After returning home, Zhu Ming had no intention of doing any more experiments.
He found that if the sand-soil ratio was reduced and charcoal powder and sawdust were added, the briquettes would be more flammable. If the sawdust was slightly carbonized, the briquettes would be easier to burn.
But considering the cost, they all gave up.
It's better to go straight to the simple and crude way. Coal and soil can be burned. What kind of charcoal powder do you need? What kind of sawdust do you need?
80% coal, 20% mud, this is the best ratio, it will ignite easily if it burns for a long time.
There is no other choice for soil. Most of the soil near Kaifeng is yellow loam. Moreover, it is not the sticky yellow loam suitable for making honeycomb briquettes, but the kind of sandy yellow loam that is slightly less sticky. I can only say that it can be used.
"Ms. sir, there are guests waiting for you at home. They are listening to Mr. Chen's lecture." Bai Sheng took the reins and led the horse in.
Ju Ming asked: "Scholar?"
Bai Sheng said: "My surname is Che, and he claims to be the head of the charcoal industry. I moved all the charcoal stoves and charcoal briquettes at home and hid them in the house so that he could not see them."
"Well done." Zhu Ming praised.
Bai Chongyan and Min Zishun are still reading books to prepare for the exam, which has been confirmed to be held on the second day of next month.
Zhu Ming offended Cai Jing, and Cai's party took control of the official department.
Even if they pass the exam, they will probably be suppressed and thrown into a remote place for a few years without the possibility of moving.
Ju Ming will definitely bring trouble to his friends, and he doesn’t know how to comfort him.
But I saw Chen Yuan sitting in the corridor, giving a lecture to a businessman: "The Carbon Coal Department and the government-run business violate the theory of square rules. It is difficult for your coal industry to draw squares, so you have to seek a strike. This is right and understandable."
The businessman said happily: "In terms of knowledge, are we also reasonable?"
Chen Yuan nodded: "Natural logic. The way of heaven is nothing more than the way of humanity. A benevolent person loves others. Businessmen are also human beings. The court should treat them with benevolent government."
The businessman asked: "But those gentlemen say that the merchants are cunning people, and the court also says that we are industrial and commercial miscellaneous people."
Chen Yuan asked: "Isn't it true that there are many cunning people among merchants?"
The businessman couldn't argue with this, because it was a fact. He could only argue: "Businessmen are so cunning, how can it be that scholars are not cunning? How many of the husbands in the court are not cunning?"
Chen Yuan said: "If you don't want to be looked down upon, merchants should have a way to make money. It must be remembered that there is a way to make money, not a way to make money. Between ways and skills, the way comes first, and the skills come later. You are the leader of the charcoal line, if you
Without government exploitation, wouldn't you guys hoard things and drive up market prices?"
The businessman said: "Of course not, there are rules in the charcoal industry."
Chen Yuan smiled: "Since you are so hypocritical, you don't have to listen to my nonsense. Farewell."
"Sir, please don't leave," the businessman quickly stopped, "I like to listen to your great talk."
Chen Yuan said: "The bad reputation of merchants is not imposed by scholars, but a label you have given yourself for thousands of years. Do you know that there are Confucian merchants in the south?"
The businessman shook his head: "I don't know."
With the development of the commodity economy and the proliferation of scholars, starting from the mid-Northern Song Dynasty, more and more failed scholars began to engage in business.
Some of them combine Confucianism with business ethics and call themselves "Confucian businessmen." They pursue the principle that "a gentleman loves money and acquires it in a proper way" and integrates the Confucian "discrimination between justice and benefit" into business activities. No matter what happens in private, at least on the surface.
Can be criticized.
Wang Anshi's new learning had an effect on "Confucian businessmen".
Chen Yuan said: "In Confucianism, there is justice and benefit. A gentleman is understood by justice, and a villain is understood by benefit. This is a sentence in the Analects of Confucius. You must have read it a long time ago. But can a gentleman talk about benefit? Yes. A gentleman should manage his finances with justice...
…”
Managing finances with justice is Wang Anshi's point of view.
Recently, in order to give lectures in the capital, Chen Yuan re-read Wang Anshi's articles.
In the past, he read Wang Anshi with a critical eye and purely from the perspective of a disciple of Luo School.
Now when I read Wang Anshi again, the purpose is to absorb it, extract the available content of the new learning, and package "Tao Yongxue" into new learning for promotion.
The reading angle is different, and the perception is very different.
Chen Yuan found that most of Wang Anshi's theory of justice and benefit can be used as a footnote to Dao Yong Lun.
If we want to talk about justice and benefit, we must first talk about human nature.
Wang Anshi overturned the views of Mencius, Xunzi and others, and directly pursued Confucius' "nature is similar, habits are far apart". He believed that nature does not matter good or evil, it is neither good nor evil, and it depends purely on acquired learning.
Then, he said that righteousness and benefit are not opposites, but can be unified.
Public interest is righteousness, and managing finances for the country is about profit, but the result is righteousness. He also said, "In the Rites of Zhou, financial management accounts for half of it. How can the Duke of Zhou do it for profit?"
He also said that Yang Zhu only knew that benefiting oneself was unrighteous, Mozi only knew that benefiting others was unkind, but benefiting others and oneself combined was benevolent and righteous.
Chen Yuan has continued to write articles recently, and he has almost finished the "Principal on Righteousness and Benefit", quoting a lot of Wang Anshi's views.
But there is one thing: Chen Yuan does not support Wang Anshi.
He believed that "righteousness comes before benefit", while Wang Anshi believed that "profit comes before righteousness".
Wang Anshi was too radical. He said that only when people have good moral sentiments, live long lives, have regular children, and are not harassed or exploited. Without a stable material life, people cannot have good morals. Without good morals, society will not be able to survive.
There will be turmoil.
It can be simply summarized as: The poor are not qualified to talk about justice! The poor should not talk about morality! The court must reduce the number of poor people, and then through moral education, only then can there be more gentlemen and the society will be stable.
This view made Chen Yuan feel extremely uncomfortable.
Why don't you talk about it when a gentleman is poor?
This businessman came to visit Ju Ming in the afternoon and listened to Chen Yuan's talk for three hours.
Finally, he bowed and said: "Sir is really a great scholar. I have a son who is studying at a government school. I wonder if I can become a disciple of you?"
"Okay," Chen Yuan said with a smile, "Other merchants can also come to study."
The businessman said: "I am the head of the charcoal trade. When I get back, I will tell them that all the merchants in the charcoal trade will send their children to be apprentices."
Of course, what merchants value is not knowledge, but social recognition.
Although the social atmosphere is becoming more and more profit-seeking, and businessmen are becoming more and more tolerant, the background is still discrimination. There is no psychological burden when exploiting people, and they only regard businessmen as tools to make money.
That's why Xu Xiang's father went to Bianliang to do business with goods. When he saw the Jinshi people lining up and walking out of Donghua Gate, he sighed: "This is how you should be when you have a son." So he stopped doing business, only kept a few shops, and devoted himself to raising his son to study.
Imperial examination.
There is another Niu Jianbu who pays grain to buy an official position. He earns more than a thousand guan every month by collecting rent, and also has countless properties. However, he laments that "he lives in a lowly world, and it is difficult to get close to the nobles." He visits famous teachers everywhere and makes friends with famous people.
I spent crazy money to entertain scholars, and finally donated food to buy a small official. I happily clocked in to work every day. Not only was I not greedy, but I also gave money to do a good job.
The businessman in front of him felt that Chen Yuan was willing to speak for the businessman and that Chen Yuan's knowledge must be good, so he sent his son to become a disciple.
Hearing Ju Ming's footsteps, Chen Yuan stood up and said, "Tanhua Lang is back. You guys go and talk."
The businessman hurriedly bowed to Zhu Ming: "Young man, Che Guirou, pays homage to Zhu Xuezheng!"
Ju Ming smiled and said: "Please take a seat at the front of the car."
Che Guirou took out the wooden box, pulled off the red cloth, and opened the lid: "Zhu Xuezheng spoke uprightly and impeached corrupt officials like us for the charcoal dealers, but he was fined two months' salary by the officials. All Tokyo charcoal dealers admired him so much, so he prepared some
A small gift is not a sign of respect."
Lying in the box were two gold cakes, worth about two hundred guan.
In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the price of gold was extremely high. One tael of gold was worth at least 20 guan, and sometimes even 30 guan.
Ju Ming glanced at it and pushed the gold back: "No need."
Che Guirou said: "This is not a gift from my family, but a joint venture between the charcoal merchants."
Zhu Ming did not say whether he would accept it or not, but instead asked: "How long will the charcoal market go on strike this time? Is it to raise the price of charcoal?"
Che Guirou said: "The Carbon Corporation is forcing us to sell charcoal at low prices, but at the same time it prohibits foreign charcoal dealers from selling to us. The charcoal shops are on strike, not to raise prices, but just to purchase goods at a fair price. Foreign charcoal dealers are also unable to withdraw.
If we can retreat, we can only make an appointment to strike out together. Please ask Zhu Xuezheng to go to Shu to impeach the Carboniferous Department!"
Zhu Ming smiled and said: "It turns out that I can't collect these two pieces of gold in vain. I have to help you dig them up again."
"How dare you, after the thing is done, there will be a thank you gift." Che Guirou said.
Ju Ming asked: "There are dozens of merchants in the charcoal business, but no other officials can help?"
Che Guirou said with emotion: "Thirty years ago, Tan Xing was still able to talk. Later, it gradually declined. Where can I still make friends with Qinggui?"
Government-run enterprises squeezed the coal market starting from the Renzong Dynasty. Officials went directly to make money, which of course was more than what businessmen could get from their filial piety.
Nowadays, the merchants in the charcoal trade have been made financially weak and can only bribe small officials like Zhu Ming.
Besides Ju Ming, who else but Ju Ming could be the person who dared to go to court to discuss matters?
Ju Ming said: "I want to open a charcoal shop. Can I join the charcoal business?"
Che Guirou was startled for a moment, then became happy: "Welcome!"
Private coal merchants are not afraid of officials opening stores to compete, but they are afraid of government-run enterprises coming to ruin their business.
Of course they are willing to accept Ju Ming, and they wish they could bring in more officials so that they can better deal with the exploitation of the Carboniferous Department in the future!
Ju Ming asked: "Are there any rules in the charcoal business?"
Che Guirou said: "You cannot raise or lower prices privately, you must advance and retreat together. If you encounter government exploitation, you are not allowed to communicate with the government privately, and you must advance and retreat together. Other than that, there are some small rules."
Zhu Ming said: "I want to open a charcoal shop outside Nanxunmen. Can you help me contact charcoal dealers from other places?"
"Put it on me!" Che Guirou said with a smile.
Tokyo's coal market is large enough, and competition among private companies is not fierce. The real enemy is the government-run coal mines.
Let's put it this way, the homeless people in Tokyo can only build shacks on both sides of the Cao River more than ten miles away. Because the several miles around the city wall are all normal settlement areas.
In "Along the River During the Qingming Festival", ships crossing the bridge were afraid of being hit, and it was made into a very famous animated picture. This place, seven miles outside the city, is still very prosperous.
Ju Ming's coal shop can already make money as long as it has enough customers in a certain area outside the city. There is no need to compete with the shops in the city for the market.
Zhu Ming returned the gold and said, "I don't want the money anymore. Just help me contact the charcoal dealer. If you go on strike and cause a big commotion, I'll go to Shangshu to impeach you."
Che Guirou said with sincere admiration: "They say Tanhua Lang is as honest as water, but today I know it's true!"
Zhu Ming added: "I am an official and cannot do business according to the regulations, so the charcoal shop is run by my personal followers. I have also offended the governor of Kaifeng and it is not convenient for me to come forward. Please help me with the paperwork."
Che Guirou said: "I also know a few subordinate officials, so just leave this to me."
You also need a license to open a store, and it’s best if the charcoal bank helps you apply, otherwise you will most likely be stuck on purpose.
In addition, although there were countless officials doing business in the Song Dynasty, it was not allowed by law. Zhu Ming did not want to be exposed, so the legal person of the coal shop must have Bai Sheng's name written on it.
Local charcoal shops are on strike, and foreign charcoal dealers are on strike.
People in Kaifeng went on a buying spree, and those who had some savings carried load after load of coal to their homes.
In less than ten days, the government-run coal mine couldn't bear it any longer. Not only did it fail to lower the price as ordered by the court, but it also raised the price of coal to more than 15 cents.
The more the price rises, the more enthusiastic people will rush to buy.
Half a month later, the inventory was sold out, and the entire Tokyo was plunged into a coal shortage.
The Carbon Coal Division turned to the governor of Kaifeng for help, and the governor of Kaifeng took officials with him to force private coal shops to open for business.
Anyway, coal prices are soaring, and these businessmen are happy to sell.
But the inventory was quickly sold out, and the charcoal shop was organized. The bosses took their workers to besiege Cai Jing's house.
Cai Jing was unable to go out, so he sent someone to call for support, and the Palace Front Secretary dispatched with the imperial army.
But the Forbidden Army soldiers also couldn't buy coal, so they all came to the scene just to watch the fun.
"Rebellion, all rebellion, these profiteers!" Cai Jing was furious and a little scared.
Mr. Cai was stuck at home and unable to go to work. The incident finally became big enough that some eunuchs even went to report to the emperor.
Song Huizong's first reaction was to laugh: "Haha, it's very interesting."
Then he got angry and said, "You don't listen to my orders. Those people in the Ministry of Revenue are so brave!"