Crown Prince Feizi Hei Tan is the first son of King We Kai Dong Tan who is the rule of Tan kingdom state. The King is strong yet peaceful. Fiefdoms and villages under King We Kai Dong Tan was prosperous. What is the cause of this prosperity? The Kingdom State of Tan is an industrial powerhouse of high quality iron weapons and armor, no kingdom state can uphold the same quality of goods that is produced here. Other kingdom does not want to anger the country, bad relations will result in loss of trade rights. The kingdom need these superb quality war goods to have a clear edge over enemies. Without these they will be on equal footing with other countries. Other kingdom states are using bronze and crude iron weapons and armor for their armies. The kingdom of Tan is using superior quality iron and early grade steel for their own military. When comparing bronze and iron to steel it is somewhat like comparing a flower to a cleaver. Would you try to stab someone with a flower in hopes of killing them?
The secret for the kingdom of Tan’s monopoly on war goods is the source of carbon when smelting the iron ores. Highly pure iron is very soft and is not useable to make weaponry and armor. To fix this carbon needs to be added to harden the iron. The key to high quality iron ingots is the amount of carbon infused into the iron ores as they melt. The right amount of carbon to make the perfect ingot of iron takes a lot of careful measurements, patience, and ability.
Iron ores by definition has many impurities: other metals, materials, and rocks. These impurities makes iron very brittle and this results in iron snapping and breaking. To remove these impurities the iron needs to be completely melted, iron has a high melting point of 1500 degrees Celsius. Other impurities would melt and float to the top of the molten liquid, thus can be removed by cutting it off when the liquid hardens. Iron weapons without impurities and with the correct amount of carbon would be stronger, and more durable, this in turn can withstand forces from other blades and not break. To make the best iron the temperature of the furnace must be right, it needs to be 2800 degrees Fahrenheit, and to reach these temperatures lots of coal must be used. Charcoal would be used as carbon source for the iron, there is not enough charcoal to be substitute for coal as a fuel source to heat up the iron. The charcoal will be absorbed into the iron. Current blacksmith technology is not advance enough for temperatures in the furnace to reach 1500 degrees Celsius, current technology temperatures can reach 1300 degree Celsius at optimal levels.
(insert pictures of money)
While royal blacksmiths were fiddling with charcoal and iron ore combination they stumbled upon early grade steel. This invention of steel weaponry and steel scale armor is revolutionary at the time period. Steel manufacturing is exclusive to royal blacksmiths, blacksmiths outside of the capital have no access to knowledge or techniques to reproduce steel. This steel that is produce is low quality, and not very flexible. However just having steel alone is a huge upgrade from iron, the massive increase in the cutting edge, the durability, and impact makes it a worthwhile investment.
Other kingdoms been using wood as a fuel and source of carbon for their iron and bronze items, wood does not hold as much energy has the source that Tan kingdom uses. Tan kingdom uses coal for all it smelting activities, since they rely on coal so much any new veins of coal the founder will be rewarded 2 teals of silver. 1 teal of silver is worth about 1000 copper coins, 1 teal of gold is worth about 200 teals of silver. Furthermore 1 teal of silver can be broken into pieces and used as currency in terms of weight, the value of the money is determine by weight when compared to 1 teal of silver. 1 copper coin can buy 3 pieces of bread, or 1 bushel of veggies, or 3 eggs, or half a bowl of rice. Miners at these coal mining towns are valued for their work that they contribute to extracting coal, due to their values they get a monthly stipend of 20 copper coins. In addition to monthly stipend: food, housing, and clothes are provided by the King. The Tan kingdom is a coal rich country, it uses this to any advantage that it can.
In times of peace, captured iron weaponry and armor is melted down into iron ingots to be stored and used later. Old weaponry and armor are melted down and are added to the reserve ingot deposit. Those individuals that provide old armor and weapons are recorded down. In times of turmoil and strife these reserve ingots are taken out and forged into new weapons and armor with the latest techniques to ensure Tan kingdom having the most advanced weaponry on the battlefield. Individuals will receive their new armor and weapons based when items were turned in. This service is paid for by the king, this creates unique opportunities for soldiers to recycle old gear.
In the past 50 years the kingdom of Tan is slowly upgrading its military presence in the country. Turmoil and war has started to grow and fester in this continent. Kingdom states are fighting each other. It is a war for land and dominance, most of the time the reasons of war are for petty conflicts. Other times it is due to jealously and the desire to take the women, goods, resources, and infrastructure of other kingdoms.
When the Prince’s grandfather died his tomb there was about 300 people accompanied him to the afterlife. Four concubines, sixty servants, two prime ministers, twenty five soldiers, five body guards, ninety craftsmen/workers, and other influential people that he liked were buried alive next to his coffin. Some of these human sacrifices choose to commit suicide via drinking cyanide infused wine, others refused to die. These people that refused to die were murdered and then stuffed into the coffins. Each person that was chosen to accompany the late king to the afterlife was given his/her own personal coffin. Each person was numbered and placed into a coffin that corresponds to that number. For many people it was a great privilege to accompany their masters to the afterlife, many made peace with this fact and left instructions to their heirs.
(Insert illustration of a people being placed into coffins)
Life during these times are harsh and unpredictable, these are traditions that all great leaders follow. To have people serve you in life and death is the hallmark of civilized culture on the continent of Langcardia.
Tan kingdom remains relatively peaceful. By the order of the King, Crown Prince Feizi Hei Tan accompanied by Prince Jiang Hu Tan and Prince Fu Sei Tan are to subdue a white tusk boar that has been terrorizing the region. The entourage of the 3 Princes included 20 horse archers, 10 shock cavalry, 40 medium infantry, 35 archers, and 300 servants. This is not a war party, it is hunting expedition to take down the white tusk boar. Scout inform the Princes that the white tusk boar is located in Tailong Forest. It will take about 30 minutes to reach the location, they are currently resting at the roadside tavern called Crescent Moon.
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Finding the boar is not hard since there is a clear path of destruction, the farmland and shrubs nearby all been damaged by the foraging activities of the boar. This blatant destruction of land damage yearly harvest of crops from farmlands and food supplies from forest. Edible mushrooms, uncommon herbs, medicinal supplies, rare ginseng, and the legendary reishi mushrooms are all endanger by the activities of the boar. Local commerce is greatly affected by the presence of the boar. This boar is single handedly doing damage to local and national economy.
To kill the boar the brothers will jab vital parts and organs of the boar with Iron tipped battle spears. It will be a competition, the winner will bring honor to their esteemed father and they get a nifty boar tusk necklace. The role of the troops is to scare and corner the boar so that the Princes can kill it. Archers are to pelt the boar with volleys of penetrating arrows. Most of the iron tipped penetrators will not go deep into the boar’s hide. The arrows are to anger the boar so it will charge at the Princes so they can stab it with spear. The few arrows that will penetrate the boar will weaken the boar so the Princes will have an easier time.
Each Prince will have a group people to assist with this task. The winner will have boar penis soup tonight, and their entourage will have boar meat for dinner tonight. The archers will consume the heart, liver, kidney, and eye of the boar with rice on the site. The archers gets dibs on organs because they “hunted” the animal and these organs don’t stay fresh very long. Plus they are packed with nutrients and vitamins.
The boar is presumed to be in his lair in the middle portion of the forest. So all party members except cavalry unmounts their horses. The plan is that Feizi Hei Tan will approach from the west, Jiang Hu Tan from the north, Fu Sei Tan from the east, and heavy infantry from the south. They will effectively box the boar in. when they approached the site, they noticed that there are other smaller boars, adolescent white tusk boar. Feizi Hei Tan got one of the soldiers to wave a flag to signal change of plans. Whoever kills the most boars win? Coming from all directions volley after volley of arrows rain down on the boars. Squealing from pain the boars blindly rush in the direction of the incoming arrows. 3 boars charge to the west, 2 boars to the east, and 1 boar to the north.
(Insert illustration of charging boars studded with arrows)
Feizi Hei Tan bravely dodged the first two boars. These two boars continue charging and escaped the enclosure. Feizi Hei Tan signal the cavalry to keep tabs on these two escapees. The 3rd boar, the mother, came charging at him. He stepped aside and then trust his spear into the side of the boar, the spear got stuck. The boar being not mortally wounded swiped his tusk at Feizi Hei. He brought up his shield to block the attack, succeeded but he got knocked back a few feet. “Protect the prince!!!!!” yelled soldiers as they rush into front to become meat shields. He motion one of the soldiers to give him another spear.
Feizi Hei charged at the boar again, he dodge to the right and stab the boar in the shoulder, slicing off a bit of hide and meat off the boar. He rolled as the boar charged at him again. The boar trust her tusk upward to impale the human. Feizi Hei stabbed his spear in an arch to the head region of the boar. The spear struck the neck of the boar, the handle of the spear broke, and he grabs another spear. The boar is slowing down due to blood loss from injuries inflicted by arrows and spears. Feizi Hei walks up to the boar, he aims for the area of the boar that is right under the front leg. If the spear pierce the ribs it will stab the heart and will kill the boar. Success he delivered the killing blow, the boar with its dying twitches swiped at the Prince. The Prince being too happy did not dodge in time, the boar cut a gash on his leg. The wound was superficial.
“I did it I killed the mother white tusk boar!!!” he screamed. After cheering and celebrating a little bit. Feizi Hei went to check on his brothers. He found out that Jiang Hu was standing on top of the corpses of two boars. Jiang Hu was proudly displaying his trophy kill the boar head that he severed from one of the bigger boar. Fu Sei came out of the woods dragging the corpse of the boar he killed. In total the brothers killed 4 boars. Feizi Hei apologized to his brothers “Two of the boars escaped I have my cavalry chase them down, let’s go end the lives of these monsters.”
“Help!!!!! Assassins!!!” accompanied by a high pitch scream. The three Princes rushed to the source of the screams. A girl in noble clothing around the age of 13 was running from 30 assassins in red outfits. All of them waving iron swords, trying to catch up to her to end her life. The personnel of the Prince’s army charged at the assassins. The assassins iron swords broke in pieces when it encounter low grade steel swords and maces. The group killed 26 assassins and knocked out 4 of them. The four knocked out assassins were tied up and gagged.
Feizi Hei looked at the noble girl, she was not wearing clothing that was from this region. Her clothing was unfamiliar yet very nice looking. She is definitely not from the kingdom of Tan he observed. “Dear lady, why are these men chasing you?” He asked
The lady replied “I need help, these men ambushed my carriage while I was going to visit my grandmother. They killed all my soldiers, bodyguards, and attendants. My people distracted them long enough for me to escape from them to run for help. Please help me I want to return home.”
“First introduce yourself, who are you? Where do you need help to go?” asked Feizi Hei.
“My name is Hua Xing Wu, I am the 8th princess of the kingdom state of Wu. I require some assistance to get to the borders of the country of Wu.” The lady replied.
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