At the foot of Ziyun Mountain, Tao Qiqi patted a big tree and said, "This is it!" The best coal produced here is charcoal. The officials instructed that a charcoal kiln should be built near here, and the coal here should be mined to try to burn charcoal. If we can burn the coke we brought, we will go south and smelt iron. After everything is trial-produced, the mine will be smelted in the south. Iron smelting with coke is countless times stronger than using coal! ”

On one side, a forty-year-old man, a blacksmith from Xiangzhou, named Qiu Chenglian, shook his head and said: "Smelting iron with stone coal is something we are used to doing in Xiangzhou, and the firepower is fierce, far better than charcoal. I have been smelting iron since I was fifteen years old, and now I have not heard of smelting iron with coke. Coal is charcoal, and it is ridiculous to make charcoal from charcoal. ”

Tao Seventeen said: "This is a method that the officials have tried and decided, how dare you comment like this!" ”

Qiu Chenglian said: "Yun Juan is a scholar, where do you know these things." We have been smelting iron for decades, what have we never seen? There are specializations in things in the world, and when it comes to reading, we are not as good as the judgment, but when it comes to iron smelting, the judgment is not as good as us. ”

Luo Feng on the side said coldly: "I prefer you to talk so much!" Just do what the officials tell you to do! If you can't make iron with coke, the officials will naturally think of no way! If you don't do it, what do you want to do! ”

Seeing that Luo Feng said harshly, Qiu Chenglian shook his head and stopped talking. However, looking at his expression, he still doesn't believe that this can make good iron.

Xiangzhou was the center of iron smelting in the world at this time, and the iron class accounted for more than half of the world, and a large number of coal was used to make iron, which had its own superior natural conditions. Xiangzhou has iron ore, while its neighbors Zezhou and Luzhou are rich in coal and good quality. Not only is there a large amount of coal production in that area, but also a very complete variety, especially with low phosphorus content, coal can be used to smelt high-quality iron.

Whether coal is used or coke, the iron produced is often mixed with harmful components, mainly sulfur and phosphorus. The removal method of sulfur impurities is simpler, and phosphorus is extremely difficult to remove. Iron is made with coke, and the furnace temperature rises, making it possible to make steel directly. However, if the sulfur and phosphorus content of the coal used is too high, the quality of the steel is not good, and it is hard and brittle. In the area of Zelu, there is low-sulfur and low-phosphorus coal produced, although the ancients did not know the principle, but according to the experience of selection, or can smelt good iron.

The furnace temperature is better than that of coal, and the harm of sulfur is much less, and phosphorus is the main hazard. How to solve this problem, Du Zhongxiao doesn't remember exactly, but he only roughly remembers the method. First, it is related to the acidity and alkalinity of the furnace lining, but it is not clear whether acidity and alkalinity are needed. Just memorize a rough idea and try it slowly. Another is to add slag raw materials, mainly limestone. With this direction, it is always possible to slowly trial produce it and improve the process step by step. It's impossible to eat a fat person in one bite, it's nothing more than taking your time.

The place selected by Tao Seventeen produces high-quality coking coal, which Du Zhongxiao tried a few days ago. And luckily, the coal has a low level of sulfur and phosphorus impurities, which can produce high-quality coke for ironmaking. This is the place where the coke was matched for the Wuyang iron ore in later generations, and the careful selection is also here, and Tao Seventeen is purely lucky because of the proximity.

The craftsman from Xiangzhou was only sent by the government to help, and he was going back in a few days, but when he saw that Tao Qiqi and Luo Feng didn't listen to themselves, they only listened to the orders of the chief Du Zhongxiao, so they didn't bother to persuade again. Whether they can make good iron or not has nothing to do with them, when the day comes, it doesn't matter what these people do.

Tao 17 decided on a place for coal mining and coking, and said to Liu Kongmu of Ye County, who was with him: "Kongmu, according to the instructions of the officials, I will take coal and coke here in the future." Smelt into coke and transport it to the vicinity of the county seat, don't choose a place to make iron. You go back and arrange for the servants to build a kiln here. ”

Liu Kongmu said yes, and asked: "It's not difficult to build a kiln, but after it is built, who will mine coal and make coking?" There are many people employed in the field service, and it is always impossible to return to the errand service, and the county is sparsely populated and does not have so many manpower. ”

Tao Seventeen said: "As long as the kiln is built, the camp will naturally arrange manpower." In a few months, some of Caihe's slender men will be laid off and let them come here to coke. Caihe is not far from here, and it is easy for them to relocate. ”

The Cai River is one of several major arteries of water transportation in Kaifeng Prefecture, and the fiber of the Bianhe River began to be cut, so they naturally did the same. The Cai River is connected to the river system, not only the slender men of that section of the river, but also the slender men of the Ru River in nearby prefectures and counties, many of whom are locals.

Mining and iron smelting here was entrusted by the Transshipment Department to organize the unified organization of field affairs, and as the counties under the rule, Ruzhou and Ye counties certainly did not dare to slack off. Although the place where the iron ore was first discovered belonged to Wuyang, after careful exploration, it was decided that the first mine to be mined was in Yexian County. The coal mines here are also under the jurisdiction of Ye County, and Liu Kongmu was appointed by Zhixian County to be in charge of this matter.

Seeing that it was not early, Tao Seventeen said: "Tonight we will rest in the town of Rufen in the south, and in the next few days, we will live there, and wait until you have built the charcoal kiln, burned the coke, and then returned to the county seat." ”

Liu Kongmu said yes, and ordered the accompanying officers to lead the horses and go to Rufen Town together.

The geographical location of Ye County is very important, one south and one north of Fangcheng County, guarding the Fangcheng Pass that communicates the north and south, it has been a strategic place since ancient times, and there are many sections of the Great Wall of Chu in the territory. From Yexian to Xiangcheng, and then to Xuzhou, it is the main road that Jianghan brought to Kaifeng Mansion. Yexian County belongs to Ruzhou, and compared with Wuyang, it is more appropriate for Du Zhongxiao to set up an iron-smelting center here.

Although he is not a pro-people official, Du Zhongxiao still tries to stay away from Xuzhou, so as not to be impeached by Taiwan for interfering in the affairs of his hometown. Because of the official avoidance system, Du Zhongxiao's camp and field affairs do not include Xuzhou, even if there are idle fields in Xuzhou. The supervision power of the transshipment department is clearly stipulated that the scope of Du Zhongxiao's management is limited to Jingnan Road.

When he arrived at Rufen Town and settled down, Tao Qiqi called Luo Feng to his room and said to him: "Those craftsmen from Xiangzhou seem to be disapproving of the officials, and they do a lot of strange things. We can't rely on them for the rest of the day, we have to figure out something for ourselves. ”

Luo Feng said: "Yes, the lowly position can also be seen." They have relied on themselves to smelt iron for many years, thinking that they know everything, and they always say strange things to officials. It's a pity that there are few people in our area to control iron, and it is inconvenient to recruit, so we can only endure them. Recently, the Yamen distributed three pamphlets for the subordinate officials to read and make suggestions to see if it was feasible to teach people. If you look at it carefully, it is extremely useful. According to the method of this booklet, we can also record it when mining and smelting coking iron, and it is best to choose a few reliable craftsmen, give money and food, and do it with us. ”

Tao Qiqi nodded: "Yes, yes, your idea is very much in line with me." In a few days, the Transshipment Division will transfer some iron smelting households from Shaanzhou to come, which will be done here in the future, unlike the people in Xiangzhou who will leave in a few days. When they arrived, we worked together to find out all the matters related to coal mining, charcoal and iron smelting. If it can also be written into a booklet, it is a credit to everyone, and the officials will be rewarded. ”

Luo Feng nodded yes. He was kicked out by his family, and he was bent on making a name for himself, and he went home with his eyebrows raised. After entering the camp and field affairs, he worked very hard to do things, and he was careful, and he had become Tao Seventeen's right-hand man.

The three booklets compiled by Du Zhongxiao gave Luo Feng a different way of thinking and opened a new door for him. It turns out that there is such learning in the world, and it is still possible to do so. Although he read and read when he was young, his family was in a bad situation, and he had no learning environment and no knowledge of history. It is impossible to study and take the Jinshi exam again in this life, and it is not a way out to learn some other knowledge and be worry-free about food and clothing.

Today's performance of Xiangzhou craftsmen made him secretly determined, work hard, and study the knowledge of mining and iron smelting. If this is really a big mine, it will become big in the future, and you will become one of the leaders, and the future will also be a future.