Chapter 473： Ryoanji

  Wei Ruo smiled shallowly, and replied unhurriedly: "Yes, Qingwan and I are both girls of the Wei family. Whether at home or after we get married, my relationship with her will not change."

   Concubine Qi was very satisfied when she heard it: "As expected of a girl from the House of Zhongyi, she is the most knowledgeable."

   Immediately after, Concubine Qi asked Wei Ruo another matter: "I heard that Princess Rui once helped Princess Jingmin to open up wasteland and provide disaster relief when she was in Taizhou Mansion, is there such a thing?"

   "There is such a thing." Wei Ruo said.

"Speaking of which, my son has been worrying about the people who suffered from disasters in the past two years. If Princess Rui has something to do, she might as well talk to Bengong, and Bengong will relay it to Heng'er. He will use it for disaster relief. So that more people can benefit." Qi Guifei said.

   "The imperial concubine doesn't know something. It's not that the concubines are unwilling to help, but that the concubines are not in charge of the Taizhou government. I don't know many things very well." Wei Ruo replied.

   "However, Princess Rui participated in the entire disaster relief process, so she probably knows a lot of things, and she must also know some ways to open up wasteland and improve the land." Qi Guifei said.

  Wei Ruo replied with a smile: "According to my concubine's knowledge, reclamation of wasteland and disaster relief must be tailored to local conditions, and cannot be copied mechanically. Different places make different methods. If we just follow the gourd, it may backfire."

  After listening to Wei Ruo's explanation, Concubine Qi didn't speak for a while, she seemed to be thinking about whether what Wei Ruo said was true or not.

  Wei Ruo added: "If the imperial concubine wants to, the concubine can also tell her some methods I know. It's just that if the opposite effect is obtained, the concubine should not blame the concubine."

  Qi Guifei said softly: "Since this is the case, it is a pity. I originally thought that I could do something for the people of Li and relieve the emperor's worries."

  Regardless of whether what Wei Ruo said is true or not, Concubine Qi is not easy to embarrass Wei Ruo openly.

   "It's the concubine's lack of ability, which has failed the empress' expectations of the concubine." Wei Ruo's tone was slightly self-blaming and regretful.

   "Of course it's not Princess Rui's fault. Princess Rui is already very good. If it wasn't for the emperor's disapproval back then, I would have wanted you to marry my son." Qi Guifei said.

  Chu Heng's main concubine has been decided long ago, she must be the girl of their Qi family.

   Concubine Qi has always wanted to choose a suitable side concubine for Chu Heng. This side concubine's family background cannot be outstanding, so as not to arouse the emperor's jealousy, but she must also help her son.

  So at first Concubine Qi fell in love with Wei Ruo, because Wei Ruo had some skills to help her son, but the emperor did not agree for some reason.

  After that, Concubine Qi chose Wei Qingwan.

   Wei Ruo responded with a slight smile.

  Wei Ruo stayed with Concubine Qi for about an hour, and Concubine Qi wanted to stay with Wei Ruo for dinner, but Wei Ruo declined on the grounds that she wanted to go back to take care of the weak prince.

  It was heard that it was for the sick and weak Prince Rui, so Noble Concubine Qi didn't stay any longer, and ordered Wei Ruo to be sent back to Prince Rui's residence.

  ###

  May fifteenth, half a month.

  Wei Ruo went to Long'an Temple outside the city to offer incense.

  Wei Ruo had already come here on the first day of February, and now she came again. Those who didn't know it thought that Wei Ruo was here for the Bodhisattva enshrined in Long'an Temple, but she didn't come here to offer incense.

  In order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Wei Ruo still shows off in Xu Heyou's attire.

  When he came to Long'an Temple, Wei Ruo didn't stop, but continued to walk along the mountain path leading to the back of the temple.

   This path is relatively narrow, just enough for Wei Ruo to pass with a carriage.

  The road is a bit muddy, and the car is shaking and bumping when driving on it.

   Fortunately, the journey is not far away, and after a short journey, we arrived at the destination of this trip.

  The car stopped at the gate of a farm house.

  The farm house has just been renovated recently. Unlike other farmers in this area who use bamboo fences as walls, this farm house has newly built earthen walls.

  The yellow soil is mixed with stones and straw on the wall, and the top is covered with broken tiles to keep out the rain.

  The fence is built higher than ordinary houses, and people passing by outside can't see the inside at all, only the roof of the house inside is slightly higher than the fence.

  Wei Ruo and Xiumei got off the car and came to the door, Xiumei knocked on the door.

  The door opened, and they were greeted by an old face—Shi Dayou, the head of Shitou Village.

   "Master Xu!"

  When Shi Dayou saw Wei Ruo, his face was full of joy and his voice was excited.

  Wei Ruo and Xiumei entered the house, and Shi Dayou closed the courtyard door.

   "Thank you for your hard work." Wei Ruo said to Shi Dayou.

   "It's not hard work, how can it be called hard work, it's much easier than other ways to make money! Mr. Xu gave me this opportunity, I should thank Mr. Xu!"

   "For most ordinary people, they are reluctant to leave their hometown, let alone you are the village head." Wei Ruo said.

"Leaving my hometown is indeed difficult. But I have thought about it carefully. The crops have not been grown well in the past two years, and the big guys have not been able to eat well. If it weren't for Mr. Xu's help, we don't know how we would have passed last year. .”

"Instead of waiting in my hometown and waiting when I don't know when I won't be able to eat, it's better to go out and let the big guys follow Mr. Xu and you! Although we are far away from home, we can eat and see the world, so that the elderly and children in our hometown It’s worth it to live a better life!”

  Shi Dayou expressed his thoughts.

   "Don't worry, you have followed me so far, I will definitely not treat you badly." Wei Ruo promised Shi Dayou.

   "I believe in Mr. Xu!"

  Wei Ruo smiled slightly, looking satisfied.

  It is really rare for Shi Dayou to have such insights, and it is not in vain that she took a fancy to him in the first place.

   "Let me see what's going on here first."

  Wei Ruo looked into the courtyard.

  The original flat courtyard was dug more than a foot deep, and there were still a few steps to go down after entering the courtyard gate.

   A soil blast furnace about two meters high was built in the area dug low.

   There is a slightly shorter earth furnace about one meter away from the earth blast furnace.

   There is a sealed channel built with earth and stones between the two furnaces.

  The earth furnace on the left is for steelmaking, and the earth furnace on the right is for coking coal.

  Put the coal into the coking oven on the right. After closed combustion, combustible gas and coal tar will be produced.

  The gas enters the soil blast furnace through the sealed channel, and is burned again for steelmaking.

The technology of ironmaking is already very mature in this era. Wei Ruo's earthen blast furnace is not that different from others, but the process structure has been slightly adjusted and improved, and then additional furnaces will be added during the refining process. Some of the ores from the smelting have greatly improved the quality of the smelted steel.

  In addition, the stove on the right is not found elsewhere. It is the first time Shi Dayou and the others have seen this kind of structure and connection method.