I still have the same old problem, occasionally getting cold and coughing.
The medicine prescribed by the imperial doctor Wu Jie used to be effective in three to five days, but now it takes a month to cure it. Zhu Houzhao does not show signs of depression and is still in good spirits, but sometimes he coughs so hard that it seems that he can cough up his lungs.
A few days ago, the School of Physics measured the temperature. The outdoor temperature in Beijing in the middle of the night was actually minus 30 degrees!
Not to mention that Zhu Houzhao had serious illnesses, even healthy people would suffer from cold diseases if they were not careful.
For God's sake, there's really nothing we can do about it.
According to scientific data from later generations, it can be seen that the temperature dropped sharply during the Song Dynasty, and it did not start to warm up until the Yuan Dynasty. The temperature reached its peak during the Yongle period, and then declined all the way. It warmed up again during the Yingzong period, and as a result, the Ming Dynasty experienced a change in earthen forts.
The temperature began to cool down again in the last years of Chenghua, and dropped off a cliff in the Hongzhi period. It only warmed up for a few years in the middle. After Zhu Houzhao succeeded to the throne, the temperature change almost became a downward vertical line.
Fortunately, it only takes a few more years to usher in thirty consecutive years of warming. The peak temperature at that time will reach the lowest level during the Song Dynasty, which can be regarded as the warmest days in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.
Well, you read that right. During the warmest years in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the average temperature was comparable to the coldest years in the Song Dynasty.
Wang Yuan was so cold that he didn't even want to get out of bed. He kept the charcoal stove burning all night long. Poor civilians froze to death. There were dedicated people responsible for collecting corpses on the streets of Beijing every day.
There is no need for Wang Yuan to advocate the use of coal. People have already used it to make fires. Even iron smelting in the north uses a large amount of coal. Iron ore with extremely high impurity content is smelted with coal, and the fire blunderbuss can be cast.
Called a time bomb.
Early morning?
The emperor is already sick, and he has to die early!
Even the cabinet ministers had not seen the emperor for a long time, and the memorials to impeach Jiang Bin could not be delivered to Zhu Houzhao.
"Master, please wash your face." Maid Hongling brought hot water.
Xia Chan had already been promoted to the head maid and usually did not do the chores herself. Hong Ling was a maid bought through Ya Po.
The more disasters the world suffers, the lower the price of maids will be.
The red water chestnut was worth five taels of silver, so it was sold at a high price. His parents were very grateful and told everyone that Wang Shilang's family was kind and generous.
Wang Yuan soaked his hands and washed his face with hot water, finally feeling alive.
"The weather is getting colder and colder." Huang E rubbed his hands and exhaled, his fat cotton-padded jacket completely covering up his figure.
Wang Yuan ordered: "Buy more charcoal for your servants at home. Remember to remind them that when burning charcoal, they must be ventilated and don't close the windows."
Huang E sighed: "Who doesn't know this? Every year, people in the capital die of carbon poisoning. Carbon was very cheap before, but since the School of Physics developed the steam engine, the price of charcoal has increased a lot."
Steam engines are not only used to mint coins, but are also used commercially!
Some time ago, Ling Xia, who was born as a craftsman, led his classmates to build a steam spinning machine. So far, only ten units have been built, and they have all been shipped to the Tianjin factory. However, the coal consumption is still quite large, plus the coinage in Beijing.
The machine directly raised the price of coal in the capital - someone was behind the scenes. After learning that the coin machine burned coal, they secretly joined forces to collectively raise the price.
Xishan is adjacent to the royal mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty. It was originally a forbidden area and no one was allowed to mine. Zhang Fu, the British duke of the Zhengtong Dynasty, once violated the ban on coal mining and was impeached by the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
But it can't be banned at all, because the firewood near Beijing City has been cut down by the people, and there is not much left.
Nearly one million people need to make fires and cook. They cannot afford high-priced firewood and can only buy low-priced coal. According to Qiu Jun's words in the last years of Chenghua, "Today's millions of soldiers and civilians in the capital have to rely on stone and coal to replace their salaries."
They all use coal to cook!
All large and small illegal private coal mines in the Xishan area are in the hands of nobles, and eunuchs are still involved in them. Now Jiang Bin is also sending people to dig coal.
"Master, it's time for breakfast." Xia Chan came over with a smile.
Wang Yuan took Huang E's hand and went to the dining room. His son Wang Su was also brought by the wet nurse and greeted his parents respectfully.
There are two equal wives, a concubine, and two sons in the family. Unless it is a festival, it is impossible to have a meal together. No matter how good the relationship between them is, bumps and bumps are inevitable.
Wang Yuan basically stayed in Huang'e's room for two days, then went to Song Ling'er's room for two days, and then stayed in Xiangxiang's room for one day. He also followed this routine for his daily meals.
Xia Chan quickly peeled the boiled eggs and put them in Wang Su's bowl, almost treating him as her own son.
"Thank you Aunt Chan!" Wang Su shouted obediently.
The family of three was having breakfast. Although Xia Chan was already in charge, she volunteered to be a maid and stood by to serve.
Just half a year ago, Huang E had her menstrual period, and Wang Yuan happened to be in her room. Under Huang E's help, Wang Yuan finally took Xia Chan and became the most evil male master in feudal society.
"I'm going to find Brother Ce!"
Wang Sufei quickly finished his breakfast and ran towards Song Ling'er. He was now Wang Ce's follower. Well, he was still Zhu Zaiyi and Zhu Xuanzhen's follower. He often went to the Leopard Room to play with the prince and princess.
Huang E shouted: "Slow down, don't fall!"
"Slow, slow." Wang Su ran faster.
Huang E turned back to the bedroom and said as he walked: "It's getting colder today. I asked someone to make a big cloak. Remember to put it on when you go out."
Seeing that there was no one in the room, Xia Chan suddenly hugged Wang Yuan, kissed him and chased him out: "Madam, let me help you find clothes!"
Wang Yuan shook his head and smiled, then walked to the courtyard. Two servants were sweeping the snow and greeted him immediately when they saw him coming.
When the north wind blew, the chill came, and Wang Yuan couldn't help but shiver.
This is the coldest winter since Wang Yuan traveled through time. People in many provinces have just survived floods and droughts in summer and autumn. How can they survive such a cold winter?
The grassland people are also sad, wondering how many livestock and people will freeze to death.
Just some time ago, the right-wing Mongolia moved south again.
The third son of Dayan Khan, Bals, who became the self-proclaimed Khan, had a fight with his nephew Bodi Khan (Buch) last year, forcing the left-wing Mongolia to unite against him. Neither side gained much benefit, and last winter
Due to the disaster, this year Bals came with the right-wing Mongolia. After grabbing a circle in Yansui, he quickly retreated.
Zhu Houzhao was so angry that he wanted to take charge of the expedition himself, but the Ming Dynasty did not have enough food, and he himself had an old illness, so he could only lose his temper in the leopard room all day long.
Not long after, Huang E came out with a leather cloak and carefully put it on Wang Yuan himself.
Wang Yuan walked towards Song Ling'er. Two children were building a snowman, and Song Ling'er kept directing them with a big belly.
"Second brother!" Younger sister Wang Wei walked out of the room.
Wang Wei is already sixteen years old and has grown into a tall and graceful girl, but her skin is slightly darker like her brother's.
Wang Yuan nodded and smiled at Song Ling'er, and then said to his younger sister: "I'm going to the School of Physics, and I'll send you there as well."
"Okay." Wang Wei blushed.
The younger sister came to Guizhou with Wang Yuan. During the rebellion of King Ning, she stayed in Huguang and went north together with Wang Yuan's old classmates.
During this period, Wang Wei always went to the School of Physics. When Wang Yuan inquired about it in private, he found out that he had fallen in love with a scholar from the physics school. The boy's name was Yang Rui. He was a member of the Imperial Guard and had both civil and military skills. He passed the national examination last year and was currently studying at the School of Physics.
He studied in the Imperial College and at the same time joined the School of Physics.
Wang Yuan did not obstruct anything and let everything take its course.
At least, there are very few scholars in the physics school who just study hard.
The carriage entered the city and turned south, and soon arrived at the School of Physics outside the south city. When the disciples saw Wang Yuan, they greeted him one after another.
Wang Wei went to find his sweetheart, while Wang Yuan went straight into the inner courtyard.
The Zhizhen Taoist priest has returned to secular life and resumed his real name, Lu Youzhen. This guy's research direction is chemistry, or Eastern alchemy to be precise, but after developing the technology of refining gunpowder from urine, he has never really invented anything, and often makes all kinds of unknown things.
What are the new substances used for?
"Brother Lu, how are you doing with the honeycomb briquettes?" Wang Yuan asked with a smile.
Lu Youzhen said: "We are comparing various formulas."
This winter was too cold, and coal prices were rising, so Wang Yuan asked Lu Youzhen to develop briquettes.
Wang Yuan only provided the shape and said that water should be added to mix it, and the rest was left to the students to explore.
Lu Youzhen and a group of Oriental alchemists have been experimenting for almost a month. First, they only added sawdust, then clay, and then tried adding lime. Anyway, they threw things in randomly. After the experiment, they adjusted the ratio and used the same honeycomb stove.
Boil water to determine the performance of briquettes.
Lu Youzhen said: "Adding lime is very effective and can prevent the honeycomb charcoal from being too loose. I am also adjusting the proportion of clay and coal ash. Adding sawdust makes it easier to ignite."
"Keep trying, and when I find the optimal ratio, I will invest money to open a workshop." Wang Yuan said with a smile.
Wang Yuan is now a big investor. When Ling Xia developed a steam engine, he invested money to build a factory. It specializes in the production and development of various steam engines. Students who have participated in the development of steam engines all have shares in the factory.
This is also to avoid future disputes. Teachers cannot always monopolize the benefits of students’ inventions and creations.
Wang Yuan can choose to do that, but it will inevitably dampen students' enthusiasm. Only profit-driven is the best way.
In November of the 15th year of Zhengde, some people went to collect crushed coal scraps from door to door, and also went to various coal mines in Xishan to collect coal ash. Those crushed coal scraps and coal ash were completely useless garbage, but someone actually paid to collect them. Everyone was worried.
If you fool a fool, sell it quickly.
It was not until the beginning of December that various government offices in the imperial court received gifts from Wang Yuan, and briquettes began to become popular in the homes of officials. Only then did people gradually react.
Those useless coal ash and coal dust are actually the main materials for making briquettes!
Wang Yuan originally named it "honeycomb charcoal", but after it spread to the people, it inexplicably became "Zhuangyuan charcoal". There are countless imitation workshops, and briquettes are becoming more and more popular, but only the real "Zhuangyuan charcoal" has the best quality. The raw material ratio of honeycomb briquettes
It has not been leaked yet.
Wang Yuan was busy improving people's livelihood, but Qingliu was busy impeaching Jiang Bin.
But those memorials just can’t be handed over!
Wang Yuan can help deliver the memorial, but he doesn't want to be a spearman, nor does he want to be on the front line of the confrontation with Jiang Bin.
Therefore, the Qingliu people chose Zhang Yong.
I don't know what kind of benefits he gave the eunuch, but Zhang Yong suddenly attacked him, but instead of messing with Jiang Bin, he went to mess with Li Hao, the minister of the Ministry of Industry.