I was the emperor in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 306 Honeycomb Coal

Neither Jiang Bao nor Wang Fu are actually very suitable. Those who stay here to supervise workshops and cave dwelling sheds must find a suitable person for this management.

It's just that it's not easy to find a suitable person in a short period of time, and Li Tian can only hand over this matter to the two of them for the time being.

The construction of cave dwellings and greenhouses to improve the lives of Huangzhuang farmers is just a pilot project. Whether it will be successful or not will not be known until a few months later when the things grown in the greenhouses are mature.

If it works, start to promote the big mask, if it doesn't work, you can only find another way.

But Li Tian is not a gambler who puts all his eggs in one basket.

Two lanes running side by side is his consistent style.

Although there are not too many farmers in Huangzhuang, there are thousands of them, and it is unrealistic for all of them to set up vegetable greenhouses.

So he racked his brains to think of many ways to increase their income.

One of the ways is to engage in farming.

No matter what age, meat is more precious.

Raising pigs consumes a lot of miscellaneous grains, which is basically an extravagant hope for farmers who can't even eat enough, so they can only let it go first.

But it shouldn't be a big problem to raise some chickens and ducks.

They have a small appetite and are easy to feed. Especially in spring and summer, releasing them to forage for themselves can save a lot of food.

If you raise more, you can still have some meat to eat during the festivals, and the eggs can also be sold for money to supplement the family.

There are many ways to make a fortune, but what is lacking is the eyes to discover.

Such as other things, weaving, bleaching and dyeing, raising mulberry and spinning silk are actually good means of supporting the family.

But another method that Li Tian thought of was to find another way.

That is to engage in briquettes.

Although the Ming Dynasty in this era has begun to popularize burning charcoal, they basically burn primitive coal.

Although the Xishan Coal Mine near the capital has a large reserve, it is still not possible to dig good coal at a relatively deep level based on the mining technology at this time.

So the entire capital is actually burned with inferior coal that is exposed outside.

This kind of coal will emit a lot of smoke when it burns. Because there are minerals such as sulfur in it, it also has some pungent smell when it burns.

The price is very cheap casually, but burning too much will cause serious harm to the human body.

Therefore, some people, even if they endure the cold in winter, do not want to burn this kind of coal for heating.

But the solution Li Tian thought of could not only perfectly solve this problem, but also make coal a good livelihood for making a fortune.

Honeycomb is very simple to make.

The first thing is to thoroughly smash the coal, then mix it with a part of the yellow mud for shaping, add a small amount of water, and finally put it into a mold with small holes, compact it and dry it.

Since the coal has been crushed once before, most of the impurities can be removed after washing with water.

Especially sulfur and other things that are prone to pungent odors will decompose when they melt into water.

This step alone can raise the quality of coal to a higher level.

Furthermore, because the briquette has space above it, it burns more fully, and rarely produces the white smoke that is produced when it is not fully burned.

Another point is that because the briquette is reshaped and shaped, the surface becomes smooth and does not produce soot, so it is cleaner and more convenient to take.

In general, things that are so cheap that no one wants to burn them can become treasures after this transformation.

If it is a small and exquisite stove that can accommodate a piece of honeycomb coal just in terms of coordination.

I believe it will quickly become popular in the capital.

Although no one has made specific statistics on the coal consumed by the entire capital city in a year, the amount is definitely quite a lot.

The production of briquettes is a labor-intensive activity. To meet the needs of the entire capital, I am afraid that the thousands of people in Huangzhuang will all act, and there may not be enough.

So it's bound to be a big industry.

Huangzhuang is basically outside the city, closer to the Xishan Coal Mine than the capital.

In addition, Chen Ji Iron Smelting Workshop needs a large amount of coal supply, I believe that through them, it should not be a problem to get some coal out.

Whether it is supply channels or production sites, Huangzhuang has natural advantages.

The idea about briquettes came to Li Tian when he saw an old lady selling tea eggs at a street stall after entering the city, and she was so embarrassed by the bad coal that she turned her head back.

At this time, he was planning to go to the banquet, and he was not in a hurry to implement this idea.

Whether it is the equipment for waste and crushed coal, the machine for pressing honeycomb coal, and the small stove with honeycomb coal, Li Tian still only has a vague concept.

This point still needs to go to Tiangongyuan to find Zhou Zhen and others to redesign it before deciding.

The production of briquettes requires the mobilization of a large number of manpower.

At this time, the autumn harvest has just been completed, and the farmers in Huangzhuang still have a lot of work to do, so they are not in a hurry.

Moreover, honeycomb does not need to wait two or three months to see benefits like cave sheds.

It's made anywhere, anytime of the year, so a night or two isn't a big deal.

……

The third lady invited Li Tian to a banquet in person, so the ostentation should not be small.

A large table of delicacies from mountains and seas costs hundreds of taels, at least. In the huge private room, the only owners are Li Tian and the third wife.

In addition to the two accompanying guests, Jiang Bao and Wang Fu, there was also Xiaomei who had just finished her work and was recalled by the third wife.

In addition to them, there are several musicians who sing and talk along the edge.

All the dishes are refreshing and delicious, and the musicians are also sweet.

It's just that Li Tian has been the emperor for more than a month after all, and he has never seen such a scene.What kind of good things have not been eaten.

There was nothing new about these arrangements for him.

However, like this, drinking and chatting with a person who doesn't know his identity, but also a big beauty, is also a special enjoyment, and he also enjoys drinking to his heart's content.

Although Li Tian was only a small employee in his previous life, he was often dragged by the leaders to stop drinking because he was quite eloquent and he could drink well.

I have experienced all kinds of wine bureau occasions.

It's true that the third lady is a strong woman in this era, but she is a woman after all. After a few rounds of drinking, she began to get a little confused.

At this time, Li Tian had almost drunk, looking at the third lady with drunken eyes and blushing face, the more he looked at it, the more itchy his heart became.

As the emperor, he couldn't get any woman he wanted!

However, he can be regarded as a very self-disciplined person. Although he has a good impression of the third lady, he is not so beastly as to do such nasty things to her.

In order not to let his mind go that way, Li Tian quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, Third Madam, have you found the person who drew the blueprint that I asked you to help find earlier?"

(End of this chapter)