Daming Military Empire

Chapter 267 Teaching Marquis Meng to Use Cement

Just as the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College were intensively preparing for the Ding Chou Branch Examination and Palace Examination, the Ministry of Industry sent good news that the cement sample had been made!However, none of them know how to use it, so I still have to ask the emperor to teach them how to use this thing.

This cement is not something that can be done just by saying it will be done. It will take at least a day or two. Of course, Zhu Cijiong can't go to Xicheng District to show them on the spot. He can only let them prepare all the cement, sand and gravel and tools and equipment to be used. All right, let's take a cart to the palace.

When Bi Maokang respectfully invited them to the square outside the Qianqing Palace, he couldn't laugh or cry, the cement packaging was too outrageous.The sand and gravel are all normal, they are all packed in sacks, and the wooden boards are just stacked there neatly. The tools such as trowels and trowels are a bit exaggerated, and they even made a special wooden frame to hang them like weapons , this cement is even more exaggerated, it is actually packed in a treasure chest containing gold, silver and jewelry!
Well, cement is indeed a rarity in this era, but you don’t need to put it in a whole treasure box. The amount of cement used is calculated in tons. If you sell dozens of catties of cement and get a treasure box, you will have to lose your pants. !
Zhu Cijiong pointed at the treasure chests, dumbfounded, and said, "Menghou, don't use such expensive treasure chests to store cement. After the cement production increases, it will eventually be sold to ordinary people. You know the cost of cement, and it's not worth it at all." What kind of money, plus the amount of consumption is too large, if it is too expensive, no one will use it. To make money from this thing, you still have to rely on quantity. If you pack it like this, you will have to pay for it. A box of cement is not as expensive as this treasure box!"

Bi Maokang blushed when he heard this, and replied in embarrassment: "Forgive me, Your Majesty, didn't you say that the cement packaging should be waterproof? I couldn't find anything waterproof for a while, so I found a few treasure chests to store it temporarily." .”

Zhu Cijiong thought for a while after hearing the words, and then casually instructed: "Of course there is no ready-made thing for packing cement. You have to find someone to make it. Do you know about oil umbrellas? Just make a bag the size of a sack with the oil paper used for oil umbrellas, of course. , the paper doesn’t need to be so thick, nor does it need to be so beautiful, as long as it’s as cheap as possible.”

Bi Maokang bowed his head in shame and said, "I understand."

Seeing him like this, Zhu Cijiong quickly comforted him: "Okay, okay, I just said casually, those who don't know are innocent, don't take it to your heart, come here, I will teach you how to use this cement."

After all, he rolled up his sleeves and waited to get the shovel. Cao Huachun on the side quickly grabbed his sleeves and persuaded in a low voice: "The emperor forgives the sin. Let the servants below do these things. You can guide and guide."

Zhu Cijiong was taken aback when he heard the words, and only now did he realize that he was the emperor. He rolled up his sleeves in embarrassment, and said to the eunuch behind: "You two go up, each of you takes a shovel, and shovels the cement and gravel to the ground."

Hearing the words, the two eunuchs at the back ran up quickly, picked up the shovel and shoveled it, and soon a large pile was piled up on the ground, Zhu Cijiong instructed: "Well, it's almost done, let's shovel a few more shovels of cement and sand, and then put Stir them together, stir well."

Those two eunuchs were masters in the East Factory, so it was easy to do this job. They quickly shoveled a few shovels of cement and sand, and then they started stirring. Zhu Cijiong instructed them to stir again, and soon So they mixed the three things evenly.

Zhu Cijiong instructed again: "Make a hole in the middle, pour half a bucket of water into it, and then stir evenly."

The two eunuchs seemed to have the talents of plasterers. Zhu Cijiong only gave them a few rough instructions, and the movements were beyond standard. Soon they mixed the cement, sand, pebbles and water evenly.

Zhu Cijiong thought for a while, then pointed to the stone slab on the ground and said, "Take a larger board and place it on the ground, then use a one-foot-wide board to nail such a large frame on it, and add a few supports outside to nail it firmly."

Hearing the words, the two eunuchs roughly looked at the size of the stone slabs on the ground, and then took out the planks and nailed them on the open space beside them. Perhaps because Emperor Tianqi was a carpenter emperor, the eunuchs in the palace still did carpentry like that. Soon they nailed the wooden frame.

Zhu Cijiong stepped forward a few times, feeling that it was almost solid enough, and then continued to direct: "First pour some water to wet the inside of the wooden frame, then shovel the mixed cement into it, and fill it up to a little higher than the frame. .”

The two eunuchs immediately poured some water into the wooden frame, and then you shoveled and I shoveled it quickly, filling the wooden frame quickly.

At this time, Zhu Cijiong pointed to the wooden frame next to him and said: "One person takes a larger trowel to wipe off the excess cement, and then wipes the top as flat as the stone slab on the ground."

After hearing the words, the two eunuchs immediately took a large trowel and wiped it awkwardly. Zhu Cijiong gave some pointers, and their movements gradually became standard, and soon they wiped the cement surface as smooth as a mirror.

Zhu Cijiong nodded in satisfaction and said, "Well, yes, it's ok. Tomorrow morning and afternoon, both of you will bring buckets of water over, just pour it on it, and be careful not to touch the cement."

Bi Maokang stood aside and watched seriously, remembering carefully, but when he heard Zhu Cijiong's voice, he was immediately surrounded, is this all right?

He looked at Zhu Cijiong in disbelief, Zhu Cijiong waved his hand directly and said: "Okay, call it a day, you shovel the remaining cement oars into sacks and throw them away, wash the ground clean, Menghou, you can come and see the results in two days up."

After all, he turned his hands back, turned and went back to the palace, leaving only Bi Maokang standing there, staring blankly at the cement paddle in the wooden frame. He still doesn't believe it, is it so simple? ?
It was just cement, of course it was that simple. Two days later, Zhu Cijiong took him directly to the old place to check the test results.

Zhu Cijiong first stepped forward and touched the surface of the cement with his hands. It was hard, smooth, and free of any sand, which proved that the cement was completely dry. So he directly ordered the two eunuchs to remove the wooden boards on the four sides, and then Step on it and stomp a few feet hard.

Bi Maokang on the side subconsciously stretched out his hands to help him in fright, but Zhu Cijiong walked down as if nothing had happened, and pretended to say: "I have already said that this cement will be as hard as a rock after it dries. If you don't believe me, go up and try it." .”

Bi Maokang was naturally a little unbelieving, he boldly went up and stomped his feet a few times, and it was as hard as a rock, and his feet hurt from the shock, he bent down again to take a closer look, there was no trace on the cement surface, and now he I finally believed it completely.

Zhu Cijiong taught patiently: "This is just the simplest usage of cement. Cement can also bond bricks and stones. As long as the gap between bricks and stones is filled with cement mortar, they will become a whole, as hard as rocks. The same; cement can also be used to build bridges, first use finger-thick steel bars to draw out the outline, and then fill it with cement mortar, about three feet thick can bear the weight of the train; cement can also be used to build tall buildings, first use steel bars and cement It is no problem to pour load-bearing columns like this, and then fill them with bricks to build a building with a height of more than [-] meters. Of course, cement has other uses. According to the performance I just mentioned, it can be deduced by analogy. do you understand?"

If you don't understand this, then you are an idiot, Bi Maokang quickly nodded and said: "I understand, thank you for your instruction."

(End of this chapter)