Chapter 447 Am I so worthless?
“Prime Minister, there are mines in Tanglang County, there are copper mines!”
Three people were fighting against the landlord in the hall, and Feng Tubao threw a bomb.
“Copper mine? Where is it?”
The Han Prime Minister turned around suddenly and asked anxiously.
The Han Dynasty was short of copper, and the whole world was short of copper.
Now in Soochow, iron money has begun to be cast. Yes, money is made from iron.
The big man is not much better.
Although zhibaiqian is still used today, many people don't like to use it.
Fortunately, some of the five-baht coins were later minted for mixed use, so the common people were a little bit dissatisfied.
But there is still too little copper.
Zhuge Liang did not learn anything like monetary economics, but based on his political instincts, he could infer certain political and economic conclusions that would only be summarized in later textbooks.
The imperial court holds the power to mint coins, and minting coins that the people are willing to use is not just a matter of convenience for the people's daily life.
The most important thing is that it can facilitate the court to strengthen its control over the people.
Even at certain times, it can be convenient for the court to use hands and feet to replenish the treasury - how much you want to take from the people depends on the appetite of the superior.
For Zhuge Liang, this is an absolutely indispensable means of governing the country.
If we were to directly abolish coins and use the most primitive barter transactions like Cao Wei in the north, it would only make the wealthy families laugh.
Because if this is done, the imperial court will actively weaken its control over the local area and cede local control to local powerful families.
It’s not like Cao Wei’s people are all fools. Even if Cao Pi doesn’t know, don’t others know the harm of abolishing coins?
However, once this matter was brought up, it was greatly welcomed by the government and the public, and was even promoted to the whole country with everyone's joint efforts. To say that there is no selfish intention of aristocratic families in this matter, how can you be a liar?
The court does not have to worry about the lack of copper coins, and the aristocratic family can completely control the local economy, getting the best of both worlds, how cool is it?
Whether this was because Cao Pi was seeking temporary convenience, to win over the hearts of aristocratic families, or because he made some deals with aristocratic families, who knows?
But in the Shu Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang only felt that the court's control over the local areas was not strong enough. He wanted to dismember all the wealthy families in order to strengthen the court's control over the Han Dynasty.
So now that I heard that Feng Yong had discovered the copper mine, why did I still think about changing my clothes?
How is copper as important as drinking stool? Holding it for a while won't kill anyone.
“In Tanglang County, there may be two places with copper.”
Feng Yong dropped another bomb.
“Two places?”
This time even Yang Yi screamed in surprise.
“It’s just possible, possible.”
Feng Yong emphasized it again.
"where?"
Zhuge Liang didn't even show his normal demeanor, he just leaned on the table and stretched his neck to ask.
"There is a place called Nagu in Tanglang County. I heard that someone once mined copper there. From Nagu, you can reach Lushui by climbing over several mountains. Going north along the valley of Lushui, there is a dumb spring. , but wherever there is a dumb spring, there is copper.”
Although Feng Yong’s original plan was to let Huang Chong be the county magistrate of Tanglang County, since Zhuge Liang asked him to go to Yuejun, he must directly drag Huang Chong to Yuejun.
How can it be so refreshing to work as a county magistrate under someone else’s roof and go to Yuejun to become a local emperor together with your brothers?
Leave this piece of fat in Tanglang County to Zhuge Liang.
“Yizhou County and Yongchang County also have several dumb springs?”
Yang Yi blurted out.
Then Feng Yong looked at him with a squinting look - if you have the ability, mine it for me!
If you can mine it, I will take your surname. If you can transport it, I will call you grandpa!
The largest transportation arteries in Nanzhong are Wuchi Road and Nanyi Road. The remaining scattered post roads of different lengths can basically be regarded as extensions of these two roads.
There are not even post roads in the south of Yizhou County and Yongchang County. Are they places where people go?
Grain cannot be transported in, and minerals cannot be transported out.
Besides, if you really want to go mining there, can you count on those barbarians? Don’t we have to send a group of Han craftsmen there?
But when the Han craftsmen went there, they had to go to the deep mountains and old forests to mine. It would be good if they could survive half of them after a year.
The remaining half will probably have to be fiddled with by everyone.
It’s not like artemisinin is all over the streets. It took a lot of effort and a little bit of luck to save Guan Xing.
Not to mention ordinary people who want to use artemisinin, even those generals in the army are not qualified to use it.
At most, Feng Yong could just get some Changshan prescriptions to suppress his condition, and the rest would be life and death.
So the possible copper mine in Nagu is the most convenient copper mine that Feng Yong knows so far. After all, there are post roads and waterways.
Although the post road can only accommodate two horses at most, transportation is not a problem as long as the number of Yunnan horses can keep up.
As for the dumb spring, Feng Yong didn’t go there in the end.
But he once tried to lead people over those mountains. Although the straight-line distance was not too far, the detour was not short. The last short section of the road was very difficult to walk, and he still did not climb over it in the end.
If you want to mine the copper mine in Yaquan, you must dig a plank road on that mountain road. The money and food cost is easy to say, but the time is a bit long. It will take a year or two at least.
And based on Zhuge Lao Yao's searching appearance, if anyone wants to interfere with such a precious copper mine, it is simply courting death, so why should Feng Yong worry about it?
But if you mine the copper, you have to transport it back to Jincheng, right?
The east wind blows and the war drums beat. If you don’t look for me, who will you look for?
Dongfeng Express, your best choice!
Once Nanzhong is pacified, there will be a source of Yunnan horses.
Given Feng Yong two years, Dongfeng Express will achieve its mission!
The only express delivery company in Dahan, making a lot of money.
Besides, Yuejun still has the second largest plain in Sichuan and Sichuan waiting for him to develop it.
That is a good place for grazing cattle and horses.
The current ranch in Hanzhong is probably of that size, and it would be difficult to expand it further.
So it can be regarded as a sheep breeding base.
After all, food production is still the top priority in Hanzhong.
When we take over the Yuejun plain, we can build a cattle and horse pasture.
Afraid you don’t have enough fun?
Thinking of this, Feng Yong felt relieved at first and then hot again.
Feng Tubiao's calculations were rattling in his mind. Thinking that he had taken over Yue Jun, a hot potato, it was either a good thing or he couldn't help but laugh.
Yang Yi saw that Feng Yong first looked at her with an unclear look in his eyes, and then after a while, he suddenly smiled as if he was ridiculing her, and she felt very angry in her heart.
Zhuzi is really rude!
It's just that because of the presence of the Prime Minister, he couldn't say anything more, so he just kept the hatred in his heart.
At the same time, Zhuge Liang also frowned slightly. When he saw the boy's indescribable smile, he always felt a little uncomfortable in his heart - you said that you, a good disciple of the mountain sect, can't be a little serious?
Pick up the drawing on the desk. It is the map of Nanzhong.
After drawing on the map, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty was a little surprised to find that most of Tanglang County was facing Yuejun County across the Lu River.
More importantly, the northwest side of Tanglang County is only separated from Qianjie County in Yuejun County by Tanglang Mountain.
More importantly, if it is true that the dumb spring is on the edge of Lu River, as the boy said, wouldn't it mean that the place where copper is mined in the future will also be across the water from Yuejun County?
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty suddenly had the urge to overturn the verdict: So, wouldn’t it be unfair to Yuejun County? Otherwise, how can we mine copper with peace of mind? !
After talking about it for a long time, I promised the boy's request. In the end, I still had to do my best to help him calm down?
This guy is the most cunning!
He glanced at Yang Yi and said, "Mr. Wei, please go and see Gao Ding's wife and children first. I'm afraid they will be needed when pacifying Yuejun. Don't let anything happen to them."
Yang Yi knew that the prime minister had sent him away to talk to Feng Yong alone, and she felt even more resentful towards Feng Yong.
He came all the way to plan divisions and collect grain for the Southern Expedition Army. He was deeply trusted by the Prime Minister. On weekdays, the Prime Minister would not hide anything from him.
But you didn’t expect that when this lucky boy came, you would want him to avoid it?
But now that the Prime Minister has opened his mouth, no matter how much he is reluctant, he has no choice but to say it out in frustration.
“Over there in Jincheng, why did you ask people to collect all those poultry feathers?”
After Yang Yi went out, Zhuge Liang asked Feng Yong an unexpected question.
"make clothes."
Feng Yong answered somewhat confused.
“You still learn alchemy? Most of the alchemy spread in the world is a lie. You are young, what are you doing learning those things?”
Zhuge Liang frowned.
Emperor Xiaowu was bewitched by alchemists in order to live forever, and later there was a witchcraft disaster, which almost caused chaos in the country.
My own Xijun also learned the alchemy in the "Lu Ban Jing", which caused physical problems.
Hence, Zhuge Liang has always stayed away from things like Fang Shu.
“I didn’t learn.”
Feng Yong was even more confused, and looked at Zhuge Liang a little strangely: If you don't believe in alchemy, why did you later borrow life from the sky with the seven-star lantern at the origin of the five feet?
But think about the previous four Northern Expeditions, all of which failed due to lack of food. After the fifth Northern Expedition solved the food supply problem, during the stalemate, he fell seriously ill and died - he died before he left the army. This is a hero. Full of tears, nothing more than that.
So at the last moment of life and death, using the forbidden method in Huang Yueying's "Lu Ban Jing" to save his life was probably a helpless move because of his slim hope at the time, right?
"The feather coat is now worn by alchemists. If you don't learn alchemy, what are you doing with that feather coat?"
Zhuge Liang asked again.
Oh, I understand.
Feng Yong thought of the song "Nancy Clothes and Feather Clothes" in "Song of Everlasting Sorrow".
This feather coat is taken from the meaning of the flying gods, and it also refers to the clothes of the gods.
It is the prop used by alchemists to pretend to be gods and ghosts.
"Well, what I make is not a feather coat, but a down jacket. It is used to keep warm in winter."
Feng Yong has thought about making down jackets since he started raising chickens and ducks.
But it was not going well.
The villi need to be disinfected and degreased.
Then you have to find a fabric with good airtightness, otherwise fluff will come out of it.
The fabric with the finest gaps that can be found at present is Sichuan brocade.
The Shu brocade should be lined with a layer of linen, so that there is enough friction between the cloth and the fluff, so that the fluff inside will not move around at will.
The Shu brocade outside is dense enough, which can barely guarantee that the fluff will not pop out.
The sewing time is also more laborious than that of later down jackets.
The needlework should be in a grid pattern, with each grid being about the size of a palm.
The sewn finished product is a bit ugly, so another layer of cloth needs to be put on the outside to make it look good.
The cloth covering the outside can be brocade or woolen cloth, it all depends on who it is sold to.
The layers are different, and the covering cloth is also different.
If it is more expensive, it is covered with brocade cloth; if it is cheaper, it is covered with woolen cloth.
This thing is a luxury product—but it makes money!
The winter warm things made of Shu Brocade, I asked you if you are afraid of them?
Whoever can wear it is a rich man!
sweater? Those are just for ordinary people, Sichuan brocade feather clothing is a high-end product!
As for the market, the levels of high-end and mid-range must be clear. As for the low-end market, forget it, Feng Yong doesn’t like it.
At any rate, we must leave some way for others to survive. You will not die if you eat alone.
Of course, you can’t tell Old Demon Zhuge about this plan now, otherwise he will definitely be robbed again.
It is already very profitable to use Shu Brocade in foreign trade, and Shu Brocade down jackets will definitely make even bigger profits.
Besides, I have a way to raise silkworms in autumn or even in winter - if I build a fireplace greenhouse, I can raise silkworms all year round, right?
Even if the quality of the silk produced in summer, autumn and winter is not as good as that in spring, the quantity cannot be compared. It is two or three times more productive than other families.
It’s so cool to make them all into Shu Brocade down jackets and sell them!
The leaves in Nanzhong are evergreen all year round. Are you worried that there are no mulberry leaves?
Thinking of this, Feng Tubao also thought of Qiondu, the seat of Yuejun County. In later generations, it had a name, Xichang.
It is one of China’s space launch centers.
It is a world-famous Sun City, Moon City, and Space City. It is "a city inhabited by spring" and is known as a small "Spring City". It is warm in winter and cool in summer, making the four seasons like spring.
When I settle down there, I will open pastures on the plains, plant mulberry trees on the mountains, and raise silkworms in the city to make down jackets...
The saliva made a "tick" sound and almost fell onto the table.
Seeing Feng Tubiao's distracted look, Zhuge Liang let out a "tsk" sound and knocked on the table in dissatisfaction, "What are you thinking about? Did you hear what I said?"
“Oh, what did the Prime Minister just say? I didn’t hear it clearly.”
Feng Yong wiped the saliva from his mouth and looked at the Han Prime Minister stupidly.
"We have received a letter from Jincheng. The bellows you presented has been modified and used to blow air. It can greatly increase the power of the iron furnace."
Zhuge Liang looked at Feng Yong with suspicion in his eyes, "Yifan tried to smelt iron with the modified iron furnace, and he got good iron as expected."
“This is a good thing, Prime Minister.”
Feng Yong said with great joy, "Madam, you are really smart!"
Huang Yueying, a top national engineer and designer, is amazing!
Although I have said it before, I still want to say it again now... Feng Tubao glanced at Zhuge Liang secretly. This old Zhu was really blessed to have married such a woman.
“But the bellows requires chicken feathers!”
Zhuge Liang's face darkened, he looked at Feng Yong and continued, "You took away all the poultry feathers from those families. Is it really just to make feather coats? Isn't it for other reasons?"
“Huh? Huh? Why do you want to use chicken feathers to make the bellows?”
Feng Tibi was stunned, is there such a thing?
"Xijun said in the letter that if chicken feathers are not used, the wind force of the bellows will be too small and will not have much effect on the iron stove. With the addition of chicken feathers, the bellows will not leak air and the wind blown out will be much stronger. You said it should be used do what?"
Huh? What is the principle?
Feng Yong thought to himself, let’s face it, the wind box I made in Hanzhong always felt that the wind power could not meet the ideal requirements, so the refined iron produced was so little every time.
I thought the bellows I made was too small and not strong enough. It turned out that chicken feathers were added to it?
Where to add it?
This Huang Yueying is so awesome!
As expected, he is a person who is proficient in the art of Mohist institutions.
However, this was not the time to think about this issue. Feng Yong saw the suspicion in the eyes of the Han Prime Minister above him becoming more and more intense, and couldn't help but explain in a hurry, "Prime Minister, when I collected the feathers of the poultry, I had already made the bellows." What happened before!"
This guy must be suspecting that he is preparing to pick up the feathers of Han feudalism!
Zhuge Liang snorted, "Before you offered that dry food, you were also raising poultry on a large scale. Before you went to Hanzhong to raise sheep, you also offered a plan to colonize Hanzhong..."
This boy is the most cunning!
On the surface, it may seem like you are giving benefits to others, but you will definitely get them back several times later.
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty knew it best - because he had scolded a certain country turtle more than once at night.
Feng Yong, who had a bad reputation with the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, let out a "tsk" sound and muttered in his heart: I am almost a clothing tycoon. As for the profit from selling chicken feathers? Would I be that bad?
(End of this chapter)