Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 34
Ye Chen had expected the reaction of Cao Bin and others, ignored Cao Bin's dissatisfaction and displeasure, and still said confidently: "General, my subordinates have a way to remove the toxins from those poisonous salts and turn them into poisonous salts." into good salt that can be eaten."

Speaking of this, he worried that Cao Bin still didn't understand, and then said: "The poisonous salt in the salt mine can be removed after crushing, dissolving, filtering, analyzing and other special processing. , become a good salt that people can eat. Hmm... It's like some herbs that are obviously poisonous, but after some special processing, they become non-toxic and can cure diseases. The same is true for this salt, everything in this world is Prepared for people, as long as you find the correct and suitable method, everything in the world can be used by people, and it’s just a small way to make salt.”

Seeing that the brows were stretched, but the eyes were full of puzzled circles, Ye Chen knew that what he just said was in vain.

However, Cao Bin finally understood one thing, and asked with some expectation: "So you know how to extract edible salt from poisonous salt?"

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief, this matter is easy for the subordinates." In order to make Cao Bin believe him and dare to recommend himself to Zhao Kuangyin, Ye Chen came forward to resolve this matter. He not only further confirmed the matter, but also tried his best to pretend It's a trivial matter to say that this is a trivial matter.

At this time, Cao Bin looked at Ye Chen, and he basically believed what Ye Chen said, and he remembered that the deputy commander who had been to Yongle Border City had said about Ye Chen, and he mentioned that Ye Chen was selling salt for born, and no one knows where he got his salt.In addition, the deputy commander also emphasized that the salt sold by Ye Chen is much finer and whiter than the salt used by any country in the world. Even the salt used in the palace may not be as fine and white as the salt sold by Ye Chen.

Cao Bin's face was already full of joy at this time, and he thought that he was worthy of being a disciple of a hidden master who possessed such abilities.

"Okay! As long as you can solve the problem of the army's use of salt, you will be rewarded and punished by the officials, and you will not be treated badly." Cao Bin looked at Ye Chen deeply and said.

Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, thinking that what he was waiting for was your words.

"General, don't worry, your subordinates dare to guarantee with the head of the project that they can definitely turn the poisonous salt in the salt mine beside the Fen River into good salt." Ye Chen vowed again.

Not long after Cao Bin and other generals entered the imperial tent, Ye Chen, who was a little nervous, saw a small yellow door coming out of the imperial tent, walked towards him, and then declared that the officials told him to go in.

This was the first time Ye Chen met Zhao Kuangyin, and when he remembered that the figure in the imperial tent, who was familiar to people even in later generations, was the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, Ye Chen felt a little nervous.

Ye Chen followed behind the small yellow gate, and like those generals before, he untied his long knife from his waist and the bow and arrow on his back, handed them to the guards at the tent gate and put them aside, then took a deep breath and walked in.

The imperial tent is so big, and there are all those furnishings inside, Ye Chen didn't dare to look around, in fact, even if he looked, he couldn't see it.Because there are more than 20 people gathered in the imperial tent, all of whom are civil and military ministers above the fifth rank.

The moment Ye Chen stepped into the imperial tent, the noisy voices in the imperial tent suddenly disappeared, and there was a complete silence. Suddenly, everyone's eyes were focused on him.

Ye Chen was no longer nervous at this time, and gradually regained his composure. He knew that Cao Bin must have told everyone about his "superior disciple"'s origin, and he had guaranteed himself that he could solve the problem of salt confirmation.

Ye Chen swept his eyes and found that he was facing a passage about Zhang Xu wide. The floor was covered with red patterned wool carpets. At the end, Bao sat on a man wearing a dragon robe, with a square face, big ears, and a slightly dark complexion. majestic man.There are nearly twenty civil and military ministers standing near the entrance of the tent on both sides, most of them are military generals, and there are six chairs on each side near the throne. Zhao Pu, the chief assistant prime minister of the Song Dynasty, whom Bin had met.The other four generals, Ye Chen, have also seen these days. They are the veteran Guide Army Jiedu Envoy Gao Huaide, the Guards and Infantry Commander Dang Jin, Zhaoyi Jiedu Envoy Li Jixun and Xiong Jiedu Envoy Zhao Zan.

Among them, Gao Huaide, Dang Jin, Zhao Zan, and Cao Bin respectively command the four armies from east, west, south, north, and south that are now surrounding Jinyang City.

Ye Chen knew that everyone was looking at him, and most of them were scrutinizing eyes. After he glanced at him when he first entered the imperial tent, he didn't dare to look more. When he was about ten steps away from Zhao Kuangyin , he knelt down on one knee, performed a military salute, and said, "Lieutenant Ye Chen pays his respects to the official family, long live the official family!"

It was the first time for Ye Chen to meet the emperor, and he had never seen how other people met the emperor before, so he learned the scene from the later movies and TV shows.But now it seems that there is nothing wrong.

Zhao Kuangyin naturally knew from Cao Bin that Ye Chen could solve the problem of the lack of salt in the army. Looking at Ye Chen, after examining it, his face was full of joy and anticipation, and he said in a gentle but majestic voice: "Pingshen!"

Ye Chen said: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After speaking, he got up and stood up.

"Ye Chen! I ask you! Can you really turn the poisonous salt in the poisonous salt mine by the Fen River into edible salt?" Zhao Kuangyin asked expectantly.

Ye Chen repeated what he said to Cao Bin in a decisive tone: "If you go back to the official's house, I will guarantee with my head that I will definitely be able to turn the poisonous salt into good salt that can be eaten." He wanted to call himself a humble official or a subordinate, but when he thought about the fact that the captain was in front of the emperor, he probably wasn't considered an official.And the subordinates are even more inappropriate, so I directly refer to myself as 'I'.

Zhao Kuangyin got Ye Chen's face-to-face confirmation, he looked overjoyed, and said: "Okay! I can make a promise to you, as long as you can solve the problem of the army's use of salt, and make such a great contribution, I will definitely reward you."

Ye Chen was ecstatic when he heard the words, thinking that this great achievement was not expected to be so easy.In his imagination, to make a great achievement, he didn't know how many times he would have to fight with his life, and he was able to shoot and kill important generals among the enemies of the Song Dynasty such as the Northern Han Dynasty and the Khitan.

As for making salt, he was quite sure.

Ye Chen thought wildly in his heart, suppressed the excitement in his heart, and said, "Officials! I need military craftsmen to help me make some tools for a day, and then I need three hundred soldiers to help me."

Zhao Kuangyin said without hesitation: "There is no problem with this matter. I will order Jia Xian, the general secretary in charge of logistics, to cooperate with you fully. In addition, I will give you five hundred soldiers. I don't know how many days you can produce enough to feed an army for a month." of salt."

Ye Chen glanced at Jia Xian who was standing on the right back, and said, "I don't know how much salt the army uses for a month?"

Including Zhao Kuangyin, everyone looked at Jia Xian.

Jia Xian hurriedly bowed out, bowed to Zhao Kuangyin and said: "Officials! One person uses about half a catty of salt a month, and my army uses about [-] catties of salt a month. If Captain Ye can't get so much Good salt, there are [-] catties of salt, even the army can barely use it.”

Ye Chen immediately said confidently: "I can guarantee that [-] catties of salt will be mined and refined every day. Within ten days, the salt used by the army within a month may be mined."

Everyone was shocked, and most of them even looked skeptical.Only Cao Bin, who had seen the strange things about Ye Chen, was full of confidence in Ye Chen.At this time, he stood up and said: "Officials! As far as I know, the salt made by Ye Chen is far more refined than the salt eaten by people in today's world. Such a secret technique that can be passed down to the family must not be passed on easily. Therefore The craftsmen involved in making various tools and the identities of the five hundred soldiers involved in salt making must be carefully selected."

The implication of Cao Bin's words is, on the one hand, to prevent the method of making salt from being leaked, and on the other hand, to remind everyone that Ye Chen's contribution of this method is not just to solve the current problem of salt shortage in the army.For the people of the world and Song Dynasty, what Ye Chen did was an outstanding contribution and meritorious service, and it was a major event that truly benefited the country and the people.

Ye Chen didn't take it seriously because this method was very easy to come by in later generations, and it was already involved in his middle school physics and chemistry knowledge.But the others were shocked after being reminded by Cao Bin.When he saw Ye Chen again, his eyes changed further.

In ancient China, successful people in all walks of life would have some housekeeping skills that were passed down from family to family. They were to be used to make the family successful, and they were absolutely unwilling to pass them on to others.Just like well-known craftsmen from all walks of life, not all of them will be taught to their apprentices. Some skills are passed down from generation to generation.This is also one of the important reasons why many advanced technologies and medical skills in Chinese history have been lost.

Although salt is managed and operated by the state, and there are specific state agencies to control this matter, in fact the specific operations are still operated by merchants, but these salt merchants are called official merchants, and most of the money they earn is handed over to the state treasury, but small The heads are still obtained by these salt merchants.Even this small amount is enough to make the salt merchant one of the most wealthy merchants in the world, and even after several generations of accumulation, he is rich enough to rival the country.

The reason why these salt merchant families can become official merchants is because they have the method of making salt passed down from generation to generation.And no matter who is in power, or even dynasties change, their status and identity will generally not change.

And now Ye Chen, who has mastered the method of making salt far beyond all the salt merchants, wants to use this method to make salt for the army. The hundreds of people involved in it are not controlled by themselves like those generations of salt merchants. people.In this way, Ye Chen's method of making salt will inevitably leak out.It would be a great loss to Ye Chen.For Zhao Kuangyin and everyone present, those who participated in the salt production were extremely important.

In fact, in the scene at this time, only Ye Chen did not understand the matter, but only vaguely understood that Cao Bin would seek the greatest benefit for himself from the emperor.

So, after a little hesitation, Ye Chen took the initiative to say: "When my mentor taught me, he told me that once I had the opportunity, I must spread what I learned in my school to the world. The end of chaos in the world is the beginning of civil rule. , I don’t know how much Han culture has been lost. This is the painstaking efforts of the predecessors and the wealth of the descendants. How can it be heartbreaking, how dare the boy hide his secrets. Officials! I am willing to dedicate this method of making salt to my Song Dynasty for free. Dedicated to the country."

When everyone heard this, they all shook their bodies, and when they looked at Ye Chen again, their gazes changed again.Including Zhao Kuangyin, everyone thought that if they were in Ye Chen's position, they would not be as selfless as Ye Chen.

The admiration in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes was beyond words, and the same was true of other civil and military ministers.

"What a master disciple! I won't say too much if I need to. Before the end of the battle, time is running out. You should follow Jia Xian to prepare the tools first. Then I will select [-] soldiers to call for you. Don't worry! If you do this well, I will never treat you badly." Zhao Kuangyin said solemnly.

Ye Chen was overjoyed. After thanking him, he followed Jia Xian and left the imperial account.

(End of this chapter)