Emperor Sui Yang

The bearings have been made and installed on the waterwheel. There is no creaking sound when the waterwheel was turning before, and it is very smooth.

Since the waterwheel can run 24 hours a day, the vegetation materials needed for papermaking can be pounded out faster.

"In the past, how long did it take to pound it into pulp?" Yang Ming asked Yuan Shoudao with a group of officials to the paper mill in Chang'an County.

Yuan Shou replied: "In terms of manual labor, the pulp used for Ichiban paper takes about ten days, and now it takes three days."

A piece of paper is a piece of paper, one hundred sheets, and one ten days is ten days, which is equivalent to shortening the time by seven days and improving the efficiency a lot.

However, the most time-consuming part of papermaking is actually drying, which means seven to eight months of rain and sun exposure. This process uses ozone in the air to change the structure of lignin and pigments, thereby achieving the bleaching effect and improving flexibility. .

After drying, the raw materials will change directly from taupe to white.

Because it takes too long, the bark raw materials for drying will be divided into three parts. The ones collected in two months will be hemp paper, the jute paper will be collected from March to June, and the white hemp paper will be collected in July and August.

It is equivalent to the 20-year, 30-year, and [-]-year-old Fenjiu Group.

This process is not easy to save, because wood contains lignin, and lignin itself is yellow. Later generations used chemical bleaching methods. Yang Ming couldn't figure out those chemicals, so he could only use the ancient oxidation-reduction bleaching method.

Although Yang Ming's main purpose now is to produce more paper rather than more beautiful paper, waiting seven or eight months to make pulp is indeed too long.

But he has a way, but he can't say it in front of so many people.

"One waterwheel can drive twelve treadmills, which are used to pound the veneer of the stone mortar. This amount is exactly the amount of pulp used for paper," Yun Dingxing explained to the ministers:

"That is to say, as long as the supply of raw materials continues, the waterwheel can produce a lot of paper in half a month, because there are still beating, dosing, papermaking, water filtration, paper pressing, and paper drying."

The treadmill is similar to a seesaw, with a fulcrum in the middle, and a person steps on the other side, picks up the opposite wooden mallet, and then drops it to pound the pulp.

There are manual and hydraulic pounding in the paper mill. Now bearings made of refined steel are installed, which is based on hydraulic power, which frees up more labor.

Some people want to ask, there is no shortage of people in the Sui Dynasty, yes, there is no shortage, but the technology in this professional field is not easy to teach people, so the paper factory is equivalent to not recruiting people, it is the father who takes care of the sons, and the master takes the apprentices .

Although there is no official establishment, they can be regarded as employees of state-owned enterprises. Can you civilians enter casually?
Including the refinery in Hedong, the real technology is invisible to ordinary workers. Will recruit again.

"It seems to save some time, but not much." Yang Yue frowned and said, "Drying and soaking are the most time-consuming. It is best if this process can be shortened."

Soaking and retting is soaking in lime water. Lime water is alkaline and can disperse lignin, making it easier to form pulp. It also has the effect of decolorization. The lime soaking process in the Sui Dynasty took two months.

If you want to shorten this process, it is actually the same as showering and drying, just add one more step.

A group of high-ranking officials wandered around the paper mill for a long time before dispersing one after another, while Yang Ming left all the people from Taifu Temple behind.

At night, in the shed of the paper mill, Yang Ming said:
"Soaking in lime is to take advantage of its acidity and alkalinity. In fact, there is a way. You can try it. First soak in lime for one month, then soak and ferment in human urine, then cook, and then drench in the sun after cooking. We can see how it works White time."

All the officials of Taifu Temple were dumbfounded, are you kidding me?Paper is precious, how can it be soaked in human urine?
Of course, human urine contains urea-based salts, which are acidic. Urine-based salts can gradually penetrate into the interior of raw materials and dissolve part of the lignin. This has been verified.

Until later generations, when bamboo paper was made by hand in the countryside of Fuyang area on the outskirts of Hangzhou, human urine was still used to impregnate it.

In fact, whether it is soaking, fermenting, cooking, or drying, it is all to remove lignin without destroying cellulose.

After Yang Ming finished speaking, no one said a word, and everyone looked strange. It was obvious that this method proposed by Yang Ming was a bit difficult to accept.

Things that have been soaked in urine are smelly, and paper is used to record classics, histories, sons, and collections. How can urine be used?

Seeing that everyone was silent, Yang Ming said, "The food in the fields is also fertilized by retting dung. Isn't it delicious when you eat it?"

"Yuck~"

I don't know who made such a voice, Yuan Shou was furious: "It's a serious discussion, what are you doing? Get out."

The officer who almost threw up hurried out.

"Pretentious," Yang Ming said in a deep voice, "Deduct half a year's salary from him."

Yun Dingxing knew that Yang Ming's words were definitely not aimless. Urine is sour, and fermentation is fermentation with acidic substances. The prince's words are not unreasonable.

I just heard him say: "It is fermented first, then steamed. After steaming, it will be washed. The smell of urine has long since disappeared. If it can shorten the time, you might as well give it a try."

Yang Ming nodded and said: "The current plan is to increase the collection of raw materials. The cost of making clothes from linen is too high. It is better to use bamboo and mulberry bark. When adding medicine, you might as well try carambola vines."

Adding paper medicine during pulping can float the cellulose in the pulp, and can separate the paper more effectively when peeling off the paper.

Basically, the stock solution of various plants is used as medicine.

Yun Dingxing hurriedly recorded.

Yang Ming explained again, and then went back to the palace.

It is a long process to improve papermaking technology. What he can do is to shorten the time and cost as much as possible. In this way, the high volume of shipments is cheap, and it is cheap, so everyone can buy it.

In October, Yang Ming received good news that he had finally entered the Central Plains, bringing only 2000 people along with the court tribute.

"Sibi is almost at Yanmen, who shall we send to pick him up?" Wei Xuan asked at the court meeting.

For a king of a country like Shibi, you have to send a relatively high-ranking person to Yanmen to meet him, and then take him to Jiangdu. To put it bluntly, he is to be a guide.

Why did Shibi stop at Yanmen?

Because this place in Yanmen County has been regarded as the red line between the Central Plains Dynasty and the northern nomads since the Han Dynasty. If you make trouble outside Yanmen, it is called harassing the border, and you will generally send frontier troops to drive it away.

But if you pass through Yanmen County, this is called aggression, and the imperial court will send troops directly.

Shibi knew this rule, so he didn't go through Yanmen right now, but was stationed there, waiting for the imperial court to send someone to pick him up.

"Eldest Sun Sheng and Pei Gong have always been in charge of the foreign affairs with East Turkic. The eldest grandson passed away, and Pei Gong is in Jiangdu." Yang Xuangan frowned, "It's really hard to choose this person."

Cui Zhongfang smiled and said: "Choose, it's easy to choose, it depends on whether you like it or not."

After all, he looked at Yu Wenshu.

Yu Wenshu was stunned: "I'm going? I've never dealt with East Turks before, so I don't know the etiquette in this area."

Xuangan said: "It's okay, the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple will send people to help."

"Then isn't it right for you to go?" Yu Wen said.

Xuangan smiled and said: "I have a concubine who is about to give birth, and I can't leave."

As soon as this remark came out, Chaotang burst into laughter.

Yang Ming was dumbfounded and said: "Then you should go home quickly, don't delay your business because of state affairs."

Yang Xuangan was speechless for a moment, and lowered his head.

Yu Wenshu also couldn't help laughing and said: "I don't want to go unless I'm an old man. If it's true, I don't understand diplomacy. Everyone thinks, how about Tang Guogong going? Shimin will be in Jiangdu next year to honor the princess, and Tang Gong has to go to Jiangdu anyway. , isn't this just on the way?"

"A good idea, it seems that it must be Mr. Tang," Lu Chu said with a smile.

Does Li Yuan want to go?I don't want to go, being a guide is a very hard job, but he wants to refuse, there is no excuse.

The imperial examination was over, and he was free.

At this time, Yang Ming looked at Li Yuan and said with a smile, "Mr. Tang, have you had a hard time?"

Li Yuan glanced at everyone, and found that everyone seemed to recognize him, so he could only nod helplessly:

"I would like to go to Yanmen to welcome you."

"Okay," Yang Ming said with a smile, "There is no need for pickets for the people and tributes that Shibi brought with him. The food and lodging on the way will be provided by the prefects of various counties. You take 2000 people from Zuo Yiwei to Yanmen to pick them up, and then go to Luoyang for a ride." The boat goes south."

After finishing speaking, Yang Ming looked at Lu Chu again: "The Ministry of Internal History issued a certificate of customs clearance. Since he has come, we must entertain him."

"Yes," Lu Chu nodded.

Being able to come at the end of the day relieved Yang Ming's worries that had lingered for many days. In fact, the big bosses in the court were also relieved.

Everyone knows that as long as Shibi comes, then Da Sui will have a peaceful life in the next four or five years. Since they sent Taiping here, they should naturally entertain them well.

With the sound of "dismissing the court", all the officials dispersed one after another, only Yu Wenshu lingered and refused to leave.

Yang Ming had already got up, but Xuan sat down again:
"What? Is Mr. Xu still doing something?"

Yu Wenshu faltered and said: "I want to explain."

"Tell me," Yang Ming said with a smile as he tapped on the handrail.

Yuwen stated: "In the statement of the Ministry of War's resumption, Liang Shidu said that the minister delayed the military plane, so that the Zhongwen Department was almost destroyed, and the minister was wronged."

Master Liang belonged to the prince, Yu Wenshu knew it, and the other party was reinstated through the imperial examination officer. Yu Wenshu guessed that the prince arranged behind the scenes, so he was worried that Yang Ming believed Liang Shidu's words, so he would stay today. Think about explaining.

Yang Ming directly raised his hand and smiled, "Don't worry about Mr. Xu. The Liang division is only a general, and Mr. Gong is the chief commander of the march. If he doesn't understand what you do, don't need to explain."

"I'm afraid the prince will misunderstand you," Yu Wenshu said humbly.

Yang Ming smiled: "No, I won't doubt Xu Gong's use of troops just because of a small general. By the way, what does Xu Gong think about this visit?"

Yu Wenshu was taken aback for a moment, and said directly: "He is still afraid of me going to court. If this person is in power for a day, my troubles in the Sui and Northern Dynasties may be temporarily eliminated."

"Mr. Xu is optimistic," Yang Ming said with a smile, leaning back.

Yu Wenshu's face remained unchanged and he said: "I conquered Goguryeo in the Sui Dynasty, and the country was in full swing. Turkic clowns would never dare to violate my Tianwei at this time, but what the crown prince said is that it is really not appropriate to be optimistic about border troubles."

Yang Ming said casually, "Is Huaji still smuggling with East Turks?"

Yu Wenshu's face changed slightly, and he quickly waved his hands and said, "Absolutely not."

Yang Ming smiled: "There is a report from Yushitai that Huaji did not have contact with the East Turks, but how did he get along with the West Turks?"

Yu Wenshu's face changed greatly: "Chen Chen doesn't know this happened?"

"Go back and ask him." Yang Ming got up, and said earnestly, "Take care of Huaji and don't let him bring you trouble."

Yu Wenshu also hurriedly got up, bowed his hands and said, "I respectfully send you off to Your Highness."