For example, in the Central Plains region, because all the northern forests have been cut down, coal can only be used instead. However, coal contains high sulfur and is of poor quality, so the iron smelting centers eventually moved to the south where development was late and there are rich forest resources.
In the past, the reason why the Turks were famous for their iron smelting was mainly based on the forests of the Altai Mountains. Now, the entire Mongolian Plateau does not have such rich vegetation.
Mongolia is actually rich in coal resources, but after Mongolia lost its industrial system, it was unable to develop and utilize it. As for when Han craftsmen were in Mongolia, why didn't the Mongolians learn iron smelting technology?
The main policies formulated during the Mongolian rule were that the Han people belonged to the lowest category. The Mongols did not bother to learn this craft and believed that as long as they relied on scimitars, fast horses and strong bows, they would be able to enslave the world forever...
Therefore, it is difficult for Mongolian tribes to produce their own iron pots to meet the needs of more families. Some people who own iron pots only throw them away after replenishing them to the point where they can no longer replenish them.
Since they couldn't make iron pots, they had to buy them from the imperial court. When the imperial court really couldn't refuse, they would use the relatively crude Luo pots to deal with them and try to reduce the possibility of the Mongols using iron pots to smelt weapons.
In fact, Zhu Biao thinks that there is too much worry. For Mongolian herdsmen, an iron pot is far more important than a sword. What's more, with the development of firearms today, iron tools are just that, destined to be swept away by the tide of the times. Eliminated.
The Ming Dynasty's Ordnance Bureau, Military Warfare Bureau, Gunpowder Bureau and Ministry of Industry never stopped researching and developing firearms. Even when the situation was the most difficult last year, Zhu Biao was still trying his best to maintain it.
Many civil servants believed that the Ming Dynasty firearms were already sufficient, and there was no need to continue to invest in research and development because they were a waste of money and people. The money would be better spent on firearms, whether for disaster relief or military pay.
After all, the current military strength of the Ming Dynasty is enough to suppress the four frontiers of the southeast, northwest, and even Mongolia has no room to fight back. The limitations of agricultural civilization have once again emerged.
However, Zhu Biao will naturally not listen to them. Whether it is to be prepared for danger in times of peace or to invest in advance, firearms must replace swords and guns. Especially after the start of the great voyage, ship artillery will be the top priority. If artillery escort is not developed, Then the Ming Dynasty could not safeguard the interests gained from the great voyage at all.
Once the great voyage begins, pirates all over the world will be like inexhaustible locusts, chasing and biting the Ming Dynasty. Locusts cannot be dealt with by swords, guns, swords and halberds. Only weapons with large-scale destruction can deter them.
After Zhu Biao came to his senses, he asked Su Zhi: "Besides these, what else does Mongolia need?"
Su Zhi lowered his head and replied: "Saddles, grain, scissors, silk and satin, pens, ink, paper and inkstones, boots and hats, cosmetics, medicinal materials, books, ornaments, porcelain, etc."
"Last year, before the tea and horse trade was banned, Wei Chen personally led a team to the border to deal with the Mongolian caravans. They asked for a lot, and everyone from the prince to the herdsmen had what they needed. However, due to the strict ban of the court, Many things cannot be traded openly.”
Zhu Biao smiled and said: "It doesn't work on the surface, but there are ways to do it secretly. It's just the herdsmen. The kings behind the Mongolian caravans are very wealthy, and they can always offer satisfactory prices."
Su Zhi nodded calmly and said: "Your Highness is wise, but the imperial ban is still a ban. Even if some people are willing to risk their lives, there are still not many that can be successfully sold. Silk, porcelain, paper, inkstones and other items are all. Salt, iron, grain and tea are less. Very few…”
Zhu Biao smiled and said nothing. He knew that this was not only due to the imperial ban. These people in the Ming Dynasty were not vegetarians. Those who could open so many joints were not ordinary people. They were all smart people. How could they not understand hunger marketing? .
Even though there is no such term, they all understand that rare things are valuable. Otherwise, why would the Mongolian caravans offer them sky-high prices?
There is a tacit understanding between them, and there is a ration for smuggling salt, iron, tea and cold drinks, which involves another round of exchange of interests. After all, behind everyone are colleagues in the officialdom. After forming an interest network, they work together Getting rich is the real thing, everything can be discussed, no one wants to die together after breaking up.
However, Zhu Biao had no intention of pursuing this kind of matter. The court had been cracking down hard, so it was of little significance for him to reiterate it. Besides, this kind of matter was no better than a local corruption case, and it must have involved many noble military officers guarding the border.
Now that the time is not yet ripe, it would be a pity to alert the enemy, and with the current situation in Mongolia, there is little point in buying this thing secretly.
After finishing speaking, there was a slight silence in the lobby. At this time, several officials from the Tea Horse Department brought several porcelain jars and a set of tea sets. It seemed that they were going to invite His Highness the Crown Prince to taste some specialties.
Liu Jin looked at the general of the Fujun Guard who was following behind them. When he nodded, he knew that he had experienced the poison, and then he made room to allow them to put down the treasured tea leaves.
The officials put down the tea cans and then fought behind Su Zhi in a disciplined manner. Although Su Zhi was not the commander of the Tea Horse Division, anyone with a discerning eye knew what was going on, so he would not steal Shangguan's limelight now.
Being in a low position and being superior is a taboo in official circles!
Su Zhizheng was worried that he had nothing to say, so he stood up and bowed to Zhu Biao and said: "Tea Master has nothing else, only tea is good. Please taste it, your highness. If there is something that your highness likes, I can also give orders to him. Next year Let local tea gardens grow and collect fine products to supply to His Highness.”
Zhu Biao himself does like drinking tea, but he is generally not picky. Basically every year when the tribute tea comes, he will drink whatever Lao Zhu gives to the East Palace. It must be the best anyway.
However, when it comes to tea, each person has his own appetite, and not all the tea ordered by Lao Zhu is to his taste. Since they have already arrived, and he plans to make money from tea in the future, he naturally wants to taste it carefully.
After taking over, Su Zhijing opened the delicate white porcelain cloud jar and took out pieces of tea cakes, each of which has interesting shapes. In addition to the normal round cake shape, there are also shapes such as floating clouds, horseshoe bats and so on.
This is also a characteristic of the times. Tea leaves are pressed into cakes for transportation. After pressing into tea cakes, they can be stored better. The flavor of the tea leaves will also evaporate very slowly and will not be easily oxidized. This ensures as much as possible The quality of tea.
After the tea is pressed into tea cakes, the longer it is stored, the more fragrant the tea will be, and the brewed taste will be very mellow, unlike loose tea, which will regain moisture after being stored for a long time, and the brewed taste will not be so fragrant.
Of course, in the pre-industrial era, it was not easy to press tea cakes, not to mention making them into tribute tea cakes, which require countless elaborate and elaborate processes. After all the various processes, a tea cake has to go through many flashy processes. take shape.
This is the case with the Longfeng Tuancake Tea that emerged in the Song Dynasty. Comrade Lao Zhu traveled to the vast tea areas in the south of the Yangtze River and had contact with tea affairs. He was well aware of the hardships of tea farmers. In the past two years, he saw the finely crafted Longfeng Tuancake Tea as tribute. He sighed and thought that this was too much work for the people and money, so he ordered the construction to be stopped and the only way to advance was to collect buds. "
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