After Song Jinggong found the two brothers who were skilled, he went to the mansion to find someone to cooperate with them to catch the eagles. At the same time, he had to deal with the fake proposal from the Yellow River Shipping Company. He was very busy now.
Compared to Song Jinggong who was busy, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were much more relaxed in Lu Zhou's place. The construction of the infrastructure was still going on, but it had nothing to do with the two of them anymore. The plans that should be done had been done. After the people finished one project, they could move on to another.
There was no monetary return on this kind of investment. The money that Zhang Xiaobao spent mainly depended on some things on the mountain and the special products in the sea. The cycle was longer. Fortunately, the other businesses were always profitable. Zhang Xiaobao could still afford to keep this thing. The longer he kept it, the more things he could get from other places. When the time came, he would earn more.
The construction of the lighthouse had also begun. They used a ship to carry some wood to the reef at sea and directly built it. The quality was not good, and it was easy to get into trouble when there was a strong wind. However, this was the only thing they could do for now. They had to finish the nearby things first. Then, they could consider using stones to replace it.
After the fishermen learned about the lighthouse, they were very excited, especially the fleet that went out to fish for prawns at night. They were already waiting for a big harvest.
At this time, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were doing experiments in a separate courtyard. Each of them wore a big mask and covered their bodies tightly. There was a big pile of lime, a big pile of clay, and some other things that the locals found. There was a mess of everything in the courtyard.
There were many things that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did not know what they were for. They also dug up some seabed mud, which was not from the deep sea. It was from the deepest place where the locals could dive. There was also some volcanic ash.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan each took a notebook and wrote down the ratio of each mixture. Zhang Xiaobao had never done such a job before. He had only heard that two kinds of raw materials could be used to make cement.
Looking at Wang Juan carefully comparing the proportions in her hands, she pulled Wang Juan to the side and asked, "Do we burn it in the stove like this?"
"Even swindlers don't know how to do things?" Wang Juan took off her mask, spat, and nodded.
"I didn't lie about this before. The main thing is, what kind of furnace should I use to burn it?" Zhang Xiaobao really didn't know about this. Looking at the ingredients that had been mixed with proportions, he felt that burning them like this wouldn't have any effect.
"Of course, we can't burn it like this. We don't have that kind of technology. Mix it with water, put it in a lime kiln, and then take it out and make it into a foam. We'll see which one is better, and we'll still do it according to the proportion. It's just that the dust is too strong, and it has a great impact on the workers' bodies.
But there's no other way. If we don't use this cement, we can't build good things. If those lighthouses are all built with big stones, then we'll have to wait for a long time. I think it should be successful. We don't need any special purpose cement, and the label doesn't matter. Cement will be better than using stones now. "
Wang Juan said with certainty, but she was not sure. The technology of this thing was there. It looked relatively simple, but when it was done, there would definitely be failures. Fortunately, they could get the raw materials here. It would be fine if they failed a few times. Knowing it was one thing, but doing it was another.
Just like diamonds, everyone knew that they were made of carbon, but even if you gave a ton of graphite, you wouldn't be able to make a diamond unless you had that kind of special equipment.
Fortunately, the power of the people was infinite. Even glass could be burned so well. Not to mention cement, even glass could be made. They had to believe in the wisdom of the people.
Zhang Xiaobao was not good at this thing, so he could only listen to Wang Juan. Seeing that Wang Juan said with certainty, he nodded and said, "That's good. It's wet. It's okay. We're not afraid of wasting firewood. There's a lot of firewood here. I remember that there should be a coal mine here. Get someone to look for it and see if they can find it. It's best if it's an open-pit mine."
"En, look for it. There's no rush. There's a lot of firewood. It's impossible to burn it all. While burning here, the trees over there will grow again. There's a small population and a lot of resources. This is the advantage. If we don't directly cut down the trees to open up the wasteland, no matter how much we burn, the trees will only grow more and more.
If we don't want people to destroy the forest, we can only increase the grain output per mu. Otherwise, the people here will always feel that there's not enough food and try to expand the land. The land here can be planted in rotation, and it can also be cultivated. Let's not talk about this. Where do you think the cement factory should be built? How can we prevent the dust from harming the human body? "
Wang Juan talked about the land and turned back to ask about the construction of the factory.
Zhang Xiaobao knew that the scale of the cement factory wouldn't be too big. It was fine as long as it could meet the current needs. It was impossible to transport the cement to the capital to be sold. It was better to directly find a place with the same resources and build the factory there. If it wasn't that the cement was very needed, Zhang Xiaobao really didn't want to ask Wang Juan to make it now.
The people here didn't seem to care about the damage of the dust at all, especially the people who burned the kilns. Many people who fell ill had already accepted their fate. Even if they knew that it was bad for their health, they still did it. They didn't have any protective measures.
After thinking about it, he said, "It won't work if it's too close to the sea. It's very humid. Before the cement can be used, it will become hard lumps. Then find a place in the mountains or a swamp. Fill up the swamp and plant more flowers and trees around it. It doesn't have to be a good tree, as long as it grows fast.
In terms of protection, wrap yourself up tightly, wear a mask, and a hat that can be worn on the head. The people who work have to be rotated. They can't be allowed to work in such an environment continuously. Also, give them more fruits and more fungus. These are the only things that can be done. The conditions are limited. "
Speaking of these protections, Zhang Xiaobao felt a little helpless. He knew that even with these protections, it still had a great impact on the human body. But he still wanted the cement, so naturally, he had to do it this way.
Wang Juan was also resistant to this kind of work method. After thinking about it, she said, "Let's do it like this first. When the glass is made, we can make a transparent mirror for them. It can also be used to dive. We can't make flat glass, but we can use large pieces of glass to polish it.
Let them do it first. Let's think about the gas mask. It doesn't need to be too good. We just need to put some charcoal in it. I don't want to see anyone get an occupational disease because of burning cement. That's murder. Even if the investment cost is higher, it's worth it.
What do you think? In fact, I think we've done enough. There are some small cement factories. In order to reduce the cost, they have the conditions to provide protection for their workers, but they don't use it at all. Not to mention the low wages of the workers, they also know that it's very harmful to the body, so they have to do it. "
When Wang Juan said this, she and Zhang Xiaobao sighed at the same time. Fortunately, the two of them didn't care about the cost. As long as they could achieve their goal, it was fine.
"Someone, come in." Seeing that Wang Juan had made up her mind, Zhang Xiaobao shouted outside. Immediately, people from the inner courtyard came in and waited for orders.
"Remember the labels of these things, then mix them with water and send them to the lime kiln to be burned. Don't mix them up. Also, remember to keep this thing a secret. I've arranged for you to do it. I don't want to hear about this from a second person."
Zhang Xiaobao pointed at the things made by him and Wang Juan and ordered the people from the inner courtyard.
"Little Young Master and Little Miss, don't worry. I will never tell a second person, not even my family. When you go to bed at night, plug your mouth and don't drink." The people from the inner courtyard promised. He knew that the Little Young Master and Little Miss had made something magical again. The work of keeping it a secret must be done well.
"Don't plug your mouth. Go and do it. When it's done, remember to come and tell us." As soon as Zhang Xiaobao heard this, he knew that the people from the inner courtyard deliberately said this. He smiled and said to the people from the inner courtyard. Then, he quickly pulled Wang Juan to take a bath. Wearing only a mask, it couldn't prevent the dust from getting on her body at all.
Wang Juan also attached great importance to this secret thing. At this time, cement could be regarded as a strategic material. The speed of building the city wall was fast, and it was also strong. If people from other countries got hold of it, they might dare to use it to start a war.
Also, the glass that would be burned in the future was also a strategic material. Thinking of this, Wang Juan began to worry. She said to Zhang Xiaobao, "Xiao Bao, what are you going to do with the cement and glass in the future?"
"How to deal with it? Oh, you mean the relationship of interests? This is actually easy to deal with. Whoever has the ability to get in, we will let them in. If they don't have the ability, we naturally don't need to be afraid of them. The technology can't be leaked out no matter what. At worst, we can let them invest and use this as an excuse to give them a share of the money.
Anyway, we will do the accounting. I will make some fake accounts and deceive them. They won't be able to find out. As long as we give them enough money to make them feel satisfied, it will be fine. Also, we have to say before that the price of the things will be lower and lower. Let them be mentally prepared. "
Zhang Xiaobao was least worried about this matter. It was good to monopolize the industry, but he must understand the relationship of interests, especially in a place like this where power was put on the surface.
When Wang Juan heard Zhang Xiaobao say so, she temporarily felt relieved. She felt that Zhang Xiaobao's ability in this aspect was still trustworthy.
"Then, are we going to take the lion's share? When the time comes, we can say that our wealth is comparable to that of a country."
"No, no, no, you definitely can't give us the lion's share. I plan to divide the profits from this thing into ten portions. We will take three portions and give two portions to those who have the ability to get involved. When we talked about it, we will give them half and the other five portions will be given to the Emperor. Who asked him to be the Emperor? How can you not give it to him?"
Zhang Xiaobao felt that this was not good. If they wanted to do something out of line, they must first give the Emperor enough benefits. He and Wang Juan could ignore Li Longji, but they couldn't ignore his position. Unless they were preparing to rebel and become the Emperor, but the two of them didn't have this idea. It was too tiring.
If they really let the two of them manage a country, it would be easy for them to die of exhaustion in that position. After all, if they knew more things, they would be more diligent in doing it. Just look at those country's leaders. Everything was arranged all day long. Moreover, there were also some things that suddenly appeared. They were busy and didn't have any freedom at all.
It was nothing more than making their own clans stronger. However, the cost was too high. The two of them did not intend to do so. As for their clans, they could get enough food from farming, and they could get money from doing business. They could also nurture some officials. Let the people they nurture be busy with their work.
Wang Juan could also understand Zhang Xiaobao's sullenness when facing a strong power, but this was something that couldn't be helped. Even if they wanted to rebel, they had to wait for an opportunity. Moreover, every time they rebelled, the damage to the country was very great. War, it was better to let there be less internal conflicts. It was still the Kaiyuan era. When Li Longji gradually grew old, they would think of a way to prevent him from making the same mistake.
When thinking about war, Wang Juan trembled. She said to Zhang Xiaobao, "I think history will be changed."
"Of course. Since we came to this world, history has been changing. This is also why so many people are afraid of cloning people like Napoleon and Hitler. Sometimes, history makes people, but history is also written by people. Why don't we change? If we have the ability to change, then we have to show our value and make the country stronger."
Zhang Xiaobao was already prepared for this. He didn't feel abrupt at all. It was so natural for him to say it.
Wang Juan shook her head, "I'm not talking about slowly improving the lives of the people and the country's foundation. What I'm talking about is that once we make this cement and make a lot of money from glass, after giving the money to Li Longji, he will definitely start a war with foreign countries.
In fact, they are fighting now. The friction at the border has never stopped. In Sanshui County, didn't the Tubo people immediately send people to cause trouble after they were defeated? He is not fighting now because the country's strength is not enough. At the same time, the prime ministers are suppressing him. Once he feels that he has more money, do you think he won't fight? "
"Oh, this? Indeed, if you had too much money, let alone him, no matter where you were, they would want to expand. You couldn't say that they didn't have enough money just to prevent external aggression. There was no real peace in this world. If you were weak, others would beat you up. Instead of waiting to be beaten up, it was better to take the initiative to attack.
Why not fight? In order to promote the development of the entire human society, only through war can we improve technology faster. At the same time, productivity will increase. I have decided to be a great person who promotes the development of mankind. "
Zhang Xiaobao put on a holy look. Wang Juan laughed and patted Zhang Xiaobao. "Don't make yourself sound so great. What promoting the development of mankind? Just say that you have strong nationalistic ideology. Don't worry. Even if you don't put yourself in such a high position, I won't oppose you.
I am the same as you. As long as you don't harm the people of your country, it will be fine. Before the people of other countries become part of the Tang Empire, they can only be conquered. Now that the other countries are weak, if I don't plunder their resources, I will be letting myself down.
If you want peace, then you have to integrate into it. Otherwise, there will only be war. Unless there is a certain period when the power of each country reaches a relative balance, then the war will change. When the fist is not hard enough, then there will be someone to reason with you. "
"Yes, yes, that's what I think. The peace between wolves and lions is relative to force. Rabbits and lions will never be qualified to say that they will not invade each other."
Zhang Xiaobao was relieved to see Wang Juan's self-control. He was really afraid that Wang Juan would suddenly say that she wanted to make the world peaceful. That would be too heavy a burden for his young shoulders to bear.
As they talked, they arrived at the swimming pool. In fact, it was a big bathtub. The water was a little cold. Fortunately, it was not to the point of freezing, so the two could get used to it.
Accompanied by two voices, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan jumped into the water. Wang Juan had a swimsuit made of fish skin this time. Zhang Xiaobao was still naked in the water. When he came out, the dust on his body was almost gone.
"Sun, beach, waves, cactus, and an old captain. Taiwan, oh, what is it called now? Liuqiu, yes, that's the name. And Penghu Bay. Even though I have been there several times, it still gives me a dreamy feeling. Who are there now? There should be a part of the past here, right? The rest are the locals. "
Zhang Xiaobao lay in the water, looked at the blue sky, and said emotionally.
"Taiwan is far from here. Fujian is next to Taiwan. Don't tell me you want to attack Taiwan?" Wang Juan didn't know why Zhang Xiaobao mentioned Taiwan. Could it be that he wanted to attack Taiwan?
"What attack Taiwan? So what if we attack it? As long as we don't have enough strength, no matter what kind of generals are sent there, it will be easy to divide the land. If we don't fight, it's just a casual mention. If we can't manage it effectively, it will be useless no matter how big the territory is. In the end, it will be the people here who will be divided. Why bother?
Didn't Zheng He go to the Western Ocean because the Emperor was afraid that he wouldn't be able to return if he went? There is another reason, saying that it will cost the country's money. But I always feel that this reason is a little unreliable. Didn't Zheng He bring back some things? It is said that some good wood used to weigh the ship is very valuable. "
Zhang Xiaobao was not a child who didn't know anything. It was impossible for him to go and fight this and that for no reason. If there was a fight, it should be other people fighting, and he would take advantage of it or add fuel to the fire behind the scenes.
While the two of them were chatting and relaxing, a person from the inner court rushed in. Seeing that the two of them were in the water, he directly came to the side and reported to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "Reporting, we just received news from the Guangzhou government. It said that the Emperor in the capital has suppressed some reports of impeachment against Master. The person impeaching is the Tang Governor Of Ning of Qinzhou.
It is said that the Tang Governor Of Ning pushed the blame for the two disasters and the disasters in the surrounding provinces to Master. He said that Master is an unlucky person. Since Master came here, there have been various disasters. He asked the Emperor to send Master to a farther place to be an official. "
After the person finished speaking, he stood there and waited.
"Alright, I got it. You can go and do your work." Zhang Xiaobao blinked and said to the person from the inner court. Then, his body sank into the water and only floated up after a while.
He said to Wang Juan, "Tang Governor Of Ning? He is shameless. How dare he impeach my father? I really hope he can succeed in his impeachment. Where can he go further than that? Is it Hainan Island? Or the southern part of Jiannan Province near Nanzhao? Or the western part of Lingnan Province? It would be best if it is Hainan Island. Actually, Vietnam is also good.
The further it is from the capital, the better. It will be more convenient if he is sent to Liuqiu. In fact, I hope to be sent to Hainan Island or Ya Province. It is more advantageous to develop there than here. Unfortunately, Li Longji is still counting on my father to help him build Lu Zhou.
It is impossible for him to send my father to such a remote place. I even suspect that Li Longji is afraid that my father, or rather, both our families will be in danger somewhere else. If that is the case, he will suffer a great loss. What is the name of the Tang Governor Of Ning again? Ning Zhongze. Yes, that is the lousy name. It is not as good as my name.
Let him do as much as he wants. When he is almost done, he will be in trouble. Are those people in the Imperial Court stupid? They will listen to whatever he says. In other words, the typhoon blew Qin Province away. They were not prepared at all. It happened so quickly. It had only just passed, and his report had already arrived. Moreover, the news was sent back.
Li Longji is clearly doing this on purpose. He wants us to know that he treats our family well. 'Alright, we understand. We'll make sure Lu Zhou does well. Even if Li Longji doesn't help, Lu Zhou will still build the most prosperous city in the world. Since there's a disaster, our people must have played a role.'
I have to make some arrangements. Isn't Ning Zhongze causing trouble? Who doesn't know how to do that? I will also cause trouble for him once. I will let him know that we are not the kind of people who will not fight back when we are bullied. Alright, let's do that. "
Zhang Xiaobao mumbled for a while, then shouted to the outside, "Someone come!"
"Go and tell my father to prepare some food and other things. Find the original residents of Qin Province and transport the food to Qin Province. Give it to the people who were affected by the disaster. Tell them to come here and live. We will arrange houses and other things for them. We will also let them do a lot of work. Also, we will agree to let them join the various chambers of commerce in half a year's time."
Zhang Xiaobao gave the order to the people who came in. The people who came in immediately reported this matter to Zhang Zhong at the fastest speed.
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