Chapter 38 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
After He Fei looked at the small notebook Zhang Xiaojia gave him, he felt like he was struck by lightning. There were so many formulas in it.
Production of white sugar
Production of fine salt
Production of MSG
Using cowpox to treat smallpox
…
He Fei saw the glass making item. The kiln temperature for making ordinary glass only needs to be 1200 degrees to 1600 degrees.
After He Fei finished looking, he saw that there were a lot of materials in the warehouse, and all of them had been completed.
Silicon dioxide (SiO2): also known as silica sand or quartz, 70%
Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) or pure alkali generally accounts for about 10%-20%.
Limestone (CaCO3) may account for between 5% and 15%. Magnesium oxide (MgO) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) are sometimes added as auxiliary raw materials to improve the properties of glass, such as heat resistance and chemical stability, but these ingredients account for relatively small proportions.
PS: Burn for four hours.
PS: Once the glass kiln starts firing, it cannot be stopped.
He Fei thought to himself, since he has come this far, he might as well give it a try. Even if he fails, the worst that can happen is that he can just reopen the kiln and spend more money.
After some careful debugging, He Fei finally determined the proportion of materials needed to make glass.
At his command, the kiln fire ignited, instantly illuminating the entire workshop.
To ensure that the production was foolproof, He Fei specially transferred a group of experienced glass craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry. They each performed their duties, and he had already prepared all the necessary equipment.
In order to prevent the secrets of the production process from being leaked, He Fei specially arranged for the imperial guards to guard the place. He ordered that no one within a radius of ten miles could enter or leave at will, with the exception of the princess.
In the blink of an eye, three hours passed.
He Fei stared at the kiln, only to see that the material inside had completely liquefied, emitting a dazzling light. He immediately ordered the craftsmen to carefully craft the liquid material into pieces of exquisite glass according to his requirements.
Once produced, the glass is quickly placed in a special cooling chamber where it cools slowly and evenly by being exposed to room temperature air.
Watching the busy figures of the craftsmen, He Fei's heart was filled with anticipation. He once again ordered the craftsmen to continue firing the next batch of glass, while he walked straight to the door and called out loudly: "An Er!"
"I'm here." An Er responded with a solemn expression.
"You should go to the palace as soon as possible and invite the emperor to come here in person. I have something important to discuss with you and I really cannot leave. I have no choice but to trouble the emperor to come here in person." He Fei's tone was firm and left no room for doubt.
"As you command." An Er took the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.
At this time, the ministers in the palace also left the hall and went home. The emperor, who had been busy all day, finally finished his heavy work.
He was planning to go to the harem to visit Concubine Xian, but at this moment, the Wude Sishi hurried in with Jingwen's secret guards.
An Er stepped forward and reported respectfully, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing has requested that you go to the Imperial Manor immediately. He has something important to discuss with you. He cannot leave for some reason, so I have to ask you to go there in person."
The emperor couldn't help but sigh when he heard this, feeling regretful in his heart. He had finally arranged a time to meet the virtuous concubine, but now it seemed that he would have to break his promise again. He could only helplessly rush to the imperial farm with his guards and secret guards.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaojia also returned to the imperial manor. She saw the tight security of the imperial guards and immediately understood what was going on. Zhang Yuncheng tried to enter but was stopped outside, leaving him with no choice but to leave.
Zhang Xiaojia secretly speculated in his heart that He Fei must have successfully made glass.
She faintly heard the rapid and powerful sound of horse hooves in the distance, and curiously turned her head. She saw the emperor riding a majestic horse, his posture upright and majestic, followed by a group of guards. They were galloping towards her in a mighty manner, raising clouds of dust and looking magnificent.
Zhang Xiaojia looked at this sudden scene with a look of surprise on his face.
When the emperor and others approached, she hurriedly saluted and said, "Brother, you came here in such a hurry, what's the matter?"
The emperor reined in the reins, glanced sharply around, then looked at Zhang Xiaojia and asked, "Where's Jingwen? Didn't he tell you that he was the one who asked me to come?"
Zhang Xiaojia shook her head slightly and said, "The prince has been spending every afternoon in the workshop lately, saying he's preparing a birthday present for me, but he hasn't told me what he's doing specifically. Can I go with you to take a look?"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's expression was filled with unquestionable majesty and doting. "Please wait here for a moment. I'll go take care of some things first. When I'm done, I'll take you with me."
Zhang Xiaojia curled her lips and murmured, "Tsk!" If he didn't want to take it, then he didn't. She could only watch as the emperor and his guards rushed towards the small workshop in the east.
Arriving at the door of the small workshop, He Fei immediately saw His Majesty dismounting and entering. He hurried forward with a smile on his face and said straight to the point, "Brother, I want 30% of the profit from this deal."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's brows furrowed slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of confusion and seriousness: "What business? What did you do behind my back?"
He Fei seemed to have anticipated the emperor's question. He chuckled and tried to allay the emperor's doubts with his usual intimacy: "Brother, do you agree or not?"
The emperor's expression was stern, and his tone was filled with unquestionable majesty: "Jingwen, you are not Jiajia, don't try this trick of acting like a spoiled child with me, it's disgusting, understand?"
The emperor ignored He Fei's nagging and walked straight into the small workshop. He Fei saw this and a cunning look flashed in his eyes. He turned around quickly and stopped the guards who tried to follow him, leaving only a secret guard and a Wudesi Envoy behind the emperor as his companion.
Inside the small workshop, light streamed through the windows onto the neatly arranged pieces of colored glass, refracting a dazzling radiance. The emperor approached and was stunned. The glass before him was incredibly transparent, as if one could see right through it, its clarity unbelievable.
He reached out and gently touched a piece of colored glass, feeling its smoothness and coolness, and couldn't help but feel a surge of wonder. The craftsmanship of colored glass is incredibly complex, and achieving such a high level of transparency is incredibly difficult. Yet, the colored glass before him was not only incredibly transparent, but also uniform in color and flawless, a truly rare and exquisite piece.
The emperor turned to look at He Fei, his eyes filled with questioning and curiosity: "Did you make these colored glazes?"
He Fei smiled proudly and nodded: "Yes, these are all made by me. I studied for a long time and finally found the secret recipe to increase the transparency of the glass. I also changed the formula for making glass. The cost is only 10% of the original cost, and it is still common."
Upon hearing this, the emperor showed an expression of approval: "I like these colored glasses very much."
He Fei knew the emperor's thoughts very well, so he took the opportunity to say, "Brother, this time no one knows the formula except me. I want 30% of the profit?"
He Fei led the emperor into the glass cooling room, where only the figures of the two brothers were vaguely visible under the dim light.
The emperor looked around, and his eyes finally fell on He Fei, with a bit of confusion and curiosity: "Jingwen, why do you want so much silver? Or are you setting off fireworks for Lin'an?"
He Fei's tone was filled with a sense of grievance and helplessness: "Humph! If it wasn't for your former queen, Jia Jia would have always thought it was a dream and didn't take it seriously. But ever since she learned about the former queen's adventure, Jia Jia has been calculating and saving money every day. She said that when she was the poorest, you, me, and her three storehouses didn't have a single copper coin. She spent all her dowry money on the war, and sometimes she couldn't even raise enough money for the war."
Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned slightly and asked doubtfully, "Could it be that Jiajia also learned the method of making this glass from a dream?"
He Fei couldn't help but roll his eyes. He replied, "Jia Jia knew the method of making cement from a dream. As for this glass, I discovered it by accident when I was burning sand one time. The sand actually melted into liquid. Of course I know that cement needs limestone as the main raw material to be formed, but what will happen when sand and gypsum are added? So I went to the kiln of the Ministry of Industry, and suddenly saw such a flow that looked like colored glass, so I called the colored glass workers to come and work for me." It's not that he didn't give Jia Jia credit, it's just that the emperor was suspicious.
The emperor quickly calculated the cost in his mind, thinking to himself: If limestone and sand were the primary raw materials for this glass, its cost would be negligible. However, this glass could be used in a wide range of applications, from screens and windows to even magnificent greenhouses, greatly increasing its value. If the court could firmly grasp this technology, within ten years, the funds needed for war would be secure.
Thinking of this, the emperor said: "Jingwen, I can give you 10% of the silver as support. From now on, when we go to war, I will no longer ask you for silver."
He Fei's lips curled up slightly upon hearing this, and he chuckled a few times before saying, "Royal brother, you know that besides sand and limestone, there are several other key raw materials necessary for making glass, which I haven't mentioned yet. If you only give me 10% of the silver, it will be far from enough. I also plan to take Jia Jia on a trip to enjoy the mountains and rivers and have fun in life. Without enough silver, we will be unable to move forward."
The emperor said coldly, "You have to attend court every day, how can you have time to travel?"
He Fei turned his head and covered his ears with his hands. He couldn't listen anymore. If he continued, he would lose all his money.
The veins on the emperor's forehead bulged, but then he thought, at worst I can just keep the money with him. If there is no money for the war, I can just ask Jia Jia to take it out. Jia Jia is easy to coax.
"Okay, I'll give you 30% of the profit."
"Brother, let's go back to the village and have dinner! I'll give you the recipe when I get back."
When Zhang Xiaojia returned to the farm, she went to the pigpen. These pigs were all castrated by her. They had been raised for more than two months and only weighed 45 kilograms. They were very fat. She directly caught a pig and asked the royal chef to make a roast suckling pig. This kind of pig tastes the best when roasted.
She remembered the first time she ate pork, which was Dongpo pork. Even though it had a taste of wine, the muttony smell of an intact pig was still palatable. It was just the chef's superb cooking skills that made the smell less muttony.
But castrated pigs don't have any fishy smell, and she really looks forward to eating pork. She still doesn't like lamb.
While waiting for the roast suckling pig to be served, the emperor and He Fei also returned.
When the emperor saw that it was a suckling pig, he frowned.
Influenced by Confucianism, which holds the idea that "a gentleman should not eat rich food," pigs are omnivorous animals and their meat should not be eaten. This idea has, to a certain extent, influenced the views of scholars on pork.
In addition, when boars approach sexual maturity, they will secrete certain compounds in their bodies, such as pheromones and skatole. These substances will give the pork an unpleasant smell, making it extremely unpalatable.
Zhang Xiaojia carefully observed the emperor's expression, her eyes gleaming with anticipation and confidence. She whispered, "Brother, do you believe it? Within three years, all the royal family, nobles, and dignitaries will fall in love with eating pork."
Upon hearing this, the emperor's face was filled with suspicion. He slowly said, "Impossible. Pig meat smells pungent."
Zhang Xiaojia seemed to have anticipated the emperor's reaction, and she continued to persuade him: "Brother, why don't you try eating it today?" After all, she had castrated the pork.
Seeing that Zhang Xiaojia was so insistent, the emperor could not refuse any longer, so he gave her face and slowly sat down. He picked up a piece of pork with chopsticks and put it in his mouth. After chewing for a while, his eyebrows raised slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. The pork did not taste the slightest bit of mutton smell. Instead, the meat was tender and tasted excellent.
The emperor turned to look at Zhang Xiaojia, his eyes full of curiosity and inquiry.
Zhang Xiaojia just smiled and said nothing. She didn't want to say at the dinner table, in front of so many people, that she had cut off the boar's two balls. She would never admit that she was the one who castrated it. She didn't want to be laughed at! Push it to He Fei.
He Fei hadn't eaten pork for a long time, so he didn't care about his image and started eating it with big mouthfuls.
The emperor took another bite of the pork on the table, a look of satisfaction on his face. He slowly said, "This pork has a delicate texture and no trace of mutton smell. It is truly a rare delicacy. I think we can add this delicacy to the annual banquet."
Zhang Xiaojia's face showed an embarrassment. She said softly, "Brother, this may not be appropriate. I have only raised these pigs for two months. I want to continue raising them for another year to see how big they can grow."
The emperor couldn't help but be a little surprised. He asked in confusion, "You mean, you've only raised this pig for two months, and it's already this big? So how much does it weigh now?"
Zhang Xiaojia bowed his head slightly and replied respectfully, "Brother, this pig now weighs 45 kilograms."
The emperor was even more surprised after hearing this. He had read agricultural records and compared them with Zhang Xiaojia's description of the breeding time and weight. He found that farmers usually raised pigs for a year and only weighed about 90 kilograms.
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