Chapter 15

"Sir, this is the kind of sword from the Xia Kingdom." Zhu Qing presented the sword.

Zhu Huan took the sharpened sword and tested its sharpness, then asked curiously, "How can a small village forge such a sharp sword?"

"Sir, it seems they used the hundred-folding method, and also baked it with coke for a long time. I didn't ask about the specific techniques."

The most famous ancient methods for forging sharp weapons were the hundred-refining steel and the hundred-folding steel.

Hundred-refining steel involves heating iron over coke or charcoal until it turns red, then forging and quenching it, repeating this process a hundred times. The hundred-folding steel is more complex, not only requiring heating and forging but also adding a folding process.

The actual process is very complex, but the principle is simple: it's about carbonizing steel.

According to legend, the Tang Dynasty's陌刀 (Mòdāo) used the hundred-folding steel technique. Because of the folding process, the carbonization is more uniform. If it really went through a hundred folds, the number of layers would be terrifying, 2 to the power of 100.

However, Wang Ju did not believe that the Tang Dynasty's Mòdāo really went through a hundred folds. Not only would the labor be enormous, but the cost would be prohibitive. Although iron and carbon react chemically at high temperatures, there is also an oxidation reaction during the high-temperature process, so each forging reduces the iron. If it went through a hundred folds, 100 pounds of iron would likely be reduced to less than 1 pound. Iron was very expensive in ancient times. In the Song Dynasty, a pound of ordinary pig iron was worth about 30 coins. Could the Tang Dynasty afford it?

Therefore, in the Ming Dynasty, stir-fried steel and poured steel appeared, which were essentially simplified carbonizing steel processes.

Wang Ju did not use these two methods because the cost was too high and the process was too complex for Wang Family Village to support.

He chose the early European industrial steel-making technique, first breaking down the 提刀 (Tīdāo) into pieces and heating them with coke in a completely sealed environment to reduce oxidation and improve the carbonization process.

This was a very rough process, but it was simple and effective.

After heating for several days, the iron pieces were taken out and repeatedly folded and forged. The purpose of the hundred-refining steel was to carbonize and remove impurities. Because of the many forgings, the grain size could be refined, and the composition could be made more uniform.

However, they did not really go through a hundred folds, only about ten. There was a blacksmith in the village, Yuan Heizi, but even Yuan Heizi found the folding and forging difficult.

It was just an experimental product, and his simple carbon steel also needed improvement.

Thus, the product in front of them appeared.

The effect was quite good. Zhu Huan continued to gaze at the sword and asked, "Where did he hear about this technique?"

"Sir, I asked him. He said he overheard a Western Xia merchant in Baoan Military City. The merchant probably thought he was too young to remember, but he did. However, at the time, he didn't pay much attention because he was young and inexperienced. It wasn't until after the battle at Heiaoling that he remembered and tried it."

"Are all the swords here?"

"No, I only brought ten swords. There should be ten more that can be forged."

"So, about forty 提刀 can be turned into twenty swords?"

"Exactly."

"Why is the loss so small?" Zhu Huan couldn't help but pace back and forth, then suddenly smiled, "He's really a suspicious young man."

Forging the swords was only part of the process. They also needed to make the sword handles, scabbards, and decorative sword cases or boxes. This involved leatherworking, inlaying, woodworking, lacquering, and smelting, which were far beyond what Wang Family Village could handle. Even if the swords were made, they needed a sales channel. Could a true Xia Kingdom sword sell for a high price in Wang Family Village?

However, Wang Family Village was not entirely at a disadvantage. After all, they had the swords.

Zhu Huan actually performed well. He gave all the money from the horses to Wang Family Village as compensation.

But that was a one-time thing. This was a long-term business, and Wang Ju couldn't gauge how greedy Zhu Huan was. The Zhu family would definitely make a profit, but the key was how much.

So, he only handed over ten swords. If the Zhu family was too greedy, Wang Ju would find other families. It might be troublesome, but it was better to be prepared.

Zhu Qing chuckled.

"Alright, let's have someone process these ten swords and see how much they sell for. We'll split the profit fifty-fifty."

"Sir, you are wise."

Compared to other wealthy families in Yanzhou, the Zhu family had a weaker foundation. They only rose to prominence during the time of Zhu Huan and his father. The key was that they didn't appear too greedy. Of course, if someone provoked them, the Zhu family would act decisively. This was the true way to survive on the frontier.

Zhu Qing turned to look at Zhu Huan's second son, Zhu Jun, who had been kneeling for a long time.

"I was so angry with this little brat. Yesterday, he encountered a beggar on the road and gave him several taels of gold."

Zhu Qing's eyes also showed a hint of worry. Zhu Huan had four children. The last two were born to a concubine and were still young. Zhu Huan's wife had two sons, the eldest, Zhu Qi, was fond of men and had no children after several years of marriage, and some even said his wife was still a virgin. The second son, Zhu Jun, was a bookworm.

"Rich families don't last beyond three generations. Will the Zhu family fail to pass this test?" Zhu Qing thought to himself.

He had an idea.

"Zhu Manager, what do you want to say?"

"Why not send Second Master to Wang Family Village?"

"Not a good idea," Zhu Huan said. "Would an employer send his son to work with mules?"

"With the swords, will that village still be content to be mule drivers? Second Master is not stupid, he just lacks experience. That young man is clever and decisive, which is exactly what Second Master lacks."

This made Zhu Huan think.

...

Yuan Heizi lifted the iron hammer and forcefully forged the sword on the anvil, the sound like a powerful symphony, but Yuan Heizi was sweating profusely.

"Put it in the furnace," Wang Ju said.

Yuan Heizi put it back in the furnace. When it turned red, Wang Ju said, "Take it out, no, add a little more hot coke."

This time, Yuan Heizi's apprentices did the work.

"Why do you do this?"

"I don't know, but they use this method on the other side of the mountain," Wang Ju answered simply. This was the normalizing and quenching process. A complex process, and to make a good sword, they would need to experiment with oil quenching, saltwater quenching, and so on. Even this simple forging required quenching skills, but no one in this era paid attention.

Wang Ju's quenching process was still very rough, but the principle was hard to explain, and no one would understand.

"I'm not a materials expert, I can only adjust it slowly," Wang Ju thought.

After a while, Wang Ju said, "It's almost done."

Yuan Heizi's apprentice, Wang Qiang, the second son of Wang Quan, took the sword out and put it in the furnace, then burned it red and quenched it in the stream.

Looking at the sword, Yuan Heizi said, "Big Ox, how much do you think it's worth?"

"Just a few strings of coins?" Wang Ju laughed. The Western Xia had three weapons that were famous: cold-forged armor, Western Xia bows, and Xia Kingdom swords. A good Xia Kingdom sword was worth a thousand gold pieces, or 20,000 strings of coins. Of course, this value was exaggerated, but a top-quality Xia Kingdom sword was often worth a thousand strings of coins, and even a slightly inferior one was worth several hundred strings.

Wang Ju didn't expect to sell it for several hundred strings, but certainly not just a few strings.

A villager came over and said, "The manager from the Zhu family is here."

"Speak of the devil. Let's see how much they offer."

At Wang Quan's house, after some pleasantries, Zhu Qing pointed to the sword case and said, "This is a true Xia Kingdom sword."

"Can I take a look?"

"Sir brought it for you to see and learn from. Feel free to look."

Zhu Qing drew the Xia Kingdom sword from its scabbard.

"Little brother, look at its craftsmanship, sharpness, and flexibility..."

The scabbard had elaborate and northwestern-style decorations, and the blade was cold and proud, like a proud prince.

"Good sword," Wang Ju stroked the sword and praised.

The Zhu family brought the Xia Kingdom sword not only for Wang Ju to see and learn from but also to show that they were not greedy. The swords you forged still had a significant gap compared to this one, and could only be worth so much.

After looking, Zhu Qing said, "Sir plans to give you 20 strings of coins for each sword."

"Twenty strings?" Yuan Heizi looked at his hands, amazed that he could forge a weapon worth 20 strings.

The others also showed their joy. A sword for 20 strings, 20 swords would be 400 strings of coins, more than the village could earn in a year as mule drivers!

Wang Ju remained calm, mainly because the craftsmanship and quality were not up to par. If they could forge a true top-quality Xia Kingdom sword, 200 strings per sword would not be too much.

Moreover, it didn't include the cost of iron, coke, and other materials. Without the 提刀, 20 strings might only leave the village with 10 strings. But for a poor village, it was still a considerable sum. And as the craftsmanship improved, the profit would also increase. So, Wang Ju didn't say anything.

"Sir said the profit would be split fifty-fifty. What do you think?"

Wang Ju nodded. This showed the Zhu family's sincerity, as the work on their side was also significant.

"But if so, I hope the employer can provide high-quality iron, coke, and other materials. I'll write a list for you later."

In the Song Dynasty, coke began to be mined and used on a large scale. Yanzhou had two coke mines, but the quality was not good. As for iron, it was strictly controlled, and Wang Family Village had no way to obtain large amounts of pig iron or wrought iron, let alone high-quality iron.

"Alright."

"Also, I request that the employer send two skilled blacksmiths to support us."

Zhu Qing looked at Wang Ju suspiciously.

Wang Ju was also helpless. Yuan Heizi's skills were good, but he couldn't forge a top-quality Xia Kingdom sword. He didn't understand the complex quenching process, and even the folding and forging were not precise. To speed up the process, Yuan Heizi had several apprentices, which was good, but he needed to teach them step by step, and he was too busy.

As for whether the Zhu family's blacksmiths would learn, it was possible, but the core technology was in the sealed kiln.

Zhu Qing didn't understand the purpose but still nodded.

"Can we keep this sword for a few months to learn from it, and return it to the employer later?"

"No problem."

"Then it's settled." They shook hands to seal the deal.

"Little brother, come with me." Zhu Qing led Wang Ju outside, where a handsome young man, about 16 or 17 years old, was standing. "This is Sir's second son."

"Nice to meet you, Second Master Zhu."

"Nice to meet you, young master."

"Sir wants Second Master to stay at your place for a while."

"Stay at my place?" Wang Ju pointed at Zhu Jun's fine clothes and laughed.

PS: Cold-forged armor is usually forged while hot, but this cold-forging process involves forging after the iron has cooled, making the armor plates stronger, though more labor-intensive. It is only suitable for thin armor plates, not thick swords.

Bows and crossbows shooting farther and more accurately does not necessarily mean they have greater draw strength. It also depends on the materials and scientific design. For example, modern Olympic bows have a draw strength of only 30 to 50 pounds, which in the Song Dynasty would not even qualify as a good bow. However, the range and accuracy of Song Dynasty bows might not match modern "light bows." The Western Xia bows were well-designed and used yak horns from Ganzhou, which the Song Dynasty could not obtain, as they were strategic materials. Even if they could, they were very rare. Therefore, a good Western Xia bow could be worth hundreds of strings of coins.

As for Xia Kingdom swords, they might have used the hundred-folding forging process, but they might also have used some alloying techniques.

These three techniques were complex, with low success rates and high costs. Even the Western Xia did not arm many of their soldiers with them. The Song Dynasty tried to replicate them multiple times but failed, leading to the saying, "Khitan saddles, Xia Kingdom swords, and Goryeo celadon are the best in the world. Other places tried to replicate them but could not match them."

Steel, steel, steel

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