Simultaneous travel: City, infinite evolution

Chapter 273 The Benefits of Salt and Iron: Snowflake Salt Technology [Requesting Recommendation Votes]

After completing the compilation of the "Great Qin Law", Chen Hong did not rest while waiting for the high-yield crops to mature.

Rather, it was to alleviate the burden on the people while generating revenue for the imperial court and supporting the economic foundation for foreign conquests.

Chen Hong summarized the wisdom of his predecessors and proposed that the salt and iron industries be state-run, authorizing some merchants to produce and sell private salt, but the imperial court would take 30% of the profits and impose heavy taxes.

As for ironware, there was no opening up; it was all state-run.

Weapons could not be allowed to leave the country, and iron farm tools had to be officially manufactured and sold. At most, iron ingots were allowed to be sold to blacksmith shops to make farm tools.

The reason for allowing the illegal salt trade was that even if it were completely banned, illegal salt trade would still occur.

Because the official salt produced by the imperial court was inevitably of lower quality and cheaper than privately produced salt.

Driven by enormous profits and demand, illicit salt trade is bound to emerge.

Because ordinary people cannot go a day without salt, and they cannot afford expensive salt.

Therefore, Chen Hong compromised by adopting a strategy of simultaneously managing both official and private salt production, believing that dredging was better than blocking.

The profits from salt and iron have always been highly valued in ancient times and are one of the important sources of national economy.

Regarding iron, Chen Hong has developed an advanced steelmaking method, and production is soaring every day.

It is estimated that in a while, a large number of iron farm tools will be produced and enter the market, helping farmers improve their productivity.

And of course, salt cannot be overlooked.

Chen Hong upgraded various salt-making methods.

The most important and largest-producing method is, of course, the sun-drying method for extracting sea salt.

The so-called salt-drying method involves selecting a flat tidal flat near the sea and reinforcing it with clay to prevent seepage.

Then, the tide is drawn in, and ditches are dug to bring seawater into the salt fields to a depth of about 10-15 centimeters.

Finally, after being exposed to direct sunlight for 5-7 days in summer, grayish-white "loose salt" (containing mud, sand, and magnesium chloride) will precipitate out.

There is also well salt/mineral salt suitable for inland areas.

For the first step of drilling, Chen Hong adopted the "Zhuotong Well" technique from the Song Dynasty (bamboo casing + impact drill) to reach the underground salt layer.

The second step is brine extraction, which involves injecting water to dissolve the salt minerals and then using bamboo tubes to extract concentrated brine.

There is also lake salt suitable for the Northwest region.

Lake salt can be directly mined. The Yuncheng Salt Lake in Shanxi and the Chaka Salt Lake in Qinghai are examples of natural crystallized salt that can be extracted by scraping.

Another method is the sun-drying method. The "cultivation and sun-drying" method in the Tang Dynasty involved introducing brine into artificial salt fields and sun-drying it into salt.

The above describes the initial production of coarse salt in different regions. The subsequent refining, purification, and bitterness removal techniques can all be applied to the same methods.

Chen Hong personally demonstrated this amazing chemical reaction technology to Qin Shi Huang and his ministers.

"The reason why the salt sold in the market is yellowish in color and bitter in taste is because it contains too many impurities and is not pure at all."

Truly pure salt is snow-white and crystal clear.

"Therefore, the first step is to physically filter out the mud and sand."

"Dissolve the coarse salt in water, then heat it to speed up the dissolution."

Chen Hong personally demonstrated by pouring coarse salt into water in an iron pot and lighting firewood to accelerate the dissolution.

"After dissolving, you need filter media."

Use multiple layers of linen, thatch, or bamboo to create a brine rack, and then cover it with fine sand and wood ash.

Then pour the dissolved brine onto the brine rack.

The purpose of this step is to remove large particles of silt and sand.

What flows down the brine-drenching rack is all liquid dissolved in water.

Chen Hong personally demonstrated how the brine was poured from the brine rack and flowed into the wooden bucket.

Visible dirt remained on the brine rack.

"Next, we collect the filtrate (brine) and discard the residue."

Chen Hong collected the brine from the wooden bucket and discarded the residue on the brine-drenching rack.

"The second step is to use chemicals to remove impurities and bitterness."

"The wood ash method can be used, which has the advantages of low cost and high efficiency."

"The so-called wood ash method is to mix coarse salt and sieved rice straw ash in a ratio of 'three parts ash to seven parts salt'."

"Its principle is that the potassium carbonate (KCO) in the wood ash reacts with the calcium and magnesium ions in the crude brine to form precipitates (calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide)."

This removes impurities such as calcium and magnesium from the brine.

"Then pour the brine onto a layer of charcoal granules, which can both absorb residual metal ions and filter out impurities and odors."

Only pure salt water (NaCl) remains.

Although Ying Zheng and his ministers, including Li Si, couldn't understand it, they still clapped their hands in admiration.

"Sir, you are truly a scholar of extraordinary learning, beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Yes, yes, the secret techniques of immortals are indeed extraordinary."

"We simply cannot comprehend the mysteries of the immortals' secret arts."

Chen Hong ignored the ministers' flattery and continued with his work.

The high-purity brine after sedimentation is extracted and placed in an earthenware jar.

"Next, we need to test the salt concentration, which can be done using the lotus seed brine test method."

Place the brine in a lotus seedpod scale; if three hollow lotus seeds float, it's acceptable; if two float and one sinks, it's unacceptable.

"The third step is recrystallization to obtain refined salt."

It can be prepared by boiling or sun-drying.

The frying method involves heating an iron pot until it is red-hot, then pouring in brine and boiling it over high heat.

After the salt crystals appear, turn the heat to a simmer and stir with a boar bristle brush to prevent clumping.

Ying Zheng, Li Si, and others watched as Chen Hong boiled salt in an iron pot. Soon, the water vapor evaporated, and white salt grains began to gradually precipitate out.

The emperor and his officials, both civil and military, were so excited that they danced and shouted.

"Salt has been extracted! Salt has been extracted!"

"It's really snow-white, it's really snow-white!"

"Snow-white salt, snowflake salt! Snowflake salt!"

"What beautiful salt!"

"What a fine salt!"

"I have never seen such pure white salt before!"

"Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes!" The water quickly evaporated, leaving only a pot full of snow-white salt grains.

Chen Hong took the iron pot off the stove.

Li Si, Meng Tian, ​​and other important officials couldn't wait to dip their fingers in some salt and put it in their mouths to lick.

Their eyes widened at the first lick.

"It really doesn't taste bitter!"

"It really doesn't taste bitter!"

"It's salty enough!"

"It's salty enough!"

"Hahaha...hahaha..."

"From then on, both nobles and commoners had access to refined salt."

As they laughed, some ministers couldn't help but shed tears.

You should know that in this era, even the salt consumed by nobles was much better than the vinegar and cloth consumed by commoners.

However, it also has a bitter taste, and its color is not as snow-white and pure as it appears; it has more or less some impurities.

They were arguably the first people in the world to taste such perfect snowflake salt; how could they not weep?

Only those who have tasted the bitterness of coarse and mixed salt will know how hard-won refined salt is.

In that era, some ordinary people even ate brine salt and died from poisoning.

This happens all the time.

People will have no strength if they don't eat salt.

Even animals need to eat salt.

Chen Hong added, "Besides boiling, crystallized salt can also be produced by sun-drying, which is more fuel-efficient."

Pour qualified brine into a shallow ceramic dish and expose it to sunlight for 2-3 days to crystallize.

Chen Hong shoveled the hot salt from the pot into a bamboo sieve, loosened it with a wooden mallet, and then stored it in a ceramic urn to remove moisture (by laying lime on it to prevent dampness).

"If you store it this way, it can be stored for a long time without getting damp or spoiled."

For a small family, the refined salt can last a very long time without spoiling.

"Sir, you are truly a man of great talent, saving countless lives. This is a great merit."

Please accept Meng Tian's bow!

Meng Tian first bowed deeply to Chen Hong in gratitude.

This refined salt is extremely important for military campaigns.

It also played a crucial role in subjugating grassland tribes and strengthening trade.

No matter where you're from, everyone needs to eat salt.

The grasslands are so lacking in salt.

Ministers like Li Si, realizing what was happening, also bowed to Chen Hong.

"Sir, you are truly virtuous; please accept our bow!"

Even Ying Zheng bowed solemnly to Chen Hong, saying, "Sir, you are of great virtue. On behalf of all the people of the world, I thank you."

Chen Hong quickly helped Ying Zheng up, saying, "Your Majesty, there's no need for this."

"Please, everyone, rise."

Then everyone got up and happily discussed where to open a salt field along the coast.

And where to open a workshop to refine salt and increase production.

Soon, the production of salt and refined salt in Daqin increased significantly, allowing ordinary people to at least afford better quality coarse salt.

The enormous profits from salt and iron production gradually filled the national treasury.

Because the Qin Dynasty hastily and forcibly implemented the "Banliang coin" without establishing a coinage supervision system, rampant counterfeiting occurred among the people.

Some half-ounce coins vary in weight by as much as six times, causing inflation.

Therefore, Chen Hong suggested that Qin Shi Huang establish a "Minting Supervision Bureau" to centralize the power of minting coins nationwide and manage it uniformly.

Strict supervision will be exercised over the minting of coins, and private counterfeiting gangs will be severely cracked down on.

These were either bandits or powerful local clans who, through counterfeiting coins, reaped the hard-earned money of countless ordinary people, leaving them with no recourse but to suffer in silence.

Chen Hong also explored many copper mines, nationalized them, and began mining them to meet the growing demand for currency.

For example, the Dexing Copper Mine in Jiangxi is the largest open-pit copper mine in Asia, with copper metal content exceeding 500 million tons.

Zheyaoshan and Huoyanshan in Baiyin, Gansu, were once large open-pit mines.

The Yongping Open-Pit Copper Mine in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province.

These are all large copper mines rich in copper.

Chen Hong established smelting plants in these mining areas to mine and smelt copper ore, which was then transported to the mint to be cast into half-liang coins.

These funds were distributed to the people through various means, including government engineering wages, military pay, and private procurement.

It can solve fiscal problems and meet the growing demand for currency among the public.

It can also impact those poorly made, counterfeit coins.

The people aren't blind; they'll definitely vote with their feet and use the better quality currency.

A month passed by the time Chen Hong resolved the issues of salt, iron, and money.

With the accelerated spiritual energy from Chen Hong's array, the crops finally ushered in their first harvest.

On this day, Chen Hong invited Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng and his ministers to personally witness this moment that changed history.

"Your Majesty, please look. This is a rice paddy, and this is a wheat field."

There are potato fields over there, and sweet potato fields over there.

This is a cornfield, and that's a rubber plantation.

"Oh..." Ying Zheng listened to these words that were somewhat familiar and somewhat unfamiliar, and looked at the crops that were some familiar and some unfamiliar, and was momentarily confused.

Suddenly, as if he had just realized something, Ying Zheng widened his eyes and stared at the heavy ears of wheat in the field.

"wrong!"

"These ears of wheat, these ears of wheat, are so big! So heavy! So dense!"

"This output... could it be... could it be..."

(End of this chapter)