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Text Chapter 477 Clairvoyance

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    On this day, Chao Yong had just returned to the palace from Imperial College when he heard the personal eunuch He Yong said that he had been waiting for a long time as a supervisor.

    Chao Yong captured Tokyo, and after gaining the air, he went to the general prison for a while.

    Gunpowder work and fierce fire oil work were both under the supervision of Jiang Zuo. Chao Yong naturally knew that these weapons could influence the battlefield if used properly, so he raised the level of gunpowder work and fierce fire oil work, and added  Hong Tianlei Lingzhen is in charge of the Gun and Artillery Bureau and is under the Ministry of War.

    Chao Yong also took a look at other departments of the supervisor and found some useful things. He also gave them some directions and asked them to study things that have been proven by later generations.

    Chao Yong said a lot of things casually, and he didn¡¯t know which one made a breakthrough.

    "Wang Jing, the envoy of Xiaguan Kiln, pays homage to the prince."

    The ones who supervise the work are the craftsmen, but the leaders are the officials. Whatever the craftsmen invent, it is these officials who make the biggest profit in the end.

    Chao Yong looked at the two people He Yong brought in. The leader, Wang Jing, was wearing an official robe and was white and fat. The one behind him was obviously a craftsman, with a smoky face. At first glance, he looked like someone who had been dealing with fire all year round.  There are many stains on it.

    When the two of them arrived in front of the prince who had built the spaceship, they were frightened and did not dare to express their anger after seeing the ceremony.

    Chao Yong could no longer remember the duties of the two of them, so he smiled and said, "Have you made any breakthroughs?"

    Wang Jing picked up the box in his hand and said: "The transparent glass that the prince asked for has been successfully fired, and several lenses have been made with molds. I would like to ask the prince to take a look."

    He Yong took the box and brought it to Chao Yong.

    Chao Yong was overjoyed when he heard that it was transparent glass. He took the box in his hand and opened it immediately.  The box is padded with silk, and in the middle are several pieces of transparent glass and convex and concave lenses.  There is also a silvered mirror.

    The kiln manager is responsible for firing bricks, tiles, ceramics and other things, and colored glaze is one of them. Chao Yong was very interested in colored glaze at the beginning, and after asking for a while, he found out that transparent glass could be fired in the Northern Song Dynasty.  It is not inferior to the colored glaze shipped from Dashi, but the glass fired in the Song Dynasty is not resistant to high temperatures and will burst when hot wine is poured into it.  Therefore, the best-selling products on the market are still glassware from Dashi.

    But people in the world don¡¯t like completely transparent vessels. They prefer to have some color.  Such as blue, green, brown.

    Zhao Ji felt that the transparent glass bottle had no artistic beauty, so he asked craftsmen to coat it with gold powder.  The imperial decree to gild fragile glass bottles immediately stumped the craftsmen in the palace. Later, a craftsman outside the palace solved the problem with mercury.

    Of course, Zhao Ji also used some transparent glass, that is, some five-color colored glaze was used on the doors and windows of the palace.

    (This is recorded in the "Chu Liao Collection" written by Wang Anzhong. A poem by Shi Baotan, a monk in the Song Dynasty, "Inscribed on Pan'an as a Glass Window" proves that glass windows are no longer unique to the palace, but I secretly think that glass should still be  Only some dignitaries can afford it)

    Generally speaking, the artist Zhao Ji doesn¡¯t like transparent glass very much and just uses it to replace window paper.

    The emperor did not like transparent glass, which naturally limited the development of transparent glass.

    Chao Yong, on the other hand, had no interest in those colored colored glazes, and among the few things he wanted to make, only transparent glass had the best effect, so he asked the craftsmen to start firing transparent glass.

    Most of the time, it can be said that the thousands of craftsmen who will oversee the work are for the enjoyment of the emperor alone.  They received money and food from the court, and they did not have to be responsible for their own profits and losses.  When Chao Yong spoke, those who would serve as prisoners would naturally do their jobs according to Chao Yong's wishes.

    Because Chao Yong wants mass production, not accidentally firing a piece of transparent glass.  I had to figure out a stable firing process, so I wasted a few months.

    If you only need a small amount of glass, Chao Yong doesn¡¯t have to waste labor and waste from the kiln, he can just buy some bulk glass from the market.

    Chao Yong first picked up a palm-sized piece of transparent flat glass.  As expected, it is colorless and transparent, and there are no bubbles in the middle.

    "Okay. This is exactly the glass I want. From now on, this transparent glass will be called glass."

    Chao Yong doesn¡¯t care about the definition of glass in later generations. It¡¯s first come, first served. What he says is glass will be glass in the future.

    There seemed to be no problem with both the convex lens and the concave lens. Chao Yong finally picked up the silver mirror, and he clearly appeared in the mirror.

    With the silver mirror, any bronze mirror polished by the master craftsman in the palace can be thrown away.

    Chao Yong nodded with satisfaction and said: "Okay, very good, you have worked hard. Those who have official status will be promoted to one level, and everyone will be rewarded with hundreds of dollars. All the people who make glass in the kiln will be transferred out, and another glass maker will be formed."  Bureau, ?It belongs to the Ministry of War.  "

    When Wang Jing heard this, he couldn't help but was stunned. He knew that gunpowder and fire oil work were mentioned in the same category, and they were both assigned to the Ministry of War. However, gunpowder and fire oil are both sharp weapons in the military, but glass seems to have nothing to do with military affairs.  .  However, he did not dare to ask the prince, so he could only bow his head and obey his orders.

    Chao Yong looked at the craftsman behind him and asked, "Are you a glass craftsman?"

    The craftsman behind saw the prince asking, and hurriedly bowed and said: "Exactly."

    Wang Jing added: "He is a master craftsman in making colored glaze, and it was he who came up with the idea of ??making lens molds. Previously, glass was polished, but polishing glass was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it was difficult to succeed. But with the mold, it is much easier."

    Wang Jing didn¡¯t want to bring this craftsman to share the work, but he was in charge of the kiln affairs, and there were many departments below him. He knew the most about ceramics, but he didn¡¯t know anything about glass. He was afraid that the prince would ask, so he brought this craftsman here.

    Chao Yong smiled and said, "What's your name?"

    When the craftsman heard the prince asking about his name, he said excitedly: "How skillful is this little man?"

    Chao Yong was stunned for a moment when he heard this name, and then said: "Has your family been a craftsman for generations?"

    "My ancestors were making colored glaze during the Tang Dynasty."

    Chao Yong nodded and said: "No wonder you have such skills, do you have an official position?"

    He Qiaoshou heard the prince ask about his official status, his voice trembled a little, and he replied: "No, the villain is just a craftsman."

    Chao Yong thought for a while and said: "You have made great achievements in making glass and have made great contributions to the court. I will make you a school captain, but you can't lead troops. You only have the salary of a school captain. You will be responsible for the glass bureau. I will report to the emperor later.  Get you a baron."

    He Qiaoshou heard the prince ask about his official status, and thought that the prince might give him an official status, but he never expected that it would be a school captain and a baron.  Although nominally the military attache in Daliang has an ordinary status, after the prince sided with the military attach¨¦, the status of the military attache became more prominent than that of the military officer. Moreover, it was difficult to be promoted if the military attache was above the head. Without military merit, it was impossible to be promoted to the rank of captain.  , this has spread in Beijing.

    Knighthood is also difficult to obtain.  Only a few people with great merit can obtain the title.  The prince sold several barons in Xixia, and one baron was worth one hundred thousand coins.  Many big businessmen in the Central Plains wanted to buy a baron with 100,000 yuan, but the court did not sell the title anymore.  Although he obtained the baron and could no longer resell it for 100,000 yuan, it still showed the nobility of the baron.

    He Qiao hands and knees on the ground.  He kowtowed and said, "This villain has no great achievements, and he will never be able to deserve such a generous reward from the prince."

    Chao Yong saw that Wang Jing's mouth was open enough to swallow a fist, and he smiled and said: "Your contribution is enough to offset the city's contribution. Soon you will know what contribution you have made. Get up, I will return it  I have something to ask you."

    He Qiaoshou kowtowed again before getting up.  Said: "A villain must tell everything he knows and tell everything he knows."

    Chao Yong said: "How can I give you enough manpower to bake many lenses in a day?"

    He Qiaoshou said: "Firing lenses is much more difficult than glass, and only skilled craftsmen can do it. If you don't care about the success rate, you may be able to make more, but you have to experiment to know how much you can make in a day."

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "Apart from stone, is this fired lens anything else?"

    Wang Jing interjected: "The biggest cost of making glass is charcoal."

    Chao Yong shook his head and said: "These lenses are much more valuable than charcoal. Don't worry, you can just burn them on a large scale. It's okay if one of a hundred is useful."

    Wang Jing said cautiously: "The prince wants to sell these lenses?"

    Chao Yong really had this idea and asked curiously: "Do you know what these lenses are used for?"

    Wang Jing said: "There are craftsmen who use crystal to grind lenses and wear them on the eyes so that people with poor eyesight can read."

    Chao Yong asked curiously: "Do you have glasses now?"

    The difference between officials and craftsmen was immediately apparent. Wang Jing said respectfully: "Glasses can make the eyes as clear as mirrors. The prince got a good name. I don't know when they came into existence, but lenses ground with crystal are very expensive, and there are only a few of them."  The dignitaries can afford it.¡±

    The earliest glasses really came from China. Marco Polo¡¯s travels recorded Chinese glasses.

    Large oval shape, lenses made of crystal stone, quartz, topaz, and amethyst are ground and set in tortoise shells to make frames. The first temple is made of copper and is stuck on the temples. Two thin ropes are tied to the ears.  The temples are fixed to the hat.  It was expensive to build and a symbol of status. A squire once traded a horse for a pair of glasses.

    It was the Yuan Dynasty when Marco Polo came to China, but there are records of using crystal lenses for reading in the Song Dynasty.

    "What's the use of a personal eunuch?" he said, "just stay in the palace."??Glasses, I saw that the prince's eyesight was very good, so I didn't take them out.  "

    Chao Yong naturally knows that a pair of glasses is not suitable for everyone. If they are not suitable, their eyesight will be worse.  However, he was still very interested in the glasses of this era and said with a smile: "Go get them for me and I'll take a look."

    "yes"

    He Yong responded and went down to look for it himself.

    Soon, He Yong found it. Apparently Zhao Ji also put this thing in the palace as a rare thing, otherwise he would not have found it so quickly.

    He Yong opened the box and met Chao Yong.

    The box was wrapped in bright yellow silk, with two transparent lenses placed in the middle. The frame connecting the two lenses was made of gold and engraved with exquisite patterns. It was obviously specially dedicated to the emperor.  But there are no temples, so I can only hold the glasses in front of my eyes.

    The two lenses are smooth and transparent, and they are obviously polished by master craftsmen.

    Chao Yong looked at his glasses and then motioned to put them away.

    "How much are these glasses worth?"

    Wang Jing said: "Prince, this should be hard to find. Even worse glasses on the market cost hundreds of dollars each. The same lenses are difficult to grind, and most dignitaries only use one lens."

    Chao Yong said in surprise: "Hundreds of strings each? Are you not mistaken?"

    Wang Jing hurriedly said: "It's absolutely true, I have carefully researched it before. Crystal itself is expensive, and only a few master craftsmen can grind the lenses, and it takes a long time. But even if it sells for a few hundred pieces,  Dignitaries and dignitaries are also flocking to it.¡±

    Chao Yong smiled and said, "How about I sell one for a hundred guans?"

    Wang Jing thought for a while and said: "A hundred guan is already much cheaper. If it is sold, it will definitely be popular. However, glass lenses can be mass-produced. They can be supplied in large quantities. Many people have poor eyesight, but they can all use it.  Wearing glasses. But the price of one hundred guan is still a bit expensive for them. If one is sold for 10 guan, most people can buy one thousand guan, but if one is sold for 10 guan.  , we can definitely sell 100,000 of them.¡±

    With small profits but quick turnover, Chao Yong looked at Wang Jing who looked like a profiteer and said with a smile: "You will definitely have a better future as a businessman than as an official. Are you interested in selling these glasses for the imperial court?"

    Wang Jing makes money.  I used to think about making a lot of money by grinding lenses with glass, so I went to inquire about the price of glasses. However, glass is opaque and fragile, and only a few master craftsmen can grind it.  And these master craftsmen had endless errands to do and no time for him to do private work, so they gave up the idea.  Moreover, the job of a kiln steward is also a dangerous job. If there is even the slightest mistake in the ceramics fired for the emperor, you may be prosecuted.

    Even though the kiln envoy had all kinds of benefits, he did not dare to say no to the god-like prince, and immediately said: "I am willing."

    Chao Yong asked He Yong to get pen and paper.  He drew a picture of what a spectacle frame would look like in later generations, handed it to Wang Jing and said, "This is what a spectacle frame should look like. You can dispatch some craftsmen to make spectacle frames. Shi Guan's spectacle frames can be made of poorer materials, or they can also be made of gold and silver."  Frames. In short, we need to separate the business of ten pieces and the business of one hundred pieces."

    Wang Jing still couldn¡¯t see the benefits of the glasses frame painted by Chao Yong, so he said respectfully: ¡°I will remember the prince¡¯s teachings.¡±

    Chao Yong thought for a while and then said: "If I make a telescope, it can make people see things in the distance clearly. How much is it worth?"

    "Can you see thousands of miles?"

    Wang Jing immediately became excited when he heard that the prince made the telescope himself.

    Chao Yong was stunned for a moment.  He shook his head and said, "Do you think it's clairvoyance?"

    Wang Jing was really thinking about clairvoyance. When he thought about it, the prince had even built a spaceship. If he could achieve clairvoyance again, it wouldn't be a surprise to him.

    "The villain is talking nonsense, please forgive me, the prince."

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "The effect depends on the lens, but if it is worse, it should be no problem to see the faces of people inside and outside. Larger things will naturally be seen further."

    It turns out that it¡¯s not that the prince can¡¯t do clairvoyance, but that he doesn¡¯t have the materials.

    Wang Jing continued to add brilliance to Chao Yong's tall image, thought for a while, and said: "Compared to glasses, telescopes are just playthings, but many wealthy people like to collect these playthings, and if they are more expensive, someone will definitely buy them."

    Chao Yong shook his head and said: "This is not a plaything. Telescopes have many uses. When sailing on the sea, pirates can be discovered in advance. They can also be used to observe the enemy while marching and fighting."

    It was only then that He Qiaoshou realized what military exploits he had accomplished.

    Wang Jing also immediately realized why the prince wanted to make these lenses, and said hurriedly: "You are stupid, I didn't expect that telescopes are weapons in the military. But if we sell such sharp weapons, Liao and Jin can make them carefully."Now that it can be purchased, it won¡¯t be long before it appears in the Liao and Jin armies.  "

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, these are all applications of physics. As long as I teach physics, the telescope is no secret. Moreover, the distance of the telescope is limited, and it is not enough to affect the battle situation."

    He Qiaoshou listened to Chao Yong and Wang Jing discussing how to sell the glass he fired with sand and stone for a sky-high price, and the god in his heart also shone with light, but it was just golden light, the golden light of greed.

    The two discussed for a while, and then a new business was founded, called the Mirror Shop, which temporarily only sold glasses, silver mirrors, telescopes, and magnifying glasses.  Although they are all made of sand and stone, none of them are ready to be sold cheaply.

    After negotiating a business name, Chao Yongcai asked He Qiaoshou: "Is glass easy to burn?"

    He Qiaoshou hurriedly said: "The villain has already summarized the steps for burning glass. As long as there are enough people, burning glass is easy."

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "What about the large piece of glass?"

    ¡°Small ones are easy to burn, while big ones are easy to explode and bubbles appear.¡±

    "What about the one about one foot?"

    "About one foot is no problem."

    Chao Yong nodded and said: "Then we will burn a batch of about one foot long and replace all the windows of the Prince's Palace with glass ones. But there is no rush. You can bake the lenses first. I will use them for this expedition, and then supply them first."  Mirror Line¡¯s Needs.¡±

    Chao Yong asked someone to take two more gold vessels from the palace and reward them with them, and then asked them to retreat.

    With the lens, it is not difficult to make a telescope. Soon Chao Yong asked a silversmith to make a silver monocular telescope.

    After the telescope was ready, Chao Yong immediately went to the rockery in the palace to test it. People on the street outside the palace could clearly see it.

    He Qiaoshou didn¡¯t know whether what he made would suit the prince¡¯s liking, and he didn¡¯t dare to make more convex and concave lenses. However, he made dozens of mirrors, some large and some small, all with frames.

    The big one is two feet long and can be placed on the dressing table.

    The largest mirror was sent to the queen of the palace, and the rest was distributed to the concubines in the palace.

    Chao Yong was thinking about where to spend the night when he saw Xiao Qing suddenly opened the door and ran in. The eunuch behind looked like he wanted to stop him, but didn't.

    Before he could stand still, he asked, "Prince, where did that mirror come from?"

    Chao Yong waved his hand to the eunuchs behind him to retreat, shook his head and said, "He broke into my Yanfu Hall again. If you don't inform me again, please be careful."

    Xiaoqing came over and hugged Chao Yong¡¯s arm, and said with a smile: ¡°The prince sent the slave family a fairy gift from the sky, the slave family is very excited.¡±

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "What heavenly creatures will soon be all over the streets."

    Xiaoqing rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Is this thing easy to make?"

    Chao Yong nodded and said: "It's not difficult to say, but it's not easy to say it's easy either. A store will be sold soon, and you can buy it if you have money."

    Xiaoqing heard that he could buy it quickly and lost interest. He complained and ran away again, without mentioning the matter of eating.

    Chao Yong didn't know whether Xiaoqing knew etiquette or didn't know etiquette. After thinking about it, he went to Hu Sanniang's Ruizhu Palace.  His dinner is usually served at the place where he spends the night, so the concubines dare not take the initiative to invite him to dinner, lest they be suspected of competing for favor.

    After he beat several talkative eunuchs and palace maids to death, his harem has been peaceful.

    PS: (Recommend a good book, A Different Kind of Ming Dynasty, A Different Kind of Time Travel, "The Tiger Ministers of the Ming Dynasty")
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