The manganese steel used in later generations should actually be called high manganese steel, which is manganese steel containing more than 13% manganese. High-manganese steel is a high-strength steel, but low-manganese steel with a manganese content of about 3% is as fragile as glass and vulnerable.

There is a popular story about the invention of high manganese steel. Legend has it that in a steel mill, during the process of making steel, the workers inadvertently mixed some manganese ore, and as a result, the steel was extremely fragile. Angered by the boss, he ordered the workers to put all the manganese ore they had picked out into the steelmaking furnace, and a miracle happened.

Su Hao heard what Hao Qing said, and only then did he vaguely remember that he had read such a story, and it didn't matter what elementary school student newspaper or somewhere else he read it.

Hao Qing scratched his scalp and said: "This is strange, the steel smelted by putting half of the ore can't be done, and it can be put into one and a half, what is the reason?" ”

Su Hao was not 100% sure, but smiled and said: "I also read the idle book, I don't know the authenticity, Brother Hao will give it a try, if it doesn't work, let's think of other ways." ”

Hao Qing knew that Su Hao had a cautious personality and didn't like to talk too much, generally speaking, Su Hao said that if he tried something, he would have a relatively greater certainty. Thinking of this, Hao Qing called Xiao Wuzi and asked him to fetch coke and re-ignite the fire to make steel. The scrap steel was thrown into the cauldron again, and a few pieces of manganese ore were added. According to the experience taught by Hao Yizong, some charcoal powder was also put into the crucible, which was the method used by ancient Chinese craftsmen for carburizing in steelmaking, and Su Hao didn't know if it was right or not, anyway, it was all an experiment, and if it failed, it would be necessary to learn a lesson and come back.

Xiao Wuzi pulled up the bellows, the furnace fire was blazing, and the ore and scrap steel in the crucible gradually melted. Hao Qing wore a pair of goggles made of dark glass, staring at the molten steel in the crucible, and from time to time used a long-handled spoon to skim off some of the slag floating on the surface.

This crucible was specially made by Hao Qing according to Su Hao's suggestion, and there are two protruding shafts on both sides of the pot body, which are supported on the stand. After the molten steel is smelted, you only need to push a connecting rod to make the crucible rotate along the shaft and pour out the molten steel in the crucible.

The process of steelmaking was very difficult, Hao Qing and Xiao Wuzi sweated like rain, although Su Hao also wanted to be friendly, but finally he couldn't stand the heat and went to Hao Yizong's room to chat with the old man. Hao Yizong generally does not personally participate in these craftsman's work, and only comes out at critical times to control the technology.

When Su Hao arrived in Hao Yizong's house, Hao Yizong was studying a piece of flat glass, and when he saw Su Hao entering the house, he smiled and gave Su Hao a seat, and then asked a few more questions about Su Hao's military training, and then brought the conversation back to the workshop.

"Virtuous nephew, we are refining more and more of this glass, do you have any plans?" Hao Yizong asked.

Su Hao said: "Uncle Hao, the original idea of the little nephew was to sell this glass to the ordinary family. You see, if you use this flat glass in your hand, if you use it to inlay it on the window, it can block the wind and transmit light, which is much stronger than pasting paper on the window. In the past, we didn't use glass to make windows, because glass was too expensive, and the glass pieces we make now are cheap and can be used at home. ”

Hao Yizong nodded and said, "I'm also thinking about this matter. The price of this glass is cheap, and you can use it for anything. In addition to being inlaid on the window, it can also be used to make bottles, cups, etc. We specially built a workshop for making glazed devices, and it was not a problem to earn 10,000 taels of silver a year. ”

Su Hao said: "Isn't it, but now there is an obstacle, that is, the batch of telescopes ordered by the Jiangxi Dusi." Hao Tong did not make it clear to Zhang Dusi that Zhang Dusi ordered the goods at the price of 100 taels for a telescope. If the glass devices we sell are too cheap, Zhang Dusi's side is afraid that we will be annoyed by deceiving him. ”

Hao Yizong's thoughts are exactly the same as Su Hao's, as an old craftsman, he is very clear about the doorway in between. He said: "I'm also thinking about this, in fact, the difficulty of building this telescope lies in refining this transparent glass. If Zhang Dusi knew that it was very convenient to refine this transparent glass, I am afraid that he would not have given us such a high price. Not only that, I'm afraid he will also investigate us for the crime of white spoon deception, you and the third son are to blame. ”

The third son he said is Hao Tong, because Hao Tong is the third in the middle of his generation.

"So, let's not be in a hurry to sell these glasses now." Su Hao said, "I have to wait until I have almost earned the money for this telescope." ”

Hao Yizong nodded in agreement with Su Hao's opinion, and then he pointed to the glass in his hand and said, "Virtuous nephew, come and see, this glass light can be identified, I wondered, can I put something on one side of this glass, can it be used as a mirror?" ”

"Uncle Hao Shengming!" Su Hao praised sincerely, "Uncle Hao, I heard Yi Jin say that they do have a layer of reflective things lined on the glass, and then used as a mirror, which is several times clearer than the copper mirror we are looking for." ”

"Oh? Is this the case? Hao Yizong came to the spirit, and he asked, "What is this Yijin lining on it?" ”

"Let me think about it......" Su Hao patted his head, a little worried. He remembers that when he was studying, his teacher talked about the silver mirror reaction, which seemed to use silver nitrate, ammonia, and glucose. But in this Ming Dynasty, where did he go to find silver nitrate and ammonia? If you think about it again, it seems that the history of the invention of mirrors in the West is earlier than the history of the invention of ammonia, so what method did they use?

"Uncle Hao, forgive my little nephew for being ignorant, and I can't remember how this Yijin made the mirror for a while. I have the impression that it seems to be lined with tin. Su Hao said.

Hao Yizong said: "I also thought about using tinplatin. When I was in the Ministry of Engineering, I learned how to make tin-platinum, and I was able to make tin-platinum as thin as a cicada's wings, but the difficulty was how to stick this tin-platinum to the glass? ”

"Tin-tin?" Su Hao had a flash of inspiration in his mind, and blurted out a word: "Mercury, it must be mercury!" ”

"Mercury?" Hao Yizong was stunned for a moment, he thought about it for a moment in his mind, and couldn't help clapping his hands and shouting: "That's right, it must be mercury!" ”

"Uncle Hao, do you know how to do it?" Su Hao wondered, he could think of mercury because he had heard of this method in the past, but he didn't know exactly how to plate mercury on glass. But looking at Hao Yizong's appearance, it seems that he has already figured out the whole process.

Hao Yizong said with a smile: "Virtuous nephew, you are not a craftman, so naturally you don't know about it." Ancient into Zeng Yun: Mercury, can digest gold and silver to make mud, into the plating is also. We are to gild our utensils with gold and silver, and we use mercury as a medium. ”

"I see, it's really the little nephew who is ignorant." Su Hao suddenly realized, and at the same time secretly blamed himself, mercury can dissolve many kinds of metals and form the so-called "amalgam", this is common sense, and he actually needs an ancient person to remind him of this.

Hao Yizong said: "Virtuous nephew, it is not easy for you to think of the method of mercury. How many people know these things? In the eyes of the directors of the Ministry of Industry, these crafts we have made are just miraculous skills and ingenuity, and they cannot be elegant. You are a talented person, and it is really rare to be able to accompany my old craftsman to talk about these crafts. ”

Su Hao shook his head: "Uncle Hao, the little nephew thinks that what can directly make the country strong and the people rich is these miraculous skills." The so-called sage articles can neither be used to fill their stomachs, nor to go into battle to kill the enemy, and a few great Confucians to study and study, how can there be a reason for the young people to learn these articles? ”

"Virtuous nephew's words, if the gentleman of the academy hears this, he will definitely reprimand you for insulting Sven!" Hao Yizong laughed, I have to say that Su Hao's words are really quite tempered with him.

"It's steel!"

Erjin was chatting happily, and Hao Qing's shouting came from the courtyard. Su Hao got up and wanted to go out to see, but was stopped by Hao Yizong. When the molten steel is poured out of the crucible, the heat is the greatest, and it is easily unbearable if you have not exercised it.

After a while, Hao Qing came in and said to Hao Yizong and Su Hao: "Dad, Su Baihu, the steel is ready, do you want to go and have a look?" ”

Hao Yizong stood up at this time and said to Su Hao with a smile: "Virtuous nephew, let's go, let's see if the newly smelted steel is what you want." ”

When they entered the courtyard, they saw that the fire in the steelmaking furnace had been extinguished, and the crucible had been put back in its place. Next to the stove was a refractory mold, and inside were several billets that were still steaming hot.

Hao Yizong pointed to the billet, Hao Qing understood what his father meant, picked up a piece with pliers, and rested it on the anvil. Xiao Wuzi brought a big hammer and stood aside. Hao Yizong took a small hammer and gently knocked it on the billet, and Xiao Wuzi picked up the sledgehammer and smashed it at the place where Hao Yizong had beaten. In this way, Hao Yizong and Xiao Wuzi used a small hammer and a big hammer to beat them up. Hao Qing was not idle, he kept turning the billet so that his father and the fifth son could beat the billet to the desired shape.

"Yes, it's a good piece of steel." Hao Yizong praised while tapping. As a veteran craftsman, he was able to feel the plasticity of the steel during the beating process, and then guessed what the properties of the billet would be when it was completely cooled.

"Are you guys fighting a knife?" Su Hao is the only idle entry, and he can't intervene if he wants to, so he can only watch the three of them live in full swing. After repeated beating, that small piece of billet has gradually taken shape, and it can be seen that what Hao Yizong wants to build is the appearance of a military broadsword.

"When the third son went to the army, I promised him that as long as he could have some talent, I would get him an iron knife. It's a pity that after so many years in the Ministry of Industry, I haven't been able to get a good piece of iron. Didn't the virtuous nephew say a few days ago that if this manganese steel is smelted, can it be stronger than iron? I'll take this piece of steel and give Xiao Sanzi a good knife. Hao Yizong said.