I studied in modern times

Chapter 120
Zhao Xu was very satisfied with Shen Kuo's performance.

Zhao Xu clapped his hands, and Feng Jing, who had been standing in the hall, bowed and came in front of him.

"Go and show the movable type to Shen Tiju..."

"Yes……"

Feng Jing bowed to accept the order, and delivered a movable type that Shi Deyi found to the hand of the minister who stood in the palace and obeyed orders.

Shen Kuo took the clay type and looked at it in the palm of his hand.

Of course he knows what this is?
Clay movable type is a method of printing books that he saw on Huainan Road when he was young.

Shen Kuo was very curious at the time, so he looked around and collected relevant movable type.

During this process, he knew that this thing was invented by a cloth craftsman named Bi Sheng.

However, where did the little official know about this matter, and how did they find it?

As far as Shen Kuo knows, clay movable type is not used by many people in Bianjing.

Because of this, when printing books, it is inevitable that there will be various problems. In fact, it is not as good as engraving in terms of convenience.

Even he, who thinks this thing has a lot to offer.

In fact, the prospect of clay movable type is not optimistic.

Therefore, I simply collected the relevant movable type and collected them.

Otherwise, when he promoted the Superintendent of Astronomy and the Superintendent of Weapons, he would vigorously promote it, turn this matter into a success, and then he would be promoted to a noble.

So, he bowed and asked: "I'm stupid, please show me your Majesty..."

"I want to order you to change this movable type..." Zhao Xu said softly, "Try to eliminate its disadvantages and use its advantages!"

"In this way, the cultural context of the world will be prospered, and the school will spread to the local states and counties... so that my court of the Song Dynasty can have a steady stream of scholars from all over the world!"

"It's also my father, who asked me to do it!"

Shen Kuo stood there in a daze as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

"That's right...why didn't I think about...improving this movable type to make it as clear as engraving?"

Just thinking about it, Shen Kuo couldn't help trembling.

This is the great cause of thriving culture!
If this is accomplished, it is inevitable that he will survive forever and his name will last forever.

Immediately, Shen Kuo patted his chest and promised: "Your Majesty's great wish, it is really a blessing for the people of the world!"

"I swear to die for Your Majesty to accomplish this great cause!"

The mediocre movable type in Shen Kuo's heart turned into a golden future in Shen Kuo's heart.

As an official fan, Shen Kuo knew very well that if he could accomplish this.

What is waiting for him?

Those books that are continuously printed and sold all over the world will automatically become his deep-rooted popularity and reputation.

Three to five years later, the scholars and bureaucrats in the world will carry Shen Cunzhong into three provinces and two government offices!
"Good!" Zhao Xu nodded and said, "You should do your best and be perfect!"

"I would like to obey His Majesty's will!"

At this moment, Shen Kuo could only wish to fly to the special weapon manufacturing bureau immediately, gather all the skilled craftsmen in the bureau, and then work together to improve the movable type.

Make it surpass the art of engraving, and also make it popular in the world, and achieve his long-standing reputation.

Zhao Xu looked at Shen Kuo's appearance and didn't say much.

Although he knows that copper movable type is the best choice under the current technical conditions.

But what about the ink?What about the accumulation of related technologies?What about talents and industry chain?

Zhao Xu couldn't change these things.

It can only appear and develop slowly in practice, in the process of continuous improvement and use.

So, order things down and set goals.

The rest are things that Shen Kuo needs to think about and have a headache.

"Besides the movable type, I have other things that I need Shen Qing to do..." Zhao Xu waited for a while, and only after Shen Kuo's expression calmed down did he continue.

"Your Majesty, please order..." Shen Kuo bowed and listened.

In this short face-to-face communication of less than a quarter of an hour, Shen Kuo already knew that the young master in the hall was young.

But he's really smart.

Speak clearly, speak in an orderly manner, and act logically.

That means, even though he's only eight years old.

But it must not be treated as a child.

Otherwise, it must be Shen Kuo and Shen Cunzhong who suffer!

"I miss the common people in the world, the winter is bitter and cold..." Zhao Xu said softly: "So I want to make Jibei cloth... I have ordered the two relatives of the country to go to Xihe to try planting kapok... In order to shelter the world from the bitter cold Gentlemen, so that the old and the weak, women and children, will not suffer from the loneliness and cold in winter!"

"Your Majesty benevolent..." Shen Kuo immediately bowed and said, "I am lucky for the common people in the world!"

Jibeibu, Shen Kuo naturally knows what it is?
In the winter in Suizhou, he once covered a heavy quilt made of Jibei cloth!
It is really comfortable and it is indeed a good thing to keep out the cold in winter.

Just expensive!
A heavy quilt requires at least two jibe cloths.

On the market in Suizhou City, the market price is almost sixty or seventy.

Not to mention the common people, the scholar-bureaucrats are also struggling to consume.

Zhao Xu continued: "However, there are still two things that need to be done..."

"One is, among the kapok cotton, there are cotton seeds that are hard to get..."

"This gentleman should try to solve the problem!"

Shen Kuo immediately lowered his head and asked, "Your Majesty, I don't even know what it looks like without kapok..."

"I will order people to purchase kapok in Gyeonggi and send it to Qing..." Zhao Xu said: "In the future, I will also order Lingnan Yousi to deliver kapok to Bianjing for Aiqing to verify..."

"So, I have no objection!" Shen Kuo listened, and was even more shocked by the young master's clear thinking and logic.

He has already thought about everything clearly!
So, he even felt a little trembling in front of this young master.

Zhao Xu continued to say to Shen Kuo: "The second thing is the loom... kapok is different from silk and linen, its cotton wool is short and light..."

"If you want to weave it, you must use skilled craftsmen to make weaving utensils..."

"And it needs to be fast to weave and easy to use..."

"In this way, I can use the cloth of Jibei to shelter the world from the bitter cold!"

Cotton initially, the price will of course be high.

But as time goes by, its price will definitely come down, and eventually reach the same level as silk cloth.

That is to say, the market price of a Jibei cloth is about 2-3 guan.

If this can be achieved, Zhao Xu is very clear, what does it mean?
money!Countless money!
Even, just this industrial chain can create far more national income than Wang Anshi's reform over the past ten years.

Shen Kuo didn't know this but he knew it, and Zhao Xu valued it.

So nodding seriously: "I will do my best!"

"It's not about doing your best, but about doing your best!" Zhao Xu emphasized: "At any cost, make this happen!"

Zhao Xu looked at Shen Kuo, and said earnestly and affectionately: "Although I am in the deep palace, as soon as I think of it, there are people in the world who have not eaten enough, women, children, old and young, are still shivering in the cold winter and cannot fall asleep..."

"I'm in Funing Hall, so it's hard to sleep peacefully!"

This is the most profound thing in Zhao Xu's memory in the modern era of studying abroad.

Those billionaires who are worth billions of dollars and whose wealth is incomparable to the country, are still doing everything possible to avoid taxation even for their own income tax.

The industries under their banner are doing everything possible to get money from other people's pockets.

But in front of the public, they said: I want to make the world easy to do business, or, Mars is my home.

Therefore, personality is very important!
So, Zhao Xu bowed his hands to Shen Kuo, "Therefore, I beg Ai Qing!"

"You should take the well-being of the world as your responsibility!"

"Be sure to get this done! Get it done!"

"Everything you need can be submitted to me, but whatever I can do, I will not refuse!"

The emperor saluted and entrusted the well-being of the world?

Shen Kuo immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty should die to help His Majesty achieve this great cause!"

Not to mention Jibeibu, whether it can shelter the world from the bitter cold.

Shen Kuo now only knows that he must use all his talents and skills in this matter, and must not let the emperor down!
"Ai Qing, please stand up!" Zhao Xu clapped his hands.

Song Yongchen in the hall stepped forward to help Shen Kuo.

Zhao Xu clapped his hands again.

On one side of the hall, Cheng Yan, who had already received Zhao Xu's instructions, led Yu Longzhi, and lined up from the pilasters in the hall to the four walls of the hall, standing next to Yu Longzhi who was guarding outside.

In this way, even if someone dies, it is impossible to sneak in.

Song Yongchen and Shi Deyi also retreated ten steps away.

Seeing such a scene, Shen Kuo's heart started beating violently.

He probably guessed that the next thing might be the reason why the little official family personally summoned him to come here, because the king is alone!
He held his breath, watching the little official's family slowly walking down the imperial steps.

Walking about three steps away from him, the little official was sitting on the imperial steps, looking into his eyes through the imperial fence in front of the imperial palace.

"Does Qing know about firearms?" the little official asked.

Shen Kuo lowered his head and replied: "In the second, third, fourth, and fifth years of Yuanfeng, Emperor Daxing gave rockets and fire beads to his ministers to defend against the enemy..."

"Good!" The little official pressed his hand, signaling Shen Kuo to soften his voice.

"What do you think of firearms?"

"The minister is dull, thinking that firearms may have great potential!"

The little official laughed and said softly: "I think so too! My father thinks so too!"

"That's why there is a dedicated arms manufacturing bureau!"

"Two thousand skilled craftsmen, thousands of hired workers... working hard day and night, all running for firearms!"

"However..." Zhao Xu said: "Since the Tang Dynasty, the power of firearms has stagnated. Its power is not as powerful as crossbow arrows, let alone catapults..."

"Maybe it can only be used to disturb, frighten... or use the enemy defense urn to dig the ground..."

Shen Kuo nodded as well.

"My father and I both believe that firearms are definitely more than this!"

"The benefits of firearms should be enough to turn the world around and change the momentum of offense and defense!"

"Now the weapon is not good, maybe the craftsman didn't know the purpose, maybe there is something wrong with the gunpowder formula..."

"Father said: Shen Qing is a genius in the sky. He used to be in the military supervision department. He did 31 good deeds, which greatly benefited the military and the country. Later, he set up the God Arm Bow Division, and made [-] God Arm Bows every year..."

"Although I am young, I have longed for it for a long time!"

"I thought Shen Qing would be my minister!"

Shen Kuo is a scholar-bureaucrat!

His title of Great Scientist was added to him by later generations.

Since he is a scholar-bureaucrat, there will be no shortage of faults and problems that a scholar-bureaucrat should have, and some may even be better than others!
So, of course, Zhao Xu couldn't tell him directly - I only value you because of your talent in science and technology.

When Shen Kuo heard this, his blood pressure would immediately rise!
But to put it another way is different.

You are a military talent, minister, I value you very much!

There must be a place for Aiqing in three provinces and two governments.

Once this cake was painted, Shen Kuo would not resist.

In this way, plus the foreshadowing in front.

The improvement of movable type and Jibeibu, which shelters the world from the bitter cold.

Shen Kuo would probably not refuse, Zhao Xu asked him to improve the gunpowder formula.

Sure enough, after Zhao Xu finished speaking, tears welled up in Shen Kuo's eyes.

"Your Majesty was met with a humble minister, and the Emperor Daxing believed in love..." He leaned forward in front of the emperor: "A minister cannot be rewarded for a hundred deaths!"

"Being His Majesty, I will do my best and die!"

"Good!" Zhao Xu nodded in satisfaction, and then said to Shen Kuo: "For the gunpowder and firearms, please leave Aiqing..."

"I remember my father said..."

"In matters of gunpowder, saltpeter is the king, and the rest are all servants..."

"Your Majesty, please remember!"

Like movable type, Zhao Xu can of course tell Shen Kuo directly that the correct formula is saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal.

Zhao Xu could even tell him that this is actually a chemical reaction process.

Sulfur and charcoal are both used to provide enough oxygen for saltpetre to burn.

But in this way, what about related processes and industrial chains?
Moreover, what Zhao Xu wants is not pure black powder.

Instead, it has actual combat capabilities and can be used as gunpowder directly as propellant.

In this way, it is necessary to granulate the gunpowder.

This also involves a lot of craftsmanship and technology.

Therefore, let Shen Kuo experiment, let the craftsmen take turns to verify, and find the right path through failure after failure.

In the proportioning again and again, relevant experience is obtained.

It's the kingly way!

From scratch, cultivating and building a team of gunpowder industry talents is what Zhao Xu really wants.

Of course, in this way, the process may be full of setbacks and failures, and it also requires a lot of time to verify and improve.

But what Zhao Xu needs most now is time.

Use time to precipitate technology, and also use time to build a moat for gunpowder technology.

Then slowly, other related industrial technologies will be upgraded together.

In this way, the situation of one Han playing five Hu in the Han Dynasty can be reproduced.

……

Watching Shen Kuo off, he slowly and respectfully exited the hall.

Zhao Xu gently waved at Shi Deyi.

The latter came up to him and knelt down.

"Everyone..." Shi Deyi looked at Zhao Xu.

"Send some people to protect Shen Cunzhong day and night, and don't let him lose anything!" Zhao Xu said.

"The minister will obey the will!"

"In addition..." Zhao Xu said to Shi De: "Today in the Chongzheng Palace, Shen Kuo and I talked about movable type..."

"It should be known to the government and the public!"

Shi De was stunned for a moment, and then bowed: "I understand!"

According to the order to leak secrets, he did not know how many times he did similar things in the past.

Zhao Xu nodded, stood up, waved to Feng Jing, and said: "It's a matter here, let's go to the Kunning Palace, I'm going to talk to the queen mother..."

Movable type printing is not only Zhao Xu's actual need, but also a smoke bomb for the courtiers and the two palaces.

Save them guessing!think about it!
(End of this chapter)