Looking at the straight avenue, Qian Yuanwai said to Shi Dalang: "The camp is really capable, and in such a short period of time, such a avenue has been built." Although it is not as wide as the gallop handed down from ancient times, it is far smoother. Without such a road, it would be really inconvenient for us to transport coal. “

Shi Dalang said: "Coal is used for iron smelting, and if you don't build a good road, how can the iron supervisor dare to open the furnace?" The imperial court built roads, and the staff followed the light. ”

Yexian is the north-south traffic artery, and the Chi road built in the Qin period is still an official road today, with a width of 50 steps. This avenue, most importantly, was first and foremost for military use, which facilitated the passage of large armies. The new road is a coal transportation road, and the purpose is different, and the requirements are different. The width is naturally far inferior to that of the gallop, but it is also close to thirty paces, which is equivalent to the two-way six-lane road of later generations. The most important thing is that it is flat and broad, and the quality must be better than the official road.

Turning over the horse, Shi Dalang said: "This road is not simple. I heard that the camp had made a huge road roller, which drove over the road like a hill, and was stronger than the rammed one. Now the machine is at the Iron Warden, and the road to the mine is being repaired. ”

Qian Yuanwai nodded again and again, but did not answer, and turned to look at his convoy. He had ten carts of coal to be transported home to smelt iron. After two busy months, the iron furnace was finally built, and there was no delay for a day. was first fined 700 yuan by the yamen, and then borrowed 100 yuan from He Yuanwai, and now the foreign debts of Qian Yuanyuan are high. If you can't make money as soon as possible, you can't redeem the land by the Li River to He Yuanwai.

Next to the convoy outside the money clerk was the convoy of the iron supervisor. According to the rules of Caoyun, the convoy of the iron supervisor was also in formation. Thirty carts are one program, and one general is voted on, and there are more than a dozen programs a day.

Watching the convoy of the Iron Supervisor on the road, Qian Yuan said: "Da Lang, we have a small business, and we want to get ahead of the Iron Supervisor, so let's go." ”

Shi Dalang said: "What is the urgency outside! I have inquired, but the smelting furnace of the iron supervisor has not been built, and now it is only coal storage. ”

Qian Yuanwai nodded, and suddenly asked: "Da Lang, I saw that the coal pulled by the iron supervisor is different from ours, what can I say?" ”

Shi Dalang said disdainfully: "The yamen does things, there is no rules, and the servants below who don't know how to smelt iron come here." The coal used to smelt iron, one is to be hard, all of them are large, otherwise the ore sinks to the bottom, and the charcoal floats on it, how to smelt iron? The other is that the fire should be fierce, and there is no residue after burning, so that the iron can be pure. The charcoal we bought was the best, with a cross-sectional surface like a mirror, a large and hard block, smokeless and a big fire when burned, and there was no residue. On the other hand, the coal of the iron prison is blindly cheap, like mud, how can it be used? ”

Qian Yuanwai nodded again and again, not knowing whether what Shi Dalang said was right. But logically speaking, it should be. The iron supervisor actually bought his own good coal, but the quantity was not much, and I heard that it was used as firewood when he went back.

In fact, Du Zhongxiao also thought that good coal should be used for coking, such as anthracite. Tao 17 picked all kinds of coal samples, and only after really trying it did he know that this was not the case. The coal that can be coking should be bituminous coal, which is a special type of coal. I tried it many times, and I had to use a variety of coals together.

Directly using coal to make iron, Shi Dalang is right, and the characteristics he said are the advantages of coke. But directly with coal, one is too many impurities, the other is that the hardness is not enough, and the temperature is still lower. These small private smelting furnaces are actually incapable of coking, and even if they know how to do it in the future, they will not be able to compete. Therefore, for these people outside the money clerk, Du Zhongxiao let it go, and lost all the money, so they naturally became stable.

In the evening, Qian Yuanwai and his entourage rested at the water station. This is the post station of the imperial court, not to mention the ordinary people outside the money clerk, the iron supervisor and the coal transport car are not qualified to enter the post station, they can only stay in the big car shop opened by the people next to the post station.

The coachman hummed a small tune, brought the black beans to feed the horses, and the money clerk said to the little guy carrying the big pot: "It's not too late, don't you have a room here?" There were two of us, just a room. ”

The little guy grinned and saluted: "Guest officer, we are here in the carriage and horse shop, where did we come from?" This is where the coachman lives, and you officials can go to the town not far away, where there is an inn. ”

Qian Yuanwai said unhappily: "I follow the convoy, if I walk a few more miles, it will be inconvenient tomorrow." ”

The little guy said: "Then there is no way, the guest officer has to stay overnight." ”

Qian Yuan looked at Shi Dalang outside, full of unhappiness. He went in to take a look at the guest rooms of the carriage and horse shop, they are all Chase shops, not to mention here, the bedding inside smells musty, and I don't know how long I haven't washed it, how can I sleep?

This kind of business is done by the carriage and horse shop, which pays attention to small profits and quick turnover, and there is basically no service in the store. Anyway, it's just a coachman in a hurry, and the night will be overnight, as long as it's cheap. Not only are the living conditions simple, but also the guests bring their own rice to buy firewood from the store, and the store only provides hot and cold water.

After going out of the carriage and horse shop with Shi Dalang, and seeing the new iron supervision carriage and horse shop next to it, Qian Yuan said: "Dalang, how can you live in such a pickled place?" Let's go to the place where the iron warden rests, give me more money, and rest there. ”

Shi Dalang said: "Outside the staff, going out, that's it, where is so much exquisite." The carriage and horse shop of the iron prison only lives in their own people, how can they be willing to live for us? Besides, it's not necessarily much better than here. ”

Qian Yuan was willing to listen, pulled Shi Dalang, and walked quickly to the door of the iron prison carriage and horse shop.

When I entered the door, I saw a large yard, and there were stables on the side of the wall, and hundreds of horses and mules were tied inside, which was very popular. There are several large sheds in the courtyard, with countless tables and chairs, and the horsemen who drive the carriage gather in it, eating, drinking, and making noise.

There are more than 300 coal trucks a day, and if you stay in a hotel at the same time, the place you need will be too large. According to the plan of the iron supervisor, they divided the outline and time period, and hurried day and night, and they came here one after another. At this time, there were nearly 100 cars gathered in the carriage shop.

The money clerk walked around and didn't see anyone he knew. Seeing that there was a hall at the main entrance, he pulled Shi Dalang inside.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw a person sitting in the middle, who he knew, and Qian Yuan was overjoyed, and stepped forward and arched his hand: "Shen Jiejie, it turns out that you escorted the car today." I haven't seen you for many days, but how are you lately? ”

Shen Jiejie was drinking with several subordinate generals, and when he looked up to see that it was Qian Yuan, he hurriedly said: "It turned out to be an outsider." I haven't seen each other for many days, and I miss it very much. Come over for a drink and gossip. ”

Qian Yuanwai was anxious, hurriedly pulled Shi Dalang, stepped forward to confess, and sat down at the table.

Shen Jiejie said: "Now that the iron supervisor has begun to transport coal, this road is extremely prosperous, the inn is difficult to find, and the pedestrians are inconvenient, why did the staff come here?" ”

Qian Yuanwai said: "We have found iron ore here, which is a financial road, I invited this Shi Dalang to come and opened a smelting furnace to make iron." ”

Shen Jiejie said with a smile: "The outsider is really a person who does great things, no wonder he has made a lot of money over the years." Since the mine was excavated in the mountains, there are many people who have opened smelting furnaces nearby. However, those outsiders are mostly in the area of Qingliang Temple, and they open their furnaces in the mountains. It was originally the boundary of Wuyang County, but it was only in recent days that it was drawn to the Iron Prison, and they thought there was a hole to exploit. I don't want to be imprisoned by iron, and there are people patrolling day and night, but those people are pitted and miserable. However, the outsider's house is nearby, and he occupies the light of this road, so he can come to buy coal. ”

Qian Yuanwai said: "That's right. I'm going to buy coal from the mine today and stop here. But the carriage and horse shop next to it has been full early, and there is nowhere to rest, so I came here to try my luck and didn't want to meet the knot. ”

Shen Jiejie smiled: "If I wasn't here today, I'm afraid that I would have to run empty." The carriage and horse shop built by the iron supervisor was originally for his own coachman, and outsiders were not allowed to move in. However, in order to protect against rain and snow, the stables of the carriage and horse shops are free, but there is a place to live. ”

Qian Yuan was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed his hand: "Thank you for the festival." ”

Shen Jiejie waved his hand: "Don't thank me." It's not my business alone, I have to live here outside the staff, but the money has to be paid. ”

Qian Yuan said: "This is the right thing to do. There is a place to rest, it is already a festival-level dough, and the store money will naturally not be less. ”

Shen Jiejie nodded with a smile and said loudly: "Director Huang, I know this Qian clerk well, and I have two spare rooms for them." ”

A supervisor from behind the counter walked in with a smile on his face. Walking over, he saw Shen Jiejie making a look at him, comprehended, and said to Qian Yuanwai: "Outside the staff, there is a vacant room, but the affairs in the yamen, the small ones can't make their own decisions." The daily store money is 100 wen, and the wine and rice are counted separately. ”

Shen Jiejie waved his hand and said: "This money clerk is my old friend, and the wine and dinner are used with me, so the supervisor should not collect any other money." ”

Director Huang said yes again and again.

Qian Yuan said: "As long as the room is clean and tidy, it is nothing." ”

In fact, the carriage and horse shop of the iron supervisor is not closed to the public. According to the system formulated by Du Zhongxiao, the carriages and horses of the iron supervisor are given priority, and outsiders can be allowed to stay if there are spare rooms, and the store price refers to the general inn. But now that it has just opened, how can outsiders know the rules? The officials below are on errands, but there is no such thing. Now the surrounding inns are scarce, and outsiders come to live not only to overcharge the store, but also to accept their favors.

Just like the money clerk, Director Huang will not enter the money for staying in the hotel tonight, and he will divide it with Shen Jiejie.