Outside, it was already as bright as day, and dozens of soldiers in full armor and armed with sharp blades stood in the courtyard, holding torches in their hands, and there were many musketeers in front of them, with their muzzles pointed squarely at the house. And in the midst of a cadre of soldiers, there were four or five men dressed in black, all black, with white cuffs and white edges around the hat on their heads.

If you see them in the dark, you will be scared half to death.

This kind of very characteristic dress is on the ground thousands of miles north and south of the Songjiang jurisdiction, but anyone with a little knowledge can recognize what it means - just like the flying fish suit of Jinyiwei, the dress of MI6 is jokingly called 'impermanence clothes' by some officials, one is indeed more similar, and it is because of the people who were invited away by MI6, but few have a good end.

Looking around, the courtyard wall was also full of people, all with muskets in their hands.

At the beginning, the eighteenth Wei Road encountered the remnants of Tang Gu's soldiers, forming a formation to defend against the enemy, Peng Shanhu and a few of them sneaked to a short distance to check, naturally knowing how powerful this long iron pipe is, these muskets fired together, even if they were hiding in the house, they were afraid that they would be beaten into a sieve.

"Let's go, let's get out!"

Peng Shanhu snorted, his body paused slightly, he exhaled, and slammed his palms on the wall in front of him, actually opening a big hole the size of two people in the adobe wall, and walked out of the hole, shaking his clothes, and his expression was quite calm and indifferent.

Seeing this hand, the surrounding soldiers couldn't help but cheer in unison.

The eyes of the one who was obviously the highest in the black and white impermanence shrank slightly, but he applauded slightly. Yin Yin smiled: "Sure enough, he is worthy of being the descendant of the White Lotus Traitor Southern Sect, and he really has some kung fu in his hands!" The first bureau of the official MI6 is a thousand households and marquis Fangyu. Courteous. ”

Peng Shanhu smiled slightly: "Lord Hou has won the award, but he is just a wilderness border citizen. The small skills of carving insects are not enough to worry about teeth. ”

Hou Fangyu laughed: "At the beginning, Peng Yingyu and Master Peng created a big foundation, didn't it rely on these carving insect skills?" ”

Peng Shanhu's eyes shrank, and he stared at the young man standing next to Hou Fangyu, it was Wang Xiucai, and said fiercely: "You dog thing who deceived the teacher and destroyed the ancestors!" ”

A trace of coldness flashed on Wang Xiucai's face, and he sneered: "Boss Peng, if you go against the government, there is no good fruit to eat." Do you think you really don't know what you do? Tell you. The government found out about us half a month ago, if you die early, you will die, and if you die late, why not complete your brother? ”

He obviously expected Peng Shanhu to die, and he was unscrupulous when he spoke, but these shameless words were righteous and awe-inspiring in his mouth, and Hou Fangyu on the side frowned slightly when he heard it, and secretly scolded a shameless man.

He waved his hand, and Wang Xiucai quickly shut up obediently. I only heard Hou Fangyu say to Peng Shanhu: "This Brother Peng, my brother respects you with martial arts, and you are also a man, so I will give you a word of invitation." Let's go, come with me, you like that. I can't say that my family has to summon me for questioning. ”

Peng Shanhu smiled miserably and shook his arms. Since his arm was shaken and dislocated, Hou Fangyu waved his hand. Those powerful martial arts subordinates rushed up and tied him strongly.

Fang Laosan on the side saw that the boss recognized it, and he honestly did not resist and let people tie up.

Hou Fangyu squinted at the sky to the south, and said lightly: "Pass the order, close the net!" ”

On this day, under the auspices of the Sixth Military Intelligence Department, the entire Songhuajiang General Territory, with the cooperation of the military guards in various places, searched the world exhaustively, and arrested and killed more than 6,000 rebels of the White Lotus Sect overnight, including more than 400 main cadres and 15 incense masters, and captured alive Peng Shanhu, the head of the Southern Sect of the White Lotus Sect.

At this point, the strength of the White Lotus Sect in the territory under the jurisdiction of the Wuyi Army has melted and collapsed!

———————— dividing line——————

The sound of Herod's horses' hooves sounded, and a group of knights stopped at the gate of the West Mining Supervision Bureau in Zhenyuan Prefecture.

Lian Zining, Hong Chaojiao, Shi Kai, and the servants dismounted and walked to the gate surrounded by a group of guards, and a group of officials from the Mining Supervision Bureau had already received the news and greeted them at the gate early, and hurriedly came over to salute, and said in unison that they had seen adults.

"Get up." Lian Zining waved his hand, but he saw that the person standing at the front of the crowd was a former member of the Ministry of Labor, and the current Bureau of Mining Supervision was all Yang.

Lian Zining couldn't help but wonder for a while, this technical maniac couldn't easily meet him, he didn't see anyone the first two times he came, and he didn't know what he was doing.

Lian Zining stepped forward and said with a smile: "Yo, my lord, I saw you today, but it's not easy, how can I have time to come?" ”

If someone else hears it, such a tone, they will inevitably think that Lian Zining is very dissatisfied with himself in his heart, he has a grudge in his heart, and he doesn't know how much he is afraid in his heart. But Quan Yang's temperament everyone also knows that this is just an adult joking with her, Quan Yang laughed: "I'm ashamed, I was really busy a few days ago." ”

Lian Zining waved his hand: "This official understands your temperament, what have you been busy with lately?" Still with Dai Zi, studying the machine gun? ”

"Hey, that was a while ago, Dai Zi's machine gun is not a good job to study, Xia Guan came back two months ago." As soon as he said this, Quan Yang's eyebrows suddenly fluttered, and he explained: "Xia Guan has been firing glass recently. ”

"Glass?" Lian Zining was stunned at first, and then his heart throbbed slightly.

It's a term that evokes his infinite memories!

In China, the emergence of glass is not as late as most people think, as far back as five or six thousand years ago, the Egyptians first invented fired glass, and later spread all over the European continent. Initially, it was thought that Chinese glass was also imported from the West, but this was not the case.

In his previous life, Lian Zining once followed his teacher to see a Shang Dynasty blue glaze printed zun in the museum, with five pieces of dark green thick and transparent glass glaze. Some tombs in the early and middle Western Zhou Dynasty have unearthed thousands of glazed tubes and beads, which are lead barium glass, which is different from Western soda-lime glass. China's glass is developed from a self-contained system.

Glass in China is later than in Egypt, but much earlier than in Europe. It sprouted in the Shang Dynasty and began to be fired in the Western Zhou Dynasty at the latest. "The Biography of Mu Tianzi". King Mu of Zhou climbed the mountain of quarrying and ordered the people to quarry and cast it as a vessel, which is to burn glass.

However, the glass in the early days of the dynasty is not called glass, the ancients called it Xuanlin, Liuli, Glass, Biliuli, Medicine Jade, Water Spirit, Jar Jade, etc., and now there are some jade pendants that are not of high grade hanging by officials are made of medicinal jade, which is actually colored glass. At the beginning, Lian Zining made great contributions in the process of pacifying the white robe, and was also rewarded with a piece of medicine jade and jade pendant, and Nurhachi and other generals were later rewarded with a piece of medicine jade and jade pendant.

The jade which can be worn as an official. It can be seen that the price of this thing will definitely not be low.

Glass, one of the glasses, was originally only used as an ornament or burial object, and was regarded as a treasure. The folk song "Mo Shang Sang" of Han Yuefu said that Luo Fu "has a fallen bun on his head and a bright moon pearl in his ears", and the bright moon pearl was a precious glass ornament at that time. However, ancient Chinese glass was colorful and shining, but it was brittle and brittle, and it was not resistant to high temperatures. It is difficult to adapt to the environment of sudden cold and sudden heat. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Dayue people came to China and quarried stones in the capital to refine five-color glass, which once "made Chinese glass cheap". During the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are also foreigners who come to China to teach Western glass smelting techniques. For example, during the Kangxi Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, there was a glass factory in the Yangxin Palace. It can produce crystal glass, sprinkled gold blue glass and color glass. Its products are precious for a while, and are valued by Chinese and foreign collectors. Except for Beijing. In Shandong Boshan, Suzhou, Guangzhou and other places, there are glass production areas, Shandong Boshan products, has been exported to Nanyang countries.

In this era, glass already existed, but it was definitely not common, and the quality was not comparable to that of later generations.

As a traverser, Lian Zining naturally knows the significance of these inventions to promote the historical process, but he doesn't know how to get this thing, and secondly, it is also an identity-determining behavior, and he focuses more on the military field, so he is very keen on the improvement of flintlock pistols and Franc cannons, and is very cold to civilian things such as glass, which is a natural thing.

But it's a surprise, and if glass can be invented in large quantities, it will also be a great good. This kind of thing is a precious jewel in the surrounding countries of the Ming Dynasty and even India and other places, and if it is really chiseled, it is not afraid that it will not be sold.

He asked, "How's the research going?" Maybe a lot of it's out? ”

Quan Yang was stunned for a moment, a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face, and said: "There are only some eyebrows, if you want to produce a large amount, you have to wait." ”

Lian Zining smiled slightly, knowing in his heart. Quan Yang is very strong, he said this, most of them don't even have eyebrows, and they want to be put into production in large quantities, and they don't know how to wait until the Year of the Monkey.

It's just that even Zining didn't say anything, just tossed by him, and it didn't cost much money anyway, he knew very well that self-reliance like Quan Yang was invented by Quan Yang and had the potential to grow into a great scientist, so it was better not to limit it.

Thinking of this, Lian Zining's eyes glanced at the north not far away.

It was originally a vacant land within the west city wall of Zhenyuan Mansion, but at this time, a continuous building has been built, with an area of seven or eight acres of land, all of which are very simple and low adobe houses, and many houses in the back are pestled with chimneys on the roof, and black smoke is coming out in a steady stream. A gust of wind blew, mixed with a disgusting smell of burning, which for Lian Zining was easy to identify.

This is a new yamen set up by Wu Yijun, called the Rubber Refining Bureau, which is directly managed by the Logistics Department of Wu Yijun, and the bureau is set up with one person and the same official rank as 100 households.

Although it is simple here, the smell is not very good, but it is a forbidden place for idlers to enter, and there are more than ten meters away from the surrounding area to pestle idlers are exempt from entering.

What is refined here is the kind of rubber invented by Quan Yang, and this thing is definitely a strategic material that needs to be banned and monopolized in this era. In the three months since the establishment of this rubber refining bureau, not only Wu Yijun's carts have all been replaced with rubber wheels, but also a large number of them have been shipped to Guannei.

Lian Zining is not the kind of person who eats alone, and 10% of the monthly profit will be distributed to Quan Yang.

As a patent holder, this is definitely a lot.

I don't think the adults care much about that.

On the other hand, the deputy director Zheng Lu Zhen smiled and said, "Let's stop talking here, my lord, please." ”

Lian Zining smiled slightly. He walked forward and said to Quan Yang, "Quan Yang." Look, you study this glass. It's better to study perpetual motion machines. ”

"Perpetual motion machines? What's that? Quan Yang was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly asked.

"It's such a machine." Lian Zining pondered for a moment, and then roughly explained the principle of the steam engine. It's just that he graduated from archaeology, but he is not an engineering man, and he knows a little about that thing, but he is vague, and some places are still vague, and he can't tell it clearly.

Quan Yang couldn't help but shake his head when he heard this. Said: "Use water to propel the machine, my lord, this, the lower official is really unthinkable, and it is a little difficult." However, since the lord commanded it, the lower officials would naturally do their best to do it. ”

Lian Zining could naturally hear the perfunctory meaning in his words, and he didn't mind, just smiled faintly. That's what he said anyway, he didn't expect to make this thing.

It's just that no one noticed. A petty officer standing at the end of the line heard this, but he was thoughtful.

The group of people passed through the main area of iron smelting and copper mining, and arrived at the westernmost part of the Mining Supervision Bureau. This is a very small courtyard, about 100 meters in circumference, and a row of houses are built in the courtyard facing north and south. Similar to the caves in northern Shaanxi, they all have a semi-circular gate with adobe walls on the outside. Chimneys were erected on top of it, and a strange smell permeated the entire area.

occupies most of the courtyard inside. It's a pile of gray-white stones that look like a hill.

Lu Zhen was in charge of this project, and he pointed to the row of houses and said, "My lord." This is the lime kiln. ”

"After your teachings, let's come back and go to explore from all sides, not to mention, there are a lot of limestone mountains on the south bank of the Songjiang River, and the mountain in the west of Zhenyuan Mansion is made of limestone, and the trees on it are cut down, and the floating soil is cleaned up, and there are patches of limestone below, which is very convenient to mine. We built a quarry there and recruited more than 2,000 people to work there, and we can produce more than 100,000 catties of limestone in one day. ”

Lu Zhen smiled and said, "Take a look, is the mountain already bald?" ”

Lian Zining looked in the direction of Lu Zhen's finger, and sure enough, he saw that the forest on the surface of the mountain had almost been cut down, and it was supposed to be the season to spit green, but the surface was gray-white, and it was really like a person being bald.

Lian Zining said to Hong Chaojiao and Shi Kai: "You listen attentively, this official has this thing to come out, you are very useful." ”

Hong Chaojiao and Shi Kai didn't know what medicine was sold in Lian Zining's gourd, but they knew that he was by no means such a targeted person, so they both nodded seriously.

Lian Zining said again: "That mountain is the western barrier of Zhenyuan Mansion, don't let this official be emptied." ”

Lu Zhen smiled: "Don't worry, my lord, according to the current scale, if you want to empty that mountain, I'm afraid it will take another hundred and eighty years." ”

He continued: "According to your instructions, let's mine the limestone and put it in the kiln, spread a layer of charcoal, and then spread a layer of limestone, pile it up to seven or eight layers, and then seal the kiln and burn it, and the lime will come out. ”

He led the crowd around a few limestone piles that looked like hills, and then in front of him were neatly stacked blanks, and they were still exuding heat, and there was a choking smell in the distance.

On one side was a very large shed, forty or fifty meters in circumference, and it was filled with burnt lime, and other sand, clay, and other things. In the middle is to dig out a long 40 meters, 20 meters wide big pit, this big pit is very exquisite, all sides are made of big bluestone, inside is clear water.

About one hundred and ten laborers stood aside, saw Lian Zining and others, and knew that it was a big man coming, so they quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

Lu Zhen waved his hand and said loudly: "Get up, tell you, an uncle will come to inspect in person today, and I will do a good job, and I will give you a reward!" ”

"Yes!"

The laborers got his orders, and they responded with a bang, and then they began to get to work.

Lian Zining smiled: "Okay! Your kid's generosity to others is really unambiguous. ”

Lu Zhen smiled and said: "My lord, you said at the beginning, as long as this thing is made, you will allocate a reward of 5,000 taels of silver to our bureau, and you can remember this sentence." ”

"Did you really make it?" Lian Zining's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked.

"The mark lives up to the expectations of adults! At the beginning, the lime burned out was not pure enough, and the lime kiln was not hot enough, so people rebuilt the kiln and burned it according to the temperature of the porcelain kiln. Then follow the adult's prompts and keep experimenting. Finally, I found a way, three parts lime and one part clay. Mix well, add 40% water, and boil dry in the cellar. ”

I also seem to know how much this thing means after it is made. Lu Zhen's expression was also slightly self-conscious: "Finally, I created the kind of thing you said-cement." And the standard has also been experimented, the hardness and toughness of this cement should be qualified! ”

Lian Zining asked again: "Is it really made?" ”

Lu Zhen nodded heavily.

Lian Zining also knew that the soldiers who had followed him for many years would not lie to him, he took a deep breath and laughed happily: "Lu Zhen, you have really made great achievements this time, and I want to reward you heavily!" ”

Yes. Lian Zining is making cement.

This can almost be said to be a scientific and technological project that Lian Zining has attached the most importance to in recent years, and even more than the original flintlock pistol and Franc machine gun.

Cement is arguably one of the greatest inventions in human history.

This kind of extremely low-priced, extremely convenient to manufacture, extremely versatile, highly substitutable substance, can almost be said to be the cornerstone of the modern industrial revolution, and high-purity steel, steam engine, etc., has become the most powerful support point of modern civilization!

And the reason why this invention was chosen. One is because it's easy enough, and the other is because it's widely used.

You know, once the cement is made, it can be widely used in the construction of city fortresses. The construction of roads and other fields, especially the latter, is extremely important.

Lian Zining understands very well that convenient transportation is for a country. What does it mean for a force, a collective. The collapse of those big empires is basically because the territory is too big. As a result, it was impossible to control, and the decrees were transmitted from the center to the localities, even for several months. And the root cause of this situation is that the road conditions in the era of cold weapons are really too poor, 99% of the places in an empire are dirt roads, and it is strange that the efficiency can be high?

In this regard, the manufacture of cement is even more urgent.

He had already recruited Lu Zhen to make it to him a few months ago, and Lian Zining vaguely remembered that in the book he had read in his previous life, he said that cement could be obtained by mixing burned lime with clay and water, but he couldn't remember the proportion, so he could only experiment. The so-called book is hated less when it is used, but that's it.

He didn't think it would be made so quickly, but he didn't expect that Lu Zhen was also such a person with a very tough and strong personality, and he even recognized an idea, what the adults ordered, must be done well! In a matter of months, the perfect proportions are obtained.

The laborers poured lime and clay into the pit, which was connected to the stream that flowed through the mine in the distance, but the water was stopped by a sluice.

When the stirring is even, it is dug out of it and sent to the kiln to be burned dry.

Lu Zhen smiled and said: "After the burned, this thing is cement, my lord, Lord Hong, Lord Shi, please come and see, there is a burnt over there." ”

Out of the shed, there were some white cement blocks piled up on one side, and Lu Zhen smiled: "This is cement." ”

Hong Chaojiao couldn't help but ask, "This thing is so easy to use?" ”

"My lord guessed wrong." Lu Zhen shook his head: "This thing is not easy to use, it is not as strong as the bricks that have been burned." I've had people try it, and the things that come out of it are so brittle that they can't hold it. ”

Hong Chaojiao wondered: "Then why is this?" ”

Shi Kai on the side was staring with blazing eyes, his face full of anticipation, to a certain extent, he and Quan Yang had something in common, they were both extremely enthusiastic about this kind of invention. But Quan Yang is passionate about invention, and he is passionate about application. On the way here, Lian Zining had already told him that this kind of thing called cement is extremely cheap and very convenient, and he can make it look whatever he wants, and he doesn't need to carve, it's harder than stone, and his heart is already itching at this time.

Lian Zining smiled slightly: "Lao Hong, this thing is not used like this." ”

"It's still an adult, and I've expected this for a long time." Lu Zhen complimented, then waved his hand and beckoned a few craftsmen, and said, "Come, show the nobles, and build a wall within the time of your tea." ”

Hong Chaojiao suddenly didn't believe it, and said, "Lord Lu, is Mo talking about jokes?" They're just five people, how can a tea hour make a wall? (To be continued.) )