In modern times, iron was the most important basic material in industrial and agricultural production.
Its greatest use was to refine steel. The annual production of steel represented the modernization level of a country and its national defense forces.
The televisions, refrigerators, cars, bicycles, railroad tracks, watches, and so on that were commonly seen in daily life needed iron to be cast. It could be said that without iron, there would be no modern society.
In the world that Bai Wutong was in, iron was also a symbol of the power of a country. The Imperial Court's control of iron was even stricter than that of gold mines. As a registered blacksmith, Zhao Yuan had to check the iron ore he bought every month in detail. Moreover, he had to register it in detail no matter who he sold it to. It could be seen that the Imperial Court placed great importance to iron.
