While he was talking, the porter came to report the visit.

Since Chen Xu told the orthodox emperor about cement, Kuaixiang has become a frequent visitor to the palace.

Kuaixiang originally only planned to pay attention to the progress of cement calcination, and as for the forging process, he had no idea of stealing a teacher at all; Chen Xu didn't mean to cherish the broom, from the selection of materials to the firing, he did not hide it from Kuaixiang in any process.

"Guogong, although the old man has an official body, but he is a craftsman, although he has not seen the finished cement, but he can also guess its value, if he is replaced by someone else, the calcination process must be strictly confidential, why do you do the opposite?"

Kuaixiang naturally knows the authority of the patent department, but in his opinion, the benefits that patents can bring are far less than their own calcination, which is definitely a huge wealth, just like soap, Chen, Feng, and Yang monopolize it, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is not an exaggeration to make money every day.

Now since the soap formula was announced, in a short period of time, there are no less than ten businesses registered in the patent department that intend to mass produce soap, although the patent fee is also a lot of income, but compared to before, I am afraid it is far inferior, right?

"Lord Kuai," Chen Xu said with a smile, "Zi said, the prosperity of an industry cannot be achieved by one person, especially building materials such as cement. ”

Kuaixiang was a little surprised, did Zi really say such a thing? Of course, this is indeed the truth, he did not interrupt Chen Xu, and continued to listen to his high arguments.

"I dare to pack a ticket, once cement is available, its demand is definitely an astronomical amount," Chen Xu took into account that Kuaixiang did not understand the meaning of astronomical figures, and he repeated, "The demand is very large, so big that we can't imagine it, for example, the road we want to build, how much more than tens of millions of cement are needed?" If I cherish my broom, the raw materials will inevitably be in short supply, and the construction period will naturally be delayed. This is by no means what I would like to see. ”

Chen Xu has already told Kuaixiang about the plan to build the road, Kuai Daren can be described as a senior in the industry, not only exquisite skills but also huge connections, with him to join will definitely get twice the result with half the effort. To paraphrase a current jargon, he wants to hire him as a senior engineer.

Kuaixiang listened to Chen Xu's plan, and he was amazed.

Paving the official road from the capital to Jinling with cement, opening the road and building a bridge when the water meets the mountain, and the road surface is flat to protect the axle is a trivial matter, the most important thing is to save time, and the preliminary estimate is to save nearly half of the time compared with now. The smooth flow of roads brings convenience to the circulation of goods. The prosperity of the country is a matter of course.

Kuai-sama can almost foresee that this project will bring a shock to the world, and if you can participate in it, it will go down in history.

Of course, such a huge project, the manpower and material resources required will never be a small amount, Kuaixiang, as the left waiter of the Ministry of Works, he naturally understands the financial situation of the imperial court, and Chen Xu also indirectly confirmed this.

Will the plan be settled?

Chen Xu said it very easily. As soon as the displaced people grasp a large handful, manpower is never a problem, he hires the displaced people and pays them, and the displaced people are no longer displaced people. It's a win-win-win-win

Where does the money come from? Kuaixiang knew that this was the most critical problem, but Chen Xu said that he would find a way to solve this problem......

Gossip is less, and the book is back to business. Kuai Xiang nodded in agreement when he heard this, what Chen Xu said was reasonable, once such a huge project was started. The construction period must not be delayed.

"Therefore, I disclose the process of making cement, so that the people can benefit, but also ensure the supply of cement, such a win-win situation, why not?"

Of course, Chen Xu will not tell sù Kuaixiang, the secrecy of the cement process is really not an easy matter, rather than the hard work of secrecy and then stolen by others, it is better to raise the profile at the beginning, the short-term benefits may not be considerable, but intellectual property rights can benefit the family in the long run.

"The people benefited?"

Kuaixiang wondered, can set up a workshop to burn cement in batches, either after the nobles, or the family with a lot of money, in this world, unless the scholar once went to high school, the carp jumped into the dragon gate, the other is the poor want to be poor, the rich get richer, after the industrialization of cement, it can only fatten those rich people.

"Lord Kuai, as an industry, if an investor wants to mass production, he can't do it himself, he is bound to hire people, since it is an employment relationship, he has to pay a certain salary, can you say that the people will not benefit from this? Of course, the production of cement has to be transported to other places where cement is needed, which will inevitably stimulate the prosperity of the transportation industry, and so on, and so on, and this is how the country gradually becomes rich and powerful. ”

"But in the end, it's the rich who benefit."

"At least the people won't go hungry for a short time." After a pause, Chen Xu said, "When the time is ripe in the future, in order to ensure the rights of laborers, the imperial court will also promulgate the Labor Law to ensure the rights and interests of laborers." ”

When Kuai Xiang heard this, he couldn't speak for a long time as if he didn't know Chen Xu.

If Chen Xu's words can be put into practice, it will be tantamount to a great change of the times. Lord Kuai is an official of the imperial court, of course, he knows that the imperial court is full of holes and has reached the point where it cannot be reformed, and he knows that reform will inevitably encounter huge resistance.

With such resistance, let alone Chen Xu, even the orthodox emperor can't resist.

Chen Xu actually came up with a plan, or his whimsy, without angering the ruling elites or being slightly touched but acceptable, moisturizing things silently to achieve the goal of reform, and he was really convinced.

What is Talent? That's talent!

Kuaixiang shook it to the end, and he said with a straight face: "The grandfather of the country is loyal to the country, and the old man is very respectful, if the adult is sent in the future, the old man is willing to be a pawn of the horse......"

Chen Xu hurriedly stood up and returned the salute, "Lord Kuai is strict, my lord is high-spirited, Chen Xu is deeply admired!" ”

After a long talk between the two, Kuaixiang became a frequent visitor to Chen's mansion.

On the third day of Chen Xu's return to Beijing, he began to calcinate the cement, and the first batch of finished products was calcined five days ago. Chen Xu blew this gray powder into the sky, of course he had to try the effect to gag other people's mouths, besides, the orthodox emperor was still waiting for his good news.

Chen Xu had people prepare water, sand, gravel and other materials, mix them into concrete and make a stone slab about half a foot thick. The cement test was carried out in a special room in the soap workshop, because the cold weather was not conducive to the hardening of the cement board, a lot of braziers were placed in the room, the air was dry and dry, and the cement had almost condensed when he went to see it yesterday, and the hardness test would definitely be carried out today.

The so-called test is actually to find someone to smash with a hammer.

"Brother, what's going on?"

When Dou'er saw Chen Xu going out, she chased after him with his robe and asked.

"Our cement slab is made, let's go, I'll take you to see the excitement."

Chen Xu's voice landed, and Meng Yao also followed.

"I'm going to check it out too."

"Where's the girl? You're not pushing her to read anymore? ”

Meng Yao pouted, "Playing with a few brothers, it's going to be the New Year, let Xi'er relax too." ”

Chen Xu was speechless, yesterday he swore to his daughter that studying is like sailing against the current, and she can't relax for a moment, but today she has changed her words, and she really can't do anything about it.

A group of four people went out, and as soon as they arrived at the door, they met Ling Ri and a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl who followed him. (To be continued......)