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

"Cough cough cough!"

Sun Shangxiang, who was supervising the work, choked and her eyes streamed down her face.

Although the mask is just a few pieces of cloth sewn together.

But they still took several steps back:

"Husband! Are you poisoning things? This smoke is so black! It's turned the sky black!"

Cao Jie was far away and wasn't wearing a mask; he just covered his mouth with a handkerchief.

"This smell...it's awful, could it be poisonous?"

Zhao Yu stood under the black smoke,

Looking at that kiln full of dark, porous coke,

But a fascinated smile appeared on his face.

He spread his arms wide, facing the billowing black smoke, and shouted like a madman:

"Madam, please don't find it offensive."

"This isn't ordinary smoke; this is the breath of industry!"

"This is the signal fire of the mighty Han Dynasty!"

"Of course, most importantly, it smells like money!"

"Do you see the tar below?"

"Once distilled, it becomes lamp oil. The remaining residue becomes asphalt, and asphalt roads..."

"We've got a road... Hahahaha!"

Zhao Yu didn't even dare to think about it.

Paving asphalt roads in the Three Kingdoms period

Sun Shangxiang rolled her eyes, completely baffled. She regretted not digging that hole.

"He's gone mad, completely mad."

"I can't control him anymore, Ma Chao. Keep an eye on your cousin, don't let him fall into the kiln and get burned."

6

We have coke.

That's about right.

Ice Crystal Pavilion.

Riverside.

Zhao Yu specially planned out an area.

A bizarrely shaped behemoth is rising from the ground.

It is about three zhang tall and conical in shape.

It looks like a giant inverted funnel.

The entire structure was made of refractory bricks (which Zhao Yu taught Ma Jun to fire) and yellow mud, and an iron hoop was added around the outside to prevent the furnace from exploding.

The most outrageous thing is,

This thing has a thick leather tube attached to the back.

It leads to a waterwheel on the riverbank.

The waterwheel turned, driving the huge wooden piston.

It emitted heavy, labored breathing sounds.

A strong wind was poured into that large funnel.

Otherwise, why would they say they wanted Ma Jun to come?

As the saying goes, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise.

If Zhao Yu were here, he would have to gesture for ages just to get the words across.

"What is this?"

The old village head stood with his hands behind his back, craning his neck, his hat almost falling off.

"Could this be... a chamber pot made for the giant spirit god?"

The villagers nearby shook their heads.

"No, it looks more like an alchemy furnace to me."

"Does Your Excellency wish to concoct an elixir of immortality?"

Zhao Yu, wearing a homemade rattan safety helmet, responded from behind.

"For iron smelting."

"This...this thing can be used to smelt iron?"

He's lived this long and has never seen anything like it.

Zhao Yu didn't care.

He simply nodded in satisfaction.

It's a bit ugly.

Although there are no environmental protection measures in place.

But this is the totem of industrial civilization.

"ignition!"

The prepared ignition material was thrown into the furnace.

Immediately afterwards, the fuel—coke—was poured in, basket after basket.

Compared to charcoal, coal, and coke, coke has a higher calorific value and better structural strength, enabling it to support the charge pillars inside the blast furnace.

"Full power on the fans!"

The water pumps (hydraulic blowers) along the river were running at full speed.

"call--!!!"

A stream of air rushed into the bottom of the furnace through the pipe.

The originally gentle flame,

The combustion is more even.

It instantly transformed into a raging fire dragon.

Thick black smoke billowed directly from the top of the furnace.

"Now, release the iron ore and limestone."

Iron ore and limestone (flux) are added in layers.

One hour later.

The furnace temperature rose steadily.

1000 degrees... 1200 degrees... 1400 degrees...

The sheet metal used to seal the blast furnace walls began to glow slightly red.

Standing ten steps away,

You can feel the heat wave that burns your skin.

Sun Shangxiang pulled Aya and Cao Jie to hide far away.

"My husband!"

"Won't this thing explode?"

"It looks terrifying!"

Zhao Yu squinted, staring at the iron taphole.

System temperature monitoring: 1500℃.

[Status: Molten iron is being formed.]

Product Prediction: Refined Iron.

"Heaven is helping me!"

This is the game-changing impact of coal.

In the past, when charcoal was used, the temperature couldn't be raised, and the iron ore could only be burned into soft "sponge iron".

The blacksmith had to repeatedly hammer away the slag with a sledgehammer, which was time-consuming and laborious, resulting in very low output.

but now……

Two hours later,

"Open the gates! Tap out the iron!"

Blacksmith Wei, with trembling hands, used a long pole to pry open the mud seal on the iron taphole.

A stream of golden-red molten iron flowed out from the previously dug sand trough.

It illuminated everyone's face.

"It's...it's flowing out?"

Old Wei was so frightened that he sat down on the ground with a thud.

"The iron... has turned into liquid!"

"Good heavens! How much iron must that be!"

In the past, a small furnace could only smelt a few hundred kilograms of iron a day at most.

And this fire dragon before us...

Zhao Yu made an estimate.

This batch weighs at least a thousand catties.

Moreover, this blast furnace can be continuously fed, day and night!

"This is... mass production."

But it's not over yet.

Industry is not something that can be achieved overnight.

Molten iron has too high a carbon content, making it hard and brittle.

It would break at the slightest touch if used to make weapons or farm tools.

"Old Wei! Don't just stand there!"

"Quickly speculate on steel!"

"Bring in the molten iron! Stir it!"

This is a cutting-edge technology that was already mature in the Han Dynasty – the steel-frying method.

By stirring, the oxygen in the air and the added oxidant are used to "fry" away the carbon in the pig iron.

Ma Chao was also called in to help (after all, stirring molten iron is hard work).

He stood by the pool, holding a specially made long-handled iron rake.

"Hey!"

He channeled his inner strength and frantically stirred the viscous molten iron.

"I don't think you're practicing martial arts."

Ma Chao stirred the water while complaining.

"You're cooking porridge with molten iron!"

After some trouble

The properties of molten iron have changed.

It changed from a liquid state to a viscous "porridge-like" state.

They eventually came together as a group.

Now it has turned into a steel ball.

Take it out and forge it repeatedly while it's still hot to squeeze out any remaining slag, and you'll have a dense steel ingot.

Although it's not some mythical black iron,

But its quality is stable.

And most importantly—the portions are huge and you'll be full!

……

Once the first batch of steel ingots has cooled and solidified.

Sun Shangxiang couldn't wait any longer.

He held a steel ingot, his eyes gleaming.

"My lord! This steel is so pure!"

"And there are hardly any impurities!"

"Are we going to start fighting with weapons?"

"I need a sword! Meng needs a gun! And we need to forge a dagger for Aya to use in self-defense!"

Ma Chao wiped his sweat and came over.

"I'm not picky, I just don't like using the gun."

"Just give me a 100-pound iron rod."

Zhao Yu looked at the two violent thugs.

Then he looked at the pile of steel ingots.

"weapon?"

Zhao Yu shook his head.

"pattern."

"Neither of you has broadened your perspective."

Zhao Yu picked up a steel ingot and threw it to the blacksmith, Old Wei.

"Old Wei, let your apprentice handle the steel ingot work."

"First, make a hoe."

"The kind with a wide blade, thickened, and a hammer head on the back."

"what?"

Old Wei was completely devastated.

I originally thought that I had come all the way from Ye City to forge weapons.