He took the water handed to him by the palace servant and rinsed his mouth, then asked: "Is this sea salt?"
Cuan Ren nodded in surprise and replied truthfully: "Your Majesty is really Jinkou, and this thing is indeed the sea brine from Yan."
Hearing Cuan Ren's words, Chen Zhong and other palace servants beside Zhao Yong couldn't help but show a look of surprise on their faces. Especially Chen Zhong, he has watched Zhao Yong grow up, how come he doesn't know that his king still has such abilities? If Zhao Yong knew a woman by smelling her fragrance, he might not be so surprised.
Zhao Yong nodded slightly, and Cuan Ren's answer confirmed his guess.
The very strong bitter taste I just tasted from coarse salt should be caused by the sulfate ions and a small amount of magnesium ions in sea salt. If it is other types of salt, the bitter taste should not be so strong.
Of course, the minerals contained in sea salt are not inedible, but they are just a little bitter. Perhaps due to his body's innate substitution, he had never noticed the bitterness in his meals before.
After walking out of the kitchen, Zhao Yong turned to Chen Zhong and ordered: "The great order will send someone to pass on the internal history to the palace."
"Here." Chen Zhong replied.
...Zhao Yong returned to Longtai Palace, and lunch was served immediately.
A large bowl of yellow rice (millet, also a type of millet), cut roasted lamb, and boiled water (pickle soup). In addition, there are two small plates made of gold, on which are placed There is a plate of dried dates and a plate of ripe chestnuts.
Zhao Yong was indeed a little hungry. He picked up a piece of roasted lamb and put it in his mouth to chew. He had some mental reflection in advance. This time, he could clearly feel the bitter taste on the roasted meat, although the bitterness was not strong.
He then took a spoon and took a sip of cabbage soup. The vegetable soup was sour, spicy and refreshing, and also had a smell of mutton. Maybe it was cooked in boiling water, and the bitterness in the salt was obviously reduced.
Opposite Zhao Yong, several concubines sitting opposite him were carefully eating cherries with their mouths open, forming a clear gap with Zhao Yong who was devouring the food. Most of them ate some chestnuts and dried dates, and Zhao Yong basically ate the meat and millet himself.
After swallowing the food in his mouth, Zhao Yong asked the girls, "Can you taste the bitterness in the food?"
The women stared at him with some confusion.
Coral replied: "Your Majesty, did you mean bitter tea? (Bitter vegetables) I didn't taste any bitterness in today's lunch."
"It's not bitter tea, it's the bitterness in salt." Zhao Yong pointed to the dishes.
salt? All the girls shook their heads.
"...Nothing, let's have a meal." Zhao Yong replied helplessly.
After a while, Meng Rou picked up a small piece of roast lamb and put it in her mouth. Perhaps because she ate the tiny pieces of salt that failed to melt, she suddenly said softly: "It has a bitter taste. I didn't even notice it before."
Siyue and Hualu seemed to have discovered a new continent, and they pointed their tachyons at the few muttons left. After a while, the two of them showed expressions similar to Meng Rou's.
"It really tastes bitter. Why didn't I notice it before?"
Zhao Yong nodded. It seemed that the taste buds of these women had not yet been assimilated by their eating habits.
If they can taste it, others should be able to taste it too. Moreover, the salt they can eat is 'refined salt' that has been processed through several steps or even dozens of steps. The conditions of the working people among the people are definitely worse, and they probably eat salt blocks that have been preliminarily boiled and sifted. .
In this way, his refined salt plan can be implemented. If it can succeed, Zhao Guo's finances may make a qualitative leap.
...After lunch, Zhao Tian held a stack of bamboo slips and asked to see him outside the palace.
Zhao Yong announced that he came here just to take care of the finances.
The internal history of Zhao State is somewhat similar to that of Da Sinong in the early Han Dynasty. To be precise, it should be that the predecessor of Da Sinong was the internal history of various states during the Warring States Period.
In addition to overseeing agricultural production, Zhao Guoshi's responsibilities were also in charge of the country's taxation, money, grain, salt and iron, and the country's fiscal revenue and expenditure.
He can be regarded as a powerful minister who possesses the majority of power.
Officials in this era generally had greater power, not just in the civil service system, but also in the military ranks.
Zhao Yong thinks it should be related to the bamboo slips of this era, the carrier of knowledge and information, and the way in which government orders were disseminated. If power is too dispersed, the ruler's decrees will not be easily disseminated.
There were a lot of bamboo slips, but only two quarters of an hour passed before Zhao Tian finished narrating.
However, its narrative content fully includes the tax revenue and trade revenue of Zhao State in recent years. Zhao Tian was also concise and concise.
Zhao Yong then focused on asking about salt administration and trade with other countries.
Through Zhao Tian's in-depth explanation, although he had already guessed, the actual situation still surprised Zhao Yong. After a conversation with Zhao Tian, he learned that the salt tax revenue of Zhao State over the years was basically the same as the rent tax revenue. (Taxes are Zhao’s overall trade income.)
You must know that Zhao State is a big trading country. Among all the countries in China, when it comes to competition in terms of wealth, Qi is ranked second and others dare not be ranked first. But when it comes to trade, Zhao Guo basically takes the lead. In addition to being a major import and export country in trade, all trade between Northern Xinjiang, Yan State, Qi State, Qin State, and Zhongshan State basically have to pass through Handan.
But what surprised Zhao Yong even more was Zhao Guo's salt expenditure.
Zhao State's salt administration expenditure was actually much higher than its salt tax revenue. Especially this year when there is a war.
In other words, Zhao State's demand for salt is completely unable to be self-sufficient, and one third of it needs to be 'imported'.
This was also a helpless move. With the expansion of Zhao State's territory, there were no large-scale salt production areas within the country's borders, which naturally led to today's embarrassing situation. The salt production areas had been a heartache of Zhao State in the early years.
However, through Zhao Tian's explanation, it turns out that Zhao had intentionally hoarded salt products when his ancestors became marquises. In addition, he also had a small output. Although he is now short of salt, he is not in danger.
Today, there are five major salt-producing countries in China, namely Qi, Yan, Wei, Yue and Chu.
Table salt is divided into three categories: sea salt, pond salt (extracted from lake water), and spring salt (well salt). The output of the former two is much higher than that of the latter.
As for the three major salts of later generations, cliff, sand, and stone, they were all classified as earth salt. There were only a few small-scale earth salt mining areas in Zhao State, distributed in Jinyang, Handan and Xingxiang. land.
Needless to say, the three countries of Yan, Qi and Yue are countries that are close to the sea and must be big countries producing sea salt. In the past, King Helu of Wu and King Goujian of Yue relied on "sea salt" to dominate for a while. Looking at the strength of Qi today, in addition to its own reforms, it is also because it relies on a steady stream of economic dragons to achieve its hegemony.
Unlike sea salt, the largest producing area of pool salt is Anyi (Yuncheng) in Wei State. Anyichi Salt has a long history. It has been the largest salt producing area in China since ancient times. Thousands of years have passed and it is still the largest salt producing area in China.
The wars that broke out because of this salt pond have extended from the time of Huangdi and Chiyou in ancient times to today. The three Jin Dynasties were divided, and Anyi returned to the state of Wei. Now, with the decline of the Wei State, Quwo and Shaanxi City in the land east of Hedong are often captured by the Qin State, but Anyi has always been firmly in the hands of the Wei State. This should be the reason why the Wei State has not been defeated despite its decline. One big reason.
Now, Zhao Yong couldn't help but covet Anyi.
As for the Chu State, its territory is mostly filled with spring salt. However, most of Chu's spring salt was stolen from Ba. As early as the period of King Su of Chu, Chu State began to invade Badi targeting the spring salt producing areas. By the period of his grandson King Chu Xuan, all three major spring salt producing areas of Ba State were occupied by Chu State.
Ba, who could not afford to offend Chu, had to turn to Shu to the west. The current decline of Pakistan is not unrelated to the loss of its three major salt springs.
The monarchs and ministers of Zhao State talked freely about the salt trade of various countries for more than an hour.
Later, in addition to trade and salt tax, Zhao Yong asked Zhao Tian about some difficulties in the implementation of new agricultural laws and farming. In fact, they are mainly worried about the more than 10,000 Qin soldiers captured in the battle of Jinyang last year.
Zhao Tian said that everything went well. All the captured Qin soldiers have been dispersed in Dai and the border between Yan and Qi, far away from the Qin border. All of them have been registered in accordance with the new law of Zhao.
In this regard, Zhao Yong had to praise the other party a few words.
Zhao Yong's initial vision for the implementation of the garrison policy was actually relatively simple, mainly to avoid long-distance transportation of food to the border troops during wartime. Therefore, the initial plan for farming was mainly for military farming. After the formal implementation, through discussions with ministers, Zhao Yong ordered to include minor criminals and enslaved war criminals from various places. The most important thing was to recruit people who voluntarily went.
With the support of the lower class subjects. Since then, Zhao's immigration policy has changed from a simple military settlement to the current settlement measure that combines military defense and agricultural production.
... After the internal history had retreated, Zhao Yong took the envelope on the wall, moved to the side hall, and began to stare at the large Kan map on the wooden wall and analyze it secretly.
Analysis based on the place where salt is produced. To the west of Korea, Wei also occupied seven cities: Pingzhou (west of Jiexiu), Puyang (Xixian), Fencheng (Xianfen), Jiangcheng (west of Yicheng), Quwo, Mianchi, and Anyi. In addition, more than ten cities in the east of Hedong have all been captured by the Qin army, and the former Xihe County has long disappeared.
If Zhao wanted to seize the salt production of Anyi at this time, all he had to do was go south along the Fen River. Wei's border is now divided into two parts by South Korea. Just relying on these troops in the west, it is unlikely that it can stop Zhao's cavalry.
The temptation of the salt pond is a bit big...
After a while, Zhao Yong shook his head again.
It may not be appropriate to start a war against Wei at this time. If he launches a large-scale military campaign rashly, he will undoubtedly expose his hidden sharp claws to the public. Not to mention whether it can be taken away, even if it is taken away, it will lengthen the border front between Zhao and Qin, and violate the Three Jin Covenant, which will increase the conflict with Wei and South Korea.
It’s still a matter of debate whether we can hold it or not. Maybe I’ll make a wedding dress for Qin in the end...
Since the problem of salt shortage cannot be fundamentally solved, we must resort to curves to save the country.
It happens that there is no national affairs today, so just do it.
...After summoning Chen Zhong, Zhao Yong walked into the cook of the outer palace again.
Zhao Yong immediately ordered Cuan to clean up a slightly smaller shop, but it was fully equipped with stoves and other items.
After rejecting the extra palace attendants, Zhao Yong gestured towards Chen Zhong: "Go and get me two tripods of this size."
Chen Zhong followed the king all the way around, and he still doesn't know what his king wants to do. But when he saw that Zhao Yong didn't do anything ridiculous, he could only let him go.
Does the king want to cook in person?
After four or five palace attendants carried two small tripods into the room, Zhao Yong continued to tell Chen Zhong: "Go find some more lime and remember to grind it into powder."
lime? Why should lime be used in meals... Chen Zhong had no choice but to send someone to the Imperial Medical Office to get it. This thing is common nowadays, but most of it is used as medicinal materials.
In the absence of readily available chemical raw materials. Lime and plant ash are good attachment carriers. In addition to magnesium ions, the bitter taste in sea salt also includes other impurities such as sulfate ions. Many impurities cannot be eliminated by simple boiling, so they need to be separated through adsorption and desorption. Although Zhao Yong knew the principle, he had never practiced it.
The actual process was complicated, and after working on it for more than an hour, I still didn't come up with a finished product that I was satisfied with. Although I have been able to make fine salt, it still tastes strange.
After another half an hour, Zhao Yong realized that different substances dissolve at different temperatures in water.
After another half an hour, by constantly pouring the brine, I finally found the right path.
A small plate of snow-white crystals shaped like fine powder was finally presented to everyone.
Zhao Yong couldn't help but taste it. Although there was still some bitterness, it was almost gone. And the sales are more than ten times better than the original braised noodles.
"Is this salt?" Chen Zhong asked in surprise.
His face was as dark as Zhao Yong's now, but it was still much better than the few maids who were responsible for lighting the fire.
At this time, the faces of several people were in sharp contrast with the handful of snow-white salt on the table.
Zhao Yong looked at the other party's surprised look and nodded with satisfaction.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll go get ten coins later." Zhao Yong turned to the few maids in charge of burning firewood and said.
The young ladies' faces suddenly became happy, and they immediately leaned over and said, "I thank the king for the reward."
"Go and wrap the salt in silk."
"Here!"
When we came out of the hut, it was already dark.
Zhao Yong had a look of relief on his face, he finally got the 'Salt Ba'.
Returning to the palace, he took the silk handkerchief handed to him by the palace attendant, wiped his face, and hurried towards the inner hall.
"Grind ink." Zhao Yong ordered the little palace maid standing beside him, then he took the blank bamboo slips beside him and started writing.
Through this brine refining, Zhao Yong summarized two processes. First, boil the salt blocks into brine, then pass the brine through crystal salt plates at low temperature several times, and finally evaporate the brine to dry it to form layers of crystals. Salt. Then dry the crystal salt blocks on the mat and rinse them with warm water at about 50 degrees Celsius over and over again. The obtained crystal salt is dried and ground to become the final product.
Although the steps are not complicated, it still takes thirty pieces of writing.
Putting the pen aside, Zhao Yong let out a sigh of relief.
