Looking at the situation in front of him, Chen Xu was very pleased.

After about two months of strict management and training, this experimental ironworks has begun to train many skilled helpers, and once these helpers are released, they are qualified steel smelting experts, and basically can smelt qualified steel according to experience.

And now, there is no need to do it himself, he is now the chief master of the smelter, and he was also nominated by the emperor as the iron official of the Inner History Mansion, and after the three provinces, six ministries and nine official positions are all restructured, he is a five-grade official, and the status of the county is as high.

More than a year ago, he was a slave who almost died, but in a blink of an eye, he became the chief steel expert of Daqin and became a real official, and became a scholar, for the victory or loss, this is the most up-and-down experience in his life, from death to life, from cheap slave to nobleman, the changes in his life are brought about by the young man who is just fifteen years old in front of him.

If Chen Xu let him die one day, he will not have the slightest hesitation if he wins or loses, this is the grace of saving his life, or the grace of knowing the encounter, without Chen Xu, he will not win everything in front of him, not to mention Qinghe Town, which is thousands of miles away, it is the feudal town of the Hou Ye, his well-behaved mother-in-law is still holding a big belly at this time, whether she is born a son or a daughter in the future, she will definitely have no worries about food and clothing, so all this is worth his life to repay.

Looking at the satisfied smile on Chen Xu's face, Gong Win couldn't help but gently wipe his tears.

And the hemp pole next to him also had a dog-legged look like a dead heart, and he had been staring at the front cautiously, for fear that a drop of molten steel more than ten meters away would splash on Chen Xu's body, and he dragged Chen Xu's arm vigorously with both hands to prevent him from getting close to the smelting furnace.

"Not bad, not bad~" Chen Xu nodded happily, and after taking a look at the foundry, he was about to leave and return to the city.

But when he turned around, he seemed to remember something, and suddenly stood up and turned back, looking at the iron liquid that had splashed out of the iron-making furnace, and then his eyes fell on the ground, only to see that on the ground in front of the iron-making furnace, in addition to the falling coal stone and iron slag, there were also small particles formed by a dense layer of cooled iron liquid.

Chen Xu lowered his head and found that there were some sparse pulls under his feet, all of which were brought by the workers from near the smelting furnace.

These small particles are not uniform in size, they are all flat, and many of them have burrs after splashing.

Chen Xu looked at a few iron residues in his palm, pinched his chin and began to meditate.

The iron splash in the air does not have time to completely cool, and it will be smashed flat when it falls to the ground, but if it is cooled in the air, most of it should be round, but to make an iron marble of appropriate and uniform size, it is necessary to ensure that the iron juice is very uniform when it is splashed out.

This is just a flash of inspiration, Chen Xu seems to have captured a way to solve the bullets, cool down, put a few basins of water on the ground, and these splashes of iron will not be smashed flat if they fall into it, but how to solve the problem of the iron juice falling evenly.

Uniform...... Uniform......

After repeating it countless times in his heart, Chen Xu suddenly remembered the process of sifting flour in his hometown, and a smile instantly appeared on his face.

Flour, like fine sand, is a semi-fluid, as long as it is made of a sufficiently dense hole sieve, the iron juice can be sieved out of relatively uniform particles, and it is naturally almost round particles when it falls in the water.

"Quickly arrange someone to make a sand mold, I want to cast an iron mesh sieve!" Chen Xu ordered excitedly.

"Master Hou, what do you want the iron mesh screen to do?" Gong lost and was confused by Chen Xu's sudden order.

"Master Hou shouted that you can get it, what are you doing with all this?" The hemp pole couldn't help but snort beside him.

Gong lost and immediately frowned and nodded quickly: "Master Hou, don't blame, it's me who talks too much!" ”

"Don't worry, listen to me!" Chen Xu grabbed Gong Sheng, who turned around to leave, and pointed to the iron juice that was constantly splashing in the iron-making furnace and said, "You see, when this iron juice splashes out and falls on the ground, it becomes this kind of residue in my hands, if this iron juice falls directly into the water, it will instantly cool down and turn into a roughly round iron ball, right?" ”

"Yes!" The hemp rod nodded along with the male loser.

"Then we just need to make a wire mesh screen with a small aperture and high density, and pour the melted iron liquid on the mesh screen, so that the iron liquid will fall like water droplets, and the size is about ......."

"Ah, I know, Master Hou's method will definitely succeed, you only need to put a basin of water under the iron mesh sieve!" Before Chen Xu finished speaking, the hemp pole shouted excitedly.

"Yes, yes, what's wrong with Hou Ye's brain? How can you think of such a good way! He was also excited to win, looking at Chen Xu's head and scratching his head.

"Hey, hey!" Chen Xu was proud, "I tell you to use your brains and observe more, you look at the iron slag splashed all over the ground every day, but you haven't thought about it, hurry up and do it, this mold is very simple, I'm waiting to see the effect!" ”

"Okay, Master Hou wait, it is estimated that it will be made in half an hour!" Gong Shengsheng turned around and went to find a few skilled craftsmen who made sand molds, and began to get busy in the ironworks.

Chen Xu didn't bother, he left the ironmaking workshop with his hands behind his back and went to other units of the factory to check the work, Yu Wuya followed behind with the iron sword and looked around, and suddenly more than half an hour passed, when Chen Xu was about to return to the ironmaking workshop, he happened to meet Yingbu who came hurriedly on horseback with a few soldiers.

"I've seen Master Hou!" Yingbu hurriedly dismounted and saluted.

"Excuse me, I heard the captain of the forbidden army on duty say that you entered the city, is there something wrong? Do you need my help? Chen Xu smiled and waved his hand.

Yingbu's face turned a little red and said: "Thank you Lord Hou for your concern, my subordinates asked people in the city a few days ago to buy a house, and today there was news, and my subordinates went to the house to take a look, so it was delayed for half a day, and my subordinates left their posts without authorization, and asked Lord Hou to punish them!" ”

"Buying a house is a good thing, how to punish, I just took a look, the factory is protected in place, everyone performs their duties, all the work is in order, the management is good, the factory also has rest regulations, every ten days and three days, everyone is ordered to follow the implementation is, the combination of work and rest is the best way to work! By the way, how big is the house? In what place? Enough money? Chen Xu asked with a smile.

"Back to the Hou Ye, just near the east gate of the city, there are seven or eight houses in the main house, and there is a courtyard, although it is not very new, but it is spacious enough, the head of the household is a businessman, because of the lack of working capital, it was sold cheaply, only 80,000 yuan, I think it is cheap, I plan to buy it, but the money is not enough......" Ying Buluo replied a little worriedly.

"I also know that it is inconvenient for you to live in the Qinghe Hou Mansion now, you are also an official person, and it is not suitable to live in the factory all the time, the east of the city is close to here, you should buy a house, you don't have to worry about the money, just go to my house at night to get it, by the way, I will send you a kitchen worker and a few servants to serve your daily life!"

"Thank you, Master Hou!" Yingbu's voice became a little choked, and he bowed respectfully, and Chen Xu's words also made the envious saliva of the soldiers behind him.

After chatting with Yingbu for a few minutes, Chen Xu returned to the foundry and found that Gong Shengsheng and several craftsmen had already cast the mesh screen and were trimming and polishing it with steel drills and steel files.

This is a round mesh screen, two feet in diameter, densely packed next to each mung bean-sized mesh, in order to make the mesh smooth and smooth, the craftsman beats each mesh next to each other with a steel drill to ensure that the molten steel can penetrate smoothly.

"Master Hou, it's almost okay!" After finishing it, Gong Loser wiped the sweat on his forehead and said.

"Okay, let's try it!" Chen Xu was also slightly excited.

Under the command of Gong Lose, soon the mesh screen was fixed on a wooden frame, one meter three or four from the ground, and then put a basin of water below, and when it was ready, a helper scooped a spoonful of boiling red steel from the smelting furnace and poured it on the mesh screen, as the red iron juice leaked through the mesh screen, the dense red liquid fell into the basin below like a torrential rain, and instantly a white mist rose into the air.

After only a few seconds, in addition to the small amount of iron juice that remained in the mesh sieve, the basin was already covered with a thick layer of small black iron balls, Gong Yisheng found an iron tong to clip out the half-solidified iron slag in the mesh sieve and threw it away, and at the same time asked another helper to quickly poke out some of the iron juice blocked in the mesh with a steel cone while it was hot, and two other helpers dragged the basin to the side, and when the water vapor was almost gone, the water was dumped on the ground, leaving a layer of iron balls.

"Master Hou, your method is really good, this pot of iron beads can at least pick up hundreds of round ones, more than we grind in a day." Ma Zhu excitedly grabbed a handful of iron balls and handed them to Chen Xu.

Looking at these small iron balls spread out in his hands, Chen Xu couldn't help frowning.

It seemed that the size of these iron balls was appropriate, but the shape was not too round, most of them were oval or even elongated, although careful selection could still sort out many suitable for earthen bullets, but this method of production was obviously not perfect.

According to the principle of physics, under the influence of the surface tension of the liquid, whether it is water or other liquid substances, it will slowly condense into a sphere without the action of external forces.

But on the earth, it is almost impossible not to be affected by external forces, gravity and air resistance can not be avoided, so under the influence of gravity and air resistance, any liquid will be pulled and deformed when falling, and this process will gradually be corrected to almost a sphere with the increase of falling distance.

However, it is unlikely that the height of the mesh screen will be increased, even if it is increased to 10 meters, this outcome cannot be completely changed, unless it is in a high temperature environment of more than 1,000 degrees, so as to ensure that the iron liquid can have enough time to coagulate like water.

Chen Xu racked his brains and stared at a handful of iron balls of various shapes in his hand silently for a long time and finally sighed, now he can only settle, no matter what, this progress is much faster than dozens of helpers grinding balls by hand, and it does not pollute the environment, get a sieve to sieve out these small balls, and the unqualified ones can be returned to the furnace for reuse, and the almost round ones can be put into the mixer and repeatedly stirred to polish the surface smooth.

Chen Xu threw a handful of iron marbles into the basin casually, looking at the tinkling and rolling iron marbles, and suddenly a lightning bolt crossed his mind.

If you let these solidifying iron balls continue to roll, will they become more round?

If you don't put a basin under the mesh screen, but put an iron pot, and then keep shaking the iron pot to let the iron juice fall down and roll down the edge of the pot, it is estimated that you can get more and rounder spheres.

"Go and find a big iron pot!" Chen Xu issued an even more confusing order.

"What, hurry up and go to the cafeteria to get a big iron pot." Ma Pole shouted to a helper in a daze.

"Wait a minute, Master Ma, I'll go!" The helper hurriedly ran to the kitchen with two companions, and after more than ten minutes, three people carried over a large iron pot with a diameter of more than one meter.

"My lord, this is the largest iron pot in the kitchen, used for steaming steamed buns!" The helper said.

"Master Hou, how to get it next!" Ma Zhu asked Chen Xu very doggedly.

"Find two long wooden poles to tie to the ears of the iron pot, and when the iron juice falls into the iron pot for a while, the people on both sides will continue to shake the iron pot with wooden rods, so that the iron balls will slowly roll down the iron pot, and it is estimated that you can get more iron beads." Chen Xu explained.

"Hey, Master Hou's method will definitely work!" The hemp pole made a surprised sound again, and then arranged for a few helpers to hurry to find the wooden pole and rope.

After more than ten minutes, he was ready to stop again, the wooden pole was tied, Chen Xu asked two helpers to carry the iron pot and try to shake the iron pot, until the two found that they felt better together, Chen Xu ordered to set up the iron mesh screen again, and a helper quickly scooped a spoonful of red molten steel and poured it into the mesh screen.

"Shake it!" With Chen Xu's order, the two helpers hurriedly began to shake the iron pot as if they had malaria, only to see the red iron juice falling into the iron pot like a torrential rain, and with the shaking of the iron pot, it rolled spirally on the edge and quickly fell to the bottom of the pot.

A few seconds later, the iron juice fell, and the two helpers also stopped under Chen Xu's orders, at this time there was a dense layer of dark red small iron balls falling at the bottom of the pot, although the temperature was still very high, but Chen Xu almost didn't have to look carefully at his sudden idea was definitely successful, because these iron balls all looked very round and regular, even if they were not put into the mixer to stir and polish, they definitely met the requirements of being a soil bullet.

Soon, the iron marble in the iron pot was poured into a basin of water to quickly cool down, and then a sample was grabbed in Chen Xu's hand.

"Hahahaha~" Chen Xu couldn't help but grin excitedly.

This time not only succeeded, but also succeeded him a little beyond his expectations, the iron marbles he grabbed casually, almost all of them were round shapes, only a few were slightly deformed, and there was almost no big difference in size.

A group of craftsmen also squatted next to the basin, each holding an iron bullet to observe.

"Master Hou is amazing!"

"yes, yes, each one is so round!"

Several craftsmen were amazed.

"Master Hou, Sheng is simply a five-body throw to the ground for your admiration!" The public loses and wins the excited sigh.

"What's more, my admiration for Hou Ye is like a surging river...... "The hemp pole is even more dog-legged, and there is no courtesy, righteousness and shame at all.

In the midst of exclamation and praise, Chen Xu stood up contentedly, and ordered someone to find a pocket to put up these iron bullets, and only wait for the two earthen guns to be completely polished and trimmed, and then come over to test the gun.

"Master Hou, the blender you drew earlier doesn't need to be made!" Before leaving, Gong Zhisheng followed behind and asked.

Chen Xu thought for a while and said: "Yes, it must be made, you carefully make three iron mesh screens with apertures of one, two, and three points, smelt a furnace of the hardest steel, and use the steps just now to make steel marbles, quench and cool them, and then put them into the mixer to polish and polish them with three different kinds of sand, coarse, medium and fine, I have a lot of use, and you can cast the iron pot bigger, and place a movable turntable like a blank drawing machine below, which is safer......"

"Don't worry, Master Hou, we will do a good job!" Ma Pole and Gong Win hurriedly agreed together.