From Xi'an Mansion through Tongguan, and then through Pingyang Mansion, when less than half of the border army arrived at Taiyuan Mansion, it was the real midwinter, the whole territory of Shanxi was snowing heavily, and the ground had already accumulated a thick layer of snow.

Ruixue Zhaofeng year, this is a good sign, which means that the drought that has plagued the Ming Dynasty for decades has passed, as long as you survive this winter.

But it's not easy to survive this winter.

Now the only thing that Liu Hongjian does not lack is silver, and the entire government office of Taiyuan Mansion, as long as it is a courtyard, is full of gold, silver and jewelry 'looted' from Shaanxi and Shanxi.

"Alas, sorrow, how good it would be if all this silver could be turned into food!" Lao Bi and Liu Hongjian often sat in the room and sighed as they looked at the gold and silver mountains outside.

In addition to gold, silver and jade, although the eight Jin merchants also have hundreds of thousands of stones of grain, they are also useless, and they must have to worry about food in the coming year.

"Uncle, dig it out! Dig it out! Just thinking about it, Gu Datong was shy and snorted, and trotted out of the place.

"It's Lao Gu, what's so exciting, sit down, warm up!" Liu Hong gradually ordered people to increase the charcoal fire.

"Oh, uncle, it's terrible, the coal mine that is only more than 30 miles away from our Taiyuan Mansion, the coal dug up there really doesn't emit black smoke!"

Gu Datong didn't have the heart to roast the fire, since he took over Liu Hongji's errand, Gu Datong began to think about anthracite for a month.

The northern winter fallow is full of ready-made laborers in Shanxi, and I heard that the uncle wants to dig coal, and these bitter men do not care about the influx of brains into Datong.

Anyway, being idle at home is idle, not to mention digging coal and taking care of food, which saves the family another person's expenses.

Liu Hongjian only roughly knew the location of the coal mine, and he didn't care much after saying it before, and he was happy when he heard that the coal mine was really dug up, and at least it was not so sad to have coal this winter.

"Well, let's go, let's see!" Liu Hong gradually stood up.

"Master, it's getting dark, let's go again tomorrow!" I was afraid that it would be at least ten degrees below zero outside, Yang Xue took out a thick cloak from the inner room and put it on Liu Hongji's shoulder and said.

"Hahaha, it's okay, Xue'er, you don't know, with this anthracite, we northerners are blessed, Lao Bi, do you want to go for a walk?"

Lao Bi was afraid of the cold, his head shook like a rattle, Liu Hong gradually didn't care, put on a cloak and followed Gu Datong out.

In a ravine in Qingyuan County, more than 1,000 men dressed in shabby cotton clothes ignored the heavy snow, carrying their heads and digging hard the black stone underground, which is a small coal mine specially designated by Liu Hongji.

Previously, due to the lack of specific anti-counterfeiting, more than 1,000 miners excavated everywhere, and only today did they find the location of the ore vein.

Liu Hong gradually did not understand the structure of the mine, only knew that even if the technology was so advanced in later generations, there were still news reports of mine collapses and gas leaks from time to time, and he did not dare to mess around with the first time he opened the mine.

Shanxi coal production, to Datong as a giant, Qingyuan this vein is not big, but the coal mine is only two or three meters underground, easy to excavate, just accumulate experience, good to open the mine in the future.

"Uncle is here!" I don't know who shouted, and the people who were digging in the pit in the mine all threw away their pickaxes and rattan baskets and ran towards their benefactors.

Without Liu Hongji, everyone knows how difficult this winter would be, and now Liu Hongjian not only distributed food to help their families survive, but also opened a coal mine to feed them.

In fact, many local aborigines know that there is coal underground, but coal is garbage, and the black smoke from burning these black stones will smoke people to death, which is the consensus of all natives.

So much so that everyone thought that digging these black stones was Liu Hong's gradual change of method to give them food to eat, so that Liu Hongjian was even more grateful to Dade.

"Benefactor!" As soon as Liu Hong got off the horse, hundreds of miners bowed down and shouted.

"Well, get up! Old Gu, it's still snowing on this cold day, and the workers should be allowed to rest! Liu Hong said lightly.

"Uncle, it's not that the old man doesn't let them rest, it's that they have to do it, what do you say to repay the uncle's great kindness and dig more stones for the uncle!"

After riding for thirty miles all the way, Liu Hong gradually has nothing, Lao Gu is in his sixties, and he usually goes out by carriage, but today he had to ride a horse with Liu Hong as a last resort, and he almost didn't break up the bone frame.

"Uncle, we are not afraid of cold or tired, as long as we have food, we are willing to work all night, we like to dig stones for uncle! Isn't it, guys! ”

A middle-aged man who was obviously the leader had a face stained black by soot, only showing a mouthful of white teeth, turning his head and shouting at the many miners behind him, his words were simple but sincere.

"Yes, yes, we like to dig stones for our uncle, and we are not afraid of the cold!" Numerous miners chimed in.

"What nonsense, this coal is a treasure, uncle is for the benefit of Daming! Go and go, and continue to dig coal in the rolling mines! Gu Datong yelled at the miners.

"Well, do a good job, and when Benbo promotes this anthracite, we don't have to live a hard life in Shanxi in the future!" Regarding the answers of these bitter miners, Liu Hong gradually had a black line on his face.

At the foot of the mountain, there were rows of simple tents, and when it was time for dinner, a few old men in the room banged a gong to signal the miners to get off work and eat.

Mixed noodles and black steamed buns, rice porridge, pickles and dried radish, although the food is simple but full, mining is hard work, and it is not good to fill the stomach.

All the miners stopped what they were doing, picked up a handful of snow from the ground, and walked in line towards the house.

Every miner has a broken bowl in his hand, and the queue is long, and in the past, every time it was time to eat, it was the busiest time in the mining area, but today the atmosphere is a bit strange.

Liu Hong gradually became interested, made a cameo appearance as a canteen aunt, and served porridge to the miners with a spoon, the miners had never enjoyed such treatment, and the uncle served them rice, and they all trembled excitedly and handed over the bowl.

"Good work, good work!" Liu Hong gradually said while serving the meal.

After all the miners had taken the food, Liu Hongjian also felt hungry, so he beckoned the old man to ask for a bowl and a bowl of porridge for himself, grabbed a black steamed bun and took a bite.

It's really an aftertaste, the last time I ate this black steamed bun was in Li Zicheng's barracks, I wonder if Brother Wang Dazhui is still safe?

The miners around looked at the uncle in front of them while pulling the food, and they all watched Liu Hong gradually swallow the black steamed bun in disbelief.

Gu Datong also grabbed a black steamed bun and took a bite, it was the first time he ate this kind of black steamed bun mixed with weeds and sorghum, and a smell of dust instantly filled his taste buds, but he still endured it and didn't spit it out.

"Lao Gu, our coal mine has to have a name, let's call it 'Daming Coal Industry', go back and find a good writing signboard.

The first batch of coal produced was sent to Xuanfu and Shanhaiguan, where it was even colder, and this coal could save lives.

In addition, additional manpower was sent to the vicinity of Datong, where there were larger coal mines, although not necessarily all anthracite, but they were all hoarded by Benbo, and when Benbo returned to Beijing, it would be of great use.

Also, all coal is supplied free of charge this winter, which is a major event for the benefit of the country and the people, and we must do it with our hearts! ”

Liu Hong gradually warned Gu Dadao, and before Gu Datong could respond, the sound of horses' hooves was heard in the distance.

"My lord, Madame has sent a letter!" Chang Yu turned over and dismounted, handed over a letter, and exhaled white air.