Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 99 Miner's Mask!

Li Shimin looked at Changsun Wuji's bowing back, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes at first, then turning into deep emotion.

He raised his hand to help her up, his voice filled with undisguised warmth: "I am very pleased that you think this way."

"We have known each other for over thirty years. I know you love Chong'er, and I also know what this marriage means to our two families."

Li Shimin walked slowly into the hall, his gaze sweeping over the palace walls outside the window. His tone was deep and powerful, “But you are willing to sacrifice your own family for the greater good, and close this loophole for the new policies. This magnanimity and foresight are not something everyone can have.”

"I have said that the royal family should set an example for the world. Your words today have set the best example for the world."

Li Shimin turned around and looked directly at Changsun Wuji. "Don't worry, I won't let your family suffer this injustice for nothing."

"Your Majesty, it's not unfair. From a public perspective, this is for the long-term benefit of the Tang Dynasty; from a private perspective, it's for the sake of Lizhi and Chong'er."

The more Changsun Wuji acted this way, the more Li Shimin felt indebted to him.

They even wanted to give Changsun Wuji a high-ranking official position and generous salary again, but Empress Changsun refused.

Empress Zhangsun did not distrust Zhangsun Wuji's talent—Zhangsun Wuji assisted Li Shimin from his time as a prince to his ascension to the throne, and his strategies and courage were top-notch. Li Shimin's reliance on him was almost unparalleled.

However, precisely because of her noble status, Empress Zhangsun was well aware that "the abuse of power by maternal relatives" was a hidden danger for dynasties throughout history.

At that time, the Zhenguan era had just begun, and everything was in need of rebuilding. In the court, the Guanlong Group, the Shandong gentry, and officials from humble backgrounds checked and balanced each other. If Changsun Wuji, as the emperor's brother-in-law, were to occupy a high position, it would inevitably cause controversy over "the maternal relatives seizing power," and might even intensify the conflicts between the various parties, thus harming his brother and shaking the foundation of imperial power.

By forcing Changsun Wuji to resign, she was both sending a signal to the outside world that "the royal family does not show favoritism" and protecting her brother from the political vortex.

Although Li Shimin relied heavily on Changsun Wuji, he also understood the Empress's good intentions—he needed a stable court, not one that would give others leverage over him because of personal relationships.

Therefore, although he was reluctant, he temporarily compromised and allowed Changsun Wuji to retire, but the trust and consultation between them never stopped.

This seemingly "contradictory" action precisely reflects the delicate balance between the emperor and his ministers, and between their relatives, in the early years of the Zhenguan era:
Li Shimin's reliance on Empress Zhangsun, Empress Zhangsun's restraint, and Zhangsun Wuji's shrewdness together maintained the bottom line of "the maternal relatives not wielding power," laying the groundwork for the enlightened political situation of the Zhenguan era.

Two days later, the carriages of several princesses reappeared in Kaolao Village, and this time Li Lizhi was among them.

Just like when we first encountered it.

"Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister," Xiao Ran walked over and helped carry the two little princesses down.

They always freeloaded meals, but the princesses never came empty-handed; they always brought something.

It's mainly pastries and such, so Xiao Ran and Zhang Erya never buy pastries, but they can't possibly finish all the ones they have at home.

They were all top-quality pastries, which couldn't be bought even in Chang'an.

Xiao Ran San Niang welcomed the group back to the courtyard.

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang took the initiative to greet Sun Simiao.

If Li Lizhi and her companions come, the other ladies in the village can come and scrape the persimmon frost off.

It just so happens that Zhang Jinhe was called to come and collect the persimmon cakes.

The persimmon cakes earned the villagers a lot of money, and together with the money they had saved from helping build houses, they had accumulated quite a bit of savings.

Zhang Jinhe has stated more than once that the atmosphere in the village has become more harmonious since Xiao Ran came.

Now, it's not just people from Kaolao Village who come to scrape persimmon frost off; people from nearby Xinhe Village and Qujiangchi Village also come.

The method for making persimmon cakes wasn't deliberately hidden, and most people already knew it.

More and more people are starting to dry persimmon cakes.

I just want to scrape the persimmon frost off Li Lizhi; people from Kaolao Village have priority.

"Young master, how is the road repair going?" Li Lizhi asked Xiao Ran as soon as she sat down.

"The road that needed repairing has been completed. We started washing coal yesterday, and we already have quite a lot. Fifth Sister can arrange for people to transport it out for sale."

Li Lizhi didn't expect Xiao Ran to be so fast.

“Okay, I’ll make the arrangements when I get back today.” Li Lizhi wasn’t in a hurry.

The group strolled around and took a look.

The open space next to the mine had long been worn into smooth dirt paths, and as soon as you got close, you could hear a "clanging" sound.

The men of Kaolao Village, bare-armed, wielded picks, each strike capable of prying up a large chunk of black coal. Coal dust splattered onto their faces, mixing with sweat and creating streaks of black and white, but no one bothered to wipe it off.

The sorting area was even more lively, with a dozen women squatting in a circle around a wooden frame, shaking their iron sieves with a "clattering" sound.

They picked out the broken coal and gangue and threw them aside, while the large, good pieces of coal were stacked neatly, their black, shiny lumps gleaming in the sunlight.

Li Lizhi also noticed that everyone's face was covered with a cloth.

It looks very special.

"Young master, what is that on your face? Why is it like that?" Princess Yuzhang noticed that everyone was wearing it, regardless of gender or age.

"This is a mask. It can reduce the inhalation of coal dust. This dust is not very harmful in the short term, but it will definitely be harmful in the long term."

"It can't be completely avoided, but it can be much better."

Many people greeted Xiao Ran with smiles when they saw him arrive.

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang could sense that these people were working very hard.

This is even more pronounced than when the house was being built.

They can get paid for their work, and they can also get a share of the profits from selling the coal, so they are definitely very motivated.

Li Lizhi looked at the figures covered with cloth, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, which then turned into a deep warmth.

She turned to look at Xiao Ran, her voice tinged with emotion: "Ordinary people would probably only focus on how much coal they've mined and how much money they can make from it. Who would have thought that this invisible dust could also hurt people?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the busy crowd at the mine. Although the men were covered with cloth as they swung their picks, their movements were more steady, as if they knew someone was taking care of them.

Princess Yuzhang, standing beside her, nodded in agreement: "Indeed. No one else would care about such trivial matters."

Li Lizhi looked at Xiao Ran and said in a more serious tone, "This method of making masks should be learned by other places as well."

"There will be more mining and ash screening work in the future, and we can't let the workers hurt their bodies for nothing."

"I'll have someone send more coarse linen later. Let me know if you need more."

She didn't offer many words of praise, but her support was put into practice—acknowledging Xiao Ran's thoughtfulness while also wanting to extend this consideration to more people.

"Fifth Sister, Madam's illness is related to breathing. She can wear a mask when going out in dusty places to protect her respiratory tract."

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang didn't know much about the 'respiratory system', but they understood what Xiao Ran looked like.

"Young master, how should this mask be made?"

Xiao Ran thought for a moment, "The material used by the lady should be changed to finer material, with a soft white cotton cloth for the inner layer, so that it won't irritate the skin."

"Add a layer of fine gauze in the middle, with dense pores to block smaller dust particles, and use plain silk on the outer layer, which is light, breathable, and can also block the wind."

Xiao Ran casually picked up a twig and drew a simple shape on the ground:

"It needs to be bigger than this, big enough to cover the mouth, nose and chin, with a soft cotton trim around the edges so it fits snugly against the face and keeps dust out of the wind."

"Use a wider silk ribbon for the tie, so it won't feel uncomfortable behind your head, and your wife will find it comfortable after wearing it for a long time."

"If you're worried about it being stuffy, make two removable and washable layers. When they get dirty, you can remove the inner layer and replace it, and wipe the outer layer clean and it's still usable."

Xiao Ran added, "The key is to change and wash the skin-contact layer frequently to keep it clean—the lady suffers from a cold and is sensitive to irritation, so this will not only keep out dust but also prevent the fabric itself from having an unpleasant smell."

Xiao Ran looked up at Li Lizhi and said with certainty, "Don't worry about wasting materials. These layers look thin, but they're strong enough to keep out dust. They're also lightweight and comfortable to wear, much more comfortable than a stiff mask. They're perfect for when you go out, Madam." Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang understood immediately.

Before they started working, Xiao Ran told everyone about the wages and also mentioned the dangers of working for a long time.

Whether you want to do it or not is your own decision.

Xiao Ran paid about the same amount of money as the construction workers.

But it doesn't include meals.

They generally expressed disregard for the harms Xiao Ran mentioned.

Many people are even unwilling to wear masks, feeling uncomfortable and unaccustomed to them.

It was Xiao Ran who forced us to wear it; we had to wear it while working here.

They were fined for not wearing them, so they all put them on.

Li Wu and Cheng Tiehuan also wanted to experience it for themselves.

Princess Yuzhang followed along to select coal, not minding that it was dirty.

Since Xiao Ran couldn't get gloves, he had to just do it directly.

Seeing that the breathing area on the mask was getting darker and darker, Li Lizhi knew that the mask was very effective.

These substances, which would normally be inhaled into the nose and mouth, are now blocked by the mask.

Li Lizhi sincerely admired Xiao Ran; he not only considered the physical condition of others but also had such a good idea.

"Wonderful!" Li Lizhi murmured to herself.

The three little girls thought it was fun and wanted to join in picking up coal, but Li Lizhi pulled them away.

"Young master, there's still a lot of coal at home. I wonder how to deal with it. Would you be willing to exchange it? You can name your terms." Li Lizhi asked Xiao Ran from the other side of the road.

Xiao Ran naturally understood that Li Lizhi's family had a lot of coal.

"How about I get half a share after it's mined?" Xiao Ran couldn't think of anything else, so he just said it offhand.

"Is this true?" Li Lizhi had overheard Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun talking about it.

It's more than half a percent.

"Fifth Sister, you have quite a lot at home. Even half a percent is an astronomical figure. Are you sure Uncle Shi can agree to it?" Xiao Ran reminded Li Lizhi.

"Yes, I can promise you that, young master. There's definitely no problem," Li Lizhi said with a smile. "Without your method, these coals are completely unusable, so giving you half a percent is not excessive at all."

Half a percent of Datang Coal's profits is something I can't even imagine.

"Then it's settled! But this needs to be kept secret; I don't want too many people to know."

Li Lizhi nodded, "Of course, that's no problem."

Now, if anyone dares to cause trouble for Xiao Ran, Li Shimin's family will object without Xiao Ran even having to say anything.

Xiao Ran is of immense value; Li Shimin must cultivate a good relationship with him.

After reaching a verbal agreement, Xiao Ran explained the coal washing process.

Xiao Ran believed in Li Lizhi's character.

Li Lizhi was also surprised after hearing this, "It's that simple?"

It's simpler than you can imagine.

"It's not difficult to begin with, but coal is indeed not as safe as charcoal. Be careful in a very enclosed room," Xiao Ran reminded him again.

"Don't worry, young master, I'll definitely mention it when I sell the coal." Li Lizhi didn't want anyone to die because of coal.

Having not eaten fish for a long time, Xiao Ran took out his fishing rod and caught a few fish by the pond.

Li Shimin and his companions haven't been fishing lately, and Xiao Ran also has other things to do.

Li Lizhi and the others left in the evening.

"Grandpa, the coal deal is done. The young master wants half a percent of the profit."

Upon hearing this request, Li Shimin smiled. "Nothing else?"

Li Shimin had previously intended to give Xiao Ran one-tenth of the prize money.

"Hmm, no, young master said half is fine." Li Lizhi explained the matter of the mask.

They even found paper and pen and drew a picture of a face mask.

Li Shimin looked at the mask design drawn by Li Lizhi, his fingertips tracing patterns on the paper. After a long while, he looked up at Empress Zhangsun, his tone filled with undisguised admiration: "This lad always manages to see the real talent in the smallest details."

Li Shimin placed the blueprints on the table, his gaze deep and serious: "Mining and quarrying have always been arduous labor. Many strong men were as strong as oxen when they were young, but in their old age they coughed so badly that they couldn't straighten their backs. The government only regarded it as 'labor injury disease' and never thought of any way to protect them."

"His mask may look simple, but it truly embodies the principle of 'prevention is better than cure'—protecting the workers means protecting the labor force of countless families and safeguarding the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

"Yes! Although we can't completely eliminate the harm, it's enough to reduce it significantly." Empress Zhangsun smiled with satisfaction.

It wasn't just because Xiao Ran was concerned about his own illness, but because this method could help many people.

Previously, veils and scarves were used to cover one's true face and to shield against wind and sand, but they were all inferior to Xiao Ran's mask.

If coal could be utilized, it would be a huge asset for the imperial court.

"Hahaha!" Li Shimin became more and more delighted as he thought about it.

"Girl, we can find someone to transport the coal to Chang'an, but don't sell it for now." Li Shimin hadn't taken back many of the coal mines.

Once others know that the coal can be used, it will be impossible to take it back.

"Yes, Father. I'll remember that."

Li Shimin smiled and asked, "Where did this guy learn that from?"

"Interesting, it's getting more and more interesting."

Xiao Ran followed Sun Simiao's health regimen every day, looking at coal and also researching glassmaking.

Coal combustion temperatures can reach 1300-1500℃, far exceeding the 800-1000℃ of charcoal, which just meets the 1400-1600℃ melting temperature required for soda-lime glass.

Tang Dynasty glass was mainly made of lead-barium glass, which had a low melting point but poor transparency and was easily brittle.

The idea of ​​firing soda-lime glass in Datang was essentially a trio of technology transfer, resource integration, and institutional innovation.

Through fuel upgrades, formula reconstruction, and process iterations, it is entirely possible to break through the limitations of the times and produce glass products that surpass those of the same period.

They produced high-quality glass, which could be used to make windows, mirrors, eyeglasses, and the telescope that Li Shimin longed for.

These things are much more profitable than selling coal.

Xiao Ran knows more about theoretical knowledge; the specifics depend on practical experience.

Anyway, there's plenty of time; we can experiment slowly.

Once you understand the theoretical knowledge and the general direction, it's not difficult.

(End of this chapter)