Chapter 30: The Genesis of the Idea for Steelmaking

Li Shiwu’s reaction had been swift, yet in an age devoid of modern communication, how could he possibly outpace Zhao Mang?

By the time Li Shiwu arrived at the mine with his men, he was greeted by a scene of utter devastation. Decapitated corpses were scattered across the mining site, and the workers who had previously been there were long gone. Not only had the grain and supplies been plundered, but the mine itself had been stripped bare.

With his plot exposed and his plans thrown into disarray, Li Shiwu was consumed by a burning rage. He had never suffered such a setback. It was as if someone had defecated on his head and made off with the fruits of his labor. The mine had only been in operation for a short time, and he had barely begun to reap any benefits. The thought that it had been ruined—and might no longer belong to him—filled him with fury. He slammed his sword into the ground and roared, "Someone! Send a letter to the magistrate immediately, detailing the situation at the red iron mine!"

His men stepped back, none daring to respond. Li Shiwu was known for his volatile temper; he had even been known to use his own subordinates as human sacrifices to boost morale. Everyone under his command knew this all too well.

"Are you all deaf?" he barked.

After a moment, a young soldier who usually shadowed him stepped forward, trembling. "I will carry out your order, sir."

But Li Shiwu suddenly whirled around, yanked his sword from the ground, and with a single stroke, precisely sliced the soldier's throat. He then pointed his blade at another man in the crowd. "You go!"

***

Meanwhile, Zhao Mang was leading his group toward the encampment at Dunzi Peak. The refugees followed close behind, forming a column roughly ten meters long, with the able-bodied among them guarding the rear.

Upon reaching Dunzi Peak, the group dispersed around the perimeter of the camp. The leader of the refugees, an old man named Wei Xian—the most respected among them—was helped into Zhao Mang’s tent by two others. Once inside, he began to question Zhao Mang in a tone that sounded surprisingly haughty. "General, how do you intend to settle us? All the villagers are waiting for your arrangements."

Zhao Mang thought to himself, *How does this guy have the nerve to talk like that?* Asking for help while acting so imperious was quite a feat. He became wary; if this man was so capable, why had he been captured by the Zhang family in the first place?

"For now, set up camp around the perimeter," Zhao Mang replied slowly. "You may use the grain from my stores." He paused, feeling a bit uneasy. "Of course, this is not free. The able-bodied among you must work in the camp. Whatever skills you have, tell me, and you can trade your labor for food. Also, you must build your own temporary shelters; the rooms inside the camp are reserved for the military. There is a forest to the west of Dunzi Peak—send men there to cut timber."

Wei Xian looked thoughtful, his brow furrowing slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. He mistook Zhao Mang’s pragmatism for cold-heartedness. However, since it was Zhao Mang who had saved them, they had no room to make demands. He had no choice but to agree.

After sending Wei Xian away, Zhao Mang immediately wrote a letter to Jiang Wan. He was concise, urging her to notify her family and seize the red iron mine before Li Shiwu could recover. This would be beneficial for both of them. He also asked Jiang Wan to find him several military doctors; this recent battle had made him realize the necessity of medical support. In previous small-scale skirmishes, no one had been injured, but as the scale of conflict grew, he could no longer watch over everyone, and his own individual prowess wasn't enough to prevent casualties.

He then ordered men to lead Wei Xian’s group to the western forest to cut timber. Watching the busy crowd, Zhao Mang reflected on his growing force. With more people joining, he couldn't manage everything alone; he needed talent. The most fundamental step was to strengthen his army. With strength, everything else would fall into place.

His thoughts drifted to his memories. With the red iron ore, he could forge steel. Currently, his soldiers' armor was mismatched, and their blades were varied and inconsistent—hardly suitable for facing the Tibetan raiders. Improving their weaponry was his top priority. Next was the need for grain—vast quantities of it. Since it wasn't the growing season, he had to accelerate his greenhouse cultivation project. He had the manpower now, but no food. After much deliberation, he wrote another letter to Jiang Wan via carrier pigeon, hoping she could provide seeds and materials for greenhouse construction. He planned to cultivate a field near Dunzi Peak.

The sheer number of tasks made his head ache. He needed time—a long period of growth—but he knew that growth was the most difficult phase. He had too much to do, and his current low rank prevented him from overseeing the big picture. Furthermore, the Tibetan raiders wouldn't give him time; they were currently in an active phase.

The only thing he could do was bolster his military strength. The most direct method was to develop technology to improve the hardness and durability of his blades. However, relying on contemporary blacksmithing methods was impractical—it was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive.

He searched his memory for designs of a shaft furnace. Grasping the inspiration, he quickly sketched it on paper. To reach the necessary temperatures, he needed a blower. The bellows currently used by his smiths were inefficient and exhausting. He designed a manual blower based on modern principles, substituting human power for electricity. He summoned the blacksmiths and handed them the blueprints.

Yu Zhiyuan, the head craftsman, was stunned by the design. "General, are you planning to refine iron?"

"Not just iron," Zhao Mang replied, watching the curious artisan. "I want to refine steel."

"Steel?"

"Don't worry about what it is," Zhao Mang said. "Just follow the plans. If you have any suggestions for improvement, report them to me."

Yu Zhiyuan was the most talented among the smiths, known for his ingenuity. Upon examining the blueprints, he pointed out several flaws. Finding the critique reasonable, Zhao Mang praised him without hesitation and rewarded him with half a string of copper coins. While he felt a sharp pang of regret parting with the money—every penny was precious—he knew he had to reward his subordinates.

Encouraged by the praise and the reward, Yu Zhiyuan hurried off to begin construction on the furnace and the blower. With everything arranged, Zhao Mang walked outside, where the refugees were beginning to build their temporary shelters.