Chapter 969: Steel

People still preferred charcoal; poor households burned firewood directly, so although this was ancient times, in truth, wherever there were many people, the surrounding areas were bare and treeless.

The south was fine, but north of the Yangtze River, many places consumed vast amounts of wood and labor for warmth during autumn and winter.

If the north could utilize coal, its economic growth would not lag behind the south.

Pan Yun said: "The Ministry of Works is already working on coal; progress will come soon."

She paused, then whispered: "Whether coal is to be used for heating, electricity, or other purposes, it must be processed. The Nuergan Regional Military Commissioner's territory extends north beyond the Greater Khingan Range—this land holds rich mineral deposits. Second brother, the Jurchens are one of our Great Ming's minority peoples; they voluntarily submitted in the past. When you go, govern them well, so they may thrive using their homeland's land, and come to long for a good life upon their native soil."

Pan Yu's eyes flashed, and he nodded firmly: "Little sister, tell me how to find coal mines. When I reach Nuergan Regional Military Commissioner, I'll find them and tell them this is a valuable thing."

Pan Yun swiftly pulled out two books and shoved them into his hands: "I prepared these for you already. The books contain methods to locate coal mines, as well as simple extraction and usage techniques—but I advise you to use the Ministry of Works' later publications; the coalstone here has barely been processed, and the methods are crude."

Pan Yue mused: "I recall the Imperial Academy's library also had travelogues mentioning this substance. I'll find them and copy a copy to send you."

Pan Hong added: "I'll look through the Hanlin Academy's records too—someone may have encountered this substance while traveling in the northeast."

Pan Hong vaguely remembered that coal mines were easy to find; coalstone often exposed itself on the surface, and sometimes even ignited spontaneously during lightning strikes, commonly called "stone that burns."

Precisely because it burned, common folk realized it could be used for cooking and heating; had it not frequently poisoned people, this stone would have been widely adopted long ago.

The Pan family ate, drank, and chatted deep into the night; Pan Yun slipped away silently.

Pan Yu returned to his room carrying the cloth bundle and books Pan Yun gave him; the next morning, red-eyed, he slung his pack, took up his great sword, and bade farewell to his father and brothers.

Their delegation departed together with the Jurchen delegation; the journey from Jingcheng to beyond the pass took ten days.

This time was still too long; if coal could truly be used, steel smelting and other industries could follow—they could consider building railways.

This would not only shorten travel time but also facilitate transporting coal, iron, and other goods.

Pan Yun stood before the Ministry of Works' hanging map, lost in thought.

Ministry officials had long grown accustomed to her staring; they passed behind her without acknowledging each other.

Occasionally, craftsmen approached her: "National Teacher, I have a question…"

"National Teacher, I can't install one part of your blueprint…"

"National Teacher, come look—I've devised something very interesting…"

"National Teacher, someone just presented an extremely useful item…"

None of this disturbed Pan Yun's contemplation; when Hu Cheng returned refreshed from outside the city, Pan Yun was sketching two winding lines on the map with a charcoal stick.

Hu Cheng suppressed his urge to announce good news and leaned closer to look; after one glance, he widened his eyes, glanced nervously around, then whispered to Pan Yun: "National Teacher, is this a military route? You… you plan to attack the Jurchens?"

Pan Yun glanced at him: "What are you imagining? The Jurchens are one of our Great Ming's minority peoples; they just came to congratulate Your Majesty on his birthday, and Your Majesty has just rewarded and pacified them. Do you think I'm so idle I'd attack them?"

Hu Cheng: "Then what are these lines…"

"They're roads."

Hu Cheng frowned slightly: "Roads? Are you planning new imperial highways? These two long stretches barely overlap the existing roads—this would cost far too much."

Pan Yun said: "This highway isn't dirt—it's a railway."

Hu Cheng: "Ah?" Pan Yun: "Our cold-forging and quenching techniques are still immature, and output is extremely low. You already complain about making gun barrels—how much less can you manage producing steel for laying tracks?"

Hu Cheng opened his mouth wide, then finally said: "Wait, wait—you mean the road will be laid with steel?"

Pan Yun nodded.

Hu Cheng: …

He turned and walked away without a word.

Pan Yun glanced at his back, unconcerned, and continued staring at the map.

She wasn't planning to build it now—just imagining it first.

But she had already planned internally: at the latest, in five years, she would begin construction on this railway.

Before that, they must improve steel smelting efficiency.

Pan Yun fell into thought; she had long been dissatisfied with the Ministry of Works' two iron smelting furnaces and steel furnaces—it was time for improvement.

Besides the Ministry of Works, there was the Nei Chang.

In the early Great Ming, iron was state-monopolized; during Hongwu's reign, Zhu Yuanzhang held a cautious attitude toward mining gold, silver, copper, and iron.

Unlike capitalist exploitation that rushed to extract resources without regard for consequences, Old Zhu consistently upheld sustainable development, treating the land's treasures with caution, as if wanting to preserve them for future generations.

But after the late Hongwu period, private mining increased under state monopoly; subsequent dynasties gradually relaxed restrictions, permitting private iron smelting as long as taxes were paid proportionally.

Still, the imperial court strictly limited private smelting scale: only one furnace per region. Even so, combined state and private output neared ninety million jin—number one in the world today.

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly; just then, a man passed behind her. She grabbed him: "Are you from the Ministry of Works' Yuheng Qingli Si, Nei Chang?"

The man, Chen Feng, blinked, then stood respectfully: "Yes, I am a clerk of the Yuheng Qingli Si, Nei Chang. What orders, National Teacher?"

Pan Yun: "Go to Nei Chang and bring me the iron ore and iron smelting distribution maps. Also, find someone knowledgeable about current smelting methods and bring them."

Chen Feng hesitated, then said: "National Teacher, the iron ore and smelting distribution maps require the Minister's personal signature to retrieve…"

Pan Yun waved her hand: "Then go find Hu Cheng. Tell him I want to see them—he can give you a written order."

Chen Feng exhaled, bowed low, and withdrew.

Nei Chang had no relation to the Ministry of Works or eunuch institutions; it was the department specifically managing iron mines and smelting workshops, subordinate to the Ministry of Works' Yuheng Qingli Si.

It was a tiny, tiny branch of the Ministry of Works, but the importance of its responsibilities was far from minor.

Pan Yun needed steel to develop industry—she could not possibly avoid Nei Chang.

Iron mining was a vital state revenue source, but in recent years, due to exhausted ore deposits, dwindling resources, and rising costs, revenue to the imperial treasury had become minimal.

Pan Yun flipped through the ledgers, compared them with the maps Chen Feng brought, snorted, and looked at Hu Cheng.

Hu Cheng immediately said: "National Teacher, please don't misunderstand—I have not embezzled or accepted bribes."