Iron is a strictly controlled commodity under the imperial court, as it serves as the raw material for forging weaponry. In these turbulent times with rebel armies rising up everywhere, the authorities investigated the trade of iron artifacts with extreme severity.
Even for a small private workshop like Blacksmith Zhao's, if Battalion Commander Xia had not provided official military documents as a guarantee, he would not have dared to help Xia Family Village forge weapons and steel plates, being restricted at most to casting farming tools, iron pots, and similar everyday items.
As for smelting iron deep within the mountains, it was practically tantamount to treason!
Chapter 55