Chapter 158: The Method of Iron Smelting

Gongsun Ye was momentarily taken aback, but sensing no malice in Meng Di's words, he replied, "My behavior was discourteous and deserving of punishment. I wonder what the Master would have me do?"

Meng Di raised a finger to point at the furnace before them and smiled, "In that case, your punishment is to explain to me clearly how these furnaces work."

Realizing then that Meng Di had merely been joking, Gongsun Ye's expression relaxed, and he explained, "Since base metal is mostly hidden within ore, if the temperature is too low, the metal inevitably contains impurities and lacks purity, rendering it unusable. To obtain better base metal, one must raise the temperature of the furnaces."

"This type of furnace is a method I devised after years of deep thought. However, due to a lack of experience, these furnaces are extremely non-durable and are often discarded after being fired just a few times. I am currently trying to find ways to improve them."

"At the very least, the base metal smelted now is of vastly superior quality compared to before. With just a little forging, it can be used to make armor and weapons. Yet, because so few people in the world refine base metal, everything is still in the experimental stage."

This served as a reminder to Meng Di. Gan Jiang and Moye did not have such furnaces, yet they had ultimately managed to forge fine ironware. If the two parties could sit down and discuss the matter together, it might yield mutual benefits. Therefore, Meng Di said, "If Master Gongsun has the time, you might wish to visit Gumi City. There is another master swordsman there named Gan Jiang. If the two of you could exchange knowledge, it might greatly improve the method of refining base metal."

Hearing this, Gongsun Ye grew interested. Gan Jiang was a long-celebrated figure, and how could he not have heard of him? Without the slightest hesitation, he made his decision on the spot, "In that case, once I finish smelting these two batches of base metal, I will set out for Gumi."

After meeting with Gongsun Ye, Bai Gui took Meng Di for a tour of the nearby area and showed him the location of the mine. However, on their return for a rest, Meng Di watched the river flowing down from the mountain, and an idea struck him.

Back in the Han dynasty, many workshops were established alongside rivers, using the force of the current to drive watermills, which saved a great deal of manpower. Earlier, in front of the furnaces, he had seen dozens of robust young artisans pushing and pulling the bellows.

This suddenly made him think: if the river could be utilized to operate the bellows just like a watermill, wouldn't that save a tremendous amount of manpower? Furthermore, Gongsun Ye had mentioned that the furnaces he built were not durable, which clearly stemmed from a lack of proper methods.

Faced with these circumstances, Meng Di was reminded of another great talent still residing in Mengyi: Gongshu Ban.

Consequently, upon returning to Huaicheng, Meng Di dispatched his personal guards back to Mengyi to have Ji Ran send Gongshu Ban over.

Meanwhile, after finishing his troop training, Liu Xiatuo returned. Learning of Meng Di's arrival, he hurried over to pay his respects and spoke the moment they met, "Has the Lord come this time to inspect the elite troops I have trained?"

His face was filled with excitement as he said this; it was clear he was very satisfied with these soldiers. Meng Di naturally wanted to inspect them, but over the past two days, he had also carefully considered Bai Gui's suggestion, so he said, "Huaicheng is becoming increasingly prosperous, with merchants traveling back and forth continuously. Relying solely on these few thousand men is still somewhat too few. Therefore, when selecting soldiers in the future, you can divide them into two groups: the top tier will be chosen as elites."

"Those who are slightly inferior can be organized into a separate army with slightly reduced training intensity, allowing them to garrison the locality. In this way, the elite troops you train can be reserved for external warfare."

"Moreover, since you and Mr. Bai are both in Huaicheng, you should consult with Mr. Bai more often regarding matters. In truth, this very suggestion was put forward by Mr. Bai. The reason he was so tactful is probably because he worried you might not be open to hearing it."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiatuo scratched his head and said with a somewhat embarrassed smile, "I always felt that Mr. Bai is a master at local governance, but not necessarily skilled in troop training. He had mentioned this before, but I didn't take it to heart. This is my fault. Please rest assured, My Lord, I will pay attention to it hereafter."

These words caused Meng Di some lingering concern, and he earnestly admonished, "I hope that you will be able to stand alone and shoulder great responsibilities in the future. Therefore, during this time, on the one hand, you must learn local administration from Mr. Bai, and on the other hand, you must broaden your vision and think long-term."

"Think about it: Huaicheng's reputation is growing day by day, and more and more trading caravans are coming. If other tribes were to raid the passing caravans in the future, would you intervene or not?"

Liu Xiatuo had once roamed freely across the state of Lu, engaging precisely in the plundering of passing merchants and travelers. Naturally, he understood the dangers of such actions; if it continued unchecked, before long no one would dare to come to Huaicheng.

Moreover, he could tell that Meng Di held high expectations for him, which made him feel somewhat ashamed. He certainly understood that such a situation was bound to happen, having gained a good grasp of the local tribes' conditions over the past period.

Aside from a few large tribes living relatively well, the smaller tribes lived from hand to mouth. Yet compared to the nobles of the Central Plains, those large tribes were merely small actors.

Now that a thriving city like Huaicheng had emerged in this region of Huaiyi, it would inevitably arouse the covetous desires of others.

Strictly speaking, for these words to be spoken now from Meng Di's mouth meant that he, Liu Xiatuo, had been somewhat derelict in his duties. At this thought, a look of shame appeared on his face, and he cupped his fists, saying, "The Lord is right. In the future, when considering matters, my perspective will be as far-reaching as possible. If I cannot resolve something myself, I will seek counsel from Mr. Bai and the Lord, ensuring that Huaicheng's prosperity remains undisturbed."

Seeing his sincere attitude, Meng Di's tone softened, and he sighed gently, "The situation back in Mengyi is far from favorable; the state of Qi will surely send a large army to invade in the future. The reason I came this time is not only to inspect Huaicheng's development, but also to issue a warning to you all."

"You must take advantage of this period to make preparations. If the situation continues to deteriorate in the future, Zhongqiu City may have to be abandoned. Once that happens, the connection between Mengyi and Huaicheng will be severed, and you and Mr. Bai will bear the responsibility of stabilizing Huaicheng."

Hearing that Zhongqiu City might be abandoned, Liu Xiatuo's expression instantly changed. If that came to pass, many of the material supplies for Huaicheng would be cut off, filling him with deep anxiety.