Qin Hu

Chapter 142 Refined salt is the foundation of a country's prosperity and people's strength
"My minister agrees!"

"My minister agrees!"

Han Fei, Ying Yao and others also raised their hands and announced in unison.

Zhang Liang still muttered to himself: "Then how should this government-business system be implemented? How should the whaling industry be restricted..."

"Also, I feel that it should be difficult to open up the trade route of Baiyue just relying on candles and the daily necessities of Daqin."

Ying Zheng and Zhao Zihu exchanged glances secretly when they heard the words, and they both laughed.They knew that what Zhang Liang was talking about was that life in Baiyue was very different from that in the Central Plains...

The climate over there is hot and humid, and the mountains and rivers are full of miasma. Perhaps Daqin doesn't really need the things that Daqin uses and eats. At most, there are candles, which can be valued by Baiyue people.

Candles that illuminate more openly at night are convenient for walking in the fog of deep mountains!
Zhao Zihu didn't say anything more, he recruited Zhao Gao, asked for the half can of Wuyi Dahongpao that he kept before, and started to boil water and make tea leisurely.

Seeing Zhao Zihu's actions, Ying Zheng knew that Couna wanted to let go and be a witness, so he immediately asked Zhao Gao to take out the cursive script of the official business system that he had prepared earlier, and asked Chun Yuyue to circulate it.

And he didn't have time to watch all the nobles make a fuss about the cursive script, so he asked Zhang Liang, "I heard that Zhang Qing has traveled all over the world, but have you ever seen Baiyue people?"

"Description haggard, sluggish, with deep-set eyes and abrupt mouth, no different from the Huawai Maomin described in the classics!" Zhang Liang answered seriously and quickly without hesitation.

"Do you know why the Baiyue people are like this?"

"Could it not just be caused by the environment in which he was born?"

"Of course! Reproductive status is only part of the reason. The most important thing is diet. There have been problems for a long time..."

Before Zhang Liang wanted to say anything else, Ying Zheng asked again: "Zhang Qing has tasted the delicious food cooked by my son Hu, have you noticed anything? For example, the taste of salt?"

"Is this salt? It seems to be more delicate than the one I have eaten before, and the bitter taste is gone."

Although he realized that the emperor and his son were going to show some other magical thing, Zhang Liang still answered carefully.

"Hey! Has Zhang Qing ever had the illusion of a little prickly eyes and heart palpitations?"

Zhang Liang's eyes widened. He had indeed experienced this feeling before, not just once or twice. Most of the people he had seen also had such signs, but he didn't pay much attention to it before, thinking that everyone's life was too tiring. , The food is not good enough.

"Your Majesty wants to say that the salt we eat is poisonous?"

Ying Zheng didn't say any more, just nodded at Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao understood, turned around and left, passed by the kneeling courtiers, and picked up a tray in a corner of the palace.

On the tray was a small red clay stove similar to that used to boil water by Zhao Zihu at this time, a small copper pot for cooking tea, a cup of common salt, and other pots of black charcoal powder, fine sand, coarse gravel, and Small funnel, small gauze, etc.

Zhang Liang saw Zhao Fu Ling returning to the emperor with this request, and he was very puzzled.Then look at the master Han Fei, and all the nobles, they are all used to it, and they are still studying the cursive script.

"Your Majesty, take a closer look!" Ying Zheng greeted Zhang Liang again, and personally arranged the bamboo slips in front of him to make room for Zhao Gao to put down the tray.

At this moment, it is an opportunity to assassinate the tyrant...

Zhang Liang quickly walked up to the emperor, and the moment he knelt and sat down, such a thought instinctively popped up in his heart.But after glancing at the stubborn clan tiger next to the two of them, he laughed secretly at himself for taking it for granted.

Afterwards, his attention was attracted by the emperor's movements, and the initial confusion gradually turned into surprise and shock.

I can finally conduct a so-called "science popularization" like a cowardly baby!

Ying Zheng was secretly happy, and began to operate in front of Zhang Liang, but his movements were still a little stumbling.

He first boiled the pot of coarse salt with water, then grabbed the tea bowl from Couna's hand, and poured out the salt water for later use.

"Father? You..."

Zhao Zihu was not polite, and he rolled his eyes at Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng ignored it, took the small funnel that Zhao Gao had tied up with gauze, and held it in the air.

He first poured a little bit of fine sand into the funnel, followed by black charcoal and coarse sand, all just a little bit.

Zhang Liang stretched his neck and looked at the funnel, the three things were more than half of the funnel.

Seeing his curiosity, Ying Zheng squinted and smiled, and said in a speech: "This! The boy once said that it is a simple filter!"

But Shi Huangdi was a big man with a beard who was nearly two meters tall and had a dark face. When he smiled with squinted eyes, he was really not friendly at all, but he felt like he was about to draw his sword to cut people at any time.

Zhang Liang suddenly felt chills down his back, his throat rolled, and he swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva.

Ying Zheng didn't care, and then put the cup of coarse salt under the opening of the funnel, took the tea bowl, and quickly poured the salt water into the funnel.

After a while, seeing the crude salt water being filtered and slow-fired into fine and clear salt flowers, Zhang Liang hissed and gasped: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This, this is..."

"Refined salt! When my son was eight years old, he suddenly said. If you continue to use the food like this, you will get sick if you don't get sick! Then, it happened like this..."

"Later, this refined salt was used in Xianyang Palace. At that time, it was time to plan against the Six Kingdoms, so it was naturally not appropriate to leak this stuff! Unexpectedly, this delay came at this time."

When Zhang Liang heard this, his eyes rolled quickly and his breathing became more and more rapid. After a while, he questioned: "I don't believe it! Since refined salt is very useful, how could His Majesty forget it? Why didn't you promote it after the unification?"

When he said this, Zhao Gao and Han Fei scolded him repeatedly.

"Zhang Liang! Shut up..."

"You kid is really presumptuous!"

Ying Zheng raised his hand to stop the two, staring at Zhang Liang: "Are you trying to say I'm hypocritical? Blame me for not being considerate of my subjects..."

"Do you know how much pond salt and well salt are produced? Don't you know that it's all because of sea salt that they achieved temporary supremacy?"

Zhang Liang's head buzzed, seeing the emperor's somewhat disappointed face, he murmured unexpectedly: "Could it be that His Majesty also intends to investigate the salt industry during this east tour."

Of course he knew that the production of pond salt and well salt in the interior of the Great Qin Dynasty was not optimistic, so that officials and workers with low titles could not eat salt every day, and the common people in the head of Guizhou could only eat salt once every five days.

Ying Zheng ignored what Zhang Liang was thinking, took the tea bowl handed over by the counselor, took a sip, and closed his eyes.His meaning is self-evident, Zhao Gao immediately turned his head and declared.

"Masters, let's go back and rest first. The policy of government and business, the matter of salt making and fishing will be discussed tomorrow morning..."

Zhang Liang was taken aback for a moment, he still wanted to discuss with the emperor and his son how to mass produce refined salt.The kind of days and nights!

But now, he could only sigh faintly, and bowed his hands first to leave.

"The ministers will leave!" Chun Yuyue also returned the cursive script, and slowly exited the palace with Ying Yao and others.

After the ministers had gone far away, Ying Zheng drank another bowl of tea, and then he said hesitantly, "My son! I plan to send Zhang Liang an errand to supervise the salt production."

He is not discussing with you, but telling you that the matter is decided like this...

Zhao Zihu understood, but felt it didn't matter, he just asked jokingly: "Is this son still not giving up the idea of ​​assassinating you?"

"It's a Maxima. It's normal to be unruly! Let me help you tame it first, and it won't be so difficult when you take it later."

Ying Zheng's words revealed a strong paternal love, which really made Zhao Zihu a little uncomfortable.

He pretended to be trembling, stood up and left, jokingly said: "Okay! If you want to grab someone's use, just say so, there's no need to do that."

Wandering around and getting off the boat, Zhao Zihu hadn't reached the door of the camp when he saw Zhang Liang suddenly come out from the grass beside the road.

"Senior Brother! Young Master! Teach Zifang how to mass-produce refined salt?" Zhang Liang bowed deeply on the spot, his tone excited.

Why!What a poor child, I gave my father a little experiment, and he was so dazed...

The corner of Zhao Zihu's mouth twitched, and he sighed secretly.Of course he knew that Zhang Liang was not fascinated by a small experiment.

Zhang Liang is not an old pedant or an engineering dog. He suddenly became so interested in salt making because he cared about the common people in the world...

At that moment, Zhao Zihu frowned and said: "I can teach you all the methods! But, you have to answer me a question."

"My lord, it's okay to say!"

Zhang Liang is very smart.

Zhao Zihu could tell that this kid had already guessed it.

He didn't need to ask any more, but reached out and patted Zhang Liang on the shoulder.

"Accept or reject, it's up to you..."

With that said, he continued to move forward.

Zhang Liang didn't think too much, just took a step forward and followed.

Knowing that Xiangliyue was there, Zhang Liang stopped a few steps away from the tent, but stretched his neck curiously, his eyes followed Zhao Zihu's movements, wanting to look inside.

Zhao Zihu lifted the curtain, strode in, and quickly came out grabbing a piece of cloth.He directly stuffed things into Zhang Liang's arms, and waved his hands to drive away.

"Go back and digest it yourself! I won't send it away."

Zhang Liangru got the most precious treasure, held the cloth in both hands, and said, "Thank you, my lord! There is no reward for the ovary."

As he said that, he turned around and left, but after walking a few steps, he realized that something was wrong, so he turned back suddenly.

"Give my regards to my sister-in-law..."

"Still greeting?" Zhao Zihu's complexion pulled, he looked left and right, trying to find something to beat someone with.With empty hands, he was afraid that he would not be able to control his strength, so he would kill the person instead.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Liang quickly put oil on the soles of his feet and ran away.

"What an elm head!" Zhao Zihu looked at the back of the gradually disheveled clothes, laughed and cursed, and turned to enter the account.

Then the oil lamp in the tent was blown out, and the sluggish sound was like the rising and falling of the tide below the mountain.

On the second day, Zhao Zihu had nothing to do, and found a shady place on the island with his aunt and nephew Xiangli Yue and the cold-blooded Thirteen Eagles to swim and fish.

Ying Zheng once again summoned the ministers to discuss matters in the palace.

On the third day...

fourth day...

Things are basically finalized, and Yu Jia returns to camp on the coast of the East China Sea.

Later, a decree was issued from the imperial account, and Zhang Liang was temporarily appointed as the East China Sea Salt Supervisor.

"Chen! Zifang Zhang! Thank you, Your Majesty..."

In front of Zhao Zihu and the officials, Zhang Liang accepted the appointment very readily.

Then, according to Bubo's instructions, he reclaimed tidal flats and volcanic rocks around, and asked the local people to pick up seawater for pouring.

Yes.

The so-called coast of the East China Sea, Qilu Peninsula, later called Yantai by Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang as the "beacon tower", is a little-known volcanic city...

Looking at the structure of future generations, almost half of the cities are dotted with volcanic geological relics, and some are still active volcanoes that have been formed for hundreds of millions of years.

And the method of refining refined salt that was not available until the Tang Dynasty, the most important thing is...

On the tidal flat, the mud poured by seawater is turned over and exposed to the sun.

After two to three days of exposure to the sun, the salt content in the sea mud is already high, and white salt stains begin to appear.

The next step is to collect the dried salt mud, pave with dry thatch, and fill it into the filter tank.

The salt mud is then poured with seawater, filtered by thatch, and will leak into the brine pool along the stone cracks in the filter pool.

This is equivalent to the second filter in Ying Zheng's little experiment...

After the salt brine in the pool is settled and clarified, it is then poured into the volcanic rock salt tank, and after half a day of exposure, the refined salt can be collected.

The refined salt obtained in this way, a volcanic salt tank can produce no more than two catties of salt at a time, but the efficiency of refining refined salt is several times higher than that of well salt and pond salt.

Moreover, Ying Zheng also formulated a benefit for these people who refine refined salt. As long as someone in the family becomes a salt worker, each household can receive a catty of refined salt every month...

For the common people in the head of Guizhou who are used to eating bitter brine, this is like the sound of nature, and they naturally have to do their best.

Looking at the barefooted people on the tidal flat, even though their backs and knees were hunched under heavy burdens, Zhao Zihu still had a smile on his face, Zhao Zihu felt a lot of emotion, and he was very grateful.

"Da Qin! It's starting to walk on a more correct path..."

(End of this chapter)