In this era without industry, most people mainly focus on farming. However, during the period just after the New Year and the beginning of spring, they are very idle. It can be said that there is almost nothing to do, but Chang Yu is very busy during this period. , even though he can call on countless people to do things for him, some things still need to be done personally, such as decorating a store.
Although the court continued to criticize him for occupying the Huitong Hall to open a shop, the deal was done. The emperor did not object to others shouting at the throat to no avail. The decoration was in an orderly manner and was being worked on day and night.
Decoration in this era is not so fancy, and most of them are carpentry and painters. But don’t underestimate carpenters and painters. There are so many things to play with here, especially wood carvings, which are all handicrafts and require artistry. Artistry must be strong and strong.
Chang Yu requested marble flooring on the first floor and wooden flooring on the second floor, as well as a few full-length mirrors inside. He even wanted to have a floor-to-ceiling window facing the street. However, the reality was cruel and this was a bit difficult!
Although there were glass mirrors in the Ming Dynasty, they were all brought over from Europe by missionaries to China. Our technology in glass manufacturing was indeed backward. It was not until the Yongzheng period that glass mirrors were widely used because of their low cost. It spread to the court and became the daily necessities of the princesses and nobles in the late Qianlong period. From that time on, bronze mirrors were slowly replaced. At this time, there were also mirrors, but they were all brought by missionaries across the ocean, and because they were fragile So they are all very small shaving mirrors.
The main raw materials of glass mirrors are quartz, feldspar and limestone. After heating and cold treatment, it becomes soda-lime glass: a refracting agent whose main component is mercury, which is what alchemists call cinnabar.
These raw materials have been discovered by our ancestors long ago. The beads unearthed from the tombs of the Warring States Period and the cups unearthed from the tombs of the Jin Dynasty are already made of glass. Mercury has long been used in alchemy and medicine. After chemical analysis, the glass products in ancient my country were mostly lead glass. This kind of glass is mostly translucent and turbid, and it is difficult to make it fully transparent: the main component of cinnabar is mercury sulfide. In China, where inorganic chemistry is underdeveloped, It is also difficult to refine into pure mercury. This is why in the early Qing Dynasty, bronze mirrors were widely used in the vast mainland.
Therefore, at this time, our chemical technology is indeed much behind that of Europe. This is mainly because our chemists are not doing their jobs but are refining elixirs. Just talking about making glass, how far behind are we?
Before 3500 BC, the Egyptians made glass utensils. The Italians invented glass mirrors in the Middle Ages. In 1234, the Italians invented glasses. The French created glass bottles and vegetable glass. In the first half of the 17th century, Europe appeared. The telescope invented the alcohol thermometer in 1620. One year before the demise of the Ming Dynasty in 1643, they invented the mercury thermometer. Around 1620, Galileo discovered two satellites on Jupiter with a telescope he made...
This is the gap.
It's a bit far off topic, but back to the topic, it is impossible for Chang Yu to make a floor-to-ceiling glass display window like those of later big luxury brands. First of all, the current technology cannot make it completely transparent, nor can it be made in such a large size. !
but! If you can't make it that big, just make it smaller. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the form of window panes will do, either transparent or translucent. It's a women's pavilion, so it's a little secretive, so it's more subtle. People have voyeurism.
So, he immediately asked Tang Ruowang and Li Muchian to summon technical talents in this field to refine glass for him.
Then he plunged into the inner court office and worked on product development with Princess Kunxing.
What is the number one product that women buy? Chang Yu has not done any statistics, but it is nothing more than cosmetics and bags!
He has no idea how to get involved in cosmetics, but bags!
There are no bags in the real sense these days, but there are a lot of baggage. Common people or rich ladies use a silver bag the most, so he wants to design several bags!
Of course he doesn't know how to design, but after all, he has a lot of experience, and he also has the ability to imitate the gourd and the gourd. The donkey brand of later generations, Xiang Nai Nai, are all over the street, and they are all based on this style. As for the materials used, the leather at this time is obviously It cannot be as exquisite as that of later generations, but do not underestimate the skilled craftsmen of this era, and the technicians in the inner court yamen are among the best.
So Chang Yu drew more than ten styles of samples at once and discussed them with the technicians. Of course, Princess Kunxing also participated in the whole process. Her admiration for Chang Yu was simply extreme.
Yinshoujian's brand trademarks have been sent, one big one and dozens of small ones. The big one Chang Yu is going to hang on the store, and the small one will be embedded on the bags. Of course, there will be more trademarks one after another. Once manufactured, they will appear on various products.
Bags and scarves are Chang Yu's main products on the market. The initial design of these items was actually by him. Princess Kunxing only participated in the study and of course she also put forward her own opinions and suggestions. The production was done by the technicians in the palace. These people are specialized in Making clothing and accessories for the royal family is a big selling point in itself.
Chang Yu can predict that business will be booming in the future, so although he is tired these days, he is very happy, not only because of the sense of accomplishment, but also because he is tired of being with Princess Kunxing every day.
In these days, Emperor Chongzhen and Queen Zhou also gave them great support, that is, no matter what! It's up to you two!
Although there are confusing things going on in the court every day, Chang Yu usually doesn't interfere, and Emperor Chongzhen has already formed a tacit understanding with him, and he will only be asked to come out unless there is a fire.
So I watched him coming in and out of the palace every day and Kun Xing rushed into the inner court, turning a blind eye!
Chang Yu even said that he would take Kun Xing out of the palace to have a look at the workshop in the Tenth Prince's Mansion. Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand impatiently and said, "Go and do whatever you want."
But this made Zhu Cixi very anxious. He finally took the opportunity to meet Chang Yu and saw him grabbing him. Can you help Kunxing get a women's pavilion, and also help me get a men's pavilion. What, men's money It’s not easy to make money.
But he was flatly rejected by Chang Yu. First of all, he clearly told him that the value of his life is to be a good emperor in the future, not to do business. Also, men's money is easy to make, but men's halls are everywhere, and the big world is the largest men's hall in Beijing. !
This made Zhu Cixiang a little frustrated. I have to be emperor, but that is in the future. First let me have some value in my life before becoming emperor.
Chang Yu said, if you run your football league well, you will make more money than anything else!
Zhu Cihong became enlightened and had more time to ask for leave to go out of the palace. The prince's leaving the palace was not a trivial matter. All dynasties did not dare to be careless, but every time Zhu Cihong asked for leave, Emperor Chongzhen approved it.
The emperor also enlightened.
Even he himself felt that he was incredible, but he knew that all of this was influenced by Chang Yu. The reason why he did not object to being affected was because he had a subconscious feeling that the origin of this person was too mysterious. If he believed in him, he would have eternal life, and his life would be better!
