After Gao Zhan left, Li Chengzhi called Li Rui in again and told him how to filter and purify the purple sand after buying it.
In fact, it is very simple. It is exactly the same as the method of boiling saltpeter: grind the purple sand into powder and put it into water, filter out the water-insoluble magnesium, iron and other substances, then heat and cool to precipitate sodium chloride (salt), and the remainder is ammonium chloride.
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Judging by the naked eye, this thing is no different from table salt, fire salt, raw salt, etc. The people who put it into the pool must be Li Rui and other personal guards, and Gao Zhan's people only thought that what was used was really saltpeter powder...<
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In addition, Li Chengzhi also told Li Xie to purchase a large amount of "祴", that is, maltose.
In this era, there was no word for "sugar" yet. The sugar made from malt was called "祥". The maltose was roasted hard or dried and called "祧", also known as burnt glutinous rice. At this time, the plum wine and mulberry wine sold in the market were
This is what is added, so it has a bitter taste.
There is also honey, which is called honey, and the one made from sugar cane is called stone honey.
In fact, these are far less expensive than later generations said, and ordinary middle-class families can afford them.
Honey is the most expensive, sugar is the second most expensive, and malt is the cheapest, costing less than ten yuan per pound.
Do the math: Wheat is about the same price as millet. In a good year, it costs one qian for two catties. Polished white rice and glutinous rice are slightly more expensive, costing 2 jin per catty. One catty of wheat plus four catties of glutinous rice can produce half a catty of malt candy. Calculating, the cost of one catty of glutinous rice is only six
Money, the price is at least ten cents. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk...
What is really expensive is frost sugar, also known as granulated sugar, which only appeared in the Tang Dynasty.
Li Chengzhi bought the sweetmeats, of course, to make smoothies: maltose water is added to the water used to make ice, and the frozen ice will naturally have a sweet taste. If you want to be more versatile, you can also cut some fresh fruits such as peaches and apricots into it.
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Wait for the ice to be taken out and brought to the market, smash it with a few hammers, and then pour some yogurt, cheese, etc., isn't this the fruit milk shaved ice of later generations?
It's much easier than making popsicle ice cream. At least you don't have to worry about how to cut the ice cubes into small pieces and insert a stick into them.
Li Chengzhi did the math and found that the overall cost would not exceed 10%. If he wanted to make it sweeter or make the ice melt more, it could basically be controlled at around 20%. Even if the emperor was so evil that he really added a 30% tax,
At least half of the profit margin.
It’s really not difficult to earn ten thousand dollars a month...
……
As soon as Gao Zhan returned home, he first sent a servant to keep an eye on him and called him when Gao Zhao came back. Then he locked himself in the room for nearly an hour.
There is a bag of powdered nitrate on the table, and a bucket is thrown next to it. Although it has melted for a while, ice flowers are still visible in the bucket.
Gao Zhan held a copy of "Bao Pu Zi Nei Alchemy" and stared blankly at the line of small words on it.
"Mix nitrate with mercury and place it under the bridge to get silver frost..."
Don't think that just because there is such a sentence in the book, everyone will know it. When Gao Zhan went to Chongxu Temple (Tianshi Taoist Altar in Beijing) to borrow a book, he tried it intentionally or unintentionally.
Senior Taoist priests who make alchemy don't even know that saltpeter can turn into frost.
It is only said that water pills (potions made from nitrate, sulfur, mercury, etc., which are more toxic) are heretical, and only gold pills are the right way...
The question is, how did Li Chengzhi discover something so rare that no one would believe it even if he told it, and then further developed it into ice?
It feels like there is really nothing in this world that he can’t do...
Just as he was surprised and suspicious, the servant knocked on the door and reported in a low voice: "Lang Jun, the master of the house has returned home!"
"Got it!" Gao Zhan exhaled fiercely and went to the front yard with the alchemy book and the half bag of saltpeter powder.
Gao Zhao was half leaning on the couch, and two beautiful maids were fanning him. Looking at Gao Zhan's solemn face, he knew that the youngest son had something to talk about, so he waved away the maids.
When there was no one around, Gao Zhan handed the alchemy book to Gao Zhao: "Father, look..."
Gao Zhao subconsciously took it: "Thirty-six Fu Shui Dan"... "Baopuzi"?
A wave of evil fire surged straight to Gao Zhao's head: Is this such a messy thing again?
Just when he was about to reprimand, he saw Gao Zhan carrying a bucket and pouring something like powdered medicine into it. Gao Zhao kicked it up.
Gao Zhan was kicked, and with an ouch, he and the bucket fell backwards.
"You bastard... did you pretend to be looking for Li Chengzhi, but instead went to look for Yuanyue? If you don't do a good job as an official, you'll still have Fu Shui Dan... I'll see if I can beat you to death..."
While cursing, I actually started to touch something.
It’s no wonder Gao Zhao was angry, Gao Zhan was good in everything, except that he had a heavier appetite, and he also liked to study some Taoist health-preserving techniques.
And this is not a random study. His "On Health Preservation" is definitely the first systematic treatise on dietary therapy in Chinese history.
However, it was only later that the book was valued by others. In addition, he liked to hang out with Yuan Yue, who also loved to study Taoism. He was afraid that he would learn bad things from him. Naturally, Gao Zhao thought that he was not doing his job properly...
"How many times have I told my father not to have any contact with Yuanyue..."
Cursing, Gao Zhao held up his fan and chased after him, but as soon as his bare feet touched the ground, he suddenly felt a chill on his soles.
I looked down and saw a layer of ice under my feet: "Where did the ice come from?"
Gao Zhan is so aggrieved: He got kicked even though he was doing well?
He rubbed his head and argued in a low voice: "My son really went to find Li Chengzhi. Is he the one who taught me the method of making ice with water?"
Gao Zhao wondered if he had misheard: "What is it that uses water to make ice?"
"This is the ice!" Gao Zhan pointed to the ice flowers on the ground, "Li Chengzhi studied it from "Baopuzi": Even under the scorching sun, adding saltpeter powder to water can turn into ice... He made an appointment with his son
This is what I do for a living..."
Gao Zhao was stunned.
Gao Zhan brought the buckets of water from under the ice collector, and it was absolutely impossible to melt them again. But by just adding some nitrate powder, can ice be frozen in the summer?
How is this different from witchcraft?
Gao Zhaomeng turned around and grabbed "Thirty-Six Fu Shui Dan".
Gao Zhan explained in a low voice: "Li Chengzhi said: According to the method in the book, saltpeter powder can only turn into frost when put into water. He studied for a long time before he figured out the secret of turning into ice..."
Looking at the line of small words above, the flesh on Gao Zhao's face twitched.
It has been more than a hundred years since Ge Hong died, and this book is not a rare thing. Why didn't anyone else study it, but let Li Chengzhi make it into ice?
After studying it for a long time, this skill is clearly taught by God, and Li Chengzhi is just using this "Bao Pu Zi" to deceive others.
I and Bao'er really guessed right... Fortunately, they discovered it early!
The more I thought about Gao Zhao, the faster my heart beat, and even the sound of his exhalation trembled.
Gao Zhan added: "In order to prevent leaks, Li Chengzhi asked his son to carefully select loyal subordinates and servants to make ice together with his few personal guards... He also said that if it is done properly, it will not be a problem to produce a thousand dendrobium of ice in one day.
..."
Gao Zhao suddenly froze.
How much dendrobium can be produced in one day?
How much ice reward does Guanglu Temple distribute to civil and military officials every day?
This is simply turning water into ice... no, turning stone into gold!
If managed properly, one month will be more than ten thousand dollars?
He exhaled forcefully: "What else did he say?"
What else could I say?
Li Chengzhi is really stupid, he actually wants to pay taxes?
Gao Zhan was reluctant, but he clearly felt that Gao Zhao's mood was not right. He might call Li Chengzhi into the house to investigate in person in the next moment. How could he dare to hide it?
"He said this was a huge profit. If you want to continue doing it for a long time, you must first sort out the beginning and end... He also said that it was just for the sake of the country. He asked his son to ask you: whether ten taxes and one will work, five taxes and one is OK, but at most...
...It cannot exceed 30% at most, otherwise it will be unprofitable..."
Gao Zhao was silent, and after a long time he asked: "How much does it take to get 30% of gold?"
Gao Zhan's heart ached like needles pricking him: "If we follow Li Chengzhi's calculation, how can we get over ten thousand gold in a month?"
"Ten thousand gold..." Gao Zhaoyou sighed.
What kind of business can pay 30% tax?
Look around the world, never seen before!
Regardless of Gao Zhan, even Li Chengzhi is no different from the Gao family in the eyes of the emperor, so what does their behavior mean?
It's like Gao donated the real gold and silver he earned in vain to the court, which is still tens of thousands of gold!
Li Chengzhi is clearly sharing his worries for Gao Shouwen...
If he knew that Gao Zhao was so good at thinking, Li Chengzhi would definitely be confused.
His words of "sharing the country's worries" were clearly meant for the emperor: Look, have you ever seen a loyal minister like me...