Zhu Yunwen nodded and said, "That's right. I really couldn't bear to see the people suffering in this cold winter, so I decided to let the Ministry of Works make use of coal."
The reserves of coal are enormous, and if utilized, they would be of great benefit to the people of our Great Ming Dynasty. Their use, of course, is not simply for heating.
It can only be used for heating temporarily; later, it can also replace firewood for cooking and other purposes. In short, make good use of it. It's definitely a good thing.
Zhu Yunwen couldn't very well tell Zhu Yuanzhang that they could use coal to make steam trains!
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded, then said to the eunuch:
“Go to the Ministry of Works and get a few pieces of coal. Make sure they’ve already processed them, and let’s roast them and see what they taste like.”
The eunuch nodded and left. Soon after, he returned with several pieces of fine coal that had been smashed and selected.
The method was still the same as Zhu Yunwen's, so the coal looked very black and relatively pure.
After the coal was put into the brazier, it slowly ignited after a while.
At first, some smoke would appear, but Zhu Yunwen said to Zhu Yuanzhang:
"Although the coal smoke is toxic, as long as there is good ventilation, there will be no problem. When the public uses it, as long as they ventilate frequently, there will be basically no problem."
If you really can't stand it like this, you can use the coal for cooking first. Once it's all burned, the smoke will be gone, and then you can take it out to use for heating. There won't be any problems then; it's like you can use it twice.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up and he said:
"This is indeed a good idea. We can use the coal twice. The first time, we can use it for cooking in the stove, so we don't have to worry about any smoke."
Once it's fully lit and there's no more smoke, take it out and use it directly for heating, or put it in a sealed container to extinguish it. The next time you need it, just relight it; there will be no more smoke. Why didn't anyone think of this method before?
Zhu Yunwen smiled and said:
"There always needs to be someone who keeps exploring and researching in order to have different gains and surprises."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement:
"Well said. Since your method can remove impurities from coal and perfectly solve the problem of smoke, the next step is to look at the cost of mining this coal."
At this moment, the eunuch who had gone to fetch the matchmaker spoke up to Zhu Yuanzhang:
“Your Majesty, I have just asked the officials of the Ministry of Works. They said that by using manual labor, one person can mine nearly two thousand catties of coal per day, even including the processes of crushing and sorting out impurities.”
Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and said:
"In other words, how many kilograms of coal can one person mine and select usable coal in a day? If the daily wage for this worker is one hundred coins, then the labor cost is also around one hundred coins."
Even including transportation, it wouldn't exceed 150 coins. After deducting other costs, let's just say 200 coins. The cost of 1000 jin of finished coal is only 200 coins, which is about the same as the price of timber.
The eunuch nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. A person can chop about a thousand catties of firewood in a day. So the cost of the two is about the same."
Zhu Yunwen laughed and said, "The cost is about the same, but the performance is several times, even ten times, worse. This firewood burns too quickly; a piece of firewood can burn up in half an hour."
A lump of coal can burn for at least five hours. Therefore, this tenfold difference makes coal affordable even for ordinary people.
Zhu Yuanzhang was very pleased, and then said to the eunuch:
"Pass on my order: instruct the Ministry of Works to make coal mining the top priority this winter, to search for and mine as many coal mines as possible, and to keep the selling price close to the cost price."
And tell the Ministry of Works that mining and selling coal should only be done to break even. It cannot be treated as a business, nor can it be solely for profit. It must be a policy of the court to help the people get through the winter. Do you understand?
The eunuch bowed and said:
"This servant will go and convey His Majesty's imperial edict immediately!"
He then withdrew.
Zhu Yunwen said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Thank you, Your Majesty. With the strong support of the court, I believe most people will have the opportunity to get through this winter safely."
Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhu Yunwen:
"You are the one who should be thanked for this. If it weren't for your suggestion of coal washing, the coal probably still wouldn't be able to be used properly."
"Yunwen, we believe that with your abilities, character, and concern for the people, you are more than capable of becoming a better emperor than us. We have high hopes for you."
Zhu Yunwen nodded solemnly.
Just then, another official from the Ministry of Rites spoke up outside the Imperial Study:
"Your Majesty, your subject, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, requests an audience!"
Zhu Yuanzhang spoke calmly:
"Come in."
After the Vice Minister of Rites entered, he saw Zhu Yunwen and immediately bowed, saying:
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and asked:
"Is there something you need?"
The Vice Minister of Rites said to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yunwen:
"The Ministry of Rites has received news that an envoy from Goryeo has come to pay homage to the Ming Dynasty!"
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