Spring and Autumn I Am King

"Last year, during the dispute with Qi over colonization of goods, Zigong, you once analyzed to me that every October, every October in Qi, people are recruited to work in the salt industry, cut down firewood on the seashore, and boil seawater with pottery deep-bellied utensils. For salt, in the first month of the following year, it can be fried into sea salt for 36,000 minutes. [...]”

Rubbing the white salt in the copper beans with his hands, Zhao Wuxi looked at them as if he was looking at a pile of gold. This is a strategic resource that everyone needs.

Zigong said: "Yes, looking at the countries in the world that produce sea salt, whether it is Yan, Wu, Yue, they are all fried sea salt."

Zhao Wuchen said worriedly: "Qi has a coast that is a thousand miles long, and it can only produce so much. Let's take the thirty-li beach of Junan, which can produce 10,000 bells a year, which is not bad, but this can only satisfy the people of Lu. Three or four months of demand.”

"There is also a problem. The output of boiling salt is low and the cost is high, especially the amount of firewood consumed. Cooking salt for 1 minute consumes about 400 catties of firewood. In fact, to turn seawater into salt, not only can it be boiled, but also sunlight can be used. , Using the sea breeze, salt is already soluble in water, and when the sea water dries, layers of salt will precipitate out? This is what I call the method of drying salt."

Zigong pondered, although he has sold salt, he has only a rough understanding of the method of making salt: "Actually, the seaside salt workers used the decoction method as a last resort. And it often takes more than ten days to separate out, I don’t know how the lord wants to be exposed to the sun?”

"Can it be like this..."

Zhao Wuxi recalled the salt fields he had seen while traveling by the sea in his previous life, and described the scene in the documentary: "Building embankments on the seashore, excavating some acres of fields, the front fields are shallow and wide, and they are called evaporation ponds; The latter fields are slightly deeper, which is called the crystallization pond. Then people can dig ditches, or use the tide to let the sea water in. After the hot sun in spring and summer, the sea water can evaporate a lot after a few days, and then the salty brine will continue to flow. It is then introduced into the crystallization pool, in this case. It may be easier to precipitate edible salt..."

"This is a general idea. You can let people recruit more salt workers in Juguo, imitate the iron smelting skills, and give them a big reward for them to try. It doesn't matter if you don't produce salt in the first year, but you must use this salt for drying. The method is researched.”

Wu Xie worries that the short coastline alone is not enough to cook salt, so he has to find another way to improve efficiency and production, so as to meet domestic demand at the same time. Find ways to use sea salt to generate income.

"It sounds like you can give it a try." Zigong glanced at the lord in surprise. When he was in the small township of Jin State, Zhao Wuxi, who was called "all-knowing and all-knowing" by the villagers, often burst out. Fantastic, Daitian method, keel waterwheel, stone mill, flour, porcelain and other utensils all have his shadow. After coming to the State of Lu, I have lost a lot of skills in terms of paper, but I still have a lot of wonderful ideas in the system.

Wu Xie coughed lightly and explained, "My inspiration still came from Wei's Jiechi. When the south wind blows, the water in the pond dries up and naturally turns into salt. And there are also local people who divert water from the depths of the pond into Ma Tian. After exposure to the sun, the water in the depression dries up, and the soil becomes salt by itself, which is also called a salt field.”

Zigong suddenly realized: "So that's the case, I also asked the lord to dictate this method and let the writer copy it down, and I will arrange for someone to do it."

He also remembered that the sale of porcelain and paper has brought financial supplement to the state of Lu no less than the famous Lu Zhan, and this salt drying method, which does not consume firewood and saves a lot of manpower, will be a hundred times more profitable if it succeeds! It can even sweep the world's salt market at a lower price. Let the Qi people lose their biggest source of wealth!

So Zi Gong lowered his voice and added, "This minister will definitely keep those involved in this matter strictly confidential."

"Exactly."

Wu Xie nodded. In fact, he only knew the general style, but he didn't know the specific procedure, so he was done by directing the seawater into the salt field? Of course not. Using seawater to dry salt also requires technology, otherwise, the output of salt will be very low, but he has always provided general directions. In the previous life, at the junction of Yunnan and Sichuan, there were local people who were still in the clan society who carried the brine from the salt well to dry the salt. The craftsmanship is quite skilled and efficient. The salt workers of Qi and Ju of this era should be no worse than them, right?

And Zhao Wuxi's mind has to be put on state affairs and family affairs!

He earned an outlet from Ju State, and Lu State is no longer a landlocked country. It faces the sea and has infinite possibilities in the future. In addition, the marriage date with Le Lingzi has been set. Gong's shoulders said: "In a few days, you must work hard again, Zigong, and go to Song State to ask Le Clan for me and ask for an appointment."

Being able to take on this matter is a great honor for the ministers, and it can also leave a good impression on the future mistress, but Zigong has another thing on his mind.

He solemnly bowed his head and said: "The servant is under the command, and there is another thing that should not be said, but the servant of the lord's wedding and dowry, the servant happens to have a good candidate, and I dare to make suggestions here, and I hope the lord will investigate. Of."

Zhao Wuxi's intimacy disappeared immediately, he put his hands behind his back, looked at Zigong scrutiny, and asked lightly, "I don't know which good woman she is, deserves such a solemn recommendation from Zigong."

Zigong raised his eyes to look at Zhao Wuxi's face, took a deep breath and said, "It's Zigong's junior sister, the master's daughter Kong Jiao!"

...

"Kong Jiao..."

Zhao Wuxi tilted his head and thought for a long time, before he remembered that he had seen this woman. That was three years ago. At that time, when he relieved the siege of the central capital by Robber Zhi, and went to visit the injured Confucius, Kong Li took him out and met the girl next to the vegetable garden.

"I remember how tall she was, and I don't know how tall she is now..."

This is Zhao Wuxi's deepest impression of her. At that time, Kong Jiao was only thirteen or fourteen years old, and she was more than seven feet and less than eight feet. She was comparable to Zhao Wuxi. It was the tallest woman he had ever seen since he came to Chunqiu, and the two of them could even face each other.

In retrospect, the girl was not as bad-looking as Confucius, but inherited her mother, with a high nose bridge and a pretty appearance, wearing a solemn dark robe and simple colors. There is no stage fright after seeing a stranger, but a generous salute.

Although the two of them didn't speak, her meticulous Confucian etiquette and the height of her stand still left an impression on Zhao Wuxi.

But this is not important, what is important is the attributes she has, the daughter of Confucius! What was Zigong's intention to make this woman his wife?

Zhao Wuxi stared coldly at the bun on the back of Zigong's head, wanting to wear the hidden thoughts behind his head.

Zigong didn't seem to notice Zhao Wuxi's deep vigilance, and was still talking: "The daughter of the Kong family has reached the age of marriage. She looks dignified and knows the etiquette well. Descendants can be a good wife."

"What is Confucius' attitude on this matter?" Zhao Wuxi didn't know how to describe the relationship with the old man. In the end, they could not help but separate, because the kleptocrats and the "sages" who claimed to be the defenders of Zhou Li were born to be enemies.

"I also hope that the lord will forgive the sin. The minister mentioned this when the master left Qufu. The master was silent at first, but then he said, since the wife and daughter have been entrusted to the minister, then I will take care of it. , not to mention the general, who can be a good match, and will not be wronged Jiao..."

Zhao Wuxi was a little stunned: "Confucius left Lu, largely because of me, and he still regards me as a chaotic minister and thief. Will he marry his beloved daughter to such a person?"

"The master looks at loyalty and righteousness in government, and he went to the country because he misunderstood the loyalty of the lord. But marrying a daughter looks at personal virtue. In terms of personal virtue, the lord is always without loss."

Confucius is indeed such a person. In history, Wei Linggong’s personal morality has simply broken the bottom line of normal people, but Confucius is still full of praise. What is it that “I have never seen someone who is as good as lustful”, and Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: 'The king of today's , who is the most virtuous? ' Confucius said: 'Qiu has never seen a sage, if it is necessary to distinguish between superiors and inferiors, or is Duke Ling of Wei the most virtuous? ' Duke Ai of Lu questioned Wei Ling's chaotic private life, but Confucius disagreed, saying: "The minister said that his court acted, no matter his personal circumstances. Now, the private morality is worthy, but he is not loyal to the public office... The pursuit of morality and the public morality of a person, but the private morality of marrying a daughter, the old man is very clear.

After listening to this sentence, Zhao Wuxi touched his nose in a place that Zigong could not see. He felt ashamed to say it. Not only did he have no loyalty to the Marquis of Lu and even the Emperor Zhou, but he also owed his personal morals. It's terrible, not only because of the affair with Nanzi, the holy witch of the Song country, but also because of Ji Ying's incomprehensible feeling...

Since Zigong has said this, the Confucius has been a scholar for many years, and he has also been a doctor. His status is slightly lower than that of the Qing family. , Zhao Wuxi, a scumbag who has lost his personal morality, will naturally not be entangled.

Speaking of which, it's just that I'm so sorry for Lingzi. Before, he wanted to reject Le's dowry because of such thoughts. He now has Lingzi, Nanzi, and Bo Mi. Three of the good women in this world are already exclusive.

So, should you agree or reject Zigong's suggestion? (To be continued.)

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