28: Chapter 28 Pressure from the North, A Race Against Time

Old Liu's question was also what Zhao Fusu had been pondering for the past few days.

The book he had obtained through his check-in, "Detailed Explanation of Industrial Refractory Brick Firing," contained detailed records on how to manufacture them.

He understood the theory, but that didn't mean he could actually fire the refractory bricks himself.

The raw material for firing refractory bricks is bauxite, also known as alum stone or aluminum ore.

If he wanted to fire refractory bricks, he first had to find bauxite.

Although he had pictures of bauxite, he had never seen it in real life.

He didn't know where bauxite was distributed in Great Qin.

So, this first step had already stumped him.

"Old Liu, Old Yang, have either of you seen this kind of mineral?"

Zhao Fusu asked, pointing at the illustration.

Old Liu and Old Yang were both well-traveled and experienced; they recognized the mineral in the illustration at a glance.

"Isn't this just kaolin clay?"

"Oh!"

Seeing that the two elders actually knew of it, Zhao Fusu's face lit up with joy. He quickly asked, "Where is this kaolin clay located?"

"It's over by the Xiwan Coal Mine."

"Excellent."

Zhao Fusu said happily, "Mine the kaolin clay and process it into refractory bricks."

"Then, we will use these refractory bricks to rebuild the blast furnace."

"Alright, then this old man will immediately have people mine the kaolin clay and turn it into refractory bricks."

Old Liu said with a look of excitement.

"The sky is already so dark; there's no need to rush like this."

Zhao Fusu looked at the time.

"This old man cannot wait!"

Old Liu said with a look of urgency.

Zhao Fusu smiled; Old Liu was truly more anxious than he was.

However, he did not stop him.

In three months, Great Qin might have to go to war with the Xiongnu people.

Back then, Modu Chanyu led four hundred thousand cavalry south and besieged Liu Bang, the Emperor Gaozu of Han, at Baideng.

After the Xiongnu had remained quiet for many years, their military strength was truly formidable.

Zhao Fusu felt the immense pressure coming from the north.

Time was tight; he had to race against time.

"Old Liu, let's find another place to talk."

Zhang Han had already sent over a desk and chairs.

Oil lamps were lit one after another in the surroundings, and the light inside the room instantly became bright.

Zhao Fusu, Old Liu, Old Yang, and A Da's group gathered around the desk.

"First, I must state one thing."

"What we are about to discuss is top secret. You will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement and provide your signature and fingerprint."

"Leaking this without permission will result in execution."

Zhao Fusu's voice sounded cold.

"Young Master Fusu, we understand this."

Old Liu and Old Yang said.

"Mhm."

Zhao Fusu still glanced at Zhang Han.

After Zhang Han nodded, he brought over the non-disclosure agreements.

After the people in the room signed the non-disclosure agreements and provided their fingerprints, Zhao Fusu continued, "To let iron undergo a nirvana-like sublimation and ultimately form steel, coke and coal gas are indispensable."

"We must be able to utilize coal efficiently. At this stage, the utilization of coal is far too inefficient."

Zhao Fusu held the industrial encyclopedia in his hands.

Old Liu, Old Yang, and their apprentice A Da and the others rolled out bamboo slips and began taking notes.

The scene was much like a classroom, with the teacher lecturing and the students taking notes below.

Zhao Fusu tried his best to emulate how his teachers used to recite the key points in class.

His speaking speed wasn't very fast, to prevent these students from being unable to keep up with their note-taking.

"We must use coal to provide fuel and reducing agents for iron and steel smelting."

"In this, coke is the key."

"If we use charcoal or untreated coal directly, it is impossible to smelt iron and steel on a large scale."

Zhao Fusu wanted to start an industrial revolution in Great Qin.

Whether it was forging steel sabers or building trains and tracks, a massive amount of iron and steel would be needed.

Great Qin's supply of iron and steel had to keep up!

"Blast furnace iron smelting cannot do without the use of coke."

"When coal is isolated from air in a coke oven and heated to about 1000°C, coke, chemicals like benzene, and coal gas can be obtained."

"This process is coking, also known as high-temperature carbonization."

Old Liu, Old Yang, and A Da only half-understood, but that didn't stop them from recording these knowledge points first.

"Everyone, look at this diagram of a coke oven."

"If we want to produce coke, we must build a coke oven."

Zhao Fusu planned to invite the craftsmen who built the First Emperor's underground tomb to build the coke oven.

But he still had to explain the structure of the coke oven to Old Liu, Old Yang, and the others.

He still needed technical personnel like Old Liu and Old Yang to perform the coking and produce the steel.

"Look, the coke oven consists of a carbonization chamber, a fire grate, a combustion chamber, a regenerator, a chute area, the oven top, the foundation, a flue, and a chimney."

"Place the pre-screened and processed coking coal into the carbonization chamber for the reaction."

"The carbonization chamber for coking does not come into direct contact with the heated combustion chamber."

"The coal gas produced during carbonization of the coal inside the carbonization chamber passes through the chute area, flows into the combustion chamber, and mixes with the air in the oven top's air duct. It burns in a top-down flow process."

"Heat is transferred from the combustion chamber through the partition wall to the coal charge inside the carbonization chamber."

"For the coal used in coking, we mainly consider using caking bituminous coal or lignite with a lower degree of coalification."

"These types of coal will have many byproducts formed during the coking process. The coke formed also has a certain strength and lumpiness."

"We will fire the refractory bricks first, and then build the coke oven."

"After that, we will proceed with coking to produce coke and coke oven gas."

"We must figure out how to collect and store the coke oven gas!"

Although coke oven gas has impurities, it can be used as fuel. Besides industrial use, it can also be used for civilian purposes.

Since it is a byproduct of coking, the price can be kept low enough.

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

The First Emperor had originally thought Zhao Fusu would focus all his energy on agriculture.

To his surprise, Zhao Fusu had instead spent several consecutive days holed up in the workshop.

So the First Emperor summoned He Zhi and asked him, "What has Fusu been doing, spending all these days in the Forging Workshop?"

"In reply to Your Majesty."

He Zhi replied to the First Emperor, "Young Master Fusu has been working on improving ironware these past few days."

"Ironware?"

The First Emperor said in confusion, "Why is he researching ironware?"

He Zhi replied, "Young Master Fusu said that once he lets ironware undergo a nirvana-like sublimation, it can easily slice through bronze swords."

"Oh!"

As soon as the First Emperor heard this, he immediately became interested.

Zhao Fusu had brought him too many surprises.

But he still had some doubts that Zhao Fusu could improve ironware.

Old Liu, as the number one forging master of Great Qin, couldn't even improve ironware, so how could Zhao Fusu?

If Zhao Fusu could truly do it, then he would surely be recorded in the annals of history, letting future generations know of his great achievements.