I Became a Sugar Mama to an Ancient General during a Famine! - Chapter 17 Part 1

The Zhan family army was down to a mere twenty thousand troops, lacking both warhorses and quality weapons.

If news of the city’s water supply leaked, the Northern Barbarian King would undoubtedly lay siege, sparing no expense. This water was, after all, their lifeline!

Zhan Chengyin rose, his sharp features contorted with worry. He paced back and forth in his tent. The guards, noticing his agitation, dismissed everyone and retreated several meters from the entrance.

Suddenly, Zhan Chengyin’s tent was empty no more. Countless bags of coal and charcoal rained down.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Coal filled the entire tent until it could hold no more. With a loud rip, the tent burst open. Coal and charcoal cascaded out like an avalanche, covering the ground!

“General…”

Alerted by the commotion, the soldiers rushed over. They saw Zhan Chengyin standing unharmed in a two-meter circle where nothing had fallen. Cautiously, they cleared away the coal, puzzled by how the previously empty tent had suddenly filled with so much charcoal and black debris.

Zhan Chengyin, his expression calm, emerged from the torn tent holding a flower vase. He crouched, examining a handful of coal. According to the video, coal burns longer than wood. When made into briquettes, it could burn for two hours.

It burns hotter and lasts longer than wood!

This coal would be excellent for forging weapons, more durable than charcoal. Unfortunately, they lacked iron or bronze ore to cast into weapons. Otherwise, they could have reforged the army’s equipment!

Just as this thought crossed his mind—

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Countless steel pipes fell from the sky!

The pipes were thick, about the size of a child’s wrist, neatly cut and piled into a massive wall before him. The quantity was even more impressive than yesterday’s yard full of vegetables!

Could this be… refined iron? Or even steel?

In the entire Great Qi Kingdom, bronze dominated. Even coins were cast in bronze. Iron was rare, and steel as precious as gold. Hearing the commotion, soldiers rushed over, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sight of the neatly stacked steel pipes.

Lin Dajun stepped forward, touching the cold steel. He tapped it, confirming it was indeed steel! He then took out his iron sword—a gift from the imperial court—and struck the pipe hard.

Clang…

Sparks flew as the sword hit the pipe.

Crack…

His sword shattered, while the steel pipe bore only a shallow scratch!

Chen Wu, Chen Kui, Lin Dajun, Mao Yangbo, Song Duo, Wu Sanlang, Bian Ziji, Li Zhongzhong… all stared in amazement at the thick steel.

The next moment, they erupted in joy.

“Refined steel! Harder than iron!”

With this steel, they could forge new weapons for the soldiers. The warehouse held many discarded bows and arrows, useless without arrowheads. Many soldiers still wielded bronze spearheads and halberds. Now, all could be replaced with refined iron.

This batch of steel was priceless, even in the entire Great Qi Kingdom!

Heaven’s mercy had allowed them to forge new weapons at last!

Song Duo stepped forward and bowed.

“General, entrust this steel to me. I’ve registered the city’s blacksmiths. With coal and steel, we can begin forging immediately!”

Zhan Chengyin nodded.