Chapter 178: Encirclement and Suppression
Making clothes from insect cocoons, I really admire the imagination of Oriental people!
Antonio was wearing a silk garment next to his skin, and he suddenly got goose bumps all over his body and felt sick all over.
However, he was skeptical about Song Yutang's words. After all, how big is a cocoon? How many cocoons are needed to weave so much silk fabric?
Seeing that he didn't believe it, Song Yutang took him to visit the homes of silkworm farmers because Dongzhou happened to be a big province with mulberry planting and silkworm breeding.
In Daqi, raising silkworms and weaving silk is no longer a secret. Ordinary people know how to do it. Even if Antonio is not brought with him, he can buy the method by spending a little money. He might as well do him a favor. Moreover, Song Yutang is sure that the other party will definitely give up after understanding the method of silk production.
To raise silkworms you first have to plant mulberry trees. The climate in England is cold, and mulberry trees prefer warmth, so they cannot survive if moved to a cold place. Baby silkworms are even more delicate, and can only grow in the warm south.
Without raw materials, even if one learns Daqi's textile technology, one cannot weave silk as smooth and soft as water.
Now it is winter, and the cocoons have all been harvested. Ordinary farmers will spin the cocoons in advance and weave them in their spare time in winter. The large-scale breeder has not yet finished processing the cocoons, so he can demonstrate it to Antonio.
The group came to a family surnamed Wei in the city. The Wei family was one of the largest silkworm breeders in Dongzhou. This year, they raised silkworms on more than 130 acres of mulberry trees, and there were still many cocoons in the house that had not been processed.
Upon hearing that some government officials wanted to watch the process of unraveling the mystery, Patriarch Wei felt very honored to go over and demonstrate it himself.
"I have met several adults."
"No need to be polite. I came here today because I want to let this guest who has come from afar see the process of silk reeling."
The head of the Wei family nodded and led a group of people to the warehouse of the villa.
Hundreds of baskets of silk cocoons are stored in the huge warehouse, which is only a part of his family's harvest. He has four such warehouses.
The head of the Wei family rolled up his sleeves and began to pick out silk cocoons.
"Silkworm cocoons must be processed in winter. Otherwise, when the weather warms up, the larvae in the cocoons will wake up, develop into moths and break out of the cocoons. The cocoons after breaking out cannot be used again because they are too short to be wound into silk and cannot be spun into textiles."
While the head of the Wei family was speaking, he did not delay the work at hand. He quickly sorted out a basket of silk cocoons and took them to the stove for the second process.
Antonio picked up a white silk cocoon from the basket and examined it in his palm. The cocoon was covered with a layer of fluffy silk. It was incredible that such a small cocoon could be woven into such beautiful cloth!
The water on the stove boiled, and the head of the Wei family poured the cocoons into the pot and kept stirring: "The second step is called boiling the cocoons, which will scald the silkworms inside to death and peel off the outer cocoons at the same time."
Gradually, many silk threads float up in the pot. The cooked cicada cocoons are then scooped into a large wooden basin. The silk is picked out and wound around the reeling wheel next to it, which is then slowly cranked. This is the third step of reeling.
The drawn silk thread cannot be used directly. It needs to be soaked in alkaline water to degummed and finally woven into beautiful silk.
Antonio was once again shocked by the complicated process of silk production.
After leaving the Wei family, it was already dark, so the two went directly to the restaurant in Dongzhou Prefecture.
Antonio sighed, "No wonder silk is so expensive. Only you Orientals can come up with such a complicated process!"
As for raising silkworms and weaving cloth himself? Forget it. How much cost and money would it cost? It would be more convenient for him to just spend money to buy the goods!
When the food and drinks were served, Antonio took a deep breath and exclaimed exaggeratedly: "Oh, I really miss the delicious food in Daqi!"
Song Yutang nodded with deep understanding. He could not praise Western things at all. Even the food eaten by the nobles was hard for him to swallow, not to mention the food eaten by ordinary people.
After three rounds of drinks, Song Yutang said, "Although we can't learn how to weave silk, Daqi has many new inventions. Bringing them back will definitely make more money than silk."
Antonio became interested: "What good stuff?"
"Clocks, two-wheeled vehicles, acrylic fabrics, etc."
In recent years, the Research and Development Department has developed many new things, and the self-ringing clock is one of them. As long as it is wound up, it can tell time for a month. It is so convenient!
Before coming, the emperor specifically told him to recommend these things to Antonio, and he should be able to sell them for a good price.
Before the advent of self-ringing clocks, people always used sundials to tell time. But sundials are easily affected by the weather. With self-ringing clocks, people no longer have to worry about missing time!
The price of a self-ringing clock is very expensive, and ordinary people cannot afford it. The price of a most common wooden self-ringing clock is about 500 taels of silver, because the whole clock is made by hand, and the fine gears and springs inside are very difficult to polish.
However, starting from the second half of this year, factories have begun to mass-produce self-chiming clock accessories, and Xizhou has also established a self-chiming clock factory.
The price of chopper clocks has dropped a lot nowadays, and now only costs a few dozen taels. Of course, the price would be at least several times higher if it were sold to the barbarians.
Antonio was very interested when he heard about this kind of thing that could tell time and wanted to see what it looked like.
There happened to be one in the restaurant, so Song Yutang asked his men to ask the owner if he could borrow it.
Soon the waiter came in holding a one-foot-tall mahogany clock.
The first thing that catches your eye is the swinging pendulum below, followed by the two black pointers above.
Antonio moved closer cautiously and heard a clicking sound coming from inside the clock.
"This, this thing can move by itself?!"
Song Yutang nodded: "Just use the winding tool to wind the clock every month, and it will keep turning."
The silver-white metal dial does not have the Arabic numerals of later generations, but the Roman numerals that Antonio is familiar with!
Song Yutang said: "When the clock swings sixty times, the long hand jumps one tick. When the long hand makes one circle, the short hand makes one tick. This tick is half an hour."
Antonio felt a little dizzy after being fooled by him, but his mind was clearer than ever. He knew that if he took this thing back, he would definitely sell it for a huge sum of money!
"Song! How much is this thing?"
Song Yutang smiled and said, "Ordinary people would spend at least 80 gold coins to buy one. Since you are our friend, how about only 50 gold coins per unit?"
Song Yutang didn't intend to charge too much, after all, he still had to do business.
"Oh, thank you so much!" Antonio said as he came over to hug him again. The smell of wine mixed with the smell of mutton was not something that most people could tolerate. Song Yutang quickly hid away using the excuse of having to go to the bathroom.
After returning from the toilet, Antonio asked about Zhao Xiao.
"Is General Zhao okay?" He had never admired anyone during his years of sailing, except Zhao Xiao. After many years of separation, he still remembered General Zhao's brave and fighting figure.
"General Zhao is fighting in the north, so I'm afraid I won't have a chance to meet you for a while."
Antonio knew it was not a good idea to ask too many questions about the war, so he made the sign of the cross on his chest, praying for General Zhao to win the battle.
Antonio said, "I came with the merchants from Antontepu Port. They wanted to find Duke Charles. I heard that he followed you back to Daqi. I wonder how he is doing now?"
"Duke Charles, he is doing very well now and has already bought a manor in Shangjing."
Antonio sighed, "If I didn't have family in England, I would also like to live here permanently."
Daqi is really a good country. It is developed, rich and not exclusive to foreigners. It is simply an ideal place to settle down.
During this meal, Song Yutang directly ordered 3,000 self-ringing clocks. As for the two-wheeled vehicles and acrylic fabrics, he would discuss them after arriving in Beijing, and they should be able to be sold at a good price.
Song Yuzhu did not plan to deposit this money into the Ministry of Revenue, but to send it directly to Beiguan as military supplies. The war with the Jin Kingdom had lasted for more than a year, and it was almost time to decide the outcome.
*
"Yelu Guang... hasn't come yet?" Yelu Baorong leaned back in his chair, his old face covered with wrinkles, his gray hair sticky and tangled together from not having been bathed for a long time, emitting an unpleasant sour smell.
How could he even have the mood to take a bath? Da Qi had been besieging them for more than three months.
In September of this year, the two countries fought their largest battle in the Tianhe Plain. The Jin soldiers were defeated, most of the 150,000 soldiers were killed, and the remaining 70,000 were defeated and fled.
While escaping, they were chased and split into two parts. One part fled back to Jindu with the eldest prince Yelu Guang, and the other part was trapped in Hecheng with Khan Yelu Baorong.
Zhao Xiao led an army of 50,000 and held on tightly, all the way to Hecheng.
The Qi army has been besieging the city for more than three months. The Jin people do not engage in production and make a living by herding sheep and hunting. There is not much food in the city.
In the past few months, all the herdsmen's breeding sheep and cattle have been eaten. If Yelu Guang does not come to rescue him, Yelu Baorong and the remaining 20,000 troops will be trapped and die here.
"Khan, the eldest prince has not arrived yet."
Yelu Baorong sighed deeply, like an old tree about to die, without any vitality.
He knew his eldest son would not come. Yelu Guang had been frightened by Daqi's muskets. Now he was probably waiting for him to die. As long as he died, Yelu Guang could ascend the throne and then ask for peace with Daqi.
The eldest prince was timid and cowardly, the second prince was cunning, the third prince died tragically, and the only prince he had high hopes for, the fourth prince, abandoned him. The Jin Dynasty was on the decline.
Yelu Baorong smiled bitterly, supported his knees and stood up, saying: "Come here, put on your armor!"
"Khan, no!" The deputy general standing beside him looked at him worriedly.
"There are 50,000 soldiers outside the city, but only 20,000 soldiers inside. We have been hungry for many days. We will definitely lose this battle!"
Yelu Baorong said coldly: "Do you think Yelu Guang will come to save us?"
The deputy general was speechless.
"Pass the order down, tell the soldiers to kill horses, drink blood and eat meat, and prepare to break out! It is better to die in battle than to cower in the city and starve to death!"
"yes!"
*
Ten miles outside the city, at the Qijun camp, Zhao Xiao was having lunch, with roasted potatoes, warm naan, and slices of mutton.
The sheep were sent by Meicheng. Although the Jin people did not know how to farm, they were quite good at raising livestock. The sheep were as fat as piglets and were tender and fragrant when roasted.
Three months ago, the two armies fought, and he led his troops to the outskirts of Hecheng.
The original plan was to use artillery to attack directly, but there was a natural hillside in Hecheng that served as a barrier, making it difficult for artillery shells to penetrate.
Forcing the artillery closer to the hillside would inevitably result in heavy casualties, so Zhao Xiao decided to surround the enemy on the spot.
At the same time, he could also seduce Yelu Guang and let him lead another part of the army to rescue the Jin Khan, and then capture him in one fell swoop.
"General!" A shout suddenly came from outside the door.
Zhao Xiao put down his chopsticks and said, "Come in."
"The scout team discovered a lot of smoke rising from the city!"
It was said that the Jin soldiers had run out of food, and the sight of so much smoke rising at the same time made people suspicious.
Zhao Xiao stood up, picked up the helmet and put it on his head, "Go and take a look."
Ge Zhongshun and Chen Jing had already come out. Zhao Xiao climbed up the hillside and took a look through the telescope. Sure enough, he saw smoke rising from the city of He.
"Not good, the enemy should be killing the warhorses and trying to break through. Gather all the soldiers and prepare for the battle!"
Without horses, their strength will be greatly reduced, but at the same time, war horses are also their brothers. Killing horses and eating their meat is a fight to the death, and this battle is bound to be extremely brutal!
(End of this chapter)
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