Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 257 Blacksmith

   "Can you smelt iron in the end?" Winters asked Carlos Soya, the younger brother of the great blacksmith Belion, seriously.

   The question like a thunderbolt from the sky made Carlos a little flustered. He hesitated and hesitated: "Yes... Sir, didn't you say you want to save my brother and come back and start the furnace?"

   "I asked if you would?" Winters frowned slightly: "Or not?"

  Carlos was forced to the corner, and he said, "Yes!"

   Seeing Carlos' dodging attitude, Winters guessed that the kid was probably not good at learning.

   In fact, Carlos still has a layer of mind. He is not willing to show his ability before his brother comes back, and he is afraid that no one will save his brother without proving his worth.

"Relax." Winters sighed: "I will save your brother whether you help or not. I have sent someone to look for Berian, and there will be news soon. You don't have to be afraid, your brother is me. The old part of the old man, his friendship with me is far deeper than you think. That's why Pierre takes you and protects you, so I won't embarrass you."

   Carlos had a sour nose and nodded heavily.

  The three brothers of the Suoya family, Carlos's father and second brother are no longer there, all he does is for his eldest brother to return home safely.

   Winters sighed, there is no big blacksmith, the small blacksmith should be able to make do with it... Probably.

   When I didn't wait, Winters brought Carlos, immediately brought a gift, and went to visit the blacksmith Shaosha's father-in-law.

  Shaosha's old father-in-law is named [Bortain]. He has many honors: the first settlers in Gervoudin, the first blacksmith in Gervodin, the first president of the Gervoudan Blacksmiths Guild...

   When Gervodin was just a few thatched cottages on the banks of the Saint-Georges, the flames were already rising in the forge of Boltain.

  The history of his forge is even older than the name "Gevodan".

  Boltain did not change his self-made character, no matter how much property he saved, he still worked by the anvil every day, so he got the reputation of "industrious, shrewd and tough".

  Because of his loud voice, sense of responsibility, and resoluteness in doing things, the blacksmith Boltin has gradually become the leading figure in Gervodin, and his speech is no less than that of another civic leader, the old tobacconist Priskin.

   But it all ended with that accident eight years ago.

  Bortain, who was over fifty years old, was smashed by a crane loaded with ore and his back was broken, and he could no longer feel his body below the waist.

  The shrewd and capable blacksmith has since become a crippled person who can't take care of himself.

  The people of Gevordan felt sorry for him, but even if everyone's sighs were combined and magnified a hundred times, it would not be able to equal the old man's mental and physical pain.

   It was at that time that Shaosha, a young blacksmith who worked in the Boltain forge, was accepted as his son-in-law by the old Boltain.

  The blacksmith Saosha became the new master of the forge, and the old Boltain lived in recluse, and he was not even seen in the church every week.

   But today, an unexpected guest came to the old Boltains house - the military tribunal Winters Montagne.

   Winters and Saushayo were not at this time, but he always did what he thought of, so he visited early.

   Chaosha and old Boltain were astonished.

   "Lord Tribunal came to see me, a paralyzed man waiting to die." Old Boltin tried to hold up his upper body: "I'm really honored."

  The old man is very thin, like a layer of skin hanging on the bones. Years of bed rest caused his muscles to atrophy, and his cheeks were deeply sunken and sagging.

   Seeing the current old Boltain, no one would believe that he was a blacksmith man with thick arms, a loud voice, and a big laugh.

   Shaosha hurriedly reached out to help his father-in-law.

   "Don't bother, let the old man feel comfortable." Winters said frankly: "Actually, I only come to visit when I have something to ask for."

   "Just ask." Old Boltain looked calm: "I know everything."

"I want to know everything about the Iron Peak Mine, where is the mine? What are the reserves? What is the quality of the ore? Can it still be mined? You are the person who knows the history of Iron Peak County and Gervoudan the most. I take the liberty to ask you. Don't mind, old man."

   Hearing "I know the history of Iron Peak County and Gervodin best", Old Portin's mood fluctuated a little, but the ripples disappeared under the water in the blink of an eye.

   "There are so many threads, the old man doesn't know where to start."

  Winters simply pulled over a chair and sat down, and motioned for the others to sit down as well: "Then I'll ask, and I hope you can answer. Can the Iron Peak mine still be mined?"

"Yes." The old man nodded: "Tiefeng Mountain is a mountain of iron, and the Hurd people only exhausted the shallow outcrops, and they have no ability to mine deeper. When we came here, we made three slopes from the north of the mountain. The well is the so-called Iron Peak Mine.”

   Winters nodded and listened, then took out his small notebook: "Then why didn't it mine later."

  Old Boltain sighed deeply: "The ore of Iron Peak... is the poison ore that blacksmiths call it. You may not understand, but Shaosha and this little guy should understand."

  The old man pointed at Carlos with his chin.

  Although Winters did not introduce Carlos, the little blacksmith was recognized by the old man at a glance.

   "Poison ore is a bad ore." Carlos said more and more softly: "It's not good to make iron, you have to... get rid of the poison."

   Hearing the word "detoxification", a skeptical look flashed in old Boltain's eyes.

But the old man didn't get the point, and continued: "Many ores can smelt iron. Limonite has been used for many, many years; siderite, which can be directly smelted with a shaft furnace; hematite and black iron ore. , Magnetite can also be used. But if it contains too much pyrite and poisonous iron, the obtained iron will not be good. It will be brittle and break when it is broken.”

   Winters listened and memorized. The old man had too much jargon for blacksmiths, and he didn't know much about it.

   But the old man was talking, and Winters thought it better not to interrupt.

Old Portin recalled the past: "Iron Peak ore can also be regarded as a rich ore, because the ore is too toxic, it is very troublesome to smelt, and the quality of the lump iron is not good. Therefore, only in the first few years we used Iron Peak ore to smelt iron and supply it to the whole county. The peasants. Later, the bar iron from Steel Castle came in, and the Iron Peak Mine declined little by little.”

   "Is it possible to resume mining?" Winters asked solemnly.

   "Of course you can." The old man smiled lightly: "The ore is in the mountains, what can't be mined?"

   "To tell you the truth, old man." Winterstein told the truth: "I want to restart the Iron Peak Mine and open the furnace to smelt iron."

   "Why?" Old Boltain leaned on the head of the bed halfway: "Isn't it good to buy steel fort bars?"

   Winters answered truthfully: "Steelcastle bar iron can't be bought. Now all the blacksmiths in Iron Peak use stock. If you continue like this, I'm just waiting to die."

As soon as the    voice fell, the small room suddenly became quiet.

  …

  Steel Fort Solingen is located in the Republic of Monta, among the shaded mountains.

   Therefore, the way of transporting the iron wares and bars of Steel Castle into Palatu is "waterway", all the way down the river to the Jinliu River.

When    arrives in Tiefeng County, you need to start again from the Jinliu River, first to Jinghu Lake, and then upstream along the Dajiao River, until you unload the ship at the Shovel Harbor in the Shovel Lake.

   Peaceful days, of course, no problem, but now Blue Rose and Red Rose are at war.

The   Blue Rose force spans between the Red Rose control area and the Monta Republic.

  Want to ship to Jinliujiang? Think beautifully.

  Blue Rose, Steel Castle's goods will not be able to pass through - as long as Arpad has no problem with his mind, he will immediately cut off Steel Castle's iron delivery to Red Rose.

   Even if you pass the blue rose level and the red rose level, the kings and castles will not just watch the elusive new reclamation province get iron supplies.

   Even if you can pass the Red Rose level, there will still be a new army of land reclamation!

  Tiefeng County is currently under triple blockade, one layer is tighter than the other.

   Not to mention ready-made bar iron, even a single piece of iron **** cannot be transported.

   And Winters has too many places to use iron right now.

   Farming requires agricultural tools, and agricultural tools require iron;

   Winters had to build houses for refugees and soldiers, and he needed tools and iron;

   He also had to rearm his troops as much as possible - couldn't let the soldiers just keep fighting with short spears?

   He wanted armor, swords and spears, muskets, all iron.

Winters, who won the battle, found out sadly: This land can make tables and chairs, pottery, food, flour, and paper, but not a pound of iron, a foot of woolen cloth, or a piece of armor. make.

  Tiefeng County is a completely backward agricultural frontier county. Her business is not very developed, and there is only a small-scale handicraft industry.

The    estate economy resulted in poverty for everyone except the estate of the estate.

  Tiefeng County used to make a living by selling crops and buying things she couldn't produce.

   Now, the logistics channels between Tiefeng County and the outside world have been cut off.

   There are only two paths in front of Winters: either sit back and wait for death; or fight hard and become self-sufficient.

  …

   "So it is." Old Boltain pondered for a moment: "Then I can understand your urgency to restart the Iron Peak Mine, but it's not easy."

   "This matter is not just for my survival." Winters said seriously: "A wise man told me, 'The more money flows, the more money'. I wonder if you have heard of it?"

   "No, shouldn't the money flow less and less?" Old Boltain's voice was low.

Winters spreads this [transfer theory] whenever he gets a chance: "For an individual, the more money goes around, the less money goes. The dockworker gets paid and goes to buy bread. The baker makes money and goes to the mill to buy flour. Money. Every time you change hands, it's a little less. Only a tiny fraction of it ends up in the farmers' pockets."

He quoted a wise man in his original text: "But the baker earns money and can support his family. The miller earns money and can support his family. Every transfer of money makes the city and even the country more prosperous, From this point of view, the overall wealth is equivalent to 'increasing'.

   than being buried deep in a jar by a miser and an old rich man. Money, it is better to circulate a lot. The more turnovers, the better! "

  The young blacksmith Carlos is confused, the middle-aged blacksmith Shaosha is thoughtful, and the old blacksmith Boltan is more shocked as he listens.

  The tribune said this thing, he also had a vague idea. But summed up in coherent, concise and clear text, he never did.

"I want more money to flow. First, to reduce the resistance of circulation channels is to promote business;" Winters said eloquently: "Second, it is to open source! Money is like water, there is no source, no matter how much water Stop the flow too!"

He stared directly into the eyes of old Boltain: "I want to smelt iron, but I want to open source. Not only do I want to smelt iron, but I will do any production that can be done. Even if the cost of 'making' is higher than that of others, it is better than buying it. powerful!

  I disdain to hide my thoughts. I do these, the primary purpose is self-help, self-improvement. In the process, if I can benefit the thousands of people in Tiefeng County, I will do my best.

  Iron Peak County is now under my authority, not to mention the benefit, but at least I will not do worse than the New Reclamation Army! "

  The room became extremely quiet, and neither Shaosha nor Carlos dared to come out.

"When a real hero emerges as a teenager, the old man of me is really a little scared." Old Boltain smiled wryly and shook his head: "You came up with these ideas of 'more money flowing', right? That wise man, you said yourself?"

   "No, I don't dare to take credit. A wise man really told me."

   "Who is this wise man?" Old Boltain had some expectations in his eyes: "Can I meet him."

   "I will personally bring the wise man to visit the other day." Winters blushed and told the old man proudly: "These are what my wife told me."

   "Ah? Female wolf?" Shaosha was shocked and secretly said, "Could it be that Madame Montagne can not only fight?"

  Old Boltain's smile became more and more bitter, and after the bitterness, it became free and easy: "Hahahaha! Heroes are not only teenagers, but also girls!"

   Winters laughed too.

"Actually, I have had similar thoughts about what you said." Old Boltain sat up straight: "I thought about it carefully back then, Iron Peak Mine can't compete with steel fort bars bought from outside, but it's not all about it. Because of the poor quality."

   "Because it's expensive and expensive, right?" Winters immediately understood.

"That's right." Old Boltin nodded: "If it is cheap enough, even if the quality is a little lower, the steel bar iron will definitely not be able to compete with the Iron Peak Mine - the steel bar iron is transported across the entire Palato to Gervodin. , the shipping costs alone don’t count! How can they be beaten by them?”

The more the old man spoke, the faster he spoke. Now he is not a cripple, but the great blacksmith Boltin with a loud voice: "If iron smelting in Iron Peak County can become a big business like a steel castle. Gervoudan also It will be better, and Iron Peak will be better.

  It costs money to buy mines, charcoal costs money, open hearths costs money, hiring people costs money, and everything costs money. All things add up, in the end, it is better to buy steel castle bars and irons to save worry and effort! "

The great blacksmith Boltain scolded excitedly: "Especially charcoal! Iron making requires good charcoal, and the forest is owned by the legion. Want to cut down trees and make charcoal? Bring it! Land for money, trees for money, mines for money, the Legion never thought about how important it is to support an industry for us ordinary people!"

   Shaosha was so frightened that his face turned pale. Although Tiefeng County had changed the sun, it was still something he didn't dare to think about.

   This kind of behavior that insults the old authority is still the essence of contempt for authority. It is very easy to lead to the resentment and suppression of the new authority, even when criticizing the enemy of the new authority - the former Duke is not something that a commoner can criticize openly.

"That's right!" Winters almost met a confidant, and he didn't spit out: "The New Reclamation Corps doesn't care about the life and death of the people. What they want is money, grain and soldiers. They can't represent the people of New Reclaimed Land. Interests, because they only have their own interests in their eyes! All their actions, from the starting point, are to squeeze more and more!"

  Shaosha and Carlos were left to the side, and Winters actually felt sympathy with the thin old man who was paralyzed in bed.

"I did a careful calculation back then. For example, if I use carbon to smelt iron, the cost can be greatly reduced. The iron produced by the iron peak can be compared with the iron of the steel castle." The pain, sadness and despair in old Boltain's heart were all overcome Tick ​​it out.

He burst into tears and murmured: "In those years, I didn't study how to use charcoal to smelt iron. I spent sleepless nights buying charcoal, building a stove, sifting mines... But what? Gift to me, this is fate's reward to me..."

   Winters didn't know there were such twists and turns.

"Please don't worry." Winters had to try his best to comfort the old man: "The New Reclamation Corps is gone! Iron Peak County is now under my jurisdiction, iron ore, charcoal, no money! I hope you will help me revive. Iron Peak Mine."

   "Once you get old, it's easy to talk to yourself." Old Boltain wiped his tears, tried to straighten his spine, and asked Winters sternly: "Do you want to restart the iron peak mine?"

   "That's right."

   "The trees and iron ore are all yours?"

"right."

   "There is still manpower, a lot of manpower, do you have it?"

   Winters coughed softly: "Yes, I have more than a thousand prisoners."

  …

  Don Juan captured a thousand Dovgne prisoners, and these prisoners could neither be released nor killed, nor could they be directly given fields to recruit troops—because they could not afford them.

   Winters decided to give the captives something to eat, but they had to work for three years without pay.

  Nominally, the prisoners served hard labor because they were hostile to Tiefeng County, but they were actually three-year slaves.

  At present, the prisoners have been taken to Forge Township, and under the supervision of the army, they are rushing to plant winter crops with the soldiers of Winters.

   After the winter wheat and winter barley are planted, Winters plans to organize the prisoners into logging teams and construction teams to build houses for the refugees.

   There are no legal and logical problems in selecting people to work in iron mines.

  …

"Then we can do it!" The old Poltain resumed his vigorous attitude: "There are mines, coals, and people, so what are you afraid of? When you open a road in the mountains and build a bridge in the water, hit him first! What's the problem? , and then solve it!"

The more    Winters got along with the old blacksmith, the more he felt angry: "Well said! Hit him with a hammer first!"

   "Shosha!" Old Portin reached for the pen and paper on the table.

  Shaosha hurriedly handed the pen and paper to his father-in-law, and Winters saw that there was a thick stack of parchment on the table, and the paper was full of writing. There are also lots of sketches and messy manuscript paper.

"Go to Forge Township and call Goncharov to me." The old man wrote scribbled handwriting on the paper: "He led people to beat the inclined shaft back then, and he is the most familiar with the way to the mines and deposits! "

   Shaosha's body trembled, he swallowed and whispered, "Old Goncharov died, the year before last."

"How did he die?"

   "Old and dead." Shaosha added tentatively: "The year before last, Mary and I told you to come, the day before the Ascension Festival. You were writing a book at that time, so don't let us bother you..."

   "Where's Paul? Paul Vinicius?" Old Portin asked, his lips trembling, "Is he still alive?"

   "Old Mr. Vinicius is also dead. He drank to death." Saosha said: "His young son is in charge of his forge now."

   "They're all dead! We're all getting old!" The old man Boltain cried first, then laughed: "I'm dying too! That's why we can't waste time!"

Old Poltain struggled to rummage on the desk, and finally found a map and handed it to the new owner of Iron Peak County: "Your Excellency, this is a map of twenty-eight years. If it matches, neither do I. I know. Go to Forge Township, find an old blacksmith at random, follow this map, and let him take you to the mine."

   "Don't worry." Winters took the map with a smile: "As long as there is a map, I can find it."

"It's a pity that I've become a crippled, trapped in this bed and can't move, otherwise I'll go to Tiefeng with you! The day when the furnace of Tiefeng Mine smoked again, let me take a look at the window again, and I'll have no regrets in death. ."

   "Speaking of furnaces," Winters said earnestly. "I'm bringing something new, something that might revolutionize Ironpeak."

  Shaosha's eyes widened, and old Boltain was whetted.

   "That's him." Winters patted Carlos on the shoulder.

   "He?" Shaosha was puzzled.

   Winters said heavily: "This little guy—knows how to smelt iron in a blast furnace!"

   "He? Does he understand?" Shao Sha was taken aback, he thought the child beside the tribune was a follower: "Such a young master?"

   "It's best to have a blast furnace." Old Boltain was a little disappointed, obviously he didn't believe that a child who didn't even grow his hair knew about a blast furnace: "It doesn't matter if you don't."

The old man sighed and recalled the days in those days: "In those days, we all used the [block furnace] to smelt iron, which is also the reason why the iron of Tiefeng County can't beat the iron of the steel castle - the iron of the steel castle is smelted by the blast furnace. , saves time and effort. I also tried to set up a blast furnace, but it didn't work."

   "It's okay." Winters smiled: "Try it."

  Carlos was about to cry.

   As parting, Winters asked old Poltain: "I heard you say just now that you tried to use coal to smelt iron?"

   "Charcoal is also poisonous. Using it to smelt iron, all the good iron ore is ruined." Old Boltain sighed again: "So I always wanted to remove the toxicity of carbon, but I couldn't succeed."

   "Where did you get the coal?" Winters raised his eyebrows slightly: "Does Lin County produce coal?"

   "There is coke in Iron Peak County." Old Boltain replied rightfully: "It's in Little Rock. Little Rock is Little Coal, but it's just wet coke, and it's a little difficult to drain it."

   Winters gave a soft cry and said goodbye to the old man.

   Shaosha kept sending the tribune outside the door, and Winters asked Shaosha casually: "Old Mr. Boltain writes books?"

   "Well, I'm writing a book about blacksmithing." Shaosha nodded.

"When I go back and make a bracket for old Mr. Boltain, he will be able to write more easily." Winters thought for a while, then smiled and said, "I have to make a reclining chair, so that the old man can also lie down. more comfortable."

   "Don't dare, don't dare." Shaosha hurriedly declined.

"I'll send it to you when I'm done." Winters then instructed: "Hire a servant to massage the limbs of the elderly more every day. I have also been bedridden for a long time, and it is all because of someone who massages my limbs so that the muscles will not be damaged. shrink."

   "Will massage the limbs work?" It was the first time Shaosha heard of this kind of therapy.

"it works."

   "I'll arrange this." Shaosha bowed his head gratefully: "Thank you."

   Winters patted Saosha on the arm and took Carlos away.

   Riding on the road, Winters suddenly said: "Carlos!"

   "Yes." Carlos jolted: "Yes!"

   "I blew it out for you." Winters smiled kindly: "You must not embarrass me."

  Carlos also laughed, laughing was uglier than crying.

   "Okay, I don't need to weigh how much your kid has." Winters tapped the little blacksmith on the shoulder with the whip: "Do your best."

  Carlos nodded desperately. He suddenly remembered something, and said hurriedly: "If you want to make a blast furnace, an earthen kiln is not enough, you have to use refractory bricks. You have to find a brick burner for me."

   "I still need a bricklayer? There are only masons in Gervoudan. Where can I find a bricklayer for you? If there is no bricklayer, you can burn bricks!"

"I do not know…"

"Ok, deal."

   "Yes." Carlos just climbed out of the deep valley and fell back again.

   Memories seem to be connected by silk threads, pulling Winters' thoughts back to a few months ago.

   Winters pondered and said to the little blacksmith: "I really have two brick-burners in my hands."

   "Where is it?" Carlos was excited.

"you recognize."

"Who?"

   "Sean, the potter, and his younger brother Xiao Ping." Winters chuckled: "The brothers who fought for Old Misha and you when they were in Wolf Town."

   "They are brick-burners?" Carlos was shocked: "Aren't they pulling bellows?"

   "I'll send someone to pick them up!"

   Seeing that the last obstacle to building the blast furnace was removed, Carlos burst into tears again.

   "No." Winters laughed loudly: "I'm going back to Wolftown myself!"

   "You don't need to go to pick up a brick-burner." Carlos simply said: "Or I'll pick it up."

   "I don't just want to pick up Brother Sean." Winters' smile grew stronger: "I also want to pick up a priest!"

   [The last chapter was not well written]

   [This chapter is an update]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation ticket, monthly ticket, reward and comment]

   (end of this chapter)