Chapter 214: First Volume, Chapter 214: Successful Production

First Volume, Chapter 214: Successful Production

Li Xiaolan listened to the increasingly close screams from outside the courtyard, her gaze growing heavier: "Mother, these are Beidi Raiding Cavalry—they're coming straight for us."

Qin Cheng Clan nodded, yet her expression showed not the slightest tension; on the contrary, the arrival of the Beidi Raiding Cavalry seemed entirely expected.

As she told Li Xiaolan to pack their belongings, she spoke casually: "The war between Shedynasty and Beidi is already on the verge of breaking out. Beidi Spies are scattered throughout Shedynasty's territory—they've surely already uncovered our strengths and weaknesses. Now they've come to plunder you and me, no doubt intending to take us as hostages to destabilize your father's mind. Even if your father remains righteous and unmoved, the Emperor would never risk leaving the Command Authority of the Beidi Campaign in his hands."

"This Beidi tactic of cutting off the fuel under the pot—unexpected, yet perfectly logical!"

"Lan'er, don't panic. The Beidi Raiding Cavalry could only penetrate Beixi County because their numbers are few. Follow me—we'll escape."

As she spoke, Qin Cheng Clan and Li Xiaolan slung their packs, opened the back Window, and crawled out one after another through the narrow opening.

Hiding beneath the low wall, they circled along a narrow path and soon reached the village's edge.

Ahead lay a stretch of wasteland forest.

Just as they seemed about to escape to safety, a rapid clatter of hooves reached their ears.

A warhorse lying in ambush outside the village had spotted the mother and daughter, galloping toward them; its spearpoint halted before Qin Cheng Clan's face as the rider growled low: "Are you the wife of the Ministry of War's Minister?!"

Qin Cheng Clan shielded Li Xiaolan behind her, her brows slightly furrowed as she faced the glinting spear: "We are but village women, madam—surely you've mistaken us for someone else?"

The rider's eyes flashed with cold intent: "Then there's no need to keep you alive!"

Before the words faded, his spear plunged toward Qin Cheng Clan.

…

Tianji Camp, Gongfang.

Lu Ming, leading a group of skilled artisans, had completed construction of the Tin Trough.

The raw materials for glassmaking were piled in one corner of the Gongfang.

All Preparation was complete; now came the official start.

Since Liu Li in this era remained an extremely scarce luxury,

Qin Feng drew a warehouse beside the Gongfang to exclusively smelt Liu Li, permitting only Lu Ming to be present; should Qin Feng later become too occupied, Lu Ming would take over.

Qin Feng first ground all the raw materials, grinding them as finely as possible.

Then he recorded the precise ratios of each ingredient in a ledger, mixed them evenly, and placed them all into the Cave Furnace.

Thanks to Qin Feng and Lu Ming's modifications, the current Cave Furnace represented the highest furnace technology of this era—but since the only fuel available was Wood Charcoal, the maximum temperature achievable was far too low to melt glass.

Without a thermometer, Qin Feng could only judge by his knowledge: the furnace's temperature could reach at most twelve hundred degrees.

But melting Glass Liquid required seventeen hundred degrees.

A five-hundred-degree gap—impossibly difficult for this era.

Fortunately, Qin Feng had already anticipated this problem and sent Qin Xiaofu to the Ministry of Works to obtain some "Shi Liu Huang" used in iron smelting—sulfur.

Grinding the Shi Liu Huang into powder and adding it to the mixture would greatly lower the temperature requirement and yield Glass Liquid.

Watching the bright red liquid glowing within, Lu Ming stood beside it, awestruck: "Young Master, is this the Glass Liquid you spoke of? It's as clear and luminous as molten iron!"

Qin Feng took charge himself, wearing thick gloves, and pulled the Glass Liquid from the Cave Furnace, bellowing at Lu Ming: "Don't just stand there—pour it into the Tin Trough right now!"

Lu Ming snapped back to himself, mimicking Qin Feng: he lifted a jar of Glass Liquid from the furnace and poured it steadily through the funnel into the Tin Trough.

The Tin Trough had been pre-filled with water.

As the Glass Liquid poured in, there came a hiss—then a black lump sank straight to the bottom.

"Damn it!"

Qin Feng stared at his painstaking masterpiece and let out a scream: "Shit! I worked all day—and it failed too damn cleanly! Is it really true that expertise in one field means nothing in another?"

Qin Feng stared at the Glass Liquid instantly cooled by water, slapped his forehead, and cursed himself: "Failure is the mother of success! Using water as a float bath? How could I have thought of that? Water's too cold, and its density is too low—it can't make the Glass Liquid float on top…"

But as he stared at the black lump, a sudden insight struck him—he smacked his thigh: "Lu Ming, immediately order the Gongfang to work at full capacity—forge two Iron Boxes, one inside the other, with a uniform gap between them."

One moment Qin Feng was snarling like a beast ready to bite, the next he was wagging his tail.

Lu Ming was utterly baffled, but obeyed anyway—he went to the Gongfang and ordered the blacksmiths to unleash full power. With many ready-made Iron Plates available, forging the Iron Boxes was not difficult; soon, Lu Ming brought the nested boxes to the Glass Room.

Qin Feng reused the same method: he channeled the remaining Glass Solution entirely into the Iron Boxes, forcing the shape through the gap between the nested boxes.

As time passed, the Glass Liquid gradually cooled, finally forming crystal-clear Glass.

Qin Feng broke the bottom of the nested boxes along the seam, then flipped them over—four finished Glass Panes tumbled out.

Lu Ming stared at the crystal-clear Glass Panes, utterly stunned.

After a long while, he came to his senses, face filled with disbelief: "Young… Young Master, I know Liu Li—usually it's Liu Li balls or Liu Li vessels. But such large, thin, flat Liu Li? I've never heard of such a thing."

Qin Feng had collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily from exhaustion.

Yet as he gazed at the four thin Glass Panes, his heart swelled with accomplishment.

After all the twists and turns, the Glass Panes had finally been produced!

Lu Ming crouched on the ground, too afraid to touch the Glass Panes—so thin they seemed fragile—merely staring down at them, eyes filled with wonder, then confusion: "Young Master, this thin Liu Li is impressive, but isn't it too brittle? What use is it? Why not just make an Iron Ball mold and smelt Liu Li balls?"

Qin Feng rolled his eyes, irritable: "What do you know? Liu Li balls or vessels—the palace has seen plenty. These Glass Panes are the real treasure."

Ever since deciding to smelt Glass, Qin Feng had never intended it for the Qiyang Commandery Lady—he was aiming to present it as a gift to the Emperor.

After all, he'd already made enemies with the Lin Family—who knew what underhanded tricks they'd use to retaliate against the Qin Family?

Qin Feng planned to fashion these into "Glass Windows," directly inlaying them into the Imperial Study so the Emperor would look up and see Qin Feng's masterpiece, and remember the Qin Family's loyalty…

Qin Feng regained some strength, pointing at the Glass: "Take men and polish these Glass Panes into perfect squares. Then order carpenters to build them into Windows. As for size—I'll have Qin Xiaofu deliver the Imperial Study's Window dimensions to you later."

Lu Ming stared blankly at Qin Feng—this entire speech had exceeded his understanding.