Summoning everyone who came to the porcelain workshop of the Ministry of Industry, Hu Changan said loudly: "Everyone, please grind these ceramic fragments into powder within six days, and then mix in quicklime and plaster of paris in proportion."
When the craftsmen heard this, they responded in unison.
After solving the cement material problem, Hu Changan strolled to Chang'an Street.
At this time, Chang'an Street had been cleared by Zhu Yuanzhang's order.
On the huge street, only scattered workers can be seen digging out the blue bricks that were originally laid on the road.
Hu Changan casually pulled a worker next to him and asked, "Uncle, I wonder how long it will take you to remove all the green bricks and level the road?"
When the uncle who was asked by Hu Changan heard this, he also wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Hu Changan: "According to my estimation, it will be enough to work for another seven days."
Hu Changan also nodded after hearing this.
Xue Xiang deserves to be the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, and his estimate is indeed correct.
The real time left for Hu Changan to lay cement was actually only two days.
However, Hu Changan was not afraid.
According to Hu Changan's idea, paving this road would only take half a day at most.
Two days is already enough.
After checking the construction progress, Hu Changan returned home leisurely.
Anyway, things have been arranged now, and there is no need for Hu Changan to do anything else. He just needs to wait for the result.
So, Hu Changan spent three days peacefully like this.
At noon on the fourth day, Hu Changan was leisurely sunbathing in his mansion.
Suddenly, Manager Chen hurriedly broke into Hu Changan's yard: "Master Hu, something is going wrong!"
"What's going on? Tell me slowly!" Hearing this, Hu Changan also sat up from the couch and looked at Manager Chen.
At this time, Manager Chen can be said to be a god without a master.
However, seeing that Hu Changan was calm and composed, Manager Chen also calmed down a lot.
Looking at Hu Changan, Manager Chen said anxiously: "Master, something is really going wrong now."
"Didn't you ask me to purchase hydrated lime before?"
"I didn't pay much attention to it at first. After all, things like hydrated lime can be found everywhere."
"But when I went to buy hydrated lime today, I realized something was wrong!"
"According to rumors, someone has spread the word that the government will be in a hurry to purchase a large amount of hydrated lime recently."
"So those nasty profiteers started to stock up on goods one by one!"
"The current price of slaked lime is several times higher than before."
"Those abominable profiteers knew that we were in urgent need of hydrated lime, and they determined the price one by one and refused to let go."
"If we purchase hydrated lime at the price of those merchants, we will have to pay hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver."
"Although Hu Mansion looks wealthy now, in fact, because the stalls were a bit big before, there is not much balance in the account."
"Although the Hu Mansion can get this money, it will definitely have an impact on the Hu Mansion's subsequent development plan."
"Master, I'm sorry for you!"
"If I had gone to purchase that slaked lime a few days earlier, I wouldn't be as passive as I am now!"
Upon hearing this, Hu Changan quickly comforted Manager Chen and said, "Manager Chen, don't be anxious yet."
"Tell me, what is the current price of a kilogram of hydrated lime?"
Hu Changan could guess with his feet that the news this time must have been leaked by ministers who disliked him.
Only the ministers present at the time knew that Hu Changan had to repair Chang'an Street within ten days.
In these ten days, this slaked lime is definitely Hu Changan's immediate need.
These ministers did this just to make Hu Changan disgusted and make some extra money.
Although they could not blatantly refuse to sell hydrated lime to Hu Changan, they could raise the price appropriately.
Why, aren't you very capable with the surname Hu?
As long as you want to get things done, you must buy high-priced hydrated lime from us!
Even if you can accomplish this, you will still lose face and lose face.
When Manager Chen heard this, he also said with a grimace: "Master Hu, the current price of one kilogram of hydrated lime is eighty taels of silver."
Hu Changan was also a little angry when he heard this.
The hearts of these people are too dark.
One kilogram of slaked lime used to cost less than one tael of silver!
Now the price of this kilogram of hydrated lime has been raised eighty times!
Hu Changan had to buy 20 kilograms of slaked lime this time.
In this way, Hu Changan will lose 1,600 taels of silver in vain!
This is definitely a huge amount of money.
Although Hu Changan can afford the money, he doesn't want to be played like a monkey!
Hu Changan thought for a while and asked Manager Chen: "Manager Chen, I wonder how long it will take to buy hydrated lime from Suzhou City?"
Hu Changan didn't believe that these hateful officials could reach out to Suzhou Prefecture!
Manager Chen made some calculations and gave Hu Changan some time: "Master Hu, it will take at least four days for this carriage to come and go."
Hu Changan thought for a while, and finally told Manager Chen: "In that case, Manager Chen, just ask someone to go to Suzhou Mansion to purchase it."
When Manager Chen heard this, he couldn't help but worry: "Master Hu, can you really make it in these ten days?"
"If you lose face in front of His Majesty just for money, that's not worth it!"
"The Hu family can still afford 1,600 taels of silver."
However, when Hu Changan heard this, he just calmly said to Manager Chen: "It doesn't matter, Manager Chen. Just follow my instructions."
"Within ten days, I will definitely be able to finish paving Chang'an Avenue!"
Manager Chen looked at Hu Changan's firm eyes and sighed silently, saying nothing more.
After bowing to Hu Changan, Manager Chen quickly walked out the door.
He should prepare the carriage for Suzhou as soon as possible!
Soon, a carriage drove out of Hu's mansion and ran all the way outside Yingtian City.
And an inconspicuous boy also quietly stepped into Li Shanchang's home.
Soon, after being passed around from person to person, the young man met Li Shanchang.
Seeing Li Shanchang, the young man quickly knelt down and saluted and said: "Mr. Han Guo, the young men have already done what you asked them to do."
"The property under the Li family's name has purchased all the slaked lime in Yingtian City."
"But it seems to me that Hu Changan has given up on buying hydrated lime in Yingtian City."
"Today, a carriage came out of Hu's mansion and headed all the way out of the city."
"My small suspicion is that Hu Changan felt that the hydrated lime in Yingtian City was too expensive, so he wanted to buy hydrated lime elsewhere."