The Prodigal Son of the Empire

For example, the bricks needed to build a hearth furnace are a problem. Conventional bricks obviously cannot withstand high temperatures, so he fired refractory bricks.

"It's purely your words,"

Li Zheng snorted coldly and said, his complexion was not very good-looking, because he basically didn't understand what Wang Kang said just now.

"Whether it's a word of mouth or not, we'll find out after the trial," Wang Kang didn't budge.

"Let's leave this question aside for the time being," Master Xi said again at this moment, "Then let me ask you, why does the melted iron go into the furnace for a second smelting?"

Wang Kang said directly: "Because I want to forge something harder than iron...steel!"

[Author's Digression]: The third update, I try to write reasonably, so I write very slowly.If there are any mistakes, don't spray them carefully, and welcome your comments.

Chapter 2 Make a Bet

"Ha ha!"

"Listening to what you said just now, I thought you were knowledgeable, but now it seems that you are still ignorant!"

"Let's talk nonsense!"

Several people laughed, and even the originally recruited craftsmen looked at Wang Kang in surprise.

Something harder than iron?

There are indeed, but it is definitely not something that can be easily refined.

And what is steel, I have never heard of it.

"It's good for you to have this idea, but don't wishful thinking," Li Zheng smiled disdainfully, and said again: "Old Xi, come and tell him!"

In the Metallurgical Bureau, Master Xi is the master of iron casting, and he even purifies the iron embryos. In this regard, he has the most right to speak.

Hearing this, Master Xi smiled and said, "We want to melt a metal harder than iron. In fact, our Metallurgical Bureau has already started researching it!"

"It has been shown many times that the higher the temperature of iron smelting, the harder the material of the smelted iron will be!"

After hearing these words, Wang Kang nodded. It seems that the Metallurgical Bureau is not useless, and it is not easy to find this point.

At this time, Master Xi continued: "The iron is melted using charcoal, and the temperature of charcoal is limited. This is a difficulty that cannot be broken through at all."

"I have purified iron embryos before. Do you know how to do it? Melting, hammering, and so on, the hardness of the iron is increased."

"But this method requires a lot of manpower. If you want to use it in large quantities, IMHO, it is simply impossible."

Li Zheng sneered and said: "We have come here following the orders of Lord Shangshu, but you found out that you didn't adopt our method at all. If this is the case, then we have no choice but to go back!"

"That's right, I have been immersed in this way for half my life and have never done it. You, a young master from a rich family, what can you understand?"

"It's just hearsay, so we just talk nonsense and say we are ignorant? How ridiculous!"

Several people agreed again and again, even those attendant craftsmen showed sarcasm.

It's a big joke for a young man from a rich family to brazenly say that he wants to smelt something harder than iron.

"Masters, stop here. How can you leave so easily when you're not far away?" Xu Changlin said hurriedly.

Wang Dingchang spent a lot of effort to invite these people from the Metallurgical Bureau. If they just go back here, it would be a waste of hard work.

Moreover, it was because of Wang Kang, if this spread to the capital of the imperial court, the Earl's Mansion would be ruined!

"Master Kang, you just listen to the masters!" Xu Changlin tried hard to persuade.

Although the young master has changed a lot now, he even developed a recipe for dyeing purple cloth before, which made Fuyang cloth shop famous and its profits doubled.

But smelting iron and dyeing cloth are two extremes!

Wang Kang looked at them and said with a faint smile, "What if I can increase the temperature of the fire?"

"Oh? What kind of method did Young Master Kang come up with?" Li Zheng said disdainfully.

"Blower!" Wang Kang said directly.

"Ha ha,"

Hearing this, Li Zheng laughed straight away and said, "Continuously blowing vigorously can indeed help the combustion and increase the temperature, but do you think we don't have one in the Metallurgical Bureau?"

"The wind power of the blower is limited, and if you want to maintain the firepower, you must keep blowing. This requires a lot of manpower. Having said that, it is difficult to achieve."

"My blower is naturally different from the one you use." Wang Kang said lightly.

"Then I'm curious, what kind of blower is Master Kang using?" Master Xi asked.

"It's still in production, and you'll be able to see it when the time comes."

"It turned out to be another empty talk, so I'm still interested,"

Li Zheng said to the two people beside him: "Why don't we just stay here for a few days and see and see?"

"Alright, it's not a waste of time to watch a farce before leaving!"

Several people laughed.

"In this case, how about we make a bet?" Wang Kang said.

"What are you gambling?"

"If my vision comes true, you will stay here and let me send you around," Wang Kang said, "If I can't do it, then you can do whatever you want!"

"Okay, bet!"

Li Zheng said directly: "I know you Earl Fuyang has a lot of money, if you can't do it, donate [-] gold coins to our Metallurgical Bureau!"

After hearing this, Master Xi and Wang Fuchen's eyes lit up. The Metallurgical Bureau is a subordinate of the Ministry of Industry. Although they are arrogant here, they are just craftsmen to put it bluntly.

Among the six ministries of the imperial court, the Ministry of Industry was the lowest, especially the Bureau of Metallurgy and Manufacturing. The Ministry of Households had absolutely no funds.

Without money, nothing can be done, especially in departments like the Metallurgical Bureau, even more so without money.

With this bet, you can make a lot of money, why not do it?

"Why don't you dare?"

Li Zheng asked with a faint smile. In fact, his heart was also in a state of ups and downs. He said what he said just now, and it was the lion who opened his mouth.

"Haha!" Wang Kang laughed suddenly, "I thought what you were going to say, but it turned out that money was what you proposed..."

"Well, this bet is established, and there is no need to write handwritten documents. With so many people around as witnesses, I am sure you will not renege on it."