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"I wonder how much iron Lord Rong requires?"

Rong Xi named a quantity, only to see the clerk's face turn troubled.

"Is that not possible?" he asked curiously.

"It is not that," the clerk sighed. "Iron ore is difficult to mine, and the supply is limited. Could Lord Rong reduce the amount somewhat?"

Rong Xi's brow furrowed. He had been muddleheaded. With Great Wei's level of productivity, mining mineral deposits was indeed difficult; human and animal strength could not compare to mechanical power.

"May I ask where the mines are? Could I go and have a look?" Rong Xi asked politely.

The intensity of iron ore mining directly affected the amount of pig iron produced. He wanted to visit the mines and see whether the mining methods could be improved.

The mines were controlled by the government, and idlers were forbidden from entering. Yet Rong Xi held special privileges, so the clerk immediately agreed and personally led him to the mining site.

Qingzhou produced abundant mineral deposits, so the imperial court had established quarries here.

Upon arriving at the mine, Rong Xi looked around and saw many miners wielding stone picks, digging ore from the shallow layers near the surface.

Most ore mined in Great Wei consisted of weathered residual deposits on the surface, accumulated deposits, or iron ore along riverbanks, even including shallow iron veins exposed aboveground.

Iron ore was usually hidden within rock. Miners often used fire to burn the stone until it cracked, thereby obtaining the ore.

As such, the mining efficiency was exceedingly low.

"Does my lord have any brilliant insight?" Seeing him frown in thought, the clerk could not help asking cautiously.

Who did not know that Rong Xi was Minister Rong's son and had earned lavish praise from the Son of Heaven? As a