"Bell-bell-"

"Bell-bell-"

…………

It was late autumn and the cold wind was howling. But most of the sturdy men in the smelting division wore their upper bodies, waved the hammer in their hands, and knocked the red iron in front of them again and again.

Ji Yu and the officials of the No. 1 Middle School of the Smelting Division walked through the craftsmen.

"Your Highness, the new farming tool you let you build is in front of the shed."

Wu Zhihua pointed to a well-built brick house in front of him and said.

Pushing the door in, there were no men wielding hammers inside, they were all masters who polished fine parts.

Turn the corner and go into the room inside.

"That's it." Wu Zhihua pointed to a thing with a peculiar shape, like a plow, but it deviated greatly from the shape of the plow.

"Have you tried it?" Ji Yu looked at it and asked.

"Back to Your Highness, I've already tried. It is indeed very easy to use, it combines ploughing and sowing, saving the time and energy of the people. ”

It's a similar shape to a plow, but with an extra funnel on the plow rack and a small plank at the back.

After the plough body turns over the earth, the seeds fall from the funnel, and the soil is collected by the rear planks to cover the seeds.

"Just call it a cocoon. After that, I will mainly sell agricultural tools. Ji Yu nodded.

"Oh, good. Just ......"

Wu Zhihua slurred and didn't know what to say.

"Just what?"

"That, Your Highness. Our capital is located in the north, and the crops are all ripe once a year, planted in spring and harvested in autumn. I'm afraid we won't be able to sell it in the next two months. ”

Wu Zhihua looked embarrassed and explained.

After Ji Yu heard this, he slapped his forehead, "I forgot about it." ”

"Moreover, Your Highness doesn't know that the profit of this farm tool is quite low. Most of my cultivated land in Dazhou is in the hands of wealthy merchants and landlords. The common people had little land and could not afford to use farm tools, and those landlords rarely bought farm tools for their tenants in order to earn more money for themselves. The most used by the people is the hoe! ”

Wu Zhihua said again.

"That's it!" Ji Yu suddenly asked out loud again.

"And what do you do every winter?"

"Just take advantage of the fact that the weather is not yet cold, build some tools for next year's spring, and wait until the thirty-nine days, the craftsmen can not do the work, so they are all on vacation, and wait until the spring of next year, the weather is warmer and then work. This will also save some wages. ”

Wu Zhihua explained little by little.

"I see, let's go out first."

Ji Yu frowned, he originally thought that he would use this new farm tool to earn some silver taels for the smelting department, but he never thought that it would be such a situation.

The idea of making money with farm tools was shattered, and another idea had to be found. Alas, you can't let all these iron-striking men go into business!

…………

Out of the shed, accustomed to the heat of the furnace on his body, being blown by the cold wind, Ji Yu shivered, and his brain interrupted his train of thought.

Wu Zhihua hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, let's go quickly, there is a stove in the house." ”

Ji Yu nodded.

In the house, Ji Yu picked up a cup of hot tea and arched his nose.

"Do you smell anything?"

As he spoke, he stood up and turned his head to look around the room, looking for the source of the scent.

The officials don't know why, but the house is like this every day, and there is no more smell!

Suddenly, Ji Yu looked at the charcoal basin, and there were a few wisps of green smoke floating on it.

Wu Zhihua is a clever person, looking at the end of Ji Yu's gaze, he suddenly understood where this "smell" came from.

But this soot is unavoidable, and anthracite is expensive. For a while, I didn't know how to speak.

Ji Yu looked at the charcoal basin and fell into deep thought.

Ji Yu understood the difficulties of the officials of the Smelting Division, so he didn't blame them, but this charcoal basin with choking soot gave him a new idea.

Nowadays, most of the bamboo charcoal circulating on the market is cut down and burned, the price is cheap, and most of the people use this kind of bamboo charcoal for heating, but the bamboo charcoal is not durable. Coal is slightly more expensive than bamboo charcoal, with soot, but it can withstand burning, so the market is not small.

Anthracite is made of special firing of coal, supplemented by spices, which not only does not choke people in the house, but also has a fresh fragrance. The price is expensive, and it is generally used by the palace, ministers and nobles.

There is a huge gap in the coal market, if there is a new type of coal that has the characteristics of coal burn-resistance and less bamboo charcoal smoke, it will definitely be hot.

It just so happened that Ji Yu knew such a ———— honeycomb coal.

Ji Yu's eyes flashed with excitement, "I know what the Metallurgical Division does, wait for me to return to the palace and think about it carefully." Liu Jun, go! ”

With that, he rushed out of the door.

"Your Highness can't be angry!"

Looking at Ji Yu's hurried figure, a Lang Zhong asked Wu Zhihua.

Wu Zhihua shook his head, also confused.

--------------------

Yunfeng Pavilion.

After several hours of thinking, Ji Yu finally finalized the details of honeycomb coal and formulated the regulations. When I looked up, it was already dark, and it was too late to go to the Metallurgical Division now, so it seemed that I had to wait for tomorrow. Put away the paper. Roll over and get into bed and wait for tomorrow.

…………

Early the next morning, Ji Yu got up early, washed up and went to the Metallurgical Division.

…………

"This honeycomb coal can be fired with cinders, because it resembles a honeycomb, can be fully burned, there is very little smoke, and the cost is low, so you send someone to do it, so that it can appear in the market before it completely enters the winter."

Wu Zhihua looked at the paper in his hand carefully, listening to Ji Yu's words, although he didn't quite understand what full combustion was. But if it is really as His Highness said, then my smelting department will pay every craftsman's money!

couldn't help but redden, and bowed deeply, "Your Highness will live up to His Royal Highness's high expectations!" ”

--------------------

"Alas, Lao Liu! A new coal seller has opened on Chang'an Street, do you know? ”

"Hey! There are a lot of coal sellers, how can I know. ”

"Huh~, this coal shop is different from other coal stores, it sells new coal, called honeycomb coal, which is said to be non-tobacco and does not choke people."

"Isn't that anthracite? That's how expensive it is! ”

"No, it's called honeycomb coal, it's cheaper than bamboo charcoal!"

"Really?" Lao Liu's tone was full of suspicion.

"Hey! You old Liu, I, Zhang Dabao, have deceived people in this capital? ”

"Haha! Are you Zhang Dabao deceived fewer people? ”

Lao Liu smiled, turned around and was about to leave.

"Hey——, don't go, don't go. I'll make a bet with you, if I deceive you, the tael of silver will be yours. ”

Zhang Dabao grabbed Lao Liu, his face turned red in a hurry, and he took out a tael of silver, eager to prove his words.

"Hey, okay! Then I'll accompany you on a trip. ”

Lao Liu was interested, and walked to Chang'an Avenue with Zhang Dabao.

…………

Such a scene has happened more than once in the capital. This made the fame of honeycomb coal spread all over the streets and alleys in a short period of time.

Gradually, people knew that there was a new kind of coal in the capital, which was cheap and resistant to burning, and there was no choking smoke.

So much so that the threshold of the coal shop on Chang'an Street was about to be kicked down, and then the smelting department set up several coal sales points in other places in the capital.

The sun shines through the clouds and on people's faces filled with joy. This year's winter is certainly not as cold as usual.

…………