Daming: Stealing Chen Yuanyuan at the beginning

Chapter 136 Inspection of Coal Mine, Honeycomb Coal
When the Daxi Army occupied Kunming City, Li Cunming also salvaged heavy silver in Pengshan County and made a fortune.

Then the Ming army turned around and went south to Guizhou. After arriving in Guiyang, they did not stop. They marched all the way to Liupanshui area, accompanied by Zhang Huangyan, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou.

It was deep winter, and the weather was getting colder.There was freezing rain in the sky, icicles hung on the trees and eaves, and the whole world seemed like a crystal palace.

The biggest feature of the Little Ice Age is that winter comes early and goes late, and the temperature is extremely cold.The average annual temperature during this period was very low, and even Guangdong, Qiongzhou and other places experienced blizzards.

Qiongzhou Prefecture is the Hainan Island of the later generations. It has a tropical climate. This place can experience blizzards. It is self-evident how cold other places are.

Frozen roads make it impossible to move an inch.The army had to stop and stationed in Liupanshui.

Li Cunming was sitting in the study room, with two flaming braziers at his feet, and he still felt cold to the bone.

He put down the map, breathed hot air on his hands, and laughed at himself: "I'm almost frozen like a dog, how can the common people survive the long winter!"

"Your Majesty was joking, if you freeze into a dog, I will be worse than a dog." Xia Wanchun laughed.

He had been with the emperor for some time, and he knew that the emperor was approachable in private and liked to joke, so he was no longer restrained, and he could joke a few words from time to time.

Then he sighed solemnly: "Although I am not a child of a wealthy family, I have not lacked food and clothing since I was a child, and my life is quite good. This time I followed His Majesty's expedition to the West and watched all the way, and finally realized that people's livelihood is difficult. Qu Yuan said, take a long breath. To cover up my tears and mourn the hardships of the people's lives, I have a deep understanding of it!"

Li Cunming nodded with satisfaction and said: "Little hero, you can have such an experience, it is not in vain for me to cultivate you. We sit high in the temple, and we must always think about the people and the poor in our hearts, so that we can have long-term peace and stability. "

Just as she was talking, Chen Yuanyuan pushed open the door and walked in. The wind and snow outside poured into the room, and the air-conditioning was overwhelming.

Chen Yuanyuan was wearing a gorgeous red cloak and holding a Tang Pozi in her hands. Her face was red and white due to the cold, making her look even more beautiful and beautiful.

Li Cunming teased her and said: "It's freezing cold, why don't you stay in the house and run out? Look at it, you are frozen into a cold beauty! Come, cold beauty, come to my arms, I will give you warmth .”

Chen Yuanyuan glanced at Li Cunming, and said: "I went to the garden and collected some snow water from the plum blossoms. I wanted to make tea for you, but you only care about being serious."

Li Cunming said with a smile: "Young women in literature and art really know how to enjoy life!"

Xia Wanchun was so embarrassed, he got up and said: "Your Majesty, I have really become a dog, so I will leave!"

Chen Yuanyuan laughed and said: "Master Xiao Xia, don't leave, come and help me make tea."

"Don't call me Master Xiaoxia, I'm not young!"

Xia Wanchun squatted next to the stove, helping out while discussing the tea ceremony with Chen Yuanyuan.The two talked enthusiastically, leaving Li Cunming aside.

Li Cunming curled his lips and continued to look at the map.

After a while, Zhang Huangyan walked into the study and said, "Your Majesty, the car is ready, do you want to start now?"

"En!" Li Cunming nodded, calling Xia Wanchun to go out.

Chen Yuanyuan called out, "Hey, don't you want tea?"

"I'm going to inspect the coal mines. I don't want to be idle. I just work hard. I'm not full of petty bourgeois sentiments like you!" Li Cunming left without looking back.

Chen Yuanyuan rolled her eyes at his back, and said angrily: "What is petty bourgeois sentiment? Hmph, if you don't drink, you don't drink. I enjoy it alone."

……

After Zhang Huangyan became the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, he was ordered to mine coal mines in Liupanshui, which has become quite large.

When the car arrived at the mining area, Li Cunming walked and watched, nodded with satisfaction, and said: "When mining coal mines, the first thing to pay attention to is safety. The mine must be strong to prevent gas leakage or explosion."

"What is gas?" Zhang Huangyan asked.

Li Cunming said, "It's the poisonous gas in the coal mine."

Zhang Huang said: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, before the mine was opened, I have written to Song Yingxing to ask humbly for advice. Master Song sent someone to send the book "Tiangong Kaiwu", which contains detailed information about the mining of coal mines."

"Anyone who has been collecting coal for a long time can tell the color of it from the soil surface, and then dig it to a depth of about five feet before he can get coal. When the coal end is first seen, the poisonous gas is scorching. Some people chisel off the middle section of a giant bamboo , the sharp end is inserted into the charcoal, and its poisonous gas comes out from the bamboo. People pick it up from the bottom of it, or go down a well, and if there are vertical and horizontal, they are taken from the left and right. The upper support plate is to prevent pressure. Beng'er. Where the coal is taken out, the empty well is filled with soil."

Li Cunming praised: "My Ming Dynasty is full of talented people. Song Yingxing is worthy of being a first-class scholar. His method is very good!"

I went to see a mine, and saw that it was a straight shaft.Wheels are set up by the side of the well, and using the simple principle of leverage, when the underground miners have dug the ore, they will pull up the bamboo baskets filled with coal.

Li Cunming bent down and looked into the well, and vaguely saw that there were huge bamboo and wooden stakes inside to prevent it from collapsing.

"If railroad tracks can be laid in the mine, it will be much more convenient for the miners to push the cars. After Yunnan is pacified, I will draw a blueprint and send it to Song Yingxing." Li Cunming thought to himself.

Then I went to see several other mines, chatted with the miners for a while, and asked about their wages. Li Cunming felt very satisfied with everything.

Li Cunming climbed to a high slope and looked up. He saw a lot of broken coal scattered on the ground. He frowned and said, "What a waste!"

Zhang Huang said: "There is no way. When transporting coal, there will always be some falling on the ground. These broken coals are difficult to clean up, and they are stained with mud, so they cannot be used."

"Who said that crushed coal can't be used if it's soiled? I'm here to inspect the coal mine today. I actually have a big job to do!" Li Cunming laughed.

As he said that, he sent a Jin Yiwei to bring a strange iron object from the carriage, handed it to Zhang Huangyan, and said, "Winter is cold, and heating is a big problem for the common people. I thought of inventing honeycomb coal to solve the needs of the common people."

"Honeycomb coal?" Zhang Huangyan and Xia Wanchun said in unison.

Li Cunming explained: "In fact, they are briquettes. Nowadays, more and more people use coal for heating. In order to save money, many people often mix red clay or loess with crushed cinders, then pour water, and knead them into lumps or balls. Extend coal burn time."

"The so-called honeycomb is to poke a few holes in the coal balls. It's very simple. This iron object is the mold for making honeycomb."

The honeycomb briquette mold was obtained by Li Cunming when he checked in in Guiyang.The production of a large amount of honeycomb coal will not only bring convenience to the common people, but also solve the heating problem of the soldiers of the Western Expedition.

Li Cunming took out the blueprints he had already drawn, and ordered: "Zhang Aiqing, call more craftsmen to manufacture stoves and briquettes according to the blueprints, without delay!"

(End of this chapter)