Chapter 824: mermaid
Chapter 824 Mermaid
In the knight's castle not far from Pindenburg, in the stone tower, the wife and children of Lord Qian Dexing were also having dinner.
In the stone hall, on the large solid wooden table, there are two silver candlesticks with three candles inserted in each candlestick.
Dinner uses six candles, fully demonstrating their status as knights. Although the knights are only the lowest rank of nobles in the fief, they are indeed nobles as the ministers of Wei Guogong Qin Lang's Tweet.
The Qian family has the knight fiefdom entrusted to them by Qin Lang, three villages and a knight castle in the Pingdeng Valley, with hundreds of households, a small mine, and a large field. The Qian family is not only the largest landowner in the Pindeng Valley, owning many fields, but also the owner of the mine.
Moreover, he also has knight privileges and enjoys part of the economic privileges of the three villages in the fiefdom of the Pingdeng knights. Qin Lang gave one-third of the tax he owned to the Qian family and distributed one-third to the Qian family. As a result, the Qian family actually owns one-ninth of the tax revenue of the three villages.
Of course, if it’s just that bit of tax revenue, it’s actually not much, but as a vassal knight, Qian Dexing also enjoys many hidden benefits. For example, as a knight lord, the Qian family can have ten sets of armor and ten There are 100 knights and servants, and they can be called to fight in wars.
Fighting wars is also the welfare of the vassals of Wu'an Prefecture, because they have the opportunity to win spoils of war and have the opportunity to be rewarded for their meritorious service.
In the Central Plains, there are strict requirements for the selection of government soldiers, and it is generally difficult for non-landlord powerful children to be selected.
The candles on the table candlesticks of Qian’s family are not ordinary candles, but whale oil candles that have emerged in Wu’an Prefecture in recent years. The Qin family has a special whaling fleet that goes deep into the South China Sea to chase and kill whales. It usually takes a year to go out to sea. Half a load, you have to return with a full load.
Killed whales are boiled for oil, whale blubber, whale bones and brains, etc. can be boiled to produce whale fat. After the whale fat is transported back to Wu'an Prefecture, there is a special whale candle factory in Taiping Port. Compared with traditional candles, whale blubber and whale brain Candles have many advantages.
However, it is not easy to make whale oil into candles. This is a very advanced and complicated technology.
China has long started to use whale oil for lighting. It is generally called mermaid oil or shark oil. For example, there is a long-burning lamp in the underground imperial mausoleum of Qin Shihuang. It is said that whale oil is used, and it is said that the reserves are huge. Burning lights do not go out for hundreds of years.
The high-quality candles produced by the Qin family's spermaceti candle factory are of very high purity and can be fully burned without black smoke or peculiar smell. Even the inferior ones are far stronger than ordinary animal fat candles, and can even emit a nice fragrance.
Compared to candles processed with beeswax or ash worm dung, which have scarce raw materials, spermaceti candles undoubtedly have more stable and sufficient raw materials.
Every autumn, the whale oil factory will start to purify the whale oil and whale oil obtained from the head of the whale. First, heat it in a pot to melt the whale oil into a liquid state, and then remove the water or other substances that may be mixed during transportation on the ship. Finally, the high-temperature and viscous liquid is poured from the pot into wooden barrels, and stored in the warehouse for a winter.
Cetacea under low temperature conditions will condense into semi-solid granular substances. When the temperature rises and the granular substances begin to soften, workers will take out the cetacean oil stored in wooden barrels and put them in wool. The mouth of the woven bag is tied tightly, and then they are pressed in a huge wooden press. With huge pressure, the whale oil in the wool textile bag is squeezed out. The whale oil squeezed out in these winters is of the highest quality. OK
The residue left in the bag will not be wasted. Pour it back into the pot to heat it, and then pour it back into the wooden barrel for storage. After the weather turns warm in early spring, it will be pressed again. This time the pressed oil is called spring pressed oil. The quality of the pressed oil is not as good, but it can still produce good-looking candles.
The dry, brittle residue left after the second pressing is grey, brown or yellowish-black, and the candle factory heats the residue again and adds a secret alkaline ingredient that bleaches the residue.
Finally, at high temperature, the alkaline ingredients will evaporate from the solution, and the rest will turn into white wax, which can be poured into the mold to make a white candle again.
However, although this candle is still white, it no longer has that unique whale fragrance.
The Qin family's whale oil candle factory is almost the only one. Although the coast has always had the habit of killing whales and refining oil, they usually make crude whale oil, and then make it into whale cream, which is directly used for burning lighting. In fact, it is equivalent to whale oil lamp.
Did not master the technology of refining and processing whale oil into solid candles.
So when the Qin family began to purchase large quantities of whale oil and formed their own whaling team, the Qin family had a large amount of raw materials for candles, which enabled them to have a very sufficient source of raw materials compared to other candle factories, plus whale oil candles Therefore, after a lot of marketing hype, the candle factory of the Qin family sold it under the banner of Shark Tears, especially the packaging was very careful, so it quickly became synonymous with high-end candles.
Not every candle is a shark's tear.
Merren's Tears Candle, DiDi illuminates your beauty!
Even the most inferior three pots of oil, the Qin family added some spices to enhance the fragrance, making it into unique incense candles with various fragrances, which still ran out of heat.
As the knight lord of Wu'an Prefecture, the Qian family is naturally much more convenient to buy whale oil candles. In fact, the Qian family is selling whale oil candles, ordering candles from the Taiping Port Candle Factory, and then selling them to farther places , and earn a lot of money every year.
So for the Qian family, ordering six whale oil incense candles for a dinner is nothing, it not only shows their strength, but also advertises.
Ms. Qin’s dinner is fresh sea fish sashimi, smeared with a little mustard, which is fresh and flavorful, and it is served with a cup of pepper mutton soup for people to enjoy.
The butler led the servants to serve the meal, and a group of young boys stood aside, but they were well-dressed, and they were not slave servants. These were the children of the knight servants of the Qian Dexing family, known as Wu family disciples.
Their father was Qian Dexing's family soldier. He took on the duties of guarding Qian Dexing, managing the territory, training the militia, etc., and charged for him in battle.
They are generally landlords in the territory and own a lot of fields, so they specialize in riding and shooting battle formations. Their children also start learning martial arts at a very young age, and after they reach the age of six, they are sent to the lord's house as apprentice servants to learn Noble etiquette.
And study with the children of the knight lord in the school of the knight castle, learning cultural etiquette, riding and shooting battle formations, etc.
When they become adults in the future, these people will also go to the battlefield, and even inherit the position of their father and brother's knight servants, and may even serve the Duke of Wei's battle and become a knight.
Even every year, Duke Wei would pick some good seedlings from these young apprentice servants of various knights to his side, and personally teach and train them.
"These whale oil candles are really nice."
The eldest lady is enjoying the light brought by the whale oil candle very comfortably. She used to think that coming to Lingnan was a punishment, but she didn't expect to enjoy it more and more here.
Inexhaustible fresh seafood, all kinds of delicious fruits, not to mention the lowly concubine's wife of the Duke's Mansion who was once looked down upon by others, now in this small place, she has also become a high-ranking lord's wife. In Chang'an, the status is low, and there are always people in the Duke's mansion, but here, everyone respects, the difference is worlds apart.
"My grandfather wrote to say that these candles are very good. He likes them very much. He said that they can provide transparent white light, and they are very suitable for reading and reading letters at night. There will be no more bad things like candles bursting and splashing on books and burning them. gone."
"It is also said that this candle is hard enough to be held directly, it will not melt even in the hot summer, its candle tears will not leave greasy stains like other candles, and this candle burns longer, especially almost No need to cut the wick."
The eldest lady Lin smiled slightly, with a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.
Her father-in-law, Qian Jiulong, Duke of the State of Xun, at the beginning said nicely that he supported the concubine to go out and not venture into the world, but in fact, he had never really valued this concubine before. When they left the mansion of the Duke of Xun, it was more like being kicked out. The government's Wanguan family wealth was just sent to them casually, even if the line was completely drawn.
He would never have imagined that this **** who left his hometown, far away from the bustling Chang'an, and ran to Lingnan, has now stood up by his own ability.
He came to this barren land with the Duke of Wei, and with his blood and bravery, he made many meritorious deeds. Not only did he own the fief territory of hundreds of households, but he also had a small million-guan industry. Now he only sells this whale oil every year. Candles can bring more than a thousand benefits to their family in a year.
The husband has even planned to order a whaling ship from the shipyard, and hire the captain and sailors to go to sea to hunt whales, so as to strengthen the relationship with the candle factory, and at the same time open up another source of income from the whaling business.
Ms. Lin is most concerned about her husband's official career. Her husband has just been promoted to be a military officer in Wu'an Prefecture.
Hearing that the war is coming soon, Mrs. Lin is looking forward to her husband fighting a beautiful battle, and then she can have a more stable position in the Qin family in Wu'an Prefecture.
"I have asked the housekeeper to prepare a thousand candles for your grandfather, enough for him to use for a long time."
In fact, a thousand candles are not worth a lot of money. After all, the top-quality whale candles produced by the Qin family are only worth a thousand dollars each. One piece of money.
The 1000 candles sent by Mrs. Lin, 100 of the top, 200 of the top, 500 of the middle, and 200 of the bottom. The family is a candle seller, so the cost price is not so high.
"Dalang, you will go to Taiping Port with the housekeeper in a few days. I have asked the housekeeper to book a boat ticket to Chang'an for you. You will personally send these candles to Chang'an to your grandfather."
Qian Dalang was stunned for a moment, "Do you want to send him to Chang'an in person?"
Lin said earnestly, "Last time you were not selected by Duke Wei's family to be an attendant. Your grandpa is very sorry. We plan to let you go to Chang'an, and let your grandfather send you to the Imperial College for a few years before returning. You are the boss. You will inherit our family business in the future. You can’t stay in this mountain all the time. I don’t blame you for not being selected as an attendant in Duke Wei’s mansion. Last time you happened to be ill and missed the opportunity. You go to Chang’an to study hard. Years later, we will send you to Wei Gong's mansion."
"But, we are fighting now, and I am also a child of the Wu family in Wu'an Prefecture, how can I leave." Da Lang said.
"How old are you? Fighting wars is the responsibility of the Wu family, but you are still young. You should first practice your skills and broaden your horizons before you come back to serve Duke Wei and fulfill the responsibilities of the Wu family." Lin said with a smile.
"Can my brothers go with me?"
"No, your grandfather is only willing to send you to the Guozijian. Although the Guozijian has tens of thousands of students, there are strict requirements to enter." Lin said, although his son is the grandson of Duke Xun, he is just a grandson of a common son. , can't enjoy the treatment of entering the Imperial Academy at all.
It was the thousand whale oil candles presented by their husband and wife to show their filial piety, which made Qian Jiulong make an exception to help them with this favor. It is not easy for a favor, so how can I send the other sons to the Imperial College in Beijing.
"They learn their skills at home, and it will be the same when they work hard to be selected as servants in the Weigong Mansion next time."
"Mother, the level of combat readiness has increased again. How is the front line? Grandpa will be fine, right?"
Mrs. Lin smiled, "Your grandpa is so good at fighting, how could something happen? The Duke of Wei has already arrived in Yongzhou. This time we will be able to wipe out the Juding Man in one fell swoop. Our Wu'an Prefecture will definitely win a big victory this time. You Grandpa will definitely make new achievements. You can rest assured and go to Chang'an!"
(end of this chapter)