Before oil was used, coal was the main fuel for humans. Before coal appeared, wood was the main fuel for humans. Now, the bronze smelting of all countries uses wood. The use of Chinese coal was in the Western Han Dynasty hundreds of years later. The so-called "Shi Ni" in the "Shan Hai Jing" was the inference of coal. As the editor of "Shan Hai Jing", Wu Guanzi showed Xiong Jing what was mentioned in the book was not coal at all, but a transparent thing similar to rock sugar. This is actually alum, but he didn't know it.

The result of the coal literature inquiry is like this, and sulfur is similar. Even if Xiong Jing detailed the color, smell, and origin (crater, geothermal place) of sulfur, the scholars and wizards who compiled the Shanhai Jing still could not find the original documentary records about sulfur. To be precise, the shortest wooden board with gunpowder was not saltpeter, but sulfur. After the sulfur purification technology of the Tang Dynasty appeared, gunpowder was actually used in practice. Before, it was just an occasional explosion of the alchemy furnace.

The earliest document that recorded sulfur could not be the "Fan Zijiran" cited in the Song Dynasty "Taiping Yulan", but the "Shennong Bencao Jing", but that was already the Eastern Han Dynasty. The reason why it was so late was inseparable from the small number of natural sulfur ores in the Central Plains.

Xiong Jing naturally didn't know the real history. He only knew that the names of places in ancient and modern times were different. He couldn't find the city he was looking for, and the names of items in ancient and modern times were also different. In addition, there was no search engine, so it was difficult to find some documents. Fortunately, the cheap master Feng Guanzi could mobilize some people, such as looking for coal now, and directly ask officials from all over the country.

Coal is the grain of modern industry, and firing cement is only one of the small uses, but its function is universal. Coal with a temperature higher than charcoal is used for iron smelting, which has an impact of ten or a hundred times that of cement. Faced with the problem of smelting, Xiong Jing thought for a while before saying: "With charcoal is used to smelting iron, the fire temperature cannot turn iron into iron. If black stone is used to smelting iron, the fire temperature is used to smelting iron, and the fire temperature is high-speed iron water will appear. However, black stone has many impurities, and coking is required before refining, and iron is used to smelting iron, supplemented by..."

Wenhuan's language is difficult to express the smelting technology that Xiong Jing knows. He recalled it and said: "Using coke to make iron, you can produce fine steel."

His disciple knew almost everything about objects. The stranger nodded: "Although iron is gold, it can be brittle and easy to crack, so it is called evil gold. It can only be used as agricultural tools and is difficult to be a weapon. What is the so-called steel in Zijing?"

There was no word for steel in ancient times, so Xiong Jing had to say: "Steel is great. I have obtained by making a hundred fine iron. I can make a sword and blow hair and cut off my hair."

Ju's original intention is Dagang. As soon as he talks about Ju Guanzi, he understood. He asked, "Zi Jing understands the art of practicing Ju?"

Recalling the knowledge of iron smelting, Xiong Jing nodded and said, "I understand a little bit." After saying that, he was a little worried and asked, "Does there be no iron craftsmen in Chu State? What I know about iron smelting are not much different from what they know."

"The art of iron-making in the world is originally good at our Chu State and Yan State. The so-called "Wanju iron spear is as miserable as a bee" refers to the great iron of our Chu State. However, the great iron came from Wan, and the land of Wan was merged by Qin. In the old Ying battle, many craftsmen died suddenly, and three were not left. Now the building of the palace is mostly for the casting of tourists." Wu Guanzi's tone was deeply regretful. He witnessed the two powerful countries being crippled by the Qin people.

"Teacher, what is a guest?" Xiong Jing was puzzled.

"Casting guests is the craftsmen of other countries. They are greedy for gold and silver, and they enter our Chu State to build a palace." Feng Guanzi explained. "These countries all value hundreds of craftsmen. The craftsmen of Chu are only third-class other countries, but third-class craftsmen can also become smelters of our Chu State." Perhaps to deepen Xiong Jing's impression, Feng Guanzi pointed to the incense furnace on several tables and said, "There should be an incense furnace in Zijing's bedroom, which was cast by the old Ying, and this furnace was given by the king. What is the difference between it and the furnace in your bedroom?"

The incense burners on several tables are not noticeable, but when you look closely, you will see that the incense burners are thick and rough, and there is no exquisite and elegant beauty like the incense burners in your bedroom. If the shui Guanzi did not say that this was given by the King of Chu, Xiong Jing would think that this was a big road product bought on the market.

Thinking of the fact that there were many iron components on the sailboat and the copper skin on the bottom of the boat, Xiong Jing sighed: "My craftsmen have withered to this point!"

"This is the crime of war." Wu Guanzi nodded. "There is iron ore where the copper is produced in our Chu State. If Zijing can refine large iron, it can be used to build a palace, or it can be repaired."

Xiong Jing was deeply pondered when Feng Guanzi said that Xiong Jing was thinking. Generally speaking, shipyards have steel mills. For example, Xiong Jing is familiar with the modern Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and there are steel mills in it. But that is steelmaking, and most of the pig iron used is purchased from Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom and other places. Before the great development of iron smelting technology, ore determines the steel quality. China's iron ore is not excellent. Don't mention Daye Iron Ore. The steel refined by Zhang Zhidong can only be used as rails. The best place for iron ore is Benxi, where the iron ore contains sulfur and phosphorus, and smelting with charcoal can produce pure pig iron better than Swedish iron. Do you have to dig iron ore in Benxi?

If you don’t go to Benxi, there are Ma'anshan and Huoqiu that can be selected in Chu. Huoqiu is better than Ma'anshan, but Huoqiu has inconvenient transportation, and another place is Liguoyi. When Zhang Zhidong was running Daye, Li Hongzhang advised him to run it in Liguo, where there were coal and lime.

"Zijing, Zijing..." Someone called Xiong Jing again.

Steel plants are easy to handle, but they can be produced intermittently, but they are not easy to handle. They must be close to the raw materials and must also consider the advantages and disadvantages of the raw materials themselves. In addition, iron smelting technology - SC is the military, area 3 is the model area, area 63 is the overhead area, Xiong Jing will also go there to see it, iron and steelmaking is considered to be aware of some tricks...

"Teacher, I'm rude." Xiong Jing was distracted and called him several times before he came to his senses.

"It's okay, it's okay." Iron smelting is a skill that is more advanced than copper smelting. Xiong Jing was born to know that there was still a long distance between him and his actions. Wu Guanzi felt that his expectations for Xiong Jing were too high.

"Junior brother," it was not Feng Guanzi who called Xiong Jing, but Xiong Jing's senior brother Mu Ling who called Xiong Jing. "There may be black soil and stones in Lishan."

"Lishan?" A strange name. Mu Ling handed over a bamboo slip. "This mountain is forty miles east of Yingdu. The Yin of Quyang City Huiling said that whenever Lishan encounters heavy rain, black mountain torrents will appear in the mountains..."

"Black mountain torrent?" Xiong Jing's eyes lit up and he asked anxiously: "Is there any sample?"

After discovering black earth and stones, Cheng Yin wanted to send samples to Lantai Academy, so Xiong Jing asked this question. But Mu Ling said, "No, this is a word passed down by the common people. Cheng Yin thought it was a strange thing, so he told it."

Xiong Jing was already looking through the map of Chu at this time. Quyang was south of the Huai River and not far from Shouying. The most important thing was that it was not far from the shipyard, and the excavated coal could be transported by water.

"Teacher, Quyang is only forty miles away, please send someone to investigate carefully." Xiong Jing looked at Feng Guanzi. He was a person with status and status in Chu State, and it was better for him to come forward than he did.

"Zi Leng, this matter will be handed over to you." There are about a dozen disciples of Zhuguan. These people are generally not young, most of them are officials and generals in Zhao and Chu, and there are only Mu Leng around them. The Mu surname comes from the State of Song. The State of Song is the fief of Duke Zhou to the Prince of Shang and King Zhou's brother Wei Ziqi. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Mu of Song generously passed the throne to his younger brother Duke Shang, so he posthumously named Mu. His descendants have since taken Mu as their surname. They first moved to Zheng and then entered Chu.

Among the noble princes in Yingdu, no one can compare with Mu Leng, who inherited the Shang Dynasty; he is more romantic and elegant, with talented poetry and essays. Mu Leng claims to be the second, but no one dares to be the first. But he has no intention of career and often compares himself with Zhuang Zhou. The only difference is that Zhuang Zhou likes to roll mud, and he is a dancer in the city of Yingdu. No one dares to say that he does not recognize Mr. Mu.

When Mu Ling heard the master ask him to go to Lishan to find the black earth and stone, he smiled and said, "Disciple obeys the order. Does Zijing have any advice?"

Looking for ore is not a fun thing. Seeing that Feng Guanzi told Senior Brother Pianpian to find coal, Xiong Jing immediately bowed, "Thank you, Senior Brother. Black earth and stone are coal, black and combustible, but they must be made of water and guided by wood. This thing has great use. It can be used to smelly and burn mirage ashes. There are so many things that need to be taken into consideration for mining..."

When you have a mine, you have to dig. Of course, you have to consider transportation when choosing a mine site. Mu Ling understood this principle and smiled and said, "Don't worry, if you have one, you must choose a convenient place for collection. Quyang City Yin was drunk with me in Ge City, and he will definitely help him with all his strength."

Mu Ling, who had been bearded, smiled a little sunny, and after that, he said goodbye and prepared to go. Guanzi also laughed at this time: "The capital of Ying is set in Shouyi. In addition to the dangerous mountains and rivers, water and land transportation, there are also concerns about lush forests and trees. Coal can be combustible and can save forests. If it can really become a huge iron, the king will be very happy. The powerful crossbow, water wheel, sweet potato, dragon horse, and huge iron, if the five are the four... Zijing, our Chu State should be invincible."

After a long time of entry, even without indirect attacks, Feng Guanzi felt that Xiong Jing was not optimistic about the prospects of Chu State, and the military strategy could not be achieved overnight. He mostly strengthened Xiong Jing's confidence at the strategic level. But when Xiong Jing heard that the King of Qin would win the championship this month, he actually remembered the Lao Ai who could push the cart with his life. Lao Ai was executed before the rebellion was executed. Lu Buwei immediately committed suicide. Zhao State was finished within a few years and suddenly felt the situation tense.
Chapter completed!