Zhou Yu bluntly said that it was impossible for Lu Bu to exterminate Cao Cao in one fell swoop, which really made Lu Bu feel a little headache.

Cao Cao was the hero of the world, and he coerced the Son of Heaven to make the princes accumulate a lot of family business over the years.

Although he also knew that it would not be easy to destroy Cao Cao, Lu Bu also knew very well that as long as Cao Cao still existed in this world, his great cause of hegemony would have a lot of constraints.

"What does Gong Jin think I should do?" Lu Bu asked Zhou Yu.

"Back to Chu Hou." Zhou Yu said: "It is not so easy to completely destroy Cao Cao, and the best result is to snatch His Majesty from Cao Cao." As long as there is the imperial power of the Han Dynasty, who will the Marquis of Chu crusade against in the future, is it not logical? ”

Lu Bu nodded, and said a little unwillingly: "What Gong Jin said is right, but if Cao Cao is still there, I always feel uneasy in my heart." He wants to destroy me for more than a day or two, as long as Cao Cao is kept, we can't have a good life! ”

"I understand Chu Hou's intentions." Zhou Yu replied: "It's just that Cao Cao is powerful, his fierce generals are like clouds, and most of the soldiers of the three armies are fierce warriors in a hundred battles, and it is not so easy for our army to completely destroy him." ”

"I understand what Gong Jin means." Lu Bu replied: "Let's stand first, what will happen in the future, we won't know until we break through Xu Du." Now that we and Cao Cao have not yet engaged in war, it is not clear how the war will be, and it is useless to think about it so much. ”

"That's what Chu Hou said!" Zhou Yu responded.

Lu Bu then said to him: "There is nothing to do at this time, Gongjin might as well go to the coal mine with me and see what is going on there." ”

Zhou Yu agreed and followed Lu Bu out of the study.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu accompanied Lu Bu out of Pengcheng and headed for the place where the coal mine was located.

Coal mines produce a lot of dust, and if you are too close to the city, or inside the city, the whole city will be filthy.

Because of this, although Lü Bu was committed to the development of coal mines, he never allowed horse-drawn wagons carrying coal to enter Pengcheng, except for coal that was transported to Pengcheng for sale, and the rest would be kept out of the city.

Following Lu Bu to the entrance of the mine, Zhou Yu said: "I don't know how Chu Hou thought that coal could be burned, in the past, we used charcoal or firewood, and no one really thought that the black carbon dug out of the ground could be much more resistant to burning than charcoal." ”

"Charcoal is actually a good thing." Lu Bu said: "It is clean and refreshing, and the calories burned are not small, so it is perfect for use at home." Coal contains a lot of sulfur, and when it is burned, there will be thick smoke, and if it is left at home, the whole family will be choked and unable to sit still. ”

Although he didn't quite understand what Lu Bu was talking about, Zhou Yu nodded as if he understood.

He then asked Lu Bu: "How did Chu Hou know that there was coal underground in Pengcheng?" ”

Of course, Lu Bu would not tell Zhou Yu that he had come from an era two thousand years later, and it was not surprising that he knew that there was coal under Pengcheng.

He said to Zhou Yu: "In fact, many things have been recorded in books. I've also read too many books and know that there is coal in Pengcheng. After coal is refined into tar, it is better used to forge steel than charcoal. Nowadays, the steel in Xuzhou is forged from coal. ”

"I also paid attention to the steel in Xuzhou." Zhou Yu nodded: "The current steel is indeed more resilient than before. Whether it is forged into weapons or tools, it is not comparable to the past. ”

"That's why Yuan Shao wants to get more coal from me." Lu Bu said: "He also knows that it will be impossible to take Xuzhou for a while, and the only way to get coal is to form an alliance with me to defeat Cao Cao." ”

"Does the Marquis of Chu really expect Yuan Shao to send troops to attack Cao Cao?" Zhou Yu said: "Yuan Shao should understand that no matter Cao Cao defeats Chu Hou or Chu Hou defeats Cao Cao, he will face a strong enemy that he has never met. If I were Yuan Shao, I might have coordinated with the weaker side and destroyed the stronger side before the war was about to become clear. ”

"Yuan Shao is not you, and his staff are not you." Lu Bu smiled slightly: "With Yuan Shao's temperament, even if his staff sees something, he will definitely not forget it." No matter what Yuan Shao chooses in the future, at least for now, he will not be my enemy. ”

As soon as the words changed, Lu Bu continued: "What I want is not that he really sends troops, but that he is watching from the sidelines and not interfering in the battle between me and Cao Cao." When I destroy Cao Cao, he will cavalry to attack Xuzhou, and then I have a foundation, how can I be afraid of him Hebei? ”

"Chu Hou gave Yuan Shao so much coal, he will definitely step up forging steel." Zhou Yu said: "Handan, Hebei Province, is a big city for forging steel, in comparison, our Lujiang forged steel is much less than them. And Hebei Iron and Steel is originally better than Lujiang's steel quality......"

"When I think of steel, I think of something." Lu Bu said: "Earlier, I taught blacksmiths the same skills, so that after forging weapons, they would know what it means to cover the earth and burn the blade. I don't know how the blacksmith learned. ”

"Dirt Burning Blade?" I had never heard that forging weapons was so exquisite, Zhou Yu looked at Lu Bu with a stunned face: "What Chu Hou said is ......"

In fact, the earth-covered blade is a forging method that some blacksmiths in island countries pondered when building weapons after Japan learned two-handed swords from the Central Plains and developed their kendo.

They forged a knife, which was not a complete finished product, and they had to dig a pit, put the knife in the pit, and then set up firewood on the pit and burn it.

There are two results of firing in this way.

One of the results is that when the tool is taken out, it becomes deformed due to insufficient toughness.

Tools like this, of course, have to be rebuilt.

Another result is the appearance of ripples like flowing water on the edge of the forged weapon.

The appearance of ripples is not only to make weapons more beautiful, but most importantly, whether it is toughness or hardness, it is better than weapons without earth-covered burning blades.

Therefore, the really good sword in later generations is even worth a lot of money.

In the Central Plains at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, of course, there would not be such a process.

Lu Bu proposed to cover the earth and burn the blade, and most of the blacksmiths tried it.

Due to the relatively poor original toughness of steel in this era, most of the weapons that have been covered with earth and burned blades will be deformed and worthless, and only a few can be barely used.

Although he had not heard of the term "earth-covered burning blade", Zhou Yu had learned that the craft that Lu Bu had taught to blacksmiths was not very popular.

He said to Lu Bu: "I have heard a little about what Chu Hou said. It's just that I've heard that the blacksmith doesn't quite agree with that method. ”

"Don't agree with it?" Lu Bu asked in surprise, "Do they think that the weapons that cover the earth and burn the blade are not very good?" ”

"Not really." Zhou Yu replied: "What the blacksmith told me is that the iron quality is not good at the moment, and it is difficult to withstand the burning edge of the soil. Most of the weapons have changed shape after being covered with earth and burned blades, and they cannot be used at all, although a small number of them are successfully built, but the loss is even more. ”

"It seems that I have to figure out how to improve the quality of the steel first." Lu Bu frowned slightly, there have been too many affairs recently, and he really hasn't gone out of his way to learn about them. If Zhou Yu hadn't said it, he wouldn't have known this.

When I came to the main gate of the mine, several stewards were already waiting there.

Seeing Lu Bu and the others coming, the stewards hurriedly greeted them.

After saluting Lu Bu, the steward who took the lead said: "Chu Hou came suddenly, we just got the news, we didn't have any preparation, and we ask for forgiveness." ”

"Ready?" Lu Bu said, "What do you want to prepare?" I'm here to see what you're not prepared for. If you were prepared, I wouldn't have to come and see it. Everything has been prepared by you, how much more can I see that is real? ”

"That's what Chu Hou said." The steward hurriedly complied.

"Lead the way." Lu Bu motioned for the steward to go ahead and lead the way.

The steward responded, stood sideways with a few other people, and made way for Lu Bu and the others.

Led everyone into the mine, Lu Bu asked, "Are you lighting underground or using open flames now?" ”

"Exactly." The steward replied, "We can't think of anything else that can be illuminated except for an open flame......

Frowning slightly, Lu Bu didn't ask any more.

He really couldn't blame the mine steward.

Even he, who has more than 2,000 years of knowledge, doesn't know how to solve the underground light source, let alone people like the steward who have never heard of a cold light source.

In the area that Lü Bu now occupies, there are several places where coal can be mined.

Therefore, only Pengcheng was mined, and there was a very important reason, that is, the underground light source was not solved.

Walking towards the mine, Lu Bu suddenly asked the steward, "You mine coal, is there a way to extract sulfur from coal?" ”

"What Chu Hou asked about sulfur?" The steward asked.

"Exactly." "If there is sulfur, I can think of a way to solve the mine light source," Lu Bu said. ”

"Actually, it's good to have an open flame under the mine." The steward replied: "It's just that there are some places where an open flame is used, which will make people feel that the baking is powerful......"

"You know what?" Lu Bu glared at him: "Now the mine is not very deep, and the gas concentration has not yet reached the point where it can explode." Once the gas concentration is reached, use an open flame. As many miners as we go down, we have to collect the bodies of as many people. Mining coal is not as simple as transporting coal from below. If it were that simple, I'd go to great lengths to build you a fan for local ventilation? ”

"That's what Chu Hou said." The steward hurriedly responded.

"How do you use the fan?" Lu Bu asked the steward.

"Back to Chu Hou." The steward replied, "The fan is very good, but it breaks too fast." It won't be long before we'll have to get another batch to be made. ”

"How can it break so fast?" Lu Bu asked, "How do you all use it?" ”

"It's according to the method taught by Chu Hou earlier." The steward replied, "But it won't be long before the shaft of the fan breaks." We didn't think of any way to do it......"

"Anything is broken?" Lu Bu said, "Take me over to have a look." ”

The steward agreed, and instructed the other little steward who followed behind: "Let people prepare, and I will immediately lead the way for Chu Hou to check the broken fan." ”

The little pipe left first, and the steward said to Lu Bu: "Although the fan breaks down quite quickly, the craftsmen in the mine are much better than before in the mine. There is also a bathhouse, and the craftsmen still mention it to this day, and they are still grateful for Chuhou Ende. ”

"They make money for me, and I should do this." Greeting everyone, Lu Bu, under the guidance of the steward, went to the place where the damaged fans were piled up.

The steward led Lu Bu to a corner of the mine.

There were many broken fans piled up in the corner.

Since Lu Bu invented the fan last time, it hasn't been too long now, and it is indeed incredible that he can damage so much.

Coming to the place where the damaged fans were piled up, Lu Bu checked the bad places, and all the fans were falling off from the rotating parts.

"That's why you've reported all the fans damaged?" Lu Bu asked the steward.

The steward replied in fear: "We really don't know what to do except remanufacture......

"It's a fracture of the rotating shaft caused by long-term wear." Lu Bu said: "Two ways can be solved. One is to replace the rotating shaft, and the other is to drip oil on the rotating shaft when it is used. With oil lubrication, it doesn't break so easily. I see that the losses you report should be non-stop every day, and it is good to be able to support them for three or two days. ”

Lu Bu said the cycle and reason for the damage of the fan, and the steward replied tremblingly: "It's that I didn't inquire about the method of using the fan, and I asked Chu Hou to punish him." ”

"Most of these damaged fans are unusable." Lu Bu said: "Tell the carpenter who made the fan and ask them to make more rotating shafts to replace. In addition, you will have to get some oil, and you will have to oil the fan once after isolating it for a while. Replacing the rotating shaft is much cheaper than replacing the fan entirely, and it will also prolong the service life by pouring oil on it. ”

"I have written down all of Chu Hou's words." The steward bowed down.

Just as he was about to leave the place where the discarded fans were stacked, a guard walked over: "Qi Chu Hou, Zhang Shiping asks to see you." ”

"Zhang Shiping?" Lu Bu didn't summon him over immediately, but asked the steward, "Has he been here a lot lately?" ”

"Back to Chu Hou." The steward replied: "Zhang Shiping used to control the coal, but now that the Marquis of Chu has allocated some of the coal to the Yuan family, his interests have been damaged, and he has indeed come more often." ”

"The coal allocated to the Yuan family is also ready?" Lu Bu asked the steward again.

"It's been ready for a long time." The steward said: "According to the instructions of the Marquis of Chu, we mixed a lot of gangue with the coal given to the Yuan family. ”

There are many kinds of gangue in the mine, most of which are gray-white, and many of them are the same color as coal.

These gangue also contain some components of coal, but it is not easy or even impossible to burn.

Sooner or later, he and the Yuan family will turn against each other, and Lu Bu did not plan to be more honest with them in business, and had already ordered that he should add some gangue to the coal of the Yuan family.

(End of chapter)