Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 55 54. Loyalty and History
Whether it is soy milk or steamed buns, they cannot be made in a short time.

Qin Shi reviewed today's plans and then asked, "Which places in the palace have the most cut bamboo or trees?"

Chi Nu was stunned for a moment, then said, "The Shaofu has a special register office. If Qin Jun needs anything, don't think too much, just give the order directly."

The so-called "making a book" means making bamboo slips, which are the same as the characters' shapes.

Qin Shi shook his head: "I want to look around too."

Look at today's industrial productivity, or see if there is anything else you haven't thought of.

Chi Nu understood. "For convenience, the Shaofu craftsmen are scattered everywhere. However, since Your Majesty has a lot of writing to do every day, the closest place to the Xianyang Palace is the bookmaking office. If Your Majesty wants to go now, I will have someone prepare a carriage."

Qin Shi nodded, and couldn't help touching the jade pearl hanging from his forehead. He thought it would be better to dress up so that he wouldn't be too plain when walking around, which would affect communication.

The carriage moved forward with sparkling lights, Chi Nu and Yi Ming were waiting beside it. Seeing that Yi Ming was about to make tea again, Qin Shi politely declined.

She drinks two or three bowls of tea a day purely to replenish trace elements, not because the tea tastes so good nowadays.

So she just ordered a cup of warm water and asked, "Ming, can I use Eucommia now?"

Yi Ming nodded. "It's commonly used by the imperial physician. It's mostly produced in Shangdang and Hanzhong. It replenishes the qi and strengthens the tendons and bones. It can also be used to treat women's illnesses."

She hesitated a little: "Mr. Qin is strong and healthy, so there is no need to force him...but is there another use for him?"

Qin Shi nodded: "I heard that Eucommia ulmoides produces glue, which can be boiled in boiling water and waited for the glue to separate... I want to try and see if I can use it."

Yi Ming was surprised for a moment: "The medicine is a little sticky when it is boiled... I have made a note of it. When I return to Lanchi, I will immediately have someone try to remove it."

Qin Shi really liked this high-efficiency execution and couldn't help but praise Ji Heng again:
What kind of boss can train his subordinates to be so capable of execution?
But then he couldn't help frowning.

Because if I stay rooted for a long time, I will probably become this boss's subordinate. Then it will be my fault...

Qin Shi decided to activate the "Let's talk about it later" skill and not think about it anymore.

The carriage sped up - the grace from the King of Qin was easily reflected in such details.

Now, apart from the eunuchs, she is probably the only one who can travel quickly in the palace.

Qin Shi looked at his watch and realized the benefit of "getting up early to save one more day." After all he had done all morning, it was only 9 o'clock.

Oh!

If it were in the past, he might not be able to wake up now.

The carriage galloped along, and after a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the registration office.

This is still a spacious palace. As soon as you step through the door, the noisy sound immediately echoes in your ears.

On the right side, a blazing furnace was burning, and a shirtless craftsman was pulling a bellows, with layers of hot sweat like honey oil dripping from his body.

In the pottery jar in the flame, there was a rich metallic liquid, which was rapidly transferred to the next place and then poured into the small hole on the yellow mud rammed earth slab.

In front of the yellow mud rammed earth slabs with irregular brown metal shapes on their surfaces, craftsmen are holding whetstones and carefully polishing the knife and pen-like tools in their hands.

Kaogongling, who had rushed over after hearing the news, was also sweating profusely and was now frantically wiping his sweat with his sleeves:

"Your Excellency has come in person, what are your instructions?"

Qin Shi originally wanted to give some instructions, but everyone here was very busy. If she couldn't sort out the rules, it would probably disrupt other people's work rhythm.

So he said, "Let's take a look first."

Kaogongling was speechless for a moment.

But remembering that the carpenters and blacksmiths all said that this nobleman often gave rewards, even the palace chefs who had no major responsibilities were rewarded again and again.

He was also encouraged by this, and introduced them one by one without Qin Shi asking any questions:

"What's being fired in the furnace is ancient gold, also known as copper."

Although the Qin Dynasty used the term "bronze" to refer to copperware today, in fact, when they were in use, it was as bright as gold, so it was called "ancient gold." However, because ancient gold would turn blue over time, she called it "bronze" so that everyone could understand.

Qin Shi looked at it carefully with great interest: "Isn't this the place where the records are made? What is this copper used for?"

The Kaogongling replied loudly: "Here is a rammed earth mold. It is made by tamping down the loess layer by layer, and then pressing a bamboo mold on top to give it a shape. Then, the fired copper liquid is poured into the mold..."

He pointed to the craftsman who was carefully pouring molten copper into the hole above, and then pointed forward to the craftsman who was polishing:
"This is where the book knife is made. The edges and corners are uneven after the rammed earth is demoulded, and still need to be carefully polished before use."

After saying that, he ran a few steps attentively and took out two writing knives from the wooden tray beside him to show Qin Shi.

The small writing knife is made of shiny brass and is quite heavy.

The top part is a ring, probably for hanging around the waist, and the bottom part is like a slightly elongated knife, but not sharp.

During the Qin Dynasty, it was often seen on the waists of clerks and penmen, with a bamboo tube containing a brush and the other being a writing knife.

When recording text, a brush dipped in ink was used to write on bamboo slips.

If there is a mistake in the writing, carefully scrape it off with a writing knife.

Written in a book, the book is a bamboo slip.

To delete is to scrape the bamboo slips with a writing knife.

She saw scribes every day, but this was the first time she had seen words appear before her eyes like pictograms, and she couldn't help but gasp slightly.

Civilization and heritage continue after thousands of years. What a silent greatness it is.

Looking at the workshop on the left, the craftsman explained attentively: "Behind the workshop is a large courtyard. The craftsmen need to chop giant bamboos in a large area."

Just then, a basket of freshly chopped bamboo strips was delivered, and thanks to the assembly line operation, it was quickly delivered to the finishing department.

First, use a saw to pull the mold to remove the thinness, and then polish the bamboo pieces one by one to make them even.

Qin Shi followed the steps of the assembly line and looked forward. The craftsmen had already skillfully arranged the bamboo strips and drawn lines with ink.

Create gaps on both sides of the ink line on each piece and drill a small hole in the middle.

Then, charcoal fire and tea seed cakes are added, and bamboo strips are neatly placed at the mouth of the jar. Dense water droplets will soon form on the green skin of the bamboo strips due to baking.

At first glance, it looks like the bamboo is sweating.

"So, this is History."

Leave behind a loyal heart to shine through history.

Qin Shi watched intently.

The inspector was confused and didn't know what was so interesting about baking history. He also thought that the nobleman was a little dissatisfied with the process, so he explained it again:
"This is roasted bamboo slips."

"Shangshu, Yushi and others have always used this book when compiling records. Because it can be preserved for a long time without decaying, it is in line with the inheritance of classics."

He pointed to the other side and said, "There are more steamed bamboo slips ahead."

"It is made by steaming thin bamboo strips in a pot and drying them in the sun. The bamboo strips are light, soft, convenient and easy to carry. The writing is clear and not easy to crack. It is often used when reading."

Tuoyue (tuo2yue4): an ancient bellows

At this time, there were already single blowpipes, but because most of them were made of wood, it is difficult to find anything about them through archaeological excavations today. (If you have not lived in the countryside, you probably have never used a blowpipe. I even think it is unpopular in my memory.)

Kaogongling: An official under the Shaofu. Responsible for producing various instruments and crafts used in the palace, including weapons, vehicles, and ritual vessels.

Baked bamboo slips are difficult to make. They are thick and heavy, easily damaged by baking, and require a high level of craftsmanship. However, they can be preserved for a long time and are suitable for writing historical books and other texts.

[Steamed bamboo slips are thin and light, and the steaming process is not prone to failure. They are suitable for books that are used in large quantities and are frequently read.]

It is explained in the text of [Ce] and [Han Qing] that Han Qing can also be made into fresh bamboo juice, which I will mention next.

After writing this book, if there is still knowledge left in my smooth and empty head, please call me [Thornpedia]