Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 240: Magical Species of Lizhou

“In fact, cassava has many more uses. Even though it is poisonous and inedible, it is still food and can be used to make wine and extract alcohol.

"Alcohol is the essence of strong liquor. It can be used as medicine. External use can drive away evil spirits and kill viruses, clean external injuries, and quickly reduce fever. Alcohol is flammable. After burning it, apply it on the skin, supplemented with massage, it can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and treat bruises.

"With the help of secret methods, it can also be made into Ma Fei San, which can be given to patients to inhale. It can make people sleepy, and they will not feel any pain when their stomachs are cut open or their bones are scraped to treat the poison."

Wang Dayuan was shocked. "My lord, you can make Ma Fei San? Isn't it said that it was made by Hua Tuo in the Eastern Han Dynasty? Has it been lost now?"

Lu Jin nodded, "Indeed, I don't know what the formula of Hua Tuo's Ma Fei San is. The Ma Fei San I mentioned, according to the name in Gongshu Secret Classic of Chemistry, should actually be called ether. This substance is white, transparent, and oily with a unique smell. It is not drunk like a decoction, but its smell is inhaled through the mouth and nose. It can make people sleep for several hours and not feel pain. It has the same effect as Ma Fei San, so it can also be called Ma Fei San."

"I see." Wang Dayuan finally understood the reason.

"In addition to its medicinal uses, alcohol can also be used as a fuel to replace candles, vegetable oil and other lighting, and can also be used to make new gunpowder."

"New gunpowder? Isn't that the new gunpowder that the Marshal is ordering the craftsmen to make? Could it be that alcohol is also used in it?" Yu Tongyuan was learning artillery recently, so he asked with some doubts.

Lu Jin shook his head, "It's not the same kind of gunpowder. Although this kind of cannon is much more powerful than the Mongolian cannon, it actually has a weakness, which is that it is afraid of wind and rain. Once there is wind and rain, the gunpowder cannot be ignited.

"But I know the formula of another kind of gunpowder. It is not afraid of wind and rain. Even if the cannon is immersed in water, it can be ignited and fired. It is more powerful than the black powder of today."

"There is such a magical gunpowder, why didn't the Marshal let the craftsmen make it from the beginning?" Yu Tongyuan asked puzzledly.

Lu Jin spread his hands, "It's because of the lack of food. Take alcohol for example. It takes a lot of food to make wine. Now the world is in turmoil, and the artifacts are more difficult to obtain. The people can't even fill their stomachs. How can I bear to use food to make gunpowder? How many people will starve to death?"

Wang Dayuan was immediately moved, "I understand, Huanzhang must get the cassava back for the lord."

Lu Jin shook his head again, "There is no need to be so urgent. If you only want to make wine, potatoes and sweet potatoes are equally productive and can also make wine. When you go to Lizhou for the first time, you only need to bring back the products from the west coast. Cassava is far away on the east coast. If you go there again, I'm afraid it will take more than 200,000 miles to go back and forth, and the journey is long and dangerous. I'm not asking you to die, you should first find out more about the west coast."

"Well, that's all we have to do." Wang Dayuan said helplessly.

Lu Jin tapped the map on the blackboard again.

“In addition to cassava, a staple food crop, the East Coast also has several unique crops, including groundnuts. Their above-ground stems and leaves are shaped like coriander and radish, and they bloom. After the flowers wither, they extend their branches and drill into the soil, where they bear fruit, hence the name groundnuts.

"Each plant has dozens of pods. The pods have an outer shell, which is divided into two halves. Inside are yellow-white kernels and purple-red skins. They taste sweet and can be eaten raw, cooked into porridge, or fried as a dried fruit like walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds. They can also be used to extract oil. In the north where rapeseed cannot be grown, peanuts can be planted to extract oil. The oil is fragrant when used for cooking, and the yield is no less than rapeseed. I must bring this back."

Wang Dayuan nodded repeatedly after listening to this. "The products of Lizhou are so unique and special. They really opened my eyes."

"There are more strange things. There is also a kind of sunflower in Beilizhou, called sunflower. Its stem is slightly thicker than a finger. The short ones are four or five feet tall, and the tall ones are seven or eight feet tall. There is a flower disk as big as a human face on the top of the stem. The disk is full of sunflower seeds. There are hundreds or thousands of seeds in a single disk, and there is a circle of yellow petals on the edge.

"Its flower disk grows towards the sun. In the morning, the flower disk stands with its head held high towards the sun. At noon, it faces the sky. At sunset, the flower disk faces the west. At night, the flower disk bows its head downwards. That's why it's called a sunflower. Many local people grow them. If you go there, you can buy some by bartering."

While Lu Jin was introducing, he drew a simple sketch on the blackboard with chalk, which amazed the people watching.

"What a strange flower! What is its magical use?"

"This is optional. Have you ever eaten fried pumpkin seeds? Sunflower seeds can be fried like white pumpkin seeds and used as snacks. In addition, sunflower seeds can be used to extract rapeseed oil, which tastes delicious. The yield is not as high as rapeseed and peanuts, but it is easy to grow. Just plant a few in the fields and you will get a lot of fruit. It can be used for land reclamation."

"I've made a note of it. If I go to Beilizhou, I will definitely take it back."

After listening to Lu Jin's introduction, Wang Dayuan was very interested in this wonderful plant that shook its head with the sun. According to the description in traditional Chinese mythology, it was absorbing the essence of the sun. It sounded like one of the exotic flowers and plants in fantasy novels.
"The natives in the northern part of Lizhou, especially those near the Great Lakes, already know how to farm, and they mainly grow corn, but their corn is more cold-resistant. If you go there, you can also exchange some with them.

"In addition, the natives also domesticate a kind of turkey, which is larger than the Chinese chicken and has more meat, but it is very dry and tastes average. It depends on the situation. You can take it or not. After all, it is not convenient to transport live animals, and it is difficult to breed if you bring too few.

"There is another kind of pumpkin, the Lizhou pumpkin has an orange-red skin, is flat and round, and tastes delicious. You must bring back the seeds of this pumpkin.

"These are the food crops. Zhonglizhou has another kind of fruit called pineapple, which grows on the ground. It is very juicy and tastes sweet, but it is afraid of cold and can only be grown in Lingnan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Qiongzhou. It cannot survive in other places.

"By the way, speaking of pineapples, there is a plant called sisal in the Mayan country on the west coast. It is shaped like agave, and its leaves are tough and filamentous. They can be used to make hemp ropes. Sisal ropes are tougher than ordinary jute ropes, and are resistant to salt spray corrosion. They can be used to make cables for ships or as anchor chains. They will not easily rot. If you go there, you must bring this thing back."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dayuan nodded again, but Lu Jin continued talking.

"There are two more species of trees that are extremely precious. Don't take anything else with you, but bring back the seedlings of these species!"

"What kind of tree is it?" the three asked in unison.

Lu Jin then said, "There are lacquer trees in China. When you cut the bark of the lacquer tree, lacquer will flow out. I don't need to say much about the wide range of uses of lacquer."

The three of them nodded repeatedly. The uses of lacquer are so numerous. Various lacquerware, furniture, armor, bows and crossbows, weapons, musical instruments and other items all require the use of lacquer.

Lu Jin added, "There are no lacquer trees in Lizhou, but there is a kind of rubber tree called the rubber tree. It is similar to the lacquer tree. When you cut the bark with a sharp knife, a white latex-like glue will flow out, so it is also called white latex. This latex has good elasticity after solidification. The Mayan people made it into shoes, which are waterproof. They also made it into Cuju, a game in sacrifice. Two people kick the rubber ball, and the loser has to be sacrificed and cut off his own head for sacrifice."

"i(っ°Д°;)っ" The three of them were shocked when they heard this.

Meng Zhifang was even more shocked, "The Mayan nation actually uses human sacrifices for sacrifices?"

Lu Jin nodded, "Yes, there's nothing strange about this. Human sacrifices also exist in China. The Shang Dynasty before Ji Zhou was superstitious about witchcraft. When they were undecided, they would ask the gods for divination. Every time they had a sacrifice, they would sacrifice human beings to the sky. Ji Zhou originally captured Qiang people as human sacrifices for the Shang Dynasty. Isn't it said that King Wen of Zhou's son Bo Yikao was also made into human meatballs by King Zhou?
"China abolished human sacrifice only after Duke Zhou established the rites and laws, and it has only been more than 2,000 years. The indigenous people of Lizhou are barbaric and backward, and they still use human sacrifices. It's not surprising." After Lu Jin's explanation, the three nodded. After hearing what he said, it seemed like nothing big.

"Then what other uses does this rubber have?" Wang Dayuan asked again.

Lu Jin did not answer directly, but looked at Yu Tongyuan next to him, "Tongyuan, do you still remember the car I brought with me when I first arrived in Chaohu to join the army?"

Yu Tongyuan seemed to remember something at once, and nodded excitedly, pulling Meng Zhifang and Wang Dayuan to talk.

"Yes, yes, yes, I remember now. The Marshal had a magical car. The car was made of steel and had four wheels. It could carry people and run as fast as flying without the need for oxen or horses to pull it. It could travel thousands of miles a day. It also had several headlights. Wow, those lights were really bright. When they were lit at night, they looked like the eyes of the Dragon King, shining brightly.

"My elder brother, as well as elder brothers Liao and Zhao, have also ridden in that iron carriage with the Marshal. I remember the Marshal said that the reason the carriage could run so fast was because it had rubber wheels. It turns out that the wheels were made of rubber from Lizhou!"

Lu Jin nodded, "Yes!"

Meng Zhifang and Wang Dayuan were both stunned. Wang Dayuan thought he had misheard. "A car made of steel, without the need for oxen or horses to pull it, can travel thousands of miles a day?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. That day the Marshal drove the car himself, carrying my eldest brother and others. I followed beside them on horseback, but I couldn't catch up with them." Yu Tongyuan admitted again in person.

Wang Dayuan was a little stunned. Was he crazy, or were Yu Tongyuan and Lu Jin crazy?
So he and Meng Zhifang looked at Lu Jin again with inquiring eyes. Lu Jin didn't say much, but just smiled and nodded.

Meng Zhifang immediately asked in confusion, "Where is this car now? Why have I never seen the Marshal use it?"

Lu Jin then said, "It's in the backyard of the Marshal's Mansion. You've actually seen it. It's the thing covered by the cloth curtain and straw mat. You once asked me about it, but I didn't tell you."

"Ah, so it was that thing, it turned out to be a magical car?!" Meng Zhifang suddenly realized.

Lu Jin also nodded.

Wang Dayuan felt it was even more outrageous, "My Lord, is this really true?"

"It's true." Lu Jin said very affirmatively.

"Then why don't you hide it and not use it?" Wang Dayuan asked even more puzzled.

Lu Jin then explained to them.

"First of all, there is absolutely nothing in this world that can move without external forces or without eating food. People have the strength to work and run because they eat food, cattle and horses can move because they eat grass, water wheels can move because of the impact of water, and sailboats can move because of the wind. Is that right?"

"That's right." Wang Dayuan nodded. This was in line with his worldview. What the hell was this iron carriage that could travel thousands of miles a day without the need for oxen or horses?

"The same is true for the iron carriage. It can move without the help of oxen or horses because it is powered by a gasoline engine. This gasoline engine needs to burn kerosene and can produce 227 horsepower.

"The reason why I hid it was actually very simple. First, I had no kerosene, and the car was like a cow or a horse without fodder. How could it move on an empty stomach? Second, I was worried that if I showed the car to the public, ignorant people would be surprised and think I was some kind of god or monster, so I hid it."

Wang Dayuan opened his mouth wide, unable to understand how a machine could unleash the power of more than 200 horses simply by burning oil. Although Lu Jin emphasized that nothing can move on its own without external force or energy, Lu Jin's statement still struck him as ridiculous.

Lu Jin then looked at Meng Zhifang and asked, "Zhifang, do you remember the last paragraph of the preface to Gongshuzi?"

"I remember." Meng Zhifang nodded repeatedly, "If you become a disciple of Gongshu and learn the way of science, you can reach the moon in the sky and catch turtles in the five oceans. You can study the changes of heaven and earth, understand the principles of nature, borrow the power of heaven and earth, and perform the abilities of ghosts and gods.

The Mohists see me as an immortal god, while the corrupt Confucianists see me as a demon. Without a broad vision, it is difficult to see the talent of governing the world. If you can only see a small part of a leopard through a tube, you can benefit from it. If you can benefit from this small part, you will be rich enough to rival a country, feed all the people, and pacify the nine provinces. "

Lu Jin nodded, "When ordinary people first read this book, they just think it is the words of Gongshu, but who knows that every word is true. I don't mind how the corrupt scholars think of me, but I am afraid that I will be mistaken for an immortal by ignorant people, which is not good.

"Zhi Fang, you must remember that if you want to learn the scientific way of Gongshu, you must spread scientific opinions. You must not use the magical methods you have learned to play tricks in front of the people. If you do so, then what is the difference between you and the evil cults of Peng Yingyu and Han Shantong?
"My Gongshu school of thought is to study things to gain knowledge, to explore the mysteries of all things in nature, to use the power of heaven and earth to perform the powers of ghosts and gods with the body of a mortal. The ultimate goal is to improve social productivity, enrich the country and strengthen the army, save the people from suffering, and benefit all people in the world. Do you remember?"

"I will definitely keep in mind my teacher's teachings!" Meng Zhifang immediately said respectfully.

Wang Dayuan was so confused as he listened to the conversation. He felt that the master and disciple were both being mysterious. But Lu Jin taught his students in front of him not to act mysteriously based on what they had learned. This looked like the behavior of a decent teacher.

Lu Jin then said, "The rubber in Lizhou has many uses and is irreplaceable. It can be made into hollow wheels, which can enable vehicles to carry a load of 10,000 jin and travel 1,000 miles a day without the need for oxen or horses to pull them. Only a driver is needed. As long as we have rubber, we can build cars.

"The Art of War by Sun Tzu says: Whenever an army of 100,000 is raised and marched a thousand miles away, the expenses of the people and the public treasury amount to a thousand pieces of gold a day; and the people and the people are in turmoil, idle on the roads, and unable to do their work, 700,000 families will be left without work.

"However, if we have cars, in the future, when the army goes out to fight, the imperial court will not need to conscript a single man to deliver food over thousands of miles. Cars alone can meet the military needs of the front line, and the speed of transporting food is faster than that of civilians. There is no need to trouble 700,000 families. Isn't this a relief for the people, a benefit to the people, and a rich and strong country?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Dayuan said, "If this rubber is really so useful, I will definitely try my best to get it back. However, the car that the lord mentioned still makes me feel a little unbelievable. It sounds more like a fairy tale, and it is even more difficult to believe than the things from Lizhou.

"I don't think I am a pedantic person. I have traveled across the ocean and have gained a lot of knowledge. But could it be that Gongshu's mechanical skills are so mysterious that they are comparable to those of gods, demons and ghosts?
"I dare to ask if you would allow me to see the four-wheeled iron carriage of the lord?"

Lu Jin nodded, "Okay, it's a good opportunity for you to see what rubber is. When you go to Lizhou, you will have a better idea of ​​what to do."

(End of this chapter)