Chapter 547: Only with good steel can we have good guns
This is indeed a major problem faced by ancient craftsmen. Due to various reasons, various techniques that were once ingenious in history have not been handed down.
A big reason is that there is no formal written communication. Just like the craftsman in front of me, maybe he is very skilled and can make wrought iron with extremely low carbon content, but he cannot follow the original operating procedures.
Explain clearly.
This feeling is as if there are some top students who are good at teaching. If a very difficult math problem is placed in front of them, they can easily solve it themselves and explain it to the poor students.
But for some academic masters, they may be very good at solving problems themselves, but it is extremely difficult to expect them to explain things clearly to others.
The principles are the same.
"Don't worry, I'll go with you to the workshop." Wang Mi lifted up his robe and was about to go out, Wei Ning'er suddenly panicked.
"Servant Wang, that workshop is dirty and messy. There are craftsmen everywhere. It stinks so much that the servant can't go there."
Wei Ning'er spoke to Wang Mi, but her little eyes were always looking at Pu Chao.
Boss, give me some instructions!
The craftsmen in Jiang's workshop are all very simple people, and they can do as many jobs as they have the ability to do, and they are not vain at all.
What they were most afraid of was doing something wrong. Under Wei Ning'er's gaze, which was asking for help, Pu Chao finally nodded slightly and said with a smile: "Ning'er, since Wang Shilang wants to see it, just take him there."
"If you have any orders, please listen to Mr. Wang."
Huh?
I really want to go!
Wei Ning'er was devastated.
Looking at Wang Mi's clean and elegant clothes, it really didn't match the environment in the blacksmith's workshop. Seeing that he was still hesitating, Wang Mi grabbed it and said loudly: "Isn't it just a blacksmith's shop?"
"I went there too when I was in Xiangyang, and we even forged iron together! Let's go quickly!"
I'm still waiting to improve my technology. How shameful is it that I keep dragging it on like this!
Looking at Wang Mi's hurried back, Pu Chao smiled happily.
This Minister Wang is really interesting, so interesting!
It seems that he is going to spend time in the general workshop these days, and Puchao is busy again.
About a cup of tea after they left, Old Man Pu had rested and stood at the yamen door and stretched.
I happily followed him out.
Of course he, Puchao, also wanted to take a look at such a lively event.
Blacksmithing can be regarded as an important type of work in the workshop. There are many iron products required in the inner palace. Although the exquisiteness of iron products is definitely not as exquisite as gold and silver products, the requirements for iron products are not low at all.
It is precisely because of the high requirements for iron products that the craftsmen in the general workshops within the palace gathered their ingenuity and introduced new technologies.
The moment Wang Mi stepped into the blacksmith workshop, Wei Ning'er was in a very nervous mood. Wang Shilang still looked so spotless, but the blacksmith workshop was just as dirty and messy as Wei Ning'er described.
Not only Wei Ning'er, but also the strong masters in the workshop, when they saw Wang Mi, they all put down their work and saluted him with attention.
what happened?
How could such a...womanly person appear here?
Just watch it, it's not the first time.
"Master Wei, where is your stove?"
Seeing how well Wang Mi accepted it, Wei Ning'er felt calmer.
"This way please, in the back."
Wei Ning'er brought Wang Mi into the blacksmith workshop. Some of the other craftsmen kept chasing him, and some were talking quietly, but they did not step forward to stop him.
Iron-making by kneading was still a rare craft in the late Eastern Jin Dynasty. Even in the inner court workshops where skilled craftsmen gathered, there were not many people who could master this skill skillfully.
This is almost no different from Wang Mi's expectation.
The so-called kneading method of iron-making is actually what is called the steel-filling method in modern times. For freshly unearthed iron ore, it will have three states after entering the furnace.
Pig iron, wrought iron, steel.
In the Jin Dynasty and even before, the technology of forging wrought iron was quite systematic and sophisticated, and craftsmen could easily create iron materials of various hardnesses and process them into various utensils.
However, the technological progress from wrought iron to higher hardness and strength steel was very slow. It was not until the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty that the steel pouring method appeared, which filled the gap in this technology.
Wang Mi followed Wei Ning'er to the stove where he was forging iron. It was similar to what he had imagined. The blast furnaces of this era were still made of long-cylinder adobe. There was a bellows next to the blast furnace, and there was a dedicated person to instigate it.
Seeing the bellows whirring the wind, Wang Mi thought of the Western Jin Dynasty in history. At that time, among the seven sages living in the bamboo forest in seclusion in the mountains, the first of the seven sages that everyone envied and worshiped was Ji Kang.
One of Ji Kang's hobbies was blacksmithing.
At that time, the person holding the bellows for him was his number one fan, Xiang Xiu.
In fact, Xiang Xiu himself doesn't like blacksmithing, he just likes to watch his idol blacksmithing. Whenever Ji Kang is sweating and immersed in hammering, Xiang Xiu will raise his head and look at him with a silly smile.
ah!
Look!
Men are indeed sexiest when they are sweating!
Wang Mi couldn't help but think, who was his number one fan in the Jin Dynasty?
I'm afraid he will have to stay in this blacksmith's workshop for a long time from now on. Who is willing to give him some encouragement?
Otherwise, just go with the old style!
Next to the blast furnace, there are also forging tables, washing tables, etc.
"Overall, there are no major problems."
"Then let's start working!"
Wang Mi found a belt from a craftsman and put it on for himself with nimble hands and feet. The flowing sleeves were no longer in the way, and his upper body was much neater.
It actually looks like he can do some work.
"What does Mr. Wang want to do?"
"These are all done by the little ones."
The job of blacksmithing cannot be done by one person. There are three or four helpers working right next to Wei Ning'er's platform.
These helpers all seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. According to the approximate age of apprentices in this era, they had probably studied with Wei Ning'er for several years, and they should be quite familiar with the kneading method for iron making.
As a master, Wei Ning'er only needs to supervise the explanations, give appropriate guidance, and ask questions to the apprentices.
Wang Mi opened his hands and said with a smile: "Master Wei is right, I just want you to operate it first and let me see the finished product."
"If anything happens, I will tell you later."
Old Wei stepped forward ignorantly and began to take over the errands of his apprentices, boiling molten iron with his own hands, but he still didn't understand what Wang Mi wanted to do when he came to this blacksmith shop.
"Shilang Wang, what exactly do you want to do?"
"You might as well talk to us so that you guys can have some background."
Hey, since they are so curious, let’s help them.
"I want to make a weapon that requires steel, not iron. I heard that among the current iron-making techniques, your kneading iron-making method is the one that produces the hardest steel plates."
"So I came to verify with my own eyes whether the steel plates you forged are the best in Dajin."
The young apprentices are young, but not as restrained as Wei Ning'er. It doesn't matter what he is, whether he is a waiter or a doctor, he is willing to join the workshop, so there is nothing to be afraid of!
"You can rest assured, Mr. Wang, that the steel plates we forge here are indeed the best! You will know it just by looking at it!"
"Our Master Wei's craftsmanship is also the best in the entire general workshop!"
Several apprentices worked hard to brag to Wei Ning'er, and their meaning was very clear. The master's prowess equals the apprentice's prowess. Wang Mi must not underestimate them.