Tian didn't expect Li Zhaoji to recognize his work so much, and said a little embarrassedly: "It's not out yet." ”

Li Zhaoji stopped her from continuing to speak, and asked, "Tell me, why others can't raise silkworms, but you can." ”

Since coming to Tamsui, sugarcane planting and silkworm reeling are the two cash crops that Li Zhaoji attaches the most importance to, because in the mountains and forests near Tamsui City, people have found wild mulberry forests, and since November last year, mulberry seedlings have been transported from Guangzhou to plant, and they have grown very vigorously.

After the silkworm farmer searched and investigated, it was found that there were a lot of mulberry forests around, and then some people encircled the mulberry forest. It's just that the wild mulberry leaves are small and the juice is also less, which is slightly insufficient for silkworm raising.

But silkworm farmers have a way, that is, grafting, mulberry seedlings are planted, and mulberry leaves can be raised in the second year, but after grafting, silkworms can be raised that year. Liu Mingde therefore issued an order to directly encircle the forest, but the trading company did not admit it, only the grafting survived, and silkworms could be raised, and the trading company recognized that it was owned by the grafter.

At the end of the year, it is the period of planting mulberry seedlings, and the peak period of grafting and planting, but the silkworm raising after the beginning of spring has immediately failed, and a large number of silkworm seeds introduced from various places have died.

Therefore, Li Zhaoji issued a reward order, and whoever can find a way to raise silkworms will have 50 taels or 50 acres of good mulberry forest.

Tian didn't seem to want to say it and keep it a secret, but after thinking about it, others would know about this method sooner or later, and she had already told Tang Mu that if she didn't say it, Tang Mu would also say it, so as to expand the scale of silkworm breeding and please Li Zhaoji.

"Big shopkeeper, I found silkworm seeds in the wild mulberry forest and crossed them with silkworm seeds from Zhejiang, so that those silkworms could survive." Tian said proudly.

Li Zhaoji spread his hands: "There are many experts in silkworm raising, why do you know how to do it?" ”

Tian said: "In the early years in Macau, Lao Tian accepted an apprentice, the son of a Huzhou merchant, who came to Guangdong to buy foreign goods and died in the sea.

Speaking of silkworm raising, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have the best technology. I learned from her how to use lime water and salt brine to eliminate inferior silkworm seeds. She also gave it to me, using early males with late females to produce good silkworm seeds. When I was in Macau, I began to try hybrid silkworm seeds, using one or two chemical silkworm moths, and the hybrid silkworm seeds have many strong silkworms.

Seeing the failure of other people's silkworm raising, I felt that the silkworms were not adapted to the water and soil climate here, but the wild silkworms were already here, so I tried to crossbreed, but I didn't expect it to really be. ”

Li Zhaoji doesn't know anything about silkworm raising, but after listening to Tian's words, he even knows about hybridization, so he trusts her results very much.

"Master Tian, you really have a good wife." Li Zhaoji helped Tian Dadian up, untied the thorns on his back, and said: "Your wife has made great contributions to the farming of Tamsui, and your disrespect for me has been exposed."

The gambling contract, don't mention it. Tang Mu, you make a note, when the silkworms raised by the Tian family produce silk, you will personally send fifty taels of silver to the house. ”

"Yes, Shopkeeper." Tang Mu should go down.

Tian immediately said: "Big shopkeeper, Lao Tian is very stupid, if he is at home, and delays me raising silkworms, it is better to let him work in the cannon casting workshop, without giving him wages, just give him stuttering." ”

"Haha, it's okay, Master Tian's job is still the same, continue to do it." Lee Siu Kee said.

This Tian's purpose was really achieved, and he left happily, and before leaving, he still pressed Tian Dadian, kowtowing to Li Zhaoji before letting him go, Tian Dadian did not leave, but concentrated on staying in the cannon casting workshop to watch Tiefan casting cannons.

In the cannon casting workshop, everything is ready, in the pit, Tie Fan has been erected upside down, the muzzle is facing up, and the thin opposite side of the gunner is brushed with a layer of slurry to prevent the cannon from sticking to Tie Fan, but it is the first time he has done this kind of work, after doing it, he looked at Wan Gui, Wan Gui used a torch to shine inside, and felt that all corners were brushed, and there would be no problem, but he couldn't be sure, because he was also the first time Tie Fan cast cannon.

So, Wan Gui's eyes looked at Li Zhaoji, Li Zhaoji smiled awkwardly and said, "Go on." ”

Although people have not used iron fans, but in the end they are all masters of cannon casting, what about themselves, it is the first time to cast cannons, what advice can they give?

Then there is the placement of the cannon core, this cannon core is made of an iron rod of moderate length, but only half of the diameter of the cannon, the rest is wrapped in mud, the outer layer is polished to the smoothest, the cannon core is made by Wangui himself, staring at the shade, he is placed, fixed with a tenon, the top is fixed on the wooden shelf, there is a cover to cover the muzzle, only one eye, is used to inject molten iron.

"Open the furnace and fill in the molten iron." Wan Gui also found that Li Zhaoji became the shopkeeper, but he was not afraid, the next process was roughly the same as that of the mud fan casting cannon, as the position of the iron fan mold was adjusted, the water injection port was facing the discharge port of the iron furnace.

With Wangui's order, the gunner opened the outlet, and the red-hot molten iron rolled down, injected into the iron fan, and it was filled in a short time.

Immediately the casting workshop entered a quiet waiting, one of the benefits of the iron fan casting cannon is that the heat dissipation is particularly fast, so the cannon is quickly cast, Wan Gui kept observing, and discussed with Zhong Cheng and Tian Dadian, after all, it was the first time that the iron fan cast cannon, and he did not dare to have the slightest neglect.

The timing of taking out the core and unloading the iron fan is very important, if it is early, the gun will deform due to the loss of support, if it is too late, the cooling is too much, and the gun hole will not be able to drill.

"It should be possible." After the three of Wangui discussed, they came to a unified opinion, so the mold was hoisted up, the iron rod in the cannon core was taken out first, and then the mud inside was cleaned up, and the outer layer of iron fixed by mortise and tenon was also uncovered, and the cannon body of a cannon appeared in front of everyone, when even someone stepped forward to drill the fire hole.

"Stand back, get out of the way." Wan Gui drank the order, and no one else retreated.

A few people stepped forward and commented. Wan Gui said: "The casting is very successful, and the ear and tail beads are complete. ”

"Yes, even the inscription is clearly visible, you look at the inner chamber, it is very flat, at least most of the cannons cast by the mud fan are not so flat." Tian Dadian also joked that now he didn't dare to say a bad word.

Zhong Cheng is even more of a sycophant master, and he has praised him again and again.

Li Zhaoji asked: "In this way, the cannon casting was successful?" ”

"It should be considered a success." Wan Gui said.

"Yes, that's it." Zhong Cheng nodded.

Li Zhaoji heard the word "count" in the mouths of these people, but the evaluation of this group of people, the iron fan cast cannon is much better than the mud fan cast, and the word "count" should not be used.

Li Zhaoji knew that these people had something unspeakable, so he said: "If the cannon casting is successful, everyone is happy, and the cannon casting workshop will reward each person with a silver coin, and let the Luming Pavilion send food here, and there is no limit to drinking today." ”

Everyone cheered, and then dispersed in a hurry, went to eat meat and drink, Li Zhaoji squatted on the ground, looked at the cannon that was still exuding residual warmth, and said: "There is no one else now, there is something to say directly." ”

Zhong Cheng grinned and said, "Big shopkeeper, this cannon has been quite successful. ”

Li Zhaoji knew that this guy was the best at sycophants and wouldn't speak out, so he looked at Tian Dadian and said: "Master Tian, you are at fault first, if it weren't for your wife's intercession, I wouldn't spare you, if you are really grateful, you should tell me the truth." ”

Tian Dadian knew that he couldn't get rid of it, and looked at He Liangtao.

Seeing this, Li Zhaoji said: "This iron fan casting cannon method was told by a friend, but that friend also said that although the iron fan casting cannon is less expensive and the cannon is fast, it also has many disadvantages, what are the disadvantages, we didn't know how to use it in the future at that time, so he didn't say it."

You're all experts, so give me an answer. ”

Saying this is to make them clear that the flaws in the artillery are the chronic disease of the iron fan casting cannon, not their craftsmanship, and it has nothing to do with attitude.

"Lao Tian, the big shopkeeper values you so much, just say it, to be honest, here in the big shopkeeper, there is only merit and no fault." He Liangtao also encouraged Tian Dadian.

Li Zhaoji nodded, and Tian Dadian said, "Big shopkeeper, can you let me split an axe on this cannon tail bead." ”

Li Zhaoji has no opinion on this, the gun tail bead is located at the tail of the artillery, which is convenient for lifting, and it is nothing to be cut with an axe.

Tian Dadian took an axe and slashed it on the cannon tail bead, forming a little cut mark and penetrating deep into the cannon tail bead. Tian Dadian said: "Big shopkeeper and look, this cut mark is white, now the artillery has not been dissipated yet, after the heat dissipation is finished, it will be whiter, we call this kind of iron white iron." ”

Li Zhaoji nodded slightly, and Tian Dadian continued: "Actually, Wan Lutou and Zhong Cheng can also see that this iron fan casting cannon is indeed fast, and the cast cannon is smoother than the mud fan casting cannon, which can save a lot of processing effort, but because it is white iron, the brittleness is relatively large. ”

"Then can this cannon be used, can it avoid becoming a white iron?" Li Zhaoji asked.

Tian Dadian said: "The reason for turning into a white iron is that the heat dissipation is too fast, but this cannon can really be used, but it is ........" ”

For metallography, Tian Dadian and Li Zhaoji are not clear, in fact, this is mainly because the iron mold dissipates heat too quickly, resulting in the problem that the molten iron has too much cold in cooling, and the cementite in the molten iron has no time to precipitate, that is, the graphitization has not had time to proceed, and the graphite has solidified, so the cementite in the iron exists in the situation of iron carbide, which is also white iron.

However, because the molten iron is colder during the solidification process, the metal crystalline particles on the surface are dense, but the body tube is relatively smooth.

Tian Dadian couldn't say these truths clearly, but he knew what would happen to such a cannon.

"Because of the white mouth, this cannon cannot be used like a normal cannon, and the charge must be reduced, and if you want to follow the original charge, you must increase the thickness of the gun body." Tian Dadian said to Li Zhaoji that at this time, he showed the rich knowledge and professionalism that a gunsmith should have.

Li Zhaoji nodded slowly and said, "In this way, the whitening of cast iron cannot be solved?" ”

"Well, at least it can't be solved when using Tiefan." Tian Dadian said.

Li Zhaoji smiled, alleviating the embarrassing atmosphere, and said: "Masters, don't take it to heart, the reason why I strongly advocate Tiefan casting artillery is to make usable artillery in the shortest possible time, at least now we are successful."

In fact, the iron fan cast cannon will not become the mainstream of our arsenal's technology, this is only a temporary choice. ”

Everyone nodded, and Li Zhaoji said: "It's just that everyone should not indulge in the mud fan cast cannon, the cannon cast by the iron fan cast cannon can be used to sell as a commodity, and the artillery used by the trading company in the future should still pursue a higher standard." ”

"The quality of the iron fan cast cannon is low, and the big shopkeeper said that it should not be just a mud fan, so is there any other way?"

Li Zhaoji said: "In addition, there is also the sand casting method, it is said that the artillery cast by this casting method is better than the clay fan and the iron fan. And its technical process is similar to that of the mud fan, but the mud is replaced with casting sand, and you can try it in the future. ”

Clay Fan cannon is a Ming tradition, if you can adapt to the climate, you can make the best artillery of this era, and Tiefan cannon can be cheap and efficient to manufacture artillery in large quantities, but speaking of which, the sand casting cannon method is the future of cannon casting.

This technique was the technology of the late eighteenth century, and at first the process was no different from that of the clay cannon, and later evolved from the British, directly casting a solid cannon body, and then using a steam engine-driven mechanical boring to repair the shape, to create the best smoothbore guns, and opened up the technical route of rifled guns.