Optimus One Pillar of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 51 The Emperor's Energy

Early the next morning, Wang Daoqiu woke up from his sleep. When he stepped out of the cabin, he saw Lu Bing and Lu Fang walking along the river with Emperor Jiajing.

Looking around, Wang Daoqiu had no memory of this place.So he asked the black-shoeed junior high school officer in charge of guarding the ship, "Excuse me, this official officer, where is this place?"

"Sir, this place is next to the Red Stone Mountain in Xuanhua, and at our feet is the Heisha River." Seeing Wang Daoqiu asking, Jinyiwei Black Boots Primary School hurriedly reported back.

Well, it turns out that it was Pangjiabao in Xuanhua in later generations!Knowing that he had arrived at the place, Wang Daoqiu had nothing to ask anymore.He asked Black Boot Junior to fetch water for him to wash up. After washing himself, he made himself as clean as a human being. He got off the boat and ran towards Emperor Jiajing.

"Young people are in good health! Jie Yuanlang, you sleep so soundly! This morning I, Lu Bing, and Lu Fang went to your cabin to find you. Your sleeping posture is indecent, indecent, hahahahaha !”

"Ha ha ha ha"

"Ha ha ha ha"

Seeing Wang Daoqiu running over, Emperor Jiajing immediately began to tease Wang Daoqiu, which caused Lu Bing and Lu Fang to laugh too.

Thinking about how he was surrounded by these three middle-aged uncles when he was sleeping this morning, Wang Daoqiu was very embarrassed.With an embarrassed expression on his face, he clasped his fists and bowed to Emperor Jiajing: "It makes Your Majesty laugh. My hometown is Huzhou, Zhejiang, a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, with a network of rivers. I have been used to sleeping on this boat since I was a child. I am swaying like a child. It’s a great cradle to sleep in.”

"Hahahahaha, Xie Yuanlang is so lucky! He is a farmer, with a vast sea and sky, and freedom. Unlike me, I have been governed by royal etiquette since I was a child. This doesn't work, that doesn't work. I only occasionally sneak out of the palace with Lu Bing and Lu Fang to be free and at ease. Be at ease for once.”

"Your Majesty is joking, I am ashamed."

"Okay, okay, don't be ashamed. It's time for the royal chefs to prepare breakfast. Let's go have breakfast and go up to the Red Stone Mountain!"

"The minister obeys the order."

After chatting, Emperor Jiajing took the lead, followed by Wang Daoqiu, Lu Bing, and Lu Fang, and went to a picnic place temporarily set up by the imperial chef accompanying him to have a meal.

When we arrived at the picnic area, there were plates of food on the table, including pasta and snacks, as well as plates of meat, vegetables, and broth.

Looking at these delicacies, Emperor Jiajing frowned, seeming to be disgusted.The expression of Emperor Jiajing was caught by Wang Daoqiu on the side, so he smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I can also make some food. I wonder if your Majesty is interested in trying my craftsmanship?"

"Oh, Xie Yuanlang can read, prospect, steel-making, and cook? Then I want to try Xie Yuanlang's craftsmanship. If it doesn't taste good, I will punish you!"

"Okay, if my craftsmanship does not satisfy His Majesty, I will accept the punishment."

With Emperor Jiajing's permission, Wang Daoqiu began preparations.Asking Yuchu to help mix the batter, he made a "bamboo dragonfly" himself, and then he started to spread the egg pancakes on Yuchu's pancake pan.

In his previous life, as a diaosi, he worked every summer during his four years of college to pay for his living expenses. He worked as a doorman in a five-star hotel, as a coolie in a factory, and as a handyman in a snack bar.

During those days when he was working as a busboy in a snack bar, he learned how to make more than a dozen kinds of snacks, including this egg pancake.

Spooning the batter onto the pan, Wang Daoqiu followed the process while learning from those food shows and explaining how to make the egg pancake to Emperor Jiajing, Lu Bing, and Lu Fang standing in front.

Soon an egg pancake was made, and Wang Daoqiu rolled the meat that the imperial chef had prepared this morning into the egg pancake, rolled it into a roll, and handed it to Emperor Jiajing.

Just watching Wang Daoqiu explain and do it at the same time, Emperor Jiajing was already greedy.Now Wang Daoqiu handed him the hot egg pancake. He didn't follow any procedures and asked the eunuch to test the poison, then picked up the pancake and bit it.

After just one bite, Emperor Jiajing was very happy. While chewing the cake, he praised vaguely: "Well, well, Xie Yuanlang, this cake is delicious, it's so good! I really want to give those people a try right now." The imperial chef has been beheaded, what do they usually give me to eat?"

After eating the egg pancakes wrapped with meat, Emperor Jiajing was conquered by the delicious taste and couldn't help but think of his usual meals.At this moment, he was so angry with those imperial chefs!
Seeing the angry look of Emperor Jiajing, Wang Daoqiu was busy spreading the second cake and explained with a smile: "Your Majesty, that is different. If you eat the cake I spread now, you will eat something fresh. If Let you eat this cake for three days in a row. You try it. I estimate that if you eat this cake for three days, you will definitely vomit when you see this cake next time! Your Majesty, the reason why you don’t like to eat the dishes cooked by the imperial chefs , it’s not that the chefs are not good at their craftsmanship, but that you are tired of eating it every day.”

"Hahahahaha, think about it, it's really boring to eat the same thing every day!"

After saying this to Wang Daoqiu, Emperor Jiajing turned his head and told Lu Fang beside him: "Lu Fang, the regulations of this imperial dining room will be changed in the future. Every six months, a few imperial chefs will be released, and a few more cooks will be recruited from outside. This dish needs to change frequently, and there must always be fresh ones.”

"The slave obeys the order."

While talking and laughing like this, Wang Daoqiu spread out an egg pancake for Lu Bing, Lu Fang and himself.After everyone finished eating, they rode to Red Rock Mountain.

Hongshi Mountain is not far from the Heisha River, only about three miles away.When the group of them arrived here, the mining scene was already in full swing.Looking around, I guess there should be about 500 people there!
Emperor Jiajing didn't care about those who worked, and he didn't do any condolences or talk nonsense.He just looked up at the majestic Red Rock Mountain, so happy in his heart!Pointing to the red stone mountain, he turned his head and asked Lu Bing, "Is this whole mountain made of red iron ore?"

"Probably more than half! Moreover, my subordinates reported to me this morning that they dug a cave under the mountain. Now the cave has gone seven or eight feet deep into the mountain, and it is full of red stones."

"What, not only the mountain, but even the seven or eight feet deep under the mountain are all made of red rocks?" "It's more than seven or eight feet, Your Majesty. Now we have only dug to seven or eight feet of the cave. The red iron at the bottom is How deep is the ore buried under this mountain? I really don’t know how to reply to Your Majesty right now. How about Your Majesty, let’s let Xie Yuanlang take a look, he can do prospecting.”

"Yes, yes, yes, Jie Yuanlang, look at how much red iron ore there is buried under this red stone mountain."

Emperor Jiajing was excited to hear Lu Bing say that not only this majestic red stone mountain was mostly made of red iron ore, but also the red iron ore buried under the mountain.So he hurriedly followed Lu Bing's suggestion and asked Wang Daoqiu to see how much red iron ore was buried under the mountain.

Wang Daoqiu checked the information in the library. In the Pangjiabao mining area of ​​Longyan Iron Mine, the underground veins go thousands of meters underground.Moreover, the quality of those underground ores is even better than that on the surface.

But you know, you know, the investigation work that should be done is still going through the motions.Otherwise, it would be bad to give Emperor Jiajing the impression of being perfunctory and talking too much.

So after thinking about the necessary procedures, Wang Daoqiu said: "Your Majesty, every mine has veins. Only by seeing the veins can I guess the length and size of the veins. Your Majesty, since Master Lu's subordinates , I have already dug a seven or eighty-foot exploratory cave under the mountain, so let me go down to the mine and have a look!"

"Okay, okay, okay, thank you for your hard work."

Emperor Jiajing was very satisfied with Wang Daoqiu's rigorous work attitude. After saying kind words to Wang Daoqiu, he asked Lu Bing to lead the way to the cave.

After receiving the order from Emperor Jiajing, Lu Bing asked the person in charge of Hongshi Mountain, a Jin Yiwei general, to lead the way to the cave.

Everyone rode on horseback, avoiding the front mountain that was currently being mined, and came to the back mountain where the cave was located.

Facing the dark cave entrance deep into the ground, as well as the echoing voices and the sound of iron tools hitting stones.The general banner of the Jinyiwei summoned a Jinyi warrior and ordered him: "Go down quickly and tell those people to stop firing the cannons. There are adults above who want to go down to see the mineral veins."

"promise"

After receiving the order, the warrior in Jinyi quickly picked up the oil lamp and ran towards the cave.

After the Jinyi warriors descended from the cave, the Jinyiwei general flag clasped his fists and saluted and reported: "Reporting to Your Majesty, gentlemen, now there are three of us Jinyiwei responsible for explosives and five prisoners responsible for cleaning up the rubble below the cave. I have ordered people to go down and inform them. Temporarily suspend the gunpowder operation, the adults who are looking at the veins, you can go down to the cave to check at any time now."

"Okay, you take three of my brothers from the Jinyi Guard and accompany Mr. Wang down to the cave to explore for minerals. We must ensure Mr. Wang's absolute safety."

"promise"

After the General Banner of Jinyiwei reported the report, Lu Bing glanced at Emperor Jiajing. Seeing that Emperor Jiajing had no objections, he ordered the General Banner of Jinyiwei to lead three Jinyiwei to accompany Wang Daoqiu to explore the cave.

Under the escort of two royal guards at the front and back, Wang Daoqiu bid farewell to Emperor Jiajing, Lu Bing, and Lu Fang and went down to explore the cave.

Previously, Jinyiwei Zongqi said that this cave was seven to eight feet deep, which is more than 20 meters.After Wang Daoqiu walked like this, he understood that the seven or eight feet people said was the vertical depth. In fact, the caving tunnel was estimated to be hundreds of meters long.

Along the way, Wang Daoqiu pretended to be a real prospector. He stopped every few meters and took a closer look at the stone walls around the cave. Occasionally, he knocked on it and took some ore samples to look at. It was a serious look. He was a geological bricklayer, and the four imperial guards beside him looked at him with admiration on their faces.

Pretending to come to the bottom of the cave, Wang Daoqiu saw four Jinyi guards holding knives, guarding five prisoners squatting on the ground in tattered beggar clothes.

Seeing this group of people, Wang Daoqiu didn't have the habit of talking nonsense and pretending to be close to the people like officials from a big country.He simply ignored those people, pretending to be a bricklayer, and carefully observed the stones around the cave wall.

Counting the time inside the cave, it should be about half an hour!Wang Daoqiu thought that it was almost time and could not let Emperor Jiajing wait outside, so he went out to explore the cave.

As soon as Wang Daoqiu came out of the cave, Lu Bing ran up and asked, "How are you, Xie Yuanlang? How deep is this vein?"

How deep is this vein, Lu Bing really wants to know.But Wang Daoqiu knew, and Emperor Jiajing wanted to know more about it.So Wang Daoqiu ignored Lu Bing, walked directly to Emperor Jiajing, clasped his fists and bowed: "Congratulations to the emperor, congratulations to the emperor, I just went down to see this cave explorer. I can guarantee it with the head on my neck, this red stone buried under the red stone mountain." Iron ore, at least three hundred feet deep, is higher than this Red Rock Mountain."

"What, three hundred feet? There is ore buried three hundred feet deep under the Hongshi Mountain. If all the red iron ore in the Hongshi Mountain is smelted, how much iron can be smelted? Jie Yuanlang, look at it Is it accurate?"

"I only have one head, and no one dares to deceive your majesty. If your majesty doesn't believe it, you can let the cave go down. If there is no such red iron ore within three hundred feet, I am willing to die to your majesty. Apologize."

"Mr. Xie Yuan, I'm too serious. I believe you. Besides, the red iron ore on this Hongshi Mountain is probably enough for us to mine for a hundred years. As for how much is buried under the mountain, it doesn't matter. Now this Iron ore, I think, is enough for us to build a large steel plant for a hundred years. The remaining key issue is to build a large steel plant! Xie Yuanlang, I remember you said that the iron ore we want to build The steel factory, that big iron-making furnace, can produce millions of kilograms of molten iron in one furnace!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will definitely not disappoint Your Majesty. What I and Mr. Lu had planned before was that as long as there are enough manpower, our steel plant should start making iron before May next year. As long as there are enough manpower, I will definitely Let Your Majesty see those millions of kilograms of hot red molten iron slowly flowing out of that big blast furnace before May next year."

"Okay, okay, okay. Since Aiqing has given me a guarantee, I also promise Aiqing that there is no problem with manpower. There is no problem with manpower. After I return, I will ask the cabinet, the Ministry of Industry and the prefectures and counties on both sides of the Yongding River to collect corvee labor. Winter repairs to the Yongding River water conservancy. I can guarantee that there will be at least [-] people working at the construction site of our steel plant every day. Within three months, the steel plant area will be filled in according to the plan of you and Lu Bing. In addition, I will also let The kilns in the capital and Beizhili went all out to bake bricks, especially refractory bricks for iron-making furnaces."

(End of this chapter)