Although Liu Rushi and Ning Hongchen had different personalities, Liu Rushi, being a woman herself, could understand Ning Hongchen's thoughts to some extent.
Liu Rushi was not a jealous person, which is why she was so magnanimous.
During the time Mu Zian was away from the capital, the entire Zhenguo Duke's Mansion was well managed under her leadership.
Meanwhile, the newspapers in Dali have flourished and have now expanded from the capital region to other states.
The Dali Newspaper is now self-sufficient and even has a considerable surplus, which is enough to demonstrate Liu Rushi's abilities.
After breakfast, Mu Zian originally planned to go to the Ninth Princess's residence.
However, the servants informed them that, with the Spring Festival approaching, the Empress had invited the Ninth Princess and some other princes into the palace.
Unlike modern times, there weren't as many entertainment facilities in ancient times, so Mu Zian was a little unaccustomed to suddenly having so much free time.
As the Spring Festival approaches, the cold wind outside seems like venomous snakes, desperately trying to sneak into the gaps in our clothes.
Although the weather was cold, there was not much snowfall in Dali.
This gave Mu Zian a slight sense of unease.
The old saying goes that heavy snow promises a bumper harvest, and this is by no means an empty phrase.
The heavy snow in winter can not only replenish the nutrients in the soil.
More importantly, it can kill insect eggs in the permafrost, reducing pest infestations in the following year.
If there is insufficient snowfall this year, there is a high probability of an insect infestation next year.
In an era when farmers had extremely low risk tolerance, a single insect plague could lead to a year-long famine.
However, heavy snow is a double-edged sword; the severe cold can kill insect eggs as well as people who have no way to protect themselves from the cold.
Even in later generations, countless people still freeze to death from the heavy snow every year.
Moreover, in an era when people couldn't even get enough to eat, the people of Dali had very few things to keep warm.
Moreover, according to Mu Zian's understanding, cotton, a cheap and warm-keeping cash crop, was never widely available within the Dali region.
In winter, wealthy young men could wear brocade robes made of silk or fur coats made of animal fur.
Ordinary people could use cheap furs such as rabbit skin, dog skin, and sheep skin to keep warm.
As for the impoverished people, they could only barely maintain their body temperature with things like dry grass and reeds.
Du Fu, who wrote the famous line "How can I obtain thousands of mansions?", once mentioned in his poem: "My cotton quilt is as cold as iron after many years, and my beloved child's bad sleeping posture has torn it inside the bed."
A single line of poetry is enough to show how unbearable winter was when there was no cotton to keep warm.
Therefore, every winter is nothing short of a life-or-death challenge for all people.
Mu Zian was undoubtedly lucky to have transmigrated; at least in this cannibalistic era, he didn't have to worry about survival.
There was a charcoal brazier at Mu Zi'an's feet in the winter.
Gazing at the red glow emanating from the charcoal brazier, an object suddenly popped into Mu Zi'an's mind.
While having it wouldn't completely solve the problem of keeping warm, it would at least provide some relief.
This thing is also extremely common in modern rural areas; it's called honeycomb briquettes.
Before gas became widespread, honeycomb briquettes were an essential item for every household.
The method for making honeycomb briquettes is incredibly simple.
The materials used are common raw charcoal, yellow clay, and charcoal powder. You only need these three things to knead it by hand.
Although Mu Zian wasn't entirely sure of the exact proportions, he figured he could get a rough idea by trying a few more times.
As for the stove used to burn honeycomb briquettes, it was extremely simple, and Mu Zi'an was very clear about its structure.
Upon realizing this, Mu Zian did not hesitate at all. He immediately used a charcoal pencil to draw the tools and stove for making honeycomb briquettes on paper, and then handed the completed drawings to Zhao Dahu, asking him to send someone to make them.
Since the construction of the Marquis of Jin Guo's mansion was halted and Mu Zi'an reopened the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Zhao Dahu has been working within the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Now he can be considered Liu Rushi's right-hand man.
Zhao Dahu was originally a soldier under his father's command, so there's no need to elaborate on the level of trust he had.
Zhao Dahu took the blueprints from Mu Zian and immediately went out to do so.
Mu Zian then took Zhao Yun, Luo Cheng, and Liu Rushi to the street to purchase the materials needed to make honeycomb briquettes.
Yellow mud is easy to find; it's everywhere within the capital region.
In contrast, coal was extremely precious, especially in the capital of Dali, where it was basically only affordable to the wealthy.
There were two charcoal fields within the capital city, one in the south of the city and the other in the west.
The two charcoal fields also differed. The charcoal produced in western Beijing was expensive and could only be afforded by royalty and nobility.
The charcoal yards in the west of the city have their own mines, so the prices are relatively cheaper.
Even though it's cheaper than burnt charcoal, it's still an astronomical figure for ordinary people.
Especially with the arrival of winter, the price of coal has soared, reaching nearly three cents per kilogram.
A thousand catties is worth three taels of silver. Compared to the high heating costs, most people choose to endure the hardship and get through it on their own.
After leaving the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the group headed straight for the West Market.
The inner city of Dali Capital is square and neat, just like a piece of tofu.
The north-south boundary of the capital city is the central axis from the north gate of the capital city to the outer gate of the imperial palace, while the east-west boundary is the long street from the east gate to the west gate.
Two cuts each in the top, bottom, left, and right divided the entire capital into four parts, which became known as the South City, North City, East City, and West City by the common people.
The common people living in the capital also know a saying: "The east is rich, the west is noble, the north is poor, and the south is lowly."
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