Hearing Guo An's shout, an old craftsman paused, and then slowly turned his head. After seeing Guo An, he quickly ran over with fear on his face and saluted Guo An.
"The little man came to see Mr. Guo Xian. He deserves to be damned. He only looked at the iron-making furnace and didn't pay attention behind him. He didn't know that Mr. Guo Xian and several nobles were coming."
Guo An smiled helplessly, "I told you a long time ago that there is no need for so many courtesy here. Well, today His Highness King Yan is here. I will start the ironmaking furnace quickly and show His Highness the results you have been waiting for this month.
!”
"His Royal Highness King Yan?"
The blacksmith was startled and subconsciously looked at Zhu Di next to Guo An. His whole body trembled and he quickly knelt down to salute.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I am blind and ignorant. I didn't know His Highness King Yan was coming. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Beside the iron-smelting furnace, a group of craftsmen also heard what was going on here. After hearing that His Highness King Yan had arrived, each of them was filled with excitement at first, and then they all knelt down in fear and faced Zhu Di.
Keep kowtow and salute.
Zhu Di waved his hand casually and said, "Don't blame those who don't know. Get up quickly and go make iron!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The blacksmith quickly stood up and ran to the iron furnace with excitement on his face.
At the same time, he shouted: "His Royal Highness King Yan has given an order to open a furnace to make iron!"
"His Royal Highness King Yan has given orders to start a furnace to smelt iron..."
Hearing the voices of these old craftsmen, the blacksmiths who were busy with other things around them also hurriedly ran over.
Those who were carrying the ore were carrying the ore, and those who were carrying the coking coal were moving in a chaotic but orderly manner.
Suddenly, Zhu Di, Zhu Fu and others, who were looking around with curiosity, heard a "dang-dang" sound of iron tools rubbing together.
Looking along the sound, Zhu Di's eyes couldn't help but shrink. On the side near the iron mine, a square iron cart came out of nowhere, like a giant beast, and rushed towards this side quickly.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
Li Wang, who saw this scene for the first time, was so frightened that his hair stood on end and his scalp was numb, but he still subconsciously took out the steel knife in his hand and guarded it tightly in front of Zhu Di.
As for Zhu Di, Zhu Fu and others, their whole bodies were also tense.
Only Guo An and Zhu Liang seemed to have expected it. They did not panic at all and looked at the fast-moving railway car with admiration.
"Boom..."
And with a dull sound, the iron cart did not come towards them, but flew directly to the cliff behind the iron-making furnace. After running forward for a certain distance, it stopped steadily.
It seems that they came here specifically to deliver iron sand to the iron-making furnace!
"Pour the iron sand!"
Before Zhu Di and Zhu Fu had time to ask Guo An, they saw two old craftsmen standing next to the iron cart, each holding a big shovel, shoveling iron sand from the iron cart into the iron-making furnace.
.
"Guo An, what is this?"
Zhu Di's eyes were shining brightly and he quickly asked Guo An.
Guo An replied: "Your Highness, this is an iron chariot."
Zhu Di asked again: "How can these iron cars slide down from the iron mines above without any hindrance and stop directly above the iron furnaces?"
Guo An smiled slightly, pointed to the place where the iron car had just slipped, and explained: "Your Highness, there are several slides built with large iron rods specifically for these iron cars.
Just load the iron sand and gravel on the iron car, then send the iron car to the slide. With a slight push, the iron car can slide all the way along the slide to the designated place!"
"There is such a magical slide?"
Zhu Di and Zhu Fuji's eyes widened with disbelief on their faces.
He had experienced the speed of the iron chariot that rushed down just now. The speed and weight could not be resisted even if ten chariots were blocked in front. How could it be built with just a few iron rods?
Can the slide be controlled?
Thinking about it, Zhu Di walked directly in the direction of Guo An's finger.
Sure enough, after walking a few steps, I saw a concave road connected by eight iron rods, with shiny friction marks on the iron rods, extending up the mountain.
Then follow the slide and look in the direction of the ironmaking furnace.
The slide turned a corner directly under their feet and extended along the slope to the rock wall at the top of the iron-making furnace.
Seeing this, Zhu Di and others just thought about it for a moment, then they understood and their faces were filled with admiration.
"With this kind of slide and iron car, from now on, there will no longer be a need for craftsmen and laborers to carry baskets of iron sand down the mountain.
The mining speed of the entire iron ore mine can be increased by at least ten times!"
Guo An replied, "Your Highness is wise! This method can also be used in other minerals, especially coal mountains!"
"exactly!"
Zhu Di's face glowed red, he looked at Guo An and asked: "Who came up with such a wonderful trick? I will definitely reward him heavily!"
Guo An smiled and replied: "Reporting to Your Highness, it is the lower official!"
"you?"
Zhu Di's face froze slightly and he walked towards the iron furnace.
"Your Highness, you haven't told me yet what reward you want to give me?"
Guo An was startled and asked quickly.
Zhu Di pretended not to hear and watched with interest the old craftsmen busy around the iron-making furnace.
Guo An's face darkened, and Zhu Laosi wanted to default on the bill.
At this time, Zhong Huo, the manager of Tieye Institute, who heard the report from his subordinates, ran over sweating profusely.
"Zhong Huo, the manager of the iron smelting office in Shangzhuang Village, came to see His Highness. I didn't know His Highness was coming, so I missed your welcome from afar. Please forgive me!"
Zhu Di glanced at Zhong Huo, who was sweating profusely and his face was black, and said directly: "It doesn't matter, get up!"
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Zhong Huo stood up quickly and waited respectfully.
At this moment, the iron cart above the iron-making furnace was being pulled up the mountain with a "dang-dang" sound. Just as the iron cart loaded the iron ore, there was another dull sound on the slide.
An iron cart loaded with iron sand rushed down from the iron mine again and landed firmly on top of the iron-making furnace.
The two old craftsmen who just showed up again and quickly filled the iron sand with iron sand.
This was repeated seven or eight times, and the old craftsman on the cliff was replaced three times. Then the old craftsman on the cliff closed the iron furnace tightly and came down from above.
The fire was already burning in the stove below the iron-making furnace, and Zhu Di, Guo An and others subconsciously took more than ten steps back.
After Zhong Huo, who had been silent for a long time, his expression flickered, he bowed his hands to Zhu Di and said, "Your Highness, it will take at least four or five hours to produce molten iron in this iron-making furnace. Your Highness may as well go to the lobby to rest for a while and drink.
Tea?"
"Um?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's face darkened and he glared at Guo An who was standing aside.
"It will take at least four or five hours for this iron-making furnace to produce molten iron?"
Guo An didn't know what happened to Zhu Di. Girls in later generations were not so fickle, but he still replied slowly: "Your Highness, this is how it should be!"
Zhu Di looked at Guo An unkindly: "Then you, a thief, brought me all the way here just to see this big iron furnace and that iron cart?"
Guo An asked doubtfully: "Your Highness, is this not enough?"