With the northern rebellion momentarily stalled, Li Wei turned his attention back to his reforms. He needed to demonstrate their value on a larger scale, and that meant introducing more impactful innovations. One idea had been simmering in his mind for weeks: a blast furnace, inspired by modern metallurgy techniques.
Li Wei called for Old Fu, the blacksmith, and General Cao Ren. In the palace courtyard, he spread out a detailed sketch of the furnace. Old Fu leaned over the parchment, his eyes narrowing as he studied the design.
"This is… ambitious, Your Majesty," Old Fu muttered. "But if it works, it could revolutionize iron production."
"Explain how it works," General Cao Ren said, his interest piqued.
Li Wei pointed to the diagram. "A blast furnace is designed to smelt iron at much higher temperatures than traditional forges. The secret is the forced air." He tapped a section labeled bellows. "These bellows will pump air into the furnace, making the fire hotter and more consistent. That allows us to produce higher-quality iron faster."
Old Fu scratched his head, muttering to himself. "It'll take a lot of work to build this, not to mention fuel to keep it running."
"We'll start small," Li Wei said. "If the first furnace works, we can expand. The iron produced here will strengthen our tools, weapons, and infrastructure."
Over the next month, construction of the blast furnace became the talk of the capital. Workers hauled bricks and clay to the site, guided by Old Fu's skilled hands. Li Wei visited often, offering encouragement and ensuring the project stayed on track.
When the furnace was finally complete, they conducted the first smelting test. As the fire roared and the bellows pumped air into the chamber, molten iron began to flow into the mold below. The workers cheered, and even Old Fu couldn't hide his grin.
"By the gods, it works!" he exclaimed, clapping Li Wei on the back. "You've just changed the way we make iron, Your Majesty."
Li Wei smiled, though his mind was already racing ahead. This was just the beginning. With better tools and weapons, his kingdom would become stronger than ever before. But he also knew that each success would draw more attention and more enemies.
As the first batch of high-quality iron was forged into tools, Li Wei stood in the glow of the furnace, feeling a surge of pride. His vision was becoming reality, one step at a time.