Great Tang Idyll

Chapter 106: No Complaints After Failing Several Times

 

In order to make more advanced equipment, Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan asked a professional to draft custom drawings of ceramics in the morning of the next day and ordered people to manufacture ceramics based on the drafting.
After the servants left, Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan focused on figuring out how to increase the temperature.

 

First of all, they need to figure out how to supply air.
The two of them did not know how to build a blast furnace, so they can only follow the literal meaning of its name.
They got people to build a large furnace that was taller than a two-storey building.
The top has an opening so that raw materials can be added inside, and the bottom and its encircling area is empty so that fuel can be added. 

 

Without coal, they could only use charcoal.
At the same time, in order to further increase the temperature, they added some cooking oil.
This was the only method that the two of them can come up with.
The refinery process may fail if this method was used, but it also might succeed.
However, the major concern was that it might explode.
This was why the furnace was built in the most remote corner of the Manor.

 

posted on dramantics.blogspot.com 

 

“Xiao’bao, do you think it will work? What if it fails to resist the pressure and explodes?” Wang Juan felt uncertain about this blast furnace since proper blast furnaces are constructed using  materials that can withstand high temperatures.
There was absolutely no guarantee for their fake blast furnace.

 

Zhang Xiao’bao also didn't think that they could succeed this time.
When it came to scamming people, it either worked or it did not work, but the results for this experiment were neither definite nor dichotomous.
Despite this, he still wanted to try. 

 

“I’m not sure.
The probability of failing is probably quite high.
That’s fine, any sort of progress is made through gaining experience from failures.
What I mean is that we should hire all of the ceramics makers and get them to keep working harder bit by bit.
As for the blacksmiths, they just need to focus on increasing temperature and adding materials.”

 

“Okay.
Make sure that the workers pay attention to safety.
People still have hope as long as they’re alive.
When items are destroyed, it is nothing more than the re-transformation of the materials from one form to another.
For us, it is a matter of money.” Wang Juan felt the same.
Even though she knew that she would fail, she still wanted to try.

 

The manufacturing speed was not slow.
A few days later, some of the equipment was delivered.  Some were made of iron, and some were made of ceramics.
To pay for all of this, Zhang Xiao’bao paid around 15 taels of silvers and about a hundred pieces of silk, which was not a lot. 

 

The experiment started after all of the items were delivered.
After a series of loud explosions, the purchased equipment was destroyed one by one.
Within two days, there was no good news except for knowing that there were no casualties.

 

Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan would take out some time everyday to take a look because they were afraid that people were going to get hurt.
Even if all of the equipment blows up, the only loss was just money; the workers’ lives were more precious. 

 

posted on dramantics.blogspot.com 

 

After hearing one boom after another, everyone became desensitized to the noise.
Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan were hoping that at least one would succeed.
The workers just blindly followed their instructions, which was not in line with the nature of scientific research, but Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan had no other choice.
They were mere workers so Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan cannot expect them to work as scientists.

 

When another explosion sounded again, the blast furnace also exploded.
Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan asked everyone to not go near the furnace for the time being.
They waited for an hour before they moved closer to have a look.

 

“Young Master, all of the things are broken except for this one that is undamaged.
Will this one work?” A resident man picked out an object from the ruins and showed it to Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan.

 

Zhang Xiao’bao and Wang Juan took a look and realized that it was a part of the furnace that was made of iron.
The seal was better so it did not explode into bits.
They called over a blacksmith and asked, “Why is this one still intact?”

 

The blacksmith was more experienced.
He inspected it and then replied: “The wall of this one is a bit thick.
It should have been made by an apprentice since it was not made well.
Furthermore, when the apprentice made it, his craftsmanship was not that good.
He sealed it with lead instead.
More skilled blacksmiths would seal it by directly using forging techniques.”

 

“Oh, so that was how it was done.
The seal was created using lead, and the wall was thickened.
That’s good, this is good.
Welding won’t be possible for now.
We can only continue working on constructing the blast furnace.
This thing is very useful.
Find that apprentice and call him over.”

 

After hearing the Young Master’s whispered instructions, Housekeeper Zhang repeated the instructions to the blacksmith.
He also did not understand what his Young Master wanted to do with that useless apprentice.

 

When he told the blacksmith, he felt scared so he begged, “Housekeeper Zhang, he’s just an apprentice.
This child is usually good at doing things, and he was a filial person.
Please show benevolence and let this child go.”

 

The blacksmith thought that Housekeeper Zhang wanted to punish that apprentice.
Even though the apprentice was not from the Zhang Manor, it would be very easy for a large manor like the Zhang Manor to teach a commoner a lesson.

 

Housekeeper Zhang didn’t know how to respond.
He glanced at the Young Master who was standing next to him.
Zhang Xiao’bao felt that there was some misalignments when Housekeeper Zhang cooperated with him, and that he did not understand Zhang Xiao’bao’s intention.
Zhang Xiao’bao shook his head slightly, and waved his hand.

 

posted on dramantics.blogspot.com 

 

Housekeeper Zhang immediately tried to think of what these two motions meant.
According to common sense, this was a gesture of rejection.
He must be rejecting the blacksmith's plea, but in the past, the Young Master man and Young Miss was never this harsh to people.
 

His two little masters never did things that drove people into a corner.
They were kind to the people in the yard– they were so kind that they got people to leave the oil lamps on for the night watchmen, they provided people who did strenuous work with at least four meals everyday.
They were also kind to the Manor’s residents; they paid for all the gifts that were given out on the holidays. 

 

They were also quite nice to outsiders.
They showed care towards all of the bailiffs in the Administrative Office.
Just yesterday, they gave a bailiff’s family five qian1 of ginseng because the bailiff’s father was ill and needed to take ginseng.
Five qian of ginseng cost 800 coins to buy, and it was immediately sent to the bailiff’s house using the Manor’s quickest horse. 

 

If the Young Master was able to do all of this, would he not be able to tolerate an apprentice? This was absolutely impossible, but why did he shake his head while making that hand gesture?

 

“Housekeeper Zhang, please be kind.
The apprentice is my old friend’s son.
If you really want to punish someone, then please punish me instead.
I will take the responsibility” The blacksmith watched Housekeeper Zhang standing there silently and felt really anxious.
He was about to kneel down to beg him.

 

Housekeeper Zhang mumbled a response to the blacksmith while looking at the Young Master again.
Zhang Xiao’bao was angry now.
You’re a housekeeper and you can’t even understand your master’s intentions.
What are you trying to do? The housekeeper had interacted with Zhang Xiao’bao quite a bit by visiting his yard everyday.
If this was Xiao’hong, Ying’tao or Shi’liu, they would have immediately understood what Zhang Xiao’bao meant. 

 

Left with no other choice, he picked up a charcoal stick from the ground.
He wrote the word ‘invite’ on his own clothes and as soon as he finished writing it, he wiped the word away with his hand.

 

When Housekeeper Zhang saw the word, he understood, and he said to the blacksmith, “Blacksmith Ai, don’t worry, we’re not going to cause trouble for your apprentice.
Have a look, other people’s things are broken, but the one that your apprentice made is fine.
We want to invite your apprentice over and ask him a few questions.
Not only will we not harm him, but we will also award him.”

 

posted on dramantics.blogspot.com 

 

“Really? Are you not trying to trick him into coming here and then punish him?” The blacksmith was obviously still uneasy.

 

Housekeeper Zhang’s facial expression darkened, and he glared at him, Shi's face sank and his eyes glared, “Blacksmith Ai, what are you thinking of? Do you think the Zhang Manor would lie to you?”

 

“No, no, I don’t dare to think like that.
The Zhang Manor has never done anything like that before.
That’s fine then, I will go retrieve that bad apprentice in a bit.” After seeing Housekeeper Zhang’s expression, he did not doubt him anymore.
There were also a lot of people there listening, so the Zhang Manor would not try to trick him.  

 

In the afternoon, the apprentice came, and he still felt worried.
He didn’t know what he was going to face.
Housekeeper Zhang went to greet him.
He got a servant to serve him tea, and then he praised the apprentice. 

 

“Housekeeper Zhang, is there a reason why you were looking for me?” The apprentice finally couldn't resist asking the question he had in mind. 

 

“Yes.
It’s nothing significant though.
The thing you made was pretty good, and the Master liked it.
We want you to make another one according to this draft, and seal it with lead like the way you did before.
Make it thicker too.
Here, have a look.” 

 

Housekeeper Zhang grabbed the draft paper from the side, and handed it to the apprentice to view.

 

The apprentice understood what was on the paper, but he didn’t understand what the object was used for.
He raised his head questioningly to look at Housekeeper Zhang.

 

“What wrong? It can’t be done?” Housekeeper Zhang asked.

 

“I can.
This thing is simple.
It can be made in two days, but what is the use of this thing? ” The apprentice quickly replied.
After seeing the draft, he decided that it was really simple to make since he did not have to worry about making the four walls thin.

 

“That's good.
Here is the payment.” Housekeeper Zhang Shi took out two large strings of copper coins2 and placed them on the table.
Clink clink clink. 

 

The apprentice stood up frightened and he did not dare to look at the money.
There were two strings of coins in total.
If the money was brought to the government office, it can be converted to two taels of silver, but if it was used for normal expenditures, it was equivalent to around two and half taels of silver.
How could he be paid that much money for just making an item like that?

 

“What's the matter? Do you think it’s too less? I'll give you these bits of silver too then.” Housekeeper threw five qian of silver beads onto the table.

 

The silver beads fell on the table and kept spinning around, making a slight ringing noise.
The apprentice couldn’t help but look at the silver beads.
He knew that this amount of silver was not worth as much as those two strings of coins, but he liked the feeling of holding silver in his hands. 

 

posted on dramantics.blogspot.com 

 

“It’s enough, it’s enough.
No, it’s not enough, it’s too much.
Umm, take some back.
You don’t need to give me this much.
It’s enough to just give me the silver bits.” The apprentice waited for the silver beads to stop spinning and spoke with a slight panic.

 

Housekeeper Zhang nodded in satisfaction.
“If it’s enough, then that’s good.
Take it all.
Remember to do a good job when you make that thing.
No matter who asks, you can't tell others how you made it.
Other than for the Zhang Manor, you cannot make this item for anyone else for your entire life.
You also cannot make it for yourself.
Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, I understood.
Don't worry, Housekeeper Zhang, I will forget about it once I'm done, and I will never think about it ever again.” The apprentice understood immediately.
The money was also used to make sure that he kept his lips tight. 

 

Translator's Notes

Five qian is about 15 grams. 

Two string of copper coins

Copper coins have a square hole in the center, so a string can be threaded through the hole in the coin.
During the Tang Dynasty, it was standard for a string of copper coins to have 1000 individual coins.