Please ask me to be the emperor

After Zhang Shun repeatedly warned Song Qijiao, the magistrate of Yaozhou, he asked, as if unintentionally: "What did Magistrate Song pick up? It's quite convenient to write."

"Oh, this?" Song Qijiao couldn't help but stretched out his black hands and explained to Zhang Shun, "This is gangue, the debris mixed in the coal. It is hard, non-flammable and of no use because it is contaminated with coal dust. , just for chatting and writing.”

"Coal?" Zhang Shun had passed through Shanxi before and was no stranger to this thing.

I didn't expect this product to be produced in Huangbao Town, so I couldn't help but be surprised.

"This coal is everywhere, especially in Yan, Qi, Qin, and Jin." Seeing Zhang Shun in the suburbs of Song Dynasty, Song Qi was quite curious and couldn't help but add.

"Without bellows or fans, just use a little charcoal to ignite it, and it will burn day and night. This is how you make porcelain here, which is far better than charcoal!"

"Our Qin region is most famous for its Hancheng coal in Tongzhou. It goes down the Yellow River, then turns to the Wei River, and can go directly to Xi'an, where it is used for heating and cooking."

"Hancheng?" Zhang Shun suddenly realized why Xi'an lacked firewood after it was besieged by him.

It turns out that Hancheng is located in the northeast corner of Xi'an Prefecture, near the Yellow River.

At first, the rebels came from the east and successively occupied Tongguan, Huayin, Huazhou, Lintong and other places, and blocked the Wei River. As a result, Hancheng coal could not be transported in, so Xi'an had to collect firewood for cooking.

After the rebels occupied Shaanxi, they confronted the officers and soldiers across the Yellow River, which also made it difficult to transport Hancheng coal into Xi'an.

Thinking of this, Zhang Shun couldn't help but ask: "Where can this product be produced nearby? Can it replace Hancheng coal and be sold to Xi'an and other places?"

"I don't know where else, but the nearby Huangbao Town and Chenlu Town are rich in this product. It is inexhaustible and inexhaustible!" Song Qijiao, the magistrate of Yaozhou, couldn't help but responded when he heard this.

"Okay, I wonder if you can take me to take a look?" Zhang Shun thought to himself: The vegetation in Shaanxi has been severely damaged. If this continues, it may affect the amount of cultivated land.

If we can replace firewood with coal, we will not only generate additional income, but also alleviate the pressure on the local environment.

The coal mines and kilns in Huangbao Town are located on the banks of Qishui River.

Originally, the kiln was half-buried in the soil against the mountain. From the outside, it was almost the same as the local cave dwellings, making it difficult to tell the difference. Zhang Shun never expected that the coal mining mine would be equally inconspicuous.

Mine, as the name suggests, is digging and mining.

A huge windlass was set up above the mine.

There was a pile of dark coal next to the wheel, and seven or eight people dressed in black were sitting next to it, shaking a cattail leaf fan and resting.

It turns out that ancient water wells were dug manually. Because they had to accommodate well diggers going down the well, the actual diameter was much larger than today's wells.

The shape of the mine is almost the same as that of the water wells of this era. If the wheels for lifting people and coal were not much larger, most people might not be able to tell them apart.

When Zhang Shun saw the wind turbine before, he thought that his fellow officials were honest and that the well wind turbine was just strong and durable.

"Master, are you taking a rest?" Zhang Shun couldn't help but stepped forward and asked.

"Oh, I bumped into a noble man, please don't blame me!" It was August or September, the weather was hot, and these people were all shirtless. When they saw Zhang Shun's gorgeous clothes and the women behind him, they couldn't help but apologize.

Since weaving was not easy in this era, most civilian men would go shirtless when working or in hot weather.

Hong Niangzi and Ma Yingniang were from the lower class, and they were already accustomed to strange things.

Wang Qiying was from a slightly better background, but she was surrounded by many warriors and rough men who were not very elegant, so it was not surprising.

As for Zhang Shun, she hasn't reached the point where her mother-in-law blames others when she sees other men shirtless.

The three women avoided it for a moment, and then Zhang Shun smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, but we came here and delayed your time for a while."

"I wonder if your job of coal mining is hard or not. Who can do it?"

"More than just suffering?" Everyone couldn't help but smile bitterly after hearing this, "If you are unlucky, I'm afraid your life will be lost."

"While someone was digging roots, the coal suddenly fell into the pile and was buried alive inside; someone just entered the mine and poisonous gas rose and died in the well."

Mine collapse and gas? Although Zhang Shun has never eaten pork, he has never seen a pig run away?

It's just that he is not a professional, so he doesn't have any good ideas.

"What is 'root digging' and what is 'falling into piles'?" Zhang Shun couldn't help but ask.

"After entering the mine, it would take a lot of effort to excavate entirely by manpower, so we usually dig coal from the root, which is called 'root digging'!" One of the older workers couldn't help but explain to Zhang Shun.

"After the planing is completed, use a 'poke gun' to poke down the coal on top, which is called 'falling off the pile'."

"Under normal circumstances, everything is fine. It's just that if the coal seam collapses while digging, the person will be crushed to death or buried alive."

While everyone was talking, suddenly a bell rang.

Everyone who had been sitting on the ground to rest quickly stood up. Three people stood on one side. Under the slogan of the older man, they began to turn the mold wheel squeakingly.

As the ropes on the windlass rolled up one after another, the objects in the well were soon hoisted up by everyone.

Zhang Shun stretched out his head and saw that it was a large basket made of wattle and filled with a basket full of coal.

Everyone worked together to lift the basket of coal aside, looked at the mark on it, and shouted: "One basket for number three, the third basket today."

Then, everyone took out another basket and tied it to the rope, shouted twice down the well, and then threw it down.

This was repeated until ten baskets full of coal were taken before resting.

So, the people who were pushing the wheel each found a coal basket and started picking it by themselves.

"Master, what's your skill here?" Zhang Shun didn't even look at him, and couldn't help but squat down and ask the older man.

"I don't know much about it, I just pick it up." The old master kept busy with his work and explained: "This coal is divided into open coal, crushed coal and finished coal."

"Ming coal is the most expensive and is reserved for wealthy families. Crushed coal is also called rice charcoal, which is specially used for cooking. Minced coal is also called running wind. It needs to be stirred with yellow mud, mixed into cakes, and sold."

"Master, I see you know a lot!" Zhang Shun couldn't help laughing when he heard this, "I wonder if you are the foreman or the mine owner?"

"I am also the foreman, and I am also the mine owner!" The old master couldn't help laughing when he heard this, "My family has no farmland, and it just so happened that my ancestors had accumulated good deeds, so they dug a well in the yard and dug out something like this."

"Can you tell me how much we can produce every day and what the selling price is?" Zhang Shun couldn't help but asked in a low voice after hearing this, "Master, don't worry, tell me this, and I will do a good deed in return for you later!"

"Which one wants you to repay me?" The old master shook his head when he heard this, and responded in a low voice: "For my sixteen workers, the miners will be given four cents of silver every day, and the small workers will be given three cents of silver every day. The daily calculation consumes silver. Five cents and eight cents.”

“Each miner digs six or seven baskets of coal per day, which amounts to six to seven thousand kilograms of coal per day.”

"The selling price of coal ranges from 1.3 cents to 1.5 cents per 100 kilograms. The total selling price is about 9 cents. That's almost three to four cents in profit every day!"

"Hey, your price is cheap!" Zhang Shun couldn't help but said in surprise, "A load of charcoal only costs three to five cents, and a load of firewood costs about six cents to one cent."

"Although that firewood is cheaper, it's not as durable as your coal."

"I didn't expect you to be knowledgeable!" When the old master heard this, he couldn't help but twirled his fingers and said, "I have revealed all my family fortune to you, I don't know what the benefits will be."

"Haha, you didn't tell me the truth!" Zhang Shun chuckled and said, "I didn't include the loess you mixed in it."

"But forget it, I designed a coal stove and briquetting machine to make coal burning day and night."

"I came here in a hurry today, so I didn't bring it with me. I'll draw a picture for you, and the master can find a blacksmith to make it by himself."

"What good is this?" Not long after, Zhang Shun finished drawing the coal stove and briquetting machine and handed them to the old master, who couldn't help but murmured to himself.

"Isn't this a benefit?" Zhang Shun said with a smile, "Firstly, these briquettes are made of crushed coal and fine coal. Secondly, this furnace is not extinguished day and night. Aren't the briquettes a big seller?"

Only then did the old master realize that if Zhang Shun's method was followed, not only could the soil be mixed openly, but the coal could be sold in large quantities, so he couldn't help but stand up and bend down to thank him.