I will make Qin Shi Huang immortal in the Great Qin Dynasty.

Since returning from the imperial tombs, Qin Tian has hardly had a moment's rest.

He escorted Fusu back to his residence, then headed straight for the industrial area in the west of the city.

That area was originally the site of state-run workshops of the Qin Dynasty, which housed various handicraft workshops such as iron casting, pottery making, and textiles.

Ying Zheng had already issued an edict in advance, allocating the largest area to Qin Tian's "Ministry of Industry," instructing him to build new workshops there and test new technologies.

When Qin Tian entered the workshop area, the craftsmen had already been waiting for a long time.

They changed into matching gray short-sleeved shirts, wore headscarves, and looked on with anticipation.

They heard that the Grand Preceptor was going to teach a new steelmaking technique, a magical skill that could make Qin's weapons harder and sharper than bronze.

They had been craftsmen their whole lives, and their skills were already considered top-notch in the Qin Dynasty, yet this was the first time they had ever met the Imperial Advisor in person.

Without exchanging many pleasantries, Qin Tian led them directly into the depths of the workshop and began sketching on the ground.

"Blast furnace for iron smelting." Qin Tian squatted on the ground, using a wooden stick to draw a simple cross-sectional diagram of the furnace body on the soil. "First, build the furnace. The furnace body will be made of refractory bricks, covered with a thick layer of clay. The furnace needs to be tall enough to hold enough iron ore and charcoal, and it needs a blower to blow air in from the bottom so that the temperature inside the furnace rises high enough."

The craftsmen gathered in a circle, listening intently.

Some people took out their charcoal pencils and quickly made notes on the wooden board, while others frowned and mentally sketched out the structure of the furnace body, discussing in hushed tones the firing methods of refractory bricks and the modification plans for the blower equipment.

"Iron ore, charcoal, and limestone are added layer by layer in a specific ratio. Air is continuously blown through the tuyeres at the bottom. When the temperature inside the furnace reaches a sufficiently high level, the iron in the ore melts into molten iron, which flows out from the taphole at the bottom of the furnace. This molten iron is then cast and forged to produce high-quality steel."

In the days that followed, Qin Tian spent almost every day in the industrial zone.

He leaves early and returns late, sometimes so busy that he doesn't even have time to eat.

The design and construction of a blast furnace is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

The first experimental furnace developed cracks in its walls less than three days after ignition because the refractory brick formula was not properly adjusted.

Without saying a word, Qin Tian led the craftsmen to dismantle and rebuild, personally adjusting the formula and repeatedly testing the proportion of clay and the sintering temperature.

The second furnace took more than half a month to successfully fire the first batch of refractory bricks. The bricks were hard and dense with a smooth surface, and produced a crisp metallic sound when struck with a hammer.

Next is the structure of the furnace body.

Based on his memories from later generations and combined with the existing materials and technology in the Qin Dynasty, Qin Tian designed a small blast furnace suitable for manual operation.

The furnace is about two zhang high, with a tuyeres and tapping hole at the bottom, the furnace chamber in the middle, and the charging station at the top.

The air vent is connected to a set of manually operated bellows, which are operated by four strong laborers in shifts to ensure a continuous air supply.

At the same time, Qin Tian also took some time to visit the textile workshop.

The textile technology of Daqin was still at the stage of hand-cranked spinning wheels and looms, which was inefficient and limited in output. It often took a skilled female worker several months to spin a linen garment from yarn to weave it.

In Qin Tian's view, this was simply unimaginably backward.

He found several experienced old weavers and started by explaining the basic principles of the loom, replicating the simple yet efficient textile machinery structures of later generations in the most basic way.

The shuttle, pedals, heald frame, and fabric winding shaft were drawn one by one, tested one by one, and repeatedly modified and adjusted.

When the first batch of improved looms were put into use, Qin Tian personally witnessed the expressions of shock and ecstasy on the faces of the weavers.

Previously, a weaver could only weave a few inches of cloth a day, but now they can weave several feet a day, increasing efficiency by more than tenfold.

As they watched the shuttle moving swiftly and the ever-growing amount of cloth, some were so moved that they burst into tears on the spot.

The waterwheel was a project that was completed even earlier.

Qin Tian selected a section of the river with a rapid current near the industrial zone and directed the craftsmen to build a huge waterwheel using wood and bamboo.

The waterwheel's spokes were made of thick pine wood, and the blades were spliced ​​together with bamboo strips, with the surface coated with tung oil to prevent rot and insects.

The waterwheel is placed on the river and uses the impact of the water flow to drive the axle to rotate. The rotation is then transmitted through gears to the stone mill on the bank, which is used to grind flour, mill rice, and hammer and forge iron.

During the first trial run, Qin Tian personally stood beside the waterwheel, watching the huge wooden wheel slowly turn under the propulsion of the river water, causing the stone mill to rumble.

The significance of waterwheels goes beyond just grinding flour.

Its principle can be applied to many places, such as irrigating farmland, driving textile machinery, and forging steel. Wherever there is water, it can be used to replace manpower and greatly liberate the physical strength of workers.

Three months passed in this routine of daily back-and-forth travel.

Three months later, the first blast furnace in the industrial zone finally passed its final acceptance test.

It was a brick furnace about three zhang high, with thick outer walls and smooth inner walls. There was an iron tapping hole at the bottom, which was covered with a thick mud seal.

A wooden operating platform was built around the furnace body, allowing craftsmen to add materials and observe the furnace condition.

Next to the furnace stands a huge blower, consisting of multiple bellows connected in parallel. Powered by a waterwheel, the bellows circulate air repeatedly, continuously sending large amounts of air into the furnace.

Qin Tian stood in front of the blast furnace, inspecting the furnace body and the blast system from top to bottom, confirming that all components were properly adjusted. Then he turned to the craftsman beside him and said, "Ignite it."

The craftsmen responded and filled the bottom of the furnace with the charcoal they had prepared, then lit it with flint.

The flames leaped and licked the edges of the charcoal, crackling and popping.

More charcoal was added to the furnace, layer by layer, and the flames grew stronger and stronger.

The temperature inside the furnace began to rise rapidly.

Iron ore and limestone were mixed in a certain proportion and then poured into the furnace one cart at a time through the charging port on the top of the furnace. They were mixed with hot charcoal, and with the help of the blast wind, the temperature inside the furnace rose further, and the furnace walls began to glow with a dark red light.

The craftsmen responsible for observing the furnace would call out every now and then, "Temperature normal," "Material layer stable," and "Tunnels unobstructed."

Qin Tian stood on the control platform, quietly watching the increasingly intense flame in the furnace, his gaze focused.

He gently placed his palm on the outer edge of the furnace wall, feeling the rolling heat waves coming from the cracks in the bricks, silently estimating the temperature and the progress of smelting.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened slightly, and he turned to the craftsman standing before the taphole, saying, "Ready? The molten iron is about to come out."

The craftsmen at the taphole immediately tensed up, holding their breath and waiting for that moment to arrive.

Qin Tian walked over, took the iron spatula from a craftsman, aimed it at the sealing mud above the iron outlet, and forcefully poked it.