jdhmnovel Chapter 412: Popular in the City
Chapter 412: Popular in the City
Replacing the windows of all the palaces with glazed windows was a huge project. Although the emperor had agreed, the Ministry of Works had to carry out the task of replacing the windows, because the Ministry of Works was responsible for the construction of the palace.
So Min Xi had to communicate with the company. The company had the dimensions of the doors and windows, so they didn't need to measure them themselves. After getting the dimensions from the company, they fired the glass according to the dimensions, and then handed the fired glass to the company for replacement.
After receiving the emperor's order, the General Office immediately sent someone to contact Min Xi about the matter. They went to Yun's house to observe the installation method of glass windows, and then went to the Liuli Factory to supervise the selection of glass. All the things used in the palace were tributes, and the specifications were extremely high. Those with the slightest flaw could not be selected.
It sounds very demanding, but it is also a requirement for the level of craftsmanship. As long as this batch of goods from the palace is delivered, the level of the craftsmen in Liulichang will definitely reach the top level.
In order to deliver this batch of colored glaze as soon as possible, Min Xi expanded the scale, opened more colored glaze kilns, and added manpower.
At the same time, Min Xi opened a glass shop in the capital, specializing in mirrors, glass ornaments, glazed tiles and window glass. Naturally, the window glass was pre-sold. Although the company eliminated a batch of defective glass, Min Xi did not intend to sell the defective products on the market, but to re-burn them.
The furnishings and decoration of the glass shop are unique. The display racks, counters, doors and windows are all made of glass. Even the backs of the display racks are made of mirrors. The mirror effect created by the mirrors makes the store space larger and the display method more special. The whole store looks transparent and bright, unique, with a sense of openness and is very eye-catching.
So as soon as the store opened, it attracted countless people who came to see the novelty and excitement.
As Min Xi expected, although everyone was very interested in glass products, the most popular ones were mirrors and glass. Mirrors were very expensive, and a small mirror half the size of a palm was priced at about three taels of silver, but they were still very popular and sold out quickly.
There are still a steady stream of customers coming to buy mirrors, both men and women, but because they are out of stock, they have to make reservations in advance.
Nowadays, it is fashionable for women in every household in the capital to own an extremely clear mirror, and a trend of using glass mirrors has started.
This situation was completely within Min Xi's expectations. Before making glass for the palace, Liulichang's source of income depended on mirrors.
The glass windows of the imperial palace were gradually replaced, of course, starting with the important palaces, the three main halls, the Qianqing Palace, the Cining Palace, the Kunning Palace, etc. The other palaces were arranged later, and they would be replaced one after another once the glass was fired, and they should all be replaced before the New Year.
The ministers who went to court naturally noticed the changes in the palace, and they couldn't help but discuss it in private, and by the way, they inquired about the origin of the glazed window.
The royal relatives who frequently visited the palace had already noticed the changes in the palace. They first saw glazed mirrors in various palaces, and later saw glazed windows in the palace. The palace has always been a trendsetter, so they naturally asked about the origins of these things.
As soon as Min Xi's colored glass shop opened, the first to buy mirrors and glass were the royal relatives. Mirrors were available, but glass was hard to buy at the moment and could only be reserved. Despite the high price, the royal relatives paid the deposit without hesitation and reserved the glass. They only had to wait until all the palaces were equipped with colored glass windows before they could get their turn. They wanted to be the first family in the capital to use colored glass windows.
Min Xi looked at the pre-sale orders and knew that Liulichang would make money in the future, but the scale would have to be expanded, otherwise it would not be able to handle so many orders. Of course, we have to wait until we make money before expanding the scale.
When winter came, Min Xi was still busy making steel. Yun Ji had returned to his normal routine, because the tax reform decree had been implemented throughout the country, along with Zhang Juzheng's performance evaluation system, which was an assessment of the performance of officials. With the tax reform and the performance evaluation system, there was no need to worry about the lack of tax revenue.
Yun Ji came back from the government office and asked the servant, "Where is my ninth brother? Is he still in the Osmanthus Garden?"
"Yes, sir. Master Min is still in Xiangxiang Garden."
Yun Ji walked straight towards the Osmanthus Garden, and heard a jingling sound from a distance. Before Yun Ji reached the gate, he was greeted by the enthusiastic Ba Wang. Yun Ji raised his hand and touched Ba Wang's head twice. This guy used to follow Yun Lin to Tao's house for classes. Now Yun Lin went to Wenchang Academy to study and couldn't take the dog with him, so he followed Min Xi all day long, because Min Xi stayed at home the longest. Dogs are also afraid of loneliness. Without a companion, they need people to accompany them.
Yun Ji stepped into Xixiang Garden, and then looked at Min Xi in surprise as he was swinging a hammer to forge iron!
Yun Ji took two or three steps forward and took the hammer from Min Xi's hand: "Ninth brother, why are you doing this yourself? Be careful not to get hurt."
Min Xi turned around and smiled at him: "It's a bit cold, swing the hammer a few times to warm yourself up. It won't hurt."
"Put on your coat quickly, be careful not to catch a cold. There's a fire over there, go and warm yourself if you feel cold."
"I just hammer it for fun."
Yun Ji picked up the hammer and swung it a few times, but was stopped by Min Xi, "Seventh Brother, there's no need to hammer anymore. It should be ready now. Let's quench it."
Yun Ji stopped, picked up the steel in his hand and put it into the water to quench it.
Min Xi said to the master beside him, "Put it away first and come back to check it tomorrow. It's almost done for today. Go and put out the fire. We'll go home and come back tomorrow."
Yun Ji looked at the rows of steel materials on the shelves under the eaves. Each type of steel material had its additives and proportions written on it. This year, Min Xi spent all his time either on glass or steel materials. "Haven't you refined the steel you want yet?"
"Some of them already meet my needs, but there is no such thing as too many. They have many uses. My steam engine should be almost finished by next year. Let's go and have dinner."
"Okay." Yun Ji and Min Xi returned to their Xiwei Courtyard.
Although Yun Ji doesn't have to work overtime all the time now, it is impossible for him to leave the Ministry of Households early. Moreover, it is time for the year-end settlement, so it is good enough to get off work on time.