My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 351 Golden Fertilizer

Watching Zhang Si hurry towards the naval port, Zhang Jingxiu felt a pang of envy.

He was no longer considered a front-line naval officer, and Admiral Li Chao would not be willing to let him, the only "school-running talent" in the navy, board the ship.

However, Zhang Jingxiu still often recalls the scene of his first trip to Southeast Asia. Sometimes, in a half-dream state, he still feels as if he is on a ship.

But Zhang Jingxiu also knew that the future of the navy lay in talent, and running the naval academy well was an even more important matter.

After Zhang Si left, Zhang Jingxiu lost interest in shopping and returned to the dock, where he took a ferry back to Penglai Island.
-
Zhang Si hurriedly arrived at the assembly point, where Admiral Li Chao, dressed in uniform, was sitting under the banner of the assembled troops. Zhang Si quickly received news from his comrades that the imperial court had indeed issued a military order requiring the Ming navy to patrol the eastern seas and strike at pirates and Japanese pirates along the northern shipping routes.

Zhang Si was somewhat excited. After this short training, he had been promoted to fire chief of the Zhigu, and this was his first long-range combat mission as an officer.

Normally, officer training takes two years, but now the navy is short of personnel, so many officers are like Zhang Si, who were recommended to the naval academy for short-term training courses after making meritorious contributions during the previous patrol of the South China Sea. After passing the course, they were directly promoted.

Of course, this was also the period of prosperity in the early days of the navy's establishment. As the training system became more standardized, the requirements for officers naturally became higher and higher.

As expected, once the personnel had almost all gathered, the Pacification Commissioner Chen Hao brought out the Emperor's edict and read out the order to inspect the eastern seas.

The naval officers present shouted "Long live the admiral!" Admiral Li Chao gave everyone another day and a night to board the ship and assemble for departure at dawn the next day.

After dismissing the soldiers, Admiral Li Chao, holding a nautical chart, discussed the upcoming patrol with Pacification Commissioner Chen Hao.

Li Chao said:

"Envoy Chen, we are here on imperial orders to patrol the border. The court has ordered us to wipe out the Japanese pirates and piracy along the way. We must ensure that our artillery supplies are sufficient."

Chen Hao and Li Chao are old partners. He pointed to the nautical chart and said:

"During this patrol, we will stop at Pi Island, Incheon in North Korea, and Jeju Naval Base for resupply. The corresponding weapons supplies have already been stored."

Li Chao nodded. The warship needed to carry too many supplies, and the gunpowder was prone to getting damp on board.

With the vast ocean, the Japanese pirates wouldn't be foolish enough to charge directly at the imperial fleet.

Therefore, naval warfare in this era is all about intelligence and logistical support capabilities.

The Ming Dynasty's navy was rapidly becoming a systematic force, which naturally made it far superior to the scattered and disorganized Japanese pirates.

Chen Hao then took out another nautical chart and said:
"The Korean Ministry of State Affairs has sent detailed intelligence about the Japanese pirate strongholds near Jeju Island. We will strike at their heart. But once we get past Jeju Island, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

Li Chao and the envoy already had a tacit understanding. He understood the hidden meaning in Chen Hao's words and asked with a smile:

"If Envoy Chen has any other secret orders, just say them."

Chen Hao nodded and said:

"When the merchant ships of Kuwugongmu pass through the Korean Strait, they are often attacked by a group of Japanese pirates. Zhang Bingbi sent a secret order from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, asking us to take the opportunity to wipe out the Japanese pirates in the vicinity."

Zhang Bingbi is Zhang Cheng, who has just been promoted to the position of Bingbi of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Zhang Cheng was originally the garrison eunuch of the Dengzhou-Laizhou Maritime Trade Office and had a relationship with Chen Hao.

Following the reshuffle at the Directorate of Ceremonial, the division of labor among the three chief eunuchs was also adjusted. Chen Hong has now replaced Feng Bao as head of the Imperial Guard, while Zhang Cheng has taken over the Inner Transport Warehouse.

Zhang Cheng was naturally anxious because the Kuwugong Road was blocked. Moreover, Kuwugong timber was the most important source of material for the shipbuilding industry in Laizhou. Li Chao immediately said:
"I don't think this is anything special. This is also a matter for our navy. Even without Eunuch Zhang's orders, our navy will take care of it!"

Li Chao then unfolded another nautical chart and said:
"Where is this group of Japanese pirates' stronghold?"

Chen Hao said:

"Based on the deductions made by the Naval Academy and information from merchant ships, the Japanese pirates' lair should be here."

Tsushima Island?

Li Chao frowned and said:
"Tsushima Island, the island the Mongols conquered?"

"That's the island."

Li Chao looked at the island carefully, and the more he looked, the more he liked it.

Tsushima Island is located in the middle of the Korea Strait, sandwiched between North Korea and Japan.

When the Mongols conquered Japan, they first conquered Tsushima Island, and then used Tsushima Island as a springboard to attack the Japanese mainland.

"This is a great place! I remember there's fresh water on the island, right?"

Chen Hao nodded and said:

"I have obtained the information from the Hanlin Academy. There is fresh water on Tsushima Island, which can be cultivated."

Li Chao said, "By occupying Tsushima Island, the trade routes along the Korean Strait will be secured, and the route of Kuwgongmu will not be cut off."

Chen Hao hadn't expected Li Chao to have such a big appetite, and he asked:
"Tsushima Island is too close to Japan, and there is a history of conquest by the former Yuan Dynasty. If the admiral occupies Tsushima Island, will it arouse Japan's vigilance?"

"What if the Japanese unite again? Wouldn't that ruin the imperial court's major policies?"

Li Chao shook his head and said:
"We went to Tsushima Island to wipe out the Japanese pirates. How could the Japanese interfere?"

"Besides, the Japanese are afraid of power but not of kindness. If we don't properly deter them this time, they will cause even more trouble!"

"Envoy Chen, one cannot hesitate in battle!"

Hearing Li Chao say that, Chen Hao was speechless.

However, this admiral's greatest hobby was building naval ports, and with such an important location as Tsushima Island, how could he possibly resist?

Chen Hao had no choice but to back down and say:
"Then I urge the Admiral to write to the court, requesting the Korean and Japanese intelligence agencies to conduct intelligence work and gather information on the movements of the Japanese."

"Of course!"
-
August 12th, Beijing, newspaper office.

Shen Yiguan rushed into the newspaper office and exclaimed, "Brother Zilin, the railway is finished!"

Luo Wanhua gave him a look as if he were an idiot and said:

"The railway is finished. How could Brother Zilin not know? He has already gone to the Ministry of Works to prepare for tomorrow's completion ceremony."

"what?"

Shen Yiguan slapped his forehead, realizing he had been a bit foolish. He then looked at Luo Wanhua and said:

"Brother Yifu, aren't you going to the scene? This is big news in the capital!"

Luo Wanhua shook his head and said:
"After laying the tracks, Brother Zilin said that the project would not be truly completed until the railway was running smoothly."

Shen Yiguan thought about it and agreed. He nodded and said:
"What are you busy with, Brother Yifu?"

Luo Wanhua selected a report:
"A strange disease has appeared in the steel mills under the Ministry of Works, and many craftsmen have developed the same symptoms."

Shen Yiguan's expression changed and he asked:
Does this include steel mills in the suburbs of Beijing?

Luo Wanhua nodded and said:
"These include new ironworks that use coke oven gas for steelmaking, and the steelworks in the suburbs of Beijing have the biggest problems."

Shen Yiguan's face turned ugly.

The steel plant in the suburbs of Beijing was the largest modern steel plant near the capital, and its construction was overseen by Wan Jing, a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

The latest coke oven gas steelmaking method used in this steel plant involves first dry-burning coal to produce carbon monoxide, then heating the carbon monoxide and burning it to achieve a higher furnace temperature.

The newly built railway was intended to supply coal and iron ore to steel mills in the suburbs of Beijing.

If the steel mills in the suburbs of Beijing are experiencing problems and production is affected, then the role of the railway will be greatly diminished.

Shen Yiguan asked, "Is it carbon monoxide poisoning?" Luo Wanhua shook his head and said:
“It’s different. This time, the poisoned craftsmen all had symptoms such as red and swollen throats and incessant tearing, and some even had heart attacks on the spot.”

"Some workers have milder symptoms; they just suddenly faint while working."

"Moreover, in the steel mills where poisoning occurred, the workers all reported smelling a pungent odor, like urine."

Shen Yiguan was even more puzzled now: "Pee? The factory must have strict management, right? How could a craftsman urinate anywhere?"

"It shouldn't be. Even if it were just a few individual craftsmen urinating indiscriminately, it wouldn't be reported everywhere like this."

"What does Brother Zilin think?"

"Brother Zilin seems to know the reason. He went to the Ministry of Works today to discuss how to resolve this matter."

Shen Yiguan said with relief:

"This is a good thing."

Luo Wanhua, however, looked worried:
"It's certainly a good thing for you, but the newspaper will have one less story to tell."
-
Su Ze arrived at the Ministry of Works, where he was received by Wan Jing, the head of the Construction Department. The two quickly finished discussing the railway completion ceremony.

The railway company was a publicly traded company, so the company's directors were invited to the completion ceremony, and the Ministry of Works also sent a physician, Wan Jing, to attend.

That was originally planned; the Ministry of Works would just need to organize a simple ceremony.

However, for some reason, Cabinet Secretary for Water Affairs, Raleigh, also showed interest in the railway and requested to attend the completion ceremony.

Since Lei Li is coming, then the current head of the Ministry of Works, Vice Minister Pan Jixun, should also attend.

To give the two superiors a sense of involvement, Wan Jing revised the plan again.

After the railway completion ceremony, Minister Lei and Vice Minister Pan will board a horse-drawn carriage to experience the feeling of railway travel.

Of course, the two important figures wouldn't actually take a horse-drawn train to Fangshan; they would just ride it briefly to experience it.

Moreover, the steel had already been transported by horse-drawn railcars when the railway was being laid, so transporting the two officials was not technically difficult. The Ministry of Works converted a passenger carriage to specially accommodate the two cabinet ministers.

Wan Jing's only worry was that there would be no malfunctions during the trial operation.

After finalizing the details with Su Ze, Wan Jing couldn't wait to start talking about the ironworks.

"Brother Zilin, have you investigated the poisoning matter thoroughly?"

Su Ze nodded and said:

"I would like to ask Brother Wan to come with me to the steel plant on the outskirts of Beijing."

The two traveled by carriage from the Ministry of Works to a steel mill on the outskirts of Beijing.

A massive steel plant stands beside the canal on the outskirts of Beijing, resembling a terrifying monster spewing smoke.

As Su Ze approached the ironworks, he smelled a pungent odor.

The closer you get to the ironworks, the higher the temperature feels. August is already scorching hot, so working at the ironworks at this time is really tough.

The craftsmen were able to endure it because the state-run ironworks offered good treatment.

Wan Jing and Su Ze entered the ironworks and arrived at the core steelmaking workshop, where Wan Jing met a middle-aged man dressed as a Taoist priest.

"This is Mr. Tao, a court attendant in the Eastern Palace."

The "Dai Zhao" were courtiers in the Eastern Palace, essentially entertainers recruited by the Crown Prince to keep him company.

For example, the famous "Chess Attendant" was someone who played chess with the emperor.

These positions had no official rank and were considered low-ranking officials. Because they often had to entertain the emperor and the crown prince, they were looked down upon by ordinary ministers.

Wan Jing found Tao Guan's Taoist attire even more repulsive.

Because of the late Emperor Jiajing, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty had some psychological trauma related to alchemy. Fortunately, the current emperor only enjoys alchemy himself and does not bother the ministers to submit alchemical petitions.

However, the civil officials still did not treat the alchemists around the emperor and the crown prince with kindness.

Wan Jing also didn't understand why Su Ze was so polite to a mere court official and even sent him to the steel mill.

Su Ze stepped forward and asked:

"Has Mr. Tao found the cause of the illness?"

Tao Guan immediately said:

"I have found the cause of the illness. Please, gentlemen, take a look."

Wan Jing and Su Ze followed Tao Guan to the coke oven workshop of the ironworks.

This is where coal is processed into gas, and sure enough, I smelled urine as soon as I entered.

Su Ze became even more certain of his judgment.

When natural coal burns at high temperatures, it produces ammonia gas, which is the culprit behind the poisoning of steel mill workers!

Su Ze realized to himself that he had completely forgotten about this!

Ammonia is a toxic gas with a urine-like odor. It can irritate the respiratory tract and eyes, and severe ammonia poisoning can be fatal.

It's actually quite simple to deal with. Ammonia is soluble in water, so you can filter it out with water.

However, ammonia, a byproduct of steelmaking, has played a pivotal role in history!
Before the advent of ammonia synthesis technology, this was the only way to artificially produce ammonia!

Ammonia is the most important nitrogen fertilizer!
Ammonia reacts with sulfuric acid to form ammonium sulfate, which was the earliest industrial nitrogen fertilizer!

I completely forgot about this!
The Industrial Revolution also required an agricultural revolution in order to increase yields per acre and free up more agricultural workers to engage in industrial production.

Besides breeding, the most important aspect of the agricultural revolution was chemical fertilizers!

The yield-increasing effect of chemical fertilizers is significant. Even ammonium sulfate, the simplest nitrogen fertilizer, can increase grain yield by more than 50%!

More importantly, fertilizers can increase soil fertility, eliminating the need for crop rotation on barren land and greatly increasing land use efficiency.

The three elements needed for crop growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen fertilizer is ammonium sulfate.

Potassium fertilizer can be provided by the biological world itself; for example, wood ash contains potassium.

Finally, there's phosphate fertilizer, which requires breakthroughs in ocean navigation technology. Su Ze remembers that many islands in the Pacific Ocean are covered in bird droppings.

These natural phosphate fertilizers will be enough for the Ming Dynasty to use for a long time.

Tao Guan had received his chemical education from Su Ze. He demonstrated to Wan Jing how to separate ammonia water and conducted experiments on animals with ammonia water. Sure enough, the same symptoms appeared as those of the craftsman.

Now Wan Jing had some respect for the Taoist priest from the Eastern Palace. Tao Guan then designed a device to absorb ammonia using water and sulfuric acid, which made Wan Jing even more respectful of Tao Guan.

Wan Jing then said:
"Brother Zilin, Mr. Tao, is this ammonia the culprit behind the poisoning?"

Su Ze shook his head and pointed to the blazing steel furnace, saying:

"It's not just ammonia; there's another cause."

(End of this chapter)