Empress Zhou and Wanyan Yuzhuo, who were talking, saw Emperor Chongzhen coming in, and hurriedly wanted to greet Emperor Chongzhen.

Chongzhen caught up with a step and grabbed Queen Zhou, who wanted to salute, and said, "No courtesy, no courtesy, be careful of the child in your belly." Then he said to Wan Yan Yuzhuo: "Concubine Wan also sit down." What am I talking about when I heard you guys happy? ”

Queen Zhou is the head of the six palaces, and when she heard this, she first said: "Where did you say something, but the concubine felt bored, so she called Concubine Wan's sister to come over and talk to the concubine, and she was talking about the grassland." Sister Wan said that there was a white plague on the grassland, but one thing was good, and the concubine was asking. ”

Chongzhen thought to himself, is there anything good on this Nima grassland? What's good, why do those guys always want to go to the middle to rob? Just as he was curious, he covered his mouth and smiled after listening to Yan Yuzhuo: "Isn't it, in summer, the night is much cooler than the Central Plains." ”

Queen Zhou said enviously: "This is really good, the summer of the Ming Dynasty, even this night is sweaty, always sticky, not refreshing." ”

Chongzhen thought to himself, this is also true. This expedition to Mongolia, although it was just as hot during the day, it was much cooler than the capital at night. But what can be done about it? The Ming Dynasty itself is located in the south of Mongolia, and in terms of geographical location, it is much cooler than the city of Champa or something. Daming doesn't have a refrigerator, although the royal family has an ice cellar, but how much can it store? Every year is not enough, that is, the supply of Emperor Chongzhen is quite sufficient.

it! It's time for Lao Tzu to get rich!

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly thought of a way to make a fortune.

Speaking of this ice, from the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty to today's Ming Dynasty, it is basically Tibetan ice.

What is Tibetan Ice? It is the official "Lingren" who is specially responsible for ice storage, who organizes manpower to collect ice in the cold winter season, and seals it in the cellar for use in the following summer. In the "Book of Songs: July", there is a verse that "the second day is to dig the ice and rush, and the third day is contained in Lingyin", which reflects the situation of the Zhou people picking and hiding ice.

"Lingyin" is a cellar about two zhang deep that is used to hide ice. It is recorded in the history books that every winter when the weather is the coldest, the government organizes personnel to chisel large pieces of ice on the surface of rivers and lakes, and then transport the ice blocks to Lingyin and put them into Lingyin piece by piece. Ice cubes should be separated from each other by straw so that they do not freeze together. After the ice cubes are filled, the cellar mouth is sealed layer by layer with mud and straw, and then a reed shed is built on top of the cellar mouth to shield from the sun. It wasn't until the next summer when ice was needed that people opened the lingyin and took out a block of ice to use.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Tibetan ice industry was more popularized. In the middle of summer, the emperor often gave the ice cubes to the meritorious civil and military ministers according to the different ranks. Officials at all levels also followed the emperor's example and gave ice to their subordinates. Giving ice has become a special benefit of the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.

But after all, this thing is to hide ice, and it has to be mined in winter, and it has to be calculated and used in summer, and it is impossible to use it as openly as in later generations, so the distribution of the harem is also uneven - first of all, you can have a high status, such as Empress Zhou and Empress Zhang, the wife of the carpenter emperor, and the rest are Tian Guifei and Yuan Guifei, and then the next divide, basically there is not much to divide.

But Emperor Chongzhen is different, he has also been trained by the starting point traverser training base, how can he not know that saltpeter can make ice? Even if you don't know how to prepare it, isn't it appropriate to find a reason for the people below to try it?

Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen smiled and said, "The queen and Concubine Wan will continue to chat, and I will go to the Royal Academy." When you get back, you'll have something good for you. ”

When Empress Zhou heard this, she chuckled and said, "Your Majesty's political affairs are important, so let's go directly to Sister Wan in the evening." In the past two months, I have lost my memory of Concubine Wan's sister. ”

Chongzhen ignored it, only laughed and turned to go out. But I thought in my heart, why did this daughter-in-law take the initiative to find a concubine for her husband, and persuaded her husband to have the excellent tradition of even rain and dew? Thinking about it, it is very hard for those male compatriots in later generations.

I heard that there are also traversers who have crossed over to find some monogamous family planning, a group of stupid people!

In ancient times, population was a strategic resource, and without population, who would pay taxes to the emperor? Who sent a daughter to the emperor? Still fucking monogamy? Which war will not kill a large number of men, and when there will be more men and girls, what will happen to the rest? To be an old virgin for life?

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that those traversers must have had their heads in the water and raised fish, and Emperor Chongzhen simply took people to the Royal Academy in the southern suburbs of the capital.

After arriving at the Royal Academy, just in time for Xu Guangqi and the others to test the gun again-there were more red-haired, yellow-haired and blue-eyed Yiren around him, Emperor Chongzhen said in his heart that these were not deceived by Xu Guangqi, or those bastards of Jinyiwei got in.

Left and right are Yiren, Chongzhen is too lazy to care, after stopping Xu Guangqi and others from saluting, Emperor Chongzhen said: "Are you still trying these guns today?" The result? ”

When Xu Guangqi heard this, he bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, the result is okay." If you go to the rifle, you can hit more, but the accuracy is a little worse. ”

Chongzhen didn't have a gun in his heart, so he hummed absentmindedly, and then continued: "Aiqing, experiment slowly." I said at the beginning that even though I was experimenting, I wanted money for money, and I wanted things for things, and I had to make the best and safest firearms for the soldiers. ”

Xu Guangqi bowed and asked, "Why did Your Majesty come to Weichen today?" But do you want to see the test firing of the firebolt? Or do you want to see the progress of the steam engine? ”

Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "Neither." I came here today because I was looking through ancient books last night and found something very interesting. ”

This time, Xu Guangqi was a little absent-minded. Xu Guangqi, who was now full of fire guns and steam engines, was not interested in other things at all, and just bowed down and said, "I don't know what it is?" Can you ask the ministers to try it out for Your Majesty? ”

Chongzhen snorted, and after brushing his thoughts, he began to talk nonsense: "This is simple. When I was looking through the miscellaneous books of the former Song Dynasty, there was a very interesting thing recorded in one of them. But before the death of Song, there was a White Lotus Sect Heavenly Master who could turn water into ice in the summer. ”

Xu Guangqi heard this, but it hurt tightly, the White Lotus Sect has always been beaten as a heretic from the former Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, and the ghost knows what is going on with their summer ice making skills - if there is really any evil art, Xu Guangqi does not believe it, and it is just a trick that has not yet been discovered.

Sure enough, I heard Emperor Chongzhen continue: "According to his book, once this person was captured by the government when he was performing ice-making, and the official ordered him to cut off his hands, take one of his fingers and submerge it into the tea cup water, the water will become cold, and then it will become ice, and the retest will be successful." The officer took his other hand and looked at it, but the nails were full of saltpeter powder. When Meng Yuan went south, this lonely book was lost, and when I think about it, this ice-making technique was also lost. ”

Listening to the string song and knowing the elegant meaning, Xu Guangqi even if he understood what Emperor Chongzhen wanted to do, this was to try to get the ice out, but the emperor himself was not very good-looking, this was to borrow his own hands to make things happen.

Now that he understood what Emperor Chongzhen wanted to do, Xu Guangqi bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, wait a minute, Weichen is willing to give it a try." After saying that, he summoned someone to come over and give a few instructions.

After a while, someone came with several large and small basins of water, and someone came with a bag of saltpeter.

After these people put the basin and saltpeter on the table, Xu Guangqi reached out to test the temperature of the water, and then picked up a fist-sized saltpeter and threw it into a basin.

It's just that after a few bubbles, there is no movement.

Chongzhen leaned up to take a look, and saw that there was no change in the water, and when he was wondering if he had made a mistake or made a mistake about how to make ice, Xu Guangqi reached out to test the water temperature again, and then said strangely: "It's strange, the water temperature has really dropped." ”

Fortunately, I didn't get slapped in the face! Chongzhen, who breathed a sigh of relief, saw that the saltpeter in the basin was still in pieces, and it had not disappeared too much, so he said: "Or is this saltpeter piece too big?" Xu Aiqing might as well make this saltpeter into small pieces or powder first? ”

When Xu Guangqi heard this, he nodded and responded: "Yes, it should be that this saltpeter block is too big." His Majesty also said that the person in the former Song Dynasty was used powder. ”

Then, Xu Guangqi called someone to come again, and took away a bag of saltpeter and replaced it with saltpeter powder that was originally intended to be used for gunpowder.

This time the situation is much better than the last time, it may have something to do with the saltpeter being ground into powder, or maybe Xu Guangqi poured more?

Xu Guangqi put his hand into the water again and thought about testing the water temperature. It's just that this time, he quickly pulled his hand back, and said with a happy face: "There is a play!" ”

As he spoke, he poured some powder into it, and this time, the situation was very different from just now. In a short time, ice slag slowly formed on the surface of the water, and after about a quarter of an hour, a thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the water.

Chongzhen said happily: "It's done!" ”

When Xu Guangqi heard this, he was also very happy, but he was not successfully knocked unconscious: "Your Majesty, it is feasible to make ice from saltpeter." It's just that how much saltpeter can make how much ice still needs to be tried and tested. And it's not clear whether the ice can be eaten or not, but it's impossible to think about it. ”

Chongzhen smiled, stretched out his hand to copy the basin with the least amount of water and the smallest size, and put it on top of the frozen basin, and said with a smile: "Put the saltpeter powder in the bottom basin, let the basin below freeze first, and after the water in the upper layer freezes again, but without saltpeter, you can eat it if you don't want to eat it when you want?" ”

When Xu Guangqi heard this, he also smiled dumbly and said: "Your Majesty is wise, and the ministers are beyond reach." In this way, the ice is just like the ice food sold outside, and it can be eaten. ”

Chongzhen put down the basin in his hand and said with a smile: "Not bad." It's just that Xu Aiqing tried more to see what kind of ratio was the best. It's just that this method should not be spread out, and while it is hot in the summer, I will also sell more ice, and then you will have more money here. ”

Not to mention Xu Guangqi, even those scientific researchers in later generations, who is not looking forward to their own sufficient funds? The more money you have, the more experiments you can do, and the more fame and fortune you will have.

Now tempted by Emperor Chongzhen, Xu Guangqi bowed down and said: "Your Majesty, rest assured, this academy was originally isolated from the outside world, as long as it is properly guarded, this ice-making method will not be transmitted." ”

Emperor Chongzhen laughed twice, and then instructed Cao Huachun, who came with him, to say, "Send your people over." When I went back and waited for Lord Xu to figure out how to make ice, I turned around and let Dongchang fiddle with the ice-making matter. In addition to the needs of the palace, you will send the people below to organize the sale. ”

When Cao Huachun heard this, he bowed down. Although there is a lot of ice in the palace now, it has not reached the point of letting go of the supply, now it is good, you can make ice in the summer, and this ice will be made casually in the future!

It's just that after coming out of the Royal Academy, Chongzhen instructed Cao Huachun again: "Remember, those that don't have nitrate in the future will be supplied to the palace and Daming, and those mixed with saltpeter will be sold to the grassland and Liaodong!" The messy things you make in the East Factory, as long as you can't see it, you can also mix some of it, as long as you can't find it in a short time, even if you mix it! ”

Cao Huachun, who was not a good thing in itself, bowed down and responded: "Don't worry, the emperor knows it." Just like the salt case, it should not appear in Daming, it will definitely not appear! For the rest, the slave maid guaranteed that the barbarians of the grassland and Liaodong would like it. ”

Chongzhen snorted and complimented: "That's good." You also put a little more thought, it's better to sell those spiced ice to those Xiyi. ”

Cao Huachun intended to be funny, so he said with a bitter face: "Emperor, you are just embarrassing the slave." This ice is definitely not easy to preserve in summer, just the grassland and Liaodong are okay, but it is too late to make it on the border between the grassland and Liaodong. It's just sold to Xiyi, but I'm afraid that it will be melted into miles. ”

Chongzhen laughed and scolded: "Idiot! You won't save it, and you won't let others study how to save it? There are countless talented people in this royal academy, what are they doing idle? ”

Cao Huachun hurriedly bowed down and said, "Emperor Shengming, it's a slave who is too stupid." ”