Chapter 16 in Foshan II

Xian Zijing led the way in front, and the group came to the ancestral temple furnace of the Xian family.

According to the habits of Foshan, each furnace is a separate survival base, and generally has a good name, and the name of the old temple furnace of the Xian family also has a origin, which is the reason why the Xian family has become the head of the gentry in Foshan.

In the second year of Jingtai, Huang Xiaoyang rebelled. The imperial court sent Dong Xing, the chief military officer, to suppress it. In the end, Huang Xiaoyang was captured in Foshan. The Foshan squires have helped the imperial court to suppress bandits, and were named loyal and righteous townships by the imperial court, and 22 Foshan gentry were named loyal and righteous officials.

Among them, the Xian family stood in two places.

Although this loyal official was not a serious official position in the imperial court, it was just that Foshan was not as prosperous as it is now. As the head of the gentry in Foshan, the Xian family was also engaged in the iron industry. has a first-mover advantage, even if there are many rising stars later, but most people are still used to ranking the Xian family at the forefront.

And this old temple refers to the Lingying Temple, which is also the ancestral temple of Foshan, and because it was graced this time, it was named the Lingying Temple. It is also the center of Foshan, and the Foshan iron-smelting workshop began to expand from here. And the ancestral temple furnace is named because it is adjacent to the ancestral temple.

Zhang Xuan came over to take a look, and the first thing he saw was a blast furnace at the bottom.

It is indeed a blast furnace, at least two stories high. There was something like a conveyor belt next to it, and someone kept turning it and poured the wood into the furnace.

This stove was burning, and Zhang Xuan was more than ten steps away from this stove, so he was reluctant to take another step.

But I saw countless big men, with only one pants on their bodies, and some people even took off their pants, naked, still sweating profusely, wetting the ground, but the ground was also roasted by the flames at a very high temperature, and a little sweat dripped on the ground. But after a while, it evaporated.

Even though Zhang Xuan was a little far away, he still felt sweaty on his head. After a while, the underwear was wet. He couldn't help but sigh and said, "This is too bitter." ”

Xian Zijing said: "What the general said is that the parents near Foshan don't want their children to come to Foshan as apprentices unless they have to, that is, to be blacksmiths, hard. There was also a bitterness in Xian Zijing's words. I just don't know if this bitterness is for these blacksmiths, or for himself.

"It's on." didn't let Zhang Xuan wait for a long time, I don't know who said a word.

"Bang". The place under the blast furnace, which resembles a discharge port, is opened, and the red molten iron flows into the mold, and the temperature soars again for a while.

Xian Zijing said: "The method of this iron furnace is mostly mixed with iron and charcoal, and iron can be obtained for one day and one night. ”

The specific method, Xian Zijing naturally will not say. This is the unique secret of his Xian family, of course, the family that can really start the blast furnace has its own set of methods in their hands, and it is very similar. But there are still similarities and differences. Even though Xian Zijing knew that such a technique could not be kept secret by Zhang Xuan's side. As long as Zhang Xuan wants to know. After all, it's not just one family, but many families that have this technology.

It's just the habit of people in this era, and he doesn't want to say more about technical details, but only roughly says some.

Zhang Xuan watched as the reddish flowing water flowed into the template, and finally cooled down. A total of twelve templates are paved, which should correspond to the twelve mentioned by Xian Zijing? bar.

However, Zhang Xuan had no time to care about these details.

Instead, it looks like this stove.

This is Zhang Xuan's biggest surprise when he comes here. Although Zhang Xuan knew that this stove still had such and such problems. Zhang Xuan also did not know much about the steel production process in later generations. However, there is a general impression that it seems that blast furnaces were used for iron and steel smelting in later generations.

A more realistic problem is that this furnace can produce so much pig iron, and I want to increase production. All you need to do is build more blast furnaces like this.

It was also of great help to General Zhang Xuan's plan to kill the Qing army with steel. Zhang Xuan really didn't expect that the ancients had already reached this point. After he saw the blacksmith shops in Foshan Town, he thought that the Ming Dynasty's method of producing iron was still refined little by little with a small furnace.

Zhang Xuan seems to see the future. said: "Master Xian, how many such blast furnaces do you have in your family?" ”

Xian Zijing's face turned pale and said, "There is only this one." ”

Zhang Xuan said: "How can this be? It's not that the Xian family is the head of the four families in Foshan. ”

Xian Zijing almost gritted his teeth and said: "In the first half of last year, the foreign trade routes in Lingnan were cut off, and in the second half of the year, overseas trade routes were cut off, and Foshan suffered heavy losses. My Xian family is the first to bear the brunt. Coupled with some things at home, I had to turn off the blast furnace for the time being. ”

Zhang Xuan finally understood where the resentment in Xian Zijing's heart came from.

In the first half of last year, the trade routes outside the Lingnan were cut off, and the so-called outside the Lingwai was the reason for the severance of the trade routes outside the Five Mountains. As for the severance of overseas trade routes in the second half of the year, it was naturally the Zheng fleet that came west. For Zheng, more important than fighting a war is to seize control of the sea. Xian Zijing's previous shipping channel was naturally a local pirate, and under the attack of the Zheng family, he had long been scattered, or he took refuge in the Xia army, but he couldn't ship to the Xian family.

As for the war in Guangdong in the second half of the year, it is natural that many industries will be affected. Coupled with the fact that there are so many iron-producing merchants in Foshan, the head of the Xian family obviously failed in the competition. Got the whole family in trouble.

Zhang Xuan said: "I see. He didn't say anything. Just a meaningful smile.

He Wuyu said: "It's not early in the general, and the people below have already set up a banquet, so please invite the general to come over for dinner." ”

"Okay." Zhang Xuan said.

It's just that when he arrived at the dining place, Zhang Xuan didn't know what to say. The reason is very simple, the place to entertain Zhang Xuan is the Lingying Temple, which is the ancestral temple of Foshan.

came to inspect the place, but in the end he had to eat at the temple, which made Zhang Xuan very unaccustomed.

However, this is not that they are snubbing Zhang Xuan. It's business.

It's not that they don't want to flatter Zhang Xuan, but Zhang Xuan has already explained that he wants to do business. However, higher-level officials rarely come to Foshan Town, and even when they do, they are always entertained at the temple. It's just that I didn't expect Zhang Xuan to be such a high-level big man.

The reason is simple, if business is on business. Zhang Xuan can't enter the house, this is disturbing the people. And Foshan Town is not an official office. But Foshan is not a place without discussions. Generally, if there is any major event in Foshan Town, it is discussed by the gentry and celebrities in the ancestral temple.

And the ancestral temple was built at everyone's expense. It's actually a public place.

Such things were also common in ancient times. When many officials come down, they will judge cases in places such as the City God Temple and the Land Temple.

Even so, Zhang Xuan was not very comfortable. But compared to the main thing, this little unhappiness, Zhang Xuan doesn't care.

After Zhang Xuan first put a few pillars of incense in the temple, he hurriedly had lunch and summoned He Wusu again. said: "Lord He, you also know the purpose of my coming today. ”

He Wuyu said: "The lower officials know. The Great General is here for the Manufacturing Bureau. “

Zhang Xuan said: "Foshan iron industry is really the best in the world, the manufacturing bureau is in Foshan, but the manufacturing bureau in Foshan will definitely draw Foshan's manpower and material resources, in order to do things smoothly, I want to lead a person from Foshan into the manufacturing bureau to do things, what do you think?" ”

He Wuyu said: "The general clearly saw Wanli, and the lower officials admired it, but the lower officials felt that Wan could not use any of the leaders of the Seven Elements. ”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback, to be honest, Zhang Xuan didn't feel good about the seven leaders of the Seven Elements. Although the seven of them are silent. Along the way, almost nothing was said. But judging by their attire. None of them are rich or noble. I'm afraid I'll have to do it myself.

For such a person, Zhang Xuan is much more cordial than the people of the four major families.

But He Wuyu said that it was not available, and for a while Zhang Xuan was suspicious of Dou Congsheng and asked, "Lord He, why did you say this." ”

He Wuyu said: "The general's days in Guangdong are short, but he doesn't know anything. These seven people seem to be honest and responsible, but they are actually after rebellion? ”

Zhang Xuan frowned, he was a little uncomfortable when he heard the words "after rebellion". Said: "After the rebellion? What's going on? ”