Chapter 160: Unexpected Gain

Meng Di naturally had no intention of assigning blame; he was simply curious about how these craftsmen had managed to brew such fine liquor.

Therefore, he questioned them in detail and finally learned how the artisans went about it. The principle was actually quite simple: since the remaining liquor lost its flavor when left standing for too long, it meant that the essence of the wine was escaping from it.

Reasoning backward from this, if one could find a way to capture this wine essence, wouldn't it be possible to obtain truly exceptional liquor? Thus, they initially made a sealed jar, placed it over a wine vessel, and left it for a period of time.

Sure enough, they obtained some good wine, but the quantity was too small. Following that, they tried all sorts of methods—rituals, placing the vessels in water, burying them in the ground, and even heating them with fire. Ultimately, it was proven that using fire yielded the best results.

After listening to their explanation, Meng Di smiled and spoke up.

"Doesn't the liquor obtained by heating with fire still contain mixed water vapor? How can it be considered the pure essence of wine?"

His question truly stumped the craftsmen present, and they looked at each other in dismay.

Seeing them like this, Meng Di took another sip of the wine, felt that the flavor was indeed extraordinary, and encouraged them.

"Since you are able to brew such fine wine, you deserve a reward! I hope you will put your minds to it more often in the future. If you can brew even better liquor, I will reward you handsomely."

These words served as reassurance for the craftsmen, and excited smiles appeared on their faces.

However, at this moment, Meng Di gently shook his head and warned them.

"Yet you must not neglect the brewing of the regular wine. As long as the production volume improves and the quality gets better, the rewards you receive in the future will be even greater. Of course, this kind of liquor is also needed, as long as it does not interfere with the regular output."

Afterward, Meng Di stayed in Huaicheng for another two days. Living up to expectations, Lu Ban successfully built the hydraulic bellows. Finding Meng Di, Lu Ban immediately began offering suggestions. Pointing to the upper reaches of the river, he said.

"If we want these bellows to operate steadily and powerfully, we must build a dam upstream. This way, we can regulate the water flow to prevent the bellows from becoming unusable when the water level drops."

Regarding the advice of such a professional, Meng Di naturally had no doubts, so he immediately declared.

"You are the most skilled in this field. If you have any needs in the future, you can go directly to Mr. Bai. Whether it is funds or manpower, he will arrange it for you. In addition, you should take some time to study how to improve those furnaces."

Lu Ban had also gone to inspect them a few days prior. Since construction on the dam had not yet begun, he turned his attention to studying smelting furnaces, hoping to find a suitable method to make these furnaces sturdy and durable.

After inspecting the hydraulic bellows, Gongsun Ye's face lit up with great joy, and he said to Meng Di.

"My lord, with this device, not only will we reduce the need for manual labor, but the results will be even better. Having these will make smelting fierce metals much more convenient. Since modifying the furnaces here will still take some time, I shall make a trip to Gumi City first."

Yet at this point, Meng Di thought of another matter. These contemporary master metallurgists were always trying to forge peerless, legendary swords and constantly competing against themselves, which was actually quite unnecessary. Therefore, he asked.

"Master Gongsun, having spent so many years casting swords, you must surely understand that as long as one has good materials, forging an exceptional sword becomes relatively easy. However, smelting good materials in the first place is no easy task."

"Why does Master Gongsun not spend time figuring out how to smelt superior materials, instead of devoting all your time entirely to forging finished swords? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"

These words gave Gongsun Ye much food for thought. After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke slowly.

"What my lord says makes sense. However, wanting to forge superior fierce metals is probably no easy feat."

Hearing this, Meng Di slowly shook his head and looked up at the distant sky.

"Just like bronze, ever since the Zhou Dynasty, casting techniques have become increasingly refined because craftsmen mastered better bronze smelting technology. That is the most crucial part; otherwise, how could bronze swords have been cast with such magnificence?"

"This is the accumulation of the experiences of our predecessors. Since Master Gongsun is proficient in the art of smelting, why not put your efforts into this? If you can forge superior fierce metals, your name will be known throughout the realm, and that is something no single fine sword could ever rival."

In essence, Gongsun Ye had simply wanted to smelt superior materials so that he could forge an unrivaled sword. Now, upon hearing Meng Di's words, he felt deeply stirred. Ultimately, he simply cupped his hands and turned to leave.

As for what choice Gongsun Ye would ultimately make, Meng Di did not know. However, in his memory, the Han Dynasty always found itself at a disadvantage when fighting the Xiongnu precisely because the quality of its iron was poor.

For this reason, Emperor Wu of Han sent men all the way to the Western Regions to obtain the method of steelmaking. Meng Di, however, did not know this specific method himself, so he hoped that Gongsun Ye and the others would be able to figure it out.

Later, after waiting for Shi Huang to return and bidding farewell to Gongsun Ye, Meng Di set off directly to return to Mengyi.

As they walked, Shi Huang kept glancing sideways at him. Noticing this, Meng Di asked with a smile.

"Do you find it strange why I became a grand master of the State of Lu?"

Shi Huang, however, shook his head and gave an unexpected answer.

"There is also a Meng clan in the State of Chu. Their current clan head is named Meng Qu. When I was by the side of the Prime Minister, I caught a glimpse of him once. I feel that my lord's appearance is quite different from his, which is why I am somewhat curious."

Hearing the name Meng Qu once more, Meng Di felt a flicker of interest and asked.

"What does this Meng Qu do in the State of Chu?"

"He is in charge of the institutional codes and statutes of Chu, and is currently serving King Zhao of Chu," Shi Huang replied, feeling somewhat puzzled. Since Meng Di had served as a soldier in Chu, how could he not know about the Meng clan of Chu?

Seeing his expression, Meng Di guessed what he was thinking. Without offering an explanation, he instead asked.

"Shi Huang, do you harbor any personal ambitions?"

Startled by the question, Shi Huang parted his lips and let out a helpless sigh.

"In the past, I hoped to follow the Prime Minister and achieve great accomplishments. But who could have foreseen the caprices of fate, nearly costing me my life in the end? Now, I harbor no grand ambitions in my heart; I merely wish to serve as a guard by my lord's side."

Though he spoke thus, Meng Di could clearly see that Shi Huang was still unreconciled to his fate. Otherwise, he would surely have refused the invitation outright. Evidently, while Shi Huang was grateful to Meng Di, he did not hold particularly high expectations for Meng Di's future.