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There was more than just Zhang He welcoming at the entrance of the Liang residence. Several stewards from the Liang household were also present, along with Han Dang, a newly appointed servant who had recently joined. This individual was a friend recommended by Duan Qin, possessing both knowledge and character. Liang Feng had given him a chance and confidently placed him in charge of overseeing the affairs of the household, both major and minor.
Naturally, it was Han Dang who stood at the forefront to welcome him. With a sweeping motion of his wide sleeve, he greeted Liang Feng as he stepped down from the carriage, “A respectful welcome back to the master of the house.”
Liang Feng approached with a smile, “Why the need for such formalities, Han Dang? These past few months, you’ve been working hard and attentive to the household matters.”
“Your trust in me is a great honor, and I am unworthy of it,” Han Dang humbly bowed again.
Being entrusted with such responsibilities upon his arrival, it was false to claim he wasn’t moved. However, Han Dang was a steady and cautious individual, and he didn’t let such unconventional employment get to his head. Moreover, within the Liang household, no one understood the mechanisms of balance better than him.
Ah-Liang, in charge of agricultural matters, was a local household, loyal and diligent; Zhou Kan, managing the accounts, was a respected guest who enjoyed the master’s trust; Zhaoyu, overseeing the estate’s four districts, had cared for the young master when he was a child. Not to mention Zhang He, who commanded troops as the deputy. One could say that if he were to show any sign of deviation, these individuals around him could immediately rein him in.
This arrangement didn’t make Han Dang uncomfortable; on the contrary, it earned his sincere approval. Employing trustworthy individuals while avoiding any hasty loopholes was a prudent strategy that ensured long-term stability. No wonder Duan Qin had chosen to serve this Liang young master. Among the ranks of the elite, such a wise leader was indeed a rare find.
Afterward, having traveled for two days, after exchanging greetings, Liang Feng entered the residence directly. He instructed the others to settle in first and then summoned Han Dang and the other household stewards to inquire in detail about the recent developments in the Liang household.
“Now, there are over eight hundred households and more than three thousand individuals in the household, many of whom are refugees from various counties in Shangdang,” Han Dang presented the yellow register and reported earnestly.
Because the majority of the fugitives were locals from Shangdang, their households were complete, leading to a substantial increase in the overall population. In just half a year, it had more than doubled, which was truly astonishing.
“Have all these households been selected from Gaodu?” Liang Feng furrowed his brows slightly.
“That’s correct. To become a household, they must be physically strong or possess a specific skill,” Han Dang couldn’t possibly neglect such selection work. “However, Gaodu has indeed accepted a considerable number of migrants. By selecting from within the county, the numbers in the household have multiplied.”
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It seemed that the newly reclaimed official fields in Gaodu had yielded substantial results. Guo Jiao must have accurately gauged his intentions to proceed with such endeavors. However, a rapid increase in population still came with its own set of pressures. Liang Feng inquired further, “With this development, is the stored grain in the household sufficient?”
“Our food reserves are not a concern. The income from the Four Quarters this year has been abundant, and preparations for next year’s grain cultivation are already in place,” Han Dang truthfully replied.
The recent dealings involving white porcelain and lustrous beads were just recently settled. Could there be any major transactions in the Four Quarters this year? Liang Feng turned his head and asked Zhaoyu, who was kneeling to the side, “Have the study’s scriptures been sold again?”
Zhaoyu bowed slightly, “Just as the master predicted. After the victory at Lu City, the study sold a significant number of scriptures. The earnings from book peddling alone this year have exceeded ten thousand stones. Moreover, there were some areas where transporting grains was impractical, so I had them exchange their purchases for silk and linen, yielding over a hundred pieces.”
This is by no means a small number. How many scholars are there in Bing County altogether? Even if you include the gentry, there are simply too many. With these sales, there might be one copy per person, and there’s a chance that many Huns nobles have also bought copies for spiritual protection. Engaging in these mystical endeavors truly brings in the most profit!
“What about the Huai’en Monastery? Have they engraved new blocks?”
“They’ve engraved over ten scrolls. The Abbot personally wrote them, and the grains received from sales amounted to over a thousand shi. However, after the Huns established their state, the Huai’en Monastery ceased printing scriptures,” Zhaoyu explained.
Liang Feng had long since stopped copying scriptures, but the monks at the Huai’en Monastery didn’t halt their wholesale business. Instead, using scriptures penned by the Abbot, they engraved more woodblocks for printing. However, the war had still impacted their business. Taiyuan was within the Huns’s encirclement, and even with the skills of the venerable Abbot, it would be difficult to transport grains out.
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Understanding, Liang Feng nodded, “When it comes to engraving scriptures next year, let’s prioritize the Chongwen Library. I brought back several scrolls of scriptures this time, and after the renovations are complete, we’ll start printing them one by one.”
He had discussed this matter with Cui Lang and others over the past few days. He planned to engrave a set of classics, including the “Classic of Filial Piety,” “Analects,” “Mencius,” and “Book of Documents.” He had also realized that after the Jin dynasty, the concept of the Four Books and Five Classics didn’t exist. Hence, works like “The Great Learning” and “The Doctrine of the Mean,” extracted from the “Book of Rites,” hadn’t yet reached the status of future classics. But there were still essential readings. Even if they couldn’t obtain excellent annotated editions, students needed to memorize and fully internalize these classics.
Now that the Chongwen Library was established, it was imperative to reopen official schools within the prefecture. Printing versions without annotations and punctuation was still necessary. Cui Lang had prepared a set of handwritten manuscripts in Han script to be engraved. This was the biggest concession made by the Cui family regarding woodblock printing. Not seizing this opportunity would indeed be a pity.
With these tasks, it’s likely that the workshop won’t be able to take on external requests for printing Buddhist scriptures anymore. Zhaoyu bowed and said, “I will arrange for the craftsmen and ensure careful engraving.”
Although she now managed the Four Districts, Zhaoyu’s demeanor remained as graceful as ever. Liang Feng smiled. It seemed he hadn’t chosen the acting manager wrongly. Turning his head, he asked Han Dang, “Have the officials at all levels in the County been settled?”
The population had surged from three hundred to three thousand, necessitating more administrators for proper allocation. This was something Liang Feng had deliberately arranged before he left.
Han Dang replied, “Twenty officials have been selected. Nine are from the displaced commoner families, seven are scholars who joined after surrendering, and four are from the prefectural school. Monthly evaluations are conducted, and if they fail to perform their duties, they are dismissed. The list is recorded in the registers.”
The great turmoil had not only caused the commoners to flee but also shattered many smaller gentry families that were less resilient. During their flight, these individuals inevitably attached themselves to powerful clans, becoming their vassals or followers. With the Liang residence now a local power, and both Si County and Bing County in chaos, such individuals were undoubtedly not in short supply. After careful scrutiny, Han Dang had admitted a batch of them to serve as officials.
Liang Feng had considerable confidence in Han Dang’s judgment. Furthermore, for managing civil affairs, Li Xin was promoted by Ah-Liang, and Zhou Kan personally trained his assistants in the accountancy department. As neither area was prone to interference, even if there were issues with the officials, it wouldn’t have a significant impact.
Satisfied, Liang Feng nodded, “That’s good then. Where are Shi Yue and Zhi Chuan?”
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“The two guests are still in the district. Would the Lord like me to summon them back?” Liang Feng’s return had been quite sudden, and Han Dang hadn’t had time to inform the workshop.
“No need to worry, I can make a visit this afternoon,” said Liang Feng dismissively. He didn’t seem concerned. Since the kiln workers and blacksmiths had moved to the new workshop in the mountains, he hadn’t had the chance to go there yet. It wouldn’t hurt to see it in person.
Hearing Liang Feng’s response, Han Dang didn’t say much and continued reporting other matters.
After a general overview of the state of the estate and a short break, Liang Feng mounted his horse and headed to the new workshop in the afternoon. The Liang estate was built along the mountainside, and the two workshops had been moved to a newly developed valley. Guards were posted at a distance, and there were checkpoints to enter the factory area. The environment here was quite pleasant, with a stream flowing nearby. The river had been widened, and a waterwheel was set up by its side.
This was the recently renovated water-powered stamp mill. However, instead of pounding white rice, there were white clays being pounded beneath the wooden pestle. This was the raw material for making porcelain and a key factor in the pristine whiteness of Liang’s porcelain. Just the process of pounding the clay required considerable effort. But with the water-powered stamp mill, the wooden pestle relentlessly pounded the stones inside under the driving force of water, saving a lot of manpower.
Liang Feng stood by the stamp mill for a while before proceeding further. After a few hundred steps, the air became filled with pungent smoke. This was the waste gas produced when coal was burned, and just inhaling it made one’s chest feel heavy. The ceramic kilns had expanded to four, and they were intermingled with the iron furnaces from the blacksmiths, causing even more pollution.
However, this wasn’t the time to discuss environmental concerns. Liang Feng paid no attention to the poor air quality and continued walking inside. Before long, he reached the outer courtyard of the pottery workshop. Someone had already informed Ge Hong and Liu Xuan, who hurried out to greet him.
“Master of the Manor, how could you come here?” Ge Hong frowned. After all, he was one of Liang Feng’s physicians, and he knew about his delicate health. It wasn’t suitable for him to be in such a polluted place.
Liang Feng smiled and said, “It’s been a while since I visited the workshop. I heard that you all are here, so I came to take a look. How is the development of the hydraulic bellows going?”
Liu Xuan immediately became enthusiastic, “We’ve made a model of the bellows, and it seems to be working well. But Zhi Chuan came up with an idea for a furnace design, combined with the bellows, it could potentially be several times more efficient than our current furnaces.”
“Oh?” Liang Feng’s eyes lit up when he heard this, “Could you explain how this furnace that Zhi Chuan mentioned is designed?”
Ge Hong also didn’t hold back and handed a drawing to Liang Feng, “This is an official furnace used by the iron officials. In the Han Dynasty, there was a furnace that was about one zhang tall1, requiring three hundred people to operate. We can imitate its design while adjusting the height accordingly for our needs. It should significantly increase iron production!”
As Liang Feng received the charcoal-drawn blueprint, he couldn’t help but be a bit surprised. Wasn’t this the kind of blast furnace used in the past? How did they have it now?!
In fact, the blast furnace technology had been around since the Warring States period. The “Book of Han” records: “In the second year of He Ping2, the iron officials of Pei commandery cast iron. The iron didn’t come out, but there was a rumbling sound like thunder or drumming. Thirteen workers were frightened and ran away. When the sound stopped, they looked back and found that the ground had sunk several feet. The furnace had split into ten pieces. The iron in one furnace flowed like shooting stars and went upwards, resembling the situation in the second year of Zhenghe3.” This passage describes a blast furnace accident where the center of the furnace held too much molten iron, causing it to fall suddenly and resulting in the furnace’s destruction.
Metallurgy has always been a crucial indicator of a country’s national strength. The iron officials indeed possessed a high level of blast furnace technology. Furnaces that were about one zhang tall and one zhang two cun wide were the main furnaces used in iron mines. However, these techniques were not widely spread among the general population. Ge Hong, as an alchemist, had a unique understanding of furnace operations, allowing him to propose the idea of building blast furnaces.
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However, the bellows used by the Liang Manor are made of wood, not leather. The capacity for air blowing is several times stronger than that of the leather bellows. Therefore, it may not be necessary to build a very large furnace. A furnace about one zhang tall and a little over two chi wide would suffice. With a blast furnace of this size, the iron production would be astonishing. Moreover, with the use of hydraulic exhaust, the manpower needed is also sufficient, more than enough for mining operations!
This is like finding something unexpectedly valuable, and reaping the rewards without even trying! Liang Feng made a prompt decision, “This furnace is excellent! Let’s start a trial production! Send some people to search for ore veins and set up iron-smelting facilities in the mountains!”
Shangdang is undoubtedly a place rich in iron production. With so many towering mountains and rugged ridges, there must be plenty of untapped iron ore. With a blast furnace and ore veins, could the Liang Manor still worry about insufficient iron?
Oh yes, Liang Feng remembered something else, “Also, find a few places where coal is produced. Coal can be converted into charcoal just like wood. This type of coal might be even better for iron smelting than regular charcoal.”
Coal is an essential material for iron smelting, and Liang Feng knows how to make coal. There had been discussions in the bureau about dismantling makeshift coke-producing kilns. Those kilns were similar to wood charcoal kilns. They involved the same process of carbonization by burning raw coal. This method had high energy losses and caused significant pollution, leading to shutdowns in later times. However, for the present, it was a revolutionary invention. With coal, the production and quality of iron would undoubtedly improve significantly. Such a game-changing opportunity couldn’t be missed!
Having received Liang Feng’s approval, both Ge Hong and Liu Xuan became excited. This could be another significant achievement! If they could produce high-quality iron, it would greatly benefit the Liang Manor.
After sharing this unexpected discovery, Ge Hong suddenly remembered the reason he came to the Liang Manor. He returned to the courtyard and brought back a piece of ceramic material, saying, “After I arrived at the manor, I followed Master Xuang and spent several days firing kilns. I discovered that within the porcelain kiln, there are also color-changing ceramics. This might be related to the variegated colors in the glass. So, I experimented with mixing different materials to create ceramic pieces, and indeed, the colors changed. Just like copper and iron, they change with variations in temperature. If we eliminate impurities from the glass material, we might be able to produce the colorless glass that you mentioned, Your Excellency!”
Looking at the flashy piece of broken porcelain in Ge Hong’s hand, Liang Feng was once again speechless. Wasn’t this type of glazing the precursor to the Tang Sancai ceramics of later times? Although Tang Sancai ceramics were often funerary items, they enjoyed immense popularity and were buried with high-ranking officials and nobles. Not to mention the various official kiln products that emerged as glazing techniques advanced. Removing impurities from glass was undoubtedly crucial, but being able to produce glazes on ceramics was also a lucrative business opportunity!
He truly was obtuse. With a chemical genius in his midst, he had only focused on creating explosives and acids. What a waste of extraordinary talent!
Letting out a long sigh, Liang Feng said, “Had I known of Zhi Chuan’s exceptional talent, I should have thought about how to harness his abilities sooner. My negligence led me astray. It seems that we can only tap into his potential through deep involvement in production.”
Ge Hong: “
”
What’s wrong with the Lord of the Manor? Wasn’t colorless glass yet to be successfully made?
Ignoring the perplexed expressions on their faces, Liang Feng enthusiastically took hold of both of them, “Come with me to see Master Jiang and Master Ding. It seems that the workshops won’t have much leisure this year.”
1
around 3.3 meters
2
27 BC
3
91 BC