Carrying AK into Ming Dynasty

Chapter 130 Daming Coal Industry
From Xi'an Mansion to Tongguan, and then to Pingyang Mansion, when half of the frontier troops arrived in Taiyuan Mansion, it was already the real middle of winter. The whole area of ​​Shanxi was snowing heavily, and the ground had already been covered with a thick layer of snow.

The auspicious snow heralds a good year, which is a good sign, and it means that the severe drought that has plagued Ming Dynasty for decades has passed, as long as it survives this winter.

But it is not easy to survive this winter.

Now the only thing Liu Hongjian didn't lack was silver. The entire government office in Taiyuan Mansion, as long as it was a yard, was filled with gold, silver and jewels 'looted' from Shaanxi and Shanxi.

"Oh, I'm so sad, it would be great if so much money could be turned into food!" Lao Bi and Liu Hongjian often sat in the room and looked at the mountains of gold and silver outside and sighed.

In addition to gold, silver and jade wares, the eight major Shanxi merchants also have hundreds of thousands of stones in grain, but they are not useful, and they must worry about food in the coming year.

"Uncle, it's been dug out! It's been dug out!" Just as he was thinking about it, Gu Datong trotted over from the outside, wheezing his stomach.

"It's Lao Gu, why are you so excited, sit down and warm up before talking!" Liu Hongjian ordered people to increase the charcoal fire.

"Oh my uncle, it's terrible, the coal mine that is only [-] miles away from our Taiyuan mansion, the coal dug there really does not emit black smoke!"

How could Gu Datong have the heart to enjoy the fire? Ever since he accepted Liu Hongjian's errand, Gu Datong has been thinking about anthracite for a month.

In winter in the north, the fields fall fallow, and the land in Shanxi is full of hard-working ready-made laborers. When they heard that Uncle was going to dig coal, these hard-working men rushed into Datong without hesitation.

Anyway, being idle at home is idle, not to mention digging coal and taking care of food, which saves one person's expenses for the family.

Liu Hongjian only knew the location of the coal mine roughly, and he didn't pay much attention after he said it before. He was very happy when he heard that the coal mine had been dug. At least this winter would not be so sad with coal.

"Well, let's go and have a look!" Liu Hongjian stood up.

"Master, it's getting dark, let's go tomorrow!" Yang Xue said, fearing that it would be at least ten degrees below zero outside, took out a thick cloak from the back room and put it on Liu Hongjian's shoulders.

"Hahaha, it's okay, Xue'er, you don't know, we northerners are blessed with this anthracite, old Bi, do you want to go for a stroll?"

Old Bi was afraid of the cold, and shook his head like a rattle. Liu Hongjian didn't care, put on his cloak and followed Gu Datong out.

In a ravine in Qingyuan County, more than a thousand men in shabby cotton-padded clothes were digging underground black rocks despite the heavy snow. This place was a small coal mine specially designated by Liu Hongjian.

Before, because they didn't know the specific anti-counterfeiting, more than a thousand miners dug everywhere, and they didn't find the mine until today.

Liu Hongjian didn't know the structure of the mine. He only knew that even though the technology was so advanced in later generations, there would still be reports of mine collapses and gas leaks from time to time.

Coal is produced in Shanxi, with Datong as the largest. Although the Qingyuan vein is not large, the coal mine is only two or three meters underground, and it is easy to dig.

"Uncle is here!" Someone yelled, and the people digging in the mine all dropped their pickaxes and rattan baskets and ran towards their benefactor.

Without Liu Hongjian, everyone would know how difficult this winter would be. Now Liu Hongjian not only distributed food to support their family, but also opened a coal mine to feed them.

In fact, many local aborigines know that there is coal underground, but coal is rubbish, and the black smoke from burning these black stones will smother people to death. This is the consensus of all aboriginals.

So much so that everyone thought that digging these black stones was Liu Hongjian's trick to give them food, so they were even more grateful to Liu Hongjian.

"Benefactor!" As soon as Liu Hongjian got off his horse, hundreds of miners bowed down and shouted.

"Well, get up! Old Gu, it's still snowing in this cold day, so the workers should be allowed to rest!" Liu Hongjian said calmly.

"Uncle, it's not that the old man doesn't let them rest, it's that they insist on doing it. They said they want to repay the uncle's great kindness and dig more stones for the uncle!"

After riding for [-] miles, Liu Hongjian was fine. Old Gu was in his sixties, and he usually took a carriage when he went out. Today, he had to ride a horse with Liu Hongjian, and almost lost his bones. The shelves are scattered.

"Uncle, we are not afraid of the cold or tiredness, as long as there is food to eat, we are willing to work all night, and we like to dig stones for uncle! Don't you, everyone!"

A middle-aged man who was obviously the leader had a face blackened by coal ash, only showing his white teeth, turned his head and yelled at the many miners behind him, his words were simple but sincere.

"Yes, yes, we like to dig stones for uncle, we are not afraid of the cold!" Many miners echoed.

"What nonsense, this coal is precious, uncle is for the benefit of Daming! Go, go, go to the mine and continue digging coal!" Gu Datong yelled at the miners.

"Well, work hard. When Ben Bo promotes this anthracite coal, we in Shanxi will no longer have to live a hard life!" Liu Hongjian's face was full of dark lines in response to the answers of these miserable miners.

A few rows of simple tents were set up at the foot of the mountain. When it was time for dinner, some old men in the kitchen beat the gong to signal the miners to get off work and eat.

Zamian black steamed buns, rice porridge, pickled vegetables and dried radishes. Although the meals are simple, they are full. Mining is hard work, and it is impossible to fill the stomach.

All the miners stopped what they were doing, picked up a handful of black dirt from the ground, and lined up towards the kitchen.

Every miner had a broken bowl in his hand, and the queue was long. In the past, the mining area was the busiest when it was time to eat, but today the atmosphere is a bit strange.

Liu Hongjian was very interested, and played a guest role as an aunt in the cafeteria, holding a spoon to serve porridge for the miners. The miners had never enjoyed such treatment. When the uncle served them food, everyone trembled with excitement. hand it over.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Liu Hongjian said while serving his meal.

After all the miners had eaten, Liu Hongjian felt hungry, so he asked the old man in the kitchen for a bowl of porridge for himself, grabbed a black steamed bun and took a bite.

What an aftertaste, the last time I ate this black steamed bun was in Li Zicheng's barracks, I wonder if brother Wang Dachui is still there?

The miners around looked at the uncle in front of him while picking up the food, and watched Liu Hongjian swallow the black steamed bun in disbelief.

Gu Datong also grabbed a black steamed bun and took a bite. It was the first time he ate this kind of black steamed bun mixed with weeds and sorghum. Spit it out.

"Old Gu, our coal mine must have a name, let's call it 'Daming Coal Industry', look for a well-written signboard later.

The first batch of coal produced was sent to Xuanfu and Shanhaiguan, where it was even colder, and this coal could save lives.

Furthermore, send more people to the surrounding areas of Datong. There are larger coal mines there. Although not all of them are anthracite coal, they are stockpiled by Ben Bo. When Ben Bo returns to Beijing, it will be of great use.

Also, all coal will be supplied free of charge this winter. This is a major event that benefits the country and the people, so we must do it with heart! "

Liu Hongjian warned Gu Datong, but before Gu Datong responded, the sound of horseshoes could be heard in the distance.

"My lord, Madam has a letter!" Chang Yu got off his horse, handed over a letter, and said with a white breath.

(End of this chapter)