Ming Zuo

Chapter 73 Dispensing
Compared with Qu Shizi, Zuo Menggeng's method of wooing Zhang Jimeng is much simpler.

He directly took out half of his shares and sent them over, and Zhang Jimeng accepted it with peace of mind.

This income alone allows Zhang Jimeng not to worry about his life and can also subsidize his family.

As for the others, careful preparation is required.

Just in time for the Spring Festival, the reason is ready-made.

Zuo Mansion was busy, and sets of glass products were put into different boxes and then distributed to different servants.

"These two sets of things have to be handed over to my father in person, and I told him that during the festival, the boss should not be stingy."

Zuo Liangyu is the chief secretary in Baoding. If he can't come back during the new year, the mansion must prepare the new year's goods to send there.

Zuo Menggeng prepared two sets of glass products for him and asked him to bring them as gifts.

This kind of gift is much more elegant than gold and silver, and it is very helpful for Zuo Liangyu to befriend his boss.

The other gifts were all to be sent to the capital, to Hou Xun, Liu Zongzhou, Xu Guangqi and Gong Duan respectively.

"If you don't need to say more about Gu and Niantai, they will naturally understand when you deliver your things. On the side of the office, they said that they are very grateful for his reminder and will not be able to do without his help in the future. In the Xu residence, gifts are required. Be careful. Especially for Miss Xu, it can only be opened by her."

The people take orders and leave quickly.If the speed is fast, come back just in time for the Chinese New Year.

There is currently only one furnace, which produces a limited number of glass products.

However, under the heavy reward, the enthusiasm of the craftsmen is very good.Not only has he mastered the method of blowing glass, he has been able to add various patterns to the glass.

For craftsmen who have improved their skills, Zuo Menggeng is not stingy with money and position rewards.

Craftsmen are oppressed and enslaved by superiors like cattle and horses. When did they receive such attention?

It is really regarded as a confidant to die!
Everyone is immersed in the dream of getting rich, and no one knows that Zuo Menggeng has quietly separated some craftsmen.

What these glass craftsmen do is an absolute secret, and only the top leaders of the Houying know about it.

In a remote clearing between the barracks and the iron smelter, another department has been established.

Glass is also produced here, but the product is absolutely invisible outside.

One is a telescope, a military weapon.

However, the grinding of the lens is a test of the craftsman's skills.

After more than ten consecutive failures, the craftsmen only got a little bit of a doorway, but I am afraid it will take some time before the telescope is made.

But another glass product was made without a hitch.

That's the labware.

To get the necessary gunpowder for the musket, Zuo Menggeng must configure it himself.Without these instruments, it would not be possible at all.

What Zuo Menggeng wanted to do was mercury fulminate.Then use the mercury fulminate as the triggering agent to get the flash cap.

Although mercury fulminate as gunpowder has various shortcomings, it is the best choice under the current conditions.

Although the production difficulty of fire cotton is similar to that of mercury fulminate, the positioning of the two is completely different.

Mercury fulminate can be used as a percussion agent, and the amount of flash cap is not much.In the case that large-scale industrial production is not possible, the most primitive method can also be used.

But collodion is used as a propellant.

Not to mention whether metal bullet casings can be made, the amount of propellant in bullets and artillery shells alone is an astronomical figure.

Don't think about industrial production, even if the supply of cotton is not enough.

To make mercury fulminate, you need to make nitric acid first.

The production of nitric acid requires concentrated sulfuric acid and sodium nitrate.

In this day and age, none of these things are readily available.Zuo Menggeng must be prepared from the most initial stage, step by step.

Doing this on zero basis, the tedious steps can really make people crazy.

If it weren't for the inherited memory of a top-notch generalist in the military field, Zuo Menggeng felt that with his own abilities, he would not be able to make mercury fulminate in another thousand years.

In addition, there are still many affairs in the military camp that need to be handled by him, which further divides his time.

It was not until the day of the New Year that he used laboratory methods to obtain qualified nitric acid.

However, at this stage, it is not far to produce mercury fulminate.

No one was seen on the New Year's Day, which made Huang very dissatisfied, and asked Zuo Yan to urge him personally, Zuo Menggeng had to reluctantly bid farewell to the laboratory.

"This place is blocked and guarded closely. No one is allowed to approach, and the things inside are not allowed to touch."

Zuo Menggeng left Zuo Rong behind to take care of the laboratory in person.

It's not that I was afraid that the secret of mercury fulminate was stolen.

In this era, he did not teach others step by step the preparation method of mercury fulminate, even those scientists from Europe were at a loss.

He was afraid of causing an accident.

The sensitivity of mercury fulminate is very terrifying, and if the collision force is larger, it may explode.

For this reason, he deliberately placed the laboratory far away from everywhere, and was not allowed to enter within [-] meters of the surrounding area.

If mercury fulminate is produced in the future, it is even more necessary to create a no-man's land of about a kilometer.

But I dare not put a gunpowder workshop in the capital city like the ignorant Ming Dynasty.

My dear, half of the capital was gone in one explosion.

Zuo Menggeng didn't want his army to be blown up by such an accident before it took shape.

Seeing Zuo Menggeng leaving Zuo Rong behind, Zuo Yan couldn't bear it.

"Master, it's a new year, why don't you let the children rest and have fun?"

Zuo Menggeng shook his head in veto.

"Since you are a soldier, your responsibilities are the heaviest."

Zuo Yanxin said that when I was in the Liaodong Army, the generals were not so unkind.

Seeing that he had to persuade, Zuo Rong quickly said: "Dad, you don't have to worry about me. There are still so many soldiers. The young master is home. If I go back, those soldiers will be left alone."

What else could Zuo Yan do, he could only sigh, full of regret.

"Then you remember to eat well, don't freeze. After work tomorrow, go back earlier."

Zuo Rong promised to come down, watched Zuo Menggeng and Zuo Yan leave, and began to arrange the New Year's affairs of the military camp.

The preparations for the New Year here are very good. Zuo Menggeng asked Lao Qintou and Zhang Yan to buy a few big fat pigs early to ensure that everyone can eat a sumptuous dumpling today.

Except for the soldiers who must be on duty, the rest are also allowed to go home and be reunited with their relatives.

Anyway, the relatives of the soldiers are in Zuozhuang next to it, and they are very close, so it is not difficult to manage.

Arriving at the edge of the city, the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year is very strong.

For those refugees who have no clothes or food, the local government office has sent people to give them some food, so that they can also have a full year.

As for the city, there were lanterns and festive joy everywhere.

The continuous sound of firecrackers filled the air with the smell of gunpowder, and children swarmed the streets and alleys.When you meet someone you don't know, you should say goodbye to the New Year.

When I got the candy and snacks from the adults, I happily distributed them to my friends, and then ran away.

On this day, the eldest girl and the little daughter-in-law also rarely walked out of the house.Shop in groups of three or five, and you can talk for a long time about buying anything.

Many shops have plates at the door, with prepared food inside, no matter whether you are shopping in the store or passing by, you can take it and eat it at will.

The shopkeeper stood at the door and greeted everyone passing by.If someone enters the store, it is even more auspicious.

In other places, during the New Year and festivals, the shops are closed early and go home to enjoy.

Only here in Linqing, there is a strong commercial atmosphere.

There were too many people on the street, Zuo Menggeng and others couldn't ride a horse, and it took a lot of hours to walk all the way home.

When I got to the mansion, I saw Huang's commanding people to be busy inside and out.

Prepare wine, prepare food, prepare flying posts, paste couplets, sacrifice ancestors, and prepare silver coins outside the house.

This silver coin is left outside the door, and no one dares to touch it.

Because this silver coin is a custom of Linqing New Year's Day, on the spring day, the bosses of the [-] ​​lines of the city and the wealthy families in the city will pool together the money and perform a big show at the Chaoguan Wharf for the people of the city to watch.

Bosses from all walks of life will even come off in person and dress up as characters in the play.The more money the boss pays, the heavier the role he plays.

Of course, the wealthy and wealthy will not end, donating money is a problem.

The money was placed at the door, which was collected in Lizheng and handed over to the performer of the performance.

Whoever dares to move this money will become the public enemy of the whole city.

Seeing Zuo Menggeng come back, Huang Shi rarely lost his temper.

"Look at you two, the big ones can't come back outside, and the small ones can't go home for the New Year. What's the point of letting me, a woman, support such a big door?"

Zuo Menggeng quickly apologized.

"Mother's hard work, it's really the child's side that can't get away."

Zuo Yan also spoke for Zuo Menggeng at this time.

"The madam doesn't know anything, the young master is in charge of tens of thousands of people, and he really can't get away."

The Huang clan only knew that Zuo Menggeng was the president of the thousand, and it is reasonable to say that there should be thousands of people under his command.When I heard that there were tens of thousands of people in charge, I couldn't help but be surprised.

"Why so many people?"

Zuo Menggeng didn't want Huang to know about this kind of thing, so he interrupted quickly.

"What about little sister?"

Speaking of a well-behaved daughter, Huang was very satisfied.

"None of you are coming back. This girl is afraid that I will be tired, so she will help me with my inner and outer. I guess she has someone to post the couplet, and she has to look at the kitchen."

Zuo Menggeng smiled.

"That's good, I'll be able to eat when I get back, and I won't delay going out."

Huang's face was not good-looking.

"It's a new year, why are you still going out?"

Zuo Menggeng followed her inside and said patiently, "This is the New Year, how are so many soldiers and their family members, I don't worry about it. The more this time is, the more careful you should be. In this way, they will be loyal when they go to the battlefield in the future. use."

The affairs of the general's family cannot be avoided.

Hearing this, Huang Shi couldn't help but look complicated.

"Your father has fought for so many years, but he doesn't have as much thought as you."

There was something she didn't say.

It is obvious that the son's attitude towards the soldiers under his command is much better than that of Zuo Liangyu.

Although Huang was illiterate, he did not know how to fight.

But you can also see clearly, it seems that Zuo Menggeng is superior to Zuo Liangyu in governing the army.

　Thank you Mr. Hh Potato for the tip!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)