Castle of Black Iron

When in Huaiyuan Prefecture, Zhang Tie’s dad ran a medium-sized airship corporation as his new undertaking. However, after moving to Taixia Country, his airship corporation became disadvantageous completely because its manufacturing skills were greatly lagged behind in Taixia Country. Not only that, the airships that were produced by large-scale airship production bases and factories in Spiritualmaple Prefecture and Chaoyang Prefecture were even much cheaper than that produced by Zhang Ping’s corporation due to the effect of scale.

As they could not match their competitors on quality and price, of course, their products had no market in Taixia Country; therefore, Zhang Ping’s airship corporation could only wind up.

Actually, across the Yanghe Prefecture, only the Huaiyuan Airship Manufacturing Plant affiliated to Huaiyuan Palace was a bit competitive in this line in Youzhou Province on both scale and skills. All the other small and medium-sized airship manufacturing enterprises could not match the local airship manufacturing enterprises in Taixia Country. Therefore, these foreign enterprises could only be merged by Huaiyuan Airship Manufacturing Plant, cooperate with each other to be the downstream suppliers of Huaiyuan Airship Manufacturing Plant or wind up.

After moving from Waii Sub-continent to Taixia, Huaiyuan Palace also suffered pains from adapting to the integrated demands from all aspects in Taixia Country. On one hand, Huaiyuan Palace’s certain industries had overcapacity and labor surplus; on the other hand, Huaiyuan Palace’s products lacked core-competitiveness in Taixia Country.

Not only the airship manufacturing industry, even the entire manufacturing industry that Huaiyuan Palace was involved in was experiencing such a sharp pain.

The method that Huaiyuan Palace used to relieve pain was to build a city. They intended to stimulate the great domestic demand by building a city so as to gradually advance and integrate the overall strength of the manufacturing industry in Yanghe Prefecture.

As a clan elder and the one who suggested to build a private city for his family, Zhang Tie could pay attention to these domestic affairs facing Huaiyuan Palace from a higher point.

’By buying land and building a city, I intend to meet my family’s demands and give a hand to my clan at the critical moment. Given the current layout of Yanghe Prefecture, if it contained one more city, it would welcome an all-round development. Additionally, my father who has "lost his job" and is staying at home could take the office of the major of this new city, which could spice up his living. My mother could live a life as a major’s wife. That would be better.’

The reason that Zhang Tie’s elder uncles’ families drew closer to Zhang Tie’s family was that the Milkway Shipyard was facing the same question as Huaiyuan Palace’s airship manufacturing industry. Milkway Shipyard had to realize promotion and resources integration so as to survive on and further develop given the internal situation facing Zhang Tie Clan and the macro environment facing the entire shipbuilding industry across Taixia Country. Milkway Shipyard and Zhang Tie’s elder uncles’ families didn’t have such a strength. Milkway Shipyard could not have a bright future without Zhang Tie’s protection and support.

A clan should have a strong economic lifeline. However, as Huaiyuan Palace had just settled down in Taixia Country, the only two competitive businesses of Huaiyuan Palace in Youzhou Province and Taixia Country were rune weapons, equipment manufacturing and the all-purpose medicament of Zhang Clan.

Rune weapons and equipment manufacturing was the trump card of Huaiyuan Palace. Rune weapons and various types of equipment were always badly needed in both Waii Sub-continent and Taixia Country. They were always shopping-rush goods at proper market prices regardless of their quantities. The problem facing Huaiyuan Palace was that the rune weapons and equipment produced by Huaiyuan Palace could not meet the market demand.

The key manufacturing process of rune weapons was artificial; precisely, they were made by rune equipment’s handicraftsmen. Rune equipment’s handicraftsman was a high-end profession in this age and the most precious resources of Huaiyuan Palace. The number of rune equipment’s handicraftsmen who were cultivated by and served Huaiyuan Palace grew at a limited speed. Therefore, they could not compare with the industrial streamline.

In such case, as the market of all-purpose medicament was gradually opened in Taixia Country, Zhang Tie’s family would also become increasingly important in Huaiyuan Palace even though without Zhang Tie’s help. Like a gold mountain which could not be used up, all-purpose medicament would grow more and more valuable in Huaiyuan Palace.

Although outsiders didn’t know that the all-purpose medicament was invented by Zhang Tie and its production was completely within Zhang Tie’s control, the management of Huaiyuan Palace knew it clearly. During the 2 more months when Zhang Tie stayed in Golden Light City, Elder Muen who had become the prefectural governor of Yanghe Prefecture had paid a visit to Zhang Tie two times so as to talk about the Jinwu City and the all-purpose medicament.

Huaiyuan Palace hoped Zhang Tie to expand the production of the all-purpose medicament.

Half of the 2 million-odd all-purpose medicament that was produced by Jinwu Business Group were sold out through the channels of Long Wind Business Group according to the agreement. If Zhang Tie could expand the production scale of all-purpose medicament, those business groups and commercial networks under the affiliation of Huaiyuan Palace would be the beneficiaries.

In Waii Sub-continent, the Long Wind Business Group of Huaiyuan Palace was famous. After moving to Taixia Country, Long Wind Business Group had deteriorated to be average. If they wanted to expand the clan business and commercial network, Long Wind Business Group urgently needed a unique knockout product, which was rightly within Zhang Tie’s control. As Zhang Tie directly controlled the annual production scale of all-purpose medicament, Huaiyuan Palace could only dispatch one elder to pump Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie didn’t reply to Elder Muen’s request clearly, because Elder Muen could not handle too many affairs in Huaiyuan Palace. Additionally, in a clan, affairs being involved with the interest of tens of millions of gold coins must be clarified. Even two brothers would keep careful accounts in some families, not to mention Huaiyuan Palace which was such a complex, huge clan.

This time, Zhang Tie estimated that Zhang Taixuan was going to negotiate with him about this thing in Youzhou City.

’Zhang Taixuan has been very busy since the beginning of October. When in Golden Light City, I was told that Zhang Taixuan had not exited White Tiger Complex for three months and worked about 20 hours a day. Therefore, it’s reasonable that Zhang Taixuan wants to negotiate with me about the provision of all-purpose medicament after handling the major affairs in White Tiger Complex.’

Through Zhang Taixuan’s 3-month efforts, the entire Youzhou Province had entered the normal track; the government’s organs at different levels gradually ran normally, making Youzhou Province a bit like a province in Taixia Country.

If it was other lower provinces which had just been established, it would take them at least 1 year to enter the normal track. It would take a new lower province at least half a year to be equipped with all the officers, not to mention having all the affairs enter normal tracks. However, it only took Zhang Taixuan less than 3 months to make all of this. As a result, everybody admired his high-efficient ability. Even Commander Cheng was shocked by his excellent achievement.

It could be said that Youzhou Province had become a real lower province in Taixia Country by now.

Overlooking the city from the sky, the magnificent Youzhou City didn’t look different than that 3 months ago. However, although the snow outside the city had been several feet in thickness, there was no snow on the city wall of Youzhou City. Given this point, Zhang Tie knew that Huaiyuan Palace had fully controlled this city over the past 3 months. Without a powerful ruling ability over the city guards of Youzhou City, the city wall of this city could never be so clean during the daybreak.

Zhang Tie landed on the wild outside Youzhou City with the heavy snowflakes. Closely after that, he strode towards Youzhou City in a relaxed way.

Unless wartime or due to public affairs, generally, Class A cities in Taixia Country forbad knights to fly inside without consent. Otherwise, as long as they flew over the city wall, they might be attacked by the city guards. In order to not make any trouble or joke, Zhang Tie just landed outside the city and strode inside the city.

It was his second time to visit Youzhou City. He felt pretty special.

When he came to Youzhou City for the first time, Zhang Tie didn’t even take a round in the city. He took his family members into Huaiyuan Mansion. After that, his family members left Youzhou City. He then entered White Tiger Complex to attend the competition. Later on, he got drunk by a jar of dragon-marrow liquor gifted by Commander Cheng. When he woke up, he took the office of the dean of the provincial court of Youzhou Province. After being familiar with his responsibilities, he left Youzhou City. Therefore, he almost had no impression about this city which covered over 1,000 square miles.

When Zhang Tie arrived at an east city gate of Youzhou City at over 6 am. He found that the city had been boisterous as over 10 trucks were entering the city gate at the same time...

Each city wall of Youzhou City had several city gates, which assumed different responsibilities. Through different city gates, they separated human flows from vehicle flows. The city gate where Zhang Tie stood was mainly available for vehicles that transported materials, which included grains, meats and vegetables that were produced in the farms outside the city...