Is the Crown Princess happy?
Gu Zhengchen looked at Zhang Xiwan, his eyes moved down and fell on the flat belly, feeling very dissatisfied.
Zhu Dalang is already happy in February, why haven't we heard anything yet?
Gotta work hard.
Zhang Xiwan saw a pair of malicious eyes and was caught just as she was about to run away...
Xiao He who delivered the meal arrived at the door and ran away with a red face. Yao Zhen thought that the master and his wife had a bad appetite and wanted to ask, but was kicked away by Zhang Pei.
The bad old man Liu Ji came to eat again and complained that "the meal is a bit late". Zhang Xiwan almost found a crack in the ground and crawled in. She glared at Gu Zhengchen fiercely and simply ran away without eating.
"I'm telling you, Uncle Cheng, it's not unreasonable for you to live alone..."
Gu Zhengchen complained.
Liu Ji disagreed and glanced at Gu Zhengchen. Fortunately, you are an official of the imperial court. If someone impeaches you, what will you do during the day? Will you still wear this hat?
"I heard that documents have been sent from Jinling. Is there any news from Zhongdu?"
Liu Ji asked.
Seeing that Liu Ji was thick-skinned, Gu Zhengchen had no choice but to say: "The service in Zhongdu has been stopped. Some craftsmen and people have been transferred to Jinling, and most of them have been sent back to their hometowns. I think the move to Zhongdu should be over." "
"It finally stopped."
Liu Ji sighed, picked up the small wine glass and fell into deep silence.
Gu Zhengchen understood Liu Ji's complicated emotions at this time. Back then, he strongly advocated against the construction of Zhongdu and urged Zhu Yuanzhang to give up moving the capital to Fengyang, but none of them worked. The construction of Zhongdu took five years and consumed countless financial, material and human resources.
If Lao Zhu had listened to his advice, these people with money and food could have invested it in water conservancy, farming, and health care. Even if they were used to pay salaries to officials, they would have been able to work hard for a few months. Now, it is all in vain!
Liu Ji retracted his thoughts and poured a glass of wine into his throat: "For Ming Dynasty, this is a good thing."
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly: "In terms of geographical location and many conditions, Fengyang is not the best choice for the country's capital. Your Majesty can make such a decision because of long-term considerations. As for the waste of these years, let it pass."
Liu Ji filled the cup with wine, raised his glass and said, "Drink to your heart's content for Your Majesty's wise decision!"
Gu Zhengchen raised his glass, drank it in one gulp with polite remarks, and then stood up to pour the wine: "The stoppage is beneficial to all people and the world, which is a good thing, but -"
Liu Ji looked at Gu Zhengchen who paused and understood exactly what he wanted to express.
This is a good thing for the people and the country, but it is not a good thing for myself.
We must know that the emperor makes no mistakes and cannot admit his mistakes. Therefore, killing the right person is also an option to make up for his mistakes.
Gu Zhengchen looked at the door and shook his head slightly: "It's just that this is not the only good news, there is another news."
"oh?"
Liu Ji was very interested.
It was obvious that Gu Zhengchen maintained a cautious style. Even in the magistrate's residence and in his own room, he did not talk too much or say something that could easily be exploited.
Gu Zhengchen smiled and said: "There is joy in the East Palace."
Liu Ji was stunned for a moment, and drank the wine leisurely, then raised his hand to touch his beard, and a smile appeared on his face: "Liu will live for a few more years, and it will be good to see who will succeed the Ming Dynasty." ah."
Gu Zhengchen smiled and said nothing.
I have to say that Liu Ji's luck is pretty good.
After stopping in Zhongdu, the depressed and troubled Zhu Yuanzhang would inevitably resort to the knife. Those craftsmen who "suppressed" were the first batch of victims, and Liu Ji was probably the second batch.
But it's hard to say now.
Stop in Zhongdu, there is joy in the East Palace, it seems that God is telling Lao Zhu that you have done something right, and I will reward you with a grandchild. In this case, Zhu Biao and Chang's efforts at night are no longer important. What is important is God's approval.
God approves, and Lao Zhu will naturally restrain himself a lot.
Maybe Liu Ji can really live another year or two.
Liu Ji was in a good mood and kept picking up dishes: "Tell me, where did your pinyin come from? This method doesn't seem to be the original creation of one person."
Seeing Liu Ji change the topic, Gu Zhengchen sat down and pointed at the eggs on the table: "Uncle Chengyi, when eating eggs, do you need to ask which chicken laid them?"
Liu Ji opened his mouth wide and laughed loudly. He patted the table and said, "You kid, I'll just leave it alone. The atmosphere of Jurong College is good. The method of merging miscellaneous subjects is currently very good. I Just stay here and teach.”
Gu Zhengchen had no objection.
If you can't do anything in Jinling, you might as well teach a few disciples in Jurong. As long as Lao Zhu doesn't transfer him back, it's a good thing.
Gu Zhengchen sent Liu Ji out and warned before leaving: "In the future, we will eat at Jurong College. Don't always come to the magistrate's house when you have nothing to do. It will have a bad influence."
Liu Ji pointed at Gu Zhengchen and rolled his sleeves: "Shameless!"
Do you still know that the impact is bad?
I know you are still so unscrupulous!
Gu Zhengchen doesn't mind being shameless or shameless. Being thick-skinned is a compulsory course for being an official. When someone points his nose at someone and calls him shameless, he has to be calm and not blush, just like a gentleman.
Pooh!
He was always a gentleman, and Liu Ji was the old one. He even had a daughter two years ago. Even at such an age, he was not afraid of dying from exhaustion.
In the next few days, no big news came from Jinling.
The matter of stopping Zhongdu seems to have become a taboo. The Huaixi nobles did not know how they were beaten, and none of them dared to say a word. The opposition among the civil servants gradually disappeared, and only a few indifferent people wanted to petition to restore the construction of Zhongdu, but Hu Weiyong threw the documents directly into the garbage.
What the hell, His Majesty has issued a decree, everyone has been dismissed, and the nobles of Huaixi have shut up. Why are you still shouting? Your Majesty has to kill a few people to feel at ease?
The earth-shattering event actually faded away with a strange calmness.
Zhu Yuanzhang was not idle and issued an edict to rebuild the inner palace.
This time to build the Jinling Palace, the main construction and reconstruction was not the harem and the east palace, but the two sides of Fengtian Gate. On the west side of Fengtian Gate, a building was added named Wuying Hall, and a building was added on the east side named Wenhua Hall, and two additional gates on the left and right of the Meridian Gate. At the same time, the inner and outer city walls of Jinling are being reinforced, thickened, and heightened...
I don’t know whether it was because Zhongdu was too luxurious and too much money and food was wasted. Lao Zhu wanted to save some money, or he really sympathized with the hard work of the craftsmen and specifically made it clear in his decree:
The building should be simple and unpretentious, not extravagant and expensive.
This is a good thing.
There is no need to carve a piece of stone or wood for two or three months.
Jinling is stable, and Jurong is also stable.
Gu Zhengchen wears many hats, dealing with paperwork and accounting books in the morning, judging cases in the afternoon, going to Jurong College in the evening, walking around the countryside during his break, and going to Jurong Guard when he has time.
Although he was busy every day, Gu Zhengchen felt that his life was very fulfilling.
Because the harvest of the fields is still a while away, so many people are not needed to tidy up the fields. The three courtyards of weaving, tailoring, and craftsmanship are once again operating at full capacity. At the same time, soybean oil workshops have also begun to be built, and retting fertilizers have also begun to be manufactured in large quantities. Fertilizing the fields after the summer harvest.
Soybean oil appeared in the Song Dynasty. It was not the main edible oil. Rapeseed oil, sesame oil, lard, etc. were, but the manufacturing process was still retained. Gu Zhengchen did not expect much money from soybean oil. Soybean oil dregs, soybean cakes, etc. were the fertile fields. of good stuff.
The people farmed in an orderly manner, and the county government operated in an orderly manner.
On April 28, the Yuanhuo Bureau sent someone to ask Gu Zhengchen to go.
Gu Zhengchen knew that it must be the granular gunpowder that had realized the optimization of the entire process.
In fact, in early April, the Yuanhuo Bureau had completely mastered the technology of using alcohol to make granular gunpowder. However, because the manufacturing process was complicated and required the use of various tools, and there was no connection between the processes, the efficiency was extremely slow. He was ordered by Gu Zhengchen to adjust the process and rearrange the working methods.
Tao Chengdao personally visited the Craftsman Academy and learned about the assembly line operation. After returning to the Yuanhuo Bureau, he redesigned the complete process of preparing granular gunpowder and continued trial operations and adjustments.
Until now, the entire process has been given high efficiency.
Gu Zhengchen arrived at the primer department and observed the entire process of rough processing, fine processing, screening and checking of gunpowder materials, thorough mixing, pounding with wet hammers, sieving particles, rounding bamboo tubes, drying, and storage. He nodded with satisfaction: " Well done this time.”
good!
Listening to Gu Zhengchen's evaluation, the craftsmen of the Fire Department finally breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on their originally nervous faces.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Tao Cheng and said: "Your credit is not small. In less than two months, you found the optimal ratio of gunpowder. Now that granular gunpowder has been successful, it is time to test its power when used in firearms. .”
Tao Chengdao was eager: "It's all ready, just waiting for the test."
Chen Youcai personally moved out a box of granular gunpowder and went to a specially set up testing site with Gu Zhengchen and others.
Zhao Hailou, Wang Liang, Qin Song and others all ran over to watch.
Dou Qiao volunteered to serve as a fire gun tester.
The current firecracker is still a traditional iron stick firecracker, no different from the firecracker Gu Zhengchen used when hunting tigers.
The manufacturing department's improvement of the fire gun has not yet been completed. Shen Ming'er, Xu Azhu and others have already figured out the direction of the fire gun transformation, and the application of flint is also under consideration, but it will not be completed for a while.
Right now it's just testing the power of granular gunpowder, and it has little to do with what type of gunpowder it is.
"Commander Gu, why did this gunpowder turn into particles? When added to the medicine chamber, wouldn't there be many gaps, which would not be fully filled and would affect the range?"
Dou Qiao looked at the particles of gunpowder in front of him and was very confused.
Zhao Hailou cursed: "Just fill in the gunpowder when I ask you to do so. Why talk so much?"
Dou Qiao glanced at Zhao Hailou. This guy had gotten angry recently because he was held down and beaten twice by Wang Liang. Now he is not angry with anyone and will hit people when he seizes the opportunity.
Can't afford to offend.
Dou Qiao loaded the gunpowder, grabbed a handful of gravel and poured it into the blunderbuss tube. He picked up the blunderbuss and aimed at the target thirty steps away.
The target is made into a rectangular shape, six feet long and four feet high, and covered with a layer of leather armor.
Gu Zhengchen patted Dou Qiao on the shoulder and pointed in the distance: "Shoot the target fifty steps away."
