Chapter 142 The beginning of new-style architecture

Soon, Zhou Mengchen’s two disciples arrived.

Zhou Mengchen first asked Feng Bao and said, "Feng Bao, how about the glass workshop in Danei now?"

Feng Bao was stunned and said, "Return to the teacher, the operation is normal."

Zhou Mengchen said, "Why don't there be many people who want it?"

Feng Bao pondered for a moment and said, "Almost all the glass in this workshop is supplied to the palace. Some are also used as telescopes, which are used as a thousand-mile mirror."

Zhou Mengchen said: "Are there many exporters?"

Feng Bao said: "Not many."

Zhou Mengchen said: "Don't there be many glass instead of window paper?"

Feng Bao said: "Yes, but not many. It's mainly because it's too expensive."

Zhou Mengchen nodded and said, "Have you ever thought about building a glass workshop outside?"

Feng Bao said: "Teacher, I can't do anything about this."

Zhou Mengchen said, "It's okay, wait a moment, go back with you and say hello to Huang Daban."

Before this, Feng Bao's glass workshop had sold a lot of glass through imperial stores, but these glasses were mainly among luxury goods, rather than civil consumables. On the one hand, glass had just come out, and things were precious. On the other hand, Feng Bao's workshop was in the imperial city, with a very limited output.

Feng Bao's energy mainly focuses on better optical instruments, such as the Qianli mirror, microscope, etc.

It can even be said that the glass produced by Feng Bao is the main responsibility of Feng Bao's glass workshop. Especially the military and national heavy weapon, this is the reason why Jiajing has always kept Feng Bao's workshop in the imperial city and not moved out.

Now, Zhou Mengchen needs to lead the architectural style. After thinking about it, he found that although cement has great uses, his revolutionary nature is more in construction. However, the Ming Dynasty in this era was not always building houses. Cement must be used for a wider range of purposes.

Zhou Mengchen led cement to the decoration ranks.

However, Zhou Mengchen suddenly realized that among this ranks, glass is more irreplaceable than cement.

Because in the era without cement, the ancestors of the Chinese had thought of using various materials to decorate the house. In summary, there were nine pulp and eighteen ash, and there were various ratios. Only one type of glutinous rice juice was added. The rest were added with tung oil, alum, and even blood.

So, so on.

In the decoration ranks, all kinds of ash have their own rules. Even in the ability to express certain details is better than cement. Therefore, it is not in the era without cement. All houses are adobe walls with large amounts of soil.

Of course, the people have no chance of these things.

After all, where is the cost?

However, cement will reduce its price in the future, but now this price will not. Now, cement and these various ash have a cost advantage, but it is somewhat convenient.

So, Zhou Mengchen thought of glass.

The houses where Jiajing lived have already used glass windows. Cement and glass can be called the palace style. In this way, the popularity of cement was passively formed, but Zhou Mengchen took the initiative to create a trend. Don’t think that only modern times can there be a trend.

In fact, it has existed in ancient times.

However, in the early Ming Dynasty, the Jing style and Su style were still divided equally. The so-called Jing style was the palace style. However, the later it went, the less mobilized Beijing's economy was, and the richer Jiangnan became. Especially Suzhou was the largest city in the world and the demon city of the Ming Dynasty.

The popular fashion in Suzhou unified the world and even spread to the palace, and the concubines in the palace were proud of wearing Su style.

However, as a popular trend, Jing's style is gone. However, the situation where the King of Chu is so thin and the palace is so evil that he dies, it will never change.

There is a problem with Zhou Mengchen's plan, that is, the supply of glass. Only by setting glass as a daily necessity can the price not be high. At least it cannot be the price of luxury goods. Zhou Mengchen's strategy can achieve it.

However, Zhou Mengchen did not think Huang Jin would reject this.

During the battle under the city of Beijing, a lot of inner treasury silver was released in the palace. Although the palace could not be said to be empty, it also left a big loss. On weekdays, Jiajing would find a way to move the silver from the Ministry of Revenue to the palace, but now the hair of the Minister of Revenue is almost gone. The surplus of the provinces is being transferred to the capital on a large scale across the country.

The financial structure of the Ming Dynasty was very strange. Just as I was about to mention that the annual fiscal revenue of the Ming Dynasty was around 10 to 20 million taels. Although the surplus in Taicang in Beijing was very small, it was not that the Ming Dynasty had no money, and the distribution of taxes in the Ming Dynasty was intercepted from layer by layer. When I arrived in Beijing, only the amount paid by each province, and the rest of the money was allocated in the provinces, prefectures, counties, and allocated.

At this time, the imperial court actually did not conform to the financial principles. However, there was still some money on the ground. After all, the Ming Dynasty was still in a strong foundation, but by the end of the Ming Dynasty, this non-system blood draw from the bottom caused no extra money in any government in the country. Even a few thousand taels of miscellaneous matters in a certain prefecture and county had to be resolved.

At that time, the blood had been drained. Why not die?

But now it is not like this.

Although the current financial crisis is difficult, it can still be overcome.

But Jiajing may not be willing to survive. Or Jiajing may want others to endure it, not himself.

If you can add some money to Jiajing at this time, it will be beneficial whether it is to improve Jiajing's favorability or to reduce the burden on the court.

Zhou Mengchen ordered Feng Bao, turned his head, handed the drawing in his hand to Xu Gao, and said, "There is a rough look here. Can you make it?"

Xu Gao took it over and saw a piece of architectural drawing. Zhou Mengchen's paintings were very freehand. But after all, there was still some foundation for drawings. So Xu Gao could see it clearly. After careful consideration, he found that Zhou Mengchen's new design actually had no qualitative changes. It was just a large window. It was made of cement. Many places where wood or other materials could be used were used.

This kind of thing is an antique building that cannot be imitated like the ancient ones that are not criticized by anyone. However, in this era, it has brought great inspiration to Xu Gao. He said in his heart: "So this can be done?"

Many things are like a piece of window paper.

For example, many yard columns. If you use wood, you need large wood from Liaodong or other places. However, if you use cement columns, you can't see it as long as you paint the outside. This is the case in many places. From the outside, there seems to be no change. However, the inside has become cement and bamboo tendon structures.

Yes, it’s bamboo tendons. Because steel is too expensive.

Moreover, there were no too high-rise buildings in the Ming Dynasty. Even if there were one or two floors on it, there were quite a few three floors. This was enough.

As for Zhou Mengchen's design style, the reason is very simple. Zhou Mengchen just wanted to sell cement instead of changing customs. To be honest, the Western architectural style of later generations may not be able to catch the eye of the wise people of this era.

Xu Gao said: "No problem."

Zhou Mengchen said, "That's good. Get ready to go to the palace with me."

Then Zhou Mengchen arrived at the palace and told Huang Jin that Huang Jin naturally did not agree. He then asked Xu Gao to take over the repairs in the palace. After all, the palace always needs to use so much cement purchased in the palace. Xu Gao was the best at this.

A few days later, the palace was completely renewed.

In particular, cement replaces bricks and stones, paving paths and going deep into the gardens is much better than ordinary bricks and stone roads.

Jiajing was naturally very happy and rewarded Xu Gao with the position of head of the Ministry of Works.

Of course, this official position is more of an honorary title, just a salary. After all, the so-called magistrate of officials is the so-called slanted title, and it is not recognized by the court at all. If Zhou Mengchen did not prove himself in the imperial examination, it would be Xu Gao's treatment.

Zhou Mengchen also chose a few houses during the trouble, repaired them in the palace, using cement and glass. For a time, the trend that was originally blown was blowing higher and higher, as if it was about to blow to the sky.

However, Zhou Mengchen's dilemma was still not solved.
Chapter completed!