Chapter 132: Glass

The smelting workshop, formerly a blacksmith’s shop, had slowly transformed into a bottomless pit that burned through money without ceasing. Yet, ironically, its output was used primarily for basic infrastructure, such as components and ironware supplied to various other workshops. These returns were largely invisible, failing to even show up on internal balance sheets, which gave the smelting workshop the reputation of a gold-devouring monster.

Zhao Hengyi, however, remained clear-headed. He understood the smelting workshop’s critical, even decisive, importance. No matter how many times Miao Xiaoyu and other stewards brought it up, he never once cut the workshop’s funding. On the contrary, he continuously sent people to recruit blacksmiths and nurtured young apprentices internally who were willing to enter the trade. Zhao was not a merchant in the pure sense; he didn’t even care much about profits. As long as all his industries cooperated, shared resources, and sustained development, he was content.

What Zhao aimed to build was not merely a collection of profitable workshops, but a unified industrial cluster. From his initial goal of self-preservation to his current position where his every word influenced the livelihoods of thousands, Zhao’s mindset had undergone a constant transformation. His modern perspective subconsciously guided him to diversify the industries in Yushu Bay and secretly stockpile talent and production capacity. The entire industrial cluster was like a tank charging forward, and the smelting workshop was its engine.

Zhao knew this well, but he would never speak it aloud. Even with the corruption of the Great Yan Dynasty’s government, there were certain industries one simply could not touch—like mining and iron. Hengtong Trading Company’s ability to operate across the country relied on more than just Wei Linglan, the Princess of Xiangcheng. Even being the aunt of the current Emperor was not enough! In reality, competing with the state for profit in the Great Yan Dynasty was not considered a major issue; in these times, no one cared.

However, anything concerning the national lifeline or the livelihood of the people was protected by invisible barriers. Established interest groups would not allow others to intrude rashly; offending them was far more dangerous than violating the laws of the Great Yan. The reason Hengtong Trading Company, under Wei Linglan’s name, could thrive and provoke such envy was because her father, the Duke of Lu, had paid a staggering price to indulge his youngest daughter. To put it bluntly, the wealth earned by Hengtong over a hundred years might not even equal the cost the Duke had originally paid.

Under such circumstances, even if the smelting workshop possessed technology far beyond this era, it could not mass-produce commodities. This was the same reason Zhao dared to fire glass but dared not mine the salt deposits in Daqing Mountain. As for agricultural tools like hoes and axes, the workshop certainly had the strength to outperform every blacksmith shop in the Great Yan, but the profit margins were too thin and the distribution costs too high. Most importantly, the workshop simply lacked the manpower.

The labor shortage was severe. Furthermore, infrastructure construction in Yushu Bay had never ceased, and similar projects were radiating toward nearby villages. In Zhao’s plan, these villages would eventually be incorporated into his industrial zone. While the burning of the Zhou family ancestral hall had allowed him to liberate local labor from the fields, it was not a long-term solution. The premise of major industrial development was an increase in grain production and an abundance of food.

The scale of Yushu Bay’s industry was still small, and even if Zhao were to turn Dangyang County into his industrial zone, it would not be a burden on the Great Yan in terms of grain. After all, those who went hungry and relied on wild vegetables and grass seeds were just ordinary commoners. The grain merchants’ warehouses were full of white rice and flour as white as snow. As long as there was silver, they would continuously ship supplies from Jiangling City to Zhao. But in the long run, there were still hidden dangers. Zhao himself had not even realized that he was subconsciously considering how to rebuild Han civilization and a nation after the inevitable collapse of the Great Yan.

Before leaving Jiangling City, Zhao had asked Wei Linglan to help search for overseas crops. Regardless of the type—grain or otherwise—as long as there were seeds or specimens, he requested that Hengtong collect them. The Great Yan did not prohibit maritime trade, and it was rumored that the great maritime merchants were as wealthy as nations. Surely, if the price were right, overseas crops could be acquired. Zhao hoped that if he could obtain high-yield crops from abroad, not only would the people have enough to eat, but even the gentry and noble families might undergo an unstoppable shift in their attitudes.

The new kilns built in Daqing Mountain began firing. The ten people carefully selected by the steward who had initially brought the news built wooden huts beside the kilns and lived there. These individuals had clean backgrounds, unwavering loyalty, and, most importantly, had performed well in the night school.

"The formula is as follows. The tools sent by the smelting workshop were custom-made. Try firing them according to my method first; there will surely be room for improvement," Zhao said, habitually sketching on paper. Standing before him, desperately memorizing every detail, was Liu Sijiu, the master artisan who had first discovered the glass. "You make the decisions on process improvements. If the equipment is not suitable, go find Zhang Daniu; the smelting workshop will prioritize the needs of the new kiln."

"Master, I intend to try a batch first. Judging by the process you described, this is much easier than firing porcelain!" Liu Sijiu’s once-cloudy eyes shone with excitement. "Our Liu family has been firing kilns for generations, and we never imagined that something as precious as glass could be made this way!"

Zhao smiled slightly. That was the way of the world; many things that seemed miraculous became mundane once the secret was revealed. Yet, before it was revealed, it was a secret powerful enough to topple a kingdom. After a few initial failures, Liu Sijiu gradually grasped the technique. As a master artisan with generations of experience, his intuition was beyond what Zhao, a mere theorist, could match. Within just three days, Liu Sijiu successfully fired clear, colorless glass.

A large, custom-made iron plate was set before them. The surface was flat and smooth, covered with a thin layer of glass. With a little more processing, it could be turned into a massive floor-length mirror.