(Thanks to the Aurora of the Far North and the mystery monologue for the reward~)

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The next day, inside the Funing Palace

Zhao Dezhao went to the Funing Hall again to ask for an order, Zhao Kuangyin frowned and thought carefully for a while, and then said to Zhao Dezhao: "The problem of funds is not big, because the income of the royal family is dedicated to supervising the glass industry, and this part will be temporarily used for cement production." I thought about it, and Dou Yi, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, and Xue Ju, the servant of the Ministry of Households, to assist the emperor in completing this project! What's the problem, just come to Daddy! But let's test this matter for the time being, and when it succeeds, it will be announced on the morning court! ”

"Thank you Daddy!"

After that, Zhao Kuangyin issued an edict, named Zhao Dezhao as the new cement superintendent, for the general to supervise the management, and then let the household department and the Ministry of Industry cooperate with Zhao Dezhao to mobilize 100 forbidden army soldiers, 50 craftsmen, 1,000 civilian servants, according to Zhao Dezhao said temporarily outside the city in a wasteland, used as a place for cement firing, this place is Wazipo.

The name of the superintendent is good, but in fact it is only a temporary official position, and there is no record at all in the history department in charge of the promotion of officials, and there is no grade, and it will be automatically dismissed after the cement is made.

Wazipo searched for a place, and under the civil service, the cement house was finally completed.

Xue Juzheng and Zhao Dezhao then went to Wazipo and instructed the superintendent to mobilize a group of craftsmen who fired lime or ceramics to prepare limestone, clay, iron slag, gypsum and other materials for burning cement.

Wazipo was building a lot of construction at the moment, preparing to make cement things, and Zhao Dezhao and Xue Juzheng saw Wazipo refining cement things in the afternoon.

At this moment, there is a pungent smell of lime in the wind, and several earthen kilns are standing in Wazipo, which is the place of firing at this moment.

"The subordinate officials see the superintendent and the squire!" As soon as Zhao Dezhao and Xue Juzheng entered the courtyard, they saw a general who was a supervisor and a helper coming out to greet them.

"You don't have to be polite, how is Li Zhicheng's cement made?" As soon as Zhao Dezhao opened his mouth, he asked about the development of cement.

"The envoy of Qiyu supervised the construction, and the subordinate officials commanded the craftsmen according to the instructions of the envoy, and ground the limestone, clay, slag and gypsum into powder, and then mixed the limestone and clay in the ratio of five parts to one part, plus a small amount of slag powder, I believe that there will be results in the near future!" It will be used as the superintendent of Cheng Li Qingdao.

Zhao Dezhao looked at Li Qing, although this person had a dark complexion and thick hands and feet, if he took off his official robe, he would be no different from those craftsmen behind him, but his wrinkled face had a pair of shrewd little eyes, and he blinked flexibly from time to time, obviously a flexible and clever character.

"Well, there will be a labor agency in the future!" Zhao Dezhao is very satisfied, looking at his appearance, you can guess that he is a craftsman, and he is also very smart.

After chattering for a while, under the leadership of Li Qingqian, the general of the Supervision Bureau, he went to the earthen kiln specializing in refining cement.

At this moment, in front of the kiln, the naked craftsmen are working in an orderly manner, and the crushing of materials is an indispensable process for cement firing, and the dust raised is extremely harmful to the human body. And they are wearing masks on their mouths at the moment, which is also required by Zhao Dezhao, after all, cement is very harmful to the human body, so wearing masks is also to protect their bodies.

The craftsmen didn't know that His Royal Highness King Liang was standing behind them, they were working, and Zhao Dezhao, Xue Juzheng and Li Qing stood in front of the earthen kiln for a while, and they were all choked and coughed.

Before long, the materials from the kiln were ground into powder, and then under the command of Li Qing, the limestone, slag and clay were mixed according to the ratio of Zhao Dezhao, and the gypsum powder was put aside for later use, and then the mixed materials were put into the lime kiln for calcination.

The craftsmen were very skillful in operation, and Zhao Dezhao and Xue Juzheng were also waiting for the cement ash to come out.

"Your Highness, it will take some time for this cement forging and grinding, please wait in the hall!" Xue Juzheng saw Zhao Dezhao standing in front of the earthen kiln and watched intently, and he had been standing on the side for a long time, and it seemed that there would be no results for a while, and he was also worried that His Royal Highness King Liang was small and couldn't support it after standing for a long time.

"It's okay, Li Zhicheng will notify this king as soon as the cement is baked later!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

At this time, Zhao Dezhao and his entourage went to the hall to wait, it was almost dusk, and before the situation came out, at Xue Juzheng's suggestion, Zhao Dezhao and the others temporarily returned to Kaifeng City.

"Xue Shilang, you have worked hard today to accompany this king, and you have also worked hard for a day, so you can be the king's carriage and go home!" Zhao Dezhao knew that this Xue Juzheng was a doctor of the Zhou Counseling Department after the officials, Langzhong of the Criminal Department, the Household Department of the early Song Dynasty, the Soldier of the Ministry of War, the Governor of the Political Affairs, the Men of the Minister, the Pingzhang Shi, the Zuo Servant, the Zhaowenguan University Scholar, Sikong, and Juzheng had a magnificent demeanor, a square conduct, and was lenient and simple for the prime minister, not harsh, and the scholars and gentlemen were one of the prime ministers in the Zhao Kuangyin period, so they made more friends with these people.

"Your Highness, this ...... The minister should walk back, thank you for your kindness. ”

"Then it's up to Xue Shilang!"

In the early morning of the next day, Zhao Dezhao had just had breakfast in the palace, and at this moment the little nobleman came in from outside the palace, "Your Highness, Li Qing is waiting outside the palace, and he replied early in the morning that the matter is almost over, just wait for His Highness to go to Wazipo to inspect it in person." ”

"Little Guizi, let people pass on the word to the household servant!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhao Dezhao hurriedly left the palace, and saw Li Qing with a dusty face at the gate of the palace, and bowed with two red eyes: "Xiaguan Li Qing, see His Royal Highness King Liang, I don't know if His Royal Highness came in person yesterday, please forgive me!" ”

"Li Zhicheng doesn't have to be like this, by the way, what is the progress of the cement?"

Li Qing replied very excitedly: "Your Highness, yesterday the officials and craftsmen worked all night, and finally finished calcining the cement, as His Highness said, he finally got a gray powder, and I wanted to ask His Highness to go and have a look!" ”

"Why didn't you see the carriage, did you come on foot?" Zhao Dezhao hurriedly pulled up Li Qing on the side, wanting to sit in the same carriage.

"Your Highness can't, the status of the subordinate is humble, or ......"

"This king doesn't mind, what do you mind, get into the carriage quickly. This king wants to see the style of cement! After speaking, Zhao Dezhao, who was small and strong, pulled Li Qing into the carriage.

Li Qing sat nervously, and finally arrived at Wazipo, and as soon as he entered the courtyard, a large pile of cement was placed on the ground.

Zhao Dezhao immediately grabbed a handful of cement powder from the ground, in fact, this is not real cement, because there is still the last process. Zhao Dezhao asked people to take the gypsum powder that had been ground yesterday, and then add about three percent of the gypsum powder in proportion to adjust it, and the gypsum was mainly to delay the hardening speed of the cement, so as to facilitate the subsequent construction. It was not until this time that the first batch of cement in the Great Song Dynasty was truly successful.

Zhao Dezhao then said: "Yes, this is the thing, exactly the same!" The king wants to test the results. ”

Although the cement has been made, it is not yet the time to dedicate it to his father, at least he must test it to see how the effect is, at least he must have a bottom in his heart, and then recommend this thing for construction in the early dynasty, so that his father and the ministers will be convinced.

At this moment, Xue Juzheng also rushed to the courtyard, and he arched his hand and said: "Your Highness, the minister is late, please forgive me!" ”

"It doesn't have to be like this, today the cement has been successfully made, let's witness the first batch of cement in the history of the Great Song Dynasty!"

"Hmm!"

Zhao Dezhao immediately commanded the craftsmen, let people dig soil and dig pits on the ground, and then mix the sand and cement into a slurry with water, and then dump it into the square pit on the ground, in order to increase the strength of the concrete, Zhao Dezhao also deliberately reduced the proportion of sand and gravel, most of the modulated things are cement, so the purity of cement is extremely high.

After a while, the pit has been dug, and then there are craftsmen with buckets, and began to make cement, after the cement is made, Zhao Dezhao asked people to lay a mat in the courtyard, and then make a mold, and the cement is evenly matched, that is, poured into the mold, patted tightly, and then paved the surface, and after seven or eight days, try its hardness again.

Looking at Zhao Dezhao's posture now, he must have to test the effect of cement, so these craftsmen stretched their heads one by one and waited to see, after all, everyone has curiosity, and Li Qing and other craftsmen are carefully watching the production process of cement on the side at the moment, and then Li Qing took notes on the process of Zhao Dezhao making cement products.

"This cement will let him dry for seven or eight days, seven or eight days later, you can almost try to see its hardness, if it is as hard as a stone, it means that the cement firing is successful, this time thanks to you, the king is here to thank you, if the cement is made, you are the hero of the Great Song Dynasty!"

"Your Highness—" The craftsmen all choked up when they heard King Liang's words.

And it takes a little longer to wait for the cement to dry completely, after all, the longer the time, the stronger its hardness, which also makes Zhao Dezhao completely relieved. In the past few days, Zhao Dezhao asked craftsmen to make another batch of cement, and then experiment with different proportions of cement, and then make it into cement products.

During this period of time, Zhao Dezhao patiently waited for the finished cement to dry, and then tested its hardness.

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ps. Xue Juzheng (912 - July 12, 981), Ziping. A native of Junyi, Kaifeng (now Kaifeng, Henan)[1]. Minister and historian of the Northern Song Dynasty. He is one of the twenty-four heroes of the Zhaoxun Pavilion. His representative work is "History of the Old Five Dynasties".

Twenty-four heroes of Zhaoxun Pavilion: Zhao Pu, Cao Bin, Xue Juzheng, Shi Xizai, Pan Mei, Li Xin, Wang Dan, Li Jilong, Wang Zeng, Lu Yijian, Cao Wei, Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, Fu Bi, Sima Guang, Han Zhongyan, Lu Yihao, Zhao Ding, Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, Chen Kangbo, Shi Hao, Ge Yi, Zhao Ruyu, all twenty-four people.