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Time swiftly entered August.
After being busy for over half a month, Zhan Xingchang conveyed Xiao Ming’s ideas to the four vassal kings, and the Prince of Zhao, the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Liang, and the Prince of Wei all sent envoys to Qingzhou to discuss the matter.
At the same time, after three failures, the steel workshop produced its first alkaline converter. This news arrived, making Xiao Ming extremely excited.
Negotiations were imminent, and the success of the alkaline converter now gave him more confidence in the negotiations. Mass production of steel would enable him to quickly achieve the modernization of military equipment.
Just as his plan envisioned, all he needed was some time.
“Your Highness, this is the alkaline converter.”
In the scorching steel workshop, Meng Kuo led Xiao Ming to a converter two meters high and one and a half meters in diameter.
Xiao Ming inspected the converter with satisfaction. The converter Meng Kuo had built consisted of a truncated cone-shaped furnace hood, a cylindrical furnace body, and a spherical furnace bottom, looking overall like a spinning top.
On the steelmaking furnace, trunnions were cast to allow the converter to rotate, accommodating processes like charging, tapping, and slag pouring. Below the side of the converter, there was an upward-sloping opening, which was the tuyere.
Currently, the steelmaking method adopted by the steel workshop was the side-blown alkaline steelmaking method, which was the earliest method to appear during the Bessemer steelmaking era. Later, the bottom-blown and top-blown technologies were very demanding and he could not achieve them.
However, even so, it was enough to meet his current needs. The quality of the molten steel produced by this batch of converters would definitely be significantly better than that produced by crucibles.
It could be said that with the current intensity of gunpowder, he no longer feared barrel explosions.
In addition to the tuyere below the side, there was also a small pipe above the converter, which was the steel tap hole.
“Hmm, good, good.” Xiao Ming was very satisfied after inspecting the converter up and down.
In addition to the converter, the steel workshop also underwent a thorough renovation. At this time, the converter was not placed on the ground, but on a stand. The lower half of this stand was cast in concrete, and the upper part was metal.
The suspended converter could be rotated by craftsmen pulling connected chains, and on one side of the stand, there were two more facilities: one for pouring raw materials into the converter, and one for tapping steel.
Overall, the equipment in the steel workshop was still somewhat rudimentary; after all, it would be a long time until automated machinery.
Meng Kuo was quite satisfied with his results. The busy period had not been in vain. Now he was preparing to build the second converter production line. “Your Highness, we have already attempted steelmaking, and the quality of the steel produced is much stronger than before. The problem of phosphorus and sulfur in crucible steelmaking has finally been solved.”
“Is that so? You’re quite fast.” Xiao Ming smiled.
Meng Kuo said, “Your Highness, the only troublesome part is the furnace lining; the other equipment is very simple, which is why it’s faster.”
“Although that’s true, it wouldn’t have been possible without your tireless efforts day and night. But this is just the beginning. You must continue to work hard. I expect you to bring down the cost of steel,” Xiao Ming said.
“Your Highness, if I cannot significantly increase production with the Bessemer steelmaking method, Your Highness can throw me into the furnace to be refined along with the steel.” Meng Kuo’s assurance was not without humor.
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Ming’s face. He said, “If that were the case, what would be the difference between me and a tyrant? However, if you don’t perform well, I will certainly replace you.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Meng Kuo chuckled.
After strolling around the steel workshop for a while, Zhan Xingchang sent someone to find him.
Originally, Xiao Ming was going to slowly negotiate and sign the agreement with the four envoys today, but because he was happy, he put that aside and made a special trip here.
When Zhan Xingchang looked for him and found that Xiao Ming was not in the royal residence, he sent someone to find Xiao Ming.
After giving Meng Kuo a few more instructions, Xiao Ming slowly headed towards the Qingzhou government office. When he arrived, he found Zhan Xingchang and the four envoys in a heated argument.
“What’s going on? When did the government office become a marketplace?” Xiao Ming said as he walked in.
Zhan Xingchang saw Xiao Ming approaching and said, “Your Highness, we were just discussing the agreement.”
Xiao Ming nodded. At this moment, he looked at the other four people. The Prince of Wei’s envoy was none other than Xiao Qi. He also recognized the envoy sent by the Prince of Zhao; it was Wang Xi, who served Empress Zhao.
As for the Prince of Yan’s envoy and the Prince of Liang’s envoy, he did not recognize either of them.
Noticing Xiao Ming’s expression, the Prince of Yan’s envoy stepped forward and said, “I, Cui Zhang, second son of the Prince of Yan, greet Your Highness.”
“So it’s the heir. Please sit, please sit,” Xiao Ming said with a smile.
Cui Zhang sat down. Originally, he didn’t have to come in person this time, but because the matchlock gun technology was too important, the Prince of Yan had to send his second son to Qingzhou.
The Prince of Liang’s envoy always wore a cold expression. After the Prince of Yan’s envoy introduced himself, he said indifferently, “I, Zheng Hao, greet His Royal Highness King Qi.”
After Zheng Hao, Xiao Qi and Wang Xi exchanged feigned pleasantries with Xiao Ming respectively.
With the formalities seemingly concluded, the discussion moved to the main topic. Xiao Qi was the most resentful among them. He had tirelessly campaigned, only to find upon his return that both the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Zhao had proposed humiliating terms for Wei’s territory.
At this point, he had to change his view of Xiao Ming.
The true terms had actually been reached under the negotiation table. Cui Zhang and Wang Xi did not want to waste time. After a moment of silence, Cui Zhang spoke first, “Your Highness, our purpose in coming today is to ask Your Highness to stop the annexation of Wei’s territory. Since Your Highness has now agreed to this matter, it should be written down in black and white as proof by contract.”
“That’s right, everyone is a clear-headed person here. Let’s not waste any more time,” Wang Xi also said.
Xiao Qi naturally knew that the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Zhao had reached some unspeakable agreement with Xiao Ming. He said, “Gentlemen envoys, what you agreed with His Highness has nothing to do with us. Since His Highness now wants a truce, why not hand over Pengzhou and Tongzhou first, and then we can talk about this matter?”
Zheng Hao also said, “Envoy Xiao is absolutely right. Your Highness has occupied two cities in Wei’s territory. How can there be any reason for a truce without handing them over? Wouldn’t that mean Your Highness gets all the advantages?”
Xiao Ming said lightly, “So, are you two here because you disagree with the ideas of the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Zhao, and me?”
“Precisely. Only if Your Highness hands over Pengzhou City and Tongzhou City will we agree to a truce,” Xiao Qi said firmly.
Xiao Ming looked at Xiao Qi in surprise, a playful smile suddenly appearing on his face. Then he looked at Cui Zhang and Wang Xi, “Gentlemen, as you can see, the Prince of Wei is being aggressive. It seems this truce agreement cannot be signed.”
Cui Zhang and Wang Xi immediately felt somewhat annoyed. Their goal was to weaken the Prince of Wei and simultaneously tie Xiao Ming’s hands and feet. They certainly didn’t want to ruin their good intentions over the Prince of Wei’s two cities.