Chapter 86: Steel
Coal was easy to dig up. As long as they didn’t mine too deep, digging in the shallow outer layers wouldn’t cause accidents. Huo Zi’an led a group of Zheng Family cattle and horses to dig.
Jinsui generously announced that all workers who dug coal would receive a meal of dry food with meat.
Unexpectedly, this decision brought a pleasant surprise. Previously, refugees from the mountains dared not come out.
Especially after hearing about the ferocity of the Li King, anyone passing by the border city, whether human or horse, had to stay and work.
Even though Han Xing repeatedly led people to publicize that refugees could come out of the mountains and obtain border resident status from the Li King, no one dared to come. At most, they would conduct private trade with the Tuntian Camp.
This time, Huo Zi’an led people into the mountains to dig coal, because the Li King promised a meal of dry rations and meat soup.
The cooks directly set up stoves at the foot of the mountain to stew. Baskets of coarse grain flatbread were lined up, and large pots stewed Dongpo Pork and bone and radish soup.
For every basket of coal carried out from the mountains, they would receive a bamboo slip with work points. Ten work points could be exchanged for a large bowl of meat and two flatbreads.
The aroma of the spiced meat soup was carried by the wind into the forest. The refugees who smelled it swallowed their saliva. The bright red meat clearly had a lot of sugar added.
Next to the bone soup, there was a basin of snow-white salt crystals for the workers to dip their bones in.
With sugar, salt, meat, and flatbread, refugees wouldn’t eat such a good meal even during the New Year!
Upon further inquiry, they learned that no matter who it was, as long as they carried coal out, they could exchange it for food.
Some bold young and strong men stepped forward to ask. The Zheng Family cattle and horses dared not answer. The supervisors, the Black Feather Camp Soldiers, smiled and guaranteed:
“Our King said that whether you are refugees or herdsmen, as long as you still consider yourself a citizen of Great Xia, just carry coal to exchange for work points. You can not only exchange for cooked food but also for grain.”
The refugees quickly said, “We won’t enter the border city, can we just trade with you outside the city?”
After receiving an affirmative answer, the refugees from the mountains first settled their women and children. They had to be cautious. If they were captured by the Li King, at least their families would be safe.
Only then did the young and strong men form groups and carry bamboo baskets to fetch coal. Coal was called “stone charcoal” by the refugees. It could be used to burn fire for cooking, but it extinguished easily, and the thick smoke was choking.
In winter, people often died from burning black charcoal, resulting in their entire families being poisoned by the smoke.
The mountains had no shortage of firewood, so they would not burn stone charcoal unless absolutely necessary. They never expected the Li King to like this thing.
Jinsui heard about the refugees coming down the mountain to carry coal and smiled as he told the Black Feather Camp Soldiers not to pressure them. They should just set up a trade point at the foot of the mountain.
As time went by, they would know that the Li King would not arrest people arbitrarily, and then they would naturally dare to enter the city.
As for obtaining border resident status, it was not that simple!
One thousand work points were the basic requirement. Only after accumulating one thousand work points would one be eligible for selection. Subsequently, after passing an assessment and confirming they were honest and law-abiding individuals with no criminal record, they could obtain household registration as border residents.
Cheng Yu strongly agreed, “Although the border city is short of people, it’s better to have quality than quantity. Moreover, human nature is such that things obtained too easily are not cherished.”
Jinsui chuckled, “Precisely. If this King were to grant border resident status to everyone, and something happened, they would immediately abandon their status and become border residents again.”
“This King wants people who have a sense of belonging to the border city, who regard the border city as their home, and who can unite as one in times of crisis.”
Of course, the government’s policies also had to be good. The border city had no shortage of land. Jinsui stipulated that for all border residents who passed the assessment, the government would allocate housing plots and land based on population.
For the first three years, they would even be provided with free seeds and could rent oxen and farming tools. Only with good policies could refugees be attracted to the city.
As soon as the coal was transported back to the city, Jinsui immediately got to work with the blacksmiths, modifying stoves and bellows, and using coal as fuel to melt pig iron.
The blacksmiths were initially surprised by the intense heat. Especially with the aid of the bellows, the fire was almost purple mixed with blue. They rarely achieved such heat when using firewood.
When they saw the pig iron water emitting black smoke and decreasing as it burned, they hurriedly said, “This won’t do, Your Highness. The fire is too fierce, and the iron is burning away.”
Jinsui remained calm, “That is the impurities in the pig iron. Once they burn away, the swords and sabers forged will be even harder and sharper.”
The blacksmiths diligently took notes. When the bright red molten iron, free of any black impurities, was ready, it was poured into pre-prepared spearhead molds.
After cooling, a silver-bright spearhead was formed. With a little finishing and polishing by the blacksmith, it would be a top-quality spearhead.
Cheng Yu, who had observed the entire process and taken notes, carefully examined the spearhead. She then had the blacksmith attach a white ash handle and tried the long spear herself.
With a thrust and a parry, the long spear cut through an ordinary long saber as if it were cutting tofu.
She exclaimed in disbelief, “It is indeed exceptionally sharp. Your Highness is truly talented!”
Jinsui said with a hint of pride, “When has this King ever boasted idly! This is no longer iron, but the essence of iron, steel!
When I said I would forge the hardest and sharpest weapons in the world, I would definitely be able to forge them!”
“Moreover, with this method, forging a hundred spearheads a day is not a problem!”
The biggest problem currently was the scarcity of pig iron, and there had been no response to the trade with the Yan Clan.
Yan Shiyi arrived on the third day after Han Xing’s gift. His expression was slightly smug, but perhaps fearing Jinsui would hit him again, he dared not show it.
However, the arrogance flashing in his eyes and the loud snapping of his folding fan made him so annoying that Jinsui clenched his fist in his sleeve.
“The Li King wishes to trade pig iron with my Yan Clan?”
Jinsui suppressed his anger and said, “This King wants to talk to Yan Jiu, not a turtle.”
Yan Shiyi choked for a moment. His arrogance receded, and he said indignantly, “Can’t you just call me Shiyi?”
“Calling you Shiyi is too intimate. Our relationship isn’t that close.”
“Then why do you call my brother Yan Jiu?”
“Your brother is handsome! Yan Jiulang, it sounds like the name of a handsome young master, it makes people feel good to say it.”
Yan Shiyi’s temples throbbed. First, he was so angry he gritted his teeth. Seeing Hei Hu behind Jinsui, he deflated and said:
“Actually, what my father wrote back then wasn’t ‘Wu Gui’ (No Return). It was just that his handwriting was messy, and the Clan Leader misread it. It was only written incorrectly when it was added to the clan registry.”
Jinsui, giving him face, smiled and asked, “Then what was originally written?”
Yan Shiyi proudly said, “It was ‘Yuan Gui’ (Round Compass)!”
Jinsui was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard that he covered his stomach and tears streamed down his face, gasping for breath, “A compass, it’s not much better than a turtle. No wonder your eyes are so round. Be careful, eat less. If you become round in middle age, it will be tragic.”
Yan Shiyi was truly angry now, “Jun Yanqing! Do you still want to trade with the Yan Clan?”
Jinsui wiped the corners of his eyes and said, “Of course I do. However, your brother is not home. Can you make the decision?”
Yan Shiyi raised his chin slightly, “Of course I can! However, it’s not a pig iron trade. Pig iron is one of the family’s assets. Even my brother cannot casually trade it with outsiders.”
Jinsui asked curiously, “Then what kind of trade is it? This King is currently lacking iron, and has no shortage of other things.”
“Do you want scrapped and rusted ironware?”
