First Prince of Ming Dynasty

For example, in the Central Plains, because the forests in the north have all been cut down, coal can only be used instead, but the coal contains high sulfur and is of poor quality, so the iron smelting centers eventually moved to the south where development was late and there were rich forest resources.

At the beginning, the Turkic people were famous for their iron smelting, mainly relying on the forests of the Altai Mountains, but now the entire Mongolian plateau is not so rich in vegetation.

Mongolia is actually very rich in coal resources, but after Mongolia lost its industrial system, it was unable to develop and utilize them at all. As for the Chinese craftsmen in Mongolia, why didn't the Mongolians learn iron smelting technology?

According to the policies formulated during the rule of the Mongols, the Han people belonged to the lowest class. The Mongols disdain to learn this kind of craft, thinking that as long as they rely on a machete, a fast horse and a strong bow, they are enough to enslave the world forever...

Therefore, it is difficult for the Mongolian tribes to produce their own iron pots to meet the needs of more families. Some people who own iron pots throw them away only when they can't make up any more.

Since they couldn't make iron pots, they had to ask the imperial court to buy them. When the imperial court couldn't refuse, they would use relatively poor Luoguo to deal with them, so as to reduce the possibility of Mongolians using iron pots to smelt weapons as much as possible.

In fact, Zhu Biao thinks it’s a little overwhelmed. For Mongolian herdsmen, an iron pot is far more important than a sword. What’s more, with the development of firearms today, ironware is the same thing, and it is destined to be destroyed by the torrent of the times. eliminated.

The Daming Arms Bureau, Bingzhan Bureau, Gunpowder Bureau, and the Ministry of Industry have not stopped research and development of firearms at all times. Even when the situation was the most difficult last year, Zhu Biao was still trying his best to maintain it.

Many civil servants think that big Ming firearms are enough, and they have been saying that it is a waste of money and money, and there is no need to continue to invest in research and development. The money is better than burning firearms, whether it is disaster relief or military pay.

After all, the current military strength of Ming Dynasty is enough to suppress the four frontiers in the southeast, northwest, and even Mongolia has no room to fight back. The limitations of agricultural civilization have reappeared.

However, Zhu Biao will naturally not listen to them. Whether it is in times of danger or planning investment in advance, firearms must replace knives and guns. Especially after the opening of the great voyage, ship artillery is the most important thing. If artillery escort is not developed, Then Daming couldn't safeguard the interests gained from the Great Voyage at all.

Once the great voyage starts, pirates all over the world will be like inexhaustible locusts, chasing and biting Daming's ass. Things like locusts cannot be solved by swords, guns, swords and halberds. Only weapons with a large area of ​​​​injury can deter them.

Zhu Biao came back to his senses and asked Su Zhi, "Apart from these things, what else does Mongolia need?"

Su Zhi bowed his head and replied: "Saddles, food, scissors, silk and satin, pens, inks, paper and inkstones, boots and hats, cosmetics, medicinal materials, books, ornaments, porcelain, etc."

"Last year when the tea-horse trade was not banned, I personally led a team to the frontier to deal with Mongolian caravans. They asked for a lot, from the princes down to the herdsmen. A lot of things can’t be traded on the face.”

Zhu Biao said with a smile: "If you can't do it on the surface, you can do it secretly. The herdsmen are fine. The kings behind the Mongolian caravans are very rich, and they can always offer satisfactory prices."

Su Zhi nodded calmly and said: "Your Highness is wise, but the court's ban is a ban after all. Even if some people are willing to risk their lives, there are still not many who can successfully sell them. Silk, porcelain, paper and inkstone are all that matters, and there is little salt, iron, food and tea. Few of them..."

Zhu Biao smiled and did not speak. He knew that it was not just the reason for the imperial court’s ban. These people in Ming Dynasty were not vegetarians, and those who could get through so many joints were even more unlikely to be ordinary people. They are all smart people. How could they not understand hunger marketing? .

Even though there is no such term, they all understand the principle that rare things are valuable, otherwise why would the caravans of various Mongolian ministries charge them sky-high prices?

There is a tacit understanding between them. There is also a certain amount of smuggling of salt, iron and cold tea. This involves another round of interest exchange. After all, everyone is behind the officialdom. After forming a network of interests, they work together Making a fortune is the business, everything can be discussed, no one wants to die together after tearing their face apart.

But Zhu Biao didn't have the heart to pursue this kind of thing. The court has been cracking down hard all the time. It doesn't make much sense for him to repeat it. Besides, this kind of thing is no more than a local corruption case. It must involve many military generals guarding the frontier.

Now that the time is not yet ripe, it is a pity to scare the snake out of the grass, and in the current situation in Mongolia, it is not very meaningful to buy this stuff secretly.

After speaking, there was a little silence in the lobby. At this time, several officials from the Tea Horse Department brought a few porcelain pots and a set of tea sets. It seemed that they were going to invite His Royal Highness to taste some specialties.

Liu Jin looked at the general of the army and guard behind them, and when he nodded, he knew that he had experienced the poison, so he made room to allow them to put down the tea leaves.

After those officials put down the tea pots, they fought behind Su Zhi in a regular manner. Although Su Zhi was not the commander of the Tea Horse Division, anyone with a discerning eye knew what was going on, so naturally he wouldn't steal the limelight from being an official now.

It is a big taboo in the officialdom to be humble but to be superior!

Su Zhizheng was worried that he had nothing to say, so he stood up and saluted Zhu Biao: "There is nothing else in the tea horse department, only tea is acceptable, please taste some of your highness, if your highness likes it, I can order it to go down next year Let the local tea gardens grow high-quality goods and supply them to His Highness."

Zhu Biao himself likes to drink tea, but he is generally not picky. Basically, every year when the tribute tea is served, he will drink whatever old Zhu gives to Donggong. Anyway, it must be the best.

But for tea, each person has his own appetite, and not all the teas that Lao Zhu handpicked suit his appetite. Since they have already come, and they plan to make profits from tea in the future, it is natural to taste it carefully.

Su Zhijing opened the exquisite white porcelain cloud pot after passing, and took out pieces of tea cakes, each of which had interesting shapes, in addition to the normal round cake shape, there were also shapes like floating clouds, horseshoe bats, etc.

This is also the characteristic of the times. The tea leaves are pressed into cakes for transportation, and after being pressed into tea cakes, they can be stored better. The taste of the tea will also volatilize very slowly, and it is not easy to be oxidized. This ensures as much as possible The quality of the tea.

After the tea is pressed into tea cakes, generally the longer it is stored, the more fragrant the tea leaves will be, and the brewed taste will be very mellow, unlike loose tea, which will regain moisture after a long time, and the brewed taste will not be so fragrant.

Of course, in the age without industrialization, it was not easy to press tea cakes, not to mention making tribute tea cakes. take shape.

This is the case with the Longfeng Tuan Cake tea that emerged in the Song Dynasty. Comrade Zhu fought in the vast tea areas in the south of the Yangtze River. He has contact with tea affairs and knows the sufferings of tea farmers. He lamented unceasingly, thinking that this was too laborious and costly, so he issued an edict to stop the construction, and issued an edict to only pick the buds to advance.

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