Back to the end of Ming Dynasty to be a warlord

Chapter 433 Gold and Silver Palace

Yang Chao's exchange, all stone structures, is a castle in the purest sense in the West.

The first floor is ten feet high, and its structure is three parallel arches, just like three stone arch bridges joined together. There is a slightly curved flying buttress outside the outermost load-bearing wall.

The second floor is six feet high, but there is only one arch. The load-bearing wall falls on the load-bearing wall of the middle arch of the first floor, and the flying buttresses are on the load-bearing walls on both sides.

The third floor is three feet high, and the wall itself shrinks inward to support and resolve the outward thrust of the arch.

The fourth floor is one foot high, and it is a huge window with four sides, which makes the shape look like a pier with four pillars and a dome. At night, rafter candles with thick arms are lit, which can be seen from a long distance , this is the lighthouse!

Four floors, a total of [-] feet high, can be considered a giant in the entire city of Nanjing. If it weren't for Yang Chao's overwhelming power, the craftsman really wouldn't dare to build such a tall building, because it is taller than the imperial palace, and it would be offensive!

Although it is a real building, it is basically designed according to Western architecture, but it is all Chinese technology, which is nothing more than the promotion of stone arch bridge construction technology in house construction.

And judging from the appearance, there is no trace of Western flavor at all.

Since there is only one arch on the second and third floors, the whole building actually shrinks from bottom to top.

On the first floor, the two flying buttresses that descended to the ground with an arc, and even the flying buttresses that were connected to the solid underground foundation, could not see the arc at all.

Because Yang Chao asked a mason to lay a layer of black glazed tiles on it, and built a one-foot-long bucket arch with bricks on the outermost side, so from the appearance, it is completely a Chinese-style palace building.

When several Dutch people including Nassau and Jones saw the exchange, they couldn't help but grow their mouths.

They are definitely not impressed by the artistic charm of Yang Chao's building, they are blinded by a layer of shining pure white porcelain on the outer wall under the glazed tiles.

The popularity of porcelain in the West is beyond the imagination of the Chinese, and many kings are fans of porcelain.

Louis XIV, who was about to step on the French throne, was one of them. Louis XIV built a porcelain tower when he was an adult.

It's a pity that the porcelain tiles he pasted on the wall of the tower were counterfeit porcelains by the Dutch, but they were actually glazed pottery. Another one was rebuilt.

Another enthusiast is Augustus II, Marquis of Saxony and King of Poland. He exchanged more than 100 pieces of exquisite porcelain with [-] fully armed Saxon guard cavalry to Prussia.

It can be said that porcelain, which has a gem-like luster, is practical and artistic, has fascinated many Westerners. At first, Western nobles thought that porcelain was made of a kind of gem. Now they know that it was made by the Chinese, but unfortunately they just can't do it themselves.

Now, the porcelain pieces that Yang Chao pasted on the outer wall of the exchange are not only the most exquisite white porcelain, but also the official kiln porcelain that is very difficult for Westerners to obtain. It is made by the most skilled kiln workers in Jingdezhen, and there is no flaw at all. The Duke of Nassau was still cautious, so Jones jumped on it directly, trying to see if he could pick out a piece with his hands.

But he was doomed to waste all his efforts. These tiles were pasted with glutinous rice, clay, lime, and brown sugar as an adhesive. The Ming Dynasty built city walls using this method to lay bricks, and they could not be pulled out after 500 years.

Yang Chao used this kind of adhesive, and on the polished but not smooth stone surface, the adhesion completely reached the level of high-grade cement in later generations. Unless smashed with a hammer, these tiles would not fall off.

Using ceramics to paste walls may be common in later generations, but in this era, even in the Ming Dynasty, it can be regarded as an act of local tyrants. 10,000+ pieces of porcelain were used for the outer wall alone, and the kiln workers did not fire them. The waste caused by this kind of thing is worth 10 taels of silver just for the outer wall tiles.

Nassau was invited to walk into the thick red-painted gate. As soon as he entered, Nassau almost didn't dare to take a step. If it is acceptable to paste tiles on the walls, the floor under the feet is covered with tiles, which makes Nassau a little bit surprised. Li was furious, this is too rich, looking at the black and gold tortoiseshell tiles on the floor, Nassau just couldn't move.

"Oh God, what did you show me, I'm not dreaming!"

Jones opened his mouth wide, his eyes filled with tears, and he saw the golden top of the arc.

It's covered with golden tiles.

Nassau couldn't help but look, he couldn't bear to take a step under his feet, his head dazzled him, and he almost stepped on the air and fell to the ground.

In fact, the golden porcelain on the dome is nothing, it is what Yang Chao dislikes the most, because those porcelains are not pure high-temperature enamel, if they are often wiped, they will fade in color. A golden vase from Qianlong in later generations fell into the hands of a little European maid. Here, because the maid wiped it diligently every day, the golden glaze fell off, and in the end it didn't sell for a price.

What Yang Chao likes most is the blue and white porcelain on the walls on both sides, leading to the golden roof. Is this the real representative of Chinese porcelain? Nao, washing yarn by the stream, an old man leads a cow to buy wine, a literati in Confucian clothes points to the country with a folding fan, and a branch of red apricot protrudes from the white wall to bloom red flowers.

In the whole central hall, there are [-] figures alone, and there are more than [-] landscapes including bamboo forests, old trees, streams, mountains, courtyards, small bridges, etc. Walking in the hall is like walking in the same place. In the Chinese landscape painting, I am deeply influenced by being there.

But the price is extremely expensive, the blue and white porcelain in the inner hall is worth more than 100 million taels of silver, if Yang Chao hadn't made war fortune, he would really be reluctant to throw away so much money.

However, the effect was extremely successful. Although Jones and the other employees had a soft spot for the golden glaze on the vault, nobles like Nassau were already fascinated by the landscape paintings drawn by blue and white porcelain. Walking by the characters, stop from time to time and look at the characters silently, as if communicating with them spiritually.

Yang Chao's heart is already full of joy, he just wants to show the Dutch people the real ceramic art, and let them know that collecting a pair of plum vases is a very tasteless thing, and it is not worth showing off at all. They are all pasted with exquisite porcelain pieces, that is the real aristocratic demeanor.

As soon as he thought of the expensive ceramics produced in Jingdezhen pasted on the palace by Western contractors, Yang Chao felt that he had really made a great contribution to the development of Western art.

"It's amazing, it's simply amazing, this is a work of art, this is a palace, this is a palace that only angels can live in, a temple that only exists in the kingdom of heaven!"

Nassau muttered to himself, he has been thoroughly baptized by the blue and white art, only a nobleman like him who has a lot of research on Chinese porcelain can feel the charm of porcelain art, and can truly grasp the famous Jingdezhen official kilns The charm in the technique is simply incomprehensible to people like Jones. They are really nouveau riche who put a porcelain vase at home and think they have aristocratic demeanor.

"Dear Loyal Earl, is this your castle?"

Nassau finally recovered from his art, and asked in a tone of great reverence.

Yang Chao shook his head casually: "No, no, this is our Nanjing exchange."

"Oh, no! How can such a wonderful art paradise allow those nouveau riche who only know how to make money?"

As a true aristocrat, although he was working for the East India Company, Nassau himself did not despise the merchant class, but he was very disdainful of the merchants' appreciation level. When he thought of those merchants waving banknotes and making loud noises in this palace , stomping on the porcelain floor with muddy feet, Nassau felt like it was stepping on his heart, and thought that those guys might just spit here in a moment of excitement, Nassau I want to beg Yang Chao not to turn this place into an exchange.

"Actually, this place has not been fully built yet, and the second and third floors have not yet been decorated. The lord is considering whether to carry out the same decoration. If they are all pasted with porcelain, it feels a bit monotonous. The lord is thinking Not to put another material on it. Like a tapestry!"

Nassau's heart skipped a beat: "It's better not to decorate like this, it's too exciting. If you must turn this place into an exchange, I suggest you put it on another floor. As for the first floor?" , you can treat it as your own palace. I assure you, such a palace must be the dream of all the monarchs in the world, and they want to have a palace even if they break their heads."

Yang Chao pretended to be puzzled and said: "Why do you want to break your head? If the kings and nobles in the west like it, I can allow them to purchase the high-quality official kilns of our Ming Dynasty. But it can only be nobles and kings, you should know , The official kiln porcelain of my Ming Dynasty is not allowed to be used by commoners. Even nobles and officials, if they are not rewarded by the emperor, they are not eligible to enjoy them."

"Official kiln!"

Ashamed to say, the Nassau family, as the first-class family in the Netherlands, does not have a piece of porcelain that belongs to the official kiln.

In the whole of the West, there are very few high-quality Ming Dynasty official kilns. Occasionally, one will be collected in the deep palace by the most powerful monarch. Ordinary people will never see it. Moreover, it is this kind of official kiln, and it must be quoted , because she may not be real, it may be a counterfeit.

But Nassau definitely understands the term official kiln. As a Dutchman, as a shareholder-level figure with deep ties to the East India Company, his understanding of Chinese porcelain is second to none in Europe, but he , I have never seen an official kiln.

"You mean to say that all the porcelain pieces here are produced by official kilns?"

Yang Chao shrugged and said proudly: "The Duke of Nassau knows more about my family background than the Duke of Nassau. The daughter of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is my wife. Therefore, I am actually a member of the royal family, so I am qualified to use officials. kiln!"

Nassau nodded in agreement.

Admired: "With your identity, building such a porcelain palace is completely in line with your identity!"

"Porcelain Palace?"

Jones shouted from the side: "No, no, no! This is not the Palace of Porcelain, this is the Palace of Gold and Silver!"

That's right, in Jones' eyes, all he saw was gold and silver. It happened that the outer wall was made of white porcelain, while the inside of the hall was covered with gold porcelain. What Yang Chao didn't expect was that after Nassau and Jones spread it in the west Well, this fortress of Yang Chao really has the titles of Porcelain Palace and Gold and Silver Palace.

However, different names apply to different people. The aristocrats all use the Porcelain Palace to describe it, while merchants and commoners prefer to call it the Gold and Silver Palace. Obviously, merchants and commoners account for the majority of people, so the name of the Gold and Silver Palace is more widely known. It was circulated, and finally turned into a proper noun, which was included in major western dictionaries.

(End of this chapter)