A product of wealth and nobility

  The Song Dynasty actually had some high-rise buildings, and several tall towers also reached over 60 meters. According to legend, Wu Zetian built the Mingtang in Luoyang, which was said to be as high as 300 feet. It's unknown whether this is true or false. But it wasn't a tower, nor a Mingtang, nor a high-rise building, and visually it would make people feel even higher.

  Some officials looked at it and thought, "Has it really been made?"

  Lyu Yuqing asked worriedly: "Song Jiu, will it be safe?"

  This person stood at the bottom and had to hold his head up to see the top, but it wasn't very big. Lyu Yuqing was worried that it would collapse at any moment, but he couldn't ask directly, so he asked indirectly about the doubts in his mind.

  "Mr. Lü, it is absolutely safe and can last for at least a hundred years. If there's a problem, I'm only worried that the bricks might crack, but that's not a big issue, we can just use lime to fill it up. The stability doesn't come from the bricks, actually even without bricks, it can still stand upright. We use bricks because of their sealing properties."

  "Will it be okay without bricks?"

  "Mr. Lü, without bricks it will be even more solid, it's a reinforced concrete structure, just this big furnace, thirty-two layers of reinforced concrete, if there are no other reasons, it can stand for five hundred years." This is obviously not understood by everyone, and Song Jiu doesn't want to talk about it anymore, saying: "Or later on, some small problems will be discovered one after another from a technical point of view, but I think that even if there are problems, they won't be too big, and can be gradually improved later."

  This is fact.

  What can be changed is only some minor places, and it's estimated that within three or four hundred years, no one else will dare to make major changes to this iron smelting and steel making process. Unless a miracle occurs and another time traveler with more knowledge appears. But Song Jiu said these words with intention, with these words, as long as the Song Dynasty needs steel, he will be very safe.

  Zhao Pu asked: "How much iron can it smelt in a day?"

  Song Jiuxin calculated in his heart and replied, "Due to technical limitations, it can produce about 5,000 or 6,000 catties at most, not exceeding 10,000 catties. It also has a drawback, once the furnace is opened, it's best not to extinguish it for a long time."

  What Song Jiuxiao said is still practical, accurate calculation is impossible, only rough calculation can be done. The blast furnace is not small, but it is still a product of backward technology, and it cannot reach the level of steam engine blowing air, nor can it achieve closed-top furnace, nor can it add flux to sintered raw materials, and even the technology itself has some imperfections. Moreover, most of China's iron ore is lean ore, not rich ore, with a daily output of about three tons, at most four tons, and more than that would be unfeasible.

  But after finishing speaking, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

  Others smiled wryly together.

  Song Jiu is right, such a large blast furnace, I don't know how much money and silk the imperial court spent on it, and the labor cost was not counted, if calculated, it would be even higher. Its output is pitiful, later generations of blast furnaces have daily outputs of hundreds or thousands of tons, what can this output count as?

  However, the total amount of iron ore throughout the Song Dynasty was only 2 million catties. If it were to maintain its production without stopping the furnace, at least 70% of the iron ore in the entire Song Dynasty would have to be transported for smelting. Thinking of this, Song Jiu couldn't help but bend down and burst out laughing.

  This will give the Song Dynasty officials a headache. The first is how to transport, and the second is what to do with those small stoves, which are truly intricate and delicate matters.

  "Why can't you put out the fire?" Zhao Pu asked.

  "Even if the fire is extinguished, it's not a big deal, but because every time the furnace is opened, preheating is required, which increases many costs. Moreover, frequent extinction and uneven heating and cooling will also damage the furnace body. To ensure safety, low-temperature empty burning must be maintained, especially for that blast furnace. Although it is not as tall as the high furnace, once it starts working, it cannot be extinguished, otherwise, the furnace body will truly crack due to uneven heating and cooling, resulting in the furnace being scrapped. Moreover, because of its thermal expansion, it needs to be protected by a refractory lining, and its lifespan is only about 20 years. The high furnace is also the same, it won't collapse, but after long-term use, it will twist due to thermal expansion and eventually become unusable. However, with a large amount of steel materials, the technology will become more mature later on. Compared to the cost savings, with a large amount of high-quality steel, this construction cost is very low, almost negligible."

  Xue Zhuzheng said: "Song Jiu, why didn't you say so earlier."

  This is a big trouble, we need to transport a large amount of iron ore immediately, otherwise the urgent transportation may not meet the needs of the blast furnace.

  "Xue Xianggong, with gunpowder, we won't have to worry about getting iron ore. I've taught them for a long time, it's time to mass-produce gunpowder. The steel industry of the Song Dynasty will rise from this." Song Jiu said with an air of confidence.

  In fact, the emergence of these three things is not trivial. It's just that the people who attach importance to it don't know what's going on, and Song Jiu, who knows, doesn't think about it at all, only thinking that once construction starts, he can get a lot of barely qualified steel in the future.

  "Hey kid, you should've spoken up earlier!" Li Chongju shouted loudly, "A few chancellors are somewhat better, aren't you trying to deceive me?"

  "Li, you see how busy I am, what's with all these thoughts?"

  It's not that Song Jiu is being unreasonable, he really has been busy, and for the past half year, he's been running around in circles. After the emperor and his entourage took a look, they hastily returned. There are many things to be done, first of which is to massively produce gunpowder; not only did he recall some officials and craftsmen who had learned from him before, but also transferred twenty-one students of Song Jiu's who were studying glass-making to work on gunpowder production.

  Don't mess with glass, national affairs are urgent.

  Everyone is busy, not only manufacturing gunpowder but also going to various mines for guidance. Only these forty or so people understand, the others don't know what's going on. What if something happens?

  Then the quota system was improved, and most of the mines were reclaimed. The main ones were iron ore and coal mines, which were operated by the government, and convicts were reassigned to work as miners. To restore the system of the Tang Dynasty is definitely not feasible. First, it would be inhumane, and secondly, once officials get involved, corruption and bribery will inevitably occur repeatedly. The system needs to be changed, but time is pressing, so we have no choice but to revert to this backward system.

  Secondly, a large quantity of coal and iron ore was immediately mobilized to Xin Gang.

  From Dongfu to Sansi, busy as a chicken flying and eggs smashing.

  Song Jiu was also busy, but its output was actually very meager, with an annual production of less than a thousand tons, although this was almost the entire iron production quota for the Song Dynasty. The quantity was indeed pitifully small, and a large river boat could carry away the entire year's iron production.

  Although the sparrow is small, it has all five internal organs. From refining pig iron to smelting iron and then to refining steel, this is a dragon-shaped production process that requires many supporting facilities, which still cannot leave Song Jiu's guidance.

  However, the number of tourists coming to watch has also increased.

  It's quite high, come and take a look at the rare sight, and it's not far from the capital city. If you get up early, walk over to take a look, and return home before dark, it's just a leisurely day trip. So many people came to watch the excitement. Some clever people thought of one thing.

  Song Jianguo's buildings look very strange, many people think they can't be built, the difficulty is high, and there is also glass. Glass seems to be under development now, with this super-large chimney being built, will those houses still be a problem?

  The house is no problem, and the riverbank will have unlimited business opportunities. Moreover, not many people know about the betting content, and those who do dare not speak out of turn, unaware that there is another 40 million behind it. This makes people think wildly.

  But the first fish to take the bait was unexpectedly not one of his usual gang of second-generation rich kids, but rather three previously unknown officials.

  They may not be famous, but their fathers are very famous. Two of them are Shi Jingsi's sons, Shi Baozheng and his 10-year-old younger brother Shi Baoji, who came to play together. Another is the son of Zhao Kuangyin's sister's husband Gao Huaiyi, Gao Chugong.

  Song Jiu wasn't a newcomer to the Song Dynasty, and he often heard some officials discussing the situation of military leaders, so he knew that his memory of the heroic General Gao was incorrect. The descendants of Gao Huai De were likely to be unknown, but another general named Gao Qiong began to stand out in the army. One was from Changshan, and the other was from Mengcheng, they weren't from the same family. Later on, the famous Gao family was probably from Gao Qiong's lineage. Song Jiu wasn't clear about the specifics either.

  According to rumors, three years ago, Zhao Kuangyin used the plan of Zhao Pu to summon the generals Shi Shouxin, Gao Huaiyi, Wang Yanqi and Zhang Lingde etc., and relieved them of their military power with a cup of wine, dismissing them from their military posts and appointing them as regional governors in name only. Song Jiuyi felt that things were not so simple.

  But three years ago, nearly ten senior generals were indeed stripped of their military power.

  Zhao Kuangyin treated them well, lavishly rewarding and officially appointing their descendants to positions. For example, Shi Baozheng was appointed as a supply official at the age of 14 and promoted to deputy envoy of the imperial food supplies in his second year, which was arranged by Chai Rong and had nothing to do with Zhao Kuangyin. After relieving Shi Shouxin of his military power, Zhao Kuangyin summoned the sons and younger brothers of meritorious officials to ask about current events. Baozheng was the youngest among them but answered clearly and remarkably, so he was appointed as an envoy to the capital. In reality, this was just a gesture to save face for Shi Shouxin.

  After being stripped of military power and granted wealth, these generals began to accumulate wealth recklessly. Shi Jingtang accumulated enormous wealth in just a few years, with his family assets reaching tens of millions, according to Shi Zhaoyi's evaluation, it was unclear how much money he had. He built a luxurious Chongde Temple in Luoyang, but the management was poor, taking advantage of the master's prestige, forcing civilians to transport tiles and wood, driving them urgently, and not paying wages or deducting wages. The people were dissatisfied, so they made trouble at the Luoyang government office, but the court did not investigate.

  The Gao family didn't lack money either. Gao Jixing was the son of Gao Huaide's ex-wife, who died young. Zhao Kuangyin had two sisters: his elder sister also died young, and his younger sister married Mi Fu. Unfortunately, her husband passed away. Zhao Kuangyin thought of his good brother and arranged for them to get married. But it can't be ignored that this younger sister of Zhao Kuangyin was a fierce woman who had once chased him with a rolling pin. After she got married into the Gao family, could they still lack money?

  Moreover, the two families were quite well-informed about each other's affairs and couldn't think of any other way to gain an advantage except through money. Thus, a deal was made between three people.

  But there is still a story behind the scenes, which Song Jiuyi couldn't have thought of.

  The servant brought Shi Baoji over to play, while Shi Baozheng, Gaochuang Gong and Song Jiu sat down to chat.

  Just after chatting for a while, Shi Baozheng took the initiative to lead him to the riverbank and asked: "Jiulang, wouldn't it cost a lot of money to build on that riverbank?"

  Yes.

  "I don't know..."

  "I'll subscribe for some shares." Song Jiu said straightforwardly.

  "How to recruit?"

  "Anyone with money can join, regardless of their background."

  Shi Baozheng took a few steps and asked: "I wonder if I can buy shares?"

  "Alright, but I must declare beforehand that my bet is six hundred thousand taels of silver. I wonder how much money and silk you can put up, Mr. Dai?"

  "What six million taels!" Shi Baozheng was anxious, isn't this nonsense? In the entire capital city, there wasn't a single household that could take out six million taels.

  "Don't believe me, you can ask your elders about the emperor and the two great kings. There are two things: one is the court's money, and the other is technical investment. I said 6 million taels is too little," Song Jiu said. Six million taels can be said to be a small amount, but from a technical perspective, it's not a lot either. However, considering the taxes he owes, it's too much. It's over 4 million taels, but ignoring depreciation and interest, with an annual interest rate of 10%, the actual amount to be paid now is only around 400,000 taels. Even without compound interest, it would only be around 600,000 taels. With low-interest annual compound interest of 10%, just 400,000 taels can pay off the future 4 million taels, and without compounding, it's just over 600,000 taels."

  However, this algorithm is a bit too complicated and only Song Jiuzai would think of it that way. Ordinary people can't even get around it.

  "Imperial Court Money?"

  "Yes, unlike contract shares, as long as you invest, you can wait for the dividend. I have to pay back the debt to the imperial court every year, and it's a 10-year development project. The only ones that don't make a profit are the bridge, academy, and dock, which are funded by the imperial court. All others will be profitable. Even if you invest as little as 100 taels initially, you'll get annual dividends and eventually accumulate thousands of taels. But because my contract shares are complicated, they won't follow suit, so the earlier you invest, the more cost-effective it is."

  "Would the imperial court lend you money......" Gao Chuang asked, apart from the imperial court, which family would lend so much money to Song Jiu?

  "Heaven's secret cannot be revealed. Let me tell you one more thing, it has a 50-year limit. Except for those houses that are permanently sold to the people, everything will be returned to the imperial court after 50 years."

  "Fifty years."

  "Shi Dalang was delighted for fifty years, I originally thought it would only be thirty or forty years."

  "What's the meaning of this?"

  "I'll just give three examples. Firstly, gambling: in the capital city, there are only a few hundred households that don't gamble, and wealthy families can easily lose several thousand taels of silver per year without batting an eye. Even ordinary citizens have gambled away several strings of cash. With so many households in the capital, plus all the visiting merchants, just imagine how staggering the numbers would be! You're all well-informed, I'm sure you know that one of my sports stadiums has already started taking bets - just think about how much revenue it will bring in per year! Next, let's talk about the brothels. The environment, architecture, and facilities are all top-notch, with fine dining and soon-to-be-added fine wines - how much money do you think they'll rake in each year? And then there's the glassware: I'm sure you've seen those exquisite pieces of crystal glasswork - if we can make them even more intricate, just imagine how much they'll sell for! My research will yield even better results, with larger volumes... and that's not all. The gold shop is another treasure trove waiting to happen. Mark my words, I will soon join forces with the imperial court; otherwise, those jealous officials in the palace would have me torn apart. And let's not forget about that heavenly plaything - charging each person 500 or 1,000 taels of silver per entry seems reasonable, don't you think?"

  Two people choked to death. Gao Chuangdao said from a high place: "It's so expensive and you still say it's reasonable?"

  "This family is unique, can go up to heaven, and jump down from heaven, I'll take 2,000 yuan for it, if you love it, just get on, or someone else will."

  "Can it really go up to heaven?"

  "In twenty days, you will see. In short, it will all come true, and the money earned in a year will pile up like mountains of gold and silver. Not just fifty years, I'm afraid that thirty years later, we'll have to pay more taxes to the imperial court automatically, otherwise, we won't be able to keep it. Moreover, you've heard that six million taels is a large amount, but you don't know about compound interest. Even if you invest ten thousand taels, this year it's one, next year it's two, the year after it's four, and so on, sixteen, thirty-two, in ten years it will be tens of millions of principal. It won't just be your family or mine, there will be countless families pouring money into buying shares, my shares will be gradually diluted, and eventually, even one percent will be insufficient, and we'll have to pay back the imperial court's massive debt, isn't that excessive?"

  In this way, Song Ji's 600 million yuan contract is reasonable.

  In reality, it's a bit of a detour, but the result is correct. The key is that by the end, who needs so much capital? They're all second-generation rich kids, who's afraid of whom? Song Jiushares will inevitably be diluted, and it's impossible to dilute them to 10%, but these are some tricky math problems. Maybe after Song Jiu's large-scale education, in ten years' time, there will be more people learning math, and they won't be fooled, but for now, it's not possible, and only a few people can thoroughly understand it.

  Shi Baozheng and Gao Chonggong looked at each other, with their family property, taking out 10,000 to 20,000 taels of silver is not unusual. If it's like what Song Jiu said, in ten years it can roll into tens of millions, that can also be considered impressive. Although it doesn't match Song Jiu's shares, one needs to repay the imperial court's debt, and the other doesn't need to repay, the nature is different. Moreover, those strange and weird titles, also can't leave Song Jiu. Having power is not enough, oneself has no ability to change it.

  Shi Baozheng stood up and said: "I'm disturbing you, Jiulang."

  After finishing, the three people took their servants and hurried back. However, Song Jiu looked at their backs and thought to himself that the fish had basically been hooked.