Thinking about it, Cao Yu raised his hands and asked, "Excuse me, father-in-law, what is this?"
"Cao Shangshu didn't know that this thing called floor heating was a new thing that was thought up by the long-lived man who cared about the hardships of the people in winter. The boiler pictured in the picture is used to boil water, and the pipes are buried underground in the house. As long as the water is heated, the hot air and hot water will flow into the house along the pipes, and the house will be as warm as summer!"
Wang Chengen pointed at the drawing with a smile and explained that this drawing was drawn by him under orders, and it was also Chongzhen who ordered him not to mention Hu Yunqing.
Cao Jun has managed the Ministry of Industry for more than ten years. When he heard the explanation, his eyes immediately lit up. He looked at the drawings in his hand carefully and became more and more amazed. Finally, he knelt on the ground holding the drawings and said: "Your Majesty is so wise that he can design It is my ignorance to come up with such a wonderful thing. If what the prince said is true, then my subjects in the capital will no longer be afraid of this severe winter."
"Not only are you not afraid, your Majesty also plans to have the Ministry of Industry produce them in large quantities and then sell them to wealthy businessmen and common people in the capital to enrich the national treasury!"
Wang Chengen glanced at Chongzhen, and after seeing him nodding, he looked at the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance who had stretched his neck over and said: "Master Bi, come and take a look, estimate the cost of this thing, and how much can one earn? "
Bi Ziyan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, came over immediately to check. He was shocked at first sight. He thought about it for a while, and after discussing it with Cao Juan, he came to a conclusion. He turned to Chongzhen and said with cupped hands: "Your Majesty, the ministers and Mr. Cao discussed it and calculated the cost of this thing, including labor costs, at around one tael. As for the selling price...
I feel that if the heating effect is as good as what the prince said, then we can first promote it to commercial shops, theaters, inns and other crowded places in the capital. I believe that it will spread throughout the capital in a day or two. We can sell him for five taels of silver. "
Hearing this, Chongzhen thought for a moment, nodded, and said: "Then how much money can the Ministry of Household Affairs spend on the rat infestation?"
Bi Ziyan winced. He wanted to say that he had no money, but then he thought that Chongzhen hadn't said who he wanted to sell it to.
Gritting his teeth, he said: "The Ministry of Household Affairs can spend one...two hundred taels of silver to buy rat poison." Seeing that Chongzhen looked bad, he changed his tune again.
Two hundred taels?
Chongzhen couldn't help but sneer after hearing this.
He inquired about it, and it cost ten taels to make a rat poison, but the cost of rat poison in the capital was more than a hundred and tens of thousands, a mere two hundred taels of silver.
I'm afraid the mice won't be able to get enough of that medicine even if they smell it.
At this moment, an eunuch walked quickly into the Wenhua Hall and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, the factory master asked his servant to come over and report that he dug it out!"
Factory owner?
Upon hearing this word, the expressions of all the ministers in the Wenhua Palace became abnormal. Which factory owner?
But Chongzhen's eyes lit up, he glanced at the ministers whose expressions suddenly changed, and sneered: "My dear friends, since you think the rat problem is not a big deal, then come out with me to have a look."
The ministers were slightly startled.
But seeing that Chongzhen had already walked out of the hall, they had no choice but to follow him one by one.
After passing through the corridor, Chongzhen and his party arrived at the Imperial Garden.
In the garden, a group of eunuchs were holding torches and surrounding a newly dug hole.
But their attention was not on those, they were all staring at the leader, the middle-aged eunuch with a face full of dirt.
Who is it if it's not Wei Zhongxian?
Didn't Your Majesty promise to kill him?
Why are you digging holes here again?
Could it be that he was digging to bury himself?
There was an indescribable ominous premonition in the hearts of all the ministers.
Over there, Wei Zhongxian led a group of eunuchs, all of whom were his newly released confidants. They knelt down and said, "This servant has fulfilled your mission and dug out the rat's nest in the imperial garden."
"Please Zhongxian, I have a favor for you."
Chongzhen hurriedly stepped forward and helped Wei Zhongxian up.
He stepped forward, personally picked up a torch and shined a light into the pit.
Suddenly, he saw a large group of furry objects waiting at the bottom. What was it if it wasn't a mouse?
Except for the two big gray mice that were beaten to death, Chongzhen counted them carefully: "One, two, three... thirty-seven... forty-five, forty-six!"
There were a total of forty-six baby rats, which made Chongzhen's scalp numb.
Are there really so many rats?
Even though he had been mentally prepared for it, he did not expect that there would be so many baby rats in one nest, and this was just one nest in the imperial garden.
Chongzhen ordered the ministers to read it and then ordered it to be burned.
The ministers all stood by the potholes with numb scalps. He did not expect there to be so many rats.
Just now, some people swore that it was a cold day, and some mice had already died of the cold, so there would be no chance of plague in the spring.
As a result, Wei Zhongxian dug up a large nest here, which was simply unbelievable.
Your Majesty, this time is really not an unfounded worry, but a real plan for a rainy day!
But where did he know it?
Could it be that Wei Zhongxian informed him? Sure enough, they would be sad if the eunuch didn't die.
But how could they know that Wei Zhongxian was grateful to this nest of rats.
Because as soon as he returned to the palace, Chongzhen told him that if he could dig out the mice, he would resume his position in the East Factory.
As for whether it could be dug out, Chongzhen didn't say, but Wei Zhongxian knew that this large pit of more than ten meters was probably used to bury himself.
"Do you have any other methods to treat the rat infestation?"
Chongzhen asked, looking at the rat that was burned to death.
All the ministers looked at each other, no one could say anything, they just lowered their heads one by one.
When Chongzhen saw their cowardly appearance, he immediately became angry and said angrily: "Since you can't think of a way, then dig up all the mouse nests in my imperial garden!"
After saying that, he looked at Wei Zhongxian warmly and said: "Zhongxian, I am now reinstating your position as the factory owner of the East Factory. You can accompany the adults to eliminate rats in the Imperial Garden."
The servants still need to be punished by evil people, so let Wei Zhongxian take care of this group of wine and rice bags.
"My slave, please write to me for your kindness!" Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed and bowed his head.
The ministers had faces like pig liver and wanted to speak, but Chongzhen had already left.
Seeing this, Wei Zhongxian had a smile on his face, looked at the ministers, waved and said: "Come here, distribute a hoe to each of the adults. Today, we will carefully catch all the rats in the palace." , even if a mouse hair escapes, there is no need for Long Live Master to blame, our family will not be able to circumvent anyone!"
"Wei Zhongxian, you dare, I am..."
Han Xu, the chief assistant, wanted to rebuke something, but was kicked by a eunuch into the pit where the rat was burning. He was shocked and said: "Factory boss, be careful, there is a big rat!"
In the pit, although Han Xu was not injured, he was trembling with anger. Although the fire inside was extinguished, the smell of burning rat meat and feces and urine was extremely smoky.
Wei Zhongxian walked up to the pit at this time, took out a copy of the imperial edict with a smile, and said: "The Holy One has an edict. Wei Zhongxian, the capital of Dongchangchang, will lead the cabinet ministers from the other four ministries except the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Household. We are going to eradicate rats in the palace, please do this... Your Excellencies, if you don’t kneel down to receive the order, do you want to resist it?"
While they were talking, a group of Dongchang eunuchs showed off their dazzling knives...
…
In the palace, Chongzhen had already changed into casual clothes and was preparing to go out by car to find Hu Yunqing.
Although the city gates are now closed, can the imperial city stop the emperor from leaving the city?
When he was about to leave the imperial city, Wang Chengen reminded: "Your Majesty, let's go over now. I'm afraid that little thing has already fallen asleep. If you knock on the door in the middle of the night without bringing anything, I'm afraid it won't look good on your face."
Chongzhen suddenly woke up.
It was now Haishi, and it was really not good for him to disturb him in the middle of the night, but the rat infestation was imminent, and he felt as if he would have tens of millions of rats crawling on him if he waited for another quarter of an hour.
So after thinking about it, Chongzhen said: "Go to the imperial kitchen and get five...three kilograms of braised pork, and a jug of imperial wine. I want to talk to him at night by candlelight."
For money, Chongzhen has been frugal and vegetarian for more than three months.
Being able to bring three kilograms of braised pork and a jug of royal wine to see Hu Yunqing is already a big deal!
