Refining Stainless Steel: Deceiving Li Yin

At this moment, Li Yin was completely unaware of how meaningful his current actions were. Each day, he simply read the math, physics, and chemistry texts compiled by Li Zhi, then conducted experiments based on the perspectives and research directions outlined in those books. Meanwhile, Li Zhi had already started considering finding a few impoverished children of similar age for Li Yin, so that he could begin training apprentices on his behalf.

If one day Li Yin were to discover that Li Zhi had been using him from such a young age, who knows what his reaction would be.

Lacking the means to mass-produce pure oxygen, Li Zhi and his team had no choice but to prolong the smelting process to ensure all elements were thoroughly dissolved, making the experiments particularly challenging. Yet, these men were nothing if not patient.

Li Zhi seized this opportunity to fill in some gaps in his own knowledge, while Li Yin was utterly absorbed in the thrill of exploring the unknown. As for Baken, he had already been dazzled by Li Zhi’s descriptions of stainless steel, to the point where he was utterly lost in anticipation. As long as he could witness the final product with his own eyes, he was willing to dedicate any amount of effort.

Time slipped quietly by. It wasn’t until more than a month had passed that they finally managed to roughly guess the correct proportions of each raw material, producing their first batch of molten steel. Several consecutive hydraulic presses shaped the steel plates, which were then cut into pieces of pitch-black metal.

After acid-washing, the plates were reheated. Following repeated rolling, they finally emerged as smooth, gleaming sheets of stainless steel. Li Zhi, Li Yin, Baken, and the craftsmen present all gazed at the steel plates before them, enraptured.

Baken stroked the steel as gently as if he were caressing a newborn child, murmuring, “Is this the stainless steel His Highness spoke of? It could be used to forge weapons straight away.”

Li Zhi replied a little awkwardly, “Well... I’m not entirely sure of the properties of this steel yet, and its exact uses remain to be explored.”

Indeed, Li Zhi felt uncertain. In his previous life, the steel he used had always been finished products bought from the market. Though they were labeled with approximate elemental content, he could never vouch for their accuracy. Thus, a series of experiments would be needed to determine the steel’s best applications.

Still, it was already a considerable success.

At the very least, this method would allow them to develop other types of steel in the future. After quietly admiring the stainless steel for a while, Li Yin soon lost interest. He turned to Li Zhi and asked, “Is there anything else you need me to do?”

Li Zhi blinked for a long moment before replying, “Why don’t you take a few students and continue analyzing materials?”

Li Yin frowned. “I don’t mind analyzing materials, but why do you want me to take on students?”

Li Zhi coaxed, “Think about it, Sixth Brother—there are so many substances in the world. How could you possibly study them all alone?”

He tiptoed and hooked his arm through Li Yin’s, continuing, “If you could train a group of outstanding students, wouldn’t you be able to learn even more, and much faster?”

Li Yin frowned in contemplation. Li Zhi’s words made some sense, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. He didn’t think he was ready to teach others; surely, that responsibility belonged to Li Zhi.

So he said, “I believe teaching students should fall to you, Ninth Brother. My own knowledge still leaves much to be desired.”

Li Zhi grew anxious at those words. Was he joking? Expect him to teach a bunch of illiterate children math, physics, and chemistry from scratch? That would wear him out completely!

He pressed on, “Sixth Brother, don’t underestimate yourself. With your intelligence and talent, I am sure you can both strengthen your own understanding and teach students at the same time.”

Li Yin countered, “But those scholars are notoriously proud. I doubt they would accept my guidance.”

Li Zhi replied, “If that’s a concern, then I’ll recruit a batch of impoverished children of similar age for you. It may be a bit more troublesome, but at least you won’t have to worry about their pride.”

Li Yin asked, “But can these poor children even read? If not, wouldn’t I have to teach them from the very beginning?”

Li Zhi answered, a little embarrassed, “Starting from scratch is still better than having to endure people’s attitudes. I believe it’s the better option.”

Li Yin frowned again, finding Li Zhi’s approach somewhat troublesome. But Li Zhi didn’t give him time to reconsider, continuing his persuasion: “Just imagine, Sixth Brother—if my ideas prove successful one day, wouldn’t these students bring great honor to us both?”

Li Zhi added, “Would you really want all the students to be counted as mine, standing on the same level as you?”

Upon hearing this, Li Yin immediately changed his mind. He certainly didn’t want to be grouped together as one of Li Zhi’s students—how would that set him apart?

He quickly said, “Though the task is difficult, with some effort, I believe it can be accomplished.”

Li Zhi smiled approvingly. “I knew you could do it, Sixth Brother. When the time comes, you’ll be my school’s only true disciple.”

Li Zhi’s words left Li Yin a bit embarrassed. After all, as the older brother, he was becoming his younger brother’s student. He found this hard to accept.

But after a moment’s thought, he decided it didn’t really matter. If Li Zhi’s ideas succeeded, he would become a figure on par with Confucius himself. To be the student of such a man—who would dare mock him?

Thus he nodded. “In that case, Ninth Brother, please hurry and select some students for me.”

Hearing this, Li Zhi took Li Yin by the hand and led him out of the ironworks. After several steps, he suddenly slapped his forehead.

With Li Yin watching in confusion, Li Zhi sought out Baken once again.

Li Zhi instructed, “Send some stainless steel sheets to the Directorate of Works—I have great use for them.”

In his excitement, he had nearly forgotten the original purpose of his stainless steel research: it was for constructing the distillation equipment needed to produce cosmetics ingredients.

In the next two days, Li Zhi truly set about having Liu An recruit impoverished children from across Chang’an who could not afford an education. Relying on his status as Prince of Jin, he soon enrolled more than twenty children around ten years old.

Li Yin looked at the group of dirty, ragged peers and felt his head ache. He turned to Li Zhi and asked, distressed, “Ninth Brother, do we really need so many people?”

Li Zhi replied with full confidence, “Don’t worry, Sixth Brother. Before long, you’ll find that even this number isn’t enough.”

Li Zhi was not speaking idly—math, physics, and chemistry were the foundation of all technological fields. As he advanced his scientific agenda, these students would soon be dispatched to various domains, and before long, Li Yin would once again find himself a commander without an army.