Then, Zhu Di looked at Zhong Huo on the side again, "In this matter, the Shangzhuang Village Iron Metallurgical Institute has also made great contributions, the steward will reward fifty taels of silver, and the craftsman will be ten taels!" ”

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Zhong Huo knelt down directly, tears of excitement.

Fifty taels?

Now, how much food can he buy for his family, and how much clothing can he add to his family?

"Alright, get up quickly and forge a steel knife for this king!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhong Huo hurriedly responded.

Then he got up and walked to a house on the side, he felt that his whole body was full of strength, and this time, he was going to forge it himself.

And as Zhong Huo informed the surrounding craftsmen of the ten taels of silver, all the generals in the entire iron smelting plant suddenly became excited, and the strength in their hands couldn't help but increase a little more.

As for Zhu Di, he wandered around the rooms with interest again.

After a few laps, Guo An felt a little tired in his legs.

"Your Highness, it's still a little early, do you want Your Highness to sleep again?"

Zhu Di glanced at Guo An, "So many steel knives are being built, can you still sleep?" ”

Guo An was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at Zhu Fu on the side, and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Xia Guan and Zhu Changshi can still sleep." ”

Zhu Fu looked stunned.

Zhu Di said: "If you want to sleep, you will go to sleep, this king can't sleep." ”

"Huh!"

Guo An was helpless.

At this time, Zhu Di is like a child, seeing his beloved toy, he can't care about anything else.

However, Zhu Di's body bones can hold on, Guo An doesn't want to stay up all night with Zhu Di here, so he can't help but look at Zhu Fu on the side.

Zhu Fu hurriedly shook his head, "If Guo Xianzun is tired, you can go and rest for a while, I will accompany His Highness here." ”

Guo An shook helplessly, "I'm also here to accompany Your Highness." ”

He couldn't say that he didn't dare to go back to sleep in that dilapidated house.

In this way, I have been staying up again for as many as an hour.

The sound of forging in the entire iron smelting plant gradually weakened.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

Zhong Huo walked over with a steel knife in the shape of a black and shiny Yanling knife, and the knife body was also engraved with some mountain and river patterns, which was extremely exquisite.

Zhu Di's whole body was shocked, and looking at the steel knife, his eyes were straight.

Zhong Huo raised the knife in front of his head with both hands, and said respectfully: "Your Highness Qiqi, the villain is fortunate not to be dishonored, and the steel knife has been forged." ”

Zhu Di hurriedly took it, gathered around a fire, stroked it with both hands, and praised it in his mouth, "Good knife, good knife!" ”

After speaking, Zhu Di walked directly to the front knife test field.

Guo An, Zhu Fu and others hurriedly followed.

I saw Zhu Di raise and fall with a knife, and there was an extra piece of wood on the ground.

"Good!"

Zhu Di shouted excitedly again, his interest did not diminish at all, and he cut it again.

It wasn't until the more than a dozen stumps in front of him were cut down that they were only as tall as a calf, and Zhu Di slowly stopped.

Then, with the steel knife in hand, he went to the fire in the room and examined it carefully.

There is no roll in the blade, and there is no gap.

Zhu Di nodded with satisfaction, and then looked at Zhong Huo, who had been following him closely.

"How many of these steel knives have been forged?"

Zhong Huo said: "Back to Your Highness, all the craftsmen in the entire iron smelting plant have not slept tonight, and one hundred and ten steel knives have been forged!" ”

"Very good."

Zhu Di looked satisfied.

"But a scabbard?"

Zhong Huo hurriedly said: "Your Highness forgives your sins, there are only more than ten previous scabbards in the Iron Smelting Institute. ”

Zhu Di said: "It's okay, take it out for this king first, and put it on, and leave the scabbard of the steel knife, and wait for it to be made for this king within five days!" ”

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhong Huo breathed a sigh of relief, they craftsmen will continue to work tomorrow, and now if they continue to make scabbards overnight, those craftsmen will definitely not be able to stand it.

In less than a moment, ten steel knives with scabbards were sent to Zhu Di by Zhong Huo.

Dozens of surrounding houses have also returned to silence.

Zhu Di, who was looking at the steel knife, didn't know what to think of, and ordered Zhong Huo: "These steel knife matters, even the giant iron-making furnace matter, no one is allowed to reveal any news to the outside!" ”

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhong Huo, Guo An and others hurriedly responded.

"In addition, after the scabbards of the remaining hundred steel knives are made, the king will send someone to take them, and these steel knives are not allowed to be revealed to the outside world."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Okay, this king is fine, let's go down and rest!"

"The villain is not sleepy!"

"Whatever you want!"

Zhu Di waved his hand casually, looked up at the sky, and asked, "Is there already four watches now?" ”

"Your Highness, it's already more than half of the fourth watch!"

Zhong Huo hurriedly replied.

"It's more than half of the fourth watch, and when the king returns to Beiping City, the city gate has been opened!"

Zhu Di muttered, and then instructed Li Wang, who was holding a steel knife stupidly.

"Li Wang, quickly go and gather a group of guards and return to the city with this king!"

Li Wang hurriedly said: "Your Highness, the sky is not yet bright, and it is not safe to walk at night. ”

Zhu Di said: "What's not safe, is it possible that there can still be a Northern Yuan army sneaking into the vicinity of Beiping Mansion?" ”

Li Wang immediately lowered his head, not because he was afraid of being ambushed by the Yuan army at night, and it was impossible for the Yuan army to appear near Beiping Mansion.

What he was worried about was that the night was pitch black, he couldn't see his feet clearly, and the road was full of potholes, in case there was any accident and hurt Zhu Di, it was a big crime.

It's just that he can't disobey Zhu Di's order in this matter.

Seeing this, Guo An saw something, and hurriedly stepped forward to suggest: "Your Highness, it's still so dark now, and the horses can't see the road clearly, wouldn't it be more dangerous for me to sit in the carriage?" If you let the horses pull the carriage and fall into the ditch by the roadside, and spread the word, Your Highness's name will ......"

Zhu Di directly scolded angrily: "You thief shut up this king, the dog can't spit out ivory from his mouth......"

Guo An shut up directly.

Zhu Fu said again: "What Guo Zhixian said is not unreasonable, I will wait for another half an hour, and the sky will begin to brighten!" There is no urgency to go back left and right, the iron smelting institute is now very important to His Royal Highness, and His Royal Highness can also take this time to learn more about the iron smelting institute and see what difficulties the iron smelting institute still has? ”

Hearing this, Zhong Huo's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhu Di with anticipation.

Zhu Di pondered for a moment, and then asked Zhong Huo: "This king wants the iron smelting institute to smelt 600,000 catties of steel within three months, and you can tell this king if you have any difficulties." ”

Zhong Huo hurriedly said: "Your Highness, as long as the Iron Smelting Institute builds ten more giant iron-making furnaces, the villain will definitely be able to smelt 600,000 catties of steel within three months."

However, to smelt so much pig iron in three months, more coking coal and iron sand are needed.

At present, the supply of coking coal and iron and stone in the iron smelting plant is completely insufficient. ”

Zhu Di waved his hand, "How many people do you want, this king will send it to you!" ”

Zhong Huo hurriedly bowed, "Thank you, Your Highness!" ”

Zhu Di asked again: "But there are still difficulties?" ”

Zhong Huo glanced at Guo An hesitantly, and then continued to report to Zhu Di.

"Your Royal Highness, now that the rainy weather in Beiping is long, the villain is worried about the heavy rain, the giant iron-making furnace has no room to cover, and it can't continue to make iron on a rainy day!"

……