This Song Dynasty is different

Chapter 98 Putting the cart before the horse

The trend outside is in full swing, but the person involved has disappeared.

Some people said that Li Xian ran away, some said that Li Xian was hiding, and some said that Li Xian went into the palace to seek asylum from the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother scoffed at this.

"Marquis Dingyuan has been busy outside the city and in the workshop with a group of craftsmen all day long. No one knows what he is going to do."

"Does the official know?" the Queen Mother asked.

"The official said that Marquis Dingyuan is probably working on something."

"what?"

"Tell me what it is...the traditional skills of the Mo family."

What are the traditional skills of the Mohists?
Confucianism refers to strange skills and obscene skills.

Li Xian led the craftsmen to dig a hole outside the city.

"It has to be as deep as a person's neck." Li Xian jumped in and measured the depth.

The people doing the work are naturally not craftsmen, the craftsmen are all learning.

From time to time, people come to ask for advice.

Li Xian answered them one by one.

Zhang Xiao, deputy envoy of the Third Department of Salt and Iron, is asking about the progress every day, but once asked about Li Xian's specific methods, I'm sorry, but I have no comment.

Finally, the hole was dug.

The coal Dingyuan Hou asked for was also found.

Put the coal into the pit, cover it with one layer, then another layer, and then cover it.

"Light the fire from here!" Li Xian led the craftsmen to operate.

Someone came to the palace and the Queen Mother summoned him.

"What are you doing?" The Queen Mother finally couldn't help but asked.

Those courtiers' memorials seemed to impeach Li Xian, but their targets were actually officials.

Her Majesty knew exactly what they wanted to do.

They want things to go back to the way they were.

The weak officials still kept a straight face and allowed themselves to be manipulated by their ministers.

"What I am doing can bring the steel of the Song Dynasty into the homes of ordinary people." Li Xian said.

"Big words!" The Queen Mother asked the people of the Third Division, "The Third Division said that it is difficult to advance the smelting technique now."

"That's them." Li Xian said, "And Chen is a giant of the Mohist family."

The Queen Mother had forgotten about this incident. She took a deep breath and said, "The official family has been silent."

Li Xian smiled, "I like one sentence the most, and the explosion after silence is the most heartfelt."

"hope so!"

The Queen Mother waved her hand and Li Xian resigned.

Watching him go out, the Queen Mother was silent for a long time and ordered: "Those memorials... suppress them!"

"Many people in the outer court are clamoring, saying..." Luo Chongxun hesitated, "saying that the Queen Mother protects Marquis Dingyuan too much."

The Queen Mother said calmly: "He obviously could not kill the envoy, he only needed to scold him. But he did it. Do you know the reason?"

Luo Chongxun didn't dare to answer.

The Queen Mother said quietly: "It's just because he has the Song Dynasty in his heart." She pointed outside and said: "The ministers who are clamoring in the outer court at the moment only have themselves in their hearts."

Li Xian went to find Zhao Zhen. The man was painting, and what he painted was actually a woman.

"Who is this?" Li Xian asked.

Zhao Zhen immediately rolled up the semi-finished product, "Do you still have the mind to care about this?"

"I eat well and sleep well." Li Xian sat down casually, picked up snacks and ate, and picked up the teapot and drank.

"Do you know what I thought when I learned that you killed the Jiaozhi envoy?" Zhao Zhen handed the painting to Zhang Ze and took the handkerchief handed by the palace maid to wipe his hands.

"Shocked?" Li Xian just sat like this. Yan Guan would definitely be furious if he saw it.

"No. I just had an idea at that time." Zhao Zhen shook his head, "Why don't you take me with you!"

……

While waiting for the results to be released, Li Xian sat under the tree alone, with Zhao Zhen's anger still in his mind.

The young man was angry. He was angry that because of his status, he could not kill the Jiaozhi people and avenge the people who died in the Song Dynasty.

It's revenge, not revenge.

You kill one of me, and I'll kill ten of you... These were the words Li Xian left for Zhao Zhen before he left.

When the emperor of the Song Dynasty changes, what will happen to the Song Dynasty?
When foreign enemies dared to touch the Song Dynasty, there would be no more calls for peace from the court to the people.

beat!
Anyone who dares to offend the Song Dynasty will respond with swords and guns.

Li Xian took a deep breath of the pungent smell, looked at the place still steaming, and nodded.

"Your Majesty ordered, turn on the furnace!"

The covering on the top was gradually lifted.

In the mist, things below were gradually revealed.

"Isn't that coal brought in? How come it turned into a tree stump?" A craftsman looked at Li Xian in confusion, thinking that Dingyuan Hou was a master of magic tricks.

The expert walked over slowly, grabbed a 'tree stump' himself, and shook it hard.

When he lifted up a black-gray 'tree stump' and struck it with a mallet, making a crisp, metal-like sound, everyone was stunned.

"Master Hou, what is this?" asked a craftsman.

Li Xian held up the 'wooden stake' and said, "This is coke. This is the foundation of the Song Dynasty's prosperity!"

Only with coke can we have the basis for large-scale smelting.Only then will there be more excellent steel performance.

With a large amount of better steel, all walks of life in the Song Dynasty will have wings to take off.

"What will happen when the soldiers of the Song Dynasty hold more sophisticated but cheaper armor and weapons?" Li Xian asked Zhang Xiao, who hurried over.

Zhang Xiao said: "The barbarians will tremble." The originally wealthy Song Dynasty was supplemented by cheaper, more numerous, and sharper soldiers and armor. If the officials are determined to forge ahead and the ministers and ministers are outstanding, then what will happen You can think of anything with your knees.

He looked at Li Xian with bright eyes, "Can this thing achieve everything the Marquis said?"

Li Xian nodded, "Yes, no one can deceive anyone!"

"Can we increase production?"

“With this thing, we can build larger smelting furnaces and smelt better and more steel at one time.”

Zhang Xiao took a deep breath, "If you can do it, I will be a supporter of the Mo family. Anyone who dares to suppress the Mo family will be my enemy!"

Li Xian said that the Mo family should make many friends and few enemies.

The deputy envoy of the Third Division in charge of the Salt and Iron Division can be considered an important minister.

If the Mo family has such a supporter, how many people's jaws will be shocked?
Then get ready for testing.

The craftsmen are busy building a new stove, which is twice as big as the old one.

Zhang Xiao went into the palace to see the Queen Mother. After some words, the Queen Mother ordered the palace guards to guard the smelting workshop. Except for a few people, no one else was allowed in or out.

"Let's see what that guy is going to come up with."

The workshop is under lockdown.

Li Xian went out early and came back late, but the Eighteen Arhats had an additional junior student. After teasing him for two days, he discovered that this junior student was quite strong-willed and dared to fight to the death.

"They respect Chang Li a little bit more." Wen Yanbo came to visit his husband and was surprised to see him with gray hair and dirty face.

"The snot is all black." Li Xian sighed, sat down, picked up the big bowl and drank water, unbelievably bold.

"In the eyes of those dandies, the weaker you are, the more they will look down on you. A bunch of bastards, tell them that your teacher will be back in a few days. If you don't make any progress in your studies, then just wait for a big stick to beat you!"

"Yes." Wen Yanbo looked at the busy craftsmen and saw them crawling around a rapidly forming stove like ants. He couldn't help but think of those comments in his heart.

Ant bug!

Ant people!

When everyone sees such a scene, they will feel that people are like ants, but Li Xian regards these ants as treasures.

"Is this their food?" Li Xian gave up the small stove on a whim today and ate with the craftsmen.

The cook looked embarrassed and said: "Master Hou, this is already very good."

A craftsman behind him said: "Yes! Since Mr. Hou has been here, my food has become better and better."

Multigrain pancakes, a bowl of soup with no discernible content, and a few pickles.

"I've seen the officials!"

When Zhao Zhen came to inspect, Li Xian turned around and said, "The official came just in time."

Zhao Zhen came over, and Li Xian handed him the meal he had made, and took another one himself. The two of them found a place to eat.

"This..." Zhao Zhen looked at the food in the bowl, feeling a little confused.

"Can't eat anymore?" Li Xian asked.

Zhao Zhen reluctantly took a few bites and shook his head.

"It's because I'm here, so it's much better." Li Xian pointed to an old craftsman waiting in line and said, "That man is called Wang San. He once improved the smelting method to make the sword sharper. Can you Do you know how much his monthly salary is?"

Zhao Zhen shook his head.

"How much do you think the monthly salary of such a person should be?" Li Xian sighed, "The great craftsmen of the country are not as good as the petty officials. Tell me, who would be willing to think about ways to improve? Who would be willing to be a craftsman? "

"The Song Dynasty has been much better, but the craftsmen of the previous dynasty were even more miserable." Zhao Zhen retorted.

"Yes, but you are trying to be worse." Li Xian took a sip of the strange-tasting soup, worried that he would have diarrhea.

"What do you want me to do?" Zhao Zhen said softly: "You have to know that there are so many craftsmen in the world. If they are all treated according to your ideas, there will be complaints from all over the world."

"I would rather use money and food to feed those gluttons who will never be full than to give it to these heroes who contributed to the Song Dynasty." Li Xian shook his head and stopped arguing with him on this issue.

After having a meal and returning to the palace, Zhao Zhen reported the situation to the Queen Mother.

"Marquis Dingyuan is leading the craftsmen to build a higher and larger furnace. It is said that one smelting will produce at least five times more iron than before. And the iron is better and costs less."

"Oh!" The Queen Mother looked at the memorial casually and was suddenly startled, "How many? Five times?"

"Yes." Zhao Zhen didn't think the Queen Mother had bad ears. This only meant that the Queen Mother didn't take this matter to heart.

"I have only seen a little of the power of the Mohist school from the yellowed classics. Marquis Dingyuan said that he was a descendant of the Mohist school. To be honest, I didn't really believe it at first. However, who would take the initiative to wear the hat of the enemy of Confucianism? Where is your head?"

Only madmen would actively become enemies of Confucianism, which is why countless people believe that Li Xianzhen is the inheritance of Mohism.

"Get it for him!" the Queen Mother said: "As an emperor, what you have to do is to stay high in the ninth heaven and forget about all gains and losses. In this way, you can clearly see what the ministers are thinking."

But the Imperial City Secretary then came to report that Li Xian and Sansi borrowed a sum of money to improve the food for the craftsmen.And he said that the money would be repaid by the officials.

The Queen Mother laughed angrily, "If you don't see any results, let him pay it back on his own."

On the third day, someone sent a post to Li's house.

The guard who was left behind immediately went to the workshop to tell the news.

"It's a post from a group of scholar-bureaucrats in Bianjing, saying that they are inviting Mr. Lang to a banquet at Jinmingchi tomorrow."

Li Xian took the post and threw it on the ground. A craftsman came over and said, "Master Hou, we can test it tomorrow."

"it is good!"

Li Xian walked to the stove and inspected it carefully...

On the second day, Li Xian lit the fire himself.

"Feeding!"

He took a few steps back and said softly: "This is just the beginning..."

After an unknown amount of time, a craftsman shouted: "The molten iron is coming out!"

The fiery red molten iron flowed out.

The red light reflected the excited faces.

"Master Hou!"

An old craftsman just took one look at it, raised his hands and cheered, "It's done! It's done!"

(End of this chapter)