The last conscience of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 130 The Value of the Emperor of the Song Dynasty

Soon, Liang Xin took Zhang Dun's Xie Enshu and entered the palace again.

In the palace, Zhao Ji was staring at a rough Tao inkstone about one foot and five inches long with a stone skin.

Liang Xin estimated that Zhao Ji was studying how to divide it, which was at the design level.

Liang Xin stepped forward: "Brother Yi, thank you for your kindness to Zhang Dun."

Zhao Ji ignored it. It was just an attitude. It didn’t matter how it was written.

Liang Xin stood beside Zhao Ji and said: "In terms of talent, Brother Yi, you are unparalleled in the world, but no one in the world has the chance to appreciate it."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji immediately turned his head.

Liang Xin continued: "After seeing the Tao inkstone you carved, old man Zhang Dun was convinced. I have a small idea. Why not gather some people. I will arrange a small exchange in the north courtyard of my home, and everyone will choose A piece of stone is then carved and placed in Bianjing City, and the one with the highest price will get it."

"When the buyer pays the money, he will know which piece was carved by you. Whether it is good or bad, I believe that the millions of people in Bianjing City will have good judgment."

"I still remember that you wrote a manuscript of an edict a few months ago. You care about the poor. This should be known to millions of people in Bianjing. The money from the sale of Tao Inkstone will be used for this good deed."

After hearing this, Zhao Ji asked: "Then, the people on the same stage can't be different."

Liang Xin: "Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Zhang Gonglin, Zhang Dun, Fan Chunli..." Liang Xin said the names of more than a dozen people in one breath, each of them a great person in the world.

The writing, poetry, calligraphy, painting, and printing are all of extraordinary quality.

"Brother Yi, isn't it a pity that I haven't communicated with these top-notch, famous people in the world?"

Zhao Ji showed an extraordinary confidence on his face.

Liang Xin continued to encourage: "Zhang Dun told me that from the beginning of making the blank, it depends on vision and realm, especially for Tao inkstones with stone patterns and skin, seven points for composition and three points for carving."

"Then, do it." Zhao Ji also wanted to compete with these famous people in the world. Zhao Ji pointed at the shelf: "This piece, this piece, and this piece..." Zhao Ji picked five pieces: "The rest will be shipped away."

Zhang Dun got into his heart. A good inkstone is better than carving, and only then can the conception be realized.

Liang Xin bowed and left Zhao Ji's study.

Get this thing done.

According to Zhao Ji's analysis and Li Qingzhao's speculation, the truly top Tao inkstones are not within the Song Dynasty, but should be in the area controlled by the Tibetan people, which is south of the Tao River.

With one more industry, the road from Bianjing to the west can be repaired in a good name.

Let Fandi have money to earn, plus a large number of donated books, and they will slowly integrate into the Song Dynasty.

Liang Xin returned to Dongkua Courtyard. Before she entered the hospital, she heard a quarrel in the house.

As for Zhao Ji's slight mistake, if he re-imagines it, it can be sublimated.Zhang Dun and Su Shi had a quarrel. Not only did they quarrel, they also grabbed each other's collars.

Take Tao Yan as an example.

Xiang Liang Shicheng can also be regarded as a scholar, but at most he is looking for a first-class inkstone maker.

At Su Shi's level, he prefers to do things by himself.

Ordinary inkstone makers are no longer experienced in carving. As Zhang Dun said, seven points of conception and three points of carving.

Liang Xin came in.

These two old men were arguing so much that no one could stop them.

Liang Xin said: "The official family only left five pieces, which are not big stones. I have arranged for people to transport the rest and prepare to hold an exchange or competition. Those who are not good at carving will be in the palace. There are carving craftsmen, there are also those in the Ministry of Industry, and there are also among the private sector. Compare?"

Su Shi turned around: "Where are the stones?"

"It's being transported out of the palace and will be placed in a few empty rooms in the north courtyard later."

Su Shi flicked his sleeves and walked out.

Zhang Dun also quickly followed.

Su Shi was also fond of gambling, but the gambling was all about elegance. Even if he competed with the emperor this time, he was not prepared to give up.Let Zhang Dun, an old guy, see what realm is.

Su Shi also knew an inkstone maker who was good at carving.At their age, their hands can no longer hold a carving knife.

In the palace, Liang Xin already had a candidate in mind.

Eunuch Hai.

His kung fu is extremely high, his wrist strength is also super strong, and he can carve stones.

I just don’t know how big the technical difference is between carving stones and carving inkstones. I can ask later.

Or if he can do it, he will hold the sword for Zhao Ji, and it will be easier to get promoted in the future.

North courtyard warehouse.

After the group of people came here, they just took a look, but did not miss it too much.

Su Shi said: "Government affairs are important."

Zhang Dun glanced at Su Shi and said, "Yes, government affairs are important."

At this time, what government affairs are most important?

Before, Liang Xin had considered dealing with those evil businessmen who bullied the weak, monopolized operations, and raised prices wantonly.

Zhang Dun proposed at that time to abolish the Market Department and establish a brand new Market Department.

Su Shi had a great dislike for the new laws. In addition to the Qingmiao Law, it was the Municipal Yisi.

The imperial court spends a huge amount of money on the salaries of these people every year, and they support a group of corrupt officials who are even more ruthless than the evil businessmen who run monopolies.

If you want to change, you must change the rules.

Become a yamen that protects ordinary merchants and owners of ordinary handicrafts, rather than a yamen that breeds corrupt officials.

The inkstone is very attractive.

But we gather here not to play, but to make this world a better place.

The battle report from Hehuang is still on the way. It takes almost eight days to send it from Shanzhou to Bianjing, even if it is a six-hundred-mile rush.

Zhongshi Dao, following the military orders issued by Cao Ping, led his troops and horses to leave Shanzhou, leading 3000 vanguards, and rushed to Huizhou.

Huizhou is located in the northeast of Lanzhou.

It was once occupied by the Tubo people. Later, the party attacked it several times and the Tubo people fled. The city eventually became the city of Xixia.In the fourth year of Yuanfeng, the Song army attacked Xia, and this became the front line for the battle between the Song and Xixia armies.

In the second year of Yuanfu, which was last year, the Song army built the city and began to think of ways to occupy it.

A new city was built and named Huichuan City.

Zhongshi Dao came here with three thousand vanguards, and the guard Miao Lu came in and out of the city to greet him.

Zhongshidao only had [-] soldiers around him, and he asked him to send the rest of the troops out to explore the terrain and collect intelligence. If tens of thousands of troops came, they would definitely not be able to garrison in the city. They would have to find suitable places in the surroundings to build strongholds to meet the enemy.

That night, a military attache came to report.

"Tiji, a soldier fell into a deep ravine. We sent people to rescue him and found that there were mostly cliffs or caves on both sides of the ravine. Very rich minerals were found in the caves." After that, the military attache took out a cloth bag and put the contents inside. The items were dumped on the table.

Either white particles or powder.

Zhong Shidao picked up a little with his fingers and said, "Nitre?"

"Back in Tiju, we think it is saltpeter. We asked the local guides and they called it ground frost. We checked it and thought it was saltpeter."

"Extremely rich?"

"If you return to Tiju, you will be extremely rich."

"Report quickly to the commander, mobilize the civilians, dig!" Master Zhongdao knew very well that saltpeter was a necessity for making gunpowder.

Most of the saltpeter used in the gunpowder workshop of the Ordnance Supervisor in Bianjing City was transported from Shu, and some was boiled from the soil on Hedong Road (Shanxi).

(End of this chapter)