The bearings have been made and installed on the waterwheel. There is no more squeaking sound when the waterwheel rotates. It is very smooth.
Since the waterwheel can operate around the clock, the vegetation raw materials needed for papermaking can be pounded out faster.
"In the past, how long would it take to grind it into pulp?" Yang Ming led a group of officials to the papermaking field in Chang'an County and asked Yuan Shoudao.
Yuanshou replied: "If it is artificially made, the pulp used for Ichiban paper will take about ten days. Today, it takes three days."
One paper is one piece of paper, one hundred sheets, one ten days is ten days, which is equivalent to shortening the time by seven days and improving the efficiency a lot.
However, the most time-consuming part of papermaking is actually exposure to rain and sun for seven to eight months. This process uses ozone in the air to change the structure of lignin and pigments, thereby achieving a bleaching effect and improving flexibility. .
After being exposed to the sun, the raw materials will turn directly from gray-brown to white.
Because it takes too long, the dried bark material will be divided into three parts. Those collected in two months will be burlap paper, three to six months will be jute paper, and July and August will be white linen paper.
It is equivalent to Fenjiu Group’s ten-year-old, twenty-year-old and thirty-year-old wines.
This process is not economical, because wood contains lignin, and lignin itself is yellow. Later generations used chemical bleaching methods. Yang Ming could not produce those chemicals, so he could only use the ancient redox bleaching method.
Although Yang Ming's main purpose now is to make more paper, rather than making more beautiful paper, waiting seven or eight months to make pulp is indeed too long.
But he has a way, but he can't say it in front of so many people.
"One waterwheel can drive twelve treadmills, which are used to pound the wood bark of the stone mortar. This amount is exactly the amount of pulp used in first-class paper," Yun Dingxing explained to the ministers:
"In other words, as long as the supply of raw materials continues, the waterwheel can produce a lot of paper in half a month, because it still needs to be pulped, added with chemicals, papermaking, water filtering, paper pressing, and paper drying."
The treadmill is similar to a seesaw, with a fulcrum in the middle. People step on the other side, lift the mallet on the opposite side, and then drop it to make pulp.
The paper mill has both manual and hydraulic pulping. Nowadays, bearings made of refined steel are installed, which is mainly hydraulic, freeing up more labor.
Someone may ask, there is no shortage of people in the Sui Dynasty, yes, there is no shortage, but skills in this professional field are not easily taught to people, so the papermaking factory is equivalent to not recruiting people. It is the father who takes care of his son, and the master who takes care of his apprentice. .
Although there is no official establishment, they are still considered employees of state-owned enterprises. Can you, a civilian, just join in?
Including the refinery in Hedong, ordinary workers cannot see the real technology. They can only contribute. The workers there are lucky. They just caught up with the expansion of the refinery and hired so many. They will not be able to do so in the future. Will hire again.
"It seems to save some time, but not much," Yang Yue frowned: "Drying and soaking are the most time-consuming. It would be best if this process can be shortened."
Retting is soaking in lime water. The lime water is alkaline and can disperse lignin, making it easier to form pulp. It also has a decolorizing effect. The lime soaking process in Sui Dynasty took two months.
If you want to shorten this process, it is actually the same as drying, just add one more step.
A group of senior officials wandered around the papermaking factory for a long time and then dispersed, while Yang Ming left all the people from Taifu Temple behind.
At night, in the shed of the paper mill, Yang Ming said:
"Soaking in lime is to take advantage of its acidity and alkalinity. In fact, there is a way. You can try it. First soak it in lime for one month, then soak it in human urine for fermentation, then steam it, and then dry it in the sun after steaming. We will see how it changes. White time.”
All the officials in Taifu Temple were stunned. Are you kidding me? Paper is a precious thing, so how can it be soaked in human urine?
Of course, human urine contains urea-based salts, which are acidic. It has been proven that urea-based salts can gradually penetrate into the raw materials and dissolve part of the lignin.
Until later generations, when bamboo paper was handmade in rural areas of Fuyang, a suburb of Hangzhou, human urine was still used to impregnate it.
In fact, whether it is soaking, fermentation, cooking, or drying, the purpose is to remove lignin without destroying cellulose.
After Yang Ming finished speaking, no one said a word, and everyone had strange expressions on their faces. It was obvious that they found it difficult to accept the method proposed by Yang Ming.
Things that have been soaked in urine are smelly. Paper is an upright thing used to record classics, history, books, and collections. How can you use urine?
Seeing that everyone was silent, Yang Ming said, "The grain in the fields is also made from dung as fertilizer. Doesn't it taste delicious when you eat it?"
"Ugh~~"
I don't know who made such a sound, Yuan Shou was furious: "This is serious business, what are you doing? Get out."
The official who almost vomited hurried out.
"Hypocritical," Yang Ming said in a deep voice, "I will deduct half a year's salary from him."
Yun Dingxing knew that what Yang Ming said was by no means unreasonable. Urine is acidic, and fermentation is fermentation with acidic substances. The prince's words were not unreasonable.
Just listen to him say: "It is fermented first, then steamed. After steaming, it will be washed. The smell of urine has long gone. If the time can be shortened, you might as well give it a try."
Yang Ming nodded and said: "The current plan is to increase the collection of raw materials. The cost of making clothes from linen is too high. It is better to mainly use bamboo and mulberry leather. When adding medicine, you might as well try star fruit vine."
Adding paper chemicals during pulping can make the cellulose in the pulp float, and the paper can be separated more effectively when peeling off the paper.
Basically, the raw liquid of various plants is used as medicine.
Yun Dingxing hurriedly recorded it.
Yang Ming explained again and returned to the palace.
If he wanted to improve papermaking, the process was long. All he could do was to shorten the time and cost as much as possible. In this way, the shipment volume would be high and it would be cheap. If it was cheap, everyone would be able to afford it.
In October, Yang Ming received the good news that he had entered the Central Plains with only two thousand people and tribute tribute.
"We are almost at Yanmen, who should we send to pick him up?" Wei Xuan asked at the court meeting.
For a king like Shibi, you have to send a relatively high-ranking person to Yanmen to greet him, and then take him to Jiangdu. To put it bluntly, he is to act as a guide.
Why did it stop when we got to Yanmen?
Because Yanmen County has been regarded as the red line between the Central Plains dynasty and the northern nomads since the Han Dynasty. If you cause trouble outside Yanmen and call it a border raid, you will usually only send border troops to drive it away.
But if you pass through Yanmen County, this is called invasion, and the court will directly send troops.
Shibi understood this rule, so he did not go through Yanmen now, but stayed on the spot, waiting for the court to send someone to pick him up.
"For foreign affairs with the Eastern Turks, Changsun Sheng and Duke Pei have always been responsible. When the eldest grandson passed away, Duke Pei was in Jiangdu." Yang Xuangan frowned and said, "It's really hard to choose this person."
Cui Zhongfang smiled and said: "It's easy to choose, it just depends on whether you are willing to do it or not."
After saying that, he looked at Yu Wenshu.
Yu Wenshu was stunned: "Shall I go? I have never dealt with the East Turks before, and I don't understand the etiquette in this area."
Xuangan said: "It doesn't matter. The Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple will send people to help."
"Then wouldn't it be appropriate for you to go?" Yuwen said.
Xuangan smiled and said, "I have a concubine who is about to give birth and I can't leave."
As soon as these words came out, the court burst into laughter.
Yang Ming was stunned and said: "Then you should go home quickly. Don't delay your business because of state affairs."
Yang Xuangan was immediately speechless and lowered his head.
Yu Wenshu couldn't help but laugh and said: "If I don't want to go, it's really because of my lack of diplomacy. What do you think, Duke Tang will go? Shimin will honor the princess in Jiangdu next year, and Duke Tang will have to go to Jiangdu anyway. , isn’t this just the way to go?”
"What a great idea, it seems that it must be Mr. Tang," Lu Chu said with a smile.
Does Li Yuan want to go? He didn't want to go. Being a guide was a very hard job, but he wanted to refuse and had no excuse.
The imperial examination was over and he was free.
At this time, Yang Ming looked at Li Yuan and smiled: "Mr. Tang, have you worked hard?"
Li Yuan glanced at everyone and found that everyone seemed to recognize him, so he could only nod helplessly:
"I would like to go to Yanmen to welcome you."
"Okay," Yang Ming said with a smile: "There is no need to picket the people and tributes you have brought with you. Food and accommodation on the way will be provided by the prefects of each county. You take Zuo Yiwei's two thousand people, go to Yanmen to pick them up, and then go to Luoyang Take a boat and go south.”
After saying that, Yang Ming looked at Lu Chu again: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs has issued a customs clearance document. Since they are here, we must entertain them well."
"Yes," Lu Chu nodded.
Being able to come at the end of the day relieved Yang Ming's worries that had lingered for many days. In fact, all the big guys in the court breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone knows that as long as Shi Ji comes, the Sui Dynasty will have a peaceful life in the next four to five years. Since they are sending Taiping here, they must treat them well.
With the sound of "dismissal", all the officials dispersed, except Yu Wenshu who lingered and refused to leave.
Yang Ming had already stood up, then sat down again:
"What? Does Mr. Xu have anything else to do?"
Yu Wenshu hesitated and said, "I just want to explain."
"Say," Yang Ming knocked on the armrest and laughed.
Yu Wen said: "Liang Shidu said in the review report of the Ministry of War that I delayed the military flight, so that Zhongwen's Ministry was almost destroyed. I was wronged."
Master Liang was both a member of the prince, and Yu Wenshu knew that. The other party had been reinstated through the imperial examination. Yu Wenshu guessed that the prince had arranged it behind his back, so he was worried that Yang Ming had believed Liang Master's words, so he stayed today. Thinking of explaining.
Yang Ming directly raised his hand and said with a smile: "You don't need to mind, Mr. Xu. Master Liang is only a general, and Mr. Liang is the general manager of the army. He can't understand what you do, so there is no need to explain."
"I am afraid that the prince will misunderstand," Yu Wenshu said humbly.
Yang Ming smiled: "No, I will not doubt Duke Xu's use of troops just because of a small general. By the way, what does Duke Xu think of this visit?"
Yu Wenshu was stunned and said directly: "He is still afraid of me going to court. If this person is in charge for one day, our troubles in the Northern Sui Dynasty may be temporarily eliminated."
"Mr. Xu is optimistic," Yang Ming leaned back and said with a smile.
Yu Wenshu said without changing his expression: "We, the Sui Dynasty, conquered Goguryeo and our country is at its peak. The Turkic clowns will never dare to offend our power at this time. However, what the prince said is that we should not be optimistic about border dangers."
Yang Ming said casually: "Is Huaji still smuggling with the East Turks?"
Yu Wenshu's face changed slightly, and he quickly waved his hand and said, "Absolutely not."
Yang Ming smiled: "There is a report from the Yushitai that Huaji does not have any dealings with the Eastern Turks, but how did he and the Western Turks get together?"
Yu Wenshu's expression changed greatly: "Isn't Chenchen aware of this?"
"Go back and ask him," Yang Ming stood up and said seriously: "Take good care of Huaji and don't let him cause trouble for you."
Yu Wenshu also stood up quickly, clasped his hands and said, "I respectfully see you off to Your Highness."
