In the Three Kingdoms period, the opening scene features the killing of Huang Gai, shocking Zhou Yu!

Zhao Yu did not answer.

He took a deep breath.

Suppress the heart that was about to leap out of her chest.

"many……"

Coal had already been discovered during the Han Dynasty, but due to technological limitations, large-scale mining was not possible.

but,

Since I've encountered this opportunity, I'm in luck!

Zhao Yu picked up the "eyebrow-painting stone" that Sun Shangxiang treasured.

It was thrown directly into the small red clay stove in front of him for brewing tea.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Sun Shangxiang panicked.

He was about to take out his sword to pluck it.

"Those are my cosmetics! Why did you burn them?!"

"Don't move! Watch!"

Zhao Yu grabbed her and stared intently at the stove.

The charcoal was glowing red.

The black stone, under the scorching heat,

It did not crack like ordinary stones.

But...

"call--"

A wisp of pale blue flame leaped up from the surface.

Immediately afterwards, a bright red light shone forth.

A wave of heat, more intense and longer-lasting than that from charcoal, surged out of the furnace.

"Is...I'm asleep?"

Sun Shangxiang was so shocked that she covered her mouth:

"A stone... it can actually burn? And burn so fiercely?"

"This is... the heart and soul of the mighty Han!"

"With it."

"I can smelt steel! I can burn cement! I can create weapons that can truly cut through iron like mud!"

"I can transform this godforsaken ice crystal pavilion into a heavily armed steel fortress!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Zhao Yu burst into laughter.

The laughter was filled with ecstasy.

He turned around abruptly.

He grabbed Sun Shangxiang, who was still in a daze, and hugged her tightly.

He gave her a big kiss on her forehead, which was covered in thick black paint.

"Trojan horse!"

"Wife!"

"You've done a great job!"

"A tremendous achievement!"

Sun Shangxiang blushed.

"What...what are you doing?"

"I haven't showered yet, and I smell of sweat."

Zhao Yu let her go.

"Pass down the order!"

"tonight!"

"I'm not eating pheasants or rabbits anymore!"

"Slaughter the sheep!"

"Roasted Lamb!"

"Let's use this... 'eyebrow-drawing stone' to bake it!"

Sun Shangxiang covered her forehead where she had been kissed.

Bewildered.

"Roasted Lamb?"

"What about my eyebrows?"

"It's so hard to wash!"

Zhao Yu could no longer hear.

His mind is now filled with blast furnaces, coke, molten steel...

He took Sun Shangxiang's hand and left.

"Quick, quick, take me to the place where you found the coal."

……

Riverbank.

Sun Shangxiang pointed to the pit she had dug:

"Look, it's right here."

I was trying to dig for earthworms, but all I found were these black rocks, and the deeper I went, the more I found.

Zhao Yu squatted down,

They don't mind the dirt.

They simply used their hands to peel away the top layer of yellow soil.

They only dug down less than half a foot.

The layers of black coal were then exposed.

Unlike the mines of later generations that required digging hundreds of meters deep,

The "coal" here is actually potatoes buried in the ground.

You can collect a basketful with just a little digging.

"System, scan."

Zhao Yu silently recited in his heart,

It absolutely must not be just a flash in the pan.

[Ding. Scan complete.]

Mineral type: Shallow open-pit coal.

Geological structure: extremely stable, requires no support, and can be directly mined in the open.

Estimated reserves: approximately 50 tons.

Assessment: While not a large mine, it was enough to supply the population of a county-sized town for intensive industrial and residential use—for a full five years.

Five years!

Moreover, it's open-pit shallow coal!

That's enough!

That's enough!

He's blessed with good looks!

This means there is no risk of a gas explosion.

It also does not require complex ventilation and drainage equipment.

You don't even need professional miners!

As long as you have the strength,

You can dig out this "black gold" with a hoe!

"Ma Chao!"

Zhao Yu shouted.

Ma Chao, who was cuddling with Aya, was taken aback.

Subconsciously straightened up:

"exist!"

"Pass on my orders!"

Zhao Yu pointed to this riverbank,

"Go to the surrounding pavilions and counties, post recruitment notices, and come to dig up this kind of stone. Dig it out and pile it up in the open space!"

"A basket of stones? I won't give you steamed buns, just three copper coins! Cash on delivery!"

Ma Chao:

"what?"

"Don't ask! Follow orders!"

……

After arranging the coal mining army,

Zhao Yu was not idle.

He rushed back to his study.

He spread out bamboo slips and picked up his pen to write a letter to Cao Cao, who was far away in Ye City.

We have coal now, but how to use it is the problem.

Burn it directly?

It produces a lot of smoke, which can easily lead to poisoning, and it's also difficult to transport.

To turn this stuff into money and combat power, it must be processed further—through honeycomb briquettes.

This requires specialized molds and furnaces.

His left wife, who only knows how to use an abacus, is no good, and his right wife, who only knows how to chop people, is no good either.

We absolutely have to call in more players!

To my father-in-law, the Prime Minister:

During his inspection of the territory, my son-in-law Zhao Yu observed the celestial phenomena at night and discovered an auspicious omen in Shangxiang today!

It is coal.

Are you still worried about people getting chilblains on their hands and feet in winter?

Are you still worried about the low yield rate of iron smelting and the lack of sharpness in weapons?

With the advent of this item, all the above problems will be easily solved.

It can increase the combat power of the northern soldiers by 30%!

It can make even the steel of a giant Han Dynasty as hard as mud!

However, the development of this product still requires skilled craftsmen and talented individuals.

I implore my father-in-law to immediately send Ma Jun and Ding Yi with enough iron sheets and a blacksmith to the Ice Crystal Pavilion!

It's extremely urgent! If we delay... I'll play by myself first.

Son-in-law: Zhao Yu

yours truly

After finishing writing, Zhao Yu summoned the captain of his personal guards:

"Urgent! Send it back to the Prime Minister's residence in Ye City! It must be delivered to the Prime Minister personally!"

The letter has been sent, but the person hasn't arrived yet.

But Zhao Yu couldn't wait.

Looking at the mountains of coal piled up on the riverbank,

Let's make a "sample" first.

Let's give these country bumpkins who've never seen the world a shock.

"Liu Tingzhang, go and dig up some yellow mud."

I need the kind that's very sticky.

Zhao Yu rolled up his sleeves,

Ignoring the image of the Marquis,

He squatted down right next to the coal pile.

He found two large stone mortars.

Have Ma Chao join him in smashing the large chunks of coal and grinding them into powder.

Although Ma Chao looked disgusted

But to repay Zhao Yu for taking him in and saving his life, he picked up the stone hammer and got to work.

then,

Zhao Yu mixed coal powder and yellow mud in a ratio of 8:2, and added water and stirred.

Just like kneading dough.

This step is crucial.

Yellow clay was used for combustion aid and shaping.

Too much and it won't burn.

Too little will cause it to scatter easily.

What if there are no machines or molds?

Zhao Yu found a thick bamboo tube.

Stuff the mixed coal slurry inside.

Compact.

Then, twelve holes were poked in it with several thin wooden sticks (to increase air circulation, i.e., to create a honeycomb).

Finally, give it a strong push.

"Clatter".

A honeycomb briquette with twelve holes, the first handmade version, was born.

"this one?"

Sun Shangxiang leaned closer.

He poked the wet, black lump of coal with the scabbard.

A look of disgust:

"Husband, you went through all that trouble just to make these few little dumplings?"

"This thing is mixed with dirt and has so many holes; it doesn't look like it will last long enough to burn?"

Zhao Yu wiped the black ash off his face.

"Women are often short-sighted and lack common sense."

"It's wet, it needs to be dried."

"Once they're dried, I'll show you what a 'Blue Enchantress' really looks like!"