Chapter 2

At the Guo Gong Mansion, in the outer courtyard.

Dozens of people were waiting, with their families, their eyes filled with confusion about the future. Seeing Qin Haidao approach, they all bowed in respect. One of them called out in a sad voice, "Young Master, we are willing to leave on our own, but the children are too young to endure the hardships of a wandering life. We humbly request that the Young Master take them in and provide them with food to survive."

"Quick, all of you, get up." Qin Haidao hurriedly went to help them up, deeply moved.

The Tang Dynasty's household registration system was very strict; one could not leave their place of residence without a travel permit. Now, to reduce the expenses of the mansion and leave the food and money for the children to survive, they were willing to leave. Without a travel permit, they would become vagrants, begging for a living. Many of them were already missing limbs or had mobility issues. Was this any different from self-exile or seeking death?

To ensure the children could survive and not burden the Guo Gong Mansion, they were resolute in their decision. This was the dignity of warriors and the great, selfless love of parents for their children.

At this moment, Qin Haidao suddenly felt a sense of belonging and recognition towards these old soldiers, the Qin Mansion, and his new identity. He thought to himself, "Since I have taken over this body, I must assume the corresponding responsibilities and missions. Since I have come to the Tang Dynasty, I must do something."

The Tang Dynasty was constantly at war, and death was the end of all. But for those who survived, the government only provided meager compensation. Who really cared about their fate after that? Emperor Taizong was relatively benevolent, but the aristocratic families controlled the government, and after layers of deductions, how much of the compensation actually reached the soldiers?

Encountering a Guo Gong like Qin Qiong, who loved his soldiers like children, was fortunate. But what about those who were selfish and self-serving? Who knew of their suffering?

In his previous life, he fought for his country without regret.

In this life, why not live for himself and for these retired soldiers?

Life is short; one must do something meaningful. He did not seek eternal fame, but only the joy in his heart.

Thoughts flashed through his mind, and Qin Haidao said solemnly, "Uncles, my father has passed away, but the Qin Mansion will not fall. As long as I have food, you will not lack. Do not mention leaving again; it would put the Qin Mansion in an unjust position. As long as we are united, we will overcome the difficulties."

"Your high virtue, Young Master, but the mansion..."

"When you all followed my father in battle, you shared life and death, never abandoning each other. How can the Qin Mansion abandon you now? Rest assured, I have a way to earn money. Disperse and return to your duties."

"Thank you, Young Master!"

Though the people did not understand where Qin Haidao's confidence came from, they could not persist further without putting him in an unjust position. As soldiers, they valued righteousness and left with mixed feelings.

"Uncle Jia, send someone to the estate. There will be no rent this year," Qin Haidao instructed Jia Youcai, determined to take full responsibility.

"Ah? Young Master, that is absolutely not possible. Without grain, the mansion..."

"Do as I say."

"Understood!"

Seeing Qin Haidao's firm resolve, Jia Youcai could not insist further and solemnly agreed. He felt warm inside as he watched Qin Haidao leave. He immediately called someone over and instructed, "The Young Master is righteous, like the Guo Gong. You go and take care of it."

"But without rent, the mansion will not have enough food..."

"The 500 households are all old comrades. This year's harvest is reduced by 30%, and there is not enough food to begin with. If they pay the rent, half of them will starve to death. Can you bear to see them die? Since the Young Master says he has a plan, let's trust him for a month. If it doesn't work, we will all leave together, even if we have to become bandits, we will secretly protect the Qin Mansion, the Young Master, and our descendants."

"Understood!" The person solemnly bowed and hurried off.

Jia Youcai looked in the direction where Qin Haidao had disappeared and murmured, "Guo Gong, the Young Master is much more steady and sensible now, with a sense of righteousness and clear goals. Unfortunately, the world is cold, but rest assured, I and the old comrades in the personal guard will not let the Qin Mansion fall, even at the cost of our lives."

Qin Haidao did not know Jia Youcai's thoughts. He strolled to the west courtyard and heard the sound of hammering from a distance. He crossed a round gate and saw an open shed where a middle-aged man was repairing tools. Qin Haidao called out, "Uncle Ma, are you busy?"

The middle-aged man quickly put down his tools and stood up to bow, explaining, "The estate sent a batch of damaged farming tools. I need to repair them in the next two days to avoid delaying the farming. What does the Young Master need?"

Qin Haidao looked around casually. The farming tools were made of wrought iron, which had a low carbon content and was too soft, easily breaking. Those with high carbon content were prone to cracking. No wonder they needed repair. As a seasoned warrior, Qin Haidao was familiar with forging cold weapons and knew a lot about iron smelting. He noticed that the tools were quite complete.

"Is the Young Master planning to forge weapons?" Uncle Ma asked curiously.

"Indeed. The tiger-head spear passed down from my father is a bit light, and the shaft is made of hardwood, which could break. I want to forge a pure steel one, preferably cast in one piece. Can you do it?"

"Pure steel?" Uncle Ma was surprised and then laughed bitterly. "I can forge ordinary weapons and repair armor, but I have never heard of pure steel and cannot do it."

Qin Haidao asked curiously, "How do you usually forge weapons?"

"The best method is the hundred-forging technique, but it takes too much time. Does the Young Master need it urgently?"

"How do you ensure the weapon is sharp and does not break or damage?" Qin Haidao asked, knowing that the hundred-forging technique involved folding and forging iron over a hundred times. Iron can only be folded and forged when it is red-hot and soft, which is wrought iron. Forging can only remove impurities and cannot increase the carbon content, so it cannot become steel.

Uncle Ma, who was responsible for repairing weapons, knew a bit and quickly said, "To make the weapon hard, we use the carburizing technique, which involves wrapping the weapon in paper and ashes and forging it. I've heard that covering it with charcoal and adding some animal fur and nails can also work, but this method is too complex. I don't know the exact amounts, temperature, or techniques. I've tried a few times, but it didn't work."

Qin Haidao had heard of this method. Paper and ashes are carburizing agents, but this carburizing method does not reach the carbon content required for steel, and the distribution is uneven, making some parts hard and others soft. Covering with charcoal can also lead to decarburization if not controlled properly, which is counterproductive.

After asking a few more questions, Qin Haidao smiled, realizing that the Tang Dynasty did not have a mature steel-making method. The idea of forging a sword to sell for startup funds was feasible. He could also forge a tiger-head spear for his own use. He said, "Uncle Ma, can you make a long, rectangular crucible?"

"I can, and we have some clay. Does the Young Master have a design or dimensions?"

Qin Haidao looked at the sand and clay nearby, worried that Uncle Ma's skills might not meet the requirements. He changed his mind and said, "Forget it. Help me melt a large pot of iron."

"That's simple. We often do it. We just bought a batch of iron blocks and have already forged them ten times to remove impurities. They were originally intended for repairing tools. I'm not sure if there's enough."

Qin Haidao looked at the iron blocks piled up nearby. They were black and had low carbon content, making them wrought iron, much softer than cast iron. They could be forged into tools after being heated in a furnace, making them semi-finished products.

The tiger-head spear he wanted to forge, also known as a horse spear, needed to be cast in one piece, not forged and joined. He said, "Melt all of it."

"Understood!"