xianyang City, it is more effective to extract materials directly from the mine. This is much more convenient than smelting new iron in a place as big as the palace's palm in the past."

"But we are just craftsmen under the prince's command. We don't even have an official system. We can only rely on the prince's protection to get materials at will in the mine."

"It often takes many times to refine a piece of iron!"

Ironmaking is a really complicated process, and it is a very grueling process to remove all the impurities and carbon from the crude iron.

"As for refining copper, it's more difficult than refining refined iron. The proportions have to be tried again and again."

As these craftsmen spoke, sweat broke out on their fair and chubby faces. It was as if they were in a boiler room right now.

Fusu stared at them until they were frightened.

"Then I'll give you two more months. I'll recruit a group of craftsmen for you." Fusu looked at Feng Jing, "I remember that we captured a group of craftsmen in Chu. Where are they now?"

"They should be on their way to Xianyang, just like the 100,000 Chu troops."

"I'll ask Mr. Jun to let these craftsmen join us."

"Prince, I'm afraid this won't work." Feng Jing looked troubled. Given the prince's personality, if he knew that the king had made such a decision, he wouldn't be angry. I don’t know what happened, but this time when the prince came back, he dared to confront the king. Now everyone in the palace is spreading the news that the prince is angry at the king because of the queen's illness. The king is stunned and can't reply a word.

"why?"

Feng Jing: "First of all, those craftsmen are originally shipbuilders. Secondly, even if some of the craftsmen are iron smelters, I am afraid that the king will not be willing to give them to you."

"When it comes to large-scale smelting, the king must first agree to the order. And Xianyang City does not have that much mineral material at all, and almost half of the material in the mine is transported from other places."

Fusu looked at Feng Jing. What he was talking about didn't answer the question.

Feng Jing had no choice but to bow and tell the truth, "Your Majesty ordered the expansion of the mausoleum. When these Chu soldiers arrived in Xianyang, the first thing they did was to go into the pit and dig out the tomb that had been dug before. Then they would follow the orders of Tingwei and Shaofu." Planning and rebuilding the mausoleum.”

"So, those craftsmen may have been sent to repair the tomb."

After Fusu heard this, the iron in his hand slipped off inadvertently.

He stood up blankly, then sat down again.

Well - he has always been the one who would choose to solve problems in this way.

Fusu didn't care about Ying Zheng and other matters, and only stared at the few craftsmen in front of him.

After such a long period of cultivation and investment, these people still made something.

"In the past, craftsmen were not valued by people. Even in our country of Qin, they were always classified as the third class. But if you can refine copper, you might be able to get a salary from now on."

"In the future, your children can also be sent to government schools to study."

When several craftsmen heard this, their eyes suddenly lit up. Compared with the previous rewards of wealth, improving their social status, and allowing their children to study in government offices to change the fate of the next generation, these temptations are simply fatal.

"Prince, as you say, we have to burn ourselves to make new copper."

"Those words again. What I want is something. If you can't get something out next time, I'll go home and dig the ground with my hands!"

The craftsmen are constantly working hard.

After the craftsmen left, Fusu began planning to build a large mine.

This time, more Chu soldiers survived than he thought.

Instead of building any mausoleums, it would be better to let them all dig mines.

In the past, Grandpa Zeng and Great-grandfather of Fusu also treated prisoners in this way. The prisoners of Qin either followed them to the battlefield and became cannon fodder in the first echelon; or they sent these people to mine.

However, the mining of these minerals has always been small-scale. Moreover, Ying Zheng didn't pay much attention to these minerals at first, and many of them were directly rewarded to meritorious ministers.

Fusu sensed a huge profit opportunity.

"Xianyang? Can we only do these things in Xianyang? I remember that there are many mines in the Xinzheng area."

The Xinzheng area was the nominal fiefdom of Fusu.

Fusu's mining in Xinzheng is legal and reasonable.

Feng Jing bowed and said, "The prince wants to smelt iron on a large scale in Yingchuan County. This can solve many problems of Chu's surrender."

"This is what I want to do next. Once we have the formula, we must work more on mass production. Since it is troublesome to do it in Xianyang, then we will send these new iron-making formulas to Yingchuan County. . But who to send?"

Feng Jing immediately lowered his head.

He was afraid of being selected by Fusu. He would rather earn military glory than watch the Chu people mine. That is the glory of man.

Fusu saw through Feng Jing's thoughts at a glance, so naturally he didn't click on him.

Of course, when every man in the Qin State regards military merit as the highest honor of a man, Fusu naturally hopes that the Lashi people will join the group.

"Xiao He. What do you think?"

Xiao He followed Fusu. These days, he had been looking through various books and classics of the Qin State, focusing on understanding the people's livelihood of the Qin State.

Just last night, he saw the number of weapon preparation and smelting mines in Yingchuan area.

"Prince, I think this matter has great potential. This Yingchuan County has water, mines, and many acres of land."

"The population of Yingchuan County now totals 760,000 people and 200,000 households. There are 30,000 households whose origins are from Qin."

"There are a total of twelve mineral deposits in Yingchuan County. The laborers there are either criminals or son-in-laws. In total, the total number is only 5,000."

"The prince wants to vigorously promote higher-precision iron farm tools, and the purpose is to benefit all people in the world. I have just listened to the discussion between the prince and the blacksmith, and I know that the smelting conditions for this new iron are several times more stringent than usual, and the process is even more complicated than before. ”

"Before the emergence of more sophisticated and faster technology, smelting new iron would require three times the number of people than smelting original iron. In addition, the number required for smelting new iron is very high, which would require three times or even five more people. times the number of people.”

"This requires an original mine to expand from the original 500 people to 8,000."

"So a total of 100,000 people should be invested in Yingchuan County."

(End of this chapter)