In the Salt and Iron Division, Xu Ping is in charge of the military case, the case and the commercial tax case, the military case and the commercial tax case are all miscellaneous matters, just do things according to the rules, Xu Ping has to slowly get familiar with the rules, and there is no place to play for the time being. Only because he was in charge of repairing the canal, Xu Ping found an opportunity to show his talents.

Because of its clear water, the Jinshui River has always been used as a water source for the imperial palace and various ministers and wealthy families in the capital, and many people also rely on this river. The drinking water source can not be connected with the Cao River, otherwise the water quality will deteriorate, so in the place where the Jinshui River enters the city and crosses the Bianhe River, a water tank is set up on the Bianhe River to divert water. The tank should not be too high, otherwise it will be difficult to lift the water, which will block the navigation of the Bianhe River, and the Jinshui River must be removed every day to allow boats to pass. It's laborious and cumbersome.

Xu Ping was very uncomfortable looking at this diversion tank as early as when he was not admitted to the Jinshi Examination, and now he is in charge of it, and immediately wrote a letter to ask for the diversion to be changed to an underground culvert. The matter is not big, because it is related to the water source of the Bianhe River and the Jingshi water, and it is not small to say that it is not small, and the three divisions and Kaifeng Mansion are ordered to assemble.

The culvert is naturally there in this age, but its principle is not clear, doing this kind of project on such a large river, the third envoy Cheng Lin and the king of Kaifeng Mansion have no bottom in their hearts. Fortunately, both of them were only used because of officials, not just selling lip service, after Xu Ping demonstrated the principle of culverts, although he was still skeptical, he finally supported him to start the construction.

Taking advantage of the lack of rain in autumn and the fact that the weather was not too cold, after more than ten days of intense construction, the culvert project was finally completed on time, and the aqueduct outside the water gate across the Bianhe River was finally removed.

On the day of the opening of the water, the emperor also deliberately took his close ministers to the city gate to watch, and saw that the Jinshui River was indeed unimpeded. praised Xu Ping very much.

Since returning to Beijing. Xu Ping was promoted every few days. This time there is nothing to credit, but a little unaccustomed. Although Xu Ping is not a person who is keen on promotion and making a fortune, his heart is also a little empty, and he returns home depressed.

Lin Suniang took Panpan to Li Zhang's house as a guest, her parents went back to the countryside, Xu Ping didn't have anyone to talk to, and went to the study as soon as she got home.

Xiuxiu wrote two days ago, telling her about her situation after returning home. Everything is fine, don't let Xu Ping worry. There is also the dowry that Lin Suniang sent to her house, she sealed it all, and when will she have the opportunity to return it to the Xu family. There is one more thing, Xiuxiu's contract of selling herself is invalid, she is no longer a slave, and she is older, so it is not good to call Xiuxiu the name again, so let Xu Ping give her an official name.

In the past two days, Xu Ping has been thinking about Xiuxiu's name, and he must make it loud and good. Can't be sloppy. As for whether Lin Suniang will know about the communication between the two, what will she think in her heart. Since she sent Xiuxiu away behind her back, Xu Ping didn't care anymore.

For so many years, Xiuxiu has been by her side, and it is difficult to say what Xu Ping thinks of her in his heart, but he regards her as his own relative, and he must let her live happily.

When Xu Ping was thinking nonsense in the study alone, the little servant came in to report, and Shi Quanbin, the waiter, was outside the door, and asked Xu Ping to go out to receive the order.

Xu Ping was stunned for a moment, could it be that the emperor returned to the palace and remembered that he wanted to reward himself for promotion?

When he left the courtyard gate, he saw Shi Quanbin, welcomed him to the courtyard, and took over the holy decree by placing incense. It turned out to be a compliment, and it was a verbal praise by the Jinshui River, but this time it was written on paper and praised, and there was no useful sentence.

Now that Xu Ping's official has been promoted very high, it is not good to give him a promotion casually, so he can only wait for a promotion with mixed qualifications.

After issuing the holy decree, Shi Quanbin said to Xu Ping: "Yunxing, the two of us haven't seen each other for many days, it's rare to have leisure today, it's better to sit together and talk." ”

Xu Ping hurriedly let Shi Quanbin into his courtyard, and said: "But it's good, I'm the only one left in the house today, and I'm very bored when I'm idle, and it just so happens that the pavilion chief is here." ”

When I arrived in the living room, the little maid served tea, and Shi Quanbin didn't speak with the tea, just lowered his head.

Xu Ping saw this posture, why didn't he understand? withdrew the little guy screen and said to Shi Quanbin: "The cabinet chief has something to say to me?" There is no one else in the family, but it doesn't hurt to say it. ”

Shi Quanbin raised his head, and his face became solemn: "Yun Xing, I can't hide it, I specially asked for this holy decree for you and sent it over." It is inconvenient for me to leave the palace, and this is the only way to meet you. I'm here today to ask you something. ”

It's not that Shi Quanbin can't leave the palace, but he can't come to see Xu Ping casually. It has always been a taboo for the court to befriend the inner servants and the foreign ministers, and if it is known to others, the Taiwanese will definitely attack it with all their might.

Xu Ping saw that Shi Quanbin said solemnly, and he didn't dare to slack off, although he was a little apprehensive in his heart, afraid that Shi Quanbin would find himself with something that he shouldn't do, he still said to him: "The cabinet chief has something to say, please speak." ”

Shi Quanbin took out a black object from his sleeve, put it on the table, and asked Xu Ping: "Yunxing, have you seen this kind of thing?" ”

Xu Ping held it in his hand, it was cool and heavy, and he could see that it was metal, but he didn't know what it was.

Seeing Xu Ping looking at him with puzzled eyes, Shi Quanbin said: "In the past two days, a Jiangnan person came to the capital with this kind of thing, and I don't know what someone introduced him, but he actually found the palace. He said that it was a secret method to turn iron into copper, and he hoped that someone would use his method and he would get some reward. ”

"Copper with ferrite?" Xu Ping took the thing and scratched it on the table, and the inside was indeed red.

"Copper with ferrite?" Xu Ping couldn't help laughing, "What kind of secret method is this?" Bile alum soaked in iron can be turned into copper, there are many descriptions in the books of predecessors, what is the magic! ”

Cholelum is copper sulfate, and iron is replaced with copper from the copper sulfate solution, but it is a simple displacement reaction. At this time, there was no such knowledge, but from practice, the predecessors had already discovered this phenomenon and wrote books and lectures, but they did not attract attention.

"Can ball water really leach copper? It turned out not to be vain. ”

Shi Quanbin took the black thing and touched it with his hand, his face full of surprise.

"The Cabinet Chief is here to ask about this? Then I can tell you for sure that there is a real thing with copper cholelum! Xu Ping suddenly remembered that it seemed that the history books had introduced the water method of copper smelting in the Song Dynasty, that is, replacing copper with iron, was it not for this? This is also a lot of credit, but there is a shortage of copper in this era.

Shi Quanbin sighed: "Just for this matter, I won't come to you like this." Because of the lack of copper coinage in the court, many ministers are now offering advice, and the rewards given by the court are also rich. ”

"I know this, and now the three divisions are also discussing casting ten coins, and they can't be decided." The casting of ten coins was proposed by Ren Bu, the deputy envoy of salt and iron, but it was still a small-scale discussion, and there was no meeting of the three divisions, and Xu Ping did not participate in it.

Shi Quanbin said: "It was because Ren Bu proposed to cast ten coins, and most ministers thought it was not feasible, that someone put forward other ideas. This person who offered iron and copper was looking for Yan Wenying, the current deputy capital, and Yan Wenying contacted Xu Shen and asked for copper and iron to be mixed with coinage. If this method is successful, Yan Wen in the palace should be able to gain power. (To be continued.) )