“Marquis, can we keep this porcelain kiln for now? I might need it.”
Seeing the lieutenant’s dilemma, Jin Feng quickly turned to Qinghuai.
“Alright.”
Qinghuai’s order to dismantle the kiln stemmed from frustration with He Mingqin’s meddling in the workshop. Since Jin Feng said it could be useful, he wouldn’t insist on tearing it down.
With Qinghuai’s nod, the lieutenant felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
He also began to regard Jin Feng more highly.
He knew Qinghuai’s word was law in the Iron Forest Army. Even if Qinghuai gave a mistaken order, he never retracted it.
Yet, for Jin Feng, he had done just that.
It was a first for the Iron Forest Army.
“Has this porcelain kiln been used to fire porcelain?” Jin Feng asked.
“Yes, it produced three batches,” the lieutenant replied.
“Was it successful?”
“The old kiln worker said the porcelain was very good, quite successful, but General He wasn’t satisfied, so he stopped the firing.”
“What did you use for fuel, coal or charcoal?”
“Coal. The old kiln worker said porcelain kilns must use coal.”
The lieutenant grumbled, “I went to great lengths to find over a dozen carts of coal, but we only used a few. The rest are just sitting there.”
“There are still a dozen carts of coal left?”
Jin Feng grew even more excited. “Quick, take me to see.”
The lieutenant glanced at Qinghuai, saw no objection, and led the way.
The porcelain kiln was in the northwest corner of the workshop, smaller than the brick kiln Jin Feng built in Xihewan, but its layout and structure were more rational.
“Professional!”
Jin Feng praised, “Brother Liu, the kiln worker you found is a master.”
“Please, sir, call me Liu Yang,” the lieutenant said. “You have a keen eye. This old kiln worker comes from a family of porcelain makers. A few years ago, the Dangxiang raided south, destroyed his family’s kiln, and killed his relatives. He hid in the mountains, and I barely managed to find him.”
“Where is the old kiln worker now?”
Jin Feng asked.
Since his expertise was in engineering machinery, he only had a basic understanding of porcelain firing, not deep knowledge. Having an experienced kiln worker would save a lot of trouble.
“Since the kiln stopped firing, I assigned him to the laborers helping at the iron furnaces,” the lieutenant replied.
“Go find him quickly.”
“Yes!”
The lieutenant hurried off.
“Sir, are you planning to use this porcelain kiln to smelt iron?”
Once the lieutenant was out of earshot, Qinghuai asked.
“Marquis, you saw through it.”
Jin Feng nodded with a smile.
To produce good steel, the furnace needed to reach at least 1,500 degrees Celsius. With Dakang’s iron smelting techniques, furnace temperatures fell far short.
But a porcelain kiln could nearly reach that temperature.
However, Dakang lacked temperature measurement tools. To most, 800 degrees and 1,500 degrees were indistinguishable—both could reduce a person to ash.
Moreover, iron forging and porcelain firing were separate trades, so no one had considered this approach.
Even Jin Feng wouldn’t have thought of it if the lieutenant hadn’t mentioned the kiln.
“The workshop has three iron furnaces. Why use a porcelain kiln?” Qinghuai asked curiously.
“The porcelain kiln’s fire burns hotter. Using it to smelt iron might speed up wire production.”
Unable to explain temperature to Qinghuai, Jin Feng put it this way.
“How much wire do you think the kiln could produce in a day?” Qinghuai asked.
“It’s hard to say. I’ve never tried smelting iron in a porcelain kiln, so I’m not certain.”
Jin Feng, attempting this for the first time, didn’t want to overpromise. “I’ll have the porcelain kiln and the three iron furnaces run simultaneously. Even if the kiln doesn’t work, it won’t delay things.”
“That works.”
Qinghuai nodded in agreement.
Soon, the lieutenant returned with the old kiln worker.
A porcelain kiln needed to retain heat to reach high temperatures. After firing, it had to cool before anyone could enter, or the thousand-plus-degree heat could burn someone to ash.
But making iron wire required working with molten iron. By the time the kiln cooled enough for entry, the iron would have solidified.
Thus, the kiln needed modifications to smelt iron.
Jin Feng had struggled to build a brick kiln and was unfamiliar with porcelain kilns, clueless about how to modify one.
Fortunately, the old kiln worker was experienced. Understanding Jin Feng’s plan, he suggested adding a drainage port at the kiln’s base, allowing molten iron to flow out once melted.
Jin Feng found the suggestion sound and had the lieutenant assign ten laborers to the kiln worker to modify the kiln overnight.
Seeing Jin Feng at work, Qinghuai left hurriedly, heading to the Iron Forest Army that night.
Jin Feng didn’t see him off. While laborers moved iron and coal to the kiln, he inspected the rest of the workshop.
To his disappointment, the workshop’s iron furnaces were primitive and needed modifications to produce wrought iron.
Fortunately, the main structures were usable. Upgrading the exhaust systems and bellows, though not as good as the furnace back home, would suffice.
If they had to rebuild from scratch, Jin Feng would have been beyond disappointed—he’d have been despairing.
Knowing the urgency at the front line, Jin Feng had the lieutenant divide the laborers into two shifts, one starting furnace modifications overnight.
Leaving Mancang, who had prior modification experience, to supervise, Jin Feng checked on the porcelain kiln’s progress.
He worked late into the night before returning to sleep.
After waking, Zhong Wu, waiting at the door, told him Qinghuai had visited that morning.
“Did the Marquis have business?” Jin Feng asked.
“Nothing major. The transfer order from Bianjing arrived. After exchanging documents with General Fan, he came to check on you, sir, but saw you sleeping and left.”
“Next time the Marquis comes, wake me.”
Jin Feng said casually, not too concerned.
If Qinghuai had something important, he would have woken him.
After a quick meal, Jin Feng returned to the workshop.
Mancang, overseeing so many workers for the first time, was so excited he hadn’t slept. Seeing Jin Feng, he ran over, sporting dark circles under his eyes.
“How’s it going?”
Jin Feng asked.
“Very smooth. The workshop has plenty of hands and tools. It should be done by tonight.”
“Good,” Jin Feng nodded. “Go rest soon. There’s more work ahead. Don’t burn out right away.”
“Alright.” Mancang agreed but showed no intention of sleeping.
Leaving Mancang, Jin Feng went to the porcelain kiln.
With the old kiln worker in charge, the modifications were progressing well, likely ready to receive iron ore by evening.
“I hope there’s enough time.”
Jin Feng prayed silently.
But no sooner had he prayed than a warhorse galloped up, carrying a bloodied Zheng Fang.
Reaching Jin Feng, Zheng Fang fell off the horse.
“Sir… the Dangxiang are here!”
