Ancient Chinese wool spinning technology was very prosperous during the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Sheep breeds and looms were spread from the Western Regions to the Central Plains, and textile technology from the Central Plains was also spread back to the Western Regions. Long-term mutual exchanges promoted the rapid development of textile technology in both places.
The wooden bow used to play cotton was originally used to play wool!
It is a pity that after the Five Dynasties, the Central Plains and the Western Regions were cut off for a long time. In the Yuan Dynasty, there was a great integration for a period of time. However, the rebellion of the northwest kings, the internal strife of the Chagatai Khan, the race of the Xinjiang region has changed, and various traditional crafts have also changed.
It was almost cut off. By the Ming Dynasty, Xinjiang was constantly at war with Central Asia, and encountered several sultans who only knew robbery but not production. In addition, trade and exchanges were interrupted, and the wool spinning technology in Xinjiang was directly brought back to the primitive society.
Today, in Turpan, Hami and other places, leather ropes are widely used to stretch wool. The wool popped up by this process can only be used to make felt, and even blankets are a little rough.
There are also excellent craftsmen who can spin wool yarn, but it requires the cooperation of two people to twist it purely by hand, and the wool yarns spun are of different thicknesses. Only top craftsmen can spin fine wool yarns, but the yield rate is extremely low and the efficiency is very impressive.
Turpan.
La Bahan looked at the working carding machine, his eyes were shining with gold, and he said excitedly: "With this kind of machine, gold can be produced every day!"
"It's okay." Wang Yuan was a little disappointed.
This kind of desktop carding machine has been around in the UK for decades, and it is a gadget that was abandoned by the industrial revolution.
Wool from the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains cannot be combed because it is all short wool. Although Wang Yuan added a combing function to the carding machine, it was only a "fake combing" to make the wool that was carded slightly more uniform.
As for the wool spinning machine, just move the cotton spinning machine. Wool is actually better than cotton for spinning. However, local modifications must be made. If the spinning wheel is too heavy and too big, the wool spun will be very thick and the thickness will be very different.
Uniform. Wang Yuan and his students tested the optimal quality and size of the spinning wheel more than ten times, and finally came up with the most appropriate data.
Neither Wang Yuan nor his students had ever been exposed to wool spinning, and everything was improved with machines brought from Gansu.
Well, the wool textile industry in Gansu during the Ming Dynasty was far more developed than that of Xinjiang and Mongolia! Some technologies were passed from Central Asia during the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, exchanges between the East and the West were very frequent.
The modifications to the loom are not very big, the looms from Tianjin are used!
Carding machines, spinning machines, and looms, these three machines can definitely turn Turpan into a textile center in the Western Regions. Not only can wool be purchased from all parts of the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, but even after the population is abundant and production has expanded, it can also be purchased
Kazakh and Uzbek wool.
Where to find workers?
Wang Yuan burned, killed, and looted, and captured more than 30,000 women. Even if they distributed some to various tribes, there were still more than 10,000 left, and most of them were war widows.
Let's put it this way, single men who immigrated from Shaanxi can be assigned wives directly, which can be regarded as promoting national integration.
As long as the craftsmen build the machines and provide pre-job training to these women, they can build huge spinning mills and textile factories. Wang Yuan is even studying knitting technology and then teaching these women to knit sweaters.
"President Wang," Zhu Dangqi asked, "are the shares you want for these factories too small?"
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "It's quite a lot. I only invest in technology, and the rest is just free money."
Wang Yuan decided to set up a joint-stock company. Xiliang Wang Zhu Dangqi held 40% of the shares, and Guanxi Qiwei, Yamulan, Yibuci, Buerhai, and Xiaolietu held 40% of the shares. The advantageous father-in-law took advantage of the rare shares. 5%, and the remaining 15% of the shares belong to Wang Yuan.
Once the factory becomes prosperous and becomes a hen that lays golden eggs, these tribes and the King of Xiliang will form an alliance of interests.
Wang Yuan simply told the ministries in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains that if anyone dared to have the idea of a factory and gathered together to attack Turpan, King Zhu Dangqi of Xiliang would burn the factory down! By then, no one would be able to make money.
In order to protect Turpan, even when the Yeerqiang Khanate invaded, all ministries had to send troops to support it, because everyone would suffer if Turpan was lost.
"President Wang, more than 100,000 Tatar troops are marching into Yansui, Ningxia!" A fast horse galloped in.
When Wang Yuan received this news, he finally remembered that he was the governor of Shaanxi-Gansu, and one of his responsibilities was to protect the border of Shaanxi-Gansu.
But it's too late now.
The little Mongolian prince sent troops in autumn, went to the Ming Dynasty to plunder, and would withdraw before the storm came. Wang Yuan was far away in the Western Regions. By the time he went to the front line, the little Mongolian prince would have returned to the grassland to spend the winter.
Wang Yuan ignored this military situation and went to Zhu Dangqi's palace to eat hotpot mutton. By the way, he also called Zhang Zigao, the chief minister of the palace.
"Have the immigrants been resettled?" Wang Yuan asked.
Zhang Zigao said: "I just settled down temporarily, there are still many things to do in the future."
Wang Yuan said: "Those who do not have wives, whether they are willing or not, will be assigned women to get married. As long as they can speak Chinese, the children born will be Han."
Zhang Zigao said: "There are still too few bachelors, and we have captured too many Turpan women."
Wang Yuan said with a smile: "Then let them have wives and concubines. Even the married Han people can also give them concubines. Anyway, the number of Han people in Turpan must be increased quickly. As long as there is enough food, everyone can give birth to them. A bunch of them will do.”
Zhu Dangqi immediately laughed: "These immigrants from Shaanxi are also lucky. They almost starved to death in their hometown, but they came to the Western Regions to have wives and concubines."
Wang Yuan said to the two of them: "In Turpan, in the future, we should try our best to encourage intermarriage among all ethnic groups. We can even establish rules. As long as it is an interracial marriage, after the birth of a child, the tax will be reduced for three years! By then, you will have me, and I will have you. , the risk of rebellion is much smaller."
"This is a good idea." Zhang Zigao nodded in approval.
Zhu Dangqi suddenly asked: "Will Mr. Wang return to Beijing after the spring?"
Wang Yuan shook his head and said: "How can we wait for the beginning of spring? We will leave in a few days."
Zhu Dangqi said: "It's snowing here."
"There's no wind or snow." Wang Yuan had had enough of staying in Turpan and wanted to go home early to be with his wife.
In the past few months, Wang Yuan visited many places.
He went to see the Flame Mountains specifically and was jealous of the coal fields there, but the cost of mining them was too high. Because most of the places near the oasis were in a state of spontaneous combustion, and neither humans nor animals could withstand the high temperatures. The coal had to be mined far away from the Gobi Desert. In this area, without railway support, it is sheer nonsense to try to exploit it.
According to later exploration results, the coal reserves of this coalfield rank first in Asia, and 70% are ready for open-pit mining!
Alas, let’s wait until one day to visit Shanxi. I don’t know how far the steam engine development in the capital has progressed.
Wang Yuan returned to his residence after eating and drinking, and Xiangxiang immediately came over to undress him and take off his boots.
"Husband, do you want to rest now?" Xiangxiang can already speak Chinese, but it is limited to daily communication, and her accent is very strange, with a hint of mutton skewers.
Wang Yuan said: "I will read for a while first."
The book was borrowed from Zhang Zigao. This guy used to have many books. When he fled, he only took one copy of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" with him.
By the way, except for books with Chinese characters, Wang Yuan burned all the books in the territory. This move even provoked some people to rebel. Wang Yuan personally led troops to quell the rebellion, killing thousands more people, which can be regarded as
The Western Regions version of "Burning Books and Trapping Confucianism".
Xiangxiang sat quietly next to him, dazed for a while, then suddenly remembered to make tea for Wang Yuan, and then started practicing calligraphy by candlelight.
Well, in the beginning, human beings are inherently good, and Xiangxiang is studying the Three Character Classic.
After Wang Yuan had finished reading an article in "Tongjian", he closed the book. Xiangxiang immediately came over to serve him, blushing and helping him take off his clothes.
Next, of course, it’s time to have sex.
Wang Yuan couldn't wait to go back. One of the big reasons was that there was insufficient water here, so he had to take a bath every few days. He also often ate mutton and dairy products, and the smell on his body was so strong that he felt uncomfortable even when he had sex.