Shaoxing Mansion, Huiji County, Huiji Mountain, at the foot of the west mountain of Huiji, Zheng's Iron Workshop.

Standing in front of the two blast furnaces, looking at the smoky iron smelting furnace in front of him, Zhao Hong's brows furrowed.

About two zhang high and one long in diameter, there are two iron-smelting furnaces, but only one is in production, and hundreds of people are busy.

"Zheng Yuanwai, in a year, how much iron is produced, how much profit can you make?"

Zhao Hong asked the owner of the workshop, a fat man in his forties.

I took a turn and visited the iron-smelting process, and I felt a little sure.

In later generations, I was fortunate enough to travel in Huiji Mountain, and probably knew that this is the largest iron ore base in Zhejiang, and it is enough to cast the amount of firearms used by the first army.

"Zheng Yuanwai, answer Your Highness quickly, don't exaggerate, and don't hide it!"

The accompanying Hui Ji Ji Ji County Board of Directors spoke out loudly.

The iron ingots cast in Zheng's Iron Mill were finally sold in Huiji County, and then used by Huiji County and transported to Shaoxing Mansion and Lin'an Mansion.

Wang Gang, the prefect of Shaoxing on the side, glanced at the board of directors, was silent, and turned his gaze to Zhao Hong.

This "merry man" who compares himself to "Qin Emperor Han Wu", is he really here to smelt iron?

The courtesans of Shaoxing Mansion are not as good as Lin'an City.

"Zhixian Xianggong, with His Royal Highness and Wang Xianggong here, how dare the grass people talk nonsense?"

Zheng Hao, who had a fat head and big ears, smiled with a smile on his face, quickly took out a thick account book from his arms, opened it, and spoke carefully.

"More than 100 people, more than 500 a year, which is already a lot!"

After hearing this, Zhao Hong laughed and pointed to another idle kiln.

"Zheng Yuanwai, then why did you stop an iron-smelting furnace. Is it because there is not enough iron ore? ”

A kiln smelts 80,000 Song Jin of iron a year, that is, 100,000 Jin in later generations, about 50 tons.

After all, 1,000 catties of artillery are only enough to build 100 guns, which is really a little less.

"Back to Your Highness, there is a lot of iron ore, but the wages and charcoal money are too high and the cost is too great, so one was stopped."

Zheng Hao nodded and said.

This prince really didn't come to annex his estate?

"Zheng Yuanwai, is there a lime kiln near here?"

Zhao Hong diverted the topic.

"Your Highness, there are many lime kilns, and there are several at the foot of the mountain. Lime is a commonly used object, building a house, medicinal use, and is inseparable from weekdays. ”

Zheng Yuanwai was confused. I don't know what Zhao Hong meant when he asked the lime kiln?

"Zheng Yuanwai, there is something I want to discuss with you."

Zhao Hong did not hide it and spoke bluntly.

He issued a military order in front of the emperor and his ministers, and although even if he failed, it seemed harmless, but he could not fail.

This is not only his personal gains and losses, but also the national fortune of the Great Song Dynasty.

"Your Highness commands."

Zheng Yuanwai was still smiling and nodding.

This prince is approachable, and there is not the slightest arrogance and conceit on his body, which makes his mood relaxed.

"When making iron, limestone is added, and the content is about 6%~8%. When the time comes, remove the dross from the surface. ”

Zhao Hong said it with a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness, for...... What to add limestone? ”

Zheng Hao stammered and asked.

"You'll know then, it's a secret for me. Remember, only you and trusted people know. ”

Zhao Hong pretended to smile mysteriously.

Limestone was added, of course, to remove the gangue from the iron. Gangue is silica with an extremely high melting point, and the removal of gangue greatly reduces the temperature required for ironmaking, while also reducing the content of impurities in pig iron, and also removes sulfur dioxide produced by ironmaking.

"Zheng Yuanwai, I will give you one kiln 1,000 guan, two kilns 2,000 guan, you also open the other kiln, and give me the smelted steel."

Zhao Hong thought about it and said it.

"Your Highness, you mean, the villain still smelts so much iron in a year, and you give double the price?"

Zheng Hao's brain was flexible and he reacted immediately.

"Your Highness, what do you want the villain to do, just give orders!"

Limestone is not worth much, and it doesn't matter how much you add. As long as the price is fair, of course he will not object.

Li Tang, Xue Tan and others, including a group of officials from Shaoxing Mansion, looked at Zhao Hong together.

They all wanted to know what kind of explanation His Royal Highness would have.

"Zheng Yuanwai, you are such a smart person!"

Zhao Hong looked at the round Zheng Hao, retracted his smile, and was serious.

"I want you to renovate the kiln and pay you the extra cost. Also, when smelting iron, add something to it! ”

Seeing Zheng Hao's ignorance, Zhao Hong patted his thick shoulder affectionately and spoke carefully.

"Regenerator?"

Zheng Hao's face was ignorant, and he instantly understood a little.

"Yes, regenerator!"

Zhao Hong nodded heavily.

In an open iron smelting furnace, the heat is dissipated into nature. To make an insulated regenerator, not to mention energy saving, the furnace temperature can also be increased a lot.

"Do any of you know where there is fluorite?"

"Fluorite?"

Not only Zheng Hao and other craftsmen, but also Dong Hui and Wang Gang and others were also stunned.

"It's the pearl of the night. Have any of you ever seen the kind of stone that made the pearl of the night? ”

"Your Highness, it turned out to be a snake eye stone, Fengling Pass in Pucheng County, Fujian Road, is at the junction of Zhejiang and Fujian, and the whole mountain is this kind of stone. There is also Chenzhou in Hunan, where there are many such stones. If you want to use it, you should have a treasury in the Ministry of Industry. ”

The board of directors spoke out immediately.

"Your Highness, you don't need to go to the Ministry of Industry, there are some in Shaoxing Mansion, but there are not many stocks, so it should be enough for Your Highness."

Wang Gang said with a smile.

"Wang Xianggong, thank you!"

Zhao Hong was overjoyed.

With fluorite powder, it is not only a co-solvent for iron smelting, reducing the temperature of electrical appliances, but also can be used with limestone to remove manganese and phosphorus in molten iron, and the success of iron smelting should be just around the corner.

"Everyone, don't worry! According to my method, not only can I save a lot of charcoal money, but I will also smelt better steel. It is of great benefit to the country and the people. ”

Zhao Hong immediately arranged it.

It is estimated that it will not be difficult to approve a fund of two or three thousand yuan a year. Besides, with his father-in-law and mother-in-law behind him, he doesn't care about this money.

Zheng Hao let out a long sigh. As long as this highness did not come to take his inheritance by force, he was relieved.

Take 10,000 steps back and take it away, as long as you compensate according to the price.

Zhao Hong strategized and commanded, Wang Gang and Dong Hui and others looked at each other.

How does it look, this prince seems to have a few brushes, not pretending to be a ghost.

"Zheng Yuanwai, you call all your craftsmen who burn the kiln and smelt iron, and I want to explain to them."

Zhao Hong immediately ordered Zheng Hao.

In fact, his methods are all the methods of the rotten streets of later generations, and there are all kinds of them on the Internet.

To deal with the invincible Mongolian iron cavalry, without firearms, he was not at ease.

The history of the demise of the Southern Song Dynasty has also proved that without a sharp weapon that transcends the times, it seems that it can only seek its own death.

He wants to cast artillery, guns, and thunderbolts, and other sharp weapons, without good steel, everything is nonsense.

Not to mention anything else, just the bore pressure of artillery and gun pipes requires good wrought iron. Once shoddy, the danger of exploding will certainly increase significantly. He had never killed the enemy and lost 8,000 of his own money, so he didn't dare to take such a risk.

Seeing Zhao Hong surrounding the kiln, carefully explaining to the craftsmen, and having some looks, Wang Gang couldn't help but asked Xue Tan on the side.

"Xue Jianzao, does His Highness also know how to smelt iron?"

He only knew that Zhao Hong's "Qinyuan Spring" and "Smiling Proud Jianghu" were shocking, but he didn't know that Zhao Hong was even involved in such strange skills as iron smelting.

It's not just dabbling, looking at the way he talks eloquently, he is no different from an expert.

"Wang Xianggong, the lower officials don't know. However, His Royal Highness has superb riding skills, and seems to know some martial arts, and he also teaches the officials to practice and strengthen his body. His Royal Highness's skills were also unexpected by the lower officials. ”

Xue Tan shook his head and said. It was also the first time he saw Zhao Hong's trick of smelting iron, and he was shocked that his crotch almost cracked.

No one in Lin'an City knows that this His Royal Highness is good and lustful, but Geng Jie is withdrawn, and today he only learned that under the "fame", it is actually difficult to deputy.

"The article is the best in the world, Corporal Lixian, this highness seems to be very different from the rumors outside."

Wang Gang also shook his head, his eyes were gloomy.

In fact, Zhao Hong came to Huiji County, and he, the prefect of Shaoxing Prefecture, could pretend to be deaf and dumb and did not have to come. It's just that a few of Zhao Hong's lyrics and songs reached his ears, which shocked him.

And this is also the reason why he was curious, so he saw the true face of Lushan.

"There are times when some rumors can't be believed!"

Xue Tan looked embarrassed and smiled self-deprecatingly.

His father also contributed to these gossips.

Dong Hui looked at Xue Tan and lowered his voice.

"Xue Jian Zao, if my Great Song Dynasty has this official family, the blessing of the community, the blessing of the people, and the blessing of the Great Song Dynasty!"

Xue Tan nodded again and again, with a smile on his face. He turned his gaze to Zhao Hong, not knowing what he was thinking.

Looking at Zhao Hong, as if he had thought of something, Wang Gang whispered a few words in the ear of the board of directors.

The board of directors nodded again and again, and after listening, he stood down on the side of Zhao Hong and the craftsmen, as if listening carefully.

"Zheng Yuanwai, craftsmen and masters, the matter of kiln transformation, as well as the matter of iron smelting, please leave it to you! Everyone remembers, this is a major event of the imperial court, and it must not be leaked out, otherwise the national law will be ruthless! ”

Zhao Hong solemnly admonished.

Once the smelting is successful, it will be a big breakthrough in iron smelting technology, and the country's heavy weapons cannot be leaked.

"Your Highness, rest assured!"

Zheng Hao and all the craftsmen were solemn.

Confess in a dignified manner, who dares to make a mistake?

After Zhao Hong and everyone finished explaining, Zheng Hao and the craftsmen exchanged heads and ears, and then dispersed.

"Your Highness, the lower officials have some words, I don't know if I should say them or not?"

The board of directors came up, respectfully, and said in a low voice.

"Dong Xianggong, if you have something to say, you don't have to hide it!"

Solving a major event, Zhao Hong was also in a relaxed mood.

Next, it is necessary to deal with the formula of gunpowder and train troops, which is the most important thing.

"Your Highness, since you have arrived in Shaoxing Mansion, the mausoleum of your ancestors always has to go to worship. Otherwise, it will always cause criticism. ”

The board of directors was respectful and whispered.

He is not only the county of Huiji, but also the Lingtai order, these details, of course, I have to remind these unscrupulous descendants of the Zhao family.

Zhao Hong was startled and reacted instantly.

"Dong Xianggong, thank you for the reminder. Lone is exactly what he means. When I go back to bathe and change my clothes, let's go to the mausoleum to worship! ”

Anyway, the kiln is transformed, and the preparation of various raw and auxiliary materials of fluorite limestone will take a while, and there is no hurry.

However, let him worship the ancestors of the Zhao and Song dynasties, especially Zhao Gou, the first seedless Song Gaozong in the ages, he was really aggrieved.