xymnovel Chapter 65 Snow Salt, a Specialty of Dalu Island
Chapter 65 Snow Salt, a Specialty of Dalu Island
Chapter 66 Snow Salt, a Specialty of Dalu Island
Chapter 065 Chen Ying almost thought he had gone to the wrong place. More than two months ago, when Fu Yingxing dragged him away, this place was just a desolate island.
There were hardly any houses, the beach was full of jagged rocks and overgrown weeds, but now, starting from the pier, three roads extend into the distance.
All three roads were rammed earth roads, with some sections paved with stone slabs. The stone slabs were stacked neatly, and each road was wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side. The dock was bustling with people, with laborers shouting slogans as they loaded and unloaded goods, and supervisors patrolling back and forth with booklets. The whole place was orderly.
To the southeast of the dock, a dozen chimneys, each over six zhang tall, were belching black smoke. Near the smelting furnace workshop, workshops were in operation, connected by stone passageways. Craftsmen pushing ore carts and coke carts moved among them, looking like a busy swarm of ants from a distance.
"I, Su Mei, respectfully welcome Commander back to the island!"
She curtsied, her movements swift and decisive, devoid of any trace of femininity.
Chen Ying stared at her for a long while before saying, "Miss Su—Manager Su. The changes on this island are truly unbelievable. When I left, the island's food reserves could only last for half a month, its manpower was less than 30,000, and building materials were scarce. How did you manage to achieve this in just over two months?"
When Chen Ying left Dalu Island, he borrowed 5,000 shi of grain from Mao Wenlong. However, the problem was that 5,000 shi of grain could only last for half a month. Even if Gan Yanshou sent another 30,000 shi of grain, it would only be enough to barely sustain them.
Su Mei smiled slightly and stepped aside to lead the way: "Commander, please follow me as we walk and observe. This matter is a long story, but in the end, it boils down to sixteen words: making the best use of people's talents, making the best use of resources, strictly enforcing rewards and punishments, and striving for every penny."
Su Mei was actually quite helpless. She had reached an agreement with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to exempt her younger brother Su Wei from the punishment of being sent to the army. Although it was just forced labor, it was basically a matter of life and death.
Su Wei was working as a horse herder in the rear guard of the Liaodong Army when he was unexpectedly kicked in the abdomen by a wild horse and almost died on the spot. When Su Mei received the news, she was also thrown into a panic.
She had hoped that by serving Chen Ying, she could become his concubine. She thought that as long as Chen Ying asked for a soldier from the Liaodong Army, whether he was a lieutenant general of the rear guard or the general of the Liaodong Army, he would give Chen Ying face.
It's a real pity that Chen Ying left in such a hurry that she didn't have a chance to win him over. However, her younger brother couldn't hold out for long. In desperation, she took advantage of her close contact with Chen Ying. Anyway, since she and Chen Ying were in the same room and Chen Ying was not on Dalu Island, she called herself Chen Ying's concubine.
The day after Chen Ying left, Su Mei, in Chen Ying's name, summoned all the captains and above on the island, as well as the heads of various workshops, to discuss matters. She took stock of all of Chen Ying's assets on the island, including food, tools, building materials, ships, gold and silver, valuables, and even the skills and labor that each person could provide, registering and categorizing them all.
The second thing she did was to establish rules. She discussed with Chen Jide, learned about the rules of the Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau and the Shahe Garrison Command, and compiled the rules for Dalu Island.
Those who cheat or shirk their duties will have their rations reduced, and those who fight or cause trouble will be whipped twenty times; those with outstanding skills and exceptional efficiency will receive an extra liter of grain per day, and those who propose improvements to the process or save materials will be richly rewarded as appropriate.
Food rations were distributed according to labor, and settled daily. Those who worked hard and did well would get an extra bowl of thick porridge in the evening, and might even receive some salted fish and pickles. Those who worked little or slacked off would only get thin soup to keep them from starving.
Despite being a woman, Su Mei was a ruthless secret agent of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In the first few days, when trouble broke out, Su Mei personally killed thirteen ringleaders and confiscated the rations of five lower-ranking leaders. After that, no one dared to slack off.
Making the most of resources was Su Meiqian's second task. Mao Wenlong collaborated with Kim Bok-soon of the Jinshibao in Korea. Mao Wenlong used the craftsmen of his Dongjiang Army to smelt steel and forge armor and weapons, and did business with Kim Bok-soon. Although the armor made in the Ming Dynasty cost twelve taels of silver, it was worth more than one hundred taels of silver when sold in Korea.
Each suit of armor sold to Japan was worth more than 500 taels of silver. Jin Fushun was too greedy and made so much money that he did not know how to share the profits. Su Mei used the Jinyiwei's channels to contact Jiang He, a Jinyiwei commander in North Hamgyong Province of Korea. Through Jiang He, she contacted Hong Fei in Korea.
Hong-ba is the third son-in-law of Yi Sun-sin and can be considered a powerful figure in Joseon. You, Kim Bok-soon, can sell the iron mine of Musan to the Ming Dynasty and make a profit, but I, Hong-ba, cannot?
More importantly, Jiang He was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Under the banner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Hong Bei organized the Korean people to mine iron ore and then sell it to Dalu Island.
After Su Mei and Hong Bei reached an agreement, Su Mei dispatched over six hundred skilled prospectors from Dalu Island to the Korean coast by boat. Within a month, they found two small coal mines, three limestone mines, and an iron ore vein with a low grade but sufficient for emergency use. Although the quantity was small, it was enough to support the initial trials and construction.
Su Mei then used the salt, cloth, and ironware produced on Dalu Island to exchange for clay and coking coal. These items were not valuable in Korea and were easy to exchange.
She completed the profit and loss assessment for Dalu Island in the shortest possible time.
Listening to Su Mei's introduction, Chen Ying realized that she was truly a talented person. Although she acted under Chen Ying's name, she delayed repaying the five thousand shi of grain that Chen Ying had borrowed, and then borrowed ten thousand shi of grain in Chen Ying's name. She then sold the smelted steel to Mao Wenlong at seventy percent of the market price.
How many people are here now?
Although Chen Ying had not seen the detailed account books, he could tell that there were at least 50,000 artisans on the island.
Su Mei smiled and said, "Of the more than 29,000 people on the island, after deducting the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled, nearly 20,000 are able to contribute."
I divided them into three shifts: one to quarry stone and fire bricks; one to build docks and workshops; and one to construct the city walls and houses. The three shifts worked in shifts, day and night. All projects were broken down into smaller sections according to the blueprints, assigned to each team, with deadlines for completion. Early completion was rewarded, and delays were punished.
"In the beginning, many people couldn't even hold a hammer properly, and they couldn't chisel stones evenly. So I broke up the craftsmen and assigned one or two master craftsmen to each team, teaching them as they went. After a month, even novices became skilled. Now, there are more than ten times more people on the island who can do stonework and carpentry than there were two months ago."
"As for money and provisions—"
Su Mei smiled bitterly, "The 15,000 shi borrowed by Commander Mao and the 30,000 shi sent by Master Fu sound like a lot, but it won't last more than two months to support 50,000 to 60,000 people. I dared to do a few things that were against the rules!"
"explain."
"I used the iron ore yet to be produced and my future share of maritime trade as collateral to purchase grain, cloth, and tools worth 100,000 taels from several merchants in Tianjin and Dengzhou through the channels of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The repayment period is six months."
Chen Ying's eyelids twitched. Ten thousand taels of silver? This woman is incredibly audacious.
"I organized the women and children on the island to work day and night to make military uniforms using the cloth they obtained through trade and the ramie and hemp produced on the island."
Bedding and canvas. Besides personal use, some of the finished products were sold to the Korean coast via passing ships in exchange for food and medicine!
Su Mei continued, "After the blast furnace produced iron, the first batch of wrought iron was not entirely used by ourselves. Half of it was used to make farm tools and knives, which were also exported. Although the profit was small, it provided a steady stream of income and supplemented our income considerably. I did not consult you beforehand and acted on my own initiative. I am willing to accept any punishment."
Looking at the tall and upright woman in front of him, Chen Ying suddenly remembered that she was once the daughter of a senior official in the Ministry of Justice. After her family was destroyed, she was made a government slave and then trained by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to become a spy.
Such a background likely forged not only resilience, but also resourcefulness, courage, and a profound understanding of human nature that are beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"You did the right thing."
Chen Ying said calmly, "Not only have you done nothing wrong, but you have also made great contributions. Su Mei, from today onwards, you rightfully assume the position of General Manager of Dalu Island. I will recommend you for commendation."
"I am grateful for your trust, Commander. I dare not take credit for anything; I have only done my duty. Things are just beginning to get started on the island, but hidden dangers remain. Food reserves are only enough for a little over a month, the quality of iron produced by the blast furnace is still unstable, the shipyard lacks large timbers, and the city's defenses are completely inadequate. Furthermore, the island is populated by a diverse group of people from all over. Although they are restrained by strict laws, changes are inevitable over time. These matters require your decision upon your return, Commander."
Chen Ying nodded, looking at the bustling, chimney-lined Dalu Island: "I'll take care of the food issue."
Starting tomorrow, I will establish an army on the island. It's time to put the troops from Shahe Guard to use. Dalu Island will not only become a workshop and a port, but also an unsinkable sea fortress.
The city on Dalu Island is not called Dalu Island, but Chenjiabao, which can be considered a reflection of Su Mei's social skills.
In the Chenjiabao office, candlelight shone brightly. Chen Ying sat behind his desk, with densely packed account books and documents laid out before him by Su Mei.
Su Mei stood by, holding her breath.
"Great guy!"
Chen Ying smiled faintly and said, "The imperial court has granted us 7,000 soldiers for the Shahe Guard, but we'll give you 2,000!"
"ah----"
Chen Daniu was utterly shocked: "Two thousand soldiers? What kind of organization is that?"
"Dalu Island Garrison!"
Chen Ying said calmly, "Complete the troop recruitment as soon as possible. In addition, we need to establish our Shahe Navy, and warship construction should begin immediately!"
Through the Tianqi Emperor, Chen Ying obtained the Fengzhou of the 34th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. This was a super-large warship, supervised by Xia Ziyang. It was about 15 zhang long, 2 zhang 9 chi wide, and 1 zhang 4 chi deep, with a length-to-width ratio of about 5.1:1 and a volume of about 4,400 liao.
Its full-load displacement is approximately 1,400 tons, and its load capacity is approximately 800 tons.
Chen Yingke lacked the capability to oversee the construction of such a warship. Of course, even a broken ship has its nails; Xia Ziyang was formerly the Right Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty. In the 34th year of the Wanli reign (1606), as the chief envoy to the Ryukyu Kingdom, he represented the Ming Dynasty in bestowing the title of King of Zhongshan upon Shang Ning.
To demonstrate the power of the Ming Dynasty, Xia Ziyang spent three years overseeing the construction of the Fengzhou (a type of ancient Chinese ship). Unfortunately, most of the craftsmen who were in charge of the construction are now old, and even the apprentices from back then are now very old.
Su Mei was somewhat puzzled: "Commander, our shipyard on Dalu Island can only build ships of two to three thousand liang (a unit of weight). Isn't it a bit risky to rashly supervise the construction of warships of over four thousand four hundred liang?"
"There's no time!"
Chen Ying was also very frustrated. For him, the protagonist, Zheng Zhilong was actually the one with the protagonist's script. At the age of seventeen, Zheng Zhilong went to Macau to work with his uncle Huang Cheng. Later, he went to Manila and was taken in by Li Dan, a Japanese businessman, who adopted him.
When Zheng Zhilong was nineteen years old, Li Dan groomed him to be his successor. In July of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, Li Dan died. Since Li Dan had no sons, he gave all his estate and his fleet of more than 600 armed merchant ships to Zheng Zhilong.
In September of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, Zheng Zhilong's sworn brother, Yan Siqi, the King of Taiwan, passed away. Zheng Zhilong was elected by the crowd to become Yan Siqi's successor, inheriting Yan Siqi's sixteen settlements in Taiwan, as well as more than one hundred warships and more than 34,000 private soldiers.
After two years of preparation, Zheng Zhilong became the King of the Sea, commanding over 60,000 soldiers and more than 700 warships. He went from a poor boy to a wealthy man with millions of taels of silver.
Chen Ying has worked hard for over a year, but his net worth is still less than one-tenth of Zheng Zhilong's. Now Chen Ying needs to develop his navy; otherwise, Dalu Island will just be a piece of fat meat in other people's mouths.
Chen Ying wanted to build this large warship with a capacity of 4,400 tons in order to seize the initiative. Otherwise, it would be even more difficult in the future once Zheng Zhilong had fully developed his business.
Chen Ying saw the simple record of Su Mei's younger brother, Su Wei: Su Wei, age seventeen, was sent to Liaodong for military service and forced labor. On the ninth day of the fifth month of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, he was kicked in the abdomen by a wild horse—"
If Su Mei hadn't demonstrated her abilities, Chen Ying really wouldn't have bothered with her. After all, Ma Shilong, the general of the Liaodong Army, was a second-rank military officer, much higher than Chen Ying, the commander of Shahe Guard.
If they give Chen Ying face, that's fine; if they don't, he'll only be more embarrassed.
However, Ma Shilong was a military general, so giving him a batch of weapons and establishing a good relationship wouldn't be a big problem. The problem was that Chen Ying had heard that the Guan Ning Army was a puppet army of the Later Jin. Giving Ma Shilong weapons might end up in the hands of the Jurchens.
"Salt."
Chen Ying suddenly remembered the salt fields on Dalu Island. Su Mei had already opened more than 2,500 mu of salt fields, which could produce a lot of salt. However, the problem was that the sea salt from the Ming Dynasty had a lot of impurities.
Moreover, Ma Shilong actually had no shortage of salt. As a time traveler, Chen Ying was very clear about the basic principles of salt purification.
While relatively mature salt-boiling and salt-drying techniques existed in the Ming Dynasty, limitations in filtration and crystallization processes prevented the production of high-purity refined salt. However, during his university years, he learned how to purify salt using simple dissolution, filtration, and recrystallization processes.
"Su Mei, go and prepare immediately."
Chen Ying instructed, "I need dozens of large iron pots, the finest sea salt, multiple layers of clean, fine linen, a large amount of charcoal ground into a fine powder, and clean fresh water. Also, find dozens of absolutely reliable and efficient craftsmen!"
"I'll take care of it right away!"
For the next three days, in a secluded workshop on the southeast corner of Dalu Island, Chen Ying personally led fifty old craftsmen who had signed life-or-death contracts to immerse themselves in experiments.
The process is not complicated; it involves dissolving, filtering to remove impurities, secondary purification, evaporation and crystallization, and salt collection and drying.
Once a large amount of white crystals have precipitated in the pot, stop heating. Use a fine-mesh bamboo sieve to scoop out the salt crystals and place them on a bamboo tray lined with clean, fine linen cloth. Use the residual heat of the workshop area to slowly dry them.
When the first batch of finished products came out, even the most experienced and knowledgeable craftsmen were astonished.
The salt was as white as snow, with fine and uniform grains that sparkled in the sunlight. A handful of it felt dry and refreshing, without any dampness or stickiness.
Take a bite, and you'll find only pure saltiness, without any bitterness or off-flavors.
"This—this is really salt?"
An old salt-making craftsman was so excited he almost cried: "Is this really salt?"
"It's salt, but not ordinary salt."
Chen Ying picked up a small pinch and let it flow through his fingers: "Like sand and snow, this is snow salt."
Coarse salt is inexpensive, with charcoal, linen, and labor being the major costs, but large-scale production can further reduce costs. Such quality is absolutely unavailable on the market.
"Anyone who participates in salt production today will be rewarded with ten taels of silver, but must swear an oath that the method will never be revealed to anyone."
Chen Ying said earnestly, "From today onwards, this workshop will be designated a restricted area and guarded by the personal guard. Steward Su, select reliable personnel to expand production and prepare 600 catties in advance. It must be packaged in specially made wooden boxes, and must be exquisite."
"This 600 jin is a gift for Ma Shilong. Also, prepare another 20 jin, divided into ten small jars, for my other purposes."
Five days later, Chen Ying led a small fleet away from Dalu Island, heading north to Liaodong. On board were a hundred personal guards, 620 jin of carefully packaged snow salt, and some samples of fine ironware produced in Shahe.
P.S.: I almost messed up today. Because it was so cold, I burned charcoal indoors to keep warm, and ended up sleeping from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. If my cat hadn't scratched me, I probably wouldn't have woken up.