Chapter 969

People still preferred charcoal; poor families 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 better off, but north of the Yangtze River, many regions consumed vast amounts of wood and labor for winter heating.

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 low: “Whether coal is used for heating, electricity, or other purposes, it must be processed. The Nurgan Regional Military Commission extends north beyond the Greater Khingan Range—this land holds rich mineral deposits. Second brother, the Jurchens are one of our Ming’s minority peoples; they voluntarily submitted in the past. When you go, govern them well—let them thrive on their ancestral land and long to live well upon it.”

Pan Yu’s eyes flashed, and he nodded fiercely: “Little sister, tell me how to find coal mines. When I reach Nurgan, I’ll find them and tell them this is a precious thing.”

Pan Yun swiftly pulled out two books and shoved them into his hands: “I prepared them for you long ago. The books contain methods to locate coal mines, plus basic extraction and usage techniques—but I advise you to use the Ministry of Works’ later publications. The coalstone here is barely processed; these methods are too crude.”

Pan Yue pondered: “I recall the Imperial Academy’s library had travelogues mentioning this substance. I’ll find them and copy a copy to send you.”

Pan Hong added: “I’ll also look through the Hanlin Academy’s records—someone may have encountered it during travels in the northeast.”

Pan Hong vaguely remembered coal was easy to find; coalstone often lay exposed on the surface, and sometimes ignited spontaneously during lightning strikes, commonly called “stones that burn.”

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 blade, and bade farewell to his father and brothers.

Their delegation departed together with the Jurchen delegation; the journey from the capital 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 advance—they could consider building railways.

This would not only shorten travel time but also facilitate transport of 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 zoning out; they passed behind her without acknowledging her.

Occasionally, craftsmen would approach and ask: “National Master, I have a question…”

“National Master, I can’t install this part of your blueprint…”

“National Master, come look—I’ve devised something fascinating…”

“National Master, someone just presented something extremely useful…”

Yet none disturbed Pan Yun’s contemplation. When Hu Cheng returned refreshed from outside the city, she 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 her side: “National Master, 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 Ming’s minority peoples; they just came to congratulate His Majesty on his birthday, and he rewarded them generously. Do you think I’m so idle I’d attack them?”

Hu Cheng: “Then what are these lines…”

“They’re roads.”

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

Pan Yun said: “These are not dirt roads. They are railways.”

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 steel for laying tracks?”

Hu Cheng’s mouth hung open; after a long while, he stammered: “Wait—wait, you mean the road will be paved with steel?”

Pan Yun nodded.

Hu Cheng: …

He turned and walked away without a word.

Pan Yun glanced at his back, unbothered, and returned to staring at the map.

She wasn’t planning to build it now—only imagining it first.

But she had already planned in her mind: at the latest, in five years, she would begin construction.

Before then, they must improve steel smelting efficiency.

Pan Yun fell into thought again. She had long been dissatisfied with the Ministry of Works’ two iron furnaces and steel furnaces—it was time for improvement.

Besides the Ministry of Works, there was the Inner Factory.

In early Ming, iron was state-monopolized. During Hongwu’s reign, Zhu Yuanzhang approached gold, silver, copper, and iron mining with extreme caution.

Unlike capitalist exploitation that rushed to extract resources regardless of consequences, Old Zhu upheld sustainable development, treating the land’s treasures with restraint—as if saving the best for future generations.

But after Hongwu’s later years, private mining increased under state monopoly. In subsequent reigns, the court gradually relaxed restrictions, permitting private iron smelting as long as taxes were paid proportionally.

Still, the 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’ Bureau of Weights and Measures, Inner Factory?”

The man, Chen Feng, blinked, then stood respectfully: “Yes, I am a clerk of the Bureau of Weights and Measures, Inner Factory. What does the National Master command?”

Pan Yun: “Go to the Inner Factory, bring me the iron ore and smelting distribution maps. Also, find someone knowledgeable about current smelting methods and send them here.”

Chen Feng hesitated, then said: “National Master, the iron ore and smelting maps require the Minister’s personal order to retrieve…”

Pan Yun waved her hand: “Then go find Hu Cheng. Tell him I want to see them—he can write you the order.”

Chen Feng exhaled, bowed low, and withdrew.

The Inner Factory 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’ Bureau of Weights and Measures.

It was a tiny, tiny branch of the Ministry of Works, yet its responsibilities were far from trivial.

Pan Yun needed steel to develop industry—she could not possibly avoid the Inner Factory.

Iron mining was a vital state revenue source, but in recent years, due to exhausted ore deposits, dwindling resources, and rising costs, income to the 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 Master, please don’t misunderstand—I have not embezzled or taken bribes.”