xymnovel Chapter 28 Searching for Immortal Traces
Chapter 28 Searching for Immortal Traces
Chapter 28 Searching for Immortal Traces
Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
The imperial decree that "the immortals desire celestial iron and rare gold from the deep sea" struck like a thunderbolt, igniting the Tang Empire's passion for mineral exploration.
Li Shimin's decree was conveyed to all prefectures and counties as quickly as possible.
In an instant, those abandoned ancient mines, those remote and untouched forests, and those treacherous places rumored to hold rare treasures all saw a surge of prospecting teams.
Minister of Revenue Dai Zhou was extremely busy with this matter. On the one hand, he dispatched officials to inventory the rare mineral deposits in various prefectures and on the other hand, he organized skilled craftsmen to conduct preliminary identification of the "exotic iron" presented from various places.
Minister of Works Duan Lun personally led a surveying team, traversing mountains and rivers to various regions. The Ministry of War was also ordered to dispatch elite troops to provide protection for the mineral exploration teams and prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation.
Among the large number of prospectors, the performance of established families is particularly noteworthy.
Cui Renshi of the Boling Cui clan, with a stern face, personally supervised the Cui family members to conduct large-scale exploration within the fiefdom controlled by the family.
He didn't truly believe the "immortal's" words, but Li Shimin's statement, "I only value loyalty and don't hold grudges. If someone can voluntarily offer rare minerals as tribute to the immortal, I will reward them handsomely and forgive their past transgressions!" made him feel uneasy.
He knew in his heart that the emperor was using this opportunity to put pressure on him, and he had to show absolute loyalty and enthusiasm in order to preserve the Cui family's reputation and status in this "Immortal Feast".
However, in private, he instructed his clan members to be more careful when searching for minerals.
"Just who exactly is this immortal? And what role does His Majesty play in all of this?" Cui Renshi sat in his study, stroking a piece of ordinary iron ore in his hand, a sinister glint in his eyes. "What immortal in this world doesn't seek reward? Once this strange iron is sent, will it still be used?"
He knew that once these unique minerals were in the hands of the royal family, and combined with the "immortal magic" brought by the "immortal," the weapons and equipment of the Tang Dynasty, as well as other crafts, would undergo a qualitative leap.
At that time, the heritage and resource advantages that these aristocratic families are so proud of will face unprecedented challenges.
He secretly dispatched several trusted retainers, disguised as alchemists searching for minerals, to infiltrate exploration teams in various places. Their mission was not to find minerals, but to observe the implementation of the "divine decree," especially Li Shimin's handling of these minerals.
He wanted to investigate the true purpose of the "immortal" and find the emperor's weaknesses so that he could launch a more lethal counterattack in the future.
In popular folklore, the legends about "immortals" have been circulated in an almost mythical manner.
Some say the "Immortal" was a goddess from the Nine Heavens who descended to earth to bless the Tang Dynasty; others say the "Immortal" was the master of an overseas immortal mountain who communicated with the Tang emperor.
There were even charlatans who took the opportunity to sell various magical artifacts for "finding immortal mines." Although most of them were scams, they also reflected the public's fervor for "immortal magic."
Li Shimin, meanwhile, was in the Ganlu Hall, reviewing the mineral maps and catalogs submitted from various regions.
He saw that the "strange iron" presented by the Cui family had been preliminarily analyzed by the craftsmen of the Ministry of War's Crafts Bureau. Although it could not be smelted yet, its hardness and unique texture had already amazed them.
A bold idea began to take root in his mind: if these rare minerals could be used to forge weapons, then the Tang Dynasty's iron cavalry would surely be invincible and sweep across the world!
He needs more "divine arts" to guide the utilization of these minerals.
In the modern world, at a secret research center, Jiang He was taken by Sun Li to a secret research center located in the suburbs the next day.
Surrounded by green trees, it looks unremarkable on the outside, but inside it is a completely different world.
In a bright and clean laboratory, Professor Bai and several experts in white coats were operating a high-powered microscope and several complex instruments.
On the screen in front of them was a microscopic diagram of the "strange iron" presented by the Cui family.
"Mr. Jiang, you've arrived!" Professor Bai greeted Jiang He immediately, his eyes filled with excitement. "We've conducted a preliminary analysis of that heterojunite and found that its nickel content is as high as 40%, and its cobalt content is 10%, which is extremely rare in natural ores! Even more surprisingly, its crystal structure exhibits a unique nano-layered arrangement, which is precisely the reason for its ultra-high hardness and toughness!"
A young female researcher handed Jiang He a cup of coffee and said respectfully, "Mr. Jiang, our team has compiled a set of basic exploration technology data based on your last decree."
This material contains some basic principles of modern geology, which we have adapted into a method for identifying minerals by observing mountains that is understandable to people in the Tang Dynasty.
She pointed to the screen in front of her, which displayed a document with pictures and text, the contents of which were: "The Immortal's Blessing: The Mineral Exploration Handbook, Volume One: Observing Mountains and Identifying Veins".
"Those who seek minerals should observe the contours of the mountains and understand the veins of the land. If a mountain's shape resembles a dragon, its veins must be unobstructed, and it contains refined iron."
"Observe the color of the water: the color of the water will change when it flows over the minerals. Water that is reddish-yellow or bluish-green often contains copper and iron essences."
"Observe the vegetation: In areas with mineral deposits, the growth and decay of vegetation will also differ. Where vegetation is sparse or has strange colors, there are often mineral deposits nearby."
"Identify stone patterns: Stones with unusual colored patterns on their surface, or those that feel unusually cold and heavy to the touch, are all signs of mineral manifestation."
The materials also include numerous simple line drawings that detail various landforms, water color changes, vegetation characteristics, and mineral appearances. They even use simple diagrams to explain the relationship between geological folds and faults and the formation of mineral veins.
"Will this... will this really work?"
Jiang He looked at this professional knowledge that had been "transformed into immortal techniques" with disbelief.
"Mr. Jiang, we believe that with the wisdom of the Tang Dynasty, we can fully understand and apply this knowledge," Professor Bai said confidently. "These are the most basic geological principles. We have simplified and visualized them to make them more in line with the ancients' way of understanding."
Furthermore, we have prepared a set of more advanced mineral exploration tool blueprints. If this exploration of the mountain's veins is successful, you may consider passing on your expertise.
Sun Li added from the side, "Mr. Jiang, the country's support for you is comprehensive. To ensure you can communicate better with the intermediaries, we have also prepared a virtual reality simulation system for you. You can simulate the geographical environment of the Tang Dynasty in it, and more intuitively understand their world, so as to better issue imperial edicts."
He pointed to a corner of the laboratory where a device that looked like a VR headset was placed.
Jiang He felt a surge of excitement once more. He knew this wasn't ordinary VR; it was a simulation system that combined satellite maps, ancient texts, and expert speculation to recreate the true landscape of the Tang Dynasty as accurately as possible. This would greatly enhance his professionalism as an immortal!
"Alright!" Jiang He took a deep breath. "I'll send over this 'Mineral Hunting Handbook' right away! However, I still need more specific and precise guidance on the offerings. What kind of rare minerals do we need, and what do they roughly look like?"
Professor Bai immediately opened another document: "Mr. Jiang, this is a list of the rare minerals we urgently need:"
Tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, and cobalt. Their photos, appearance characteristics, approximate origins, and possibly associated minerals are all included. We've even created some illustrated guides to these rare stones to help people in the Tang Dynasty understand them; you can send them directly.
Jiang He looked at the detailed list and a confident smile appeared on his face.
From this day forward, he will no longer be like the blind men and the elephant.
He will be the "Immortal Uncle" who wields the "Heavenly Eye" of modern technology and precisely guides the Tang Dynasty toward the Industrial Revolution!