Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

Chapter 124 Changes on the Farm

"We heard that you also specifically confessed that the craftsmen of the iron smelting institute are forging a square iron furnace, and you also asked a group of craftsmen to develop new glass?"

Zhu Di asked again, "Are you planning to imitate jade?"

"Your Highness misunderstood, the humble minister would not do such wicked things!" Guo An said quickly.

As early as the Song Dynasty, there were craftsmen who could make glass.

However, the transparency of glass at this time is not high, and it is often used by people to imitate some fake jade. Glass is also called medicine jade and fake jade!
In addition, people also know that those glasses are actually made of sand, and without the mystery, the price plummets directly.

As a result, rich and noble families have begun to disdain the use of cheap glass, and ordinary people cannot afford it, so no one is willing to develop glass technology.

Of course, there are also glazed vessels with high value, but these are completely different from glass. At least those glazed vessels that Zhu Di brought back to Guo An's hometown are extremely beautiful and exquisite.

Therefore, Guo An also knew why Zhu Di asked such a question.

"Your Highness, if the glass that I want can be developed, those wealthy families will definitely rush to buy it."

"Oh?"

Zhu Di didn't believe it.

"Your Highness, a new object will have different uses in everyone's hands. You will know when Wei Chen develops it!"

Guo An did not continue to explain.

"What's the use of that iron stove?" Zhu Di asked again.

Guo An said, "Your Highness, the iron stove is naturally used to keep out the cold in winter."

"To keep out the cold?"

Zhu Di was a little puzzled.

Guo Andao, "Burning coal in the iron furnace will keep the house warm."

Hearing this, Zhu Di's face suddenly changed, "Doesn't Guo Qing know that when coal is burned, it emits poisonous smoke?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness, I know that charcoal can emit poisonous smoke, but it only needs to discharge the poisonous smoke outside through the chimney!"

Guo An explained slowly.

"How to release it outside?" Zhu Di asked curiously.

"Dig a hole in the wall, and then lead a chimney from the iron furnace, and plug it out of the hole through the hole in the wall, or if it is a house built with cement.

Just like the cement house being built on the farm, a flue can be left in the house wall when the house wall is built.

After the iron furnace is built, the smoke hole on the iron furnace is directly inserted into the hole of the chimney, so that the poisonous smoke generated by burning coal will circle around the flue between the walls and then be discharged outside. "

Guo An continued.

"So feasible?"

Zhu Di looked happy, he probably understood what Guo An meant, but he didn't fully understand it.

However, whenever there is a trace of feasibility, Zhu Di will support it.

In Beiping, or in other words, the entire Great North, there is no one who is not afraid of the cold in winter.

Every year, when the snow is more than one foot thick, people will freeze to death.

And there is only so much firewood every year. After the rich and noble families in the city buy it, the common people in the countryside will not have enough firewood in their homes.

"Your Highness, it should be possible."

Guo An was also a little uncertain.

"Go, follow us to the farm!"

Zhu Di got up straight away and walked outside.

"this will?"

Behind him, Guo An was taken aback.

"How can such a big event be delayed?" Zhu Di said.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Guo An had no choice but to keep up.

After leaving the palace gate, Guo An thought of something again, and hurriedly reminded: "Your Highness, there is no iron furnace on the farm!"

"Zhu Liang, hurry up and take people to the Iron Smelting Institute, and bring us the newly forged iron furnace to the farm."

"Hey, this...Your Highness, wait a minute..." Guo An was stunned.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhu Liang on the side had already responded, and jumped on the horse beside him, and rushed out with two soldiers.

"What do you want to say?"

Zhu Di asked.

"Your Highness, I just want to say that it is also possible for Tieye to forge two iron chimneys!" Guo An said slowly.

"Into his mother..."

Zhu Di's face darkened, and he glared at Guo An angrily and cursed, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Guo An has long been used to Zhu Di's moody personality, who likes to swear when he opens his mouth...it should be a bad show.

"Your Highness, it's not like I didn't call Zhu Baihu to stop!"

"Then I'll go to the Iron Smelter?"

"Your Highness, let's go to the farm. I have been worrying about the construction of houses on the farm these days."

"His mother, the mother-in-law talked for a long time..."

……

"The villain sees His Royal Highness King Yan and Guo Changshi!"

"The villain sees His Royal Highness King Yan, and Guo Changshi..."

At the farm, Ding Shang and several managers hurried forward to meet Zhu Di.

Afterwards, a group of people walked in.

When the farm and Guo An came last time, earth-shaking changes took place.

The most obvious is that in the middle of the farm, there are rows of two-story concrete houses.

And around the farm, there is also a lot of traffic.

Groups of laborers, pulling carts of cement and sand, came in and out of the farm.

"So many people have been conscripted?"

Seeing such a scene, a trace of self-blame flashed across Guo An's face, "How many people's livelihoods have to be delayed in this way, what a sin!"

Zhu Di glanced at Guo An with a disgusted expression on his face, "You can rest assured that we will pay you for all the conscripted labor."

"Giving labor wages?"

Hearing this, Guo An's expression changed again, full of astonishment.

Immediately, his face was full of praise, "Your Highness really loves the people like a child, so after these two months, the people can earn a few more money, which is enough for their winter expenses!"

Zhu Di's heart moved slightly, he was still distressed about paying the wages of these hard laborers.

Now, after being told by Guo An, he realized that winter will begin in a few months.

When winter came, these common people could only stay at home with cats, unable to do any work, and naturally they could not make money or support their families.

At most, they braved the cold wind and went into the mountains to pick up a few bundles of firewood and buy them in the city, but the firewood was not worth much.

"How much money is enough, this king wants to give these hard laborers extra money!"

"Your Highness, no!" Guo An hurriedly dissuaded him.

"Why?" Zhu Di stared at Guo An.

Guo An said: "Your Highness, how could there be wages for these hard labors before? Now that His Highness pays them, I am afraid that I have been scolded by other officials many times in my heart.

Now, if His Highness processed money again, he would be hated even more.

Moreover, if the imperial court fails to pay enough wages when these conscripts are recruited again in the future, wouldn't it be that they will make a fuss, even if they don't make a fuss, they will be passive and sabotage. "

Zhu Di's expression froze, he thought for a while, and nodded slightly.

"It seems to be true!"

Guo An said again: "Your Highness can reward these craftsmen."

"Reward?" Zhu Di thought of something, and his face darkened.

Guo An continued to take care of himself and said: "Your Highness can wait until the farm is completed, and each laborer or craftsman will be rewarded with one or two coins.

In this way, after these hard laborers and craftsmen heard about it, they would definitely be very active in their work.

After they received the reward, they would not only be grateful to His Highness, but even wait until the next time His Highness calls for labor, these common people will rush to come. "

Zhu Di's face brightened, "This method is wonderful!"

As he said that, he couldn't help but glared at Guo An, "You are much more treacherous than those civil servants!"

Guo An looked helpless, "Your Highness, I am a civil servant. However, I am much kinder than those civil servants."

Zhu Di ignored Guo An, and said to Xu Yun who was beside him: "The order is passed on, and when the farm houses are built, this king will reward all the laborers and craftsmen with two coins each!"

"Your Highness is merciful!"

Xu Yun responded quickly, and walked down quickly.

In less than a moment, Zhu Di, Guo An and others could see all the laborers and craftsmen who knew the news, and their steps were much faster.

"Your Highness!"

At this time, Zhu Liang had already brought a carriage and came over.

"Has the furnace been brought?"

"Your Highness, an iron stove and a bucket of coal have been brought here." Zhu Liang quickly replied.

Zhu Di nodded slightly, then looked at Guo An, "Where are you going to test?"

"Your Highness, just find a house!" Guo An said.

Zhu Di said: "That's it, let's put the iron furnace in the cement house on the far east."

"Follow the order!"

Zhu Liang responded and walked down quickly.

Zhu Di walked straight towards the concrete house.

As early as when Xu Yun led a group of craftsmen to build a concrete house on the farm, Zhu Di came over curiously to have a look.

However, in his opinion, these concrete houses are dark and ugly. Apart from being strong, they are far less beautiful than his palace, so he didn't pay much attention to them.

Indeed, in this era when there was no white putty, tiles, or wallpaper, the newly built concrete houses were indeed a bit ugly.

However, for those old soldiers stationed on the farm, these concrete houses are considered the best houses in the world. They are very sturdy, and they don't have to worry about heavy rain or snowstorms, and the roof will collapse in the middle of the night.

"Your Highness, the iron furnace is here!"

After checking for a while, Zhu Liang had already walked in with two soldiers carrying an iron stove.

"here!"

Guo An pointed directly at a hole in the wall just next to the door and said.

"Carry it over!" Zhu Di said.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhu Liang quickly commanded two soldiers to carry the iron furnace over.

Then, a small square chimney at the back of the iron furnace was inserted into the hole.

"Another bricklayer needs to seal the hole with cement!" Guo An said again.

"You don't need to find a bricklayer, just go out and get some cement and plug it in!"

On the side, Ding Shang, who had been waiting for a long time, got up and walked out.

When he came in, he already had a small pot of cement in his hand.

With just a few strokes, the gap between the chimney mouth of the iron furnace and the wall was plugged and smoothed.

"What should we do now?" Zhu Di asked again.

"Your Highness, put some dry firewood and light it, and then put the charcoal in it to burn it for warmth!"

Guo An said.

"Your Highness, wait a moment, the villain is going to get firewood!"

Ding Shang quickly said something, then ran out again.

Zhu Liang and several guards also hurried out and brought in the bucket of charcoal.

Not a moment later, Ding Shang also came in with a pile of dry firewood.

As the dry firewood was lit, Ding Shang put the charcoal in again.

"Cover the iron furnace." Guo An ordered immediately.

Ding Shang quickly picked up the iron sheet on the iron stove and covered it.

In less than a moment, raging flames burned in the entire iron furnace.

"There is no poisonous smoke coming out!"

Zhu Di said with great joy.

On the side, Ding Shang, Zhu Liang and others were also full of excitement.

"Your Highness, poisonous smoke really appears!"

"So, if I wait until the cold winter, can I use coal to keep warm?"

……

(End of this chapter)