Rebirth of Wu Ba Spring and Autumn

Chapter 385 The Benefit of Salt
It is understandable that the salt produced by Wu State cannot compete with the salt produced by Qi State, but in Qingji's view, this situation must be reversed.

The most important thing is the output and quality of salt!
Therefore, the method of making salt must be changed, and it must be produced in large quantities, and the quality can be guaranteed!
Immediately, Qingji asked the official in charge of the workshop again, saying: "In addition to the method of frying salt, can't the workshop use other methods of making salt?"

The official in charge replied: "My lord, there are several methods of making salt throughout the ages. They are nothing more than the method of frying salt, drying in the sun, and making brine from seawater. The latter two have been tried before, but they all came to nothing."

"Haven't you considered using other methods? Innovating the method of making salt?"

The official in charge laughed dumbly and said, "Your Majesty, the methods of decocting salt, drying in the sun, and making brine from seawater are all passed down from our ancestors. It has been around for thousands of years. It seems that there is no other way to filter table salt."

Hearing this, Qing Ji shook his head, these officials are really too orderly.

But it's no wonder that the source of thought comes from life, and the reason why the ancients were able to have such fantastic ideas.

In the final analysis, it is actually conforming to the needs of the times, just like the Taoist idea of ​​letting nature take its course, but it still needs improvement.

As far as Qingji knows, the sun-dried method is sun-dried without going through the stage of cooking with firewood.

Its early production methods are: sun exposure, natural crystallization, and intensive labor fishing.

But this method is obviously not suitable for mass production, and the quality of the salt produced is worrying.

At this time, Fan Li next to him tentatively asked: "Your Majesty, could it be possible that Your Majesty has a better way to make salt?"

"I know a five-step salt production method, which may be very suitable for the current production of table salt."

Qingji is a vigorous and resolute person, and he does what he says. He gathered a group of craftsmen in the salt workshop and taught them the method of cultivating fields and watering them in the sun, that is, the "five-step salt production method" that did not appear until the Tang Dynasty.

This five-step salt production method first appeared in Jindi, and was later extended to the production of sea salt.

In other words, this method of salt production is applicable to the production of a series of table salts such as sea salt, well salt, and pool salt!
The five-step salt production method, as the name suggests, is to produce table salt in five steps: collecting and evaporating brine, removing impurities through baskets, storing brine, crystallizing, and shoveling out.

Ge Yinqingji was not a professional saltsmith, so he only guided him from the sidelines.

According to Qingji's instructions, the craftsmen's first step was to collect the brine and evaporate it.

They lead the brine (water with high salt content) to the evaporation bed, and evaporate it in several sections, "one step at a time", and evaporate naturally by the sun and wind.

When the brine is evaporated, it becomes coarse salt with larger particles.

The craftsmen began to use the "basket" to remove impurities, that is, to use the salt plate crystallized during the salt production process as a "basket", called a nitrate plate, which can remove impurities and purify the salt-producing brine.

The third step to do is to store brine.

The craftsmen will transfer the brine after four to six "baskets" to the brine storage area for muddy storage.

The brine is then completely crystallized.

The bottom of the crystallization tank is a flat nitrate plate.

Before lifting the brine, add a small amount of fresh water to the pool to save manpower for shoveling salt, and make the crystallized pool salt more loosely combined with the nitration plate.

The craftsmen pour the brine from the brine storage into the crystallization pool, and then the full and bright white salt can be continuously precipitated.

This last step is to shovel out the salt, and you're done!
The table salt produced through this five-step salt production method has larger particles, pure white color, and the taste has been removed from bitterness.It is definitely much better than the sea salt of Qi and the pool salt of Jin!

Qingji taught the official in charge of the workshop the method of cultivating fields, watering and drying salt, and asked him to order the salt workers to operate it.

As a superior person, it is naturally impossible to do it yourself.As the saying goes, there is a specialization in the art industry.

Letting a person who knows nothing to do this kind of technical work may not be as good as ten minutes for others!
The official in charge dubiously followed the salt-making method taught by Qingji, and ordered the salt workers in the workshop to operate step by step.

Less than two days later, a plate full of relatively large grains of pure white salt was placed in front of Qingji and the officials.

Qingji immediately dipped some salt in it, took a sip, and immediately smiled from ear to ear and said: "Good! That's the taste!"

As the king of Wu, the king of a country, the salt that Qingji eats on weekdays is all high-quality refined salt, which has been carefully selected.

But now, using the salt-making method taught by Qingji, it is completely possible to produce refined salt in large quantities!
Tingwei Boshun who was on the side was indeed Qingji's exclusive sycophant, after tasting a little salt, he immediately had a flattering expression on his face, and praised: "Your Majesty, this method of cultivating fields and watering salt in the sun is really extraordinary! Enough to be passed down through the ages!"

Hearing this, Qingji waved his hands and said, "I am determined to benefit the people, and my merits and demerits will be judged by future generations, so why should I care about it?"

What Qingji said was quite hypocritical.

Ge Yinqingji brought out this kind of method of cultivating fields and watering and sun-drying salt, just to allow the salt produced by Wu State to completely crush the salt produced by Qi State in the market, so that Wu State can profit from it and earn a lot of money Full!

"Your Majesty's invention of this salt-making method is a meritorious deed that will benefit the present age and will benefit the future! I am afraid that even Yao and Shun will not be able to match it, but this method of cultivating fields and watering the sun to make salt is enough for Your Majesty to stand shoulder to shoulder with Shennong!"

It has to be said that Bo Tong's flattering skills have improved a lot.

Catching Qingji's shining point, it's a burst of flattery!

However, Bo Tong was completely convinced by Qingji's invention of this salt-making method by watering farmland and drying in the sun. Apart from a little sycophancy, he was more of admiration!

Just imagine, salt is an essential condiment in everyone's life.

And Qingji improved the method of making table salt, so that the salt can get rid of the bitter taste, and can be produced in large quantities, thereby lowering the price of table salt, so that more working people can eat enough table salt.

Isn't this a great merit?

Qing Ji was flattered by Bo Tong's flattery, his face blushed, but he could still restrain himself.

Qingji immediately inquired: "Second and third sons, how do you think the original method of frying salt compares with the current method of cultivating fields and watering and drying salt?"

"This is a great improvement!"

The official in charge lowered his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the salt decoction method in the past was time-consuming and labor-intensive. Based on the production capacity of salt workshops in various places, the amount of table salt that can be produced a day is less than six hundred shi."

"However, if you use this method of cultivating fields to water and sun-dry salt, I can guarantee that the daily salt production of salt workshops in various places can reach [-] shi."

"And this is a conservative estimate!"

In this era, one stone is ten kilograms for later generations.

Normally, a person needs to consume six grams of salt, two grams per meal, but ancient people only had two meals a day, which may be a little less.

(End of this chapter)