Sui Dynasty: I, Yang Guang, am both scrupulous and stable

Chapter 54 Trade Surplus
Hearing that Yang Guang wanted to trade with the Southern Dynasties, Lu Bi didn't know what he wanted to do for a while. Wasn't he afraid of being labeled as a collaborator?

His own trade was very cautious because he still had some connection with the Southern Dynasty and was not willing to lose profits. However, Yang Guang spoke about this matter so boldly and straightforwardly.

Could it be that His Highness is testing?

With such a mood, Lu Ben smiled awkwardly and said: "Your Highness, trading with the Southern Dynasties is not a good thing. People like us who are law-abiding cannot do it."

"Okay, then I'll find someone else. I originally thought that I could do something meritorious and profitable with Duke Lu, but it seems that Duke Lu is no longer interested."

Yang Guang stood up and was about to leave. Lu Ben looked at Yang Guang's back and immediately followed after thinking briefly: "Your Highness, don't worry, I know some ways, but I definitely didn't do these things myself."

Although Lu Ben didn't have much ability, he was really good at judging people. Historically, he hugged Yang Jian's thigh tightly at the beginning. After losing the battle with Gao Jiong, he chose to hug Yang Guang's thigh. Both times, he chose the right person, but he It was too early to hug Yang Guang, the time was not mature enough, and he did not live long enough for Yang Guang to become emperor.

Sometimes people don't need to be very capable. If they make the right choices, they can get ahead.

"Mr. Lu, please take me to see your glaze workshop. Don't worry if you follow me, there will be no problems. Don't forget that I am still the eunuch of Daxing City. What I do must be done with my father's permission."

Lu Ben took Yang Guang to their workshop in Xicheng with a smile on his face.

In fact, it is just a courtyard. As soon as I walked in, I felt that the temperature was higher than outside. Firing glaze requires high temperature, so the temperature in the workshop is very high all year round.

When you walk in, you can see several workers, shirtless and sweaty, firing colored glaze.

The temperature required to fire glass is very high. The melting point of silica is as high as 1700°C. However, the temperature of most kilns can only reach a maximum of 1600°C. This is also the reason why glass is difficult to fire. The firing temperature of ceramics, even High-temperature firing only uses 1200°C, which requires hard conditions. Ceramics are smaller than glass.

Therefore, although the craftsmanship of ceramics is also very complicated, we have many skilled craftsmen and have developed rich ceramic art. In addition, according to the actual situation in ancient times, the practicality of ceramics was higher than that of glass.

Lu Ben introduced the workshop: "This workshop produces colored glaze, and its technology is considered to be the best. The technology passed down from the Western Regions is combined with the local technology, and the colored glaze produced is already of the highest quality, but the success rate is not high."

After taking a cursory look at the workshop, Yang Guang was generally satisfied, so he said to Lu Ben: "Mr. Lu, I have a way to make the production of colored glaze easier. This is what I want to do with Lu Bi. The business you talked about.”

"Oh, really?"

"Of course it's true, but after I talk to my father about the specific plan, and my father agrees, I will cooperate with you and make a fortune together."

After seeing the finished workshop, Yang Guang immediately entered the palace and met Yang Jian.

The emperor's face was rosy at this time, and he was looking at the report he had just returned from the border in his study. When he learned that Yang Guang had invited him to see him, he put the report aside.

"Amo, what's going on today?"

"Father, do you know Liuli?"

"of course I know."

"Liu Li is precious, comparable to jade, but now I've found a way to make it easier, and its price will be much lower."

Yang Jian didn't seem interested: "Oh, so what?"

"Glass is light-transmitting and can be mass-produced. If the cost is low, it can be installed in Daxing City residences instead of windows. It transmits light and blocks wind. It is the best choice for windows. It will then increase the sales value of Daxing City residences."

Yang Jian became slightly interested here, but only slightly. He was surprised why Yang Guang came to him for such a thing.

Yang Guang then continued: "Father, the improvement of colored glaze will inevitably cause the price to drop significantly, but as long as we keep this secret from now on, the current price of colored glaze is still very high, and we can produce colored glaze and dump it on a large scale to the Southern Dynasties. Since the transmission of information takes at least a while in major cities, there may be an opportunity in a short period of time to exchange the cheap colored glaze that will be mass-produced for a large amount of gold and silver wealth in the Southern Dynasties." "Oh?!"

Speaking of this, Yang Jian became energetic.

"The production process of colored glaze has been improved and the cost has been greatly reduced. How low can it be reduced?"

"Less than one-tenth or two."

Yang Jian thought about it carefully and realized that if Yang Guang's plan worked, he would earn a lot of wealth from the Southern Dynasties in vain. Although it was not a fatal blow, it was quite disgusting.

"You can give it a try, but you shouldn't come to me for this matter."

"Sure enough, I can't hide it from my father. In order to win the trust of the merchants of the Southern Dynasties, I may have to bring a small amount of weapons and armor and other items, pretending to be reselling military supplies, so as not to make them suspicious. Of course, they will be very few. And maybe my father will still You must cooperate with me in issuing an announcement that the tribute from the Western Regions was robbed before entering Chang'an and the culprits were arrested."

Yang Jian understood his thoughts instantly and laughed: "Your idea is quite bad, but there is no harm in it anyway, go ahead."

"Thank you, Father. One more thing. If anyone wants to help me sell military supplies, you have to speak for me."

"Go."

Yang Guang received a positive reply, returned home, and began to improve the glass manufacturing process.

When it comes to improving the process, it actually means adding something to lower the temperature required for its melting point, a combustion accelerant.

Sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate. What Yang Guang is currently extracting is potassium carbonate. The raw material is plant ash. The plant ash is soaked in cold water, filtered repeatedly, and finally the solution is boiled to dryness to obtain potassium carbonate powder.

I brought potassium carbonate powder to the workshop and gave it to the craftsmen to try. After this attempt, I found that the melting temperature of glass was much lower than before. In the past, if I wanted to melt sand, I needed to reach the extreme temperature, but now I don’t have to. This is very important for the glass. In terms of production, there is no biggest obstacle.

As long as this kind of powder is available, glass can be continuously produced, and the cost will be directly sent from heaven to earth. People in Luben were dumbfounded.

Lu Ben was not happy: "Your Highness, production has become easier, and the price has dropped."

"Mr. Lu, we need to look further. Only we can produce this thing, so its value is still very high."

Then Yang Guang told Lu Ben what happened, and Lu Ben looked at Yang Guang in surprise.

"Your Highness, do you really want to do this?"

"Why not? Can Duke Lu help?"

Everything is already known, the workshop is also his workshop, now does he want to help?Instead, we have to walk on a single-plank bridge.

"Your Highness, don't worry, I will fully cooperate and look after you."

At this time, Wang Yi, who was not around before, trotted over: "Your Highness, you asked me to go to Zhenren Sun to get the mercury I asked for."

Yang Guang took the things. It was best to get these chemicals from Sun Simiao.

With mercury, you can make a mirror. The smooth mirror can let people see their own appearance, which is perfect and surpasses the bronze mirror. This is also the key project of Yang Guang to defraud them of their money this time.

(End of this chapter)