Chapter 149: Craftsmanship
When I woke, the leftover wine hadn’t worn off, making it feel like I was holding a piece of iron.
Xiao Yi sat up in the office, rubbing his head, as if he could still hear An Yuanzhen scolding him for being flirtatious, yet every time he only tasted it lightly, she would come over later.
Thinking back, last night we only drank some wine together, and it didn’t feel like much time had passed. Strangely, it was already midnight. The shopkeeper knocked and informed him that Li Chongjin had arrived, so he honestly escorted An Yuanzhen back to Tai Ping Palace.
Having received favors from Fan Lou, he promised to visit Yan Jinqing’s residence today.
He got up and practiced martial arts.
Thinking of Li Chongjin’s suspicious demeanor last night, he practiced for another half hour.
Today was the last day of his leave. There was no one on the drill ground, which made him feel a sense of regret after the grandeur of the Lantern Festival.
Becoming a meritorious official of the Dragon Dynasty, it seemed he had everything, but upon closer thought, there was little that he truly controlled, except for the spear in his hand, which he struck against piles of snow again and again, sending up sprays of snow foam.
“Young Master.”
At quarter past Mao Shi, Lu Chou walked over.
He usually couldn’t get up, but after leaving the military, he was arriving so early.
“Come, let’s have a fight.”
“My backside hasn’t healed yet, General. The glass has been fired, but… would you like to take a look?”
“Let’s see in the office.”
Xiao Yi now knew that there was a lot of glass in the world, such as in Buddhist temples where they would “pave with tortoiseshell and tile with glass,” but that was colored. What he wanted was transparent glass.
He took a small piece of glass handed to him by Lu Chou and was not satisfied.
The material was somewhat like jade, only semi-transparent, and still somewhat cloudy overall.
“Young Master, it hasn’t been polished yet. Zhao Lao said that after polishing, it will be thinner and can be made as transparent as crystal.”
“No, this level is not enough.”
Xiao Yi casually threw the glass on the ground, and it shattered into pieces with a “clang.”
Lu Chou was immediately frightened and lowered his head, saying, “Young Master, please calm your anger.”
“I’m not angry.”
Xiao Yi bent down and picked up a piece to look at. He believed the direction was correct, and what needed to be done next was to increase transparency.
“Take me to see the kiln.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t go directly. Bring Shi Deyu along. I’ll say I’m going with him.”
He washed up and changed his clothes. Lu Chou had already gone to fetch Shi Deyu.
When Xiao Yi stepped out of the camp gate, he saw that the carriage and helpers had been arranged.
The carriage wasn’t luxurious, just decent, with two draft horses and a hardwood cover, the comfortable and practical type. It didn’t reveal that he was an imperial merchant who manufactured military equipment for the Imperial Court.
He asked about the driver. He was an old man with white hair who was hired year-round. The two responsible for watching Shi Deyu were outsiders, and their simple and reliable nature was evident from their faces.
“Lao Pan selected all these people. From the craftsmen and laborers who built the kiln to those who chopped wood, tended the fire, and to the guards and horses, over thirty people have been hired. As per your instructions, Young Master, their wages are generous, and only diligent and reliable individuals were chosen. They are all grateful.”
“The items haven’t even been made yet, why are you so happy?”
“I’m happy for you, Young Master.”
Xiao Yi noticed that Lu Chou had gained quite a bit of weight in less than half a month. Before getting into the carriage, he kicked him and cursed, “Don’t let your martial arts skills go to waste.”
“Yes.”
Inside the carriage, Shi Deyu looked worried.
“What’s wrong? Da Lang is unwilling to go out of the city to visit the workshop?”
“Young Master misunderstands,” Shi Deyu quickly said. “I want to ask Young Master to be my advocate.”
“What is it?”
“Wang Jun, that old man, seems to want my courtyard house.”
Xiao Yi said, “He is the Prime Minister, with a host of officials and staff. It’s natural for him to want to live in the most convenient and largest location in the Capital City.”
He hadn’t forgotten that these were chaotic times, not an era of law and order. The reason he was living comfortably recently was because he had power.
Shi Deyu still seemed unaccustomed to his loss of power. He mumbled for a while and asked, “Then what should I do?”
“I suggest you sell the house to Wang Jun while His Majesty’s favor towards the Shi Family still exists. If you wait too long, you won’t get a good price.”
“Sob, ancestral home…”
Xiao Yi kicked Shi Deyu, stopping him from continuing his performance.
The Later Han dynasty had only been established for three years, and the Shi Family’s rise was also recent. Where did an ancestral home come from?
The carriage ride was bumpy, and Shi Deyu’s crying was also annoying. Xiao Yi simply rode his horse and left the city. In less than half an hour, they arrived at a mountain hollow north of the city.
Just by looking at the location, Xiao Yi frowned. It was too close to the official road, and there was a military fort on Mutuo Hill to the north, making it easy for the technology to be leaked.
Although there was no leading technology at the moment, the craftsmanship of making glass was probably not as good as Jiangnan.
Passing through a small path, calls came from the woods.
“Young Master.”
Xiao Yi turned and saw Wang Jiu, dressed as a hunter, with one sleeve empty. He led two people to meet them and handed over a flag.
“Young Master, I’d like to give this to you.”
“What is this?”
Xiao Yi unfolded it and saw a wolf head embroidered on it, lifelike and fierce.
Wang Jiu scratched his head and said, “I originally wanted to embroider the Nian Battalion, I was halfway through. But Young Master was transferred to the First Commander, and he will definitely be promoted again in the future. Thinking about it, instead of Nian Battalion, it’s better to embroider a wolf flag.”
“Embroidering these now… it must have taken a lot of effort?”
“I thought, even if my hand was lost, I had to finish embroidering it.”
“Good. You still have this spirit, and I’m relieved.”
Xiao Yi carefully put away the wolf flag, asked Shi Deyu to wait outside, and rode his horse into the small path, reaching a workshop at the end.
Two mule carts were parked outside the workshop, and three laborers were helping to transport sacks.
Inside, someone was chopping wood, carrying water, and building walls. Craftsmen were grinding powder with stone mills or mortars. Lao Pan was busy directing. When he saw Xiao Yi, he wiped his forehead, looking stressed.
“Young Master.”
“Don’t be nervous. I’m here to understand the process. What is the process of firing glass?”
“Yes, these are the raw materials: Jade Sand, Lead Oxide, and Plant Ash. We are currently only using these three.”
Xiao Yi saw green and brown ores nearby and asked, “What are those?”
“Green Copper and Brown Iron. I didn’t understand them early on either. The craftsman said they were needed, so I bought them. Alas, after firing twice, I finally understood they were for coloring. They shouldn’t be added, which wasted a lot of money.”
“Is the formula confirmed?”
“Yes, three parts sand, one part lead oxide, and half a part ash.”
“It’s still murky. I want it more transparent.”
“I had Lao Zhao try. He thought of a method,” Lao Pan said. “Jade Sand has both transparent and opaque parts. First, pick out the transparent ones and sieve them clean.”
Xiao Yi nodded, took a handful of Jade Sand to look at, and then looked at the Lead Oxide, which was bright red with a slight metallic luster.
“What is this used for?”
“Zhao Lao! Come here. The Young Master is asking about the use of Lead Oxide.”
“Greetings, Young Master. Lead Oxide is used for coloring and fluxing.”
“I don’t want coloring. Wouldn’t it be better not to add it?”
“Without Lead Oxide, the Jade Sand is difficult to melt and fire.”
“Oh, what is Plant Ash used for?”
“It’s also used for fluxing… Young Master, shall this old man add less Lead Oxide and more Plant Ash to try?”
“Okay. Is this thing difficult to fire completely? The more transparent it is after firing, the more transparent it will be?”
Zhao Chu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Jade Sand is not easy to fire.”
“Is the fire not hot enough?”
Xiao Yi glanced at the kiln, feeling it was different from the brick kilns he had seen before. He couldn’t pinpoint it specifically, only a general sense.
“Why not build a bun-shaped… build a kiln shaped like a grave mound?”
“Replying to the Young Master, we didn’t think of it at first.”
“Then rebuild it. Also, fanning the fire like this probably won’t generate much wind. You can get a blower like a rural stove… I mean, build a bellows.”
“Yes.”
“Hire a blacksmith to build the kiln, or which craftsman understands it best? Building the kiln is also an important step. Get the most professional person.”
Although Xiao Yi was an amateur, he didn’t need very large pieces of glass. At worst, he would spend money and hire people, stubbornly insisting on one point: transparency.
“Young Master, there’s a newly fired piece of glass. Would you like to see it?”
“Good. How long does it take to fire one piece?”
“Grind the material into a fine powder, sieve it clean, let it rest for three days, then fire for half a day, and cool for two days. It takes six days in total.”
“Build more kilns from now on and fire them simultaneously.”
“Yes. Young Master, look at this newly fired piece. After sieving the material, it’s more transparent.”
“Not enough. Keep trying. Ideally, it should look like it’s not glass after firing… Lao Pan, take me around.”
After touring the workshop, Xiao Yi saw a mountain in the distance. He rode his horse up the mountain and gazed at the workshop for a while.
“How many acres do we have?”
“Five acres.”
“The location is not good. If I wanted to learn to make telescopes from you and buy one from you, standing here, I could see your entire process clearly.”
“What… who would be so despicable?”
It seemed Lao Pan was still too naive and unaware of the treacherousness of the marketplace.
Xiao Yi said, “At the very least, Wang Jun will definitely do this. He even snatches the Shi Family’s courtyard house, why wouldn’t he snatch technology?”
“Then let’s give up this land and find another place?”
“No need to give it up. We’ll cast copper here and make the telescope tubes. Buy some crystal stones to throw people off. For the glass, let’s change locations for the kiln. Let’s go to Chenliu, buy a larger plot of land, at least five qing.”
“Five qing? That’s too big!”
“I mean at least five qing. Don’t just build one workshop. Since the kilns are already built, why not build a metal workshop in the future? Build a farm around it, let the craftsmen settle down with their families, and plant crops on the outermost perimeter.”
“Young Master, shouldn’t we look at the accounts first?”
As soon as Lao Pan mentioned money, he became crestfallen and reminded, “How about we finish the twenty telescopes the Imperial Court ordered first?”
“No, once we hand them over, Wang Jun will immediately send people to steal the technique. We must be prepared.”
He couldn’t slowly grow from a small business. People in this era were wicked and wouldn’t give him such an opportunity.
Xiao Yi let out a long sigh and said, “Bring the accounts here, let me see…”
In less than half a month, out of the 2,300 guan that could be mobilized, only 1,500 guan remained.
But it was better than Xiao Yi had expected. He repeated his words to Lao Pan.
“When doing big things, don’t be stingy with money.”
In his heart, he knew he had to find more money to invest.
On the way back to the city, Shi Deyu finally showed the temper of a young master of privilege, yelling at Lao Yu, “Can you drive?! I’ve never ridden in such a bumpy carriage.”
“Shut up.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Xiao Yi rode his horse alongside. Looking through the carriage window, he saw that Shi Deyu was being relatively well-behaved. He thought for a moment and said, “Regarding Wang Jun’s matter, I will handle it for you.”
“Does Young Master wish to help me protect my home?”
“Difficult,” Xiao Yi shook his head. “I can only help you get a good price.”
Disappointment flickered in Shi Deyu’s eyes. He asked in a low voice, “He can’t just snatch it, can he?”
“Can someone who says ‘After we take the Capital City, we will plunder for ten days’ not dare to snatch your house?”
“But I don’t think Wang Jun seems willing to pay money…”
“Name your price and give me the land deed.”
Xiao Yi had a plan in mind, intending to create a win-win situation for the Shi Residence tonight.
