novelhk Page 1720
Page 1720
After exchanging greetings, they dared not utter a sound.
Zhao Yuan couldn't remember their duties anymore, and laughed.
Have you made any breakthroughs?
Wang Jing picked up the box in his hands.
"The transparent glass that King Liang requested has been successfully fired,"
"Several lenses were also made using molds,"
"Please take a look, Prince Liang."
Chapter 1747 A Great Merit!
Why take the box?
It was sent to Zhao Yuan.
Zhao Yuan heard it through the transparent glass.
It was also a great joy.
He took the box from his hands.
He opened it immediately.
The boxes were lined with silk.
In the middle are several pieces of transparent glass and convex and concave lenses.
There is also a silver-plated mirror.
The kiln workers were responsible for firing bricks, tiles, ceramics, and other similar items.
Glass is one of them.
Zhao Yuan was very interested in glass from the beginning.
After asking questions carefully for a while,
I only learned that transparent glass could already be produced in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Its transparency is comparable to that of glass imported from the Abbasid Caliphate.
However, the glass produced in the Song Dynasty was not heat-resistant.
It will burst if you pour hot wine in.
Therefore, the best-selling glassware on the market is still from the food industry.
However, people don't particularly like completely transparent containers.
They prefer things with some color.
For example, blue, green, and brown.
Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) disliked the lack of artistic beauty in transparent glass bottles.
The craftsmen had to plate it with gold powder.
To plate gold in fragile glass bottles,
This imperial edict immediately stumped the palace craftsmen.
Later, a craftsman outside the palace solved the problem with mercury.
Of course, Emperor Huizong also used some transparent glass.
That is, some five-colored glazed tiles were used on the doors and windows of the palace.
(This point is recorded in Wang Anzhong's "Chuliao Collection")
The poem "Inscription on a Glass Window Made by Pan'an Temple" by the Song Dynasty monk Shi Baotan proves that glass windows were no longer exclusive to the imperial palace.
However, I believe that glass is still something only a few wealthy people can afford.
Generally speaking, the great artist Zhao Ji did not particularly like transparent glass.
It was simply used to replace window paper.
The emperor disliked transparent glass.
This naturally limits the development of transparent glass.
Zhao Yuan, however, had no interest in those colored glass pieces.
Moreover, the things he wanted to make all worked best with transparent glass.
So the artisans were put back to making transparent glass.
The thousands of artisans in the Imperial Workshop were mostly there for the emperor's personal enjoyment.
They received government funds and rations.
They also don't have to bear the profits and losses themselves.
When Zhao Yuan gave the order, the people in the Imperial Workshop naturally did what Zhao Yuan said.
Because Zhao Yuan wanted mass production.
Instead of accidentally producing a piece of transparent glass,
We need to find a stable firing process.
That's why it took several months of effort.
If you only need a small amount of glass
Zhao Yuan no longer needed to waste labor and materials on the kiln operations.
You can just buy some large glass products from the market.
Zhao Yuan first picked up a palm-sized piece of transparent glass.
It was indeed colorless and transparent.
Moreover, there were no air bubbles in the middle.
“Okay, this is exactly the glass I wanted,”
"From now on, this transparent glass will be called glass."
Zhao Yuan disregarded the later definition of glass.
first come first served,
He asked what glass was.
From now on, everything will be glass.
The convex and concave lenses both appear to be working fine.
Zhao Yuan finally picked up the silver mirror.
Then, a clear image of myself appeared in the mirror.
With the silver mirror,
You can throw away any bronze mirrors made by master craftsmen in the palace.
Zhao Yuan nodded in satisfaction and said, "Good, very good."
"You've worked hard,"
"Those with official positions will be promoted one rank."
"Everyone will be rewarded with a hundred strings of cash."
"All the glass-making workers in the kiln were transferred out,"
“A separate Glass Bureau will be established, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Jing was taken aback.
He knew that gunpowder and oil-based fire control had been promoted one level.
They were all placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War.
But gunpowder and flammable oil were both powerful weapons in the army.
Glass, however, seems to have nothing to do with military affairs.
However, he dared not ask the King of Liang.
We had no choice but to obey.
Zhao Yuan glanced at the craftsmen behind him and asked,
Are you a glass craftsman?
The craftsmen behind him saw that King Liang had asked them questions.
He hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "That's right."
Wang Jing added, "He is a master craftsman in glassmaking."
"It was also his idea to make molds for lenses."
"Previously, they were all polishing glass,"
"But polishing glass is time-consuming and labor-intensive,"
"It will be very difficult to succeed,"
"But it's much easier once you have the mold."
Wang Jing also didn't want to bring the craftsman along to share the credit.
However, he was in charge of the kiln operations.
There are also many departments below.
He knows most about ceramics.
He knew absolutely nothing about glassmaking.
Fearing that the King of Liang would ask,
That's why I brought this craftsman with me.
Zhao Yuan smiled and asked, "What's your name?"
When the King of Liang asked his name, the craftsman excitedly replied,
"How skillful is the work of a petty person."
Upon hearing this name, Zhao Yuan
He paused for a moment, then said,
"Is your family a family of artisans for generations?"
“My ancestors were glassmakers during the Tang Dynasty.”
Zhao Yuan nodded and said, "No wonder you have such skills. Do you hold an official position?"
Chapter 1748 Glasses
He Qiaoshou heard the King of Liang ask about her official position.
Her voice trembled slightly as she replied.
"No, I am just a craftsman."
Zhao Yuan thought for a moment.
"You've done a great job in glassmaking,"
"Has rendered great service to the imperial court,"
"I'll appoint you as a captain,"
"However, he cannot lead troops,"