In the days that followed, aside from his daily martial arts practice, Wang Yu spent nearly every other day heading to the ironworks. His excuse within the manor was that he was overseeing the craftsmen in forging a proper sword, so he wouldn't end up with another weapon ruined by a single clash.
Li Yunxiu continued handling administrative affairs.
Qianqian continued strolling leisurely around the manor. Ever since she had laid bare Wang Yu's true identity, she had resumed her normal routine as if nothing had happened. She did not press Wang Yu to search for *All Streams Returning to the Source*—or perhaps, she was already searching for it herself.
Zhao Yingjie, on the other hand, accompanied Wang Yu every day, the look on his face gradually shifting from confusion to stunned disbelief.
No one from the Great Vajra Monastery arrived demanding an explanation, and neither did any successor of Zhaixingzi and Zhuixingzi appear.
The Great Bandits of Mount Qi naturally dared not attack Longshan Prefecture either. They merely conducted a few more raids down the mountains, clashing several times with patrol units from the Chengyuan Army resting in Fengming Prefecture, with casualties on both sides.
In truth, compared to defending the northern frontier against the Qiang army, garrisoning Fengming Prefecture and patrolling to protect the Northwest trade route was practically a vacation.
Spring passed in this manner, and summer arrived.
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, under a blazing sun, Wang Yu finally received good news.
"The steel is out! The steel is out!"
Inside the ironworks, an old master craftsman hurried over to Wang Yu, his eyes wide with shock. "Your Highness's blast furnace really works! In a single heat, it produced several thousand jin of steel!"
Zhao Yingjie's mouth fell slightly open, his gaze momentarily losing focus.
Wang Yu, however, was neither surprised nor particularly overjoyed. "Still, the quality of steel from a blast furnace is uneven. It will need further forging and refinement."
After all, blast furnace steelmaking was bulk production. In terms of actual quality, it couldn't match the hundred-refined steel hand-forged by blacksmiths through countless strikes. The only problem was that the yield of hundred-refined steel was far too low.
The old craftsman shook his head. "Your Highness worries too much. Where would ordinary combat troops ever get their hands on such fine steel? Besides, weapons don't require much steel and can be forged further, but this steel is more than good enough to be fashioned directly into armor!"
"Thousands of jin! Thousands of jin!" Zhao Yingjie could not help but grab Wang Yu's hand. "This is only one blast furnace! With an output this enormous, it's enough to equip all fifty thousand combat soldiers in full armor!"
Even among the elite forces of the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor, the rate of full-body armor was a mere ten percent. The rest of the troops could only wear armor over vital areas. Suffering wounds in battle was inevitable, and once infection set in, the consequences were dire.
"I see!" Wang Yu realized.
After all, barely three months had passed since his transmigration, and he still knew little about this world. The original host had lacked such memories, and in his previous life, he had never studied history in such granular detail.
Judging by Zhao Yingjie's and the old master's reactions, this blast furnace was clearly a massive success.
Wang Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had built this blast furnace from scratch, brainstorming with the veteran craftsmen in the workshop on everything from structural design to fuel types, refining every detail along the way.
Now that it had succeeded, Wang Yu felt a profound sense of accomplishment—no less than when he had broken through to the fourth layer of *Flowing Fire Reflection*.
All thanks to his own hard work!
With the critical first step complete, what came next would be simple.
"Expand the iron smelting workshop, raise the craftsmen's pay, and separate weapon production from civilian production. Turn the surplus steel into civilian stoves, iron woks, kitchen knives, and the like for sale."
Wang Yu gave his orders methodically. Even if one had never eaten pork, one had seen a pig run. He couldn't compare to the grandmasters of historical transmigration novels, but he could certainly manage basic administration like this.
Zhao Yingjie added, "The blast furnace steelmaking method must be kept strictly confidential!"
Wang Yu waved it off casually. "Keep it secret, then. Keep it hidden for as long as we can."
"Right, now that we have the perfume workshop and the iron smelting workshop, don't hoard all the extra profits each year. Use as much as possible to purchase land," Wang Yu instructed. "Buy up land even if it means paying a slight premium."
Buying land with excess wealth was the most natural course of action, so Zhao Yingjie agreed without hesitation.
***
Word of the blast furnace steelmaking naturally could not be hidden from Li Yunxiu.
"Thousands of jin in a single heat?" Li Yunxiu nearly hurled her writing brush across the room. "How did you do it?"
Wang Yu gestured with his hands. "Just stack this here, build that there, pile it high, and blow in some air. That's all."
Li Yunxiu clenched her teeth, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Would you like me to draw up a design blueprint and send it to the Emperor?" Wang Yu teased.
Li Yunxiu fell silent.
After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "No need."
The imperial court was not short on iron and steel. Moreover, though Li Yunxiu had never set foot on a battlefield, she understood military affairs. She knew the court's true elites were already armored, while ordinary conscripts couldn't even manage the weight; putting heavy armor on them would only hinder their movement and fighting strength.
Although the court commanded vast numbers, not every soldier possessed the physical caliber of the Prince of Zhenxi's fifty thousand elite troops. If they did, the court wouldn't covet those fifty thousand veterans so desperately.
"The realm is unstable right now. Many rebel factions lack adequate equipment, having few weapons and little armor. If someone with ill intent got hold of this blast furnace steelmaking technique, it might end up remedying the rebels' greatest weakness."
Li Yunxiu made up her mind. "Keep it secret! It must be kept secret!"
Wang Yu felt an urge to scratch his head. How had Li Yunxiu and Zhao Yingjie arrived at the exact same conclusion from entirely different angles?
"One more thing," Wang Yu continued. "With both the perfume workshop and the ironworks established, our business operations will likely grow larger. I also told Zhao Yingjie to keep purchasing land across the three prefectures.
"The workshops naturally have professionals to manage them. I intend to establish a dedicated commerce division, with Zhao Yingjie in charge."
Each workshop involved limited wealth on its own and required specialized technical expertise, remaining under the direct authority of the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor. However, external trade was a monumental task, not something just anyone could handle.
Zhao Yingjie was a long-serving steward of the manor and adept at navigating social circles. He was indeed the ideal candidate; at least, Li Yunxiu could not think of anyone more suitable after racking her brains.
And so the matter was settled. Zhao Yingjie went from being a manor steward receiving guests to the Director of the manor's Trade Bureau.
Yet, while Li Yunxiu raised no objection, Zhao Yingjie wailed in protest.
"I just want to stay by Brother Yu's side! Selling perfume and all that was just odd jobs before—how did it become my main duty now?"
Zhao Yingjie howled in dissatisfaction, accidentally blurting out his true thoughts. "Doing all that work is exhausting! I don't want to do it! I haven't even had the chance to take Brother Yu to a brothel yet!"
With a darkened expression, Zhao Rong seized Zhao Yingjie by the ear and dragged him back to their courtyard. Soon afterward, ghostlike wails and agonized screams echoed from Longyue Tower.
"Thank you, Young Master, for promoting Yingjie. He will work diligently and never fail your trust!"
A short while later, Zhao Rong dragged out a seemingly uninjured Zhao Yingjie to pay his respects to Wang Yu, bowing low. "If he fails to do his duty, you may punish him under military law!"
Zhao Yingjie looked thoroughly despairing. "Are you even my father?"
Wang Yu burst out laughing. "Yingjie will still live in the manor and keep his title as steward. I'll still be looking for him to hang out often."
Zhao Rong smacked Zhao Yingjie across the forehead with an audible thwack. "Why aren't you thanking the Young Master yet?"
"Brother Yu is the only one truly good to me!" Zhao Yingjie grinned, acting as though he hadn't felt the blow at all.
Zhao Rong sighed helplessly, though he was in high spirits. Wang Yu placing heavier responsibilities on Zhao Yingjie was a sign of closeness and deep trust, as well as an opportunity to forge his son's capabilities.
Seeing his son make something of himself brought him greater joy than receiving benefits himself.
And the first order of business Zhao Yingjie took on upon assuming his post was overseeing the ironworks in forging a peerless blade that could slice through iron like mud for Wang Yu!
***
"I can't say whether it's sharp, but it's certainly worth a fortune."
Wang Yu stared speechlessly at the longsword Zhao Yingjie presented like a prized treasure.
The pommel was carved into a tiger's head, the handguard and scabbard mouth formed the coiled posture of an azure dragon, the hilt was wrapped in Shu brocade, and the sharkskin-and-brass scabbard was etched with cloud patterns and inlaid with nine gemstones on either side.
Even before drawing the blade, Wang Yu was practically blinded by an overpowering aura of sheer luxury.
Ostentatious?
Not in the slightest—drawing it was when the real show began!
*Clang—*
Wang Yu drew the longsword. A brilliant silver gleam nearly illuminated the entire courtyard. Flowing along the spine like water, the patterns of hundred-refined steel were natural, intricate, and gorgeous. The edge caught the sunlight, a blinding glare racing from the crossguard to the tip, dazzling the eyes so fiercely that one could hardly look directly at it.
"A fine sword!" Wang Yu praised.
"Of course it's a fine sword!" Zhao Yingjie explained eagerly. "The veteran craftsmen in the workshop tempered the finest steel through thousands of hammer strikes to make this. They've never forged a sword this magnificent in their entire lives!
"According to Master Liu, the legendary blades Gan Jiang and Mo Ye of antiquity were no better than this. He said that having forged such an exquisite weapon, he could die tomorrow and face Ancestor Ou Yezi with pride!"
Wang Yu was thoroughly pleased. "What is this sword named?"
Zhao Yingjie grinned mischievously. "We await Brother Yu's bestowed name!"
*Tactful!*
Wang Yu looked down at the sword in his hand. "Coiled dragon and crouching tiger. Dragon corresponds to the Qian hexagram, and tiger corresponds to the Lu hexagram. In that case, let's call it..."
Zhao Yingjie ventured, "The Qianlü Sword?"
Wang Yu shook his head. "'The arrogant dragon has regrets' corresponds to Metal, warning against pride and rashness; 'treading the tiger's tail' corresponds to Fire, dangerous yet harmless. This perfectly matches the nature of my sword as Metal and my internal energy as Fire. Why not call it the Kangwei Sword?"
Zhao Yingjie blinked and instantly gave a thumbs-up. "Refined!"
Nearby, Li Yunxiu and Qianqian both rolled their eyes.
"Taking seven or eight detours just for a name—don't you find that exhausting?" Li Yunxiu scoffed.
Seeing such a sharp weapon saddled with such a bizarre name, Qianqian also felt it was an injustice. "You might as well have called it the Dragon-Tiger Sword."
"No, it shall be named the Kangwei Sword," Wang Yu insisted, shaking his head. "If you two want to name something, just have the workshop forge weapons for you as well."
Zhao Yingjie chuckled and immediately pulled two short swords from his sleeves, presenting one to Li Yunxiu and the other to Qianqian.
The scabbard of Li Yunxiu's short sword was engraved with mountain peaks and misty clouds, while Qianqian's was carved with moonlit blossoms. Both had been specially engraved by master artisans to match their names and tastes, exquisitely detailed, noble, and graceful.
"Short swords don't require the same flexibility considerations as longswords. Master Liu said that these two short swords are even sharper than the Kangwei Sword. Please take extra care when handling them, my ladies," Zhao Yingjie cautioned.
Wang Yu chuckled and reminded him, "Have them forge fine sabers for yourself and Uncle Rong as well."
Zhao Yingjie nodded repeatedly. "They're already done! Not just for the manor, either—I had new weapons forged for the other generals and commandants too. I even had a Bright Silver Coiling Dragon Spear made for Brother Long, just waiting for the day he comes to visit!"
Chapter 35