There is only one topic - money!

The army is short of money, the yamen is short of money, and now even the family is short of money!

Liu Mang's purpose in looking for Song Yingxing was to study how to make use of the rich minerals in Taiyuan and Yanmen to open up financial channels and make more money.

Song Yingxing has a wide range of activities, covering all aspects of agriculture and handicrafts. Liu Mang asked him to talk about it casually, and he really said it casually.

Song Yingxing is very knowledgeable and eloquent, and the most characteristic thing is that he speaks very quickly.

After a short period of effort, he talked about dozens of aspects, such as instruments, bricks and tiles, ceramics, candles, paper, weapons, textiles, dyeing, salt making, oil extraction, soaking seeds, rolling seedlings, grass, and graphite.

"Wait!"

This time, Liu Mang didn't think he was talking too loudly, but because he heard "graphite", graphite was the name of coal in the Han and Wei dynasties.

Liu Mang's knowledge in his previous life was really shallow, but it is still clear that Shanxi (that is, Bingzhou) is rich in high-quality coal. He has been wondering if he can make some fuss about coal mining and open up new financial routes.

"Mr. Chang Gung, let's talk about graphite in detail."

"Yanmen is rich in graphite, especially in the Pingcheng area, where the graphite quality is excellent and easy to excavate."

Pingcheng is today's Shanxi Datong. When Song Yingxing was in Huren, he investigated everywhere, and the information he had was basically consistent with Liu Mang's memories in his previous life.

Hearing Song Yingxing say this, Liu Mang became interested.

"Graphite is a good thing, and using it to smelt iron can get twice the result with half the effort. It can also replace firewood and make a fire for cooking. As long as it is mined, it is a million profits. Therefore, graphite is also known as 'black gold stone'"

Song Yingxing's point of view is also consistent with Liu Mang's memory. Shanxi coal, didn't it create a lot of local tyrants?

Liu Mang and Eldest Sun Wuji were both infected by Song Yingxing's extremely fast speech speed and excited expression.

Coal mining is really a shortcut to making a fortune!

Only Li Hongzhang's expression was still solemn, but after being beaten by Liu Mang a few times, Li Hongzhang became much calmer and did not take the initiative to say what he thought.

Seeing that Li Hongzhang was silent, Liu Mang remembered that he was the leader of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty, and one of the key points of the Westernization Movement was to establish industry, and coal mining was industry.

"Hongzhang, tell me what you think."

Liu Mang asked, Li Hongzhang hesitated slightly, and said: "What Mr. Chang Geng said is extremely true, but his subordinates are still quite worried. Although his subordinates don't understand graphite, they have lived in Jinyang for a long time, and they have seen people picking up graphite for firewood. However, graphite transportation is difficult, and the people are not used to replacing firewood with graphite, and graphite is used as fuel, and the stove needs to be rebuilt, which is quite inconvenient. ”

As soon as Li Hongzhang said, Liu Mang's mood fell again.

Yes, the use of coal instead of firewood is ostensibly a change of fuel, but it involves a change in people's lifestyles and living habits, which is not a simple matter.

Although Song Yingxing was erudite, he was only a scientist and not a businessman. When it comes to commercial trade issues, it is far inferior to Li Hongzhang. He said that the benefits of coal are only analyzed from a scientific point of view, and do not consider whether people can accept coal, let alone transport and sell it.

"However, smelting iron with graphite is by no means comparable to smelting with firewood."

Li Hongzhang nodded: "It is true that as Mr. Chang Gung said, graphite helps to smelt iron. In winter, if the garrison units of our army use graphite instead of firewood, the officers and men can avoid the winter cold, avoid frostbite, and improve their combat effectiveness. However, his subordinates believe that graphite mining is a long-term strategy, and it is difficult to obtain profits in the short term. We are in urgent need of money now, and graphite is like distant water, which is difficult to quench our thirst. ”

Li Hongzhang's remarks completely cooled Liu Mang's enthusiasm.

Li Hongzhang is right, coal mining, like iron smelting, is not a year or two of visible benefits, suitable for inclusion in long-term development strategies, but not suitable for emergency response.

The atmosphere in the room, which had just been lively, was now cold again......

"Hurry up and help the goose open the door, the big fish is coming!" Tong Xiangyu's joyful voice came from outside the door, the door opened, and a delicious aroma came to his face.

"Wow, this fish is so fragrant!"

"That's it! The goose shop uses all the big fish of Zhao Yuze, and it is very delicious! Tong Xiangyu was busy distributing fish to a few people, "Is this a goose giving away, don't want money!" "Tong Xiangyu is greedy for money, picks the door, and sends a plate of side dishes, which is equivalent to cutting a knife on her, and being able to send such a big fish is almost equivalent to killing her.

When he was sandwiching fish for Liu Mang, Tong Xiangyu approached Liu Mang and begged in a low voice: "Taishou, you must not care, the goose was just talking about playing that day......"

Liu Mangleng paused for a moment and reacted, it turned out that she was still worried about being held accountable for selling illicit salt to guests.

"Haha......" Liu Mang was hearty, tasted a piece of fish, and teased Tong Xiangyu. Shopkeeper Tong, are you reluctant to put salt? This fish is too light! ”

Tong Xiangyu was exposed, his face turned slightly red, and he defended: "Fish, if you put too much salt, it won't be fresh!" ”

Tong Xiangyu said something nice, toasted, and left.

Liu Mang and others returned to the topic again.

Li Hongzhang picked up a piece of fish and said with a smile: "Because of this shopkeeper, his subordinates have an idea." ”

"Tell me about it."

"Graphite mining is a long-term effort; In the short term, it is better to work on salt. ”

"Salt?"

Liu Mang and the eldest grandson Wuji have also been worried about salt.

Although the battle between Hebei and Hebei came to an end temporarily, Yuan Shao would definitely cut off the salt route to contain Taiyuan and retaliate against Liu Mang.

In this era, salt and pig iron were strategic materials, and their importance was comparable to that of grain and horses. And the imperial court's control over salt and pig iron was even stricter than that of grain and horses.

Salt is a necessity of life and the best commodity for trade. The Han Dynasty implemented a monopoly on salt and iron, that is, a government monopoly, which made the price of salt always high.

Salt is profitable and easy to transport. If you can really traffic salt as Li Hongzhang suggested, you can not only get rich returns, but also quickly achieve results!

But where to get salt?

"Salt pond!" Song Yingxing immediately gave the answer.

"Salt pond?"

Liu Mang and the eldest grandson Wuji Li Hongzhang glanced at each other, and they all looked happy.

That's right!

Yanchi, located in the south of Bingzhou, belongs to Hedong County, which is the commander of the school. Salt Pond is a large salt lake.

Because the surrounding area is saline-alkali land, it is not suitable for farming, and Yanchi has not been built as a city and county. However, the imperial court once set up a salt supervisor in the salt pond to take charge of the nearby salt affairs.

The princes would join the alliance to defeat Dong Zhuo, and Dong Zhuo hijacked the imperial court and moved west to Chang'an, using the Tongguan natural danger as a barrier to resist the princes of the Central Plains.

And the alliance of the princes gradually collapsed, and each dominated one side. Because Hedong County was close to Dong Zhuo's sphere of influence, no prince dared to set foot in Hedong alone. Gradually, Hedong became a buffer zone between Dong Zhuo and the princes of the Central Plains, and also became a "three-regardless" area that was occasionally set foot in and no one was permanently managed.

The salt prison set up in the salt pond was also abandoned. The salt pond became unmanaged.

The eldest grandson Wuji and Li Hongzhang are both officials, and their inertial thinking makes them dare not fight the idea of the salt pond belonging to the imperial court. And Song Yingxing is just a scientist, not bound by the officialdom system, just giving answers to the question of "where is the salt".

When he mentioned Yanchi, he immediately opened the minds of Liu Mang and others.

"Xiao Yi!" Liu Mang called Yan Qing, "Call Mr. Berwyn immediately!" Tell Shopkeeper Tong that we are going to drink all night here, and let her prepare more wine and food! ”