Chapter 384 (1/2)
Succeeding in Producing Steel!
“Why is it so hot outside?” There were the first words that Feng Yu Heng said after stepping outside.
Because the furnace was hot, they wore thin clothes. After stepping into Xu Tian Cave, they felt a little cold and put their Winter clothes back on. Xu Tian Cave was cold for the entire year, even during the hottest days of the year, one would need to wear a thick sweater.
The two had become muddled while working on steel and had no concept of how long they had been in seclusion. It was only after hearing that it was hot that Xuan Tian Ming noticed what the soldiers outside wore. He then used his elbow and prodded the girl at his side and quietly said: “How long were we inside?”
Feng Yu Heng pondered a little, “At most a month, right?”
“Impossible.” Xuan Tian Ming pointed at the soldiers and said: “Look, everyone is wearing Summer clothes.”
She was extremely shocked. Looking closely, but of course, they were wearing thin clothes. In fact, some people were topless.
Wang Chuan and Huang Quan were both mixed in the group. Upon seeing the two come out, they quickly went forward to salute: “This servant greets your Highness and greets young miss.”
Feng Yu Heng facepalmed. These two girls were wearing gauze dresses, and she could not help but ask: “What month is it?”
Wang Chuan replied: “It is already the middle of the sixth month. Young miss and your Highness were in seclusion for a full 108 days.”
The two were shocked once more. 108 days was over three months. The sixth month of the lunar calendar corresponded with July of the Gregorian calendar. It was the middle of the hot summer! Feng Yu Heng did not say another word and quickly removed her cloak.
At the same time, Xuan Tian Ming did not have time to worry about the heat that he was feeling and the sweat that covered his head. With a joyful expression, he raised the hard item in his hand and loudly said: “The first piece of steel in Da Shun has been completed!”
Once this was said, the people in the surroundings were shocked. It was as though time had stopped, as nobody spoke. In fact, they even stopped breathing. The mountains in the Summer were covered in a lush green, and the sounds of the birds and cicadas were very clear; however, after he said this, the birds stopped moving and the cicadas stopped chirping. For a moment, all that remained was the sound of the river flowing in the distance.
Everyone’s eyes were opened wide, as they stared straight at the thing in Xuan Tian Ming’s hand. The old blacksmiths stumbled forward as looked at this thing called steel as though it was a treasure. Light even came out of Wang Chuan and Huang Quan’s eyes. The hidden guards that had been hidden all over also appeared. None wished to miss this historic moment.
Nobody knew how much time passed, as someone asked with a trembling voice: “This… is steel?”
Xuan Tian Ming nodded, “That’s right, this is steel!”
Whoosh!
Loud cheers erupted and sounded like thunder. The soldiers did not know how to express their celebratory feelings and began to shout into the mountains. The blacksmiths kneeled toward the piece of steel with tears flowing down their old faces.
Perhaps it was because the celebratory atmosphere was too thick, but even Feng Yu Heng was affected by this atmosphere. 108 days of seclusion, nobody thought that she and Xuan Tian Ming could endure this trial.
The furnace was like a steamer. It was so stuffy that they could not breathe. Although there were vents, it was barely enough to allow for a person to survive in that environment. To live comfortably, it was definitely impossible. The matter of producing steel was just an idea in people’s minds. Feng Yu Heng did it to try and challenge herself. She wanted to try and produce steel in this era without any science or technology. As for Xuan Tian Ming, once Da Shun had steel, it was as though their place in the world had risen even higher. They had taken another large step ahead of the other countries.
In short, once the refining of steel began, it was a rhythm that could not be stopped. In the beginning, they would return to sleep once every two days, but the further they progressed, the more critical the steps became. Not only did the difficulty increase with each step, they also required more accuracy and persistence. The two did not have time to return to the bedroom, and they went from three meals each day to just one. When sleepy, they would just lean against the wall and nap for a while, but these naps would last for ten minutes at most before they woke up and continued their work.
In the most bitter moments, the two fell asleep while working and ended up missing a timing. The materials were completely wasted. After waking up, they had to restart from the beginning.
There was also one time where the furnace ran dry. If it was not for the soldiers outside barging in and dragging them out, perhaps the two would have died from the smoke.
Fortunately, she still had a personal space, and there was no shortage of cold water. She would even bring out a couple cups of instant noodles from time to time.
But simply resolving the matter of food and water was not enough. People had other physiological needs, especially the arrival of the great aunt, who would appear on time each month. She would need to go into her space at any given moment to take care of it.
As for Xuan Tian Ming, at first, he found a person suddenly disappearing from in front of his eyes novel. Later on, he no longer cared. He knew that Feng Yu Heng was safe, and that was fine. To have this sort of hiding ability, if there was any danger in the future, in any case, she could protect herself.
In short, all of the suffering had been endured, which allowed them to produce a piece of steel. Although it was just a small piece the size of his palm, the process of creating this piece of steel helped them come up with a series of new methods for producing steel. Feng Yu Heng trusted that with this one success, the spread of something like steel in Da Shun’s armies was just around the corner.
The soldiers’ excitement continued unabated, as Feng Yu Heng saw that among the blacksmiths, the one at the head was the old man that had pleaded for his grandson’s life. She walked forward and personally helped the old man up then asked: “Old sir, take a look at this piece of steel. Is it enough to make a knife?”