Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The early summer sun was already quite scorching, pouring unhindered onto the newly compacted ground of the drill ground, sending up waves of heat carrying the smell of dust. The infantry battalion's drills and battle cries shook the heavens, the mounted archers' hooves rolled across the plains like muffled thunder, and the crossbowmen's bowstrings hummed with a unique, chilling sharpness. The fruits of military reform were quietly accumulating in the daily sweat, and the prototype of a more lean and coordinated military force was gradually emerging.

However, amidst this vibrant training scene, another weight remained in Chen Xing's heart, growing heavier with each passing moment—the equipment.

The existing weaponry of Xinghuo Fortress is a motley collection, varying greatly in quality. The elite troops have the best original equipment, equipped with the standard Wei Wuzu gear provided by the system. Their armor and weapons are far superior to those of the era, but their numbers are limited and replenishment is nearly impossible. The garrison and newly formed infantry battalions mostly use weapons captured from the Hu people, bandits, and the old stockpiles of the Black Wind Trading Company. Han-style ring-pommel swords, Hu-style curved swords, maces, and spears are mixed together, many rusted and chipped, barely repaired before use. Leather armor is especially scarce; many soldiers only have simple cloth clothing or leather vests with a few iron plates. The Murong cavalry's equipment is relatively uniform, but they also face the problem of difficult replenishment of battle losses, especially a shortage of high-quality iron horse tack and arrowheads.

The crossbow units had an even greater demand for crossbow bolts, and they had high requirements for the specifications, hardness, and consistency of the bolts. The existing handcrafting methods were inefficient and the quality was unstable.

"Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice." After a drill, Chen Wei wiped the ring-pommel sword in his hand, whose blade already showed fine cracks, and said frankly to Chen Xing, "The soldiers' training is becoming more and more proficient, and their formations are also quite well coordinated, but these weapons of ours... if we encounter the heavily armored main force of the Black Mountain Army, we may suffer a great loss. Especially in terms of armor-piercing power, our swords can cut through leather armor, but against iron armor, it is very difficult."

Murong Mingyue also said, "Our troops have consumed a great deal of arrows. The arrowheads we captured from the Hu people are mostly made of bone or stone, which lacks penetrating power. If we could use more iron arrowheads like the Han people, our mounted archery prowess would be greatly enhanced."

Chen Xing was well aware of this. Productivity, especially metal smelting and processing capabilities, had always been the bottleneck restricting Xinghuo Fortress's development. Previous trade could only yield a small amount of finished ironware or crude iron, a drop in the ocean, and left him vulnerable to external control. He needed to have his own stable and high-quality steel source.

In the dead of night, only Chen Xing remained in the council hall. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, his consciousness sinking into the "Imperial Overlord System," which had accompanied him through countless transmigrations and remained dormant for so long. A cold, mechanical screen unfolded in his mind.

[Host: Chen Xing]

[Faction: Starfire Fortress]

Population: Approximately 1680 people

[Army: Approximately 550 personnel (combatants/auxiliaries)]

[Resource Points: 357 (Main Sources: Influence Expansion, Mission Completion, Impact of Major Events)]

[Shop: Partially unlocked. List of redeemable items...]

His gaze swept directly past the currently unattainable rare items, formations, and even rudimentary gunpowder recipes, locking onto a project under the "Technology" category that he had long coveted and for which the points required were just barely enough.

[Basic Steelmaking Method - Requires 300 resource points to exchange.]

"Crucible method... frying steel method..." Chen Xing murmured to himself. This wasn't high-tech at all; similar steelmaking techniques had already existed in ancient Chinese history. However, the system clearly provided a refined, optimized "guideline" more suitable for current conditions. It might not immediately bring about an industrial revolution, but it was enough to elevate the quality of Xinghuobao's steel from "usable" to "excellent," and even "superior" in some areas.

The price was high. Three hundred points was almost all the resource points he had accumulated at the moment. But he didn't hesitate much.

"exchange."

[300 resource points consumed. Exchange successful. "Basic Steelmaking Method" has been issued. Related basic principles, material preparation, furnace construction, operating procedures, precautions, and other knowledge have been instilled into the host's consciousness, and can be partially exported in a current-era illustrated format.]

A stream of information, cool yet slightly stinging, flooded Chen Xing's mind. A moment later, he opened his eyes, his gaze clear and resolute. A detailed steelmaking technique, devoid of modern jargon and explained in a way that contemporary craftsmen could understand, had appeared in his mind.

The following day, Chen Xing summoned Wang Jian, Guo San, and several of the most experienced and brilliant old blacksmiths and kiln workers from the craftsmen's workshop.

The location was chosen in a relatively secluded depression outside the fortress, near a water source and downwind from the residential area. Chen Xing didn't reveal all the technical details at the beginning; instead, he first raised questions.

"You are all experts. Our fort's armor and weapons rely heavily on captured and repaired equipment, with very little of our own production, especially a lack of good iron and steel. If we were to refine steel that is stronger than ordinary wrought iron and tougher than pig iron to forge swords, armor plates, and agricultural tools, do you all think it is possible at this time? What are the difficulties?"

The old craftsmen looked at each other in bewilderment. Steelmaking? That was a closely guarded secret among top craftsmen! Most of these exiled craftsmen only knew the rudimentary skills of blacksmithing, repairing, and making simple ironware. At most, they knew the legend of "steel being forged through repeated forging," which required extremely exquisite skills, repeated hammering, and a large amount of high-quality fuel. It was time-consuming, laborious, and had a low success rate.

An old blacksmith surnamed Hu hesitated and said, "Master, the method of steelmaking is extraordinary. My ancestors heard that it requires the finest iron ore, mixed with charcoal, and smelted in a specially made blast furnace to produce pig iron. Pig iron is brittle and requires multiple processes such as forging, carburizing, and quenching before it can be made into steel. This method is extremely costly, with a success rate of only one in ten, and it is beyond the skill of our craft."

Wang Jian frowned as well: "The blast furnaces and blowers required are currently only small-scale replicas that our fort can barely make, and their effectiveness is limited. Moreover, high-quality iron ore and a large amount of charcoal are also problems."

Chen Xing nodded, now having a better understanding of their level of knowledge. "If I had a method, perhaps without such complicated forging processes, to obtain steel of decent quality more consistently?"

Everyone was shocked, and all eyes turned to Chen Xing.

Chen Xing stopped being mysterious and had someone bring him charcoal pencils and several flat wooden boards. Combining his knowledge with the simplest language and drawings, he began to explain the basic principles of the "crucible method" and the "steel-frying method".

"...We don't need to aim to smelt pure steel in one go. We can try to obtain pig iron first, or collect existing scrap ironware and iron materials." He drew a simple vertical furnace, "Using this furnace, we can blow in enough air to make the charcoal fire burn brightly enough to melt the iron as much as possible and obtain liquid pig iron."

Next, he drew a thick, lidded crucible made of clay, and a shallow, pool-shaped "steel-making furnace." "Pig iron is brittle and contains too much carbon. To turn it into steel, the excess carbon needs to be removed. There are two methods: First, pour molten pig iron into this specially made crucible, add some ore powder that can 'absorb carbon,' seal it, and heat it. This allows the carbon to react with these additives, partially removing it. After cooling, steel is obtained. This method is more stable, but the output is small, and it requires a high-quality crucible."

"Secondly," he pointed to the molten iron furnace, "the molten iron is poured into this shallow pool and stirred constantly while air is blown in. The oxygen in the air reacts with the carbon in the molten iron, causing combustion and continuously reducing the carbon content. While stirring, the color and viscosity of the molten iron are observed, and experience is used to judge when it has reached the state of steel. Then it is taken out and forged into shape. This method produces a larger output, but it requires extremely high eyesight and experience from the craftsman."

He avoided using terms like "carbon element" and "redox" as much as possible, instead using familiar terms to explain, such as "brittleness," "toughness," "heat," and "impurities." Guo San's eyes lit up; he was always interested in novel methods. The veteran craftsmen, on the other hand, frowned, trying hard to understand this unheard-of method of "frying" steel.

"Of course, this is just a rough outline." Chen Xing put down his charcoal pencil. "The specifics of how to build the furnace, the clay formula, the blowing force, what kind of ore powder to add, how to control the heat during frying, what tools to use for stirring, and when to remove it from the pot... all require repeated experimentation. I can tell you all the key points I know, but whether it will succeed and how to improve it depends on you all!"

He immediately appointed Wang Jian to oversee the project, with Guo San assisting. Several veteran craftsmen served as the backbone, and more than ten agile and resourceful young craftsmen were selected to form a "steelmaking trial group." A special area was allocated, resources were distributed, and it was announced that those who participated in the trial production would be awarded merit according to the "Meritorious Service Order" for research and innovation; if qualified steel was successfully produced, a full reward would be given!

Stimulated by the generous reward and the unknown technology, the pilot project team sprang into action. The first step was to build experimental furnaces. Following the simplified diagrams and key points provided by Chen Xing, the craftsmen selected refractory clay, experimented with different formulas and compaction methods, and constructed a small vertical shaft furnace and a more rudimentary steel-frying furnace. The blower was a modified leather bellows, driven by human foot pedals.

The iron ore mainly came from collected broken weapons and old farm tools, as well as a small amount of crude iron ingots obtained from Lijiaji. Charcoal was given priority.

The initial attempts were fraught with setbacks. The vertical shaft furnace temperature was insufficient, and the iron failed to melt completely, resulting in a half-molten lump of iron with many impurities. The molten iron furnace fared even worse, either due to insufficient airflow, causing the molten iron to cool quickly, or due to uneven stirring, resulting in uneven heating; and on one occasion, a crack in the furnace chamber caused molten iron to leak, nearly causing an accident, but fortunately, due to proper protection, no one was injured.

After each failure, Chen Xing would personally go to the site and analyze the reasons with Wang Jian, Guo San, and others. He never blamed anyone; instead, he guided everyone to recall the operational details, compare them against the key points he provided, and look for possible errors. Was the furnace wall thickness insufficient? Was the clay formula incorrect? Was there a problem with the blast rhythm? Or was the iron material itself too rich in impurities?

The craftsmen were initially surprised that the young lord knew these "lowly trades," but seeing his sincere attitude and his insightful analysis, they gradually put aside their concerns and spoke freely. Based on his experience, the old blacksmith Hu suggested adjusting the angle of the blast pipe; an old kiln worker improved the mixing ratio of the clay in the furnace, adding sand to enhance its heat resistance; and Guo San pondered how to improve the shape of the long-handled iron rod used to stir the molten iron.

Chen Xing combined the system’s rough experience on “judging temperature and carbon content by observing the color of molten iron” with the craftsmen’s actual observations and compiled it into a simple mnemonic rhyme, which they used to try, memorize and correct as they went.

They failed once, twice, three times… consuming a considerable amount of precious iron and charcoal, but no one was discouraged. Merit points continued to accumulate, and the lord's trust and expectations served as an invisible impetus. More importantly, each failure brought them a little closer to that vague goal.

Finally, during the fifth refining experiment, a turning point appeared.

As the molten iron churned in the shallow pool, the craftsmen, following the improved rhythm, fanned the flames and stirred vigorously. Old blacksmith Hu, his eyes glued to the changes in the iron's color and the flying sparks, suddenly shouted, "It's ready! Quick! Take it out!"

Several burly men, already prepared, used specially made long-handled iron ladles to swiftly scoop out the liquid metal from the pot—a bright white color with moderate fluidity—and pour it into a pre-made sand mold. With a hiss, white steam rose.

After it cooled slightly, Wang Jian carefully used pliers to remove the still dark red, irregularly shaped metal block and placed it on the anvil. Old blacksmith Hu personally swung his sledgehammer and struck it forcefully.

"clang!"

A clear and resonant metallic clang rang out, quite unlike the dull sound of wrought iron or the brittle sound of pig iron. Where the hammer fell, the metal block deformed, but did not shatter.

Old blacksmith Hu's hands trembled slightly as he switched to a smaller hammer, carefully tapping the edge to observe its ductility and echo. He then asked his apprentice to bring him a piece of ordinary wrought iron and an old, reasonably good-quality cleaver.

"Try the blade!" His voice was a little hoarse.

Guo San picked up the still-warm metal block and quickly ground a rough bevel on a grinding wheel, then clashed it with the wrought iron sheet and the old razor.

"Crack!" A deep dent was left on the wrought iron sheet.

"Clang!" The blade struck the old razor, sparks flew, and each left a white mark, but the newly sharpened, rough edge did not show any obvious chipping!

The surrounding artisans held their breath for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable cheers!

"It's done! It's really done! It's steel! It's steel!" Old blacksmith Hu was in tears. In his entire life, when had he ever forged metal of such quality with his own hands?

Wang Jian excitedly held the still-warm steel billet as if it were a rare treasure. Guo San grinned and chuckled.

The news quickly reached the fortress. Upon hearing the news, Chen Xing rushed over immediately. He carefully examined the nascent steel billet. Although it was far from perfect, with impurities still present and its hardness and toughness only initially meeting the standards, there was no doubt that it already possessed the basic characteristics of "steel," far surpassing most of the so-called "good iron" circulating in the market, and even comparable to the material of some ordinary officers' sabers.

More importantly, it has proven a feasible and relatively stable steelmaking path! The raw material requirements are not high, the fuel reliance on charcoal is still manageable, and although the process requires experience, there is already a framework to follow and identification standards.

"Good! Good! Good!" Chen Xing exclaimed three times, patting Wang Jian and the veteran craftsmen heavily on the shoulders. "This is a great achievement! All those who participated in the trial production deserve high praise and generous rewards! Master Hu, Guo San, and the other veteran craftsmen are hereby appointed as the first master craftsmen of the steelmaking workshop in our fortress's 'Craftsmen's Camp', effective immediately! Wang Jian, for your outstanding leadership, you are promoted to deputy commander of the 'Craftsmen's Camp,' specializing in military equipment!"

He immediately announced that the steelmaking pilot group would be expanded into a formal "steelmaking workshop," with more resources allocated to build larger and more stable furnaces and kilns to begin small-batch trial production. At the same time, he ordered the blacksmith workshop to immediately begin research on how to use this newly produced steel to forge the first batch of experimental swords, spearheads, arrowheads, and... attempt to make more durable armor plates.

As the sun set, it bathed the simple kiln and the excited crowd in a golden hue. The air was thick with the mingled smells of smoke, metal, and sweat.

Chen Xing gazed at the steel billet, passed around like a sacred object, and felt a surge of pride. This was more than just a few pieces of good steel; it was a key—a key to unlocking a leap in productivity and a qualitative transformation in military strength!

The spark of technological breakthrough has already been ignited outside this remote fortress. Given time, it will surely grow into a raging fire that illuminates the path ahead.